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.

Yikes.

Alright, thanks, Tim.

Good afternoon, everyone.

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

Today is Monday, October 6, 2025.

Tonight's being in meeting is being interpreted into Spanish.

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

Yes, of course.

Thank you for having us.

Hello, everyone.

My name is Sam Guzman with the COC joining you virtually.

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

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

Thank you very much.

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of October 6th, 2025.

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

And to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

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

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

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

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

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

Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members Alpitres, Flynn, Gilmore.

Here.

Cashman.

Lewis.

Parity?

Here.

Romero Campbell.

Here.

Sawyer.

Here.

Torres.

Watson.

Here.

Madam President Sandoval.

Here.

Nine members present.

There are nine members present.

Council has a quorum.

Approval of the minutes.

Are there corrections to the minutes of September 26th?

Seeing none, the minutes stand approved.

Council announcements.

Are there any council announcements this afternoon?

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

Thanks, Madam President.

Um, just wanted to say a huge thank you to the over 100 volunteers that came out for District 5 Community Cleanup Day at the end of September.

It was a really fantastic event.

Um, and just really appreciate everyone coming to help us clean up our parks and uh repaint bus stop benches in District Five.

Um, we had a ton of volunteers and it was really really exciting.

It was a fantastic day.

Um, and then just a reminder for anyone who lives in District 5.

Uh, it's our annual survey time.

So please um go to our social media or our website.

You can find the link to to fill out our annual for survey.

We send a postcard um in September every year, and then um our residents have all fall to fill it out.

Um so please go ahead and start filling it out.

We really appreciate it.

Thanks, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Pro Temeral Campbell.

Thank you, Madam President.

I actually have two announcements.

One is the um, we are going to have a Bethesda Park pop up tomorrow from 4 to 6 p.m.

Uh this the design is um completed and they will be able to show um some pictures and and um get it going and moving it forward for those residents who have seen the final design.

Um, we'd love for you to stop by again and take another look, but that contract has actually but gone out to bid, so construction will start.

Um, this is just one final touch um for people to be able to see, and it's gonna be off of Iliff and Bel Air in the North University Hills um area.

And the second one is Eisenhower Rec Center is hosting a puppet treat, pup or treat event on Friday at 5 p.m.

So bring your peppy bring your pup um dressed up.

There's gonna be a costume contest and some other activities at Eisenhower um park, and it'll be lots of fun.

Uh and I just invite everybody to uh to come and join us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, so Sloane's Lake Boat House is about to start renovations.

Um share your voice on what you think parks and recs should do with these renovations at the boathouse.

The survey closes today.

You can look on my social media and you can find the link to share what you would like to see at the Sloan's Lake Boat House, and also as the result of the 2017 Allovate Bond, Northwest Denver got a new dog park off of Central Street off of 1517th in Central.

Um, got new landscaping, a shaded dog run and brand new water fountain and sports and more.

So if you have a dog, come over to the north side and please participate in this dog park.

Seeing no other announcements, there are no there are no presentations, there are no communications, there are no proclamations being read this afternoon.

Madam Secretary, please read the bills for introduction.

From the Finance and Business Committee 25-1345, a bill for an ordinance approving a proposed intergovernmental agreement between the city and county of Denver and school district number one in the city and county of Denver to administer the Denver Youth Employment Program to provide customized workforce development services for eligible Denver Youth Citywide.

And from the South Platte River Committee 25-1395, a bill for an ordinance relinquishing an easement in its entirety establishing the permanent non-exclusive easement.

Recorded with a Denver Clerk and Recorder, reception number two zero two three zero three, seven zero nine eight, located at Broadway station filing number four.

Thank you.

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

Council Pro Tem Romero Campbell, will you please make the motions for us this evening?

Yes, Council President Sandoval.

Now I'll do a recap under resolution.

Councilmember Parity has called out council resolution 1380, 1381, and 1022 for postponement under postponement pursuant to rule 3.6, as well as council resolutions 1344 and 1364 for questions.

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

Under bills under final consideration, 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 resolution 1380, a resolution approving a proposed fourth amendatory agreement between the city and county and Denver and Central Student Transportation LLC to operate and provide transportation services for individuals experiencing homelessness to and from overnight shelter accommodation citywide.

Councilmember Parity, what would you like to do with council resolution 1380?

Thank you, Council President.

Um, person to rule 3.6.

Excuse me.

I'm calling out this item for a one-week postponement to the next regular council meeting.

Thank you.

No motion is required, and council resolution 1380 has been postponed until Tuesday, October 14th.

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

Council resolution 1381.

A resolution approving a proposed secondary amendment agreement between the city and county of Denver and Busco Inc.

to operate and provide transportation services for individuals experiencing homelessness to and from overnight shelter accommodation citywide.

So councilmember parody, what would you like to do with council resolution 1381?

I am also calling out this item per seven to rule 3.6 for a actually eight-day postponement to the next regular council meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you.

No motion is required, and council resolution 1381 has been postponed until Tuesday, October 14th, 2025.

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

Council resolution 1022, a resolution approving a proposed agreement between the city and county of Denver and East Colfax Community Collective to provide culturally relevant fresh meals to Denver's resident, Denver resident youth and families funded by the Healthy Food for Kid Denver Kids Initiative.

Councilmember Parity, what would you like to do with Council Resolution 1022?

I would also like to call this item out per se to rule 3.6 for postponement to the next regular council meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you.

No motion is required, and council resolution 1022 has been postponed until Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

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

Council resolution 1344, a resolution approving a proposed amendatory agreement between the city and county of Denver and Computer Sites Inc.

for critical power systems maintenance and repair services citywide.

Councilmember Parity, please go ahead with your question on Council Resolution 1344.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, and this is these are questions that I'm asking on behalf of Councilmember Lewis since she's out tonight.

Is there anyone from either tech services or the mayor's office who can respond to questions on this one?

I think they're online.

Yeah, I was just gonna say sounds like there may be someone online.

What would the name be?

Hi, I believe uh hi Angela Casias, mayor's office.

I believe Joe Saporito is on or huh.

Yes, yes, thank you so much.

Let me know when she's um when she's been able to join us and been promoted.

Great.

Um, Nicole, hoping that you can hear us.

Um, Councilmember Lewis's question was whether this contract is part of technology services um sort of pivot to attempting to repair equipment instead of ordering replacement equipment um as a budgetary measure.

And if that, and I think regardless if that's the case, what accountability metrics do we have to make sure that technology is um that these repairs will be long-lasting under these contracts.

In other words, that if we're spending money on repairs, that those are items where the repair will um will last and not just lead to an expense slightly down the line.

Thank you for any answers you can provide.

Yes.

Uh thank you for the question.

Uh Nicole Sudris, uh, General Services Contracts Manager.

And to answer the first question, this contract uh is not related to technology services budget shortfall.

