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

Tonight's coverage of Denver City Council starts now.

Thank you for joining us.

My name is Amanda Sandoval.

I have the honor of presiding over Denver City Council.

Um today is Monday, November 10th, 2025.

Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish.

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

Of course.

Thank you for having us once again.

Hello, everyone.

My name is Sam Guzman with the COC.

Joining you virtually through Zoom.

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

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

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Sam.

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, November 5th, 2025.

Council members, please join Councilmember as they lead us.

Go to the hold on.

Council members, please join Councilmember Gilmore as they lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you, Councilmember.

Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members Torres.

Here Gilmore here.

Cashman.

Romero Campbell?

Here.

Sawyer?

Here.

Watson.

Madam President Sandoval.

Here.

Eleven members present.

There are 11 members present.

Council has a quorum.

Council will now vote to either adopt or reject the mayor's proposed 2026 budget.

Council Member Gilmore, we need a motion to adopt.

I move that the mayor's proposed 2026 budget be adopted.

It has been moved and second.

Um, I said last week, and I will follow through again today.

I'm a no on this budget.

Um, I really appreciate the hard work of the Department of Finance.

You guys have done an extraordinary lift over the last two years in um dealing with the migrant crisis, dealing with house a thousand sprung on you halfway through the year in 2023, dealing with um uh revenue that is falling significantly due to sales tax.

Um, and I really want to acknowledge you all and appreciate that.

I'm not putting my name or my stamp of approval on this budget.

I am extremely concerned about some of the things that have gone on, some of the things we see in here this year as council members.

I've been here six years, and I've really never seen anything like it before.

The lack of transparency, the lack of accountability, the lack of information sharing, is incredibly frustrating.

The lack of respect for our independent agencies is shocking.

I think the biggest challenge is if you look at Schedule 100, because I think that's the easiest place for everyone to look in the budget book and see what I'm talking about, page 82.

Um our charter speaks very clearly to the appropriation of dollars and city council's authority to appropriate dollars that are coming in.

That's what the budget process is.

There is also a very clear piece of language that was voted on by the voters several years ago that um requires that any new dollars that have come in have to be appropriated by city council.

The charter is silent on what happens in a year like this year, where our revenues are lower than our expenditures, and what that means is that city council is expected to have oversight over a budget with half of the information or less.

And that is not acceptable.

It is not something that I am willing to put my name on and my stamp of approval on.

This budget, whether we vote yes or no as city council members by charter, becomes law no matter what.

That's what the charter says.

So you don't need my approval.

And I think it's pretty clear based on some of the things that have gone on during this budget season, that the administration is not interested in my approval or my partnership when it comes to this budget.

And that is a that's that's a stance.

It's not a stance I have to approve by voting yes today, and so I will not be doing that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Sawyer.

Councilmember Gimmar.

Thank you.

And there are few areas uh within Denver City Council that we can really say what we mean, but then also back it up by the vote.

And I will be a no on this budget tonight, mainly for the fact that I've never seen uh a time in my 10 years as an elected official, the disrespect, the disregard, and the diversion that I have seen in this short administration's time, and the voters of Denver are very, very smart.

And there's a not there's not a lot that they can do right now, but know that they are watching and know that they are taking notes and know that the citizens of Denver, the people of Denver, no matter if you're an immigrant, refugee, or someone seeking safe haven, you still deserve to know what is happening within the government and where those dollars are going.

And that has not been the case in my experience at all.

And uh, so there is no way that I can vote uh for this budget.

The one piece that gives me a little bit of um rest around it is to know that the amendments that this body made were fully accepted by the mayor.

And that's something for citizens to remember that if city council makes strong amendments and they have a supermajority, that next week, those amendments will take effect with that vote.

And so that is very important because that is a power play that we have never had to use within this council before, but it was necessary to make sure that we say something about what we're seeing happen within the city budget.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Councilmember Gimmar.

Councilwoman Lewis.

Thank you.

Oh, I have to officially acknowledge you to the meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you for attending the meeting on Monday, November 10th.

And the floor is yours.

Thank you.

I am present.

Um, thank you all so much for the opportunity to speak.

Um, I will echo my colleagues in that I was very frustrated by this budget process in general, but this year in particular.

Um, I've had issues with the budget process each time it has come to us and circulated a letter during my first year on council outlining my concerns.

This budget process, however, was not transparent, it was not collaborative in process.

We learned about the cutting of programs not by the mayor, but often by via the media or nonprofits or our own residences directly, such as learning about the cuts about the magistrates, the cutting of overtime from the DMV, um, and the impacts to the youth violence programs and folks losing their funding in 2025.

It's been very difficult to get answers.

We do not have um in our receipt of budget actual, so we are often shooting in the dark when it comes to budget amendments, and we have no oversight on how the mayor's office spends the unspent fund balance.

I do not think the citizens of Denver are well served by it as it exists now in charter, and we'll be working on ways that we can address these shortcomings with Councilwoman Sawyer and Councilwoman Gilmar.

Additionally, I have also been very disturbed by the fact that the city may spin down on unspent fund balances without council oversight or approval with expenditures when expenditures exceed revenues.

I am especially disturbed that we have spent very close to the 10% requirement over the past few years without council oversight due to this arrangement under the charter.

This year we have a number of important things that we could have used the unspent fund balance on, and we were not able to because of this.

And we often say that budgets are moral documents, and this budget misses the mark in conveying our collective morality.

I am proud of the council members as they stood together in running budget amendments that did reflect our principles, but it was a fraction of a fraction of what was actually needed.

Thank you.

Thank you, councilwoman.

Council Cashman.

Yeah, thank you, Madam President.

Um, it has been clear for the 10 years I've been on city council that uh strong mayor city budget process is a mess.

Um, as you would expect, is very, very heavily weighted in favor of uh the executive uh arm of our government.

Uh city council um not just in Denver, but in uh every strong mayor city that I've spoken to plays a uh a figurehead role in the creation of the budget.

Um the mayor has uh a very talented and I believe honest and hardworking department of finance who spends a year crafting the budget, uh working with dozens of agencies and looking at their needs and figuring out how they think the budget should be allocated.

Then uh after that year, in the middle of September, we get the budget the same day the public does.

We go through a week of budget hearings, 800-page budget book, 600-page budget book.

I forget what the exact number was this year, and city council has no um department of Finance.

We have no trained staff, adequately trained to pull apart that type of a document and give us uh adequate advice on where money should come from and what's the best way to move things around.

I want to salute my colleagues who did yeoman's work in that short period of time in coming up with some funding sources, but uh um certainly not.

The system is not set up in the best interests of the residents of Denver.

Um a few of the uh amendments that I voted for last week.

Um I received uh a couple of uh calls that I was trying to defund the police.

I'm not a defunder.

What I am is a funder, I think the city of Denver and the state of Colorado should be mortified at the way we fund uh uh education, at the way we fund children's programs in general.

We need tens of millions of dollars every year in Denver alone for out-of-school time program.

Um it costs around two grand a month for uh private child care for one child.

Um we don't fund mental health in Denver or in the state of Colorado the way our people deserve.

We don't have adequate drug treatment beds.

Um I do not believe in shooting our wounded.

And so if we're not gonna do that, then we have no choice but to figure out a way to fund the programs that we need to fund to make our people healthy.

Um we're doing our police no favor by not funding the public health uh modalities that will increase public safety.

We're just producing more and more people who are unprepared to have their needs met in a way other than to turn to uh unlawful behavior.

Does our police know no favors?

I have no idea how many cops we need in Denver.

We may have the exact right number today, we may have too few, or we may have too many.

I'm not prepared to get in that discussion either.

I'm not a public safety professional.

I absolutely know that we should be embarrassed at the way we're funding our our children's programs, uh our mental health programs, et cetera.

Um I appreciate the difficulty at crafting the budget this year in a year where we're faced a 200 million dollar budget.

I appreciate that the mayor chose to not uh fight back on the 10 amendments that we passed.

Um at the same time, um my heart out of respect for uh city staff.

My heart wanted to vote yes on this budget, just as yes is a thank you for the hard work you've done.

Um, but it's a no in that this budget fails to address what I think are the most important areas that we're not addressing yet today, and to just I've got this budget and one more in my council career.

I've been making this same speech for 10 years, and not a damn thing has happened.

As far as changing that dynamic, and it must change.

It absolutely must change.

Um, so yeah, I'm I'm afraid I am gonna have to vote no tonight again with respect for those who worked so hard to put this budget together.

But uh, you know, I don't I have no desire, I have no knowledge on where I want to take the money from, but uh I will tell the residents of Denver is my experience is people on A plus services and want to pay C plus taxes.

We need more money, folks, and we can't uh pull it out of the air.

So uh with that, uh as I said, I'll I'll have to vote no on this budget.

Thank you, Councilmember Cashman.

Councilwoman Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you, Councilman Cashman, for your words and all my colleagues before me.

Um I will say, um, you didn't say your your quote um that you always say, and I actually have it in in my what I wanted to say because I think about this every time is when Councilman Cashman, and I know he gets it from somebody else, right?

It's not your quote.

Um, although you might want to take credit since you say it is show me your budget, and that will tell me what your values are.

Um, I have not been particularly pleased with this budget process, and I know um that the executive branch has charter authority.

That has been made very clear to us um throughout this process and many others.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Just because you have authority, doesn't mean you have to pull all of those levers.

When you have folks who are willing to come to the table and truly collaborate, work side by side to figure this out.

We've learned that the issue around uh our revenue is not was not a just recent discovery.

It we've been having there's been concerns that have been expressed for years with our decreasing revenue.

And so if bells, if alarms were ringing, then we should have listened and we should have started planning more accordingly.

And instead, you know, we are left with these choices, these choices between you know who's to say um what kind of public safety is better over another.

It's not about that necessary choice, it's also about making it comparable.

We can't just be so heavily handed on one end and not expect to try to stop the bleeding on the other end, and that is when we talk about root causes.

I greatly appreciate this body and the strides that we made um to amend the budget, and I appreciate that the that the mayor did accept those amendments.

Um I greatly appreciate the city staff, including of course, Department of Finance, um, for the amount of work that goes into the budget.

I know you all I don't know when you sleep.

I literally don't know when you sleep.

Um and especially in this difficult budget year, I know that this has been extremely challenging, and I'm hopeful as we move on.

Um, as we move forward from this, that we will take the steps necessary to figure out how we truly collaborate and provide transparency, not only for us, those of us sitting up here on this dais as council members, right?

We ask for transparency, we ask for clarity, but for the residents of Denver, for the taxpayers to have clarity for how our city is spending our money and how we are investing.

So I greatly appreciate some of the new things that came up during this budget um process, like the budget book club, where we were engaging actively with community members, asking them what it is that they wanted to see in their budget, and some of those things we saw come through amendments, and I thought it was absolutely beautiful that we had those direct conversations and then got to see that come through.

Um, and so that's all I'm asking for is going forward is yes, mutual respect, yes, transparency, yes, accountability, all of the the words, right?

Of of what it is that we see um as we go through this city budget process.

And so I I will also be voting no this evening.

Um, because I did not see that process happen.

But it doesn't go without all the work because this because this budget year was extremely stressful with all of the things that we're having to deal with.

I know that the staff worked incredibly hard to answer all as many questions as they could in a short period of time, but we wouldn't have to work so hard if we were clear and transparent from the beginning.

So I will be no tonight.

Um thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Councilman Torres.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I'll be voting yes on the budget.

I agree with I do not depart from my colleagues' comments thus far, and also want um uh the same level of collaboration um and um just notification in the coming year.

Um, but I do want to support the changes that we made in council and just want to remind folks what some of those were because they're powerful in this budget.

Um we replenished the immigrant services fund back up to its original amount.

We replenished the fund that was cut in excise, um, that helps neighbors pay for their license hearing costs.

Um we got funding for a food summit so we can build the case for a better more robust food system.

Something we're experiencing the why for right now, as we see our pantries, see their numbers double of people at their doors.

Um, in amendments we replenish the auditor's office budget.

We got the worker justice funded for the first time.

Um we funded the 2026 elections appropriately, established a three million dollars uh for year one of the community-led safety grant program.

Um we established the funds that were cut to the out-of-school time.

We have our fingerprints on this budget, and I want to support that.

Um again, I respect my colleagues who are voting no.

I do not depart from their interests, um, but I will be sub uh voting yes.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilman.

Councilmember Watson.

Uh thank you so much, uh Council President.

Dear Mike.

Thanks.

Uh thank you so much, Council President, and and thank you to my colleagues that spoke before me.

Um, first want to start uh by saying thank you to uh once again, as I ended my comments last week, saying thank you to our Department of Finance team members uh for the work that they did.

Uh this council isn't uh quiet about our thoughts.

Um, we didn't just send you one request for updates.

Uh we sent hundreds, and you and your teams um responded, and you responded to the best of your ability to provide accurate um input on each of the questions I know that my Alphice asked, and I know for the budget hearings that I facilitated on all of the questions within those budget hearings.

So each of the department leads, um, the executive directors and the leaders within each of our departments.

Uh, budgets aren't only a decision elevated by uh Stephanie and Wizards at the Department of Finance.

It is the uh collaborative work from executive directors and their staff throughout each of the departments, and this year more than most.

