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

Tonight's coverage of Denver City Council starts now.

Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us on this Bronco Monday afternoon.

How to throw in Bronco Country.

Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish.

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

Yes, of course.

Thank you for having us, everyone.

My name is Sam Guzman with the CLC, and along with my colleague Jasmine, who will be uh virtually interpreting uh 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, Sam.

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, September 29, 2025.

Council members, please join Council Pro Tem Romero Campbell in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Council members, please join Council Pro Tem Romero Campbell as they lead us in 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 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.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, we'll call.

Council members.

Albitres.

Here.

Flynn?

Here.

Gilmore.

Here.

Heinz.

Here.

Cashman.

Here.

Lewis.

Present.

Parity.

Here.

Romera Campbell.

Here.

Sawyer.

Torres?

Here.

Watson.

Madam President Sandoval?

Here.

Twelve members present.

There are 12 members present.

Council has a quorum.

Approval of the minutes.

Are there corrections to the minutes of September 22nd?

Seeing none, the minutes stand approved.

Council announcements.

Are there any council announcements this afternoon?

Councilmember Hines, why don't you start us off?

Thank you, Madam President.

Welcome back.

Um I want to talk about a few things that are happening this week.

Uh first, um, there is a uh Denver Urban Gardens is having a gala this Thursday evening.

Uh if you aren't already aware of it, um it is a great opportunity to uh break bread, uh be with uh friends and those who care about uh urban gardens.

I enjoy a vegan meal and uh and support Denver Urban Gardens.

So that is on a Thursday uh evening at 6 p.m.

Um there's also a uh Clifford Still fundraiser on Friday late afternoon and evening.

Uh if you want to support uh Clifford Still, which is also in Denver's Perfect 10, um please uh uh please check out the Clifford Still website.

Uh there is still a couple slots available for that fundraiser on Friday starting at 4.

There is also this Saturday, and we'll hear more about it in a minute.

There is a golden door celebration downtown, where we will be finally fully reopening 16th Street.

That's at noon, just before that, at 11, the Buddhist Temple at 1450 Spear is having a groundbreaking ceremony.

And that is also in Denver's Perfect 10.

Final announcement, the Laws for Paws Awards ceremony and fundraiser for Colorado Voters for Animals is on Saturday evening, starting at 6 p.m.

over the Denver Botanic Gardens.

And so if you care about animals, if you care about Colorado Voters for Animals, please do consider attending the Laws for Pause Award ceremony at the Denver Botanic Gardens this Saturday.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Alviderez.

Thank you so much, Council President.

I wanted to start out by shouting out my aide Victoria, who's having a birthday on Sunday this weekend.

Happy early birthday, Victoria.

I also wanted to share that Denver Bake Fest will happen in District 7 on South Broadway on Saturday, October 4th from 10 a.m.

to 1 p.m., 675 South Broadway in the Denver Design District.

Come enjoy a morning full of mouthwatering, baked goods, local bakers, taste samples, and great community vibes.

So come down to District 7 on October 4th this Saturday.

And I also wanted to share something exciting.

Last year in District 7, we were able to host a get out the vote event at Levitt, but this year, Better Together Denver is partnering with some nonprofits, Convivi, Colorado, and Juntos Community are getting together on Thursday, October 2nd, and they will be with a mission at Mission Ballroom with a global DJ and producer The Oro, which will show what's possible when music, community, and culture collide.

That will be Thursday, October 2nd at 8 p.m.

You can see our social media.

We will post um where to get tickets to that event.

And that was all my announcements.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council Potemiros Campbell.

Thank you, Madam President.

I would like to invite District 4 residents to come down to a groundbreaking that will be to open the Highline Canal.

Well, actually, it's to start the construction for the Highline Canal Underpass.

This was a bond project.

We are so excited that it's going to happen.

It's on the corner of the intersection of Holly and Evans.

Calvary Church has been very generous to allow people to park in their parking lot.

So please come down and join us at 4 o'clock on Thursday, October 1st.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Councilman Torres.

Thank you, Madam President.

Two announcements.

We've got a public meeting about Weir Gulch construction.

This Wednesday, October 1st, from 5 30 to 7.

This will affect the Sun Valley neighborhood of the Weir Gulch.

And construction will begin soon from 8th Avenue all the way to the Platte River.

This set of construction projects will remove the Sun Valley neighborhood from the floodplain.

So we're trying to make sure that Sun Belly gets safer.

This is one of the ways that we're doing that.

The other announcement is that the mid-autumnum festival will be this Saturday at Federal and Alamina at the Far East Center.

Multiple event stages, three food eating contests, dim sum, moon pie, and pha, and live music and over 60 vendors.

This is Saturday from 2 to 10 at the Far East Center.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilman Councilmember Gilmar.

Thank you.

A couple of announcements.

Tomorrow is where Orange Day, and it's for every child matters.

It's to recognize that in the United States, we haven't had a full accountability of individuals and families who were affected by residential boarding schools.

It's an important uh step forward to recognize that by wearing orange tomorrow, but then also uh supporting our elders and family members who went through that trauma.

Um I have three family members who were sent to uh Pennsylvania to Carlisle boarding school um in the late 1800s and luckily they came back, but the traumas um still affect families and communities, and so wanted to bring uh that to uh folks' attention.

And then uh tomorrow as well.

Um we will have um in the interest of civic education, um a hundred and thirty five juniors and seniors from Kip Green Valley Ranch.

They're gonna be visiting the city and county building tomorrow, um, doing a mock election.

Um they're gonna visit Denver Public Library and also the clerk and recorder's office to encourage them to vote, um get registered to vote, and their entire families to also participate uh in that democratic process.

And so um look forward to that tomorrow.

It might be a little noisier in the hallways, but um I think that's always a good thing, especially when it's uh the people's house.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Lewis.

Thank you.

Um so I wanted to invite you all to the third event in the budget book club series, which will take place on Saturday, October 4th.

So this Saturday from 11 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

at the Carla Madison Recreation Center.

Several council members will be in attendance, and it is being put on by silver council members as well.

I'll be sad to miss it, but I know it's going to be a phenomenal event because you all will be there.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Cashman.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um wanna let folks know uh the your city, your voice, uh empowering Denver Community Engagement Program has been uh a series of events all summer long.

Uh uh my staff and uh the staff from Councilwoman Gonzalez Guterres' office have been uh around the city collecting uh thoughts from residents about how the city can do a better job of involving uh Denver residents in uh city government.

We have three more in-person meetings uh scheduled over uh the month of October.

October 7 in Northwest Denver at the Oslan Rec Center, 4435 Navajo Street.

That's October 7, 6 to 8 p.m.

Then on Wednesday, October 15th, also 6 to 8 p.m.

in Southeast Denver at the Cook Park Recreation Center, 7100 Cherry Creek South Drive.

And finally on Wednesday, October 29th, we'll be doing a virtual session, and uh we'll have more information on that uh uh session in the next week or two.

Uh again, uh, if you if you'd like to find more information, just go to your city or voice Denver, and you'll get to the home page, tell you everything uh you'd like to know about what we're doing, and in trying to encourage uh Denver City government to do better by its residents.

Thank you, uh Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Watson.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

Uh, wanted to um uh applaud and celebrate one Colorado um this Saturday, uh October 4th from 6.30 to 9 30 p.m.

They're hosting their annual Colorado's um Prism Awards and these awards that elevate support celebrate um leaders within LGBTQIA Plus community and all of our allies and um um this year once again we will lift up and celebrate all the good work that Juan Colorado has done, and each of the individuals and nonprofits who provide a support year long for them.

So once again, this Saturday um October 4th uh from 6 30 to 9 30 p.m.

at the Denver Art Museum, won Colorado's Prism Awards.

So congratulations on a year well spent.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

I have one announcement.

Um, the Sloan's Lake Boat House at Slow's Lake off of 26th and Brain area is under renovation.

So if you'd like to participate and see the outcome of that boat house, please go to my website or my social media.

Um the survey closes October 6th, so it's really important that we gain your feedback.

And then I'd like to give a shout out to Councilwoman Alvidres.

I hope you have a very happy birthday this weekend.

Thank you.

Yeah.

There are no presentations, there are no communications, there are two proclamations being read this afternoon.

Councilmember Alviderez, will you please read proclamation 1438?

Yes.

Thank you, Council President.

Proclamation 25148, a proclamation honoring the founders of the Hispanic contractors of Colorado.

Whereas the Hispanic Contractors of Colorado, HCC, was founded in 1988 and formally incorporated in 1989 by visionaries, including Jose Berumen, Bob Chavez, Phil Covarrubias, Jose Garcia, E.T.

LaFor, Veronica Ledoux, Pat Marquez, Gabe Medina, Bill Montoya, and Bill Torres, who recognize the urgent need to support and unlift Hispanic contractors in Colorado.

And whereas these founders established HCC to create opportunities and advocacy and connection for Hispanic owned construction businesses, ensuring access to fair contracting, technical assistance, and leadership development in a historically inequitable industry.

And whereas Hispanics today represent 30.3% of US construction workforce, over 3.7 million workers, but are concentrated in trade and general labor roles at 84%, with only 15% making it into management, engineering, and supervisory positions, compared to 35.7% for non-Hispanics.