Uh, this contract is really related to ensuring that um annual inspections, repair maintenance, and any repairs are provided to generators, uh, uninterruptible power supplies, automatic transfer switches, and any systems that require electrical backup to those um systems if a power failure to would occur.

So this is just a normal um scheduled agreement uh with the mechanism for repair services.

Um, and to cover the second question about uh making sure that these repairs are consistent and in um and able to be moving forward.

Um this contract uh has two mechanisms.

I would say that would cover those uh that question.

Um first the contract does include a one-year warranty for any work covered under um the agreement.

And on top of that, there is an additional one year of work uh warranty that is covered um under the services.

So in fact, we have two years of warranty um for any repairs.

Um additionally, we do have liquidated damages included in this agreement as well.

So if there is a time that the city determines there's a breach of the agreement, uh we can um invoke those uh liquidated damages.

Okay, thank you so much, Nicole.

That's super helpful, and that was all I had.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Item secretary, please put the next item on our screens.

Council resolution 251364.

A resolution approving a proposed agreement between the Sydney County of Denver and Naviet LLC for the purchase, implementation, and support of the Highland on base records request software.

Councilmember Parity, please go ahead with your questions on council resolution 1364.

Thank you so much, Madam President.

And I don't know if this one will end up being for Nicole as well, but um I was this raised my attention because it's a really large contract for tech services, and my understanding is that the tech is um used primarily or perhaps only by DPD.

So I'm wondering um I don't want to assume it's Nicole.

I want to I'm curious who's here that might be able to ask some basic questions about what this technology does essentially and why we're replacing the um prior tech.

I'm we have someone online called Harold Fireback.

Has his hand up.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yep.

Great, yeah.

Thanks, Tim.

Let me know when he's promoted and all.

Okay.

Ask my questions when you can hear me.

Oh my goodness.

Great.

Um, Mr.

Byerbeck.

Hopefully you can hear us okay here.

Um, I had a few questions about this uh Highland on-based records request software, or I guess Naviant LC is the vendor.

Um, so it looks like we're purchasing this software.

I think it may be a new vendor.

So I'm curious basically what it's for, what kinds of um citizens requests for DPD records it responds to, because I understand that's its functionality, and then why we're replacing the software that we had previously for this functionality.

Yes, absolutely.

Um, so the reason for the replacement currently is the current system is about 10 years past the end of its existence of its life cycle uh and does not currently meet all of the requirements for both CGIS uh and city legislative requirements uh for the data protection security within that system.

So it needs to be replaced based on its age uh and its use.

Um as far as what the system is used for, uh it is used for citizen-facing requests of DPD records.

Um, it will also be used by DSD.

They currently do not have a system for this, um, so they will be using it to go ahead and uh come up to the same level the DPE is for their records requests.

So the records requests that are being done could be things like 911 service calls, it could be body cam footage, police reports.

Um it's just a direct replacement for what we currently have in process today that has just uh gone way past its end of life.

Okay, and is there a reason is that vendor no longer around or I'm just curious?

Yeah, yes.

So the existing system was an in-house built system that is no longer able to be maintained based on the code base, um, is too old to do any updates or any upgrades to it, so it needs to be replaced.

Okay, it was an in-house version.

Yes.

Um, I think um, Madam President, if it's okay, I'd like to postpone this one for a week under rule 3.6 to get a slightly more detailed briefing.

Okay.

I'm just gonna officially say that.

Council, Councilmember Parity, what would you like to do with council resolution 1364?

I'd like to postpone it for uh until our next regular meeting under Rule 3.6.

Thank you.

No motion is required, and Council Resolution 1364 has been postponed until Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

This concludes the items to be called out.

All bills for introduction are ordered published.

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

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

Council Pro Temer Mero Cal Camel, will you please put the resolutions for adoption and the bills and final consideration for final passage on the floor?

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

In series 25, 1378, 1383, 1344, 1365, 1366, 1367, 1368, 1397, 1398, 1028, 1369, 1370, 1371, 1392, 1393, 1394, 1300, 1348, and that is it.

Thank you.

It has been moved and seconded.

Madam Secret Madam Secretary Rookall.

Council members Albidres.

Flynn.

Aye.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Heinz.

Aye.

I.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting announce the results.

Nine ayes.

Nine ayes.

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

Tonight, council will hold a required public hearing on Council Bill 1186, changing the zoning classification for 800 15th Street in the Central Business District.

And a courtesy public hearing on Council Bill 1396, naming an unnamed park at Kid Kit Kitteridge Street and East Bollinger, Dr.

Amachi Prowers Memorial Park.

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

P vote before convening the regular meeting.

At that point in time, he worked for the railroads as a poemman, and that was one of the few jobs that was really available to them early on.

And you see pictures of Charlie here as a young man on the far left as a soldier, an army soldier next to that, doing a rope trick.

It's kind of hard to see, but there's actually a big loop of rope in that one.

And then Charlie, at age uh about uh probably about 77, 78, uh in the left-hand corner.

Um, he was a wonderful man, and as a matter of fact, you might might be interested to know that the Black American West Museum sent uh his boots and I believe a hat uh back to the National African American Museum in Washington DC, part of the Smithsonian system, and it's a part of a display of Black cowboys in that museum.

So that's uh that's my part of the program.

It gives you a little background about Deerfield and Cowboys.

You know next.

That concludes our public comment session.

If we did not get to you today, please join us next week or submit your comments in writing.

The next session will be held on Tuesday, October 14th.

We are closed next Monday in observance of Indigenous People's Day.

So our city council meeting will be Tuesday, October 14th.

Sign up begins at 5 p.m.

on Thursday, October 9th.

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

I don't want to know if that would get fair.

I'm for everybody.

I am not a good mind.

I'm not a good black, I'm not white, I'm not just uh for all.

That's why we're all that's why I'm sticking to period.

Someone may drop my name, and not give my thing on something.

I really do not like that.

I'm for everybody.

But one people and one world is happening to be right here in your book throughout this country, everything falling apart.

We all need to start.

We did.

And we are laying the low foundation for pay on our policy.

I thought I was oh, I mean, okay, she asked all of us too.

So she did, yeah.

She texted me and Diana and I was looking at his office.

He asked me to leave it.

Do you mind if I read that this page?

Maybe this is a good one.

Sorry, that was just the first one.

She's just a first one.

All right.

All right.

Council will now reconvene from our earlier session.

Councilmember Cashman.

Will you make the motions for us this evening?

Uh, you want to turn your mic up?

I will be pleased to thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Mr.

Cashman.

There is no unfinished business from the earlier session.

There is one proclamation this evening.

I will uh myself and Councilwoman Alvidres will read proclamation 1467.

Proclamation 1467, honoring Latinas Give and Latinos impacting our future together lift for Hispanic Heritage Month.

Whereas Latinas Gives was founded in 2014 at the Denver Foundation as Colorado's first Latina philanthropy philanthropic giving circle.

I think I spell misspelt that miss said that.

