Welcome to your Denver City Council.

Please stand by.

Full coverage of your Denver City Council begins now.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for taking the time to join us for Denver City's Council meeting.

Today is Monday, July 14th, 2025.

Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish.

Sam or Alejandro, would you please introduce yourself and let viewers know how know how to start over?

Would you please introduce yourself and let our viewers know how to enable translation on their devices?

Yes, of course.

Thank you for having us.

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 few minutes while I'll give instructions in Spanish on how to access interpretation.

Thank you very much.

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, July 14, 2025.

Council members, please join.

Please join Councilmember Alvidres in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Denver City Council honors and acknowledges that the land on which we reside is the traditional territory of the U Cheyenne and Arapaho peoples.

Council members Lewis.

President.

I'll be there.

Here, Lynn.

Here.

Heinz?

Here.

Parody.

Romero Campbell.

Here.

Sawyer.

Here.

Doris.

Here.

Watson.

Here.

And Madam President Sandoval.

Here.

Twelve members present.

There are 12 members presence.

Council has a quorum.

Approval of the minutes.

Are there corrections to the minutes of June 30th?

Seeing none, the minutes stand approved.

Council announcements.

Are there any council announcements this afternoon?

Councilmember Flynn, why don't you start us out?

Thank you, Madam President.

I wanted to take this occasion to make note of our passing of uh someone who's very near and dear to me and to a lot of folks up here and a lot of folks in Southwest Denver.

Uh Margaret Atensio passed away on Friday after struggling with a brief uh period in the hospital.

And Margaret uh, I actually met her dad before I met her.

Her dad uh Herman was uh a deputy city attorney when Max Zall was city attorney under Bill McNichols.

And Margaret loved Southwest Denver, she loved Denver.

She loved it so much that she was fierce, a fierce fighter for Southwest Denver and for Denver as a whole.

She was uh one of the founders of the Colorado Latino Initiative.

She was uh co-captain of House District 1A uh for Denver Democrats.

She was one of the first people to urge me to run for the seat where I'm sitting right now.

Um but what I liked about Margaret was just her love for her family.

She told me often about uh moving to Brentwood in Southwest Denver, and at the time, and uh some of you who are from Southwest Denver might remember this.

Uh where Lincoln High School is right now.

Uh she said when her dad moved the family down there, it was a sheep pasture.

And that's how long her roots have extended in Southwest Denver.

I know that I will miss her.

Uh advice, her counsel.

Uh, my wife and I uh will miss her dearly as a friend.

And uh the last thing I wanted to say about her.

I think if anybody knew Margaret, she you knew how much she loved her mom and her dad, a beautiful couple that her parents were, and she talked about them often.

And it makes me feel a little better to know that she's reunited with them.

Thank you, madam president.

Thank you.

Councilmember Alvidares.

Thank you, Council President, and thank you, Councilman Flynn, for those beautiful words.

Um, Margaret was definitely someone special to me as well, as I'm sure many of us, and um, she is definitely missed, and her advocacy as well.

She would be one of those people that would get the emails together and get people to care about the issues that we vote on, that a lot of constituents don't hear about, so her advocacy will also be missed.

Um, on another note, I wanted to share that several RNOs, including the interim neighborhood cooperation and several district seven ROs have gone together to host Beyond the Gold Posts, a community town hall about the National Soccer Stadium coming to District 7.

It's an opportunity to ask questions, advocate, learn about the project, and that will be this Thursday.

Happy hour will start at five, and the event will start at 6.

That will be at Town Hall Collaborative on Santa Fe Boulevard.

So I hope to see a lot of you there.

You can find more information on our social media.

Thank you.

Councilmember Watson.

Uh thank you, madam chair, and thank you.

Uh Councilmember Flynn and Councilmember Alvidres for uh elevating um Margaret Attensio's name, and I I too uh jumped in the queue to speak about uh Margaret.

We met back in 1997.

I was co-chairing uh Colorado Stonewall Democrats, and she was co-chairing the Latino Initiative within the Democratic Party.

Um, everything that uh Councilmember Flynn said, um, I say did oh too, and I wanted to offer the uh the words from the Colorado Democratic Party on uh Margaret Atencio's passing, and I would like to share those.

Um there are people whose presence is so steady and full of conviction that it is hard to imagine a world without them.

Margaret Attencio was one of those people.

Margaret has been a fixture in a Denver's civic life for as long as most of us can remember.

Organizing, advocating, and building power for the people who aren't being heard.

But more than that, she's been a source of deep wisdom and moral clarity for so many of us coming up in Colorado politics.

She earned a reputation as one of the first people one must have, must that one must have done earlier outreach to as a candidate for public office or in the party.

And she made you earn her respect.

Once you did, she'd walk through fire for you.

We don't know how to imagine Colorado without her voice in it, but I do know this.

Margaret didn't just lead, she grew leaders.

She taught us how to hold the line and center the right thing, how to stay rooted in the community, and how to show up for people, even when no one was watching.

While she has left us, we hope she knows how many lives she has changed.

We hope she knows how many of us are carrying her lessons forward.

And we hope she feels the love of a community that's better because she was in it.

Thank you, Margaret, for everything.

We'll keep you, we'll keep the fight going to Margaret's family and friends.

Um our hearts are breaking, but she gave so much, and I am so grateful to have known her.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Council Pro Chamber Mario Campbell.

Thank you, Madam President, and again, thank you to the other council members for your words about Margaret Atencio.

Um I have two announcements um for the events that are going on for our summer series, um, the heart of Southeast Denver where you belong.

Uh on Wednesday, we have the Hampton Heights um pool and pickleball.

Um, they've opened up their space and we're partnering, and we still have some pickleball slots uh for a mini tournament that we're having.

Uh the Tacos Larena Esteca will be there, and so will of Kona Ice.

Um, and I think it'll be a great time for people to get together.

Um, you do need to register.

Um, we have waiver forms uh that need to be signed, and that can be found on our website.

So on Wednesday from 10 to 2, and then in two weeks after that, on June 30th, um, we also have a free putt putt day at Kennedy golf course.

And so um we need people to register so that we can get them in the queue so we know that they're coming and um can get all of those waivers signed as well.

Um, so two days that are coming up, and we're really excited about it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Um, just wanted to invite everyone to the north side this weekend on Tennyson Street, is the annual third annual Tennyson Street Fair.

It's taking place from on Saturday between 11 and 8.

It's free, it has over a hundred vendors, um, small businesses, live music, very family-friendly.

Um, lots of dogs there, dog friendly as well.

Just be remembered to the asphalt's hot in the summertime.

So hopefully I'll see you all on Tennyson this Saturday.

We have one communication.

Madam Secretary, please read the communication.

Um apologies, Madam President.

It appears that Councilmember Parity is now online and will have to be welcome to the meeting if she can make her announcement.

Okay.

Councilmember Parity, we'd like to um you on?

Thank you so much.

Yes, um, first of all, I'm present, and I am sorry for being late.

I was um changed my computer password today and it messed me up logging in.

I had two announcements, if that's okay.

Yep, go ahead.

Um, so the first one, I just wanted to recognize that um Colorado's poet laureate Andrea Gibson passed away um this morning.

Um they were they were from Boulder, not Denver, um, but they meant a lot to a lot of folks in Colorado and had been diagnosed with cancer four years ago and just wrote a lot of um really incredible poetry um that had to do with um identity and grief and sort of finding a way to live when you've gotten really hard news.

And so I just um recommend their poetry and wanted to say that my heart goes out to their friends and their family and to all of us who love their work.

Um, and then secondly, Councilmore Gonzalez Gutierrez, um State Senator Julie Gonzalez and a whole host of community organizations are hosting a teach-in tomorrow night at shorter AME from 6 to 8 p.m.

Um on mass surveillance in Denver, including the Flock System.

So it's it'll be very educational.

We have a bunch of outside experts coming in to explain um sort of the legal background and how this tech works.

So we hope to see lots of people there.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, madam secretary, we have a um communication.

Communication 25-1018, a letter dated July 8th, 2025 from Nicole C.

Dohaney, manager of finance, notifying city council of the Department of Finance's intent to enter into facilities lease and at least purchase agreement back of both the Colorado Convention Center parking Garage and the Denver Performing Arts Complex parking Garage, and to approve city information in a corresponding form of indenture to allow the trustee of the leasing trust to issue certificates of participation in a par amount not to exceed 108 million dollars, series 2025 to pay to the city for the facilities lease.

You're sorry about that.

All right.

Thank you, Madam Secretary.

The communication has been received and filed.

There are two proclamations being read this afternoon.

Councilmember Watson, will you please read proclamation 1016?

Thank you, Madam President.

Proclamation 225 1016, whereas the Federation of Gay Games since its inception in 1982 by Dr.

Tom Waddell has profoundly impacted the world of sport and culture, fostering a global movement rooted in the principles of participation, inclusion, and personal best, welcoming individuals regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age or athletic ability, and whereas the Gay Games, a quadrineal, I think I said that correctly, International Sports and Cultural Event has provided a vital platform for LGBTQIA to S athletes and allies to compete, connect, and celebrate, transcending boundaries and promoting understanding and respect worldwide.

