Denver City Council Meeting - May 21, 2025

Note: The source materials (minutes and transcript) list the meeting date as Monday, May 19, 2025, beginning at 3:30 PM. The user-provided date is May 21, 2025; this summary uses the provided date per instructions.

The Denver City Council convened on May 21, 2025, with 12 members present (one absent: Councilmember Lewis). The meeting included the Pledge of Allegiance, Land Acknowledgement, approval of the May 12, 2025, minutes, council announcements, multiple proclamations, a block of consent items, and several discussed bills. Key topics included a housing code enforcement amendment, a micromobility rental ordinance, a postponement of National Western Center funding agreements, and renewal of the RiNo Business Improvement District.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of minutes from May 12, 2025.
• Proclamations (adopted en bloc): 25-0751 (Frontline Worker Appreciation Month), 25-0752 (Public Works Week), and several others adopted individually.
• Resolutions (adopted en bloc): numerous contracts, reappointments, and appointments, including a $1.5 million ChargePoint charging station purchase, a $1.5 million contract with Aviation Security Consulting, Inc., a $1.3 million contract for trash conveyor maintenance at DEN, a $6.75 million bank services agreement with JPMorgan Chase, a $2 million investment advisory contract with Chandler Asset Management, a $4.5 million HUD PRO Housing grant, and a $15,000 settlement of a police-related lawsuit (Resolution 25-0747).
• Bills for final consideration (passed en bloc): 25-0455 (capital equipment vehicle purchase), 25-0599 (micromobility rental devices).

Public Comments & Testimony

• General Public Comment Session (5:00-5:30 PM): No public speakers signed up.
• Public Hearing on RiNo BID Renewal (Bill 25-0640): 19 individuals spoke. The majority expressed support for renewal, emphasizing the district's economic impact, arts support, and recent governance reforms. Speakers included Jason Zumbrunnen (Ratio Beer Works, board member), Sonia Danielson (property owner, founding member, initially opposed but now supports), Michael Kimmelman (resident, supports but concerned about grant model), John Deffenbaugh (former projects director, highlighted COVID grants and arts funding), Tai Beldock (taxpayer representative, detailed stakeholder demands for structural changes), Spencer Frock (treasurer, committed to safety and cleanliness), Robert Gray (artist, credited Rhino for professional development), Stephen Bennett (Curtis Park Neighbors president, supports collaboration), Hunter Leggitt (architect/artist, supports but calls for stronger cultural leadership), Adam Larkey (board chair, outlined achievements and future plans), John Beldock (Erico Motorsports owner, long-time property owner, now supports after board changes), Alye Sharp (executive director of Rhino Art District, highlighted $10 million investment and national model), Keith Pryor (emphasized importance of BIDs to Denver economy), Gerald Horner (supports, sees opportunity for public realm improvements), and Robert Champion (co-owner of Beacon and Mockingbird, credited Rhino BID for attracting his business). One speaker, Jesse Paris, spoke against the renewal, arguing it benefits gentrifiers and does not support long-standing Black-owned businesses.

Discussion Items

• National Western Center Equestrian Center Project Support Agreement (Resolution 25-0548 and Bill 25-0549): Councilmember Gonzales-Gutierrez moved to postpone both items to June 2, 2025, to allow continued negotiations with the Community Investment Fund (CIF) regarding funding for community benefits and displacement mitigation. Brad Buchanan (NWC Authority) and Alfonso Espino (CIF) spoke. Supporters of the delay (Councilmembers Gonzales-Gutierrez, Parady, Kashmann, Alvidrez, Torres, Gilmore, Sandoval) argued that two more weeks could yield better terms for the community. Opponents (Councilmembers Flynn, Hinds, Romero Campbell, Sawyer, Watson) noted that 2C funds cannot legally be used for the CIF's $16 million lump sum request and that the delay would not change the contract's substance. The resolution was postponed 7-5; the companion bill was postponed 9-3.
• Housing Code Enforcement Amendment (Bill 25-0469): Councilmember Watson introduced an amendment to remove the requirement that DDPHE notify all affected tenants of administrative citations, replacing it with a requirement to post the order on the property. The amendment passed unanimously (12-0). The bill as amended, which allows the public health manager to order relocation assistance when a dwelling is unfit for habitation, passed unanimously (12-0). Councilmembers Watson and Parady noted the bill was crafted with input from community members, including those displaced by the Welton Park apartment conditions.
• Micromobility Rental Devices (Bill 25-0599): The bill, amending Chapter 54 to regulate electric scooters and bikes, was called out for comments. Councilmembers Hinds, Parady, and Watson highlighted the public safety and accessibility improvements, noting nearly 2,000 ER visits from scooter crashes in 2024 and the need for sidewalk detection technology. The bill passed as part of the consent block.
• RiNo Business Improvement District Renewal (Bill 25-0640): After the public hearing, Councilmember Watson expressed support, noting the difficult but fruitful process of governance reform. The bill renewing the BID for another 10 years passed unanimously (12-0).

Key Outcomes

• Postponed: Resolution 25-0548 (National Western Center PSA) and Bill 25-0549 (companion fund) to June 2, 2025. Vote: 7-5 and 9-3 respectively.
• Postponed: Bill 25-0335 (zoning change for 4634 and 4638 N. York St.) to June 2, 2025, due to improper noticing. Vote: 9-0.
• Passed as Amended: Bill 25-0469 (housing code enforcement) – amendment adopted 12-0, final passage 12-0.
• Passed: Bill 25-0640 (RiNo BID renewal) – 12-0.
• Adopted: All consent items en bloc, including proclamations and resolutions, with 12-0 votes.
• Adopted Individually: Proclamations 25-0709, 25-0748, 25-0749, 25-0750 – all passed 12-0 or 11-0.