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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting on September 22, 2025

City Council — Monday, September 22, 2025

BodyDenver, Colorado

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, September 22, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:00:13

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

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.

0:30

Hi, good afternoon.

0:31

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

0:36

Today is Monday, September 22nd, 2025.

0:40

Tonight's meeting will be interpreted into Spanish.

0:42

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

0:50

Of course, gladly.

0:51

Hello, everyone.

0:52

Thank you for having us.

0:54

My name is Sam Guzman with the COC.

0:57

And along with my colleague Jasmine, we will be interpreting today's meeting into Spanish.

1:02

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

1:50

Thank you.

1:52

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting, Monday, September 22nd, 2025.

1:58

Council members, please join Councilmember Flynn in the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:21

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

2:31

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.

2:52

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

3:01

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

3:12

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.

3:28

Madam Secretary, roll call.

3:36

Council members Lewis.

4:12

Twelve members present.

4:25

Seeing none, the minutes.

4:27

Oops, I think we need a second on that.

4:30

Do you have a second on those minutes?

4:32

The meetings stand approved.

4:35

Announcements, council announcements.

4:37

Are there any announcements?

4:40

Let's start with Council Member Hines.

4:42

Thank you, Madam President Pro Tem.

4:46

If you don't know, uh this is a fabulous week for budget hearings.

4:50

Um and uh we'll have uh hearings throughout most of the week, uh, basically nine to five all all day uh for the week.

4:58

Um but it this is a um obviously we'll have more than just the budget hearings.

5:03

Uh I do want to uh let everyone know that um most council members are part of the Denver budget book club, and uh Wednesday we'll be um hosting a big beautiful book club.

5:16

Um at on Wednesday, it will be at Whittier Cafe and uh it technically is scheduled from 3:30 to 7.

5:24

I know that uh I'll be there as soon as I uh leave the um our last budget hearing of that day.

5:30

But um, but I will be there in person.

5:33

I won't be the only council member, there'll be others uh there as well.

5:36

Um also want to share with you that uh the City Park West registered neighborhood organization is having their annual meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m.

5:46

Um that is at uh St.

5:48

Joe uh in the Russell Pavilion.

5:50

So if you're a resident of City Park West, um there is a big beautiful meeting for you um right there at uh 6 p.m.

5:57

Uh but the biggest uh most beautiful event of uh the week will be uh the book lovers ball.

6:03

If you um uh are a fan of our library, please uh do consider um the book lovers ball this Saturday.

6:12

Um it will benefit the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation.

6:16

Thank you, Madam President.

6:18

President Pro Tem.

6:19

Thank you.

6:20

Uh Councilmember Sawyer.

6:22

Thank you, Madam President Pro Tem.

6:24

Just wanted to remind everyone that this coming Sunday morning is our community cleanup.

6:30

Um we do this twice a year.

6:32

We clean half of our parks and repaint a number of our bus stop benches uh in district five.

6:37

So join us um this Sunday morning, Montclair Rec Center, 8:30 a.m.

6:42

Uh, grab some breakfast and some supplies and then head on out to help us clean up our parks and our bus benches in District 5.

6:49

Last year we had about uh a little over 400 volunteer hours um from this event.

6:55

So uh it's a really big, exciting, wonderful um opportunity for community members to come together and we just want to say thank you to Parks and Recandati, um, who are our partners in this.

7:05

Thanks.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Miscellaneous██████████████████████████████████████████42%

Procedural█████████████████████████████29%

Environmental Protection█████████9%

Historic Preservation████████8%

Contracts And Procurement██████6%

Community Engagement███3%

Public Health Policy███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting - September 22, 2025

The Denver City Council held its general session on September 22, 2025, focusing on the adoption of proclamations for indigenous community events and recognition, approving liability settlement payments, and passing routine legislation in a block vote. Council members also shared announcements about upcoming budget hearings and community events.

Consent Calendar

Approval of previous meeting minutes.
Block vote on multiple bills for introduction and final consideration without individual discussion, including zoning changes, funding agreements, and alley vacations.

Public Comments & Testimony

Val Herrera from the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency accepted the proclamation for the Fall Tribal Convening. She expressed gratitude and outlined the convening's focus on climate resiliency and indigenous stewardship.
Cecilia Bullbear and Teddy McCullough from the Denver American Indian Commission accepted the Indigenous Peoples Day proclamation. They emphasized the importance of recognition and invited the community to the October 13th event.
Joyce Newfeld, honored for her service to Community Ministry, accepted her proclamation. She discussed ongoing food insecurity, encouraged support for local food pantries, and advocated for ballot measures to aid children.

Discussion Items

Proclamation 251402 for the Fall Tribal Convening: Councilmembers Gilmore, Alvidres, and others expressed full support for the event, highlighting its role in building relationships with indigenous communities and integrating indigenous knowledge into city governance. Councilmember Gilmore credited city staff for their work.
Proclamation 251403 for Indigenous Peoples Day: Councilmembers Gilmore, Torres, and Gonzalez Gutierrez discussed the significance of establishing it as a paid city holiday, acknowledging historical injustices like the illegal Fort Wise Treaty, and emphasizing the need for ongoing action and policy changes.
Proclamation 251400 for Joyce Newfeld: Councilmembers Flynn and Alvidres praised Joyce Newfeld's decades of service to Community Ministry, noting her leadership in addressing food insecurity and securing a permanent home for the organization.
Resolutions 251404 and 251405 for settlement payments: Councilmember Parity, reading a statement on behalf of Councilmember Lewis, expressed concern about the use of taxpayer money for liability claims, noting that the $32,500 in settlements added to a yearly total of over $6 million and could impact the city's budget.

Key Outcomes

Proclamation 251402 (Fall Tribal Convening) adopted with a 12-0 vote.
Proclamation 251403 (Indigenous Peoples Day) adopted with a 12-0 vote.
Proclamation 251400 (Joyce Newfeld recognition) adopted with a 12-0 vote.
Resolutions 251404 ($12,500 settlement) and 251405 ($20,000 settlement) approved as part of a block vote, with concerns raised about fiscal responsibility.
Multiple bills for introduction and final consideration passed in a block vote with a 12-0 vote.
A public hearing scheduled for October 20, 2025, on Council Bill 25-1272 regarding zoning changes.

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. Hi, good afternoon. Thank you for taking the time to join us for the Denver City Council meeting today. Today is Monday, September 22nd, 2025. Tonight's meeting will be interpreted into Spanish. Sam, would you please introduce yourself and let the viewers know how to enable translation on their devices? Of course, gladly. Hello, everyone. Thank you for having us. My name is Sam Guzman with the COC. And along with my colleague Jasmine, 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. Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting, Monday, September 22nd, 2025. Council members, please join Councilmember Flynn in the Pledge of Allegiance. Council members, please join Council Member Flynn 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 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. Madam Secretary, roll call. Council members Lewis. Twelve members present. Seeing none, the minutes. Oops, I think we need a second on that. Do you have a second on those minutes? The meetings stand approved. Announcements, council announcements. Are there any announcements? Let's start with Council Member Hines. Thank you, Madam President Pro Tem. If you don't know, uh this is a fabulous week for budget hearings. Um and uh we'll have uh hearings throughout most of the week, uh, basically nine to five all all day uh for the week. Um but it this is a um obviously we'll have more than just the budget hearings. Uh I do want to uh let everyone know that um most council members are part of the Denver budget book club, and uh Wednesday we'll be um hosting a big beautiful book club. Um at on Wednesday, it will be at Whittier Cafe and uh it technically is scheduled from 3:30 to 7. I know that uh I'll be there as soon as I uh leave the um our last budget hearing of that day. But um, but I will be there in person. I won't be the only council member, there'll be others uh there as well. Um also want to share with you that uh the City Park West registered neighborhood organization is having their annual meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m. Um that is at uh St. Joe uh in the Russell Pavilion. So if you're a resident of City Park West, um there is a big beautiful meeting for you um right there at uh 6 p.m. Uh but the biggest uh most beautiful event of uh the week will be uh the book lovers ball. If you um uh are a fan of our library, please uh do consider um the book lovers ball this Saturday. Um it will benefit the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation. Thank you, Madam President. President Pro Tem. Thank you.

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