And whereas systemic wage disparities persist with Hispanic workforce facing up to a 10% pay gap in higher paying management roles, even as they earn a slightly more than entry-level positions.

And whereas education barriers limit advancement, nearly 68% of Hispanic workers hold only a basic or secondary education, and only 24% have post-secondary degrees, compared to 52% of non-Hispanics, creating fewer pathways into leadership, technical, and ownership roles.

And whereas despite these barriers, Latino-owned construction firms are growing faster than their non-Hispanic counterparts, demonstrating resilience and entrepreneurial strength, even when they face persistent challenges in access, capital, government contracts, and mentorship.

And whereas the construction industry itself faces labor shortages, declining productivity and rising costs, making advancement of Hispanics into ownership and leadership roles, not only an equity issue, but a strategic necessary for the stability and innovation and growth of the sector.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Denver City Council that Denver City Council hereby proclaims our recognition and deep gratitude to this founders of the Hispanic Contractors of Colorado for their foresight, courage, and commitment to building an organization that empowers Hispanic workers to not only contribute as laborers but thrive as business owners and leaders in our community and decision makers shaping the future of Colorado's construction industry.

This proclamation celebrates their enduring legacy and calls for present and future generations to continue advancing equity, opportunity, and leadership for Hispanics and construction, ensuring that those who build our communities also share ownership, prosperity, and progress.

Section two that the clerk and recorder of the city and county of Denver shall affix the seal and hereby and county of Denver to this proclamation and that a copy be transmitted to the founders.

Thank you.

Councilmember Alvides, your motion to adopt.

I move that proclamation 25 1438 be adopted.

It has been moved in second in comments by members of council.

Councilmember Alviderez.

Thank you so much, Council President.

With all their iterations, there was some recognition removed, which there are many people here representing HCC, including past presidents, like my dad, Juan Alvidres, and Jose Amaya.

Thank you for coming.

Um who were early presidents, and I also wanted to recognize Helga Grenred, who was one of the first executive directors.

But it's an honor for me to bring this forward at a time where things like getting rid of DEI are coming up in conversation, and where this council was actually, we received an award from HCC last year.

And all I could think about was how much we actually owe the people that started that organization and how innovative it was to do this at a time when it wasn't popular, when there wasn't a lot of organizations to support contractors.

And when we started my family business in 97, seven years after it was founded, we had a support system in place.

People that my dad could go to, that we could go to and ask questions, people to advocate to learn how to do government contracting.

And I feel so humbled and honored to know some of you, to have worked with some of you, and to have some of you who traveled all the way from New Mexico to be here today.

Um, I am so grateful for the work that you all have done.

And we have a long way to go.

And I just wanted to take an opportunity to thank you all for all the work that you've done for our small Latino businesses in construction and emphasize that when you go onto a job site, you will see almost all Latinos in the field with a hammer and a shovel.

But as you move into the trailer and as you go into the offices, you no longer see those people.

And I know that probably each of you faced a time where you were talking to a GC owner that said, I actually want to talk to the owner, not you.

Not knowing that you are the owners, that you worked hard to create your own businesses in a very tough environment.

And from the bottom of my heart, this is a huge honor for me to be able to acknowledge that work that allows us to be where we are today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Gilmar.

Thank you, Council President.

Uh, thank you, Councilwoman Um Alvidarez, for uh sponsoring this proclamation.

Um, have been honored in the past, um, of being a recipient um of uh the honor as well, and having two grandparents who ran the downtown motel in Trinidad for 30 years, and understanding how hard it is for a small business to um navigate government and to have the resources available to set up the capacity through accounting and bookkeeping and legal and human resources, all of those important parts of a business.

And you know, that's something that I'm very proud of is the partnership that we um have, especially around um construction training, um, the targeted hire program that we had with Central 70 and National Western, and where there's expanded opportunities around targeted hires, especially in neighborhoods that um maybe folks don't have the opportunity to move from a flagger or somebody working on a construction site and getting that pathway into community college of Aurora or Denver, if they're interested in being an engineer, and so that's where the work now program with the community college of Denver is so important, and I'm not quite sure where the funding is for that program, but I think that that's something important that we as council um keep an eye on, especially as we're looking at the um upcoming vibrant Denver Bond, and um that vote of the people to look at many more capital uh projects throughout the Denver metro area, and the only way we get those done are through um horizontal and vertical development, which we look forward to partnering um with you all on into the future.

And so thank you so much for your work.

Um, thank you, Councilwoman Alviderez as well.

Thank you, Councilmember Alviderez.

Thank you.

I wanted to follow up with one more thing, which is recently my office hired a young woman to do outreach in our community for us.

Her name's Hasmin Borges, and I hope she's watching right now.

Um, as I received the book that Phil so eloquently put together, thank you, Phil Covaruvias, for putting together that book.

Uh, I realized that she was her father was Michael Glade, who was one of our attorneys, who was someone who did a lot of work and who was also a press past president of the Hispanic contractors.

Um so I also wanted to acknowledge him, but I want to especially shout out Phil E.T.

and Bill for being here today as some of the founders that are still alive with us and that can be here today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um my dad, Paul Sandoval was um building La Casita.

He specifically was looking for Hispanic contractors, and we um at that time when we established it, it started in 1975, and we had um a location on 36th in Tijon, and he demoed it and rebuilt it.

I remember sitting down and talking with my dad at La Casita and him talking to me about how how challenging it was to find solely Hispanic contractors that oftentimes you would find the people who would, as Councilmember Alvidere said, lift the hammer, do the work.

But to be the CEO and the founders of the company, it was very challenging.

So anytime he could find anybody, we always were supporting um small Latino businesses as a small Latino business in Denver since 1975.

So I'm sure some of you knew my father, Paul Sandoval, and just want to say thank you for your legacy and thank you for your work.

Um having six Latinas on city council right now is because of the path that you all created for us to be able to have reflective representation.

So thank you, Councilwoman Alvides, for bringing this proclamation forward this afternoon.

Um Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members Gonzalo.

Flynn, Gilmore, aye.

Heinz.

Hi.

Cashman.

Aye.

Lewis.

Aye.

Parody.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Torres.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

Twelve ayes.

12 ayes.

Proclamation 1438 has been adopted.

We now have five minutes for the proclamation acceptance.

Councilmember Alvidres, who would you like to invite to accept the proclamation this afternoon?

Thank you, Council President.

I would like to invite um all the founders up and any of their immediate family members that want to say some words that are here.

I'm not sure which of the founders are here, but I know ET LaFour, Phil Covarubias, and Bill Torres are here.

So if you all want to step up to the microphone and say a few words about, I would love to hear specifically about what made you start the organization.

Thank you, Council Lady.

Alritos, appreciate you uh bringing this to everybody's attention.

Uh born here 85 years ago in Rocky Ford, and came to Denver.

But I uh I started in construction in 1957 with Peter Kewood.

And before I forget, E.T.

LaFour and I, uh E.T.

uh teamed up with uh Martinson.

We're the first contractors at DIA.

We did the trade call for the AA people, but uh uh United Airlines and the rest of the folks that treated us really good, and I'll just mention this real fast.

Uh we had a meeting with Hispanic contractors with uh Steve Massey and Bill Clark.

I that was what, 23 years ago, and uh they gave a large uh portion uh and united uh uh airlines really uh was worried about us coming uh not doing the work right or too high, but we did appropriate job and came under budget.

Anyway, anyway, uh, uh so I've been doing this since 1957.

I was a farm boy for the first uh 16 years.

If you're a farmer or rancher, you're born working and you died work in seven days a week.

So anyway, uh we were uh at Lake Cavasu with Bob Chavez, he passed away four years ago.

And anyway, after around the golf, E.T.

and I and Bill Montoya and uh and uh Bob Chavez got together, and Bob Chavez and I had been at a uh meeting with Mac at that time, and I think it was minority association contractors at the time.

Anybody, they were all arguing, I want this and I want that.

We had about a half a dozen minorities there.

So anyway, um when Bob and I started talking, we left the meeting and uh about a year later, so let's start our own organization.

So uh we uh we got ET and pretty soon we had our first president Bill Torres, and uh, and then I was on the board of directors for nine or ten years and president one year, but uh I see Joe Amaya over there with Pinkerton now, and I got my two sons.

Anne Marie worked for both ET and I, and so uh she's always been a heck of a gal, and uh we really appreciate our services.

But as time went on, what our goal was is to maybe not completely bring other minority contractors around us, but we wanted to meet general contractors to um uh get to know us better and see what we could do.

I mean, uh we're born in this country, we're all Americans, and uh and so anyway uh uh we uh uh we started out with uh handful of of uh minority contractors, so Seg Garcia, Bill Montoya, uh Stevie Hill from Plumbing, and uh ABC Electric.

So anyway, as time uh the first two or three years, we really didn't have enough money for an executive director, and so Bill uh Bill Torres's wife said she was on for a bit, uh Lester Healed.

I don't know if you guys remember Lester Hill.

Anyway, uh we uh we were kind of poor boying it and we wanted to keep it all Hispanic, but then Mortenson came up with 10,000 key when came in with 5,000 PCL, Saunders, all these large contractors.

So uh we were able to uh have uh uh wages for an executive director.

And so anyway, uh as time went on, we were trying to raise money.