Um, those executive directors, those supervisors, we're not only looking at a budget in a zero percent growth year, in a year that we knew from last year that we were going to be seeing less um revenues compared to expenses.

Um, they were speaking to their employees, city employees who some for 10-15 years, some for six to eight months, have been being in these roles, who have devoted themselves as servants of this city.

They were having discussions with some of those folks to let them know that their career with a senior county of Denver were ending.

Those are difficult discussions while still looking forward to seeing how we can balance a budget, which is required of us for 2026.

So I thank each of the folks within each of the departments for your good work.

My yes tonight on this budget is because of your work.

Is it because of the work of the Department of Finance?

And it's because of the work of this council with 9.8 million dollars approximately of additional amendments and funding to all the priorities that council member Torres listed off.

Each of those were hard fought.

Many of those were unanimous.

Those were decisions made about our future, where our priorities are at as far as when we fund this government.

I am proud of my yes votes on those amendments.

What to do about a budget within a system within the city that we budget on an annual basis, and we're seeing headwinds, not just this year, and I'll put it on a timestamp.

Someone stamp it, we will have zero percent growth next year.

We'll begin with a budget with uh revenue or or or or reserves close to 10 percent.

This is the closest we've gotten to 10% reserves in history, as far as I can remember, and as far as um the department of finance has provided.

We will be having this discussion again next year.

We will be making tough decisions again next year.

And my encouragement to my friends in Department of Finance, the administration, and our federal council members, we don't have to wait um to begin looking at really what those impacts will be before um we start having dialogues.

I began having discussions with Department of Finance beginning in April, my office, because when we looked at rescision, we looked at supplemental funding for projects and pro and programs that I believed in strongly.

I knew from looking at the readjusted order finalized budget at that time that we're gonna be facing some tough decisions this fall.

Um, so I renew my support and focus on ensuring that we do our job as city council members, that we fight for the funds for our communities, we work collaboratively with the administration.

I'm grateful that the administration did not veto any of the amendments passed last week.

But it's our responsibility in this process, it's not a collaboration per se, it's a requirement by charter that we have a balanced budget and that we work within the construct of the process that we have.

I look forward to continuing leaning in in this process and ensuring that in these tough times and the 2027 budget, I expect to be just as difficult, if not more, because there are no vacancy savings that will be remaining.

We're at contingency and spent, we're gonna have uh a collective bargaining agreement that's gonna cut back on some of that for sheriff.

We're gonna be looking at contingency for all of the bargaining units coming forward from Denver.

Um, all of the the departments within the senior county of Denver that can collectively bargain.

This is going to be difficult.

Um, but I think we have the right folks on this dais, and we have partners within the senior county of Denver to make sure this is right.

So thank you, Madam President.

I will be voting yes uh tonight on a budget for all of those reasons.

Thank you.

Councilman Pro Temer Mary Campbell.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I've been thinking about what I want to say about the budget in this year.

Um, I don't think that uh it's a small phrase to say, you know, this has been a lot.

Um, but I'll keep my comments brief.

Uh, but it has been quite a year, and like there have been so many challenges to navigate.

Um, we've had softening revenues, um, where have we had layoffs, we've had reignment of departments.

There have been a lot of things that have been going on in the city, and I also think context matters, and with the backdrop of our federal government, um, that has been chaotic and absurd with its policies and so much in action.

Um, I think everyone is guessing what's next, kind of holding our breath, what's next.

Um, and that makes some of our planning forward challenging.

Um, but I do really want to thank my colleagues for the discussion and the discourse, and for bringing so many amendments forward that really, I think left us in a place of we needed to talk about where we are in the budget.

We needed to discuss things.

We had, we had you know, ideas brought forward, and I do believe that we are stronger together.

Um, so in this coming year, I look forward to working with everyone so that we can address items in the budget before it comes to us, as Councilman Cashman said in, you know, when the public receives it as well.

So I think that there is a ton of room for collaboration and thinking about this together, and working on it together.

I am voting for things in this budget because I think there were some things that got lifted and moved forward.

Um the independent agencies for the auditor, for the clerk and recorder.

Um I'm voting for, you know, the reinstatement for those parking magistrates for having that food summit, um, also thinking about out-of-school time, so needed, and so much more is needed as um was stated.

But really, thank you to the um city staff.

I know Department of Finance, you guys have been working, you know, burning it on both ends and still um and still burning it on both ends um for you know what is passed and what what we're working on in the future.

Um so I am really um appreciative of the amendments that did pass, and I'm appreciative of the mayor for um accepting all of those amendments, and I feel like in good faith, then um I will be voting yes on the budget tonight.

Uh, but I think I agree with my um council colleagues that it can't go it can't be like this next year.

We are definitely gonna have to do it.

I think differently, I think collaboratively, um transparently.

Uh and we as a council body, I think have strength in being able to communicate what those things are um in the coming months so that we do get um a budget that is um more aligned uh with what our and actually I will say a lot of our council uh priorities were met within this budget, and so um I just look forward to um moving on and getting this together and figuring out, but I'll be a guest on this budget tonight.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Flynn.

Um thank you, Madam President.

Um budgeting is a lot of fun in good times, it's a lot of fun when the economy is great, and it's not so much fun in times like this.

Those of us up here, there are three of us up here in our third terms, and I think we can remember when we had fund balances well over 300 million dollars, well over 20, 25, I think 25 percent or more, 24 25 percent of uh the general fund, and our target is 15 percent, and so fat and happy is a is a term you sometimes hear when times are good, and when times are bad, there can be a lot of finger pointing.

I'm gonna vote yes on the budget for much of the same reasons that Councilman Torres first enunciated.

I believe that if we want collaboration that we should collaborate, and it doesn't depend on the other person, the other side necessarily going first.

I think we should go first.

I uh I'm looking at the uh schedule 100s for the entire time that I've been up here and two of us uh two other members have been up here from the 2016 budget was our first, and revenues went up every year.

And again, as I mentioned, 24% fund balance.

Boy, were those great years, and we put some of it to use.

But when COVID hit, believe it or not, the 2020 year was a lot worse than this one.

We had to rescind what we didn't actually rescind, but we held back appropriations of about 130 million dollars.

It wasn't just 50 million that we did for this year.

It was a hundred and about a hundred and twenty-five or something like that.

That was that was tough.

And we had furloughs, and we had a hiring freeze.

I don't remember if we had layoffs.

I think did we have some layoffs?

No, we didn't.

Okay.

And so that that was really hard, but you know what happened in 2021.

The projections that our finance department offered were very conservative, which we always appreciate.

And we started to recover more than we thought we would.

And the fund balance came back.

So for in 2021, we actually had higher revenues.

And we our fund balance went up to $36 million.

The year after COVID.

In 2022, revenues were up again, and we fed into fund balance, and we used a little bit of it under uh Mayor Hancock.

2023 budget revenues up again.

And uh the beginning fund balance was 390 million dollars.

Wow.

Then we hit worldwide inflation coming out of COVID.

And I just want to remind folks that we're not the only city doing this.

Major cities across the country right now are doing the same thing we're doing.

They're having very difficult conversations and arguments and and finger pointing.

And I don't know what you can do about a global pandemic and coming out of it with pent-up demand and global inflation up to nine percent.

You know, the United States economy actually recovered better than most other countries around the world after COVID.

But now we've had inflation, and we've had some some craziness in the economy, especially this past year, that's causing people to pull back.

So in 2024, we didn't meet our revenue projections.

And this year, we're doing even l we're doing even worse.

We're gonna be flat, and only a slight increase next year in revenues.

Against that backdrop, I think in the spirit of collaboration, we need to uh we need to be the collaborators that we wish the other we wish the third floor were.

Uh, when I was over in Ireland in St.

Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, they have a door there from uh uh the middle ages when the clans were fighting in Ireland, and there's a hole in the door, and when the attacking clan was besieging the castle there, the attackers wanted to make peace and they wanted to collaborate.

And it's called the door, I think it's called the door of reconciliation, and the attacker, the the leader of that clan, stuck his arm through that opening, expecting that those inside defending the castle would chop it off, and they didn't, they took that hand and they shook it.

And I think this is one of those moments where we just have to work together.

I agree with council member Torres and the other members who are voting yes and saying that when you have uh the administration accepting all dozen uh 10, 12, how many were there?

10 uh amendments that were passed, and yeah, most of them had supermajority.

Uh I think in uh in response, the only appropriate vote for me is to vote aye on the budget, and so I will.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Alviderez.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I really appreciate all of my colleagues' comments today.

Um, and I want to start by acknowledging all my staff's work, everyone's staff's work, everyone works really hard on this budget.

We've been going crazy working late nights and all weekend looking at numbers and trying to figure things out, um, and trying.

I mean, I know the administration has been working on getting us answers to things.

Um, and I also want to be clear about another thing, which is this demonstrates that we can work together.

But equally clear is that collaboration collaboration requires trust, requires transparency, and respect for the role of this body.

And this year's process revealed issues that we cannot simply move past without naming them.

I want to address some comments that were made publicly that suggest that council's use of contingency funds makes uh the administration nervous when they have drawn down on contingency the entire time they've been in office.

Uh we did this not for fun, but to support independent agencies like the clerk and the auditor, and that is not reckless, it's responsible.

We shouldn't have to be the mediator between agencies that can't communicate and come to agreements on their own, and I hope that we in the future we won't have to.

I was also extremely disappointed to see the outreach to registered neighborhood organizations asking them to oppose my colleagues' budget amendments and saying that they're defunding the police when the recruitment budget went from three million dollars to nine million dollars, and I can't tell you why.

So that is a fact, and I still don't have a clear answer as to why, if we're having the same number of recruit classes, are we expecting it to triple?

Um I also think that I'm really glad that there's engagement with the neighborhoods, but I wish it would have happened when we're creating a budget, not when people are trying to have ideas about how to make the budget better.

And throughout this whole crazy process, we found out that the Denver Post was not paying rent, a building that a lot of us didn't support purchasing, and that is still behind on rent, and is three million dollars behind on rent.

That three million dollars could fund the clerk's budget shortfall, actually, um, and then we wouldn't have to be worried about our elections.

But collaboration is not the same as silence.

I'm not going to be silent, but I am hoping to turn a new leaf and be collaborative.

Those are the reasons why I will be voting no on this budget, but it's not closing a door, it's an invitation to do better, and we have to start doing better before I can get to a yes on things.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Councilmember Heinz.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I'm happy that this fund are, excuse me, I'm happy that this budget funds our independent agencies, including the clerk and recorder.

Uh, thank you, clerk, for being here in the chambers with us, uh, and the auditor.

I'm also sad that this happened because uh only because of a budget amendment uh that happened through council action.

Um in the future, I hope the mayor's proposed budget fully funds these independent agencies from the start so that we don't have to add it through council, the council process.

Independent agencies should never have to depend on council amendments to do their independent work.

I also hope that in future years we can work better together, the executive and legislative branches, so that this process is smoother for everyone.

The people of Denver deserve a budget process that feels like teamwork, not tension.

So I want to thank the uh the mayor for uh accepting our budget amendments um in the spirit of teamwork.

Um I hope we see more transparency and visibility in how the budget is developed and adjusted, especially when city staff recognize that we're facing increased economic uncertainty.

It's concerning that staff noticed this uncertainty back in 2023, but didn't share that with council until 2025, actually just in the last few weeks.

Uh I also hope that when decisions are made to cut services or contracts, we hear about them directly from the administration, not from frustrated constituents who discover that resources they rely on were no longer available.

We shouldn't have to learn about these changes secondhand.

Uh council shouldn't find out about services uh service cuts for many angry emails.

We should hear it directly from the executive branch.

And finally, I hope that uh when either branch of government asks for collaboration, that the request is met in good faith.

Um I believe that elected leaders should make decisions based on our values, and I want to thank my colleagues uh for clearly articulating uh their values tonight through the their comments and uh their votes.

Uh words matter.

Um, want to thank council president for the words she chose in our letters uh to the mayor about council's thoughts on the budget.

I want to thank our mayor for reconsidering his words he shared with us in his letter.

I want to close with a couple I statements.

I agree with my colleagues, we need more transparency.

Uh, and I want to be transparent and direct.

I'll be supporting this budget tonight.

Uh, but if we don't see the transparency, this council council and this city deserves, I'll be a no vote next year.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Lewis.

Thank you.

I just wanted to provide some clarity as it might have seemed as though council members who choose to vote no, that that means that the amendments that were accepted by the mayor's office would then be a loss.

Um, and I was one of the council members who um ran a number of amendments.

Um, so that's not true, and just to provide some clarity, council members can both hold ownership of the incredible amendments uh that were proposed while also rejecting the budget as a whole, and that's pursuant to section 717 of the charter.

And so whether we vote yes on this budget or whether we vote no on the budget, the budget will still be implemented, and so nothing is lost when it comes to the amendments.

Thank you.

Thank you, council member, for that clarity.

Um this vote does not come easily for me this evening.

Um I left town last Tuesday and did some went to one of my favorite things to study land use.

For those who know me know that land use fills my soul.

Um, and I was thinking about why.

I was like, why do I love land use?

And it's because it's clear, you can build to a certain height.

You have the bulk plane, you have your side side setbacks, you have your use table, and it's predictable, and that is something that I like as a Latina in my life because a lot of times we didn't have predictability as people of color.

Um, I will say that I had a hard time with this budget.

It did not feel predictable.

Um, it didn't feel like something I could easily go into and read and understand.

Um, and I think that's why I'm always love my land use side being a county commissioner, is I feel like I can lean on that aspect of the work that I do.

Um, every decision that we have made has weighed heavily because it impacts you, the people who are sitting in these pews.

Really, it does.

It impacts the kids, and oftentimes I grew up.

Um, my grandpa, for those who may not know, his name was Harani Mo Sandoval, a Native American.

And I grew up thinking and talking about the next seven generations.

It's the seven generations that got me here, and it's the seven generations that are after me, and that's why this budget weighs so heavily on me this evening.

I'm proud of the amendments that city council put forward, which strengthen accountability, and in my personal opinion, reflect our community priorities, and I'll just say I'm disappointed for the ones that didn't pass, and it was a really hard budget, and those votes weighed heavily on me as well.

And I really do believe city council has risen to the occasion, and tonight are delivering a stronger budget that reflects our community, your community, the people in these pews, the people watching online, the people who voted this past Tuesday, the amazing residents of Denver.

You've heard this word called collaboration a lot from tonight, and a clearer process for budget future budget cycles.

Um, and after careful consideration, I will be voting yes on the mayor's 2026 budget.

And just as a reminder, the budget, even if it tonight, after I say all of the ayes and nays, if it fails, it goes, it's enacted.

And what happened, just so you all are familiar, because not everyone speaks pure bureaucratic long bill in for lexicon.

I happen to have like a degree in it after 13 years, feels like the long bill will come next week.

So this vote is more ceremonial, it's a vote of people's values, and I just want all my colleagues up here to know I value every single one of you, and I value your input and I value your thoughts.

So thank you.

And next week is the long bill.

And that's the bill that actually appropriates everything for 2026.

So next week's vote is not ceremonial.

It's actually the vote of the budget.

And we'll have to look through it.

And it's a it's like literally the long bill.

So it's like the 2026 budget.

So as much as we'd all like to be done tonight, we're not.

We have one more vote next week.

And just want to say thank you to the residents of Denver for holding every single one of us accountable and holding the mayor accountable.

And with that, Madam Secretary, we'll call on the motion to adopt the mayor's proposed 2026 budget.

Council members Torres.

Aye.

Albites?

Nay.

Flynn.

Aye.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Excuse me, nay.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

No.

Heinz?

Hi.

Cashman.

Lewis.

Nay.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer?

No.

Torres.

Sorry.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

Six ayes, six nays.

Six ayes, six nays.

The mayor's proposed 2026 budget has been adopted.

Approval of the minutes.

Are there corrections to the minutes of November 3rd?

Six and six.

Yes.

Oh, does it fail?

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.

Sorry.

Let me go back.

Six eyes, six nays.

The mayor's 2026 proposed budget fails.

I don't know.

Is it fail as or how do I say that?

Yeah.

Has not been adopted.

What do I say, Luke?

Has not been adopted.

Okay.

So six ayes, six nays.

The mayor's 2026 budget has not been adopted.

Sorry about that.

Approval of the minutes.

Are there corrections to the minutes of November 3rd?

Seeing none, the minutes stand approved.

Council announcements.

Are there any announcements this afternoon?

Councilmember Watson.

Uh, Council President, I'll be quick.

Um, one quick announcement, and this is uh a um opportunity for a kind of a personal statement here.

Uh this weekend, uh, many same-gendered couples, um, including my husband and I, who've been married for 21 years, went home with the thought process that the Supreme Court was going to vote on whether our marriages are equal, whether they matter um to this country federally.

The very specific legal theory that they were looking at is whether religious um organizations or individuals have the right to say no to our marriages.

The person who put this forward is going on their fifth marriage.

My husband and I are on our first, and I expect it to be our only.

I say this from this dais because I think it matters for the many years that I have been an adult.

There have been election after election after election, where my community continues to have to fight, where my same-gendered couples, same gendered community members continue to have to fight to prove that their lives and their loves matter.

Imagine for yourselves if tonight you went home, and some clerk or someone else in this country was able to move to the Supreme Court, a decision on whether your marriage matters or not, whether your Social Security benefits can be transferred in your death to the person you love.

These are not things that are easily forgotten.

There's no celebration in my household that once again we are having this discussion.

So I say to those, especially those who are on their fourth or fifth marriage, I encourage you to strongly focus on your own home, your own family, and leave all families out of your business.

Thank you, madam president.

Thank you, Councilmember Albivides.

Well, said, Councilman Watson.

Um, I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate the Broadway merchants and Broadway for passing the general improvement district on election night.

Very excited, um, for the future of Broadway, and um shout out to Jamie Gillis who helps us who's here in the audience today.

Thank you so much, Council President.

Thank you, Councilmember Hines.

Thank you, Madam President.

I want to um uh recognize Visit Denver.

It's having its annual board meeting on Wednesday morning at 7 30.

Uh, it is the marketing arm for the uh technically the city of Denver, but it um moves uh its influences so far beyond just the city of Denver, the um uh the reach is uh is all throughout Colorado.

Um I also want to um uh to uh lift up INC's annual meeting.

INC is the interneighborhood cooperation um organizations, the registered neighborhood organization that is of other registered neighborhood organizations, uh that is at Wednesday night at 6 30 at um uh at the art hotel.

And um on Friday, uh Golden Triangle Creative District and the Clifford Sill Museum are having an art poster launch party um at the Clifford Still.

Uh that is at Friday uh between five and seven.

So uh if you are interested in learning more about the Golden Trago Creative District or the Clifford Still Museum, and uh get a poster that is um co-authored by both organizations, uh please stop by the Clifford Still Museum between five and seven on Friday.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Lewis.

Hi, thank you.

Um I have a few um announcements.

The first one is the joint uh RNO meeting, which will be taking place on November 15th from 11 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

at the Mosaic Campus, a community campus in the Colorado room.

This is all of the um RNO uh leaders have come together to put together a joint RNO meeting um with all of the RNOs in District 8.

Uh the second announcement I have is uh the 42nd annual Hiawatha Davis Junior luncheon.

Um so the date is um taking place on Saturday, December 13th, and so note that change, it's happening on a Saturday instead of a Friday, uh December 13th from 11A to 11 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

And we still do have a few tickets available, and you can find those on our link tree or by reaching out to the office directly.

I wanted to also thank Councilwoman Sawyer as well as Councilwoman Gilmore with their budget better Denver meeting that happened on November 5th.

It was a great dialogue for us to start to think about uh where we might be able to make some changes um in the budget.

And then finally, I wanted to say hooray for passing the bond, and I wanted to encourage the mayor if he hasn't already figured to figure out ways to maximize local participation from contractors and consultants for all stages in all projects uh within the voter-approved vibrant bond.

I would love to see the mayor explore ways in which we can commit to our local businesses and infuse those bond dollars into our local economy.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Good call on the bond and sprain our local economy couldn't be more.

Um there are no presentations.

There are no communications, there's one proclamation being read this afternoon.

Councilmember Watson and Alvidres, can you please read proclamation 15 1853?

Uh thank you, Council President.

Uh, proclamation number 251853, a proclamation honoring mile high veterans and leadership veteran for Veterans Day 2025.

Whereas Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day, first proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, to commemorate the end of World War One on November 11th, 1918, a moment that symbolized hope for peace, unity, and healing.

And whereas in 1954, following the service of American troops in World War II and the Korean War, Congress designated the day as Veterans Day.

To honor all United States veterans, past and present, who have served with courage, discipline, and unwavering loyalty to our nation.

And whereas a Veterans Day stands as a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by the men and women of the armed forces and a celebration of veterans who continue to strengthen our communities through their leadership, mentorship, and civic engagement.

And whereas our responsibility to veterans does not end when service concludes, but continues in ensuring access to opportunity, community, and belonging.

And whereas, today we honor two veterans-serving organizations, Mile High Veterans and Leadership Veteran for their commitment to supporting veterans and their families in Denver and across Colorado.

And whereas Mile High Veterans has long served as a cornerstone of veteran advocacy in the Denver metropolitan area, furthering the patriotic, historical, educational, and community interest of veterans and their families, and whereas the organization focuses on education, community empowerment, and civil rights, providing veterans with resources to secure earned benefits and supporting their transition into civilian life and dignity and confidence and whereas Mile High Veterans uplifts Hispanic and BIPOC veterans, families, youth, and elders through scholarship programs, outreach, and culturally rooted support systems, working to ensure representation, belonging, and equitable access to services.

And whereas Leadership Veteran has distinguished itself by uniting veterans serving organizations to expand their capacity, strengthen organizational sustainability, and increase their impact on veterans and families throughout Colorado.

And whereas recognizing that many veterans-serving organizations operate with limited resources and in isolation, Leadership Veteran bridges these gaps through an eight-month leadership accelerator that builds organizational resilience, expands professional networks, strengthens board governance and fundraising practices, and prepares nonprofit leaders to better serve veterans and their families.

And whereas together, Mile High Veterans and Leadership Veteran, exemplify what it means to serve not only in uniform, but through continued commitment to uplifting others, strengthening families, and building community.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Denver City Council that Denver City Council does hereby proclaim November 11th, 2025 as Veterans Day in the city and county of Denver, and encourages all residents to honor our veterans, not only in words but through acts of care, advocacy, and partnership to ensure that every veteran is seen, valued, and supported, 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 Michael Mitchell, Commander, Kenny Maestis, and Dina Gallegos.

Thank you, Council Members.

Your motion to adopt.

I move that proclamation 251853 be adopted.

It has been moved and seconded.

Comments by members of council, Councilmember Alvidres or Button who'd like to go first.

I can start.

Thank you, Council President.

I just want to thank the organizations for being here today.

I was extremely inspired this year by Leadership Veteran, doing some work to honor and tell the story of Hector Flores Park in the Baker neighborhood.

I really learned a story that I carry in my heart, and it was so ironic because I went to this celebration and it was family members that I've known since high school that were there.

People that I grew up with from the West Side that had a fallen um person from the military that died in police custody.

And that was a very interesting and hard thing to learn, but I was also so proud that that park was in my district, and it is so fits within the Baker story of resilience and hardship and fighting for our country and our values.

And I also want to honor Mile High Veterans who are very special to me.

I was able to join last year, even though I haven't been able to make it back.

But one of the reasons why I first learned about Mile High Veterans was actually because uh one of my best friends, Katrina Damien, may she rest in peace, um, and I went to a Bronco game, and she took me there, and I never felt more welcomed or a place that felt like home to spend that time, and that day is extremely special to me because that's the last Bronco game that I've gone to, and um, it's hard for me to even talk about going to a game when one of my best friends was just such a pillar in our community and was there with me that day, and it's a very special memory that I have.

But I not only did I walk in, I also saw Ron Montoya there, whose son was a close friend of mine who also passed away.

So two of my best friends that have passed away in my life, were very connected to this organization.

And so to me, that speaks to the quality of people and the commitment and how when I ever every time I've been there, they're thinking about how can we help the community, what scholarships are we gonna do.

I have participated in the Inchilada Open, which is the funnest golf tournament that there is.

And so I'm just really honored to recognize both of these organizations just for the way they've touched my life recently, and I'm not even a veteran.

Um I do have veterans in my family.

And I know a lot of veterans I went to West High School and that went to Iraq.

And they're not the same.

And I think about them all the time when we're making legislative decisions and how um we have turned our back often on the people who have fought for this country.

So thank you both for all you do to finish telling those stories.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Watson.

Uh thank you, Council President.

Uh, I want to thank uh very much uh Mile High Veterans and Leadership Veterans for the work that you do in community and always ensuring that uh veterans and our communities are working together to ensure that we uh we're we're we're elevating not just your stories, but the stories of everyone who put the the um the uniform on.

Uh I I want to say I grew up in a military family.

I think I've had family members uh that served from World War One, um World War II, uh Korean War, Vietnam, and Desert Storm.

And they served in honor uh so much as so many of your families have done the same.

Um they served with honor during a time when our country at times didn't value their patriotism or their service, yet they stood up.

Yet they came back and they fought because this country is ours, um, not because someone said it is, but because we helped to build it and we helped to defend it.

And it is the veterans, and it's the good work that each of you do on a regular basis.

I was honored to be at the uh Veterans Day Parade with uh Councilmember Alvidaritz and Councilmember Council President Pro Tem Romera Campbell this weekend, and my heart went out to the JRTC um folks uh from all the high schools, uh, from north to east, and to all the others that showed up uh carrying forward those traditions and those uh uh with their families from um from such a young age.

Uh I also want to elevate um, I think this week, and um Department of uh Parks and right can correct me, but I think uh the Joseph P.

Martinez Park is uh finally opening.

And for many folks who um uh may not um uh be aware, uh Joseph P.

Martinez received uh the medal of freedom, the courage.

Our uh color guard will be opening the ceremony.

Yes.

So he received, he was one of the first um in the uh city and county of Denver, I think the state of Colorado to receive uh that Purple Heart, that uh medal of of courage and freedom.

Um we had a little dinky park with not much um uh um uh uh things to identify and to lay out how important he is to this community, and I want to thank you all as well as uh Denver Park Trust and Denver Parks and Rec uh for really coming together to make sure we elevate him and the good work that he has done and his family has done.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Um just want to give a shout out to all the veterans who are here with us.

Um my uncle's a veteran and he served in um Vietnam.

And I just so happen to be um in a program at UC Denver in the executive um masters of business administration right now, and out of four 34 of us, more than three-fourths are veterans.

And in my um study group, there's five of us, three of them are veterans.

And so I've gotten to get to know um it more intimately, especially people my age of what they experienced in Iraq.

Some of the PTSD that they still have.

We have our meetings, our class session will actually be this Saturday downtown, and sometimes when sirens go off or loud noises go off.

You I can see that the room um is impacted in a different way.

And so it's just how me have a different type of appreciation.

I've always had an appreciation, but getting to know someone who's my age more.

I always thought of them as my like my uncle, who's 80.

Um, and they're not.

They're just amongst us.

Um, they really do have an honor, and I think it is today or tomorrow is the 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps.

And so just want to give a shout out to all of our Marine Corps vets out there.

Um, I had several good friends who are Marines, um, and our veterans, so just want to give a shout-out to the 250th anniversary of our marine corps as well.

And um, it you just play a special role in the United States for us, so thank you so much.

Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members Torres, I.

Albutis.

Aye.

Flynn.

Aye.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

Heinz.

Hi.

Cashman.

Lewis.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

Twelve ayes.

12 ayes.

Proclamation 1853 has been adopted.

We now have time for the acceptance, proclamation acceptance.

Councilmember Watson and Alvidres, who would you like to invite to accept the proclamation?

Um, I wanted to take one quick moment and just acknowledge that the clerk came here for this because he was gonna put on the seal.

So if you could join us afterwards for a photo, but um I wanted to invite Michael Mitchell and Commander Kenny Maestus and Dina Gallegos to say a few words.

Hello, City Council.

My name is uh Kenya Mayestas.

I'm a Marine Corporal.

I did two tours in Vietnam.

I'm the commander of Malhab Veterans Organization.

On my left is my adjutant, Harold Armenta, uh warrant officer.

On my right is uh Navy Captain Dina Gallegos.

Dina is the uh chair of our veterans division.

I want to thank the city and council, the uh the council, every uh county council in particular, Miss Florida Albertis for recognizing our organization and proclaiming us in our works in this organization, the great city of Denver.

Believe me.

I'm a uh native here and uh I got a lot of friends in the city.

Uh and you mentioned your family, Miss Sandoval.

I grew up with your family.

I read I remember your grandparents, your father, your uncles.

I remember your your grandma cooking great breakfast for me and Joey.

You know, great cook, great lady, yeah.

And uh I just want to recognize uh your family as well.

I appreciate that.

Uh without the uh members that are with me today, I cannot be in the position I am not to accept this proclamation.

I'm very grateful.

Okay.

Uh we will continue our work within our organization.

And we are uh a Hispanic, mainly an Hispanic organization, although we uh uh invite all and everyone to be members.

We're uh we're based on 17th Sampton Federal, and uh we are centrally located, so please stop by and visit us as a guest.

You're always welcome as a guest, my guest.

Again, I want to thank you all for this proclamation.

Dina, would you like to say a few words?

I would just like to say thank you.

He said it all.

Uh my name is Michael Mitchell.

I'm the founder and board chair of Leadership Veteran.

Um, this program came to be based on my experience fundraising for VFW post one.

The first to many found in Denver in 1899.

Thank you.

Um, and the goal is to bring the veteran nonprofit serving community together through nonprofit management education, collaboration, and access to funders.

I'm proud to say, as of this this moment, 55 organizations have gone through the program over the last four years.

Over half a million dollars have been raised through the program by these nonprofits so they can better serve our veterans.

And when we were planning this program in 2021, when we went live with the first cohort in 22, I wanted a really sharp color guard to kick us off.

Great.

And to close the first cohort.

And I was so fortunate to have the best color guard in the state.

Mile High Veterans Color Guard.

And this current cohort, Deanna, is a member.

So for me to be here, for me to be here with Mile High means a lot to me.

Um we look forward to continuing to serve a veteran community.

And thank you so much for this this opportunity.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, please read the bills for introduction.

From the community planning and housing committee, 25-1635, a bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification of 3333 West Regis Boulevard, and 5051-5115 North Federal Boulevard and Regis.

25-1636, a bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for West 3333 Regis Boulevard and Regis.

From the Finance and Business Committee, 25-1567, a bill for an ordinance adding a new section establishing the maximum possible civil penalty for violations of Article 8 of Chapter 27 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code.

25-1588, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget for the West Colfax Business Improvement District.

25-1589, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget in amending the 2025 budget for the Santa Fe Business Improvement District.

25-1590, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget for the Rhino Business Improvement District.

25-1591, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget, and amending the 2025 budget for the old South Gaylord Business Improvement District.

25-1592, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget, amending the 2025 budget for the Five Points Business Improvement District.

25-1593, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget and amending the 2025 budget for the Federal Boulevard Business Improvement District.

25-1594, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget for the Denver for the downtown Denver Business Improvement District.

25-1595, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget, amending the 2025 budget for the Colfax Mayfair Business Improvement District.

25-1596, a bill for an ordinance approving 2026 operating plan and budget for the Colfax Business Improvement District.

25-1597, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget, and amending the 2025 budget for the Cherry Creek Sub Area Business Improvement District.

25-1598, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget for the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District.

25-1599, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget, and amending the 2025 budget for the Bluebird Business Improvement District.

25-1605, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 annual plan and operating budget for the Denver Tourism Improvement District.

25-1606, a bill for an ordinance amending ordinance number 400, series of 2008, as subsequently amended by ordinance number 1659, series of 2024, ordinance number 1208, series of 2025, ordinance number 1279, series of 2025, and ordinance number 1427 series of 2025, thereby amending the bound the boundaries of the down Denver Downtown Development Authority.

And from the South Platte River Committee, 25-1578, a bill for an ordinance approving and accepting the Denver Downtown, the downtown Denver area plan, which shall become part of comprehensive plan 2040 for the city and county of Denver pursuant to the provisions of Section 12-61 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code.

Thank you, Madam Secretary.

I will do a recap under resolutions.

Councilmember Alvidarus has called out council resolution 1580 for postponement.

Councilmember Watson has called out council resolution 1372 for questions.

Councilmember Lewis has called out 1372 for a vote.

Councilmember Gilmore has called out council resolution 1608 for comments.

Councilmember Lewis has called out council resolutions 1488 and 1842 for comments and resolution 1565 for questions under bills for introduction.

Councilmember Hines has called out council resolution.

Council bill 1578 for amendment and council member Lewis has called out council bills 1590, 1594, and 1596 for a vote under bills for 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 1580, a resolution approving a proposed agreement between the city and county of Denver.

The community firm TCF to provide free eviction legal services to approximately 3,099 unduplicated households annually.

Councilmember Albidars, what would you like to do with council resolution 1580?

Thank you, Council President.

Pursuant to Rule 3.6 of the charter, I would like to postpone consideration of this resolution for one week to the next regularly scheduled council meeting on Monday, November 17th.

Thank you.

No motion motion is required.

Council resolution 1580 has been postponed until the next council meeting.

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

Council resolution 1680, a resolution approving a proposed contract between the city and county of Denver and ECI site construction management to construct a new 13.2 acre park in Denver's Gateway neighborhood.

Councilmember Gilmore, please go ahead with your comments on council resolution 1680.

I wanted to call this one out because it has uh taken decades in the far northeast, specifically Green Valley Ranch, to uh get the funding to build this promised park.

Uh the location of it is off of um 47th and Telluride and the neighbor that has been built out, the neighborhood that has been built out there has been out there for about 15 years, and I'm pretty sure that when they bought their homes out there, they um were told that there was a planned park that would be caddy cornered to their development, and um, knowing that it's taken years to get this built, and that the city and county of Denver has owned the land for 25 years.

And so, if you look at it from that scope, when people bought their home and their kids might have been small, thinking that someday they might be able to take them over and walk them to a community park, they grew up without any park ever being built, and this park is part of the RISE bond, um, and it's a 13-acre park on a 19-acre site, and we're very, very grateful in the far northeast for the um little bit over $7 million that's gonna be allocated to build out this park, but from the standpoint of equity and what we saw with the bond and what we've seen with the budget, without a strong equity lens, communities of color, specifically Green Valley Ranch and Montbello get left behind, and it's strategic, and without a difference in how investments are made.

We're going to continue seeing, especially in the far northeast, uh uh an elevated time frame for us to realize amenities that are promised to residents.

And so I wanted to bring um this forward and make those comments on it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Sorry, just refreshing the script just a second.

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

Resolution 1372, a resolution approving a proposed third amendatory agreement between the city and county of Denver and the Salvation Army to operate and provide programmatic services at Crossroads, a 24 7 low barrier emergency shelter in Council District 9.

Councilmember Watson, please go ahead with your questions on resolution 1372.

Thank you, Madam President.

Is there anyone from Salvation Army that's here or from the administration?

They're online.

Tim, I think his name is Jeff.

Yes.

Good afternoon.

This is Jeff Kasitski from Host.

Are you able to hear me?

Uh yes, Jeff, I can I can hear Madam President.

May I Yes, go ahead.

Jeff, um, I call this out for um your team uh and order team from Salvation Army to talk through their security plan for crossroads.

We've had um a few discussions uh outside of um uh this this the chambers here and um I asked for some specific information on the internal security plan and the external security plan.

Uh do you mind kind of elaborating on what that plan is for crossroads um so that my colleagues are aware of those steps?

Uh yes, council member.

First of all, I want to apologize for not uh being able to join in person.

I had a family commitment that made that impossible.

Um happy to talk about the security at crossroads.

Um as far as the external security of the site, um the Salvation Army, along with all of our shelter providers are required to monitor the perimeter of the building and to contact 311 or 911 in the event that there are any issues on the exterior of the site, and as far as the internal security goes, uh they take a wide variety of measures, including checking people into the site, ensuring that all guests sign an agreement that make them aware of their responsibilities both inside and outside of the sites, and that is in the process of being robised by Salvation Army just to ensure that there is clarity around the expectations of the guests around being uh good neighbors at the sites.

Um there are also in the process of putting up signage uh on the inside of the site just to remind guests of their responsibilities to be good neighbors in the community.

Uh, we also have, as you know, been meeting with uh neighbors in the surrounding community to talk about uh what else can be done in terms of addressing security issues, uh, some of them perhaps related to guests of crossroads, others um members in the community are unhoused neighbors who may or may not be staying there.

Uh and we're working on doing a better job around coordinating with uh police department as well as with uh our nonprofit partners that are providing outreach work in the area.

Uh thank you, Jeff.

And colleagues, I wanted to also share too to add to what Jeff is discussing.

We've begun discussions with uh nonprofit service providers that are providing support for um communities that are on housed.

We've provided a um uh begin to have discussions with uh Salvation Army on their outdoor security as well as some of the development um the the Denargo market uh development that's occurring around crossroads to come together to create a good neighbor agreement process, a good neighbor agreement committee to determine very specific steps that they're gonna take, not just for the um the perimeter of the salvation army, but all of the facilities of public spaces that are surrounding um that um building as well.

Um those are my questions, Jeff.

Thank you so much for being on.

And um, Madam President, I have no other comments to make.

Thank you.

Councilmember Gilmer, will you please put council resolution 1372 on the floor for adoption?

I called this one off.

Yeah, that's why we're putting it on the floor for adoption because you called it out for a vote and comment as well.

Yeah, so I'll put it on the floor for adoption and then I'll go through the queue.

Okay, thank you.

I move that council resolution 25-1372 be adopted.

Thank you.

It has been moved and seconded.

Comments by members of council.

Councilmember Lewis.

Thank you.

Um, so I'm a no tonight on this item, and I've made it very clear that I have no confidence in the Salvations Army's ability to run our shelters, and they have proven that time and time again.

Um that said, I am more than happy to continue to let them operate in their strengths and in their masteries, um, as a provider as they have expressed to me, and that's why I am not calling off the other Salvation Army item that is before us tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, we'll call on council resolution 1372.

Council members Torres.

Albitres.

Aye, Flynn, aye.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Nay.

Heinz?

Hi.

Thank you.

Lewis?

Nay.

Parity.

Oh.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce for the results.

Nine ayes.

Nine ayes.

Council resolution 1372 has passed.

Tonight, council will hold the required public hearing on council bill 1445, changing the zoning classification for 890 North Grove Street in Villa Park.

If there are no objections from members of council, we will recess until 5:30 before convening the regular meeting.

City Council will provide a half-hour general 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 at 5 p.m.

Welcome.

Tonight's session is being interpreted into Spanish.

That concludes our public comment.

Our general public comment session.

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

The next session will be held on Monday, November 17th.

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

Council will now reconvene from our earlier session.

We will continue with consideration of items to be called out.

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

Council resolution 1488, a resolution approve approving a proposed agreement between the city and county of Denver and Wayne and Sons Enterprise Inc.

concerning cleaning services in the food court areas on all three concourses at Denver International Airport.

Councilmember Lewis, please go ahead with your comments on council resolution 1488.

Thank you.

Um, so I spent the last two weeks talking to the involved parties and under um understand how we got to a place where the sub was cut loose from the contract.

Um, I don't while I don't appreciate how this process has gone down.

I originally called this item off in hopes that the additional time would help solve some of the issues that I had heard about regarding the contract and that I asked about in committee as well.

Um, I feel that in and specifically for the subcontractor, not for Wayne, um, just to clarify.

I feel that this process of requesting more time.

Um, I wanted to use as an opportunity for me to be able to figure out what was going on, and instead, I was used as a scapegoat to justify cutting the sub loose from the contract, which is something that I had not and would not have requested as a condition of approval.

Ultimately, I do not think that the prime would be.

I ultimately I did not think that the prime should be punished for this softly process, nor the sub, which is why I am not voting no on this, but I am not happy with the way that this is all shaken out.

Thank you.

Thank you.

A resolution authorizing and approving the expenditure and payment from the appropriations account designated liability claims, the sum of 40,000 no cents made payable to Judith Myers and Ramos Law in full payment and satisfaction of all claims related to the civil action captioned Judith Myers versus City and County of Denver, which was filed in district court for the city and county of Denver case number 2025, C V 30 103.

Councilmember Lewis, please go ahead with your comments on Council Resolution 1842.

Thank you.

So after consistent feedback from my constituents, I see it as my responsibility to ensure that the public is aware of every tax dollar being approved as an expenditure and payment of funds for a settlement with the city and county of Denver.

My office is tracking every dollar by department and as a running total with the approval of 251842 tonight.

The city will approve settlements and in the amounts of 40,000 to settle cases brought against the Department of Transportation and Introspect interest infrastructure, excuse me, respectively.

The approval of these items tonight brings the 2025 total for taxpayer dollars in city settlements to $8,039,000.

This funding is drawn from a liability claims pool of money that is refilled when necessary from the city's general budget budget and does not come out of the safety budget.

We must therefore pay extra attention in this budget environment that we are watching out for how the city spends our money and that we are making decisions for the future with this knowledge.

Um and let me correct that, not the safety budget, the um Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Okay, thank you, Councilmember.

Council Resolution 1565, a resolution approving a proposed amendatory agreement between the city and county of Denver and Energy Outreach Colorado Efficiency LLC to continue running a turnkey home electrification program for 100 underserved, under-resourced single-family homes.

Councilmember Lewis, please go ahead with your questions on council resolution 1565.

Thank you.

So I was very excited about this item, and I just wanted to know if anyone could speak a little to what qualifies families for this program and how folks can get enrolled in this program.

Great.

Thank you very much, Councilmember Lewis.

Uh Council members, I'm Jonathan Rogers, call me Johnny.

I'm the acting deputy executive director in Denver's Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency.

Uh rebates and incentives offered by Excel Energy, the Denver Regional Council of Government, and the Colorado Energy Office.

Our partnership with them on this program is really helping to connect folks towards whole home electrification, really being the goal.

But as we have gone into properties in the past, we have identified things such as mold or asbestos or other conditions that uh would benefit from attention.

This enables us to do home energy assessments to connect households to services that can help them save money and reduce uh their carbon pollution in their homes.

And we are appreciative of your support in helping connect uh our constituents to participate in this program.

So we can follow up with direct information in terms of signups, registrations to be connected to energy outreach Colorado and their resources, and we'll be working with them as we look at neighborhoods that may be best to increase our marketing efforts because there might be aging fossil gas infrastructure, which rather than paying to replace it and locking ourselves into more fossil fuel consumption, we would prefer to electrify those areas and really uh transition our community in that way.

Thank you so much, really appreciate it.

Those were my only questions.

Thank you.

Councilmember Gilmore, will you please put council bill 1590 on the floor for publication?

I move that council bill 25-1590 be ordered published.

Councilmember Lewis, did you want this so called out for a vote?

I'm not sure yet.

I have it depends on how my questions are answered.

So, yeah, I guess.

Okay, sorry, sorry, sorry.

I skipped ahead.

Sorry, let me go back in the script.

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

Council Bill 1590, a bill for an ordinance approving a 2026 operating plan budget for the Rhino business improvement district.

Councilmember Gilmore, will you please put Council Bill 1590 on the floor for publication?

I move that council bill 25-1590 be ordered published.

It has been moved and seconded.

Comments by members of council.

Councilmember Lewis.

Yeah, I just have um two questions.

One is within the budget for the bid.

Um, are there private security?

And do you have a plan to contract private security if there are if it's not currently budgeted?

Good evening, Councilwoman Lewis.

All happy to answer your question.

My name is Jamie Gillis with Centro.

Um, I'm a consultant that was helped um hired to help with the renewal of the business improvement district over the last year in Rhino.

Um, as part of that renewal in within the community engagement and surveying work that was done over the last year, safety was a high priority, but safety had a lot of components to it.

Lighting, um, some particular sort of uh specific areas of the district that had um that were of concern.

Um there are also safety issues on Larimer Street in particular related to speeding motorbikes, um, one in which a pedestrian was actually hit and critically injured.

And so there's uh quite a wide variety of um safety-related matters.

As such, we included a safety line item in the budget for next year to explore that a little bit further.

At this time, there are no private security forces hired or anticipated to be hired.

There is a clean team that's very small on the ground right now.

We are anticipating doing an expansion of that clean team and having sort of a hospitality service related to it.

Um, and there may be some sort of pilot um in which there's a partnership with the ballpark ambassadors that they do um services within Rhino during certain high pedestrian traffic times.

Um, our new executive director for the rhino bid is here, Terry Medexo.

She's um just in from Mesa, she's only been on the ground for three weeks.

So her work over the coming months will be to really deep dive in with the community and identify what are the actual issue areas, what's the data?

We already have uh meetings set up with the chief, uh, with the police chief, with the mayor's office, with host, um, and a number of our other agencies to really try to understand that better, but we don't have a definitive plan at this time to bring in private security.

Will that be a part of the uh future discussions potentially?

They will be part of uh future discussions over the course of 2026.

Okay, and then two follow-up questions for you, Jamie.

The first is around the hospitality piece that you mentioned.

Can you just share more about what that means?

What that looks like, and then the second is the ballpark ambassadors.

I'm not sure what so the ballpark general improvement district um spends a significant amount of money, a significant amount of its budget on the ambassador program, and the ambassadors are cleaning, safety, and hospitality focused.

So they're all in ballpark branded uniforms.

Um again, they don't carry weapons or anything like that.

Okay.

Their effort is really just to be front-facing um folks and proactive in dealing with um visitors and residents to the neighborhood to make sure that their needs are met.

So they're kind of a friendly face.

It's a program that's used quite frequently in districts all across the country.

They do everything from, you know, on baseball days, they'll stand out and provide directions.

Here's how you get to the train, here's how you get to a slice of pizza, here's how you get to the, you know, the Uber stand.

And they also can do things like they will uh, for example, residents in the neighborhood can call and ask for a security or a safety escort.

So if they're it's dark or it's late, or you have an employee getting off at midnight and it's dark and they have to walk four blocks to their car and there's some um nervousness around that, they'll provide escorts and things like that.

So it really truly is a hospitality service to make um the visitation to the district better for both residents and visitors coming into the area.

Okay.

And if the private security were to be added, I know you said it's um not definitive but potentially a part of future conversations.

Would that come back to council for approval?

Like once you all made the decision, or would you just make the decision?

We have to um so any district that wants to do any sort of security has to complete an intergovernmental agreement with the Denver Police Department.

So that intergovernmental agreement, I believe, and this would be a has to come back to council to be approved.

Dennis, do you want to speak to that um process?

So it does not.

Okay.

I know it intergovernmental has to be completed, but I'm not sure how that works or Bradley.

Thank you.

Uh Brad Neiman, City Attorney's Office.

Thank you for the question.

Uh, the intergovernmental agreement between uh the city and the BID uh for security, if it's if it goes through that way, would likely not need to go through council just because it would not meet the thresholds uh 3.2.6.

Okay, thank you.

I really appreciate it.

Thank you.

Those are my only questions.

Thank you.

Um Madam Secretary, we'll call on Council Bill 1590.

Council members Gonzalez Cutieris.

Torres?

Albitradez.

Aye, Flynn.

Aye.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Heinz, Cashman.

Lewis.

Nay.

Parity?

Oh, sorry.

Uh, Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the vote and announce the results.

Nine ayes.

Nine ayes.

Council Bill 1590 has been orders ordered published.

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

Council Bill 1594, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget for the downtown Denver Business Improvement District.

Councilmember Gilmore, will you please put Council Bill 1594 on the floor for publication?

I move that council bill 25-1594 be ordered published.

It has been moved and seconded.

Comments by members of council.

Councilmember Lewis.

Yes, thank you.

Um, so I have the same inquiry here is if um currently private security is um hired, and if not, is it being complicated in the future?

Good evening, Courtney Garrett, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership.

We carry the program of the downtown Denver Business Improvement District.

And yes, we do have private security as a part of our team.

Okay, thank you.

That's it.

Um so with that answer, I would just like you all to know that I will be on no on this one as well for the same reason.

So during my time time at RTD, we had um private security, in which RTD didn't have any um oversight over those contractors, and so I've been able to see firsthand the trouble that stems from using folks in the absence of oversight.

Um I've also expressed my uneasy uneasiness with the lack of over oversight for bids and jids um from city council many times um from here, um, and in the policy newsletters as well that we print um within district eight.

Um, in fact, tonight represents one of my only opportunities to register that uneasiness, which we learned um earlier today, and so I'll be voting no on this, not from the work that you all are doing, but just from my experience as a board member um and the lack of oversight um with private security.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Councilmember Heinz.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um may I have someone who can uh help me uh learn a little bit more about how bids are funded.

Um maybe yeah, okay.

Councilman, uh Dance for Jank, Department of Finance.

Yeah, thank you.

Um, so uh so this is uh a short set of questions that are unrelated to Councilmember Lewis's concerns.

I I believe that her concerns are um are totally um separate.

I but I did want to just um touch base on um business improvement districts.

They um they're funded by the businesses in the district, is that right?

Correct.

And they um those business owners choose to tax themselves to fund the business improvement district, is that right?

Correct.

There is a yes.

And uh and the businesses get to vote on how they want to spend those funds.

Correct.

There's a board of directors uh for the district, and um the residents in the district have an opportunity to weigh in.

Okay, and um and so the businesses have chosen um this budget that we're um that we're looking at uh from a council perspective, but it's not taxpayer funded.

Um it's uh funded by the business.

Well, it's it's funded by the sales taxes uh from the businesses that have opted into the district.

Um I'll correct that not necessarily sales taxes, it could be property taxes or um assessments based on you know uh area on the uh right of way or things like that, but um is revenues um generated from within the district by uh property owners and businesses in the district.

Yeah, and that's a good correction because the downtown Denver Business Improvement District is a different beast that's funded in a way no other business improvement district is funded.

So um so again, not trying to say that that addresses at all Councilmember Lewis's concerns, but I did want to uh put on the record that these are um funds that are um the businesses have decided to um add the funds themselves and have um an active participant role in how those funds are dispersed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Lewis.

Hi, thank you.

I just wanted to clarify it's not the funding or where the dollars are coming from, it's just the presence of um private security and what what I have seen in my experience as an RTD board member with private private security.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, roll call on Council Bill 1594.

Council members Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Torres Albitrez.

Aye.

Flynn?

Aye.

Gilmore?

Aye.

Heinz.

Cashman, Lewis.

Nay.

Romara Campbell, aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

Nine ayes.

Nine ayes.

Council Bill 1594 has been ordered published.

Madam Secretary, please put the next item on our screens, Council Bill 1596, a bill for an ordinance approving the 2026 operating plan and budget for the Cofax Improvement in District.

Councilmember Gilmore, will you please put Council Bill 1596 on the floor for publication?

I move that council bill 1596 be ordered published.

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

Councilmember Lewis?

Thank you.

Um, so I get two different answers on this one, and so I'll ask the same question if the uh arm security are a part of um this current bid, and if so, are if not, is there any are there any plans in the future to have arms arm security?

Our private security, excuse me.

Hi there.

I do actually have uh Frank Locatoria on the on the um Zoom call.

Great, thank you.

Can you promote him, Tim?

Hello, can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Go ahead.

Okay.

So the question do we have armed security?

The answer is no.

We have the Denver Dream Center that is our street outreach team.

And in a lot of respects, because housing is a safety policy, caring of mental health is uh issue of security for both the person that is mentally experiencing mental health issue.

Uh we do kind of consider this a security um program, but it's with the nonprofit Christian-based Denver Dream Center, and there are no weapons that are carried, it's a street outreach program.

And it's not a private security company, correct, Frank?

That's correct.

It's a it's a nonprofit.

They the all of the staff uh that uh do the street outreach work for the Denver Dream Center are uh formerly incarcerated and emerging from incarceration and have that lived experience, and uh they're the ones that are doing the outreach.

Uh the only thing they're armed with are typically granola bars and bottles of water and sox.

Thanks, Drake.

I'm happy to support.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, roll call on council bill fifteen ninety-six, council members Gonzalez Cutier, Torres, Albidras, aye, Flynn, aye, Gilmore, aye.

Heinz, aye.

Cashman.

Lewis, aye.

Romeric Yampel, aye.

Sawyer?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

Nine ayes.

Nine ayes.

Council Bill 1596 has been ordered published.

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

Council bill 1578, a bill for an ordinance approving and accepting the downtown Denver area plan, which plan shall become a part of comprehensive plan 2040 for the city of Denver pursuant to the provisions of sections 12-61 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code.

Councilmember Gilmore, will you please put council bill 1578 on the floor for publication?

I move that council bill 1578 be ordered published.

It has been moved and seconded.

Councilmember Hines, your motion to amend.

Thank you, Madam President.

I move that Council Bill 25-1528 be amended in the following particulars.

One on page two, line three, strike fourth and replace with seventh.

Two, on page two, line four, strike two zero two, five zero one seven eight and replace with two zero two five zero one seven eight A.

It has been moved and seconded.

Comments by members of council on the amendment to Council Bill 1578.

Council Member Heinz.

Thank you, Council President.

This amendment replaces the previously filed copy of the downtown Denver area plan with a revised copy of the plan that answered language into the plan regarding how overlap overlap of existing small area plans within the boundary of the Denver Downtown Denver area plan will be addressed.

Thank you.

Seeing no questions or comments from other colleagues, madam secretary.

We'll call an amendment to Council Bill 177 1578.

Council members Gonzalez Cutier.

Torres.

Aye.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Heinz?

Aye.

Cashman.

Aye.

Lewis.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval?

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

10 ayes.

10 ayes.

The amendment to council bill 1578 has passed.

Councilmember Gilmore, will you please put Council Bill 1578 on the floor for publication as amended?

I move that Council bill 1578 be ordered published as amended.

Madam Secretary, roll call on Council Bill 1578 as amended.

Council members Gonzalez Cutieres.

Torres?

Albidras?

Flynn?

Aye.

Gilmore?

Aye.

Heinz?

Aye.

Cashman?

Lewis?

Aye.

Romera Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer?

Aye.

Watson?

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close vote's results.

10 ayes.

10 ayes.

Council Bill 1578 as amended has been ordered published.

As amended.

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 a vote aye.

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

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

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

Oh, see here, uh 15 or excuse me, series of 2025, 1852, 1197, 1579, 1581, 1582, 1584, 1586, 1563, 1544, 1488, 1565, 1566, 1572, 1608, 1609, 1842, 0914, 1514, 1517, 1320, 1513, 1515, 1516, 1518, 1519, 1520, 1521, 1522, 1523.

Thank you.

It has been moved and seconded.

Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members Gonzalez Cutieres.

Torres.

Albitres?

Aye.

Flynn?

Aye.

Gilmore?

Aye.

Hines?

Aye.

Cashman?

Aye.

Lewis.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval?

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the vote and announce the results.

10 ayes.

10 ayes.

The resolutions and proclamations have been ordered published and the bills have been placed upon final consideration and do pass.

There are two proclamations being read this evening.

Council President Pro Tem Romero Campbell and Councilmember Alvidres and Gilmore, will you please join me in reading proclamation 1855?

Yes.

Yes, Council President.

I move that proclamation 25-1855 be adopted.

Oh, you read the proclamation first?

Oh, I'm so sorry.

That's okay.

Oh, I had the wrong place in the script.

No power.

Sorry about that.

Um, yes, I would be happy to read the proclamation.

Uh a proclamation honoring the Dia de los Muertos parade and festival, whereas Dia de los Muertos is a treasured cultural tradition that celebrates life, honors loved ones who have passed, and affirms the enduring connection between generations through remembrance, reflection, and joy, and whereas Dia de los Muertes is observed annually on November 1st and 2nd, bringing families and communities together to build altars, ofrendas, share food, art, and music, and adorn spaces with marigolds, candles, and photographs as symbols of love and continuity, and whereas this cherished observance rooted in indigenous and Spanish traditions, reminds us that death is not an end, but a continuation of life's circle, and that the memory of those we have lost continues to guide and inspire us.

And whereas the Dia de los Muertos Parade and Festival, taking place on October 26, 2025, unites Denver's vibrant and diverse communities in honoring this meaningful heritage through art, dance, music, and cultural expression that celebrates both remembrance of life and whereas.

Sorry.

Whereas the Dia de los Muertos Parade and Festival and its dedicated founders, Norberto Marion, and Cesar Alberto Dalgado, artists and volunteers have created a space that fosters cultural pride, understanding, and unity, showcasing the contributions of Denver's Latino Mexican and Mexican American communities that enrich the city's cultural fabric, and whereas the city and county of Denver proudly recognize Dia de los Muertos is a time for reflection, connection, and celebration of the traditions that strengthen our sense of belonging and community.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Denver City Council, Section One, that the Denver City Council recognizes the outstanding work of Noberto Mohardin and Cesar Alberto Delgado to create this beloved Denver community celebration.

Section two, the clerk and recorder shall affix the seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation and transmit copies to the Dia de los Muertos Parade and Festival.

Thank you.

Councilmember, yeah.

Thank you, Council President uh Sand of all.

I move the proclamation 25-1855 be adopted.

It has been moved and seconded.

Madam Secretary, oh, comments.

Comments.

Comments from members of council.

Councilmember Alvider, start us off.

Great.

Thank you, Council President.

Bienvenidos a todos por estar aquí con nosotros.

Thank you so much for being here with us today.

I am so proud of the work that Beto has done for our community and bringing people together.

It's such an inspiration and to remember the Mexican culture in this very special way.

And I just want to really recognize this amazing individual for his love and care for community and especially our children.

His focus is on making free events for community.

And that's something we need more of, and multi-generational events, something where I can take my grandma, my parents, and my son.

And those are very hard to come by.

So thank you for your perseverance all of these years to make all of these events happen that you do on a continuous basis, and congratulations on an amazing event this year for Dia de los Muertos.

Thank you, Beto.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Council Proto Momiro Campbell.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I am so incredibly proud to co-sponsor this proclamation for Dia de los Muertos.

Um, there are other council members here who weren't able to be here but also um are in support of this um and co-sponsoring this proclamation um councilwoman Gonzalez Gutierrez is not here um but wanted to be.

Uh honoring you, um, Beto uh and César, I think is just amazing.

Your partnership, um, what you have created together, you've dedicated your time, your talent, your treasure, your creativity to the Denver community.

This honoring in the programming, I have to read this because I was gonna be all over and we talked about this.

Um, but this honoring of the programming for Dia de los Muertos couldn't have been done without your effort, without your love.

Um, and there are so many creative events that you've been part of.

This is just one, and you do it with with um with community.

Um, but over the years, I'm just thinking about like Latin Fashion Week.

Okay, but keeping it all afloat, um, with two small but mighty kids, two small but mighty businesses along Colfax, um, the hair salon, Yakis, the restaurant is just amazing.

And if people haven't tried it, they definitely should.

But the creativity that shines from you and that you give so generously to community is amazing.

Your hearts and capacity of overwhelming kindness and patience and trust is remarkable.

We've spent time together talking and crying and laughing.

But what I always walk away with is how you carry hope and you carry resilience and you carry love.

And I keep saying love because I think that's such a part of who you are and what you bring to every space that you enter.

Um, when I lost my dad, and when my mom passed less than a year ago, um your compassion and understanding for the healing that is needed, um, is astounding, and creating the space with the Dia de los Muertos event is a way that you've brought to a broader community, to individuals, but to a broader community, that need for um for remembering our loved ones and bringing people together.

It is so incredibly hard, and everybody carries someone in their hearts.

Um, and so I'm just so incredibly grateful and thankful for who you are, for what you bring, for your for the community that you have here.

Um thank you and to thank you to everybody who came and support.

I think this is a testament of the impact that you have, and um, and the impact that you will continue to have in this community, and again, you don't do it alone, and the partnership and seeing you and Sus up there with your family is beautiful.

So thank you for being here.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Pratem.

Councilmember Gilmar.

Thank you, Council President.

Uh, it's an honor uh to co-sponsor uh this proclamation and to recognize all of the amazing, beautiful work that you do.

And we know um every year at the beginning of November that uh that veil gets very thin between here and there, and I remember um helping my grandmother uh harvest marigolds and string them together, and um it's so beautiful to see the way that you've brought in uh the artistic and creative side of what it really means to connect with our ancestors, talk to them and keep that love alive, and it doesn't necessarily have to be um a solemn event, it can be full of color and love and creativity, and you show that time and time again, and so congratulations, um, honored to support.

Um, thank you very much, Council President.

Thank you.

Um, where to start, Beto?

I was long time ago that I first met you.

I was trying to think about it.

I think I was 21 when I met you at Steve Trihue with Al Salon.

Um, and I think I was dyeing your hair blonde for a fashion show that Steve and I were putting on.

Um, so thank you for, and I remember I think you had just come to Denver and you were fairly new, and we welcomed you, and here you are.

How many years later?

Um, bringing such joy and inspiration in a time where we don't feel very inspired, and in a time where um a lot of what Trump is doing is bringing us apart, not bringing us together, taking away laws that we fundamentally have had for a very long time, and in those moments, it's really hard to find inspiration.

It's very hard to find connection to community, and thank you for being um a steadfast leader in that, and filling um our spaces with color, with people, and reminding us that we're all better together, and reminding us of the deep cultural um fabric that Dia de los Muertos brings for all of us.

I remember I was in Pazcaro one time for Dia de los Muertos, and it was one of the um my dad had just passed not long ago.

And it was one of the most profound experiences I had connecting with my ancestors.

And that's so profound and so important for me as one of the Latinas up here on City Council, attempting to do the work of the people.

So thank you, Pro Tem Romero Campbell for bringing this forward.

It sure means a lot.

And with that, Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members Gonzalo.

Torres.

Albitres.

Flynn.

Aye.

Gilmore.

Heinz.

Hi.

Cashman.

Louis.

I.

Romero Campbell.

I.

Sawyer.

I.

Watson.

I.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

10 ayes.

10 eyes.

Proclamation 1588 has been adopted.

We now have time for the proclamation acceptance.

Council Protem, who would you like to invite up?

I'd like.

Here we go.

I'd like to invite up Beto Mohardin and Cesar.

And your family and whoever else you want to bring up.

Thank you.

Noberto, I should say.

Thank you.

Thank you so so much.

In the name of my family and our community.

Before I get sentimental, I'm going to be able to talk.

I want to say thank you.

Thank you to the city council for this beautiful proclamation.

And it's not only for me, but with the people that with all these years.

I had dedicated all my time to build a family, not only business.

I ran away when I was 19, and I said, you know, I have to do something with myself.

And it's not going to be here in Arizona.

It will have to be in Colorado.

The first time I touched Colorado is because I came to dance, the Vatican, invited me to dance for the Pope the second when he did the youth program at the time.

And that's how I touched Colorado.

And then when I went back to Arizona, you know, and then finding out what I was going through, I said, that's gonna be my new world, that's gonna be my new family, start all over again.

So I decided to move here.

And then going to school, Emily Griffith, I have to mention because uh that was my future as a hairstylist, and from there everything, the restaurant, the community, everything I do, I do it as a thank you because you know I always my grandma always teach me to say thank you to whoever is next to you and help you.

But um I would like to say thank you to the people that without them this event couldn't be possible, and of course, I'm not gonna mention the 800, but um the first of all I would like to say thank you to my family, Stephanie Salas, our baby's mom, uh Cesar Delgado, my partner, Jonathan, my older son, Johnny, Norberto Junior, Nathan, my good son, and my good friends that you always have a counselor over there when when you when you're going through rough times, and when sometimes you think that you're not doing enough, and they put you in your place, which is uh a good friend of mine, uh Pavel Melendez, Consul General de Mexico, Joey Casas from Vive Wellness, Rachel Garcia, Linda Sosa, uh Diana Pineda, uh from Vuela Portugal, Alvina Vasquez, Brenda Guilleria, and Miriam Garcia.

Those people, they really pushed me very hard to do this event this year.

And thank you for your support.

God, there were so many volunteers, but these volunteers they went over to stay up to two, three in the morning cleaning, because the event it was only one day, so we need to set up in a couple of hours and take it off in many many hours.

Our volunteers, Leslie, Hernandez, she's been with me every year that I have done the altaris.

I think the only family that they're always there every year, Miguel Rosales, Miguel Valdivieso, David, Chef.

I put it because he's the chef of my restaurant magistrato to go and help me so much, Alejandro Rendon created the whole altar, the Fisher, Celestia, Paola Moros, Norma Estrada, Equipo, the Viva Wellness, yellow también the Vuela Portugal, que gracias a ellas crear millones de flores con sus programas hermosos que tienen tanto para niños como para adultos.

Norma, Jean Herrera, Lucilla Dorado, the Alma de Mexico, Gabriel Escalante, Mexico and La Piel, Folclorico, Alberto Hiros, the Maestro de Folklorico Basasiarsi, Janet Trujillo de Fiesta Colorado.

Without them, the entertainment wouldn't be the same and put the cherry on the cake because it's our folkloricals that represents our Colorado.

And our sponsors, Vive Wellness, Univision, Tricolor, Juana Tequila, Mexican restaurant, La Morena Mexican Restaurant, Glemmer Magazine Carmelia, Consul General de Mexico, Consulado General de Mexico, Colorado Home Group, Corina Coe, Hamilton Facts, Buffet de Abogados, and Tu Portal de Colorado y el Comercio de Colorado.

They are the ones, and I still have a huge list of many more, but these are the ones that they've been with me for the past at least seven years.

And this entertainment.

They put their time and effort to come from other states and here locally.

Carlos Orozco Sound System, Deverso Andino, Ballet Folclorico Alma Mexicana, Valet Folklorico and La Pierre, Ballet Fulclorico Basasasi, Valet Folclorico Venezuela Renacente, Valeria Folclorico Fiesta Colorado, Valer Folclorico, WhatsApp Peru, USA, Quasalt, Aztec, Dance Fusion, Danza Steca Quetzale, La Trenza de Maria, Grupo Hombre Lobo, cantante, Alicia Erigion, Cantante, Adriana Castro, Martin Estrada, Vic Morales de Miami, Gira Sol Huerta, Josefina, Jonathan Garcia, Chair of Police Department, Mount Horses.

Thank you to them because they brought so much support.

It was like 30 of them there supporting us in everything we needed.

Thanks to all of them, and we still have so many people that they got involved in this was such a wonderful event that you know I want to make sure that they get the recognition because it's not about me.

It's about them, but I know the other ones that I didn't mention.

They will not, they won't they will not be mad at me because they know we did it together and with love.

It's these people that they've been for years with me.

It's not only this time.

And this um in this uh event, you know, I created it when I brought when I when I came here uh to United States at the age of 10.

I didn't know about Dia de los Muertos.

The only thing I knew about Dia de los Muertos is because my grandmother, we used to live in a small town of like 300 people.

And you know, those typical women that they know everything.

She was the nurse.

She was uh everybody, if they were gonna have a baby, they would call, hey Notti, can you help me?

My daughter's having the baby.

There goes my grandma helping the baby, and there's me going with her.

And then food at night.

If you didn't have time to cook, my always my grandmother would have a table outside of her home, and she will be cooking in their tacos or something, one thing at a time, but people would just arrive there and eat.

Uh, and for Dia de los Muertos, is the in where I'm from is the desert.

So it was no this colorful things that you see here, okay.

So, but she made it colorful.

You know, it was the desert, the desert of Sonora.

And when she will make Dia de los Muertos, the flowers, she would make all the arrangements for all the people that they wanted to get one.

So, when I will wake up when I was little, all I remember is the whole ceiling full of different flowers.

And then I will see her going and picking one and creating this specific arrangement for certain people.

So, that colorful and the creativity, obviously, I got it from her, you know, and so when when they separate us, basically I was only 10.

But my uncles, they didn't want me to be with her because they say I was a little troublemaker, and they couldn't handle it.

She's like, You're gonna end up killing your grandmother one day, you have to go be better somewhere else.

At the time, you know, my mom, she wanted to get to know me.

They left me when I was a baby.

So I said, uh, my grandma asked me that question.

I said, Norberto, would you like to meet your mom?

And of course, you know, when you see your cousins going across the border and buying McDonald's and then coming back and you don't get nothing.

The first thing I was thinking, I was like, oh, I'm gonna get McDonald's for my first time, which I love McDonald's, and I still get the happy meals.

But that's that's kind of the innocence, you know, that I never thought about her.

You know, all what she has done, all the moments living together since I was a baby with her.

All I wanted was McDonald's at the moment.

And so when I told her yes, she never said no, don't go, no.

She's like, okay, mijo, no problem.

And the advice that she told me, she's like, just remember, whenever you feel like you need me, all you have to do is just cook beans.

You know, put the beans, salt, uh, green peppers, garlic, cilantro, and when it starts boiling and it smells, everything is gonna be okay because I'm there with you.

So that advice helped me to be the survivor that I am now.

Because you never think that when you come to the United States, first I wanted McDonald's, I never got it.

I got it until I was able to afford it because my family, they only like where you're king, you know.

So at the time, uh not feeling the support, and then thinking that you're gonna be protected, and then you become abused in different ways.

Only because you were good at everything.

Good at cleaning, good responsible.

At the age of 10, I was already taking care of 300 cows in Mexico.

So when I come here and I see vacuums, I love vacuuming because I never had a carpet or a vacuum.

So, or washing the car because I never had a car.

So, you know, everything for me at the beginning was because I wanted to help and because I enjoyed.

But I never thought this would end up being my cell, you know, where I was gonna be there.

I couldn't have friends.

The only time I would be able to go and practice for cross-country, which I was a champion of the state at the time.

You know, I was gonna go and represent a United States in Mini Olympus in China at the time.

And I did my saving for years.

And that day I clearly remember that I asked my mom at six in the morning, I said, Mom, I need the money that I save all year to be able to buy my uniform, my my ring for my graduation, my caping gown, and everything, you know that I needed for my graduation.

And my trip, my coach wanted the money to pay the tickets.

And she's like, Don't you think you need to pay rent?

And I said, Mom, why you did that?

That's the only question I ask.

I'm mom, why you why you did that?

Because I knew at the moment she has spent all the money, and I knew I was not gonna go, you know.

So what do I get?

I get my last slap, I get my last insult, I get treated like I don't want anybody to be treated like that.

And and at the moment, I just I let them hit me as much as they wanted until they got tired.

Because one thing that I learned from my grandma is she never raised your hand to an older person, and always listen to an older person.

Sometimes, because she thought I was gonna live with her all her life.

She never thought she was gonna put me so vulnerable by me being by myself in another country with someone else, thinking that it's the people that are gonna protect you.

So, anyways, um, yeah, I move on, I pack my little stuff, and I keep walking forward, you know, after they hit me so much, and going to school at seven in the six in the morning.

And I remember her screaming in my back, my own mom telling me, Norberto, you can go to China anyways.

You're illegal in the United States.

I didn't know.

Because I remember I came with a visa, showing a passport, that's all I could remember.

But I didn't know I was illegal at the time.

And then I keep walking, I never look back.

All these voices, they are in the back of my head because I never looked back.

And she did something.

She's like, um, Norberto, you're never gonna be nothing without me.

Come back, return.

That's the those are the last words I heard from my mom until now.

And trust me, when I decide to move here and create my own world, I mean it.

That's why here, all my clients, all the people, men or women, I call them mijo or mija.

And sometimes sometimes I had to explain it because they're like, Oh, why you call me Mijo?

I'm too old, you know, why you call me that?

You know, I'm I can be your mom.

No, it's just the love that you have for somebody, and I treat everybody the same.

And I never thought that I was gonna stay here for forever and meet my partner, Cesar, my best friend, you know, that he's always there for me, and then continue with the businesses, the hair salon, and the hair salon, I think it helped me to be able to be closer to the community and to see the need of the community.

Because that's when you get to know your community.

What is it that they need, the problems they go through.

And then me being involved more politically with people because as you start getting involved with people, and then you start getting involved not only politically, but religious.

In my hair salon, I have Virgin de Guadalupe there.

But as a client, I have Jewish, oh, business, Christians, Catholics.

I think everybody forgets the soon as we walk in there.

Maybe because they like me, maybe because what they like what I do, maybe because they feel that there's a space where I support them and I care for them regardless who they are, you know.

So thanks to that, and I start building a community, you know, and thanks to building this community and having their love, God gave us these kids at 51, imagine haven't a three-year-old.

Sometimes it's like hard to lift it.

It's so heavy, you know.

But I think that's the blessing that we get.

And for me, sharing Dia de los Muertos or any type of event that I do, is always to leave something for our next generations.

That's the whole meaning.

I never thought I was gonna have kids, so I told Cesar, because Cesar is like, Norberto, you're using extra money that we don't have, you know, always guiding me on that, but I always said no, it's gonna be worth it because if one day something happens to me, at least someone is gonna bring you a cup of soup.

So you know, you wanna die alone.

But look, God gave us uh my son first Jonathan, we adopt him, and then he got married with Stephanie, they had their babies, Stephanie already had Nathan, my older son.

Then they had Johnny, and they decide to have a baby for us, which is not worth the one down here.

And that's how we create this family.

But thanks to everything, thanks to Colorado, thanks to the community, thanks to the families that are here with me today, you know, this happiness I can enjoy more because I'm sharing it with them, and they share with me the stories.

Um, all these proclamations, I would like to dedicate it this time to my son Nathan.

Nathan is come here, me.

He's he's the he's the older brother.

I always say he's the king.

You know, because the little ones are the prince.

Okay, and sometimes when we grow up, you know, we grew up to try to be our best, and I'm trying to be the best for you, son.

And this is for you, so you can always remember.

I'm sorry, I'm always crying, right?

So you can remember your dad that is here.

I don't know, you have your dad, but we, your your dads, and all these people right here behind you, they're backing you up too if any time I'm not here anymore.

But thank you for everything you do, and and being the best older son ever.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

I think that we need to do it.

I think they do you want to have them come up and do a procession out so that everybody can see?

Because I think it's amazing that you have.

Do you want to have them do a procession out and have them come and say no, and go out that way?

Yeah.

Yeah, should we have him come up or yeah?

Thanks, yeah.

Okay, kind of things.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you all.

When we have an Council Member Heinz, will you please read proclamation 1581?

Yes, Madam President.

Proclamation 25 15 or 1851, honoring Gregory D.

Fiesal.

Whereas Gregory Fiesel has faithfully served the Colorado Rockies major league baseball team for 30 years, joining the organization in its early years and rising through leadership roles to become president and chief operating officer, providing steady guidance and visionary leadership to Denver's hometown team.

And whereas Greg Fiesel, former professional athlete in both the USFL, Denver Gold, and NFL brought his experience, discipline, and passion for sports to the Rockies organization after a successful business career in Colorado with the Denver Coca-Cola Bottle Company, helping secure key partnerships that strengthened the franchise from its earliest days.

And whereas the Colorado Rockies achieved memorable success on the field, including their remarkable 2007 run to the World Series, the franchise's first, and multiple postseason appearances that united fans across Colorado in pride and excitement, showcasing the team's competitive spirit and resilience.

And whereas the Colorado Rockies also successfully hosted landmark events that elevated Denver's national profile, including the 1998 and 2021 Major league Baseball all-star games, the 2016 NHL Stadium Series, and C N CAA, CC versus DU, outdoor games at Coors Field, and numerous large-scale concerts and community celebrations bringing global attention and economic impact to our great city.

And whereas, Greg Fiesal prioritized community engagement and served as executive director of the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club Foundation, expanding charitable impact throughout Denver and the Rocky Mountain region by supporting youth sports, education, public safety partnerships, and family-centered community programs.

And whereas, he has further served the people of Denver through civic leadership roles, including on the Visit Denver Executive Committee, former chair of the Visit Denver Board of Directors, the Downtown Denver Partnership Board, and the Denver Police Foundation Board, demonstrating a deep commitment to the well-being, reputation, and future of the city and county of Denver.

And, whereas, Greg Fiesel's legacy is defined not only by business success and major league milestones, but by a belief that baseball is a civic institution that brings families and neighbors together, creating shared memories at Corizfield and strengthening the cultural fabric of Denver.

And whereas in 2025, after four decades of service to the Denver community, Greg Fiesal announced his retirement, marking the end of an era of leadership characterized by dedication, partnership, and an unwavering commitment to the people of Denver.

Now, therefore, be proclaimed by the Denver City Council, Section 1, that the Denver City Council hereby acknowledge or hereby honors Gregory D.

Fiesal for his extraordinary service to the Colorado Rockies organization to Major League Baseball and to the people and community of Denver.

Accordingly, November 10th, 2025, is proclaimed to be Greg Fiesal Day.

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

It's actually this copy right here.

Thank you, Councilmember Heinz, your motion to adopt.

I move that we adopt proclamation 25-1851.

It has been moved in seconded comments by members of council, Councilmember Heinz.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, colleagues, community members, and friends for being here tonight.

It is my great honor to bring forward this proclamation, recognizing a leader who has made an indelible impact on Denver sports, business, and civic community, Gregory D.

Fiesal.

For three decades, Greg has been the pillar of the Colorado Rockies organization, guiding our hometown team from its early years all the way to his tenure as President and Chief Operating Officer.

Under his leadership, the Rockies have given our city some of its most memorable moments from the magical 2007 World Series run, which I was fortunate enough to have a company that had tickets to that game, so I got to see my only World Series game right here in Denver.

And uh and to hosting All-Star games, outdoor hockey events, and the concerts that have brought Denver to the national stage.

But what stands out most about Greg isn't just a success on this field, it's his unwavering commitment to Denver itself.

Through the Colorado Rocky uh Rockies Baseball Club Foundation, Greg has helped expand opportunities for young people, families, and neighborhoods throughout our region.

I've also had the privilege of serving alongside Greg on the Visit Denver board, where I saw firsthand his thoughtfulness, professionalism, and deep care for the city's future.

As the council member representing downtown Denver, I'm especially I've especially appreciated his leadership on the Downtown Denver Partnership Board, where he's helped strengthen the heart of our city, not just through business growth, but by fostering community connection and civic pride.

Greg's story reminds us that baseball, like good governance, it's a team sport.

It's about showing up, leading by example, and creating spaces where people can come together, where that's well whether that's in a pack stadium, a course field, or in a boardroom planning for Denver's future.

Tonight, as Greg marks his neck his next iteration after four decades of service to Denver, we honor not just his career, but his spirit of collaboration, integrity, and love for this city.

So, on behalf of the Denver City Council and with heartfelt gratitude, uh, as we vote, I don't want to say we've uh adopted it just yet.

Um I sure hope that um we will complain we will proclaim November 10th, 2025 as Greg Fiesal Day here in the city and county of Denver.

Congratulations, Greg, and thank you for all you've done to make Denver a city we can all be proud of.

Councilmember Watson.

Uh thank you so much, Councilmember Heinz, for bringing forward this uh proclamation, and to uh Mr.

Fiesel, um uh you're a giant of a man.

As you stand up to accept this proclamation, folks are gonna get what I'm saying.

You don't have to stand up now.

Sorry, we got to still vote, but um we all know.

Um but Greg is not only a giant in his physical size, he is in his heart for community.

Uh I've had the honor and pleasure of uh um watching your leadership and your heart and service, um, as you give to the communities um in ballpark and all of the flying district nine, but specifically in our ballpark communities.

Um there's not a time, there's not uh an event uh that my office or the neighbors surrounding uh course feel um uh that they can't reach out, sir, and and you answer with yes.

Uh I am absolutely grateful for your partnership.

I'm certain your family is glad that you're a fake retiring at this point, um, and that you'll be spending more time with them.

Um, while we still expect and intend to see you within community.

Say God bless you, you and your family, and thank you for all the good works that you've done uh throughout this community.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Cashman.

Yeah, thank you, Madam President.

Uh Greg, congratulations.

Uh thanks for uh all the things you've done uh to make going to the ballpark a fun event.

Uh uh the Rockies are actually the only uh team that has welcomed city council out to their their facility uh uh once a year.

Greg uh invites us out, and it's not a fancy deal, it's an evening at the ballpark with some camaraderie, camaraderie and some ballpark food, and we get to watch the game and uh catch up and and it's always been a pleasant evening, and I just want to thank you for that.

It's always been fun, and uh, gonna miss uh seeing you around the ballpark.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Um, Greg, I'll miss you.

I'll miss your steadfast leadership.

I was thinking about when I first met you, it was when I was working for councilwoman Montero.

So since 2013, um, and I've seen you grow, you've seen me go from a council aid to now council president.

Um, I really enjoyed serving on Visit Denver board with you, and I even enjoy more watching a game with you, because I don't know how you do it, but you're a multitasker and you know what's happening on all games, and so I remember leaving one time with my husband, and I was like, Did you see him?

He like knew the score of all the games, and he was like, Yeah, babe, that's his job.

And I was like, but how does he do it?

It's like there was just one iPad in front of him, and so I was um just your professionalism, your kindness, and your thoughtfulness.

You've always been so thoughtful.

Um I had a couple incidences, and you just always pulled me aside and asked me how like genuinely asked me how I was doing, not because you needed anything, but because you actually genuinely cared how I was doing, and that doesn't come along very often in these roles.

You always feel like you're being asked for something.

So thank you for that.

I I really really meant a lot to me over these years, and um don't go too far because we'll we'll still need you around.

Um, Madam Secretary, roll call, council members Gonzalez Cortiz.

Torres, I'll be the next.

Hi, Flynn, hi, Gilmore.

Aye.

Heinz.

I, Cashman.

Hi.

Lewis.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting answer results.

Nine eyes.

Nine eyes.

Proclamation 1851 has been adopted.

We now have time for the five minutes for the acceptance speech.

Councilmember Heinz, who would you like to call up?

Thank you, Madam President.

I think Mrs.

Fiesel wanted to send.

Mr.

Fiesel, if you'd come forward and uh give us a few words.

Thank you so much.

I'm blown away.

I mean, I really am for um guy growing up in Barstow, California.

Um, never thinking that he would work for a professional sports franchise or live in Denver, Colorado.

I mean, it's been it's truly been an honor.

I think it's been five mayors since I've been around, so yeah, I'm older than dirt.

Um, but it's been an honor working with you, and I appreciate and I value the tough job you guys have and your commitment to the city.

Uh, we love Denver.

We're not going anywhere.

We'll be around.

Um, we'll be at the ballpark next year, so hopefully we'll see all of you there.

But I mean, we are we are honored, so thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

All right, council colleagues.

We're gonna take just a five-minute recess.

Let me repeat five minutes.

I need you to be back in here at 45, 46, so that we can start our public hearing.

And we'll go outside and take a photo.

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Okay.

We have one required public hearing tonight.

As a reminder, council members need to turn on their video, 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 your time counting down.

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

When you are promoted, please accept the promotion.

Turn on your camera if you have one.

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Councilmember Gilmore, will you please put Council Bill 1445 changing the zoning classification for 890 North Grove Street in Villa Park on the floor for final passage?

I move that council bill fourteen forty-five be placed upon final consideration and do pass.

It has been moved and seconded.

A request to rezone from ESUD to ERX 3.250 square feet, uh square feet is a vacant corner lot.

And again, the rezoning request is from urban edge single unit D to urban edge residential mixed use, three stories with the goal to develop townhouses.

As for the building form and scale, again, you can see the subject property property here on the top left as a vacant corner, and some nearby single unit uh single story properties along the street.

Uh and again, this property is impacted by the West Area Plan rezoning memo that was released a year ago, which outlines issues related to displacement, increased development pressures, and implementation of the adopted plans in the West and West Denver.

And with that, potential rezonings are not consistent with intent of plans until further stabilization program tools and regulatory changes are in place.

And with that, our applicant has worked with hosts as well as CPD to sign a voluntary voluntarily sign an affordable housing plan.

This plan includes a negotiated alternative to mandatory affordable housing requirements on this individual site.

And the affordable housing plan requires that the greater of 20% of the units at 110% of the area and medium income be affordable.

Ultimately, one of the five units, and this property will be for sale in this situation.

And the income restricted unit will have at least three bedrooms.

Continuing on to the process, this received its informational notice in August.

It was heard at the Planning Board public hearing on October 1st with the recommendation for approval.

Was presented to the South Platte River Committee also in October and is here today at the City Council public hearing with proper noticing here on November 10th.

As for public comments, there was one letter of support via the application and one comment of moderate support with comments or concerns related to height, and there have been no RNO comments to date.

Moving on to the review criteria.

So I will review each of the criteria starting with consistency with adopted plans.

And for this site, we have three plans complan 2040, Blueprint Denver, and the West Area Plan.

For comprehensive plan 2040, this meets several goals related to equitable and affordable inclusive, strong and authentic neighborhoods, as well as environmentally resilient.

This rezoning will meet those goals and further the policies of Comp Plan 2040 by increasing additional housing units, allowing more building forms on an infill location near amenities, including transit and other services.

Continuing on to Blueprint Denver, this is identified as urban edge, which contains elements of suburban and urban contexts, small multi-unit residential areas as well as commercial areas are typically embedded around one and two unit areas, and block patterns are generally regular with a mix of alley access.

Some neighborhood serving mixed use may be appropriate, and buildings are generally up to five stories in height.

As for future street type, ninth and grave are local, which are not impacted by the zone district.

And with Blueprint Denver, growth growth strategy, this identified as all other areas of the city, 10% job growth and 20% housing growth.

And lastly, with Blueprint, there are additional policies related to our equity analysis, or equity lens, including reducing vulnerability to displacement.

And there are additional guidance here and additional policies that are implemented through this rezoning, in particular, land use and build form housing policy number two.

This rezoning will meet that policy by the defined policy as the diversifying housing options by exploring opportunities to integrate missing middle housing into low and low medium areas.

In conjunction with the housing plan and other blueprint policies, we find this as concurrent with the blueprint goals.

And moving on to the West area plan.

Again, this is identified as urban edge, similar to blueprint, as well as high medium residential.

And there is a height recommendation of up to five stories with the West Area Plan.

Additional plan policies from the West area include several housing policies that this rezoning will meet, including policy E2, explore strategy so affordable housing is available everywhere by implementing approaches that promote a diversity of affordable housing options within all neighborhoods and new development, as well as policy E3, expand diversity of housing types and affordability to support households of different sizes, ages, and incomes in all neighborhoods.

With the housing plan in place, as well as the recommendations from those plans, we find it this uh rezoning is consistent with adopted plans.

As for public interest, uh this meets the goals of improving quality of life for all of Denver, it's very uh incorporating more housing options and affordable housing as well.

And lastly, this is consistent with neighborhood context zone district purpose and intent by meeting all the standards of ERX three.

And based off the staff report information shared tonight, CPD recommends to approve the application, finding all review criteria have been met.

Uh, happy to answer further questions as the applicant is available as well, and we do have a representative from host if there are particular questions regarding the housing plan.

Thank you.

Awesome.

We have one individual signed up to speak this evening.

Just Paris.

Jesse Paris, yes.

I thought I didn't think I was gonna hear from me tonight, but here I am.

Um, Sean Paris, I'm representing for Black Star Action Movement for Self-Defense, positive asking commitment for social change, the Unity Party of Colorado, the Northeast Jimbo Residence Council on Black News, the revolutionary agenda.

And I reside at the CCH own legacy loss and fine now gentrified historically black district place.

Um, any other criteria, be sure there's nothing I can tell you that's gonna change your mind on this.

I don't see how any of this is affordable.

Area of town, like areas of the city have rapidly gentrified, and y'all have no stopping that.

This affordability plan, which is a joke, that West area plan is a joke.

The people that called that area home for generations agree with me.

But my friend David Roybaugh, challenging Tammy to part for your seat in 2027.

Um I am against this.

I don't see how this meets the neighborhood context.

All those homes over there are not role homes, they're single family homes.

They do not match the criteria at all of the neighborhood, they're very ugly and they do not match the criteria or the neighborhood context of the neighborhood.

Every time I go see my sister who lives on like 13th and King, I see all homes, and they're horrible.

They do not match the criteria nor the neighborhood context of the neighborhood.

They cannot beautify the neighborhood, they do not make the neighborhood look better, it looks worse.

So I don't see how this is even up for public hearing or discussion.

How you're gonna pass this, but you're gonna pass it anyway.

Like you passed so many other rezonings in Delta Park that the community was against, but you still want to do and pass them anyway.

I don't see there being any difference with this one.

Office says we don't need no more unatonic costs from the rezonings.

It's not doing any of that.

All it's doing is trification, even though this area is possibly vacant right now, the areas surrounding are not vacant.

This is gonna cause the property tax to go up in those areas, and those people are gonna be forced to move out.

We've seen it done all over the city, all areas north, east, west, south.

So I don't see nothing different from this.

That's that concludes our public speakers.

Um sorry, I lost my script.

Yeah, comments by members of council.

Councilmember Torres.

Thank you, Madam President.

Questions first?

Yeah, questions.

Yep.

Oh, okay.

Um, thank you.

Is somebody there from host, Will?

Uh John is available virtually.

Just one second, Councilwoman Torres.

Okay.

We're promoting this speaker.

Good evening, everyone.

Hi John.

Thank you for joining on.

Can you tell me a little bit about the housing agreement?

Yeah, this is the same housing agreement that you've seen at a couple other sites within the West Area plan memo area.

So one unit or 20% of units the greater of 110% of the area median income to be sold.

And it'll be a three-bedroom unit.

And John, do you know if that unit will also qualify for the um preference policy?

This unit would not typically qualify for the prioritization policy because it is smaller than the 100th unit minimum for uh development that would mandatorily have to comply with the prioritization policy.

Got it.

Okay, thank you for that.

Um, thank you, John.

Um, will um is the uh owner or the um representative either online or in the chambers?

Uh yes, they are here.

Hello, uh good evening.

My name's Jesse Donovan.

I'm representing the applicant.

Hi, Jesse.

Thank you for being here.

Um can you tell me a little bit about the project?

Sure.

So the project is similar to um one we are working on uh about a block south.

It's gonna be a five-unit uh townhome project.

So it's one building with five units, and then we'll have a four-car detached garage um accessed off of the alley.

Okay.

Um all three bedrooms, is that your model?

Yeah, yeah.

So they're all gonna be bedroom units.

Um, the height will be 27 feet maximum, which is less than a single family uh home uh in this zoning district would would be allowed.

Um so two stories above and one story in the basement.

So one below grade and then two stories above.

Okay, thank you for that.

Um do you have any sense of construction timing?

As you've got two others, I think that we've rezoned um in West area.

Um I I don't we're currently um working through an uh SDP process, which was site development plan, um, but as far as construction timing, we don't we don't have a timeline for this one.

Okay, and will you remind me how many face um ninth and how many will face Grove?

Sure.

The orientation is um so actually Grove Street is the primary street.

So we have two units facing Grove, and then in the same building, we have three units facing 9th Avenue to the north.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

Those are all my questions, Madam President.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Seeing no other members in the queue.

The public hearing is closed.

Comments by members of council on council bill 1445.

Councilmember Torres, would you like to start us out?

Yes, thank you.

Um thank you so much, Madam President.

Um, so I really appreciate Jesse's tenacