OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Denver City Council Regular Meeting – August 25, 2025

City Council — Monday, August 25, 2025
BodyDenver, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, August 25, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:22:37

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Hey Denver, it's time for the weekly general session of your Denver City Council.

0:09

Tonight's coverage of Denver City Council starts now.

0:24

Everyone, thank you for taking the time to join us for Denver City's Council meeting.

0:29

Today is Monday, August 25th, 2025.

0:33

Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish.

0:36

Sam or Alejandro, would you please introduce yourself and let our viewers know how to enable translation on their devices?

0:44

Yes, of course.

0:45

Thank you for having us.

0:47

Hello, everyone.

0:47

My name is Sam Guzman with the CLC.

0:51

And tonight we will be interpreting today's meeting into Spanish.

0:55

Please allow me a quick minute while I give instructions in Spanish on how to access interpretation.

1:25

Thank you very much.

1:28

Thank you very much, Sam.

1:31

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, August 25th, 2025.

1:37

Councilmember plea council members, please join Councilmember Watson in the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:03

Council members, please join Councilmember Watson as they lead us in the Denver City Council land acknowledgement.

2:10

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

2:19

We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado.

2:26

We honor elders' past, present, and future, and those who have stewarded this land throughout generations.

2:33

We also recognize that government, academic, and cultural institutions were founded upon and continue to enact exclusions and erasures of indigenous peoples.

2:43

May this acknowledgement demonstrate a commitment to working to dismantle ongoing legacies of oppression and inequities, and recognize the current and future contributions of indigenous communities in Denver.

2:56

Thank you, Councilmember.

2:58

Madam Secretary, vocal call.

3:03

Councilmember Sawyer.

3:05

Here.

3:06

I'll be there.

3:07

Here.

3:08

Lynn.

3:09

Here.

3:09

Gilmore?

3:10

Here.

3:11

Gonzalo Scutier.

3:13

Heinz.

3:14

Here.

3:14

Cashman.

3:15

Here.

3:16

Lewis.

3:17

Present.

3:18

Here.

3:19

Romero Campbell.

3:20

Here.

3:22

Here.

3:22

Watson.

3:23

Here.

3:24

Madam President Sandoval.

3:26

Here.

3:28

Twelve members present.

3:30

There are 12 members present.

3:31

Council has a quorum.

3:33

Approval of the minutes.

3:34

Are there any corrections to the minutes of August 18th?

3:39

Seeing none, the minutes stand approved.

3:42

Council announcements.

3:43

Are there any council announcements this afternoon?

3:50

Councilmember Alvidres start us off.

3:53

Thank you.

3:53

I just wanted to give Councilman Watson a quick shout-out on his amazing performance.

3:59

Everyone in their life needs a V-neck onesie now.

4:05

He was amazing at dancing with the stars.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement█████████████████████21%
Historic Preservation████████████████████20%
Procedural███████████████15%
Public Health Policy████████8%
Affordable Housing████████8%
Arts And Culture███████7%
Land Use Zoning██████6%
Public Engagement█████5%
Economic Development███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Denver City Council Regular Meeting – August 25, 2025

The Denver City Council convened its regular meeting at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, August 25, 2025, with 12 members present (Councilmember Gonzales-Gutierrez absent). The meeting featured the adoption of multiple proclamations, approval of resolutions and bills en bloc, council announcements, and a required public hearing on a zoning change. Notable topics included overdose awareness, community partnerships, and a tribute to former Mayor Federico Peña.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes of August 18, 2025 (25-1238) – Approved.
  • Resolutions adopted en bloc (12-0 vote):
    • 25-1147: Reappointment of Dorothy Shapland Rodriguez to Head Start Policy Council.
    • 25-1200: Appointment of Omar Peters to DOTI Advisory Board.
    • 25-1201: Appointment of Emma Griffin to DOTI Advisory Board.
    • 25-1063: Grant agreement with Center for Work Education and Employment ($544,512.78) for culturally responsive food for Denver youth.
    • 25-1139: Amendatory agreement with Jewish Family Service of Colorado ($970,756 addition for TANF case management).
    • 25-1140: Revival agreement with Family Tree, Inc. ($333,225 addition for TANF kinship care).
    • 25-1141: Revival agreement with Goodwill of Colorado ($1,261,497 addition for TANF employment services).
    • 25-1142: Amendatory agreement with Colorado Women’s Employment and Education ($1,273,805 addition for TANF case management).
    • 25-1129: Dedicating a parcel as West 29th Avenue right-of-way.
    • 25-1143: Dedicating 61 parcels in Stapleton Filing No. 49 as public right-of-way (District 8).
  • Bills on final consideration passed en bloc (12-0 vote):
    • 25-1106: Third amendatory IGA with Colorado Department of Human Services for Equifax verification services ($1,935,836.67 addition).
    • 25-1117: Ordinance amending Article XVIII of Chapter 2 regarding disclosure of non-monetary settlement terms to the Office of the Independent Monitor and Citizen Oversight Board.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Required Public Hearing on Council Bill 25-0994 (rezoning at 3025 W. 3rd Avenue in Barnum):
    • Jesse Parris (virtual) spoke in opposition, questioning the affordability of units at 110% AMI, citing gentrification, and asking about community benefits agreements and neighborhood engagement.
    • Jesse Donovan (in person) stated he was available for questions but had no presentation.
    • No speakers registered in favor.

