Denver City Council Meeting - June 16, 2025
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Denver City Council Meeting - June 16, 2025
The Denver City Council met on Monday, June 16, 2025, at 3:30 PM in the Cathy Reynolds City Council Chamber. The meeting was presided over by Council President Pro Tem Diana Romero Campbell, with eight members present (Alvidrez, Flynn, Gilmore, Gonzales-Gutierrez, Kashmann, Romero Campbell, Sawyer, Watson) and five absent (Hinds, Lewis, Parady, Torres, Sandoval). The agenda included a consent agenda of resolutions and bills, several items called out for postponement, and discussion on the proposed repeal of minimum parking requirements. The meeting adjourned at 4:00 PM.
Consent Calendar
- All resolutions and bills on final consideration were approved en bloc by a vote of 8-0. This included:
- Business, Arts, Workforce, Climate & Aviation Services Committee items: Sunglass Hut concession at Denver International Airport (25-0634), contract with Aptim Environmental for CASR program administration (25-0788), and amendment with SITA IPS USA Corp for common use hardware/software at DEN (25-0808).
- Finance & Governance Committee items: Amendments to master purchase orders with Herc Rentals (25-0782), Cintas Corporation (25-0783), CDW Government LLC (25-0786), Conserve-A-Watt Lighting (25-0787), and Advanced Network Management (25-0807); reappointment of Paul Gonzer to DOTI Advisory Board (25-0794); two liability claim settlements totaling $50,000 (25-0900, 25-0901).
- Land Use, Transportation & Infrastructure Committee items: High Line Canal Trail Underpass at Yale and Holly contract (25-0784), purchase of two EV rear loader trucks for homeless encampment cleanup (25-0785), Denver Gateway Center Filing No. 10 plat (25-0789), five on-call landscape architectural services contracts (25-0792 through 25-0797, each $3M), two sustainable engineering services contracts (25-0798, 25-0799, each $1.5M), two roofing design contracts (25-0800, 25-0801, each $1.5M), and two public alley dedications (25-0806, 25-0817).
- Safety, Housing, Education & Homelessness Committee items: Loans for 152 income-restricted units at 49th & Vine (25-0811, 25-0812), HOPWA rental assistance agreement with Colorado Health Network (25-0813, $3,039,969), rapid rehousing amendment with Jewish Family Service (25-0814), Denver START program contract with Rocky Mountain Human Services (25-0818, $6,420,399), and two amendments with Bayaud Works for shelter operations (25-0831, 25-0832).
- Bills for final consideration: Wage trust fund amendment (25-0744), Classification and Pay Plan amendments (25-0762, 25-0780), donation of historical police vehicle to Denver Police Museum (25-0608), and amendment with Denver Health for Ask CAM TRAIL phone line (25-0761).
Discussion Items
- Postponement of Resolution 25-0713 (Salvation Army Crossroads shelter): Councilmember Flynn called out the resolution for a one-week postponement under Council Rule 3.6 to the next regular meeting on June 23, 2025. No motion required; the item was postponed.
- Postponement of Bills 25-0684, 25-0685, 25-0686 (Modernizing Parking Requirements): Councilmember Alvidrez moved to postpone the three bills to June 30, 2025, after Councilmember Flynn moved to order them published. Councilmember Sawyer expressed strong opposition, stating that the state of Colorado is forcing the repeal, that the city is going beyond state requirements, and that the change undermines the Transportation Demand Management ordinance. She noted concerns about local control and the inadequacy of public transit, and said she would vote no on the bill. Councilmember Flynn also voiced opposition, agreeing with Sawyer. The motion to postpone passed 8-0.
- Councilmember Gilmore comment on Bill 25-0744 (Wage Trust Fund): Councilmember Gilmore read a statement from Councilmember Torres, noting that the bill renames and expands the minimum wage special trust fund, authorizing the city auditor to fund labor-focused nonprofits for wage theft education and outreach. She thanked stakeholders and expressed support for the amendment.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved: All resolutions adopted and bills on final consideration passed en bloc by an 8-0 vote.
- Resolution 25-0713 postponed to June 23, 2025.
- Bills 25-0684, 25-0685, 25-0686 postponed to June 30, 2025, with a public hearing scheduled for August 4, 2025.
- Bills for introduction ordered published: Library fund transfer (25-0815), golf course sprayer purchase (25-0816), ballot designations ordinance (25-0825), two easement relinquishments (25-0804, 25-0805), and zoning change for 1149 South Navajo Street (25-0665). The public hearing for 25-0665 is set for July 14, 2025, with protests due by July 7, 2025.
- Council President Pro Tem Romero Campbell announced the July 14 hearing on 25-0665 and adjourned the meeting at 4:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to your Denver City Council. Please stand by. Full coverage of your Denver City Council begins now. Well, good afternoon, everyone. You are at the City Council meeting for Monday, June 16th. Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish. Sam or Alejandro, would you please introduce yourself and let our viewers know how to enable translation on their devices? Yes, of course. Gladly. Hello, everyone. My name is Sam Guzman. With the CLC, and along with my colleague Alejandro, we will be interpreting today's meeting into Spanish. Please allow me a minute so I can give instructions in Spanish on how to access interpretation. Buenas tardes a todos. Unicono the globo que dice interpretación. Muchas gracias, and thank you very much. Thank you very much. Welcome to Denver City Council meeting on Monday, June 16th, 2025. Council members, please join Council Member Flynn in the Pledge of Allegiance. Council members, please join Council Member Flynn as he leads us in the Denver City Council land acknowledgement. The Denver City Council honors and acknowledges that the land on which we reside is the traditional territory of the Hute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho peoples. We also recognize that government, academic, and cultural institutions were founded upon and continue to enact exclusions and erasures of indigenous peoples. May this acknowledgement demonstrate a commitment to working to dismantle ongoing legacies of oppression and inequities, and recognize the current and future contributions of indigenous communities in Denver. Thank you. Madam Secretary, roll call. Watson. Here. Lewis. Parity. Here. Madam President Sandoval. Madam Pro Tem Romero Campbell. Here. Approval of the minutes. Are there any corrections to the minutes of June 9th? Seeing none, the minutes stand approved. Council announcements. Are there any announcements today? Council member Elvidris. Thank you so much. I want to extend my deepest condolences to their families and friends and all who are grieving this profound loss. This kind of violence is both horrifying and wrong. No one, regardless of their politics, background, or belief, should ever be in fear of serving the public. We must speak out clearly without hesitation. Political violence has no place in our society. We can and must find ways to disagree without harm, hatred, or threats. In the face of this tragedy, we are called to stand even more firmly in compassion, civility, and the fundamental rights of every person to live and lead without fear. Melissa and her husband deserve that world, and so do we all. So I look forward to talking to people June 25th, 7 to 8 p.m. again at the Habitat Humanity and District 7.
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