And whereas the city and county of Denver boasts a robust and vibrant LGBTQ IA plus community, supported by a progressive and inclusive government, evidenced by our perfect score on a human rights campaign's municipal equity index and a commitment to advancing social, economic, and political equality for all residents, and whereas Denver, Colorado stands as a truly fantastic world-class city, renowned for its stunning natural beauty, thriving economy, diverse cultural scene, commitment to sustainability, and welcoming spirit, making it an ideal destination for international events that champion diversity and inclusion.

And whereas we acknowledge that Denver occupies the traditional lands of the Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute peoples, and we honor their enduring connection to this land and the historical and ongoing contributions.

And whereas Colorado's values of inclusivity, outdoor recreation, and community spirit aligns seamlessly with the missions and ethos of the Gay Games, and the city and county of Denver proudly continues to welcome the world and the official Gay Games site inspectors for the 2030 bid, demonstrating our readiness and enthusiasm to host this momentum event.

Now, therefore be it proclaimed by the Denver City Council, Section 1, that the Denver City Council hereby proclaims Tuesday, July 15th, 2025, as Federation of Gay Games Day in the City and County of Denver, and encourage all residents to recognize the enduring legacy of the Gay Games from its inaugural event in San Francisco, United States in 1982 to its subsequent celebrated hosts, including Sydney, Australia, Paris, France, Guadalajara, Mexico, Hong Kong, and the upcoming 2026 Gay Games in Valencia, Spain, and to embrace the spirit of unity, diversity, and artistic, athletic and cultural excellence, and to promote equity, diversity and inclusion through sport and culture that the Federation of Gay Games Mission embodies.

Section two, that the clerk and recorder of the City and County of Denver shall affix the seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation, and that a copy be transmitted to our Tony Smith, public relations director for the Gay Games Denver 2030 bid committee.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Watson.

Your motion to adopt.

I move that proclamation two five zero two five one zero one six be adopted.

It has been moved and seconded.

Comments by members of council.

Councilmember Watson.

Council President and colleagues, it has been my greatest honor to um work collaboratively with an amazing team of uh leaders throughout the city and county of Denver, providing the opportunity for Gay Games 2030 to be hosted right here in a Mile High City.

This great work uh has taken many years, lots of tears, um, but great fun.

Um, our city is known for the outdoors.

Our city is known for recreation and love of sport.

What greater opportunity is there for Denver to be the site for all of these athletes, thousands of folks coming to the United States to enjoy a week of of outdoors, fun, and gains.

I encourage everyone at the sound of my voice to send emails and send um good wishes to ensure that we are selected and at the side committee that it's in Denver uh this week that they hear our voices, but that we are selected to serve the Gay Games 2030.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, roll call.

Councilmember Lewis.

Aye.

Albitris.

Aye.

Flynn.

Hi.

Gilmore.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

Hines?

I.

Cashman.

Aye.

Uh Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Torres?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

13 ayes.

13 ayes.

Proclamation 1016 has been adopted.

Councilmember Watson, we now have five minutes for the proclamation acceptance.

Who would you like to call up to in accept the proclamation?

Well, we have three amazing leaders in the audience are Tony Smith, Lisa Side, and Lance Hussack.

Uh, please stand at the podium and share any uh words that you wanted to that's been prepared.

Yeah, so thank you.

Thank you so much.

Um Count City of Council or Count City uh Council of Denver, um, it means the uh world to you know our group of volunteers.

Um that are trying to make this happen, um as well as not just to you know the volunteers but to the LGBTQ community here in Denver and the United States to bring this back home to the United States.

Um there is a couple updates that we just want to provide very quickly.

Um it is um this week that we are hosting the site visit um inspectors from the federation, uh, and there is going to be uh community night on Wednesday, July 16th from 5 to 8, and at 6 o'clock is gonna be the keynote at RealWorks.

So everybody's invited to come in and enjoy the celebration.

I think we're doing pretty good on numbers, uh about 500.

So um we hope everybody can come and join us.

Um, as we work to bring this home, um we our final step after this is working on our final presentation that we will present in front of the voting members in Valencia, Spain in October.

So that's where we are.

Anything else?

Okay, great.

All right, thank you.

Councilmember Flynn, will you please read proclamation 1017?

Uh yes, I will, madam president.

Thank you.

Uh proclamation number 25-1017 declaring July as smart irrigation month in Denver.

Whereas the city and county of Denver, dependent on annual snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains for its water supply, recognizes water is a finite resource that is vital to human life, and whereas well-maintained green spaces are important to the health and well-being of communities and individuals, and whereas well-designed irrigation systems combined with best practices can significantly reduce water usage and runoff while creating healthy landscaping, lawns, and sports turf, and whereas, appropriate irrigation technology combined with best practices can significantly improve water use efficiency, reduce runoff, and achieve greater agricultural yields per acre foot of water used, and whereas July is a peak month for the use of water for irrigation, and whereas the Denver City Council recognizes advances in irrigation technology and practices that help raise healthy plants and increase crop yields while using water more efficiently, and whereas the Denver City Council recognizes that adoption of smart irrigation practices further improves water use efficiency in agricultural, residential, and commercial activities.

Now therefore, be it proclaimed by the Denver City Council, Section One, that the Denver City Council hereby declares July as smart irrigation month and encourages residents and businesses to improve water conservation by making repairs, using weather sensors and smart controllers, or improving the efficiency of irrigation systems by installing more efficient sprinkler and irrigation parts, section two, that the clerk and recorder of the city and county of Denver shall affix the seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation and that a copy be transmitted to Amber Clark of Hydro Systems KDI and the Irrigation Association of the United States.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Flynn.

Your motion to adopt.

It has been moved and seconded.

Comments by members of council.

Councilmember Flynn.

Thank you.

Again, Madam President, I uh was reminded very vividly of how vulnerable Colorado is, especially as the state with the highest average elevation in the nation, and so highly dependent on that stuff that falls up in the mountains up there to the west of us.

Uh I took uh Harriet and I took our granddaughter uh from California up to Glenwood Springs on the train uh last week and spent some time up at the hot springs, but as we go along the Fraser River and the basically the headwaters of the Colorado River, and knowing where all that ends up between Arizona and California and the Gulf of California, and it starts as this little trickle, it just demonstrates how very important it is to conserve the resources that we have and to use them wisely when we do use them.

I moved here from uh the Philadelphia, South Jersey area 44 years ago.

Uh you know, we have the Delaware Bay and the Delaware River, and uh when I moved out here and I saw the Platte River, I was kind of surprised that they even bothered to name it because it's so I mean what they say a mile wide and an inch deep.

It just shows how important it is that we examine our use of water.

If you're a residential owner and you have an irrigation system, make sure that it's working properly, that it's that it's not being uh sprayed onto the concrete in the sidewalks and going off into the gutter, uh, use it wisely.

Um, and it's I'm also reminded when I go out east on the plains just how important water is to our agricultural sector.

In fact, I think, Amber, you might correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that uh the agricultural sector is the highest user of water in Colorado, and so with that in mind, um Madam President, I ask my colleagues to recognize in the this heat of July, the peak month for water usage that it's very important to conserve the resources that we have and use them wisely.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Um comments by members of council, Councilmember Flaney did that, Madam Secretary, roll call, council members Lewis.

Aye.

Parity, Albidrez, aye, Flynn, aye, Gilmore, aye.

Gonzalez Gutierrez, aye, Heinz?

Aye.

Cashman.

Aye.

Romera Campbell, aye, Sawyer, aye, Torres, aye.

Watson, aye, Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Adam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

Thirteen ayes.

Thirteen ayes.

Proclamation 1017 has been adopted.

We now have five minutes for the proclamation acceptance.

Councilmember Flynn, who would you like to invite up to accept the proclamation?

Yes, thank you, Madam President.

Amber Clark of Hydro Systems is the firm she works for, but she's representing also the irrigation association, National Association, and a resident of College View.

Thank you for being here.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

I really appreciate the council taking this up.

As you heard there, we all know water is very important.

And we like our parks, we like our green spaces, so we want to make sure we can continue to have those in the state.

So I wanted to take the opportunity to just have a couple things everyone in the room can do at least a couple times a season.

Turn on your irrigation system.

We're usually running them at night, and we don't really see what's happening.

I did this last week, and lo and behold, the raccoons had chewed off part of my irrigation system and created their own little fountains.

So doing that would be a wonderful thing.

If you see things happening out in the city, the maintenance crews don't always know.

Bring it to someone's attention.

If you're ready to upgrade, Denver Water does a really good job of giving us rebates.

So get a little money back for making it even better and then save yourself some money on your water bill.

So thank you all very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Alvidres, we need a motion to suspend the rules of council to allow for the introduction of a late filing.

I move that the rules of procedure be suspended to allow for introduction of council resolution 25-1005.

Approving a proposed contract between the city and county of Denver and Struggle of Love Foundation to acquire real property located at 12005 East 45th Avenue in Denver, Colorado, 80239 for the use of community service facility in Council District 8.

It has been moved and seconded comments by members of council.

I'll make the first comment.

Councilman Lewis, would you like to comment on this before we go for a roll call?

I think you did a beautiful job, and it's exactly what I was going to say.

So thank you so much.

Okay, awesome.

Council members, just a reminder that we need unanimous approval for this motion to pass, which would allow for the late filing.

Madam Secretary, roll call.

I'm sorry, Councilmember Parity, could you repeat that?

Aye.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Albitris?

Aye.

Flynn.

Uh Gilmore?

Aye.

Gonzalezalo Scutierrez?