Discussion Items

  • Council Announcements:
    • Councilmember Alvidrez commended Councilmember Watson for his dance performance supporting Cleo Parker Robinson Dance.
    • Councilmember Lewis announced District 8 town hall and upcoming events.
    • Council Pro-Tem Romero Campbell promoted a jazz orchestra event and thanked Watson for fundraising for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance.
    • Councilmember Gilmore shared stories of laid-off city employees, alleging procurement rule violations in 2023-2024 and urging affected workers to consult lawyers before signing anything.
    • Councilmember Kashmann promoted a survey (“Your City, Your Voice, Denver”) about registered neighborhood organizations, with nearly 1,000 responses.
    • Council President Sandoval invited all to the Sunny Side Health and Wellness Festival on September 6.
  • Proclamations:
    • 25-1244: International Overdose Awareness Day – Recognized August 31; noted 1,603 Coloradans and 483 Denverites died from overdose in 2024. Councilmember Gilmore and others shared personal stories. Adopted 12-0.
    • 25-1243: KUVO 89.3 FM Day (August 29, 2025) – Celebrated 40 years on air. Councilmembers shared memories of listening to Canción Mexicana. Adopted 12-0.
    • 25-1245: Ashenda Celebration in Colorado – Honored Tigrayan women and girls. Adopted 11-0 (Gilmore absent).
    • 25-1242: Honoring former Mayor Federico Peña – Recognized his transformative leadership (airport, convention center, baseball, LoDo historic district, etc.). Adopted 11-0 (Gilmore absent).
  • Resolutions called out individually:
    • 25-1141 (Goodwill of Colorado): Councilmember Lewis highlighted Goodwill’s partnership with the Sheriff for providing clothes to incarcerated individuals' families and its role in circular economy.
    • 25-1063 and 25-1142 (CWEE): Lewis shared personal reliance on TANF programs and expressed need for larger contracts to address current needs.
    • 25-1128 (South Platte River Trail design with HDR Engineering, $3,034,623): Adopted 11-0 with one abstention (Romero Campbell due to family member at HDR).
  • Bill on final consideration called out:
    • 25-1117 (Non-monetary settlement disclosure): Councilmembers Torres and Lewis spoke in favor, emphasizing transparency and oversight. The ordinance requires city departments to notify the Independent Monitor and Citizen Oversight Board of non-monetary settlement terms within 30 days of council approval.
  • Required Public Hearing – Council Bill 25-0994:
    • Staff report from Fritz Clauson (CPD) noted the property at 3025 W. 3rd Avenue (6,250 sq ft) would be rezoned from E-SU-DX to E-RX-3, allowing up to three-story townhomes. The applicant (Jesse Donovan of Oliver Buchanan Group, LLC) agreed to a host affordable housing covenant: 20% of units (1 of 5 townhomes) restricted at 110% of area median income, for-sale, minimum 3 bedrooms, 99-year covenant. The rezoning was found consistent with Comprehensive Plan 2040, Blueprint Denver, and the West Area Plan.
    • Questions from Councilmember Torres to HOST staff (John Collarelli) clarified that 110% AMI addresses a gap for for-sale three-bedroom units, and the unit price would be $80,000-$100,000 below Denver median. The applicant noted five units with a detached garage, two stories, max 27 feet.

Key Outcomes

  • Proclamations: All four adopted unanimously (one with 11 votes due to absence).
  • Resolution 25-1128: Adopted 11-0-1 (Romero Campbell abstained).
  • Consent agenda (remaining resolutions and bills): Approved 12-0.
  • Council Bill 25-0994 (rezoning): Placed upon final consideration and passed 11-0 (Gilmore and Gonzales-Gutierrez absent). The zoning change from E-SU-DX to E-RX-3 was approved, with a binding affordable housing agreement for one unit at 110% AMI.
  • Next steps: Council will hold a required public hearing on September 8, 2025, for Council Bill 25-1137 (27th and Larimer Urban Redevelopment Plan).

Note: The meeting minutes state a start time of 3:30 p.m., while the user-provided timestamp indicates 10:15 a.m. The summary follows the official minutes for time, using the date August 25, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Hey Denver, it's time for the weekly general session of your Denver City Council. Tonight's coverage of Denver City Council starts now. Everyone, thank you for taking the time to join us for Denver City's Council meeting. Today is Monday, August 25th, 2025. Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish. Sam or Alejandro, would you please introduce yourself and let our viewers know how to enable translation on their devices? Yes, of course. Thank you for having us. Hello, everyone. My name is Sam Guzman with the CLC. And tonight we will be interpreting today's meeting into Spanish. Please allow me a quick minute while I give instructions in Spanish on how to access interpretation. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Sam. Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, August 25th, 2025. Councilmember plea council members, please join Councilmember Watson in the Pledge of Allegiance. Council members, please join Councilmember Watson as they lead us in the Denver City Council land acknowledgement. The Denver City Council honors and acknowledges that the land on which we reside is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. We honor elders' past, present, and future, and those who have stewarded this land throughout generations. We also recognize that government, academic, and cultural institutions were founded upon and continue to enact exclusions and erasures of indigenous peoples. May this acknowledgement demonstrate a commitment to working to dismantle ongoing legacies of oppression and inequities, and recognize the current and future contributions of indigenous communities in Denver. Thank you, Councilmember. Madam Secretary, vocal call. Councilmember Sawyer. Here. I'll be there. Here. Lynn. Here. Gilmore? Here. Gonzalo Scutier. Heinz. Here. Cashman. Here. Lewis. Present. Here. Romero Campbell. Here. Here. Watson. Here. Madam President Sandoval. Here. Twelve members present. There are 12 members present. Council has a quorum.

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