Made up of a group of visionary women spanning three generations who share their heritage, their values, and a deep love for community action by intentionally investing their time, talent, treasure, and testimony to support causes that center cultural pride, inclusiveness, equal equity, and community-driven leadership.

And whereas the mission of Latinas Give is to strengthen our stories by promoting our strengths, responding directly to the evolving needs of our Latino community, and through intentional community investment, supporting individuals, events, programs, and organizations, addressing multi-generational issues, and whereas Latinos Impacting Our Future Together, Lyft was founded in 2018 also at the Denver Foundation as Colorado's first men's giving circle to empower men in our community to collectively invest in elevating identity, cultural, and awareness through philanthropic action.

I think I misspelled that again, miss said that, and advocacy, particularly supporting services and programming that uplift and empower Latino males and their families, and whereas the members of Latinas Give and Lift broadly serve on nonprofit boards, volunteer hundreds of hours annually, and donate their professional finances to numerous causes, demonstrating a profound and holistic commitment to the advancement and well-being of our Latino communities.

And whereas over the past 10 years, these two giving circles have funded 136 organizations with nearly 400,000 in grants, diversifying and improving the reach of philanthropy in Colorado and inspiring a new generation of culturally rooted community-led giving.

And whereas Latinas give and lift are not just granting funds, they are rewriting the narrative of philanthropy, demonstrating Latino generosity as a long-standing cultural value and one that transcends financial status and is rooted in relationships, trust, and shared commitment to our future.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Denver City Council, Section One that the Denver City Council recognizes Latinas Give and Latinos Impacting Our Future together for their leadership, vision, and great work in advancing equity, redefining philanthropy, investing in community, and strengthening collective giving.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor the contributions and get and invite community to join the legacy of giving because as they remind us, we are the ones we've been waiting for.

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 that a copy be transmitted to Latinas Give and Latinos impacting our future together.

Thank you.

It's been moved and seconded.

We'll make comments.

Comments, I'll start with you, Councilman Alvidres.

Thank you so much, Council President.

Um it's so great to see familiar faces in the audience.

Um I was a member of Latinas Give for a while and remember when Lyft was created, and it was so great to have a male arm.

I think lifting up our Latino men has been something that we have been missing as a community, and it's hard when the Latinos are so polerosas to follow in their footsteps, but Lyft has been a great partner, and I remember when COVID first happened, and um giving to the Latinos Safe House because Latinos Give heard about upticks in domestic violence, and so being able to be nimble and donate at the at those difficult times to our community in unique ways that are especially affecting the Latino community has been really meaningful, and I just want to thank you all for all your leadership in making this happen and being able to give all of this money to the organizations that make Denver so special.

Just a few weeks ago, we did one for the arts, and I'm pretty sure a lot of those arts organizations that we recognized are getting money from you all.

Um so thank you for all your work in that regard.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Council Potem Romeo Campbell.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I just wanted to say um congratulations and thank you for all of the time and the effort and dollars.

You not only give of your dollars but also of your heart, um, and to be able to have this proclamation to honor the work that you've done through Latinas Give and through Lyft is tremendous.

I think oftentimes we talk about the purchasing power, the Latino purchasing power.

Um not to be forgotten, it's also the Latino giving power and the opportunity to be able to, whether it be five dollars, ten dollars or more, um, that it's really a lot of it's a lot of power and being able to give back directly to community and to have that voice as to where those dollars go is tremendous.

I've spent the majority of my career in the nonprofit field, um, also on the philanthropic side and into grant making.

And so I just really want to commend you and all of all of there's a lot of people.

I don't know if everybody can see on the camera, but when they when they turn it around, you don't have to do that.

But um, but um when they turn it around, and when you accept, I think um the powerful um visual of everybody who's here to um to accept and for the dollars that you have given for the time that you give.

I think it also encourages whether it's through Latinos Give or through Lyft that it does it matters just that you give.

Um, and people will give in different places in different ways that are meaningful to them, but I think it also comes back to we as Latinos have the giving power and to continue to give in whatever manner and whatever place that we can.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Gilmar.

Thank you, Council President Sound of all.

Congratulations on this proclamation.

Uh, it's exciting uh that you're coming together and organizing in this way.

Uh we know that the um philanthropic gifts that people make um, no matter the amount, go so so far to help community and especially what we're seeing now in society.

A lot of people are afraid to uh reach out and get support services from the government, and so it makes it all the more important that we have nonprofits and uh giving circles that are funded in a good way so that we can support families uh in their times of need, and so congratulations again.

I know it's a lot of organizing and pulling folks together, but really those earned income uh gifts for nonprofits are so important, especially where we see cutbacks, especially around um you know, equity, uh diversity, and inclusivity.

Uh, you're really filling those spaces, and so thank you.

Thank you, Council President Sandoval.

Thank you.

And I know Councilwoman Torres was the sponsor, and unfortunately she's not here tonight.

Um, but she and I were talking the other day, and we were talking about the impact, and we were going over the proclamation language and talked about, I think it just needs to be said again.

A hundred and thirty-six different unique organizations with over 400,000 in grants.

That is really impactful.

That's something that you all can be proud of, and it's something that makes a lasting legacy.

I know all of us in this room have maybe had an idea, maybe had something that we believe in and not always known how to give back.

You can give back your time, you can give back your energy, you can be a mentor, but providing that seed money for the next generation and showing that and showing up in that way is something that's so impactful.

So these comments are on behalf of councilwoman Torres and myself as council president, Madam Secretary.

Roll call.

Council members Albitres.

Aye.

Flynn.

Aye.

Gilmore, aye.

Heinz.

Hi.

Cashman.

Hi.

Romara Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

Ten ayes.

Ten ayes, proclamation 1467 has been adopted.

We now have time for the proclamation acceptance speech, and I'll just invite people up from both organizations to whoever would like to speak.

Marlene.

The floor is yours.

Introduce yourself.

Okay.

Um my name is Brooks Rosenquist Montalvo, uh member of uh Lyft.

Uh Marlene de la Rosa, and I am a founding member of Latinos Give and also a founding member of Lyft.

On behalf of Latinas Give and Latinos Impacting Our Future Together or Lyft, we are honored and deeply grateful to receive this very special proclamation.

For those that may not know, a giving circle is a group of like-minded people who pool their money and collective knowledge to support causes and community projects.

Through collaborative decision making, we give grants to nonprofits.

Additionally, we give our minds, our hearts, and our love.

We keep it simple and straightforward.

We focus on community needs and take action.

For example, a youth soccer team made up of Latino players, many of whom who had never been outside of the city, recently made it to the regional championships in Seattle.

They reached out for assistance, and both of our giving circles stepped into support.

Those players were not only able to travel to compete in Seattle, but went knowing that it was their community that supported them, their community that invested in them, and their community that believed in their futures because they matter.

When Latinas Give was founded in 2014 and Lyft in 2018, both with the support of the Denver Foundation, we were not just creating giving circles.

We were reclaiming our stories.