Aye.

Heinz.

Aye.

Cashman?

Aye.

Romero Campbell?

Aye.

Sawyer?

Aye.

Torres?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Twelve eyes.

Twelve eyes.

Council resolution 1005 may be introduced.

Madam Secretary, please read the bills for introduction.

From the Business Arts Workforce Climate and Aviation Services Committee, 25-0898, a resolution approving and providing for the execution of a proposed grant agreement between the city and county of Denver and the U.S.

Department of Energy concerning the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Block Grant Program, EECBG program, and the funding therefore.

From the Finance and Governance Committee 25-0915, a bill for an ordinance establishing a new fund in the General Government Special Revenue Fund Series for the Denver Downtown Development Authority Fund 11893.

From the Safety, Housing, Education, and Homelessness Committee 25-0833, a bill for an ordinance approving a proposed fourth amendatory agreement between the city and county of Denver and regions of the University of Colorado Children's Hospital Immunodeficiency Program to provide care, treatment, and supportive services to individuals living with HIV and AIDS in the Denver Transitional Grant Area, TGA.

Thank you, Councilmembers.

This is your last opportunity to call out an item.

Councilmember Alvidres.

Will you make the motions for us this evening?

Yes, Council President.

Now I will do a recap.

Under resolutions, Councilmember Gilmore has called out Council Resolution 0899 for comment, and Councilmember Lewis has called out resolution 0979 for comment.

Under bills for introduction, no items have been called out.

Under bills for final consideration, Council Members Torres, Cashman Sawyer have called out Council Bill 0854 for common.

Under pending, no items have been called out.

Madam Secretary, please put the first item on our screens.

Council Resolution 0899, a resolution approving a proposed agreement between the city and county of Denver, Mark Young Construction LLC to construct the new fire station 40 at the northwest corner of Tally Ride Street and 56th Avenue.

Councilmember Gilmore, please go ahead with your comments on Council Resolution 0899.

Thank you, Council President Sandoval.

I wanted to call this out to make sure that my community were able to uh see that this is going through uh it has been a uh part of the bond for many years, and as the city is um wrapping up this last bond package.

Uh we need to get this fire station built out in District 11.

We know that uh with the inclusion of lots more multifamily and the growth in Green Valley Ranch, our response times weren't where they needed to be, and so uh we're very grateful and excited about the new Denver Fire Station uh number 40, right at the corner of Tell Uride and 56th Avenue.

Thank you, Council President Sandoval.

Thank you, Madam Secretary.

Please put the next item on our screens.

Council resolution 0979, a resolution approving a proposed lease agreement between the city and county of Denver and the Fax East Colfax Revelopment to allow the roads to recovery program access to rooms units at the Stan Sand and Sage Motel located at 8405 and 8415 East Colfax, Denver, Colorado in Council District 8.

Councilmember Lewis, please go ahead with your comments on Council Resolution 0979.

Thank you, President.

I'm really excited that this item is coming forward.

The entire situation that was caused by the withdrawal of one of our service providers in the city, and I'm really happy that Dr.

Ryan in the Office of Housing Stability as well as the Office of Real Estate work with the best partnership to remedy the problem and increase services for the road to recovery program at the same time.

So thank you all so much for bringing in this vote.

Thank you.

Um Madam Secretary, please put the next item on our screens.

Council Bill Eight Five Four, a bill for an ordinance amending article 5, article 6 of chapter 10 of the Denver Rise Municipal Code regarding the neglected and derelict properties.

Councilmember Torres, followed by Councilmembers Lewis, Cashman and Sawyer.

Please go ahead with your comments on council resolution 0854.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I'll go ahead and go first.

Um I just want to say how proud I am of the work that brings us to this point on changes to the neglected abandoned derelict buildings ordinance.

In our work over the past year, a little over a year, um, three council offices, um several key city department folks, some of them in the audience today.

Thank you for all your work.

Um we've brought forward thoughtful and deliberate changes to how we handle abandoned buildings.

Um, we all have them in our neighborhoods.

Uh and until your neighbor to one, um, you don't fully appreciate the disappointment you feel um that nothing ever seems to change or improve with some of those properties.

Um the changes we're proposing provide real improvements so that our valued uh city staff can move the needle on properties and get them activated.

Um we also ensure that owners who just need help are diverted to that assistance.

Um, while owners who ignore their property and thereby ignore uh the neighborhood and the quality of life in our neighborhoods who might be taking advantage of the labyrinth of appeals and process that they're currently afforded, that they are held to account.

So I just want to thank all of the folks who've been involved and really looking forward to how this um can seek to improve what we see happening in Council District Three.

Um thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Cashman.

Yeah, thank you, Madam President, and thanks to uh my co-sponsors and uh uh especially to uh our staff from all three uh uh districts, Masho and Ayan.

Um it's been a long road.

Uh when we first brought this up to uh community plan development, um, they didn't seem to feel the same urgency, but very quickly, everybody got on the same page.

And uh I want to uh salute uh uh Shea Scott and James Hicks for the work that they're doing already in uh paying uh far more attention to the abandoned and derelict buildings and properties in our city, uh, for breaking down the silos between the different uh city agencies involved in controlling these properties.

Um, you know, uh, in my uh now decade on council, one of the issues that is uh pretty much a constant is getting calls from uh residents in our communities about properties uh that uh uh are downgrading the quality of life and becoming safety issues, um, whether it's uh uh, you know, in district six, the the abandoned bank that for five years stood on the north side of uh Evans Avenue, just east of Monaco, and where uh homicide actually took place on the vacant property, whether it's a commercial building or the uh lot next door to you where someone buys your neighbor's house, tears it down to build something else, and then for some reason they stop building, and the property just sits and sits and sits and degrades uh the community.

So uh again, thanks to my colleagues, thanks to staff, thanks to the city agencies.

I think this will go a long way in uh maintaining quality of life in the future.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Sawyer.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, okay, I'm on.

Uh I just want to say thank you in particular to Masha and Owen and Ayn.

You guys did an absolutely fantastic job with all of the background research and all of the things.

You know, by the time we get to this point where it's on the where something's on the floor, um, you know, and we're gonna vote on it.

There are years that have gone into um into the work that gets us to this point.

There are hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of conversation um and questions and research and all of those different things.

So I wanna really make sure that I also acknowledge CPD, Tina, um, and Shay and James.

I always tell people you're my favorite person in the city now.

Uh I really appreciate your your partnering with us, your work with us.

Um, I want to also acknowledge DPD and DFD and DDPHE, because apparently we all felt soup.

Um, but our Department of Public Health and Environment, um, our fire department, our police department also works with community planning and development and the council offices um to develop an update to our our vacant and derelict properties ordinance that makes sense.

Um, that is going to make a difference, demonstrable difference in our communities, and that is also fair and equitable, um, and make sure that we are taking all of the different unique needs of all of the different unique residents of our city into account when we find ourselves in a situation where we have a vacant and derelict property that needs to be managed in some way.

So, you know, it is always a challenge to strike a balance.

I want to also acknowledge Anshal, who did an extraordinary job of writing this law.

I never ask Anshal to rewrite a few sentences of a law.

Every time I'm writing a law, I basically ask him to rewrite the entire chapter.

Um, and he does it patiently, and he only hates me a little.

Um, and so Anshal, I really want to acknowledge your work, Brylin's work, John's work in all of this.

Um, we wouldn't be, you know, here on the floor today without all of the hard work that you did.

So thank you very much as well.

Um, and with that, I want to just say um how excited I am that we are here, how much I truly believe that this is one of those changes to our laws that is going to really make a just a demonstrable difference in our community, that our residents are going to be able to see and feel the impacts of the changes to this law when it goes into effect in February of next year.

So super excited.

Thank you to both my colleagues for all of your hard work and again to our three aides.

You guys did an absolutely fantastic job.

So proud of you.

Great work.

Thank you.

Thank you.

This concludes our items to be called out.

All bills for introduction are ordered published.

Council members, remember that this is a consent or block vote, and you will need to vote aye.

Otherwise, this is your last chance to call out an item for a separate vote.

Councilmember Alviderez, will you please put the resolutions for adoption and the bills on final consideration for final passage on the floor?

I move that the resolutions be adopted and the bills on final consideration be placed upon final consideration and do pass in a block for the following items.

That's all of them.

Thank you.

It has been moved and seconded.

Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members Lewis.

Charity.

Albidres.

Aye.

Flynn.

Hi.

Gilmore.

Hi.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

Hi.

Hi.

Cashman.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Torres.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

13 eyes.

13 eyes.

The resolutions have been adopted and the bills have been placed upon final consideration and do pass.

Before I make my pre-recess announcement, I'm just going to take a moment of personal privilege and call somebody out who does not want to be called out tonight.

It is Anshu Baga's last.

He thought he was gonna get away with it.

He thought I was gonna do it during my announcements, and he never knows.

He is departing Denver and has following his heart and his dreams.

I won't give him too hard of a time of a time.

But just want to take a moment of personal privilege and say that you've been um instrumental in be helping me become a be a successful council president.

You were instrumental in helping Councilman Torres be council president.

You've been instrumental in passing historic legislation, and we'll just be really missed and just know that there'll be times where I might have to call you, and I might have to phone a friend and be like, hey, Ancho John and I are working on something.

So just want to say thank you for your service to Denver.