E.T.

would bring some food to the golf course.

I bring some corn or watermelons, canlops, whatever.

And so anyway, all of us used to pitch in and have golf tournaments and had golf t shirt uh golf shirts and all that sort of stuff.

And we had a great time, our wives would make green chili, uh, burritos or whatever, and uh we had a great time out there, but things have changed dramatically in the last 35 years.

But uh as time went on, I don't want to uh you know keep on speaking too much, but uh we would have uh each uh uh HCC member would invite 30 or 40 general contractors to our office.

Uh laser electric uh had one out there on Federal and Alameda.

I had one on 76 and Broadway.

Uh and we would all get together, sit around, and uh have a conversation with our estimators and the owners.

So it was a wonderful time, and we really got to uh know each other a lot better.

I think they felt more comfortable, more at ease speaking with us, and so uh uh that was uh that was kind of the program that we had, folks.

So anyway, I'm gonna let the rest of the these fine gentlemen that helped us with HCC speaks.

Thank you so much, everybody.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

This actually goes back about 35 years ago, and Phil, you're correct.

The four of us met at the minority association contractors meeting and decided.

Actually, it was E.T.

that decided we're gonna make our own organization.

We had a lot of help with the manager of public works here in the city, Bill Roberts, who just stepped up and said, You guys, you got I'll help you all I can, and he did.

And every one of these contractors not only completed their jobs, they did them very well, and I'm so proud of them.

That's all I can tell you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Next up, we have Councilmember Hines, we have one more speaker.

All right.

Eighty de la four.

This is a kind of oh, organizations and get together when a bunch of people work together.

So I want to thank the city council for recognizing what we have done.

All of shares and we'll continue to do it.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks to the OG.

Is that it?

Okay.

All right.

Thank you all very much.

Councilmember Hines, will you please read proclamation 1439?

Thank you, Council President.

Proclamation 25-1439 celebrating the grand opening of 16th Street.

Whereas on October 19 October 4th, 1982, the historic 16th Street Mall opened as the vibrant spine of downtown Denver, linking our city's commercial, cultural, and civic districts.

And whereas on October 4th, 2025, the reopening of 16th Street marks a transformative milestone in Denver's urban renaissance, reflecting our city's unwavering commitment to reinvestment, innovation, and economic vitality.

And whereas this revitalized corridor will serve as an economic catalyst where all Denver neighborhoods converge, while also standing as a world-class destination that invites that welcomes visitors, businesses, and investment from across across Colorado and beyond.

And whereas the reimagine 15th Street 16th Street, 16th Street for the record, uh embodies Denver's dedication to accessible, walkable public spaces that encourage sustainable transportation, celebrate our shared history, and foster meaningful community connections in the heart of District 10.

And whereas this 175 million dollar reconstruction has addressed decades old infrastructure challenges, including deteriorating pavers, drainage issues, and aging utilities, while creating modern amenity zones, expanded sidewalks, improved transit alignment, and a new street canopy of over 200 planted trees.

And whereas the corridor's rebranding from 16th Street Mall to simply 16th Street symbolizes the city's ambition to evolve this historic spine into a dynamic, multifaceted urban place that combines that balances commerce, culture, and community.

And whereas the 16th Street continues to serve as Colorado's welcoming gateway, offering visitors their first glimpse of our region while positioning Denver as a national leader in urban innovation, economic development, and quality of life.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Denver City Council, Section One, that the Denver City Council recognizes October 4th, 2025 as a day of celebration for the reopening of 16th Street, honoring the vision, investment, and collaboration that have revitalized this historic corridor and recommitting ourselves to a future where Denver remains a city that is accessible, connected, and welcoming to all.

Section two, that the clerk and recorder, the city and county of Denver shall affix the seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation.

Thank you, Councilmember Hines.

Your motion to adopt.

I move that proclamation 25-1439 be adopted.

It has been moved and seconded.

Comments by members of Council, Councilmember Hines.

Thank you, Council President, colleagues watching here and online.

I am here before you today deeply honored to support this proclamation, and more than that, to celebrate a new beginning for our city's beating heart.

Today we mark not just the grand reopening of 16th Street, but the revitalization of downtown Denver, a bold statement that we believe in our future, in our community, and in what we can achieve together.

For decades, 16th Street has been our main street, a stage for commerce, connection, and collective experience.

But over time it has aged, it's infrastructure strained, its vitality dimmed.

That's why in this proclamation, we recommit ourselves to renewal to giving our downtown a future worthy of its past.

With this reopening, we tell the world Denver is back.

Stronger, safer, more welcoming, more vibrant.

In the years of renovation, every block, every curb, every sidewalk, every tree, every light have all been reimagined.

This more than 175 million dollar investment in this project is not about not just about new papers or better drainage systems or centralized transit lines, although those are vital.

It's about restoring the lifeblood of our downtown.

When 16th Street reopens fully on October 4th, 2025, exactly 43 years after its grand unveiling, it will stand renewed, rebranded, re-energized.

And yes, it is no longer the mall of old.

It is simply 16th Street, a new name for new era, a name that signals we are moving forward.

But physical transport transformation is only the start.

Today we launch a vision.

This is a vision of downtown Denver as a place where people can come not to just walk, roll or shop, but to pause, to gather, to imagine, to live.

A downtown vibrant with culture, commerce, art, green space, and community, a place where neighborhood meets city, and every resident has a stake.

This proclamation is a promise.

We will not just reopen 16th Street, we'll sustain it, nurture it, and defend it.

We'll activate it with music, markets, performance, art, public life.

We will ensure safety is not just a transient headline, but a permanent expectation.

We'll impair incentives for businesses, grants for frontage improvements, and support for local entrepreneurs to fill storefronts with purpose and vitality.

In downtown's renewal relies the revival of our city's engine.

Every block that hums with activity, every cafe that stays open late, every gallery that draws a crowd, every pedestrian who lingers, these will drive jobs, tax revenue, and civic pride.

Our downtown is where our civics identity, a city's identity is shaped, and today we recommit to making it worthy of our aspirations.

Our downtown is more than a destination, it is Denver's calling card to the world.

Here you will see the dreams of Denverites built into thriving businesses, telling exact everyone exactly who we are.

So let us carry that line into the headlines.

Denver is back, 16th Street Reborn, Downtown Renewed.

May that phrase stir in people in newsrooms alike, and may it carry forward the optimism we share today.

In the months ahead, when we walk and roll under the shade of new trees, when we pause at a new corner plaza, when we gather with music in a newly active space, let us remember the spirit behind the proclamation.

We believed that we could rebuild, reinvest, reawaken.

We are not simply reopening a street.

We are renewing the heart of a city whose soul lives in every neighborhood.

Thank you and welcome to the next chapter of Downtown Denver.

Thank you, Councilmember Watson.

Thank you so much.

And turn on your mic.

Thank you so much, Council President.

And some of the things that haven't changed with 16th Street.

And as a young 17-year-old loved frolicking up and down uh the street, and uh our friends and I getting to know uh this city that now that I love.

Uh I worked for 23 years uh uh a block on the other side on 17th, um, for a financial services company.

Um, and most days I would spend having my lunch on a bench or somewhere near uh 16th street.

Some of the best um uh most fun uh often uh things that I can't speak of now when I was younger has happened on 16th street.

And uh that hope, that joy, uh that fun um for a young people moving to the city uh today for them to realize and have those special moments that I hold dear um every weekend uh still uh through construction through winters uh spring, summer or fall, I do my five-mile run um uh from my home in Whittier uh down 16th Street to Union Station and back.

Uh every Sunday.

Uh a few past weekends I ran into Mayor Pena and Cindy Pena as they were walking.

Um this is a community gathering space.

Uh this is the heart of Denver, at least for me, and it's the place where I fell in love with the city.

And so to all um who are watching who had a role in ensuring that uh 16th Street uh was uh revitalized and the renaissance begins anew.

And for those sitting in the audience who uh do the hard work, get yelled at a lot, maybe get some hugs sometimes.

But who are there um day in and day out?

Thank you so much for your leadership and your stewardship, and thank you, Councilmember Heinz, for putting forward his proclamation.

Well deserved, and uh I look forward to continuing building great, I great uh celebrations and um great memories with each of you on 16th street.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Cashman.

Yeah, thank you, Madam President.

Um, like a lot of folks, I wondered about 16th Street over the past year or two, um, maybe six, eight months ago.

I went downtown to a show at the Paramount and parked in the council parking lot here, walked up Cherokee and got up to 16th Street, and there were barriers and kind of had a wind my way around and made it over to the Paramount, had a great show and figured out how to get back to my car.

I thought, wow, there's a lot of work to be done.

Um maybe a month ago now, uh good friend of mine.

Some some of you know Janie Potts and her husband uh went, she's came by my office hours uh on a Thursday morning just to tell me that they had spent their weekend downtown to celebrate their anniversary and they stayed over at the new Populous Hotel, and they went to a show at uh the Denver Center, and they cruised 16th Street and said they had the time of their life.

That 16th Street was better than ever.

They felt safe the whole time, and I thought, okay, that sounds great.

And uh so I was at a show, went down to a show at the Paramount's uh this past uh Saturday night and parked in my parking space behind City Hall and uh walked up uh I guess this court up towards uh 16th Street and came around the corner and 16th Street's alive again was really um it was just interesting because it felt like it had never been closed.