We wanted to take collective action and support organizations like CLARO, Inspire, Adelante Muhed, Artistico, the Latina Safe House, and Juntos.

Organizations that are rooted in our culture, our stories, and share our unwavering love for our community.

We are multi-generational, mothers and sons and daughters, sisters and cousins.

We believe that philanthropy is not just for the wealthy, it is for all of us with heart, purpose, and vision.

Besides our dollars, our members have given their time, knowledge, and voices to many boards, commissions, and committees we serve on.

We draw on our lived experience to determine where change needs to happen, because we know that change happens when community leads.

In addition to our dollars, our over 100 members collectively have volunteered their time.

This past year, we averaged about two hundred and fifty hours each, making our gift of time just as important as our gift of money.

By the end of this year, Latinas Given Lyft collectively will be reaching close to half a million dollars.

We are redefining philanthropy, bringing it back to the people, making it relational, cultural, and inclusive.

Council members, we thank you for recognizing that community-led giving matters.

Your recognition amplifies our message, that Latino generosity is a legacy, and that our intentional investment in our community uplifts everyone around us and makes our community a better place.

I will follow up with you to continue back giving.

I have something Monday nights.

But we ask you to join us in believing, believing in equity and culture and in the power of shared responsibility.

And as we will continue to say, we, all of us, are the ones that we've been waiting for.

So thank you very much for this very special recognition.

Okay.

I'm gonna cover for Council President Sandoval why she's out with the um with the group.

We have one, what?

I'm sorry to interrupt.

Yes, ma'am.

We left some cards for you.

Oh so um with Daisy.

Okay, great.

Thank you so much.

Uh we have one public, one required and only and one.

Let me start that again.

We have one required and one courtesy public hearing tonight.

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

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

You will see the time counting down.

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

When you are promoted, please accept the proclamation.

Please accept the promotion.

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

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

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

Speakers will have three minutes.

There is no yielding of time.

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

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

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

Councilman Cashman, will you please put Council Bill 25-1186 changing the zoning classification for 800 15th Street in Central Business District on the floor for final passage?

Yes, I move the council bill 25-1186 be placed on final consideration and do pass.

It has been moved and seconded.

May we have the staff report?

Yes, good evening, council members.

I'm Liz Weigel with community planning and development.

Um, and I'll be giving the staff presentation for this rezoning that's located at 800 15th Street.

Uh, the request is to go from our downtown core zone district to the downtown theater district.

So the uh subject property is located at the northwest uh corner of Stout and 15th Street.

Um, and it's currently occupied by the A.

Loft Hotel.

Um, as I said, the rezoning would be going from our downtown core district to the downtown theater district.

It also has the U01 overlay, which is our adult use overlay, and that would be retained on the property.

Uh the purpose of the request according to the application is to allow for the construction of digital signage on the property.

So the uh the site is located in council district 10.

Councilman Hines, um, and in our central business district.

So the existing zoning, um uh apologies here for the typo, it's actually called downtown core, not downtown center.

Um, uh the core the main difference between the existing and the proposed districts.

Um, they have the same building form standards, same density and heights allow.

Uh, the main difference is the sign provisions.

Um, the downtown core district does not allow for animated or off-site advertising, which is defined as a sign that is for something that's not located on the property, either a product or use.

Um, uh that would be the difference of the district they're proposing.

As I said, there they are proposing to maintain that overlay.

Uh here you can see the the property and those around it on the bottom right corner there.

You can see the existing hotel on the site.

So the downtown uh core and the downtown theater district, as I mentioned, have the same provisions for height, uses, densities.

Um, and then when in the downtown theater district, you have those provisions for special signs.

Um that does allow animated signs and the off-site advertising.

You can only have those signs through a district sign plan, so that's a sign that applies to the entire theater district.

There's one sign one sign plan.

So if this rezoning was approved, they would then have to amend that sign plan and go to a planning board to actually have that be approved.

And there is criteria for approving district sign plans, such as minimizing impacts on adjacent residential uses.

So the rezoning was submitted on back in June.

It went to Planning Board in early August and then to the community planning and housing committee committee in August as well.

And now we are at the public hearing.

Planning board did recommend approval.

They had a vote of seven to two.

Their main discussion was around that off-site advertising allowance, and if signs themselves should be considered high quality urban design element and a community benefit.

To date, staff has received two letters of support.

One is from the Denver Theater District Organization, and another from the Upper Downtown Neighborhood Association.

So now I will walk through our review criteria.

We have three review criteria.

The first is consistency with adopted plans, and I'll walk through each of these.

Staff does find that the proposed rezoning would further several elements of our comprehensive plan 2040.

The few highlighted on the slide here speak to contributing to urban design as and also supporting the vitality of the arts, culture, and creativity.

So by expanding the theater district, we can further support our arts and culture uses.

Uh does identify this site as within downtown context.

It's a regional center, it's where we want to see the most growth, activity, vibrancy throughout the city.

And as I said, the provisions would be the same between the current district and the proposed, and that's consistent with this plan guidance.

And we do find that it's consistent with Blueprint Denver.

The downtown area plan, I will note, many of you are aware that we're in the process of updating the downtown area plan.

It's anticipated to come forward for your consideration later this year.

But we are required to evaluate this rezoning based on the currently adopted plans.

So I'll be discussing the 2007 downtown area plan.

So there are some relevant recommendations to consider here.

One speaks to energizing our downtown core, and it's speak to you can see here on the left, there's a general map that's included in the downtown area plan, and it shows both a theater district and a visitor district.

And these are described as places where we want to support the concentration of arts and culture uses, but also our convention center and the hotels there.

And it talks about the kind of supporting the access points towards those theater uses.

And generally, this site is shown right on the edge of those two districts.

That's shown between Champa and Stout there.

And we do find that given that edge location that this is an appropriate rezoning and can still support that those theater district uses.

Further, the downtown area plan talks in general about supporting the brand identity of downtown, continuing to support the arts and the culture of arts.

And again, this rezoning and the theater district sign plan that would follow can help support those signage and that gateway into the theater district.

So I'll walk through the other two.

We do find that the rezoning is within the public is in public interest by uh implementing our adopted plans and also again continuing to uh support the theater district.

And staff also finds that the rezoning is consistent with neighborhood context, zone district purpose and intent.

That concludes my uh presentation.

We do recommend approval, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thanks.

Thank you.

We have four individuals signed up to speak this evening.

First up is Lisa Pope.

Good evening.

My name hello, my name is Lisa Pope.

I live in District 10, right downtown on 14th Street.

I'm president of the Upper Downtown Neighborhood Association, a registered neighborhood organization representing Upper Downtown.

Our mission is to advocate for residents and businesses with the goal of enhancing the quality of life and overall experience in our community.

In alignment with that mission, we fully support the rezoning of El Loft Hotel to be included in the Denver Theater District.

This initiative represents a meaningful opportunity to restore vibrancy downtown, which is in step with the goals of the downtown area plan and the downtown Denver Development Authority.

Rezoning would allow for a proposed digital sign that contributes to thoughtful street activation, reinforcing downtown's identity as the cultural and entertainment hub it has long been known for.

Expanding the theater district will draw more attention, drive more visitors, and highlight a very important part and area of our neighborhood.

We believe this is a smart future-focused investment in downtown's recovery and growth, and we strongly urge your support for this expansion.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Jesse Paris virtually.

Yes, good member of the count for those watching at home, those in the council chambers.

My name is Jesse Michelle Paris and a representative for Black Star Action Moment for Self-Defense.

As well as the Unity Party of Colorado, the Northeast Denver Residence Council, Front Lawn, Black Nose, the Revolutionary Agenda, and our resignant at the CCHL Legacy Law.

Okay, I thought this is gonna be more gentrification as usual, but I can clearly see that this discontinuation of the uh rezoning I did uh month ago uh for the signage at the a law.

So I was neutral on it.

I'm still neutral on it.

I don't think how this is gonna better or improve anything, except maybe make the tourist more comfortable.

That's about it.

I'll see you on the next floor.

Thank you.

Nick, we have Jonathan Gandhi.

Hi, Council members.

I'm Jonathan Gandhi.

I'm a resident of Denver.

I live in uh Commons Park area, and I appreciate the time.

I'm here to answer any questions, and uh we're just uh representing JBK hotels.

We're looking for equal treatment as our neighbors and appreciate your time this evening.

Thank you.

Our last speaker is David Illerich, David.

That concludes our speakers.

Do we have questions from members of council on Council Bill 1186?

Councilman Sawyer.

Thanks, Madam President.

Hey Liz, how you doing?

This is the third one of these rezonings that we have seen in a month.

It's the second, but uh yeah, so we had one just across the street at 801 15th Street, the council considered in August, and this is the second.

No, there was another one.

As well.

I don't think so.

So I we did go to committee shortly after.

Maybe it was maybe it was a little committee, so that's why I'm thinking about it.

Okay.

So, um, should we be expecting more of these to come through?

We don't have any other ones pending, but the downtown area plant update that I mentioned does uh suggest that we should consider a potential expansion of the theater district, so that could lead to uh either future individual rezonings or a larger uh legislative rezoning to implement that.

But the I would say this is sort of a unique situation where they're right on the edge.

Um I think any anything further than that would need more plan guidance that's being considered through the downtown area plan.

Got it.

Okay, and the downtown area plan is coming at us in November, is that right?

Yeah.

Soon.

Okay.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Parity.

Yeah, thank you so much.

And Liz, this mayor may not be something that you know off the cuff, so I can just ask it as follow up if need be, but I'm just curious um the revenue that goes to the theater district itself, if we have a sense of the magnitude of that from the existing off-premise advertising in the district, and then what it's used for.

So David Ehrlich was on who's with the Denver Theater District.

I don't know if he's still there and could answer that.

Um I believe what the district sign plan says is that it's 15% of the revenue from off-site advertising, but I do not know the number offhand.

I could if he's not able to jump on, I could um no problem.

I'll go up with that in a minute to see if David Erwick is there.

No, he's not.

Okay, no worries, I'll ask as a follow-up.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The public hearing is closed.

Do we have any comments by members of council on Council Bill 1186?

Councilmember Heinz.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um you may have heard that this is in District 10.

Um, because uh several people said it, and it's in the obviously it's in the staff notes.

Um, so I'm uh happy to to give some comments.

I've I want to thank um uh thank community planning and development for the presentation.

Uh just as this property is on the cusp of uh of the potential proposed theater district, um, this rezoning is on the cusp of the passage of the downtown area plan.

So um while uh I agree with community planning and development that this is in line with the current uh area plan, I believe it is also um not a legal consideration, but is also in line with the proposed downtown area plan.

So um, so I I think that should this have been delayed slightly and the down the the new downtown area plan was passed, I believe this would still I think it would be even stronger uh in line with uh uh with the the plan that's very close to coming to see us uh here in a couple uh maybe next month.

Um I uh I want to thank also the applicants.

Uh the uh the applicants who are here tonight um have been uh we need more property owners like you uh who really care about our city who care about um the property itself and also care about the relationship with the with the city so that we have more um uh more people who want to do what's best for the neighborhood and for the city, because as you I mean that's what community does as uh as you enrich your property, the city and the neighborhood around it also enriches, and vice versa.

So um, so I know that uh uh you have um uh you've gone out on a limb in the past, um and uh and I want to I want to thank you for um coming back to a hotel.

We definitely need hotels in our center city, and uh and I'm I'm really also really excited about the Denver Theater District.

I think that um uh as was mentioned in committee, we don't want to be Times Square.

Um we're Denver, not New York City.

Um, that said, we could be a uh something like that, but that is uh specifically Denver, and I think this gives us an opportunity to uh to really come connect uh the theater district, the convention center, um uh, you know, the two the two of them uh to uh to 16th street.

And uh that's really what a lot of the downtown area plan is about.

It's about connectivity, connecting Golden Triangle to 16th Street, connecting Union Station and Wine Coop to 16th Street, and in this case connecting the um the theater district to 16th Street.

So this I believe is um this is part of making our center city a more vibrant, inclusive, uh potentially 24-hour seven-day a week um type of experience where we have a lot of people who come from all over the country and beyond to our convention center to uh to watch uh sporting events and um and they want to stay somewhere too.

So uh having that the signposts and having a connected uh center city with uh properties like yours joining the theater district, I think is fabulous.

So I'm certainly in support of this, and I hope my colleagues uh will vote yes as well.

Thank you.

See no there com uh council members in the queue, Madam Secretary.

We'll call on council bill 1186.

Council members Albitres.

Aye Lynn?

Aye.

Gilmore?

Aye.

Pines.

Hi.

Cashman.

Aye.

Parity?

Aye.

Romara Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting announce the results.

10 ayes.

10 ayes.

Council Billing 86 has passed.

Thank you.

Um Councilmember Cashman, will you please put Council Bill 1396 naming an unnamed park at Kiddridge Street and Bollinger Drive, Amachi Powers Memorial Park on the floor for final passage?

Uh yes, Council President of Sandoval.

I move that council bill 25-1396 be placed upon final consideration and do pass.

It has been moved and seconded.

The require public hearing for council bill 1396 is open.

May we please have the staff report?

Good evening, Hisusa Ratia Community Engagement Specialist.

Um proponents of the of the naming will give the report.

We do have staff here from Denver Parks and Recreation to answer any questions.

Great.

Will you put it in presentation mode?

That's exactly what I'm looking for.

It's at the bottom.

Yeah, we're calling a we're phone in a friend here.

Thanks, Tim.

Good evening.

My name is Suzanne Mincer.

I'm an attorney at the law firm of McGee Becker Cortice Williams in Denver.

We represent the Avion Metropolitan District.

I'm really excited to be presenting this to you tonight.

This is a really cool project that has been in the works for a number of years.

It's a great collaboration between the city, my client, the Metropolitan District, and the former developer.

So as usual, any great project, there's a million people to thank, and I'm sure I've forgotten many of them on this slide.

But the whole Denver Parks and Rec team, including some of the lawyers who I forgot on the slide, Jason Moore, Brad Neiman, former executive, deputy executive director, Scott Gilmore, new people, Kylie Feathers, and Jesus as well.

So thank you to the city.

Norris Design is the landscape architect who designed the park.

And then on the right side, it's all the board members of my client.

Just to orient everyone, this park is located in District 11, Councilwoman Gilmore's um district.

In the park, it's was in the ordinance title, but it's at the I'll get this right, northwest corner of Kittridge and Bowling.

If you don't know where that is, the major thoroughfares are um Green Valley Ranch Boulevard and Chambers, and this neighborhood is in the southeast corner of those two major thoroughfares.

So to get where we are tonight, um, first there was a funding agreement that was approved by city council back in 2024.

Um the district awarded a public construction contract for the park just this spring in about, can't remember if it was May or April, but around there, May 2025, um we broke ground this summer, and so construction's anticipated to be completed a year from now, July 2025, or excuse me, 2026, and then we're here tonight to get formal approval on the proposed name for this park.

Um the next couple slides are just some um illustrative graphics.

So this is an overall.

She was a prominent member of the Cheyenne tribe.

Her father was murdered along with tons of other American Indians at that Sand Creek massacre.

She was an activist, a mediator, known for bridging cultures, both between white people and American Indians, but also between American Indian communities.

One of the things that I noticed when I was trying to put this presentation together is it was really hard to find information on this amazing individual.

All this information I pulled from the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.

She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the state in 2018.

She testified in front of Congress following the Sand Creek massacres.

I should note too that this park is about 150 miles north, west of where the massacre took place.

This is back in the 1800s before women were allowed to own property.

Another thing that really stood out to me is given her propensity to bring cultures together, I thought that there was a nice harmony in naming a community park after this individual.

Some of the designs I showed, one of the circle design in the middle of the park there that was designed with the thought of having a community gathering space, a circle, if you will, of community.

When I gave this presentation in front of in front of the park and rec advisory board, we had a number of the American Indian community comment in public comment, and I really hope that they do that again tonight.

It's pretty cool.

This woman has some living ancestors who hopefully will speak tonight.

They spoke at the advisory board, and that's pretty amazing.

So that's all I had.

I'm here to answer questions.

I forgot to talk about the park.

It's about 10 acres total in this neighborhood.

The park budget was just about six million dollars, with about, I'm trying to think the former developers contributing two million dollars, the district about one and a half of that, and the city about four million of that.

So without this, all these people coming together, this project probably, this park would not have happened for this community for another 40 or 50 years.

So I'm thrilled on behalf of the community that we're gonna have a park in this location.

Um that's all I had.

Um, happy to answer questions after you hear from the public or before.

Thank you very much for that great presentation.

Um we have seven individuals signed up to speak this evening.

First up, we have Yolanda Bluehorse.

Madame President Sandoval and esteemed council members.

My name is Yolanda Bluehorse.

I am an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe out of South Dakota, and I reside in the Denver area.

I am here this evening to support the naming of this park in honor of Amachi Prowers, who was a significant figure in Colorado's indigenous and local history.

This proposal reflects our community's commitment to inclusion, cultural recognition, and historical awareness.

Why this matters?

Recognizing indigenous history.

Naming the park after Amachi Powers acknowledges the original stewards of this land and helps reverse the long-standing erasure of native voices in public spaces, honoring a local legacy.

Amachi's life is rooted in our region's history.

She contributed to local life and represents a meaningful connection to the land we now share.

Educating their community.

This name can serve as an educational opportunity for residents of all ages, sparking interest in the indigenous history and Colorado's diverse cultural heritage.

Supporting healing and unity, honoring a Cheyenne woman who endured and overcame tragedy is a step toward reconciliation and mutual respect within our diverse community.

Moving forward, we believe the naming would be a proud and unifying step that reflects our values as a community, values of diversity, historical truth, and inclusion.

Let us come together to ensure our public spaces tell the full story of the people who have shaped them.

Let this park be more than a place, let it be a legacy.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Jesse Paris virtually.

Yes, good evening, members of Council, those watching at home, those in the council chambers.

My name is Jesse with Salem Paris and I'm represented for Black Star Action Movement for self-defense, positive active commercial change, as well as the Unity Party of Colorado, the Northeast Denver Residence Council, Burlon Black Nose, Shabbatus Black Smith and His, and I was not at the oh, in the Revolutionary Tender, and I reside at the Legacy Loaf and Daryl Watson's this with a different nine.

Like the previous speaker said, like this is a start, I guess.

Um, to acknowledge the wrongs that have been done against the uh indigenous people of this land, uh that we now call Colorado.

So, yeah, um, I'm a full support of this.

Um, I just hope it's just more than symbolism because it just seems like symbolism to me.

But that's all we usually get from the Democrats, so I guess we take what we can get right.

Uh so that's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Teddy McColliffe.

Uh good afternoon, evening, I guess.

Um, my name is Teddy McCullough.

I'm a citizen of the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians.

Uh, and I just wanted to take a chance to give my support for uh this park.

Uh, this park is right around the corner from my house, and it is really incredible that we're finally getting the chance to uh name something in honor of uh a native person.

Uh the fact that this is the first is perhaps a little surprising, but also perhaps not.

Um I wanted to read uh a little bit of a piece written by Tommy Orange.

Um I'll start with that.

Some of us grew up with stories about massacres, stories about what happened to our people not so long ago at Sand Creek.

Volunteer militia under Colonel John Chiffington came to kill us, mostly women, children, and elders.

They mutilated us, they took our body parts as trophies and displayed them on a stage in downtown Denver.

Colonel Chivington danced with dismembered parts of us in his hands.

Drunk, he danced, and the crowd gathered there before him was all the worse for cheering and laughing along with him.

It was a celebration.

That is Denver's history.

That is what happened to the Cheyenne and Arapaho people here, not in some distant place, but right here.

This recognition is especially important now at a time when the federal government is moving to erase the legacy of these massacres and dismantle efforts to teach the truth of native history in this country, and Denver must do the opposite.

Naming this park for Amache Prowers stands as an act of protest against erasure, a statement that our history will not be buried and our people will not be forgotten.

For native communities, recognition like this matters.

It's about correcting the silence that has surrounded Denver's treatment of Native people for over a century.

It is about teaching the next generation that Native people are not just history.

We are still here, still shaping this city.

Next year in July, we'll be celebrating the 15250 and having this park open at that time.

Also stands in protest and in acknowledgement of that time.

So thank you, and I hope you vote to support.

Thank you.

Next up we have Scott Gilmore.

Hello all excuse me.

Hello, all council.

My name is Scott Gilmore.

I um up until a little while ago, I was the deputy executive director of Denver Parks and Recreation.

I was blessed to be able to do that job for 14 years, and I was also on the Denver Parks and Rec Advisory Board for eight years.

So my work in this fit in this area has been long.

I have been blessed from the time I started with the department to meet a lot of indigenous um native people.

The first people I met were the Tallbulls.

They were amazing, but you know, I had to learn to listen to them.

I would get, I would get defensive when they said, hey, you've they stole our land, give us our land back.

They killed us, and I'd be like, hey, I it wasn't me.

But it was.

I had to hear what they were trying to say.

And so I've been blessed to meet those people and to learn from them.

And to know that I was able to bring together some people, the developer I have to give Taylor, Taylor Morrison, Taylor Morrison, the developer, a lot of credit because this park is in far northeast Denver, where the agreement for this land was just to give the city land to Nakers.

And that was it.

But the developer working with the developer and the Metro District, they have put up over $3 million to build this park.

This park probably would not have been built.

So that was a lot of negotiations and working together.

But because of that, it also gave us opportunity to ask the developer, the developer and the Metro District to say, since you're building this park and you're putting so much funds, the land and the money to this park, you can actually bring forth a name.

And so to be able to have them vote on the name and to name the very first park in the 158-year history of this city after a native person is pretty, it's a long time coming.

And it's sad to even have to get up here and say that this is gonna be the first park named after a native person.

But we're making it happen, and I do want to thank the Metro District and Taylor Morris and the community who brought this forward for making this happen.

So thank you very much, and looking forward to the groundbreaking.

Not the groundbreaking, the opening.

Thank you.

Next up we have Cecilia Bulber.

I feel like I've been here so many times.

Welcome back.

Um say and support this park because she is a Native American Indian and First Nations in this United States.

It's it is a real honor for her to uh have a park named after her, the first one in Denver.

And um I feel that uh it says that she kept her language and she kept her culture alive, and that means a lot because Native women, we are a matriarchal society, and so it was up to us to keep it alive, and we're still doing that today.

So thank you very much.

Thank you.

Next up we have Rosalie Toble.

Uh thank you, madam president.

Um my name is uh Mauricio Sino.

Um I'm here with my grandmother, uh Rosalie Talbot, and I'm a direct descendant of uh Amachi Lone Bear Browers, and I'm a member of the Amachi Alliance and Sand Creek Massacre Foundation Youth Ambassador Program.

I am honored to speak to the Denver City Council.

Uh forgive my lack of grace.

This is my first time speaking to the uh city council, but um I'm in full support of the this new park, mainly because this is representation on a bigger scale, and I just want to put it out there that this is amazing.

This is incredible, really.

Um, to my grandmother.

Good evening, thank you for hearing us out.

We are Cheyenne people.

We are so very honored and proud for this naming of this new park.

My family, I speak for my family, the Talbot family for my sons and daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

This will be forever the first park named after a native woman.

I am so honored and privileged.

I thank you for naming this park after my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren's uh they are direct descendants of a mache.

We are very, very honored.

We fully support.

We have been at many meetings where um when this first started, and we will be there at the grand opening.

We thank you so very, very much for this great honor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, we have Mauricio Asino.

Oh, okay, okay.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm sorry.

No problem.

Yeah.

Okay.

Do you have anything else to add?

Um, yes.

Yes.

Um, I just want to go on a little bit about what Amachi did.

Um, so uh from what I've learned is that Amachi, she was living near the internment camp in Granada, and what she would do is that she would go over there and over time she befriended the Japanese families who lived there.

And it was an isolated place, it was an isolated area, and it was overall not the best living conditions, but she befriended them.

She would give them uh fruits, vegetables, whatever she had, and um but it was just a big inspiration, and I do hope that you all support this, but thank you, thank you.

I'm honored.

I'm like thank you, and last our last speaker for the this um ordinance is Ruby Sanchez.

Hello, City Council.

Um anyway, um I would like thank you guys for uh doing the Matthew Power's Memorial Park.

It is very necessary for um for us to be a Native American women to be recognized and something put so we're something for us so we can get gather together and um it's a great honor to see that to see her, you know, and you and all the work that's been done, and it's very um a blessing, a blessing to our community, you know, and all the people that did the work on it, you know.

So it's just I'm honored to be here to even say, like approve of it, and it's um I like it.

You know, thank you guys very much for everything you have done.

And um I'm already waiting to go there.

So thank you guys very much.

Think thank you so much.

That concludes our speakers.

Do we have questions from members of council on Council Bill 1396?

Seeing no questions, the public hearing is closed.

Do we have comments by members of council on council bill 1396?

Councilmember Gilmore.

Uh thank you, Council President Sandoval.

Um, this seems like it's been um a long time for us getting here just with the city, but then when you think about it, it's been a really, really long time for us to get here as a city.

And I want to thank all of the community members who were here tonight, who were online, um, the tall bull family, because uh it's important that we name parks, that we name places in our city.

We need to name them after American Indian people because this is their land, their land was stolen.

We invaded their land.

There were no settlements, it was a very violent, violent time in history, and we see that circular nature of history as well.

It's not lost on any of us that the federal government is talking about birthright citizenship in 2025, and so the speakers tonight who shared their perspectives.

We need to hear from them more.

That is something that happens a lot in far northeast Denver and other places of the city.

We never get the full amount for our parks.

Um there's never a line item that just says here you go, here's 10 million to build this park.

It's always a financial stack that we have to figure out, and I really appreciate that there were the partners that figured that out because this is 10 acres of land in a relatively new development that wouldn't otherwise have a park, and when you're out there on the space, um we were out there in January of this year because there was a ground blessing before it went through a little bit more of the process, and it was amazing to be out there with descendants of Amache, looking at the land, looking at the Rocky Mountains, seeing what is out there, and for the family saying we need to do more out here.

We want to have educational programs, we want people not to forget the contributions that she and her family made.

Um she was married to a white cattle rancher, and so her children were some of the first multiracial children in this area.

And I can only imagine how difficult it was for her as a woman to try to keep the peace when the U.S.

military were using every tactic that they could.

But she taught her children, she taught others in the community, and she really worked to keep them safe.

Same as we know that American Indian women have done for centuries, but now we get to honor her, and I hope that this is the beginning, only the beginning of the city and county of Denver, really acknowledging not only the First Nations whose land this is, but the actual people and the stories of the people because there are so many of those stories, and if we don't talk about them, if we don't say their names, if we don't share the history, that is systemic erasure of people, and we're not that way in Denver.

We don't do things like that in Denver.

And so I really want to thank all of the speakers that were here tonight.

You spoke so beautifully uh about why we should uh vote affirmatively on this, and we will definitely look for the build out um and the grand opening uh next year.

So thank you all.

Thank you, Council President Sandoval.

Thank you, Councilmember Flynn.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

Um, I um would like to congratulate the community on this accomplishment.

As I look through the list of parks in Denver, I see a lot of them are named for someone or other, and I bet most people uh who even live around them, let alone folks in other parts of town, don't know who you know, you know, Cook Park, which was Cook Park named for.

I don't know.

Uh I could probably look it up.

But I have a feeling, uh, after seeing this go through the process, and reading all I could about uh Amache Prowers and her story and her family's story.

I have a feeling that this park is one that everyone will always know the story because precisely because there is a long line of tradition leading way back even to before Colorado to tell us who is the woman for whom this park is named, and I I think that's just a fabulous thing.

I just want to congratulate everybody.

It's very remarkable.

We don't see that in this city every day.

So thank you to the community, uh Northeast Denver, far northeast Denver, and to the um district for making this happen.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Council Pro Temer Campbell.

Thank you, Madam President.

I just wanted to say, um, again, similar comments of congratulations.

Uh, I know we're still gonna vote on it, but congratulations to have gotten to this place and the you know they don't happen overnight and the tremendous amount of work and many people and hands that brought this forward.

Um, and how uh how honored and proud I am that I get to vote on this tonight and to have it be the first American um Indian woman, Amache Prowers.

How exciting is that.

Um, and also to your point and your comment earlier of well, it's overdue, and um I hope that we get to have more opportunities to do similar um namings and similar um uh opportunities to do these kind of votes.

So as we bring um more parks into our system, um I look forward to that, but just congratulations and to Mrs.

Bull Bear, you are welcome to come anytime.

We love seeing you.

Um, but I just wanted to um say congratulations and that I'm honored that I get to vote on this tonight, and also to councilwoman uh councilmember Gilmore.

Um it's a lot to shepherd it through the process.

And to see it come to fruition.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Council, Councilwoman Alvidres.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I just want to thank you all for all the work you did to get here.

Um, Scott Gilmore, I know you have been at some of the River Sisters meetings where we've also been talking about naming parks.

I've received a letter from that group asking for an indigenous type of name for the park, where Vanderbilt East will go.

And so I'm this is a beautiful, amazing history that not beautiful, it's a sad, terrible history that we are remembering here.

But it's an important history, and it's beautiful to finally name some of these things that have been silent for so long.

It is an honor to be able to vote on something like this, but it is also devastating at the same time because of the history of this land.

And I remember recently when Colorado History did have the exhibit on the Sand Creek Massacre, and it was one of the grossest things I've ever seen.

It's embarrassing for our state, for our history, and it's a stain that we need to continue to tell our children so they know our past.

Is something that a lot of people want to erase right now.

And we cannot let it be erased.

And if there is anything we do, it's these things that seem small that seem way late in the game, that will be in the public record forever.

Who knows what's to come.

We could get a whole new council that decides that they want to change all these names.

I don't believe that will happen here in Denver, but right now I never believed we'd be in the place that we are as a country that we are right now.

And I am glad that we are able to vote on something like this in this city, that this is something that we want to recognize that these this is the past.

This is how we got here, and and most of all because of our land, because we talk about land use every day here, every Monday.

And it feels very weird to talk about land that we claim to own and have control and to govern.

Um this is a very small way to speak to that irony that we're up here talking about this land that um not all was ever ceded, that is still has a lot of weight on it and along our river, which is still not fully living water because of all the damage we've done to it over the years.

And so I am honored to vote in favor of this tonight.

It is a sad, devastating part of our history that we cannot let it be erased.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Councilman.

Councilwoman Perity.

Yeah, I just um have been sitting here a little bit stunned by the um historical overlap with uh the Grenada Relocation Center, um, and the the anecdote, which I'm so glad that you um shared with us tonight about um about her interactions with the people who were there and her concern for them because um that site, as I'm sure many people here know, finally became um a national historic site uh just last year under the leadership of Deb Holland, um who of course is um our first native woman to serve at that level in a presidential cabinet.

Um and before that occurred a few years prior, um that same site was being um used as housing for migrant farm laborers um who were represented um by Colorado Legal Services here in Denver and specifically an attorney named Jennifer Rodriguez on successful claims that they were essentially uh being sort of imprisoned at that site, which um to think about that happening on that land.

Um, so I just think the the kind of historical patterns and the way that um we make these mistakes, but then there are people who stand up um and and know better, um, is really is really present in the room tonight.

So I thought those were my thoughts.

Um, but I really um I'm really glad to have had the chance to hear her story, hear a little bit more of the detail of it than I had heard before.

Um, and that's the point of naming something, right?

Is so that we um so that we don't lose these things and um and all of these connections, and so that we don't uh lose our awareness of what we've done well and what we've done poorly in the past.

So thank you all so much for the work on it.

Thank you.

Just want to say thank you to all of everybody who got us this far.

Um my grandpa was Heronimo Sandoval, came from um New Mexico, and when he came to Denver, he had to change his name from Hieronimo to Jerry because he couldn't get a job named Heronimo.

And when I'm the youngest of four, um, he would baptize when my parents baptized us at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.

He always took us for and did our own ceremony for us.

And um, I was very young when he passed away.

I was only two years old, and when my dad got sick with pancreatic cancer, he would always tell me that I had the blood of my grandpa in me and that I was a fighter, and that I was had fiery um within me, and that we needed to keep up that fight.

And when I went to go name La Rasa Park in Northwest Denver from Columbus Park, um you would think that naming a park wouldn't be controversial, and unfortunately, it did.

It has brings up a lot of um issues in my community, and a lot of negativity came out, and I remember one night I was feeling very down and out, and felt like I couldn't didn't want to move forward with the initiative to name change the name of Columbus Park to La Raza Park, which happened to be on Navajo Street.

Um, and I had a dream about my dad.

And I just think that all the ancestors are here with us today, thinking that they would never um get to see this.

I was just during the public hearing I was reading from the Colorado History Museum.

Um Mary Prowers wrote an article in 1945 about her dad and her mom, and wrote the whole story about how they got the cattle and how they got the land and how her mom got inherited the 160 acres, and so thank you all for bringing this forward because I sure did learn a lot about our own at my own history.

Um, and to your point that it's really hard to find information, it's true.

It's because the information's not there, and it was purposeful that our stories were not in mainstream um media, and so oftentimes when you work on these type of projects, you have to do oral history.

That's what happened when I worked on La Rasa Park.

We had no formal history of why it should be named La Rasa Park.

We had to do all interviews to get the application done correctly for the historic district.

So thank you, Councilwoman Gilmore.

Thank you to Parks and Rec for doing all of this, and it takes a partnership.

Thank you to the developer.

Um, I will be supporting this enthusiastically tonight.

Madam Secretary, we'll call on Council Bill 1396.

Council members Albidres.

Aye, Flynn.

Hi.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Hi.

Hi.

Cashman.

Parity.

Aye.

Premier Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

10 ayes.

10 ayes.

Council Bill 1396 has passed.

Thank you all.

Great, great work.

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