And I know I'm speaking from everyone behind us, Daisy that you will just greatly greatly be missed, Ancho.

So if we could just give them a round of applause real quick.

Speech, speech.

All right, tonight there will be a required public hearing on Council Bill 0665, changing the zoning classification for 1149 South Navajo Street in Ruby Hill, and a required public hearing on Council Bill 0873, designating the structure at 10 at 510 South Garfield Street for a structure for preservation.

If there are no objections from members of council, we will recess until 530 before reconvening the regular meeting.

Dazzle presents a live concert tribute to Nora Jones' classic 2002 debut album Come Away with Me.

Featuring Denver's own Desiree Gold on vocals, backed by a full band of Colorado musicians.

Celebrate these classic songs with those you love as we play the album track by track in the intimate listening room setting of Dazzle at the Arts Complex.

Cocktails in cool places returns.

The next event will take place at the Ironworks Building, a true Denver landmark with roots dating back to 1903.

Once home to one of the city's largest and oldest metal fabricators, this storied space holds more than a century of history within its walls.

From San Francisco to Paris, France.

Now it's Denver's turn to step onto this prestigious world stage.

This community night is a golden opportunity to present the very best of our sports and cultural organizations and the undeniable welcoming spirit of the Mile High City.

5280's annual Bash, celebrating the best stuff in Denver is back at Cherry Creek North.

Head over for an enchanting evening filled with tasty bites, delightful sips, live entertainment, giveaways, and more.

Kick off Tennyson Street Fair weekend with a bang.

The Berkeley Beer Fest will feature 15 plus local breweries and their unique brews, sip the local brews while soaking in the Friday night tennis and atmosphere enhanced with live music, shopping, and food trucks.

Color of Fashion, a nonprofit organization founded by visionary black female entrepreneurs, is transforming the fashion industry by advancing inclusivity, diversity, and racial equality.

They challenge conventional norms and reshape perceptions of beauty and style.

The Donor Dash is a 5K run walk to honor the lives of organ and tissue donors, celebrate the lives of organ and tissue recipients, and recognize those who continue to wait for a life-saving transplant.

Get out there and run for a cause.

Stay up to date with what's happening in Denver by following our socials.

And you can always ask our chatbot Sunny online or by text.

So we're gonna do uh uh Bob, please come up and join us again.

We're gonna do our conversation now.

So, what we're gonna do is we're gonna talk for a little bit, and then we're gonna open it up for uh you guys' questions, and uh yeah, so hopefully we leave enough room for everything that you guys have to ask.

I think uh, thank you.

Oh, that's nice of you to thank me and the microphone.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

So it's uh, it's interesting to engage with all of this material, you know.

I think um you showing that picture of the the Marlborough man, which certainly uh defines the American perception of what a cowboy is, and the idea that that billboard is was up for 20 years.

I gotta think about how much uh it's been branded upon people's minds.

Um there's this uh so you know my father's a big uh fan of like oh uh terrible movie serial serials from the 30s, but uh included in some of those serials are uh the black cowboy movies, um, which there was a whole, you know, dozens of them, um, featuring entirely black cast, and then uh just for every sort of like you know, I think Roy Rogers was like the singing cowboy uh and so they were like they were like the black singing cowboys, and a lot of those those that iconography is interesting, and when I see like those posters from that time, uh particularly when I was younger, it was still surprising to me.

You know, so really cool that you were able to bring this black cowboy iconography iconography forward in a way that resonated.

Was there a thought?

No, just a reinforcement of like wow, every time you see it, still wow, it's beautiful.

Yeah, it leaves an impression, I think, like what gets reinforced, like the Marlborough man that doesn't leave space for other stories, like, but they're out there, they exist.

And so my reference point was that brand, right?

And that framing of the cowboy.

You have a different reference point.

You probably have a different reference point, but like that we've all seen it in some capacity, like that show is just about articulating it properly in a way.

I'm just saying, nope, it is here, and it's here, and maybe it's there too.

It was really great to hear you talk about uh feeling the legacy that you're able to contribute with your show.

Uh Bob, in your work with uh the Black American West Museum and the upcoming Deerfield Museum.

Do you have a vision of kind of like what legacy you want to contribute to people who come to see those things?

Well, I think the legacy that uh is emerging out of Deerfield and Bowley and and Blackdom and so many other uh black settlements uh in the West is what happened, what came out of the Civil War, and how long it took and is still taking for African Americans to be part of the fabric of this country, and that's that's that's extraordinarily important, and that desire to create a viable enriching life is is there, and I think that's what comes out of Deerfield, uh, is people loving and working together, uh, and most important of all was trying to create a future for their children and their grandchildren.

And I I think we all think about that.

Uh those of us that have children, I know, and Amanda is uh is in an early stage of that.

I'm in a late stage of that.

My children are in their early 40s.

Um we try to build those lives out, outward.

And that's that that's what that's what Deerfield and so many other uh communities uh in the late 19th century and early 20th century that that's what they were striving for.

And the fact that we need to honor that and we need to resurrect that in our own memories and our own heritage and our own legacies.

Uh I think that's what comes out of what we're doing now.

Yeah, you mentioned uh Blackdom.

Uh so I was saying that I hadn't heard of uh Deerfield before I was commissioned to do this piece.

Uh but as I was working on it, I was talking with other people about it, and then they were telling me all these other black towns, and a hundred percent when they told me blackdom, I thought that was a made-up name.

I mean, I guess all names are made up, but you know, like I was like, it's called Blackdom.

This is New Mexico, it's like Blackdom like Kingdom.

Uh and so I looked it up, I was like, oh, this person wasn't lying to me, right?

And then uh there was one in South Colorado called The Dry, The Dry.

Another name that sounded like it was made up.

I'll say a hallmark of black American culture is flavor, is style, is swag, and I love that our towns had these cool ass names.

Blackdom.

Like I would like to, I would like to live in Blackdom right now.

You know what I'm saying?

Let's go.

Right.

Let's take a trip to Blackdom.

Yeah.

I was thinking about that looking at Charlie, and I appreciate so much that you focused on an individual because that is what it is too.

It's not just like a space that is nameless or doesn't have life within it, right?

A beautiful, I mean, he was gorgeous and so contemporary looking, and what a trip to just see what his life was like and have you kind of take us through what that path would have been in that time and what exceptions had to be made by certain people to allow for his progress, quite frankly.

So I love seeing that image.

And I, you know, it wasn't Blackdom, but it was Charlie, I was like, man, so cool.

Just like, you know, stylish.

You know, uh, I gotta I want to second that.

I think it was really great to see the uh a specific person who lived in Deerfield and what their experience was.

That was very enriching.

Because even when I was going to put together the comic, it was like uh sort of faceless denizens of this town, right?

And and I tried to create an emotional connection uh through how I wrote it, but I love I really loved seeing like a person and what their experience was to live in that town.

You mentioned uh the style.

If any of you make it to the Black American West Museum, there are uh soldiers, like young soldiers, teenagers, all black soldiers, it's a group of them and they are all cool.

They're leaning, they got their hats down like this, you know what I'm saying?

Like and I'm like, man, this is just something we've always had.

It's made it made me feel so wonderful and proud.

Beautiful.

Okay, so uh both of you guys engaged in this work.

So for me, like the the museum uh world is relatively new.

You know, I've been able to contribute work to a few things.

Uh but I'll say in my youth, museums felt like uh an impenetrable uh institution, something that I couldn't connect with that I wasn't welcome at, that I had no place in, that kind of thing.

Uh but the work that both of you are doing is what was lacking for me in my youth with museums.

So uh it would be interesting if both of you would talk about what it is to make a museum sort of of the people and accessible to different kinds of people.

I love that question.

Thank you for seeing us.

Yes.

I could talk about it all day because that's the life's work.

Um your idea and feeling around institutions in your person, like that's why I'm always thinking about.

So I'm the head of public engagement at the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis.

I oversee a team over over 80 people, and I'd say 60 of them are our front of house staff, and those are the folks who are processing your tickets, welcoming you into the gallery spaces, keeping you safe and the art safe, and like it is incumbent upon every single person in my department, educators, of course, programmers, but the frontline team that you feel welcome and included at it as soon as you are coming onto our campus, as soon as you are entering the front doors, that there's eye contact made that there is warmth, that there is a sense that you are expected and welcome in that space.

Uh that's why I've also been so interested in public art over my career.

Bring art to the people.

If you don't feel comfortable coming into the museum, that's okay.

I'll meet you where you are, maybe in your park this year, and then I'm gonna want to see you inside the gallery someday.

So there's always that hope and and a sense of optimism around it.

It's just like, how can you make the connection clear for people?

Um, one anecdote, and then I'll hand it over to you, Bob.

But when I was at the studio museum, it sits on 125th Street, a very busy thoroughfare, lots of vendors, lots of activity, lots of life, and it's a glass front, and in the original building, there were wooden doors to the gallery.

So you couldn't actually see the art, and that drove me nuts because I wanted people to see what was happening inside.

They're building a new building, they've solved all that, I'm sure.

Um, and there was one woman, Fatima, who ran a coffee cart outside of the museum on a daily basis, and I'd get my little coffee and my little egg sandwich every once in a while, and she'd stop to use the restroom sometimes, but never came inside.

And one time I said, Fatima, have you ever seen the museum?

Do you know what we do in here all day?

I opened the doors and she said, Oh my god.

She had no idea.

And like that, that's the work.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Uh I guess uh one of the things that we're we're beginning to do in a more sustained way uh with the Deerfield Project is we're beginning to really get, we're saying this thing is gonna happen.

And it's uh we didn't, you know, 10 years ago we had no idea that it would be moving so fast.

Uh but one of the things we're thinking about now is how do we present the site?

How do we utilize the town site in particular to teach people, uh, to uh to teach youth.

We've already had school groups coming out, and uh we have an annual conference.

And a few years ago, we had a conference where there was a group in Castle Rock, uh they were it was a third grade, no fifth grade class, and their teacher had picked Deerfield as one of their subjects.

And so the children were developing all kinds of uh scenarios and plays and things and and lessons in the school.

Uh and that went on for three or four years, and finally the teacher had moved on and and went to another school, but and that program you know had languished.

Uh, but those kids came out the Deerfield several times, and they also made a presentation at one of our conferences, and that was really exciting.

Uh we have teachers, uh teachers, um, groups coming out, uh, doing classes at the University of Northern Colorado uh that are focusing on Deerfield.

And uh so these are things that are gonna get wrapped into the final product.

But there's another thing that that really excites me, and that is that uh that there were so many things that made up the rich fabric of life of Deerfield, and one of those was music.

It was extremely important, and music was it was in the church.

And they seconded and used it in the dance hall.

Okay.

Blacksmith was a fiddler and his brother-in-law was a mandolin player, and they were there were week weekly dances on weekends and things like this going on.

Trying my mind into.

There was a gentleman by the name of George Morrison.

I don't know if you've ever heard of George Morrison.

George Morrison was a uh he he wrote music in uh in the in the early 20th century.

Uh he gave concerts at Deerfield with his jazz orchestra.

Um, and they would have all kinds of events during the summertime where people from Deerfield from Denver and all would come in there and they would have these big picnics and they would have these performances.

Um George Morrison and the jazz band uh in 1920, 1920 toured Europe, uh they played before the royal family.

Uh and they were uh, you know, Columbia Records back then was in existence in a very they were the first African American musical group to record uh records with Columbia, and that that's all associated with Deerfield.

So there's so there's a lot of rich threads that are you know extending out uh in directions we'd never thought about before.

I hope we're all taking notes.

That's amazing.

When's uh the like projected open of the Deerfield Museum?

Well, we're we're probably looking within five years.

Okay.

Uh it's it's gonna take that much time to get the buildings finished uh and uh to be able to go through the go through the congressional approval process and everything because once the Park Service makes it makes its determination in about two years, two and a half years, then it goes to Congress.

Uh our congressional sponsors, we have the Senate both senators are are uh sponsors of this of these uh Deerfield Study Act, and we've got to three, four uh representatives from the House of Representatives that are co-sponsors now, uh, and then they have to run it through Congress on in both the Senate and the House.

Uh and then we have to negotiate with the National Park Service, the museum does, because it's a partnership.

It's kind of cool.

It's amazing.

Yeah.

Well, if there's anything we know, is that Congress and the Senate are very efficient.

So it's gonna happen really quickly.

So we're saying uh five years about that we're thinking.

Okay.

Let's say for let's say a shoot for five years.

Yeah, you guys mark it on your calendars.

So you want to put that on your calendar.

Okay, so here's what's gonna happen.

This is the point where you get to ask questions.

I think we're recording, so what I'm going to do.

Is there are they gonna be microphones for the people asking questions?

Oh yes, okay, good.

So uh there'll be someone with the microphone.

Please raise your hand.

Now again, I encourage you to think about your question, distill it down to one sentence, and then ask that question.

That way we make sure we have room for everyone and that there's no confusion and also no wrong statements.

All right, so who has a question?

Hands up, please.

We have a question right here.

Do you have a microphone?

Yeah.

Hi, just uh wondering if we can actually go there today.

I know it's not open to the public, but if we drive up there, what are we gonna see or can we see anything?

Well, you can see what's standing out there right now.

What you see are uh some fallen buildings, and it's right immediately off of uh US 34.

Um I'd guess maybe 50 feet off the middle of the highway.

It's pretty close.

Actually, the uh the road that uh US 34 used to be the Greeley branch of the Lincoln Highway.

I don't know if anybody knows what the Lincoln Highway was.

Lincoln Highway was the first uh interstate highway, it went from coast to coast.

Uh and uh it was built between about 1906 and uh about 1915.

Uh and Greeley didn't get it because it went through Nebraska and and Wyoming.

Uh but uh uh Colorado, Colorado didn't get it.

And so what they did is they built two branches.

One of the branches came down from uh uh from Nebraska along the South Platte River and ran right past Deerfield, which is the reason one of the reasons that OT Jackson put Deerfield where it was because he knew there was going to be a fancy road going right by there.

Uh and there's a there's an interesting story about the official opening of the Greeley branch of the of the uh Lincoln Highway is that uh they had a they had a they combined it with the fair and they had the governor there, they had uh one of our senators, uh they had a whole bunch of representatives and judges and Supreme Court judges and things that were at the event to open that branch of the highway, and it was held in Deerfield, which is really wow.

I mean that that's a big deal.

Uh and the the one thing that I think is really kind of cool about that story is that they reported a flyover of biplanes.

This was before World War One, or right at the edge of World War One, and so they had these biplanes flying over, you know, like you do in her parades and things.

And that was that was kind of cool.

Thank you for your question.

When did the last resident leave Deerfield?

And are there any living people still who lived in Deerfield at any time?

Oh, that's a that's a that's a tough one.

Um the last living original resident of Deerfield died in 1951.

And his name was Squire Brockman, and he was the fiddler and uh and the blacksmith.

When I say blacksmith, he was the auto mechanic and everything.

Uh and uh the blacksmith shop, uh, we were going to we had stabilized it, we thought we were gonna be able to re restore it, and we had this big wind that came and flattened it.

We're we're still gonna put it back up again, I swear it it's gonna be the coolest place, coolest place.

Um, and uh and so he was the last one out there.

Uh Deerfield, the founder of Deerfield died in 19 uh 48, uh O.

T.

Jackson, and so uh those were the last two uh original residents.

Uh O.

T.

Jackson's niece who came who came to Deerfield off and on since she was a teenager, uh came to Deerfield in 40, 1941 or something like this, to take care of her elderly uh aunt and and uncle, OT Jackson being her uncle, and she inherited the Jackson House, their their home there, uh, and she lived out there until 1973 when she passed away.

So I guess in a sense, that maybe 73 would be the the most recent connection.

Um the area is has some housing developments today uh and other people live out there with no connection.

Descendants, yeah, we're we we have a few descendants of uh Deerfield residents identified.

Uh we're trying we've contacted them, we're trying to do oral histories on them, uh all of the things we can to preserve as much as we possibly can, but but that effort is is still minimal.

We uh a lot of people scattered.

One of the things that happened in the 30s is that we had a diaspora uh from uh from the West and the Midwest.

A lot of people moved all over the country, and so people moved out of Deerfield, a lot of them went to California.

It's kind of interesting, and we're still trying to track some of those folks down.

It's interesting.

I was gonna say uh thank you for that question.

That was great.

Uh me and Amanda got uh Philly and common because I used to be there in the summers as a kid.

Uh, because my dad was a journalist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Um there's a way uh for me growing up in the South that even though uh black cowboys were sort of a new idea, certainly cowboy was a southern idea to me, you know.

Um, so this idea of uh black, well, first of all, cowboys existing in cities, but then black cowboys existing in cities like Philly, um, is is really significant and stands out to me.

And uh I want to hear a little more about like your experience in that urban setting um perceiving these black cowboys, like what it meant to you.

What it you know, what just talk about it.

Sure, and I forgot to mention Dina Lawson, the black background at night, the two cowboys.

That's in Georgia.

So you're in there too.

You should look look deeper next time.

Um, yeah, I mean, I wasn't even aware of the Fletcher Street Riding Club that um Mohammed Barisa documented in film and in that installation that I showed.

So it wasn't like a high touch kind of relationship, it was really just like seeing that it was a possibility.

Um, but I I think I like tucked it away in a drawer and fast forward to that moment.

Like it was just like, nope, you gotta you gotta follow this.

Like you have to share that with other people.

So it wasn't even so much it was a tangible presence.

I think it wasn't until later, like, because I'm a city girl, I grew up in Philadelphia, I've lived in New York City, I've lived in Los Angeles, I've lived in San Francisco.

I've seen the most black cowboys in New York City, actually.

There's the African American Day Parade in Harlem every September, and you know, black folks riding horses all day.

But it was nice to be able to kind of call back a very formative memory that's close to home, quite literally, you know, and to keep seeking it elsewhere.

Uh, and in Amanda's uh presentation, she mentioned uh that the first black cowboy looks like Melvin Van Peoples.

Uh, if you're not familiar with Melvin Van Peoples, he was a black filmmaker, musician, uh, multi-hyphen it.

There's a documentary on him called How to Enjoy Your Watermelon and White Company.

Um, and it's it's really great, so it's worth checking out.

He was a brilliant man, he died uh last year, I think.

Yeah.

Uh, who else has a question?

Yes.

Microphone's coming your way.

Hi, uh, thank you guys for this uh wonderful presentation.

My my question is uh, are there any do you any of you have any like anecdotes of through your research of the dark history behind black cowboys?

Maybe even in the east, you know, you hear about all these terrible things that have happened to people out west, uh, what happened out east, right?

And it's like the Marlborough man, uh, this it's good to get behind the picture and behind the celebration and see the real history, right?

In some of those darker places.

I want to make sure we got it all because we couldn't hear it that well.

Oh, sorry.

So uh, but the question was uh in our research, what experience do we have with some of the darker stories regarding black cowboys?

Yes, yes, exactly.

Yeah.

Okay.

Uh I'll say for myself, uh, one, I grew up in Atlanta.

I got I've had enough dark history.

Yep.

Uh I I've I've been drowned in slavery narratives.

I'm glad that they exist in terms of telling the story, the truth, but also I don't need to see anymore.

Those are pretty much for white people as far as I'm concerned.

I already know that stuff, you know.

Uh but that said, uh I did do a Nat Love story for uh the Denver Art Museum, which uh it was a is another comics on a touchscreen is on the top floor in in the Martin building.

I'm telling you that because if you start at the bottom floor, you'll never make it to my thing.

So you need to start at the top and work your way down.

Uh, but Nat Love's story was really interesting to me because uh he was eleven when slavery ended, and uh he had this real perspective on um, he didn't bring this out in his autobiography.

I read his autobiography and then distilled it down to a comic.

But one of the things that I noticed was that horses always represented freedom for him.

So even during slavery when he got to ride and break horses, those were like the most um free and excited and connected times of his life.

And uh, you know, he was maybe 13 or 14 when he left home and moved out west to become a cowboy.

And his entire story is um escaping the oppression of the South.

Uh I will say that there are points where he embraced some of the racism that he got.

I I would I'm gonna say that he got from other cowboys and turned it towards uh like native communities and uh Latino communities.

So that that stuff, you know, it it shows um sort of the damaging nature of oppression, that when you can escape it just a little bit, you'll still put your foot on somebody else's neck, you know.

Uh but but yeah, that's what I have to say about it.

What do you guys have to say?

Well, speaking of Native Americans, Native communities, uh there has always been uh very early on, even pre-Civil War, uh a lot of strong relationships between Native American tribes and African Americans.

Uh a lot of escape uh slaves from the South ended up, you know, being adopted into Western tribes.

Uh I know that the Cherokee uh uh accepted a lot of uh uh African Americans into their communities, and as a matter of fact, the gentleman that I was talking about, uh uh Charlie Rothwell, his father was a was a full blood Cherokee.

Um, and his mother married him in Oklahoma, and then they came up uh here uh to Denver and and lived in Denver for a while before his father got an alcoholic uh and um his mother who was a very strong woman just divorced him and said the heck with you.

Um the other uh another story that I I found recently was I don't know if anyone has heard the name Nicodemus.

Nicodemus is another one of those colonies.

Uh and Nicodemus was a very fairly early one.

It was early 1870s that it was established in northwestern Kansas.

Uh and in the early days of Nicodemus, they had some pretty severe winters uh the first two or three years, and uh Osage Indians came down uh and and helped them live through the winter by giving them buffalo meat.

Uh so um there are a lot of positive stories as well.

Yeah, I think that idea and reality of kinship as well and survival and banding together, um, though complicated, right?

These interactions over time, and I think I go back to something that you noted when you were doing the micro interview with Bob is just how noticeably um it didn't end poorly in Deerfield.

It was literally because of natural causes and climate change, you know, that this community faded out.

So in my mind, I was thinking about Black Wall Street and Tulsa, Oklahoma, um, you know, where where that was dismantled with violence intentionally by white people.

So I think that question around darker stories, what I hope is that you will research more stories as a result of tonight that you all are hearing names and thinking about other possibilities and and seek things out for yourselves as well.

Yeah, that's good.

Yeah, I think uh uh I would say the the stories that don't end in a dark way are the exception to the rule.

There's so many more.

But thank you for that question.

I appreciate it.

Uh, who else has a question?

We got time for maybe one or two more.

All right.

Microphone's coming your way.

It's so everyone else can hear you.

Okay.

I like what you said, and it kind of relates to maybe a question I was gonna ask.

So, you know, I've been living abroad 38 years, just moved to Denver, Colorado.

You can't imagine the shock.

Well, yeah, I know.

Born in Midland, Texas, and I'm here now.

So really under the show, so it's fabulous.

I've seen it three times, you know.

And uh, but if I could ask each one of you a question, like what is the takeaway you want me to relate into the Denver and Colorado community, like, you know, besides see the show.

If there's one salient thought you had, well, it's not just that there were black cowboys, it goes way deeper than that.

So if you had each of you one thing to say, what would you say?

Well, I'm cheating here.

I would say not only go see the show, but go see the Museum of the Black American West as part of your exploration of this, because that history has been captured by people caring for these histories, and it's right here.

So you, as a newcomer, bring your friends, support the smaller organizations who are caring for these histories.

Yeah, I I really think that one of the perspectives that we really need to wrap our brains around are the untold stories, uh the the undocumented past, undocumented in the sense that it's not taught in the schools or it's it doesn't it doesn't appear in most you know museums or libraries or anything like this that that these stories really need to be told and they need to be told with great urgency in this country because we're tearing ourselves apart once again, and these are things that bind us together, and we really do need to pay attention.

Props to both you on that.

Okay, I'll say mine.

Uh so much of American oppression has been about stripping oppressed people of their humanity since we're specifically speaking about black people now, stripping black people of their humanity, uh reducing us down to uh some simple uh one-dimensional picture.

Even uh even uh up to present day top 40 rap music, you know, like uh before rap music became like mainstream and popular, it represented a whole bunch of stuff.

There was revolutionaries, there was party rap, there were all kinds of different things, but this sort of obsession with black violence does not come from black people, it is what is packaged and sold and bought.

And so for me, as an artist, as a black artist specifically, one of the most important things is to communicate the humanity of black people.

And if you read my Deerfield story, uh the part of the reason that I centered it uh on the relationship between a father and son, is because one, I wanted to homage what my father has contributed to my life, but more importantly, I wanted to show black vulnerability and black humanity.

So that's the number one message for me.

Thank you for that question.

Okay, guys, uh I think we're pretty much at our time.

Uh, can you give Amanda and Bob another round of applause?

And Alan.

All right.

Thank you guys.

And also, you did a great job cheering.

I'm proud of you all.

I'm proud of every one of you.

I hope you all come to Black.

May 17th.

We look forward to hearing from you again, and thank you for attending.

Council will now reconvene from our earlier session.

There's no unfinished business.

We have two public, two required public hearings tonight.

As a reminder, council members need to turn on their video during the vote.

For those participating in person when called upon, please come to the podium on the presentation monitor on the vault.

You will see your time counting down.

For those participating virtually when called upon, please wait until our meeting host promotes you to speaker.

When you're promoted, please accept the promotion.

Turn on your camera if you have one, and your microphone.

All speakers should begin their remarks by telling the council their names and cities of residence, and if they feel comfortable doing so, their home addresses.

If you have signed up to answer questions only, state your name and note that you are available for questions of council.

Speakers will have three minutes.

There is no yielding of time.

If translation is needed, you will be given an additional three minutes for your comments to be interpreted.

Speakers must stay on topic of the hearing and must direct their comment to the council as a whole.

Please refrain from profane or obscene speech and refrain from individual or personal attacks.

Council Bill Zero 665, a bill for an ornage changing the zoning classification for 1149 South Navajo Street in Ruby Hill.

Councilmember Alvidres, will you please put Council Bill 0665 on the floor for final passage?

Yes, I move that Council Bill 25-0665 be placed upon final consideration and do pass.

I'm it has been it has been moved and seconded.

The required public hearing for Council Bill 0665 is open.

May we please have the staff report.

You got it.

Do you need any help?

There we go.

Okay.

All right, there you go.

Thank you.

Evening, Council.

My name is Will Prince with community planning and development.

I'll be presenting the application for 1149 South Navajo Street.

A request to rezone from GMU 5U03 and ERH 2.5 to GMU5.

This evening I will review their request, the location and context, the process, and the review criteria.

Starting off again, this is a request from General Urban Multiunit 5 with the U03 historic use overlay and Urban Edge Row House 2.5 to all GMU5.

Uh the property is 9,370 square feet.

It is currently vacant.

And the request is to rezone to all GMU 5 to allow for consistent building form and construct multi-unit housing.

Continue on to the location and context.

This is located in Council District 7 with Council Member Albidras and is located in the Ruby Hill neighborhood.

Again, the existing zoning is GMU 5, U03, and ERH 2.5, which uh abuts the surrounding property.

Uh to the east, we have a mix of IA and IMX3.

And to the north and the south, we have uh ESUDX on both ends.

As for the land use, this property is vacant, which uh the surrounding area is a mix of vacant and parking, and then a mix of multi-unit uh further to the north and to the south of the subject property.

Here you can see the existing building form and scale.

Again, the subject property to the upper right is a vacant property, and you can see some of the housing options further to the south and then to the north, some of the more recent new construction multi-unit on Mississippi Avenue.

Excuse me.

Uh continuing on to the process.

This received as informational notice in February and was heard at the planning board public hearing on April 16th with the recommendation for approval.

Was presented to the South Plot River Committee on May 14th, and is here today at the City Council public hearing uh this July 14th.

There have been no public comments, but there was one letter of support received with the application from the RNO.

Continue on to the review criteria.

Uh, this will be presented and reviewed for the three criteria that is based for all zoning amendments, starting off with consistency with adopted plans.

For this site, we have Comp Plan 2040 as well as Blueprint Dunbar.

This rezoning implements uh several goals of comprehensive plan 24, including equable, affordable and inclusive, strong and authentic neighborhoods as well as environmental resiliency.

Uh, this is done so by increasing additional housing units and adding additional building forms, at an infill location, where many can be accessible to local transit and mixed use services.

Continuing on to Blueprint Denver.

This has been identified for its future neighborhood context as general general urban, where homes vary uh from multi-unit complexes to compact single unit homes.

Uh there's a mix of uh residency as well as mixed use and street street activation.

Moving forward, as with future place type, this is identified as high medium residential, which is a mix of multi-unit residential with some neighborhoods serving mixed use appropriate, and buildings are generally up to five stories.

As for future street type, uh Navajo itself is a local, and to the North Mississippi is a mixed use collector.

And with Blueprint, if we're looking at the growth area strategy, this is identified as all other areas of the city, 10% of jobs and 20% of housing growth by 2040.

And uh lastly, with Blueprint, there are some additional policies that help implement our climate and equity policies, including housing policy two, diversifying housing options by exploring opportunities to integrate missing middle housing in low and low medium residential areas, and land use and build form policy one promote anticipated growth in major centers and corridors and key residential areas.

The remaining criteria for review uh for public interest, this will implement our citywide adopted plans as well as add additional housing units and options near transit, and is consistent this this rezoning is consistent with neighborhood contact zone district purpose and intent by implementing the GMU5 uh requirements and regulations.

And so, based off the staff report information shared today, CPD recommends approval, finding all review criteria have been met.

Happy to review further questions, and the applicant is available virtually.

Thank you so much.

That was really quick.

We have no individuals signed up to speak this evening.

Are there any questions of from members of council on council bill 0665?

Councilmember Albidrez.

Thank you so much, Council President.

I have one question, which is just about the setbacks.

Is there a different in a difference in the setback between the row home and the GMX 5?

The row house and the GMX 5.

Oh, gotcha.

So with uh, let's see, the most simple check here.

I'm curious because of neighboring properties that may be single family next to GMX 5 and what that might look like.

So yeah, so with the primary setback with ERH ERH and GMU5, it is the same.

And with the side setbacks, uh it is less with GMU5 if it's an urban house or duplex, and it is the same if it's a garden court townhouse or apartment, which is five to seven feet with the row house and the those options.

Great.

Thank you so much.

That's all I have.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Seeing no other council members in the queue.

The public hearing is closed.

Comments by members of council on Council Bill 0665.

Councilmember Alviderez.

Uh thank you, Council President.

Um, this is a very unique property, um, and excited to see something done.

I know it was a challenge for the owner to do something with there's a waterway kind of situated here and some alleys, so this makes a lot of sense to me.

I appreciate them reaching out and talking to me and also all your work on this.

Thank you.

And I will be supporting this next my colleagues to do so as well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, roll call on Council Bill 0665.

Council members Lewis.

Sawyer.

Hi.

Albitris.

Hi.

Flynn.

Hi.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Gonzalez Patiatas.

Aye.

Heinz?

Hi.

Cashman.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Doris.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

Twelve eyes.

Twelve eyes.

Council Bill 0665 has passed.

Councilmember Albidres, will you please put Council Bill 0873, a bill for an ordinance designating the structure at 510 South Garfield Street as a structure for preservation on the floor for final passage?

I move that Council Bill 25-0873 be placed upon final consideration and do pass.

It has been moved and seconded.

The required public hearing for Council Bill 0873 is open.

May we please have the staff report?

Yes, thank you.

I am Abby Christman in Planning with Landmark.

And today we are looking at a designation for the McCallan Coolish House, which is at 510 South Garfield Street.

It was built in 1956.

And the name McCallan Coolish represents the two owners of the property.

So the McCallan family, the original owners, and they lived in the house beginning in 1956.

And then the Coolish family has lived in the house since 1960.

So the property is located in Council District 6 in the Stokes Place Green Bowers area of Belcaro.

And this is an owner-supported designation that is being brought forward by the Coolish family.

So the proposed boundary of the designation is pretty basic.

It will follow the lot line of the property.

So in order to be eligible for landmark designation, a structure needs to meet the following criteria.

It needs to either be more than 30 years old or of exceptional significance, needs to meet at least three of our 10 landmark criteria, needs to maintain its historic integrity, and the historic context of the property should be part of the review.

So the McCallan Coolish House is being proposed for designation for three out of our 10 criteria, for being an excellent example of a particular architectural style, for being a significant example of a recognized architect, and then finally for helping us have a cultural understanding of how the site was used by past generations.

So I'll go through then and explain those criteria in a little more detail.

So first off, it's being proposed for designation under Criterion C as a significant example of the architectural style Ewsonian.

So the Eusonian style was developed by Frank Lloyd Wright from the 1930s till the 1950s in order to bring modernism to the middle class.

The idea was to try to make modern style more accessible.

He began this style during the Great Depression.

So it was really his idea of, you know, kind of how can he do architectural designs that people could still afford.

So the key features of the style to have a transparent wall of glass to connect the living area with a garden.

So wanted to kind of make a smaller home feel larger by having indoor-outdoor connections.

And then by having a central kitchen or workplace.

And with this new design, it was instead making the kitchen as the center of the home.

And then also a carport, acknowledging that increasing significance of the automobile.

Here's a couple examples of Usonian style houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

So they're single-story structures set on a concrete slab with radiant heating.

They tend to be closed off to the street, very private, with few windows on the front, but lots of windows at the back.

So both of these images you're seeing here are the rear of the properties.

So you can really see those walls of glass looking out onto backyards and really important of his, you know, kind of blending indoor and outdoor spaces.

You also see they have strong horizontal lines with either flat or low-pitched roofs and deep overhangs.

On the interior, generally open, roughly L-shaped floor plans.

So very open plan with the living and dining and kitchen areas, and then kind of private area with the bedroom set off.

Light remains really important inside, so with those big windows, also you often get skylights and kind of integrated lighting.

This creates a lot of dramatic interior spaces.

And you also have the use of a lot of natural materials on both the exterior and the interior.

So a lot of brick, wood, and stone, and kind of earth tones.

So here you see some images of the McCallan Coolish house.

So here's the original drawings of the facade.

You can see very closed off to the street without many windows on the facade, really simple from the street, but then you can see as you get inside and into the yard, you have kind of walls of windows opening up into back courtyards.

You also see those character features of those kind of dramatic roof spaces, the use of light, and those stone and you know, kind of get the brick and the use of those natural materials with all the wood paneling and the brick and those kind of deep eve overhangs.

So then the property is also being recommended for designation as the significant example of a recognized architect, in this case, Joseph Dion.

So Dion was born in Massachusetts.

He came to Denver after World War II to study at the newly established University of Denver School of Architecture and Planning.

He came to study under noted local architect Eugene Sternberg.

And he was very influenced by the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright, and particularly the Usonian.

And so he was actually able, while he was at the University of Denver to organize a visit to bring Frank Lloyd Wright out to the University of Denver, which you see in that newspaper image there on the right.

So he graduated in 1951 and then went to go work at Arapaho Acres.

So Arapaho Acres, really notable mid-century modern development that is down in Inglewood.

So originally Arapaho Acres had been established by developer Edward Hawkins, along with architect Eugene Sternberg, who was Dion's professor.

But Hawkins and Sternberg had a falling out.

So then Hawkins went to Sternberg's student and hired Dion to help him with the design.

So Dion designed approximately 35 of the homes, about a quarter of the homes in Arapaho Acres, including a home for himself.

So the home that you see here is the house that Dion designed for himself.

And the designs in Arapaho Acres really followed the influence and kind of model of Frank Lloyd Wright's Yusonian style.

And the significance of Arapaho Acres has been nationally acknowledged.

This was actually the first post-World War II residential district to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

And the McCallan Coolish House has then a lot of close ties to Arapaho Acres.

So obviously, Dion was living in Arapaho Acres, and both the residents of the McCallan Coolish house also started out in Arapaho Acres.

So while Dion was living in Arapaho Acres, he was approached by the McCallan family, who were also Arapaho Acre residents, and they had just purchased a lot at 510 South Garfield Street.

It was a little bit larger than the lots at Arapaho Acres.

So they wanted a little more space, and they hired Dion to do that design for them.

And then, you know, continuing that Arapaho Acres tradition, then after the McCallans moved out of state, sold the house, it was the Coolishes who also lived in Arapaho Acres who decided to build that house.

So all very much attached to people being inspired by Dion's work at Arapaho Acres.

So the best that we can tell from my research, this house is the only surviving residence of Dion in Denver.

Because shortly after he stopped, you know, after Arapaho Acres was completed, he instead went into institutional and educational design.

He formed a partnership with Stanley Morse and William Champion and did projects such as some of his designs locally, or the Houston Fine Arts Center for the University of Denver, the Sixth Church of Christ scientist in Denver, and Everett Junior High School in Wheat Ridge.

And he stayed in Denver then until sadly Stanley Morris died on a work site, and the firm disbanded, and then in the late 60s, Dion decided to go back to Massachusetts and spent the rest of his career practicing architecture in Massachusetts.

So then finally, 510 South Garfield is being proposed for its significance as providing a cultural understanding of changing domestic ideals and lifestyles as represented in its Ysonian design.

Frank Lloyd Wright very much believed in the power of a space to kind of show how people live and how it, you know, the space should kind of change their lifestyle.

He was very prescriptive in how people lived in his homes.

He didn't want them to change anything, and this was the same for the Usonian.

He had real ideas about how you lived in a Housonian.

And he said that you should strive to simplify the ensemble of the room, should then be carefully considered that comfort and utility may go hand in hand with beauty.

So Usonian residence meant living on a single floor, always open to natural surroundings, with an open planned living area, admits simple, clean spaces.

And these ideas carried on to the residential developments inspired by his work.

So things like Arapaho Acres or things like the mid-century modern Eichler buildings that were very much about the specific lifestyle.

That you would have low maintenance living featuring all the comforts of a larger home and a more compact, affordable home with quality materials and radiant heating.

And Iklers, which were widely publicized as being designed for better living and being having their own way of life to them.

So this house is remarkably intact.

As I've already mentioned, it's only had been owned by two families, and it has been so carefully cared for.

I have never, I don't think walked into a home that felt as much like a time machine as this house.

You are really walking back in to a 1950s Usonian home.

It's really remarkable.

And so it can really provide that understanding of the vision of the Euzonian style and how the house was meant to be lived in.

So, as I said, the house has exceptional integrity.

It's in its original location.

The immediate setting and feeling is very intact.

Obviously, the larger name neighborhood has changed quite a bit, but really I think that just emphasizes the rarity of this design.

It retains its original design materials workmanship.

There's been no additions or significant alterations, and all the original materials are intact.

And you know, that a remarkable association with the past because you are really stepping back kind of into a time warp.

So historic context is that it's associated with the Usonian style, residential development in Denver, and promotion of the mid-century modern lifestyle.

The period of significance extends from 1956 when it was constructed to the end of the popularity of the Usonian Mid-century modern lifestyle in 1970.

And we did receive one support letter.

So to wrap up, um uh the landmark commission recommends um that this be approved.

They find it to meet the criteria for designation.

It's over 30 years of age, meets three criteria, being a significant example of Usonian style, work of a recognized architect, Dion, and helps us understand the mid-century modern lifestyle.

Awesome, thank you so much.

And I do also have the owner here too.

Okay, we have one individual signed up to speak this evening.

If you are here in person after your name is called, please make your way up to the front bench.

If you are on Zoom, please accept the promotion when called upon.

First person um is Jesse Paris virtually.

Yes, good evening, member of the council.

Um, Jesse Basel Parrison, representative for Black Star Act of the Movement for Self-Defense.

Positive, I think, for self-change, as well as the Unity Party of Colorado, the Northeast Gimberal Residence Council, Frontline, Black News, Smith and Hist, and I reside at the Legacy Love.

Councilman Darrell Watson, this is not fine, disignology.

I'm gonna have nothing to say on this.

I thought it was going to be gentrification as usual.

But no, it's not.

It's gonna be a something that the city needs.

So I'm a full support of the time.

Thank you for allowing me to option to speak after I thought I wouldn't have the option to speak.

Thank you, Jesse.

That concludes our speakers.

We have questions from members of council on Council Bill 0873.

Councilmember Cashman.

Yeah, thank you.

Uh Madam President, I wonder if I might ask uh the owner to come up.

Thank you for being here tonight, sir.

Um, I I've had a series of uh owner supportered designations in uh district six since I took office, and and I'm always grateful and impressed when when a family, a property owner, uh decides to make this gift to the city to to uh preserve their property as uh a representation of a time and place.

I'm just wondering why uh if you can say a few words about why you your family decided to uh put this up for designation.

Yes, thank you, Councilman.

Um just to introduce myself, I'm Thomas Coolish, uh the executor of the estate of Betty T.

Coolish.

I go by my middle name, Mark.

And so my parents, Betty and Jim Coolish, were the second owners of the house at 510 South Garfield Street.

Um, and I do want to thank uh uh Abby Crisman for her work on this and her excellent uh presentation both today and in prior presentations at the Ludi Subcommittee and also the landmark commission itself.

And so to respond to Councilman Cashman, and just to um make the statement I had prepared.

Uh I'm obviously biased.

This is the house I was raised in, along with my um late brother and my sister.

But until I drafted this application around the beginning of the year, I didn't really understand why the house is the way it is.

Um the house has invariably struck visitors, not just as a unique house, but as a in an understated way, a calming and a pleasant and an inspiring space.

And by visitors, I don't just mean social guests, I mean anybody who's been there.

I mean plumbers, I mean housekeepers, I mean medical care providers, piano tuners, you name it.

Almost invariably they are so struck that they will remark on how unique and inspiring they have found that space to be.

And as I know now, that's exactly what residential designers like Jerry Dion intended when they designed homes in the Usonian style, following Frank Lloyd Wright.

Many decades ago, my parents um sparingly renovated the interior of the house, and they did so with a view toward preserving its character.

And as a continuation of that effort, I'm requesting this designation to preserve preserve the home itself, both for its own sake and for the sake of the neighborhood in which it is situated.

That is Stokes Place Green Bowers.

And so I hope that answers your question, Councilman.

And if you have any further questions, yeah, it does, and again, thank you very much.

I appreciate your bringing this forward.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

That's all, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Cashman.

Councilmember Alvidres.

Thank you so much, Council President.

My question is actually for landmark Denver.

Thank you for the research.

This house is unbelievably beautiful.

This is one of my favorite styles of home because it is designed to be in balance with nature.

Um this is probably one of the more environmentally friendly designs that we landmark, but I'm curious if part of your research or support as an organization you take into account the environmental impacts of legacy um designation or landmark designation, especially when we're trying to have more energy efficient homes.

Well, I mean, certainly one of the things we always look at as preservationists is that it's you know much more environmentally friendly to keep a house rather than to have a house end up in a landfill.

So we are always thinking of that when we're thinking of preservation and reuse, but also certainly, you know, we also always appreciate designs that may have innovative ways of you know being built to have sun and have natural heating and light and things like this house does.

Great.

And when I speak of that, those are really great points, but I also think about being able to replace those windows with more upgraded windows can be challenging, or um switching out from gas to electric.

And so I'm curious if you offer any support for residents.

I represent a few historic districts myself, and it's something that I've heard complaints from from residents is that they have older homes that don't seem to stay warm or stay cold as often.

So yeah, well, certainly to rest, like the systems.

Totally upgrading, you know, changing from gas to electric is certainly allowed with the windows.

We are actually in the midst of designing new guidelines for window replacements, those should be taking coming into effect within the next couple months.

Um we just finished the public review period on the city website, and those new guidelines are designed to have a lot more flexibility, so that you really it'll just be as long as you can put in new windows that are a good match.

So certainly they could be energy efficient windows, um, that there'll be a lot more flexibility there.

And there are also incentives.

We do have a residential tax credit in Colorado.

Really thankful to have that, and that does cover any systems upgrades.

So things like getting new like switching from gas to electric, you could get a 20% tax credit on, and you could get um the tax credit on other home improvements you might want to do too.

Great, thanks for sharing that.

I will have to look into the window updates and uh share that with my community.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council President.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

Any other colleagues in the queue?

The public hearing is closed.

Comments by members of council on Council Bill 0873.

Council member um Cashman, do you have anything else to add?

Uh nothing else.

I'll just repeat my thanks.

It we've had uh uh the um uh uh owner supported designations we've had.

I've had uh a series of I think it's a half dozen bungalows in the Rosedale Harvard Gulch area.

We've had the uh mid century modern Crisana uh park neighborhood in Virginia Village, and and a number of other individual designations, and uh you know, you can't uh encase the entire city in amber, but at the same time to have these examples of Denver's uh various eras uh for for the present and for future generations to enjoy, I think is uh important, and again, want to thank you and your family, sir, for bringing this forward.

Um, in full support.

Thank you, Council Pro Temper Mario Campbell.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I just wanted to thank you for the presentation, and the house is beautiful.

Absolutely beautiful.

Um, and I know that there are other mid-century modern type of homes throughout our Osonian.

I should say them, not saying it right now, I got my caught myself, um, that are that are um in the in the community, and this is just a beautiful home.

And I'm just also wondering if that picture, the black and white picture, is that you as that a family picture?

This is just my curiosity on the it's like on slide 15.

You showed a picture of like a little girl and uh and a boy.

That's that's me.

That's myself and my sister Claudia.

You and your sister.

Very cool.

Very nice to be able to see that come full circle.

That's all.

I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your home.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, I'm always supportive of owner um brought forward designations.

Thank you for doing the work.

Thank you for writing the application.

Um, and thank you for sharing Denver.

Um in Denver's landmark history.

It's not very often where you get proactive designations coming, it feels more reactive.

So I'm always supportive when it's proactive and it gets to be preserved for the future generation.

So thank you for that.

And I'll also be supportive this evening.

Madam Secretary, we'll call on Council Bill 0873.

Council members Lewis.

Aye.

Flynn.

Aye.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

Heinz.

Cashman.

Aye.

Romera Campbell.

Aye.

Torres.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the vote and announce the results.

Eleven ayes.

Eleven ayes.

Council Bill 0873 has passed.

Congratulations.

There being no further business before this body, this meeting is adjourned.