I mean, there were tons of people on all sides of the street, and as far as I could see, up and down the mall.

So I actually think 16th Street's gonna surprise a lot of people, and I think people are gonna uh find it a second home again uh sooner than some may have been concerned.

So I see the leadership of the partnership here.

Thank you for your hard work, and uh uh yeah, congratulations.

It's gonna be a good celebration coming up.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Flynn.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

Uh, thanks to this proclamation, I now can vividly recall where exactly I was 43 years ago, this coming Sunday, as part of the Rocky Mountain News coverage of the opening of the mall.

There's a huge crowd.

And uh I just want to offer a little bit of history, if I may.

Uh, thank you.

Uh I want it to be remembered uh a couple of one name in particular is that of Phil Milstein.

Phil Milstein sat on this council briefly in the 1950s, but he was one of the founders of Downtown Denver Incorporated, which became the Downtown Denver Partnership, and he was uh I always called him the father of the 16th Street Mall.

It was at his uh a result of his lobbying and a lot of others, not just him, uh, but he was sort of the tip of the spear, uh, who saw the need for uh bringing more people downtown and activating our retail street, but it was through the uh mechanism of Governor Richard Lamb, completely unrelated, driving the silver stake through Interstate 470 project that provided for the redirection of those transportation funds into other projects in Colorado, and 75 million dollars of what would have gone to build interstate 470 uh between Golden and uh I-25 at uh Park Meadows, which wasn't there at the time, of course.

75 million dollars of that interstate money was redirected through the predecessor of the Federal Transit Administration, Umta, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration, and that 75 million dollars was to provide a project that became the 16th Street Transit Way, not the 16th Street Mall.

Uh, and it functioned for RTD as a collector-distributor system.

All of the suburban buses that RTD started running on its startup after it took over from uh Denver tramway.

Uh all those suburban buses had to travel all the downtown streets, and it was a terrible traffic situation.

So the mall was conceived as a collector-distributor where all the buses from the south suburbs would converge on Civic Center Station, and all the buses from Adams County and North and Thornton and Boulder would converge on then Market Street Station and get on these mall shuttles.

And lo and behold, that brought the people back to 16th Street, and that allowed for the revitalization of the retail that we saw uh over those years.

And so I'm like Councilman Cash and I'm hoping to come down and visit it now that it will be reopened and and uh join in the uh in the growth and the return of uh business to the mall, or I'm sorry, to the street, pardon me.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Heinz, for bringing forward this proclamation.

Um, as somebody who sits on the downtown Denver Development Authority, it's been a pleasure to work with um the business improvement district on um the next iteration.

I wouldn't say that it's it's it's anything other than a next iteration.

Um, looking forward to having the celebration this weekend and um looking forward to just seeing it continue to thrive and grow, and um I often think of the downtown as the spine of um our city, and uh the spine needs to be healthy in a body, so looking forward to the construction being done, and um I think I get a lot of council emails because it's just I'm council district one, so people don't go down the road to see who represents it.

So I'll be glad to say that the mall construction is done once I am reapplying.

Get a lot of those more than I thought.

Um, so thank you all.

Uh Councilmember Hines, your motion to adopt.

I move their proclamation 25-1439 be adopted.

Madam Secretary, we'll call.

Council Member Sconzalez Cutieras.

I'll be there.

Flynn, Gilmore?

Aye.

Cashman.

I apologize, Councilmember Hines.

Aye.

Lewis, Parity.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Torres?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Adam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

Twelve ayes.

12 eyes.

Proclamation 1439 has been adopted.

We now have five minutes for the proclamation acceptance.

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

Thank you, Madam President.

I'd like to invite Courtney Garrett, head of Downtown Denver Partnership.

Et al.

Oh.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Hines and Council Courtney Garrett, President and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership.

And if you'll indulge me for just a moment, very briefly, I'm gonna go off script here because it strikes me, as we're sitting here listening to all of your stories, the tremendous amount of teamwork that this takes, and we have a lot of partners to thank that I will.

But first and foremost, I have to thank the amazing members of the Downtown Denver Partnership team and what you see behind me represents the disciplines that it takes to really steward a project like this.

Andrew's vision for the playscapes, for the trees, for how all of it comes together is absolutely imperative.

Kate has brought every piece of the project over the finish line, whether it's a construction barricade or a massive repositioning campaign.

And Rachel is working with each and every small business throughout our city looking for places and opportunities that they can locate.

So I wanted to make sure that this is certainly not about Courtney Garrett here today.

And now I'll return to my script.

But I do want to say, just to start us off, that this moment does represent more than three and a half years of construction.

And I know because that's how long I've been back in Denver and receiving a lot of those emails as well as you.

Truly a remarkable team that brought this project to reality.

To the downtown businesses and residents who showed remarkable patience and resilience throughout construction, and to the broader Denver community whose input and enthusiasm helped shape what 16th Street has become today.

Councilman Hines, your leadership, your enthusiasm, the challenges, the opportunities.

Thank you for being our partner.

To the entire city council, thank you all for understanding the importance of this corridor to our entire city.

As time and time again, we came to you with updates.

We came to you with grant requests, and you understood the importance of what 16th Street means to Denver and our entire region.

So this Saturday we celebrate, Councilmember Hines, you said it, we celebrate more than just a milestone.

This is truly a rebirth of downtown.

16th Street is more of a thoroughfare, though it definitely has its origins as a transit way.

It's an economic generator.

It's the heart and soul of downtown Denver.

It's the hub for culture and connection that draws millions of visitors every year and supports thousands of jobs.

As we look ahead, this revitalized corridor will continue to be a gathering place that defines Denver, a place where innovation meets tradition, where commerce meets community, and where the city's future is on full display.

This space is truly designed for everyone.

Residents, workers, visitors, families, a place where our community can and will come together to experience the very best that Denver has to offer.

So on behalf of the Downtown Denver Partnership and the entire 16th Street project team, we invite the Denver community to join us this Saturday, October 4th, for a historic grand opening celebration.

You'll see what's new on 16th Street, the enhanced design, the improved accessibility, vibrant public spaces, and the incredible businesses that make up the fabric of our downtown.

Councilmember Watson, my 13-year-old son, is not quite 17 and getting into as much trouble, but I'll tell you my quick story.

We live at 33rd and Pecos when we moved back to Denver.

I was born at St.

Joe's in 1977.

So I was five when 16th Street opened.

Now my 13-year-old son leaves our house on his bike at 33rd and Pecos.

He crosses over I-25, hangs out at Denver Skate Park, comes on into downtown, parks his bike at Skyline Park, takes his friends over to the Regal and spends his afternoons in the summer on 16th Street.

So we're bringing it back because this is our 16th street.

Thank you all so very much for this proclamation.

Madam Secretary, please be read the bills for introduction.

From the Health and Safety Committee 25-1300, a bill for an ordinance approving a proposed intergovernmental agreement between the city and county of Denver and Denver Health and Hospital Authority to provide health, dental, and mental health services to children and their families as a vendor of Denver Great Kids Head Start DGKHS Citywide.

From the Parks, Art and Culture Committee, 25-1396, a bill for an ordinance naming an unnamed park at Kittridge, apologies, Kittrich Street and East Bullinger Drive, Amache Prowers Memorial Park, and from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee 25-1348.

A bill for an ordinance for Linquishing Easements in their entirety, reserved and ordinance number 50, series of 1954, recorded with the Denver Clerk and Recorder at Book 7454, page 139.

Ordinance number 253, series of 1956, recorded with the Denver Clerk and Recorder at Book 7902, page 153, and ordinance number 728, series of 1978.

Recorded with the Denver Clerk and Recorder at Book 1825, page 610, located at 263 North Josephine Street.

Thank you very much.

Council members, this is your last opportunity to call out an item.

Council Potem Romeo Campbell, will you please make the motions for us this evening?

Yes, President Sandoval.

Now I'll do a recap.

Under resolutions, no items have been called out.

Under bills for introduction, Councilmember Gilmar has called out Council Bill 1396 for comment.

I'm a bills for final consideration.

No bills, no items have been called out.

Under pending, no items have been called out.

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

Council Bill 1396, a bill for an ordinance naming an unnamed park at Kittredge Street and Bollinger Drive, Amachi Prowers Memorial Park.

Councilmember Gilmar, we please go ahead with your comments on council resolution 1396.

Thank you, Council President Sandoval.

Um wanted to let the community know that this is going through the legislative process, and uh folks can sign up on Thursday at 5 p.m.

Uh to make sure that they uh can sign up and uh testify at the courtesy public hearing next Monday.

Um, and so that would be October 6th.

Um this has been a long time coming.

Uh the parks and rec advisory board uh moved this on earlier this month, and uh it's um wonderful that we're able to align uh all of this important legislation in anticipation of Indigenous People's Day, which will be celebrated in the city and county of Denver on October 13th, Monday.

Um, and uh Amache Prowers Memorial Park will be the first park in Denver named after an American Indian woman.

Uh, she was Southern Cheyenne and a powerful advocate and leader.

Uh her father and family members were camped at Sand Creek, and she wanted to go warn them, and she was held back by the powers that be, and of course, couldn't warn her family and unfortunately lost family members and her father as well at Sand Creek.

But she continued on her work in the community, trying to be an advocate for peace and for people to come together to not only uh advocate for American Indian people, but also to not uh have a erased history of what really transpired at Sand Creek instead of some of the more um I think mild language that the US government and especially the local newspapers were using at that time.

And so uh this park will be 10 acres, and it will be a site for nature, community, and education, uh, and working very closely with the tall bull uh family.

Uh Amache Prowers was actually an aunt of Bill and Rich uh Talbull.

And so uh we weren't fully aware of that until it started moving um through the process with the name change um for the memorial park.

Um that it's very uh apropos that uh it is all aligning in that way, um, especially with the history of the Talbull family uh and the Talbow Memorial out at Daniels Park, where we have buffalo uh in the city and county of Denver.

And so wanted to give folks a heads up about that, um, and looking forward to that next Monday.

Thank you, Council President Sandoval.

Thank you very much.

That's a very exciting.

This concludes the items to be called out.

All bills for introduction are ordered published.

Council members remember that this is a consigned 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.

Council Pro Tem Romero Campbell, will you please put the resolutions for adoption and the bills and final consideration for final passage on the floor?

Yes.

I move that the resolutions be adopted and bills on final consideration be placed upon final consideration and do pass in a block for the following items for series 25, 1437, 1346, 1310, 1311, 1312, 1313, 1314, 1315, 1316, 1317, 13, 18, 13, 19, 1321, 1322, 1323, 1324, 1325, 1326, 1327, 1309, 1328, 1320, mmm, 1329, is there again?

1330, 1331, 1332, 1333, 1334, 1335, 1336, 1337, 1338, 1339, 1340, 1341, 1342, 1343, 1347, 1349, 12, 77, 1279, 1283.

Thank you very much.

It has been moved and seconded.

Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members Gonzalez Cutieris.

Aye.

Albitras.

Aye.

Flynn.

Aye.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Heinz.

Aye.

Cashman.

Aye.

Lewis.

Aye.

Harity.

Aye.

Romero Campo.

Aye.

Todas.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

12 ayes.

12 ayes.

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

We have no public hearings this evening.

If there are no objections from members of council, we will recess until 5 30.

Before we convening the regular meeting, City Council will provide a half hour public comment session to hear from the public on city matters, except for any matter that is scheduled for a legally required public hearing.

The general public comment session will begin promptly at 5 p.m.

Here's what's happening in Denver this week.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is here for the 50th anniversary spectacular tour.

Join the original Brad Majors, actor Barry Bostwick, for a screening of the original unedited movie with a live shadow cast and audience participation, plus memorable displays, an actual costume from the movie, a costume contest, and more.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with an elevated chef's dinner in collaboration with Toro Latin Kitchen.

Explore unique flavors from two local chefs as they come together to create several courses incorporating the flavors of Southwestern Flair and Hispanic history.

Chefs will dive into the history, inspiration, and complimentary tastes of each dish and drink.

For as long as we've had telescopes, we've been obsessed with Mars.

Mars captures our fascination with its seeming potential to nurture something we've yet to discover anywhere else.

Extraterrestrial life.

Denver, your TS 12 premier night event is here.

Come gather with all your stupid friends, DJs, artists, and more for our premier night release party of Taylor's 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl.

The first Friday Art Walks are the signature event of Denver's Art District on Santa Fe.

All year round, the district comes alive on the first Friday of each month as thousands descend upon Santa Fe Drive for the first Friday art walks.

Bring your friends, bring your family, and see you there.

Get ready to embrace the absurd at the second annual Bananas Fest.

A delightfully bizarre celebration of all things silly and strange.

This one-of-a-kind festival is your ticket to a day filled with laughter, whimsy, and unforgettable weirdness in the heart of Denver.

Celebrate the 2025 Harvest and the just bottled 2024 wines.

Indulge in a delicious harvest party feast and wood-fired pizza.

Taste over 20 new wines and enjoy great live music.

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

And you can always ask our chatbot Sunny online.

They played before the Royal Family.

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 going to take that much time to get the buildings finished.

Uh and uh to be able to get 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 our 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, let's say let's 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 already gonna be microphones for the people asking questions?

Oh, yes, okay, good.

So uh there'll be someone with a 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?

Yep.

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.

Uh 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 Colorado, uh Colorado didn't get it, and so what they did is they built two branches.

One of the branches came down from uh from Nebraska along the South Platte River and ran right past Deerfield, which is a reason one of the reasons that O.

T.

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 uh Supreme Court judges and things that were at the event to open that branch of the highway, and it was held in Deerfield, which was really wow.

I mean that that's a big deal.

Uh and that 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, so 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 still gonna put it back up again, I swear.

It it's gonna be the coolest place, coolest place.

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

And we look forward to hearing from you again.

Thanks for attending.

It's not a sunny day for this fallen street sign, but I don't want to report this.

And what else can I report?

How about graffiti too?

What about issues with snow removal?

Wow, Sunny makes it so easy to report issues in my neighborhood.

I wonder what else Sunny can help with.

On this how to Denver, how to sign up for a My Denver card.

A My Denver card is for Denver residents ages 5 to 18 and unlocks a wide range of benefits and features.

More on that in a moment.

But first, getting your hands on a my Denver card is very easy.

You can register online at Denvergov.org slash my Denver card.

Click online service center and fill out the necessary form.

Cards will not be mailed, so you will need to go into a recenter to pick up the card.

Cards can be picked up at 28 of Denver's 30 rec centers.

Just see someone at the front desk to provide some brief information.

Then after a quick photo, you'll be all set with your new card.

Once you have your card, that's when things get exciting.

The card replaces a library card and can be used to access idea labs, get homework assistance, or just check out books at any Denver Public Library branch.

Your My Denver card also gets you access to any Denver Rec Center in addition to a wide range of programs.

Find out more at DenverGov.org slash recreation.

And lastly, show your My Denver card at the zoo, botanic gardens, or any museum for possible discounts or even free admission.

Restrictions and limitations vary for each site.

Thanks for watching, and make sure you subscribe for more how-to videos like this.

And if there are any city services you want to learn how to take advantage of, leave a comment down below.

On this episode of How to Denver, how to find your street sweeping schedule and sign up for reminders.

Street sweeping plays a critical role in keeping Denver's streets, air, and water clean.

Dottie's street sweeping program removes dirt, leaves, and debris from city streets, which reduces air and water pollution and supports a clean environment.

But we need your help to move your car so we can get as much debris off the streets as possible.

Plus, by moving your car, you'll avoid a ticket.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

To find when the sweepers will be on your street, look for the posted red and white signs on your block.

Or go online, visit Denver's online services hub and click on sweeping schedules and reminders.

Type in your address to find and access your schedule.

To sign up for sweeping reminders, sign in.

And if you don't have an account, it's easy to create one.

Thanks for watching, and thanks for doing your part to help keep Edward clean.

And if there are any city services you want to learn how to take advantage of, leave a comment down below.

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

Tonight's coverage of Denver City Council starts now.

We'll be on the council will now reconvene from our earlier session.

We have no unfinished business from the 3 30 p.m.

session, and there are two proclamations being read this evening.

I'm gonna let you have a moment of privilege and then ask you all to read the proclamation.

Thank you.

Um, sorry, I'm getting myself together here.

Okay, so I wanted to take a moment of personal privilege to provide a content warning for the content warning for the next section.

This portion will include mentions of suicide.

And if you or someone you love is in need of support, please reach out to 301 to be connected with local mental health resources.

You are not alone.

Thank you.

Councilmember Lewis Parity and Cashman, will you please read proclamation 1440?

Yes.

Whereas, uh honoring honoring September as Suicide Prevention Month, whereas suicide is a significant public health issue that affects people of all ages, genders, communities, and socioeconomic levels.

And whereas Colorado has one of the highest weights rates of suicide in the nation.

And whereas every life is valuable and the loss of one life to suicide is a tragic and preventable event that leaves a lasting impact on families, friends, and communities.

And whereas mental health and well-being are essential components of overall health, and early intervention, education, and support can save lives.

And whereas suicide prevention begins with removing barriers, improving systems, promoting equity in the care system, and advocating for change and whereas raising awareness, encouraging open dialogue about mental health and wellness, and encouraging those in need to seek help are vital steps toward reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide.

And whereas suicide prevention requires the collective effort of health care providers, educators, lawmakers, community organizations, and every individual to provide support, resources, and hope to those who are struggling.

And whereas on this day, we honor the memory of those lost to suicide, hold space for those impacted by suicide loss, support those who are currently struggling, and recognize the tireless efforts of mental health professionals, advocates, survivors, and volunteers working to prevent suicide and promote healing.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Denver City Council.

Section one that the Denver City Council does hereby proclaim September as suicide prevention month in the city and county of Denver and encourages all residents to take part in activities and initiatives that promote mental health awareness, foster protective factors, and support those affected by suicide.

These life-saving efforts don't stop when September ends, but continue year-round as we strive to create a culture of compassion, understanding, and hope.

And 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 a copy be transmitted to Denver Health, the Department of Public and Health and Environment, the Center on Colfax, Rick Padilla, the second win fund, queer asterisk and youth scene.

Thank you.

Councilmember Lewis, your motion to adopt.

I move that proclamation 25-1440 be adopted.

It has been moved in second.

Comments by members of council.

I'll start with the uh sponsors, Councilmember Lewis, then Parody, then Cashman.

Wants to go first?

Go ahead.

Okay.

Um, so I wanted to begin with a heartfelt thank you to Denver Health, the Department of Public Health and Environment, the Center on Colfax, Rick Badia, and the Second Win Fund, Queer Astritz, and Youth Sane for joining for your ongoing advocacy for increased access to and support for mental health resources within our community.

Additionally, I would like to thank Councilmember Alvidres, Parity, and Cashman for their co-sponsorship for this proclamation.

Every year, thousands of lives are lost to suicide.

It is the second leading cause of death among young people, LGBTQ youth and youth of color are significantly at higher risk, often navigating rejection and isolation.

Justice impacted individuals carry trauma that society rarely acknowledges.

Undocumented communities have been forced to live under the constant fear of being separated from loved ones and support systems.

Residents living with disabilities face barriers to accessible care and community connections.

Adults in midlife are struggling to keep up with rising costs of basic needs, such as housing, food, and such as housing, food, and often go unnoticed behind smiles and busy schedules.

Our seniors, many of whom live alone are suffering quietly with some of the highest rates of suicide at of any age group.

These are not distance issues.

These are our neighbors, our children, our friends, our families, our elders, our community.

Suicide prevention is not just crisis hotlines and emergency rooms.

It's the everyday acts of love and liberation.

It's access to gender affirming care without shame, delay, or denial.

It's mental health support that's affordable, affirming, and available when someone needs it, not months later.

It's checking in on your strong friends, the ones who always say, I'm fine, but carries more than they let on.

It's offering to make dinner to lighten the load and to say, you don't have to do this alone.

Also come in to clean my house, is very kind.

It's taking something off their plate, literally and figuratively, because rest is a human right, not a reward.

It's showing up even when you don't have the perfect words because presence speaks louder than perfection.

In a society that feels increasingly stressful and disconnected, it's easy to lose ourselves.

Now more than ever, I urge you to answer the call to show up.

In a time where nonprofits and health organizations are losing funding for life-saving resources, we must choose to invest in mental health programming that reaches every community, especially those who have been historically left behind.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Parity.

Yeah, thank you so much, Madam Chair, and thank you so much to Councilmembers Lewis, Cashman, and Alvedrez as well.

So this is a very personal proclamation for me, and I um I'm really, really grateful that that's not because of having lost someone really close to me in my life, but uh because of having really stared that down with people that I'm very, very close to.

Um, and you know, I I don't think that we're at the end of that road either.

Um, so one thing I will say though is that I've learned that it's probably personal for almost anybody, which is a really uh poignant and painful thing to think about.

When we think about the experience of suicidality, it's both universal in the sense that I think any one of us could wind up experiencing that particular kind of brain chemistry.

Um, but then it's also made more likely that um the more someone experiences all of the other um stressors and harms that deplete our resiliency and our wellness, they're more likely that they might be that person.

So what's interesting is I think in our society we actually get both of those pieces a little bit wrong in our cultural understanding.

So, on the first hand, um, we really fail to understand, or maybe we want to deny that there's no set of life circumstances that can make you immune.

Um suicidality isn't coextensive with sadness, and it's not predicted by the outward appearances of someone's life.

While it may often arise from clinical depression, that's not the only kind of mental health condition that can lead someone to that place.

Um it can become a kind of compulsion for people who suffer with OCD.

It can come from experiencing forms of delusion, it can come from feelings of unresolvable panic, anxiety, lack of control.

It can arise as a kind of impulse that some minds are less equipped than others to repress or turn away from.

And I've really learned to think about it as like this gripping, intense and specific mental state that can be really shocking for someone who's fallen into it for the first time and for the people around them.

Um there's a real humility that we need to have in seeing this as something that could fall into any of our lives, and our our cultural scripts lead us astray here.

So you know these scripts, right?

It's the one where people say, Well, he was the capital, the captain of the basketball team, or she was always joking around.

Um, I would never have thought, right?

And the truth is that everyone needs people around them checking in, like Councilmember Lewis just said so beautifully, um, needs stable, trusting relationships, needs good health care, um, and all of those things that are both preventative and help people bridge the what feels like an extreme gap and reach out when they need support if it comes to that.

And indeed, isolation and feelings of disconnection and having a lack of people that you know will support you if you turn to them, those are very strong predictors of suicide.

Um, we're going down a real dark path in this country where isolation is increasing.

People have smaller and smaller numbers of those just really trusting relationships, whether those are with family, friends, um, or the rest of what should be our web of social supports, doctors, teachers, and so on.

Um, there are things that any one of us can do about that.

Um, I have really come to believe that there is no such thing as being too nosy about someone's mental health and how they're really doing.

Um, I've learned never to assume that someone else is probably supporting this person who's closer to them, and that you're not the right person to help or intervene.

Um, if you're there and you're noticing something, you're the right person.

I've learned to always err on the side of taking depression or expressions of hopelessness or any intimation of suicidality, even if the person walks it back or you know acts like it was unserious.

Take it incredibly seriously.

There is a great training for mental health first responders that one of our wonderful council staff brought to a few of our offices, which I've been really glad to have in my toolbox at certain moments.

There are similar trainings.

I recommend them for absolutely everyone, because we all could use a little bit of help cutting through like the assumptions and behaviors that we've absorbed along the way.

For example, you're not hurting by asking someone directly if they are feeling suicidal and being very concrete with them about whether they've made a plan, whether they've taken any steps in that plan, and how to interrupt that plan.

That's actually one of the most helpful things you can do.

Um just got to blurt it out, you know.

Um, and then somehow at the same time, though, we're also not very honest about what is predictable and knowable and how much we could do to prevent um so many people experiencing suicidal ideation um at all, which is a really horrible experience for anyone and the people around them.

Um, and then even worse, um, actually losing people to suicide.

The things that we do know, um, are never gonna be enough to tell us specifically who's gonna end up having this experience, but they are enough to tell us with certainty how to make sure that far less people ever get there, um, and that if they do, far more people get what they need to make it through safe and sound to heal and not to get back to that place.

The kind of stressors that deplete people's mental health are cumulative.

We know those include experiencing trauma, poverty, and racism, not receiving treatment for physical or mental health um illnesses that you have, there it involves life disruptions, instability, um, and then in particular, feeling hopeless about the possibility that whatever pain or struggle you're going through can ever get better.

And that's a feeling that becomes likelier every time someone hits a wall when they're looking for help or resources, and every time someone gets a signal that they're not valued, they're unworthy of support.

So that's why there's so much truth in saying that eviction prevention is suicide prevention.

Gender affirming care is suicide prevention, after school programs are suicide prevention, access to healthy food and all the other determinants of health are suicide prevention.

If we want to make it a rare thing to lose members of our community this way instead of heartbreakingly common, um, then there are things that um that individuals can do, like I've talked about.

Um, but there are also things that we can only do collectively as a society through those of us that are trusted to make policies and funding decisions for the collective.

Um, we're really seeing right now that there are limits to how much we can destroy our public goods, um, the things that we all both invest in and draw on throughout our whole lives without starting to see a real increase in very real human suffering.

Um, social programs are not nice to have.

They're life-saving, they're life-giving, and we really have to fight for every single one of those shared resources, um, maybe in the name of people that we've lost.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Cashman.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I may have told the story before in this chambers, but uh my son's name is Jesse Cashman.

Growing up, his best friend's name was Jesse Paul, and kids knew each other from like first grade.

And I used to love to say that I had one son who who claimed my last name and one soon who claimed my first name.

And uh JP, Jesse Paul, um uh died by suicide about seven years ago now, I think.

And uh it's uh, it remains difficult on me.

It remains extremely difficult on my son and um and JP's family, of course.

Um, I think, you know, from talking to friends and from my own experience over the years, I think there are more people that realize it or want to admit it that hover on the edge of having that lousy day and saying, I ought to jump off a bridge or something like that, and um shifting to more profound intention.

And it's that edge that people don't realize that I think is very scary.

And I would just err my colleagues have said uh everything I could possibly say on the topic.

I would just urge anybody who is is dancing on that edge where the lousy days that seem like this time on planet earth isn't worth it.

I wouldn't play around with that.

Find someone to talk to.

And as has been said, uh, you know, connection is so important.

Connection can be so life-saving.

And looking back on things uh uh my guy JP.

Uh there's evidence that he never felt the degree of connection that might have kept him around.

So uh thanks to my co-sponsors for uh uh bringing this forward, and uh thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Alvides.

Thank you so much, Council President.

Um, and thank you to the co-sponsors for wanting to touch on a difficult topic.

It's something we need to do more and more.

Um I want to share something.

I reached out to the Department of Finance when I was first elected about, which was right before I was elected, a small business owner in my district committed suicide.

He had a bill, a financial bill, and the next day after he committed suicide was the day that his small business was seized by the city of Denver.

So it's these crises that in the moment feel like it's the end of your world, um, that push people over the edge as well.

And if anybody's listening that's thinking about that, it's not the end of the world.

Everything you can come back from.

There's someone who has gone bankrupt, there's someone who's been evicted, there's someone who's lost their partner, there's someone who's lost their family.

And even though in that moment it feels like there's no reason to live, you can get through those very challenging moments.

Something that I reflect on when I think about suicide is after I had my son, I remember going to the first doctor's appointment, and they have a questionnaire that standard for moms to fill out, and I just filled it out, and I went to the doctor, and the doctor uh sat me down and they said, Well, look very clearly you're depressed and suicidal, and I was kind of shocked to hear that from the doctor.

Um, because I didn't think I was, but I thought it was normal to think about killing yourself at that time because it was just something that crossed my mind, um, and I'm so grateful that I had the medical care that I needed at that time, that first-time mothers have that care, that mothers have that care, hopefully, and it seems kind of arbitrary to fill out a questionnaire.

I had no idea that um what I was suffering through until I started medication, and then I was able to realize what it felt like to be myself again.

And so sometimes you don't even realize how depressed you are or what's going through your mind, but it's good to share it, it's good to seek medical care.

I was grateful that that is an automatic response.

I would have never asked for that questionnaire, and I think especially about moms, uh, moms with babies, moms that um are suffering postpartum depression.

I think about small business owners, and I think about my my little brother Mikey, his teenage friend in high school committed suicide at the beginning of COVID when they stopped going to school.

And so it happens at all ages, it doesn't discriminate against anyone.

And this is again just a reminder to be there for each other.

Think about what each other are going through, whether someone had a kid or their business is struggling, or your friend is just a little bit more quiet.

It never hurts to ask and try to be there for someone.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you very much for sharing such a vulnerable situation.

Um, appreciate it.

Councilmember Heinz.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I uh I've been you know pretty open about how I'm an only child of a single mom.

I was raised by my mom, dad didn't graduate high school.

Uh mom ended up being a social worker, uh, psychiatric social worker, and uh worked uh in uh psychiatry for or in social work in a um uh mental health um institution, it had been so long I forget the appropriate way to um phrase that um she uh she worked there and uh and she would go to events and because I was the uh you know there wasn't anyone at home to watch me, I would go to these events too, and so it was really fun to see the one psychiatrist in town um with a uh uh a paper towel over part of his actually on this side of the space, um uh singing fan of the opera.

So I mean I saw you know people are human too, uh including psychiatrists.

Um my mom, one of my mom's really good friends.

We used to go over to her uh her place, and uh she was an LPC a um uh licensed professional counselor, she shot herself.

This person that I would go to, her home, who was there to um provide solace to others.

Her world was consumed, it can happen to anyone.

Um, and uh, I mean, if you want to look at the public face of Robin Williams, people smile and smile, and then um we don't know what's actually happening.

So um I want to thank the sponsors for the proclamation.

Uh it has been uh all too real for way too many people uh that suicide is um is unfortunate that it is it's too common.

Um thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Council Pro Tem Romero Campbell.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I'll just keep my comment short.

Um I just appreciate uh the council members that brought this proclamation forward and for your um your words tonight in sharing um resources and and thinking around um what people can do if they're uh if they are interacting with and how we can um better support each other.

I also wanted to acknowledge um the council members for sharing sharing your stories.

I think um being vulnerable and sharing your experiences will share um more for those who are listening and watching tonight.

Um I believe probably Rick and Janine, you are gonna be accepting the proclamation this evening, but if not, yes, you are okay, good.

Um but I also wanted to acknowledge um your son Jack, um, and the work that you've done over a number of years.

Um our kids are the same age, and um and they know each other and um the tragic loss of your son.

So I just wanted to um acknowledge that and just I'm so grateful that you're here tonight.

Thank you, thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Um thank you to all the sponsors for bringing up such a delicate yet so needed um conversation.

I think all of us like everyone has said, we have been all touched by um suicide.

I know my family has been deeply touched by it.

Um and so councilwoman Lewis.

I think you said three one one, but did you mean two one one?

Is two one one um united health?

Is that the suicide prevention?

I said three one, but I'm pretty sure I meant three one one.

You meant two three one one?

I don't know.

I don't know.

I think it yeah, there we go.

Two on one, people correcting it, thank you.

Two and one.

Yeah, just wanted to say it's two one one.

Three one one, I don't think I love our city workers, but I don't think they're um gonna help in that regard.

So thank you all for this um proclamation and all the work going into it.

Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

I'll be this.

Aye, Flynn.

Aye.

Gilmore.

Heinz, hi, Cashman.

Aye.

Lewis.

Aye.

Parody, aye.

Romero Campbell, aye.

Torres, aye, Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Hi.

Madam Secretary.

11 ayes.

11 ayes.

Proclamation 1440 has been adopted.

We now have five minutes for the proclamation.

Council members, who would you like to invite up to accept it?

No, go ahead.

Oh no.

Can you turn on your mic, Councilmember Cashman?

Can you turn your mic on?

I think I can handle that.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'm gonna call up my friend Rick Padilla.

Excuse me, is that hobble up here?

Yeah, thank you, sir.

I wasn't gonna miss seeing all these smiling, wonderful, smart people that I had the opportunity to work with the last 11 and a half years.

So thank you.

Um I thank the sponsors for sponsoring this and the full council for remembering this important month for all of us.

What I'd like to do is just put some context to the numbers.

Uh Colorado's youth suicide rate has fallen from 27 2007 through 2020.

However, children's hospital report in June and July of this year they had a spike of 32% of kids coming into the ER for mental health issues.

The issue has not gone away.

We're pleased the rate has dropped.

I think that has everything to do with all the hard efforts all of us has put in from personal relationships to professionally what we've done.

Uh we've made an impact.

It's just the beginning.

I would like to also say I know part of this administration's goal is gun violence harm reduction.

We have to keep that in perspective when we talk about gun violence harm reduction.

We think about homicides, we think about assaults.

It's much broader than that.

I'll give you just a couple of numbers.

In 2023, we had 940 deaths in Colorado by gun violence.

72% of those were suicides.

In the city and county of Denver in 2023, we had 134 firearm-related deaths.

55% of those were suicides.

As you go forward and you have the discussion on gun violence harm reduction, don't forget suicide.

And I'm the kids, I'm a strong advocate for kids, but our law enforcement, our safety department has lost many individuals in the last couple of years to suicide.

The elderly, as we've spoken about, construction workers, it's all across the board.

We're losing one person to suicide every 11 seconds in this world.

That's unacceptable to me.

Anna, you know what?

So those are kind of the numbers and the context.

Um bring it home.

I won't go into my story.

Many of you know my story, I've known you for many years.

Uh, I'm not a psychiatrist, I'm not a clinician, I'm a dad who lost a son who cares.

And what I've realized, what grief will do for you, it'll do one or two things.

It'll destroy you in a when you've had a catastrophic incident like we've experienced, or it grief will push you to do something.

It'll give you purpose in life, and that purpose in life will lead you to make change.

That's what I've dedicated my life to.

This is not goodbye to any of you.

This is till we meet again because I am not going anywhere.

I'll continue to be a strong advocate for all of you and all of us.

So with that, all I would leave you with is be kind to each other over all we've got, and thank you for remembering Jack, Manasseh, Will, T, all the kids I've gotten to know over the last six years.

Don't forget them.

Let's not have any more.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, Rick.

Um, Madam President, I'd also like to call up uh we've got I believe Cassie Williams with DDPAG.

We've got uh Dr.

Tara J.

with Eucene, and uh Gabe Gabriel uh Guillaume with second wind.

So uh uh Cassie.

Hello, my name is Cassie Williams, and I'm with the Department of Public Health and Environment.

Uh, alongside our partners, uh, I want to thank you for recognizing September Suicide Prevention Month.

This is a time to honor lives lost to suicide, support those who are grieving, and stand with the families, friends, and communities affected.

Public health is deeply connected to mental health.

The work we do strengthens protective factors, reduces stigma, and fosters resilience within our community.

The impacts of suicide are far reaching.

For many of us, it goes beyond our work in public health and has impacted our own families, friends, and colleagues.

This month is a reminder that prevention is not just a public health priority, but a personal one.

It challenges us to extend compassion to ourselves and one another, and to continue building a community where people have the mental health support they need and the resources to ask for help.

We are so grateful to our mental health professionals, advocates, educators, survivors, and volunteers who every day are working to save lives.

Thank you to all our partners that are here today, and the ones out in the community working every day to save lives.

Thank you for supporting this effort to foster hope, reduce stigma, and create a community where support is always within reach.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I may have butchered your name, but please.

Yeah, well done.

Uh good evening, count uh city council.

Uh, my name's Gabriel Guillaume, I'm the executive director of the Second Wind Fund.

I want to thank you for this proclamation, and even more importantly, for the words that you all just said.

I think in the world of suicide prevention, being able to tell our stories to be able to share our vulnerabilities, is what gives people permission to share with each other their feelings and their concerns, and that's how prevention really works.

So the second wind fund was formed in 2002.

Uh we are an organization that works to reduce suicide uh among youth by removing barriers such as financial and social barriers uh to treatment to therapy.

And uh last year we had over 1,900 referrals come to our office from youth serving organizations largely who know youth that are dealing with suicide ideation, and our job is to make sure that those youth have access to therapy, and if they can't afford it, for us to cover that cost.

The Second Wind Fund was actually formed as a movement, and I think it's important to note that the suicide prevention world is in fact very much a movement.

It is a coalition of organizations across our state, and recently there was a report you referred to it a minute ago about the fact that suicide rates are at the lowest they've been since 2007, and that is a victory, and it is a result of so many different organizations working on this important issue.

And yet we are nowhere near the end because even one life is too many, and because it requires a coalition of work and availability of resources in order for us to continue to bring those numbers down and to save the life of youth, because despite our lowest suicide rates in our state right now, we are still still suicide is the leading cause of death for youth 10 to 19 years old in the state of Colorado.

So I want to thank you for the proclamation.

It would be remiss if I didn't thank Caring for Denver Foundation that uses residents' dollars uh through taxes here in City of Denver for uh mental health of residents in Denver.

They're a supporter of ours and many other efforts uh to make sure that there are uh mental health support programs in the city, uh including suicide prevention efforts.

Uh, thank you all very much for your support.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And um, do we have our representative from uh youth scene?

Does does not appear well then?

Thank you.

Thank you to all our speakers uh for your hard work and is such an important area.

Thank you, madam president.

Thank you all so much.

Council Pro Temeral Campbell and Councilmember Slim Torres Martin.

Will you please join me in reading proclamation 1441?

Thank you, Madam President.

Proclamation 25-1441 honoring September as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Whereas the American Cancer Fund for Children and Kids Cancer Connection report cancer is the leading cause of death by dis by disease among U.S.

children between infancy and age 15, being detected in more than 16,000 of our country's young people every year, and an estimated 400,000 children and adolescents globally.

And whereas one in five.

A member of the philanthropic branch of the Max Factor Cosmetics family, the American Cancer Fund for Children Incorporated and Kids' Cancer Connection Incorporated, along with Lions Clubs International, are dedicated to helping these children and their families.

And whereas the American Cancer Fund for Children and Kids' Cancer Connection provide a variety of vital patient psychiatrical services to children, undergoing cancer treatment at children's hospital, Colorado, Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, Ronald McDonald House in Denver, as well as participating hospitals throughout the country, thereby enhancing the quality of life for these children and their families, and whereas the American Cancer Fund for Children and Kids' Cancer Connection also sponsor toy distributions, pet assisted therapy, family sailing, laughter noon, laughter is healing, KCC supercar experience, music is medicine, positive image services, home and hospital instruction, art therapy, sensory garden, gardening, and hospital celebrations in honor of a child's determination and bravery to fight the battle against childhood cancer.

Now, therefore be proclaimed by the Denver City Council.

Section one, the Denver City Council recognizes the outstanding work of the American Cancer Fund for Children, Inc.

Kids' Cancer Connection Inc., and the Denver.

And the Denver Alliance Club Foundation for the work they do to support children and families affected by childhood cancer during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Section two that a clerk in record of the city and county of Denver shall fix the seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation and a copy be transmitted to the kids' cancer connection.

Thank you, Council Pro Temer Mero Campbell.

Your motion to adopt.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, what do I move that proclamation?

I apologize.

I move that proclamation 25-1441 be adopted.

It has been moved and seconded.

Comments by members of council.

Council Pro Tem, followed by the other co-sponsors.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I think that this is such an important um, we are really having a heavy night.

Um, such an important uh proclamation to bring forward.

There are so many um children that are experiencing or have cancer in various forms um and are struggling.

And as we've heard from our previous proclamation, there are there are struggles and challenges that we have in families and communities across um Denver and across the metro area.

Um I just wanted to say, from a family perspective, we've had more than I feel like our share of um of those who have had cancer, but those have been adults, and oftentimes when my parents were going through um their cancer and their treatments, um we talked about others in the community who were also um had cancer, and we kept saying what a long life and the grateful um and finding gratitude in the time that my parents older um were going through their cancer treatments, um, always took time to say our prayers for all of the others and for the younger children who were experiencing that.

Um I will I just wanted to um be able to bring that forth, and I know that they that we have other sponsors who uh I think have more to say on that point.

So thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Councilman Torres.

Thank you, Madam President, thank you to the co-sponsors.

I'm honored to co-sponsor this in recognition of in recognition of Alma Oteto's current strength and fight.

And in memory of Gabe Aguilar.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Flynn.

Thank you, Madam President.

Wow.

Uh shortly after I was uh first elected and sat here, a reporter was doing profiles on city council members, and uh reporter asked me a question.

If you if you could sit down and have dinner, have conversation with anybody in history, alive or dead, anybody, who would you sit down with?

And I was I surprised myself that the immediate name that popped into my head was my brother Dennis, one of my older brothers.

I was one of five boys in my mom and dad's family, and Dennis was the second oldest.

And uh I have his, I keep his picture as sophomore high school picture.

He was 15 when he died.

Of Hodgkin's lymphoma, and July 22nd, 1964, 61 years ago, is a day that no one in my family can ever forget.

My I was sent with two of my younger brothers and some of my cousins to my uncle's cabin up on the bank of the Delaware River, just north of our hometown on the Jersey side, a little town or a little settlement called Fowl Rift, New Jersey.

And in retrospect, what a very fitting name for such a foul rift.

Uh the place where I learned from my dad that my brother had died.

And I had no idea that Dennis was going to die.

We knew he was in and out of the hospital, we knew he was in pain.

He was back home once in a while, he was back in.

And I just I thought he was coming home when my dad came to pick us up.

It's a day that no one in my family can ever forget.

Hodgkin's lymphoma today has a survival, a five-year survival rate of about.

I think I looked it up recently.

It was about 90%, depending on the circumstances of Barry's, but 90 is about the middle of the range.

But in 1964, there was no cure.

There was no cure.

I didn't know it at the time, but we tried, my parents tried everything they could, including being devout Catholics.

We drove down from the Lehigh Valley where we lived to Philadelphia to visit the shrine of Blessed John Newman, who later was proclaimed a saint, and in the Catholic Church, if the uh if the Vatican attributes three miracles to a potential saint, then they can be canonized as a saint.

And blessed John Newman being beatified was one miracle short.

And so my parents brought us down to the shrine where John Newman's body was inside a glass altar.

And I remember vividly being there.

I thought we were just tourists.

But my mom and dad and my older brother Michael.

We were there to pray for that third miracle.

And it didn't happen.

But it did happen for a young boy.

I think in Philadelphia, that same year, whose cure from cancer was found by the Vatican to have been a miracle, and they ascribed it to Blessed John Newman, and he was later declared a saint.

Saint John Newman.

Today it's very curable.

Unfortunately, the federal government last year and again this year is cutting funds for childhood cancer research.

That goes the wrong direction, people.

We need to increase funding.

We need to keep developing cures.

We need to help these children reach adulthood.

I the only thing I like about this picture is that my brother Dennis will be forever young.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Flynn.

Would any of the other co-sponsors like to say anything, Councilmember Watson?

You're good.

Um I just will say when I was a council aide in 2015, um, Councilmember Espinosa, um, I was a council aide with Rita Contrera, and um we were just about to start budget hearings, and I got called into Councilmember Espinosa's office saying that I had to cover the entire office for an amount unknown a time.

And so I did what I did and picked up all the pieces while poor Rita um lost her son to childhood cancer, and so that was my first um moment with childhood cancer, and I had to come back.

She came back to work, and um forever was changed as she lost her son.

So to all of the people in the days in the chambers tonight, and all the families who've lost children to cancer, and to all of the families, um who've lost people to cancer.

It's devastating.

Um changes your life, changes your output, um, and makes you feel lucky for the memories that you have with their dear loved ones.

Um I always have a saying that they're not gone until we stop saying their name.

So whoever has a family member or someone who's lost from cancer, say their name.

Say it all the time, talk about them, talk about their memories, say their name out loud, um, because then they'll forever live on by our memories.

Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members Gonzalez Gutierrez.

I.

I'll be the day.

I Flynn.

Aye.

Gilmore.

Heinz, Cashman, aye, Lewis, aye.

Parity, aye.

Romera Campbell, aye.

Thores?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval, aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

11 ayes.

11 ayes.

1441 has been adopted.

We now have five minutes for the proclamation acceptance speech, and I see that Dr.

Feierstein is online to accept it.

Would we like to promote them?

Hello.

Hello, we can hear you.

Okay.

So I'd first like to thank the Denver City and County Council members, Council President Sandoval, and staff for supporting Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and for sharing your personal stories.

This is one of the reasons we do what we do to support these amazing children and their families and to raise awareness.

Children with cancer need a lot of support via their families, medically, and from the community.

Raising awareness about childhood cancer is a large part of this.

These children are brave, strong, and determined, as are their families and loved ones, and they have to be to face this battle.

Through our work at Kids Cancer Connection, American Cancer Fund for Children, and in association with the support of governments like yourselves, we're able to further assist these amazing children and their families.

So again, thank you for honoring these children and offering your support in the battle against childhood cancer.

We can only hope that one day we will no longer need to issue this type of proclamation.

So again, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We have no public hearings this evening.

On Monday, October 6, 2025, Council will hold a courtesy public hearing on Council Bill396, naming an unparked nun name park at Kitteridge Street and East Bollinger Drive.

Amachi Power up Crowers Memorial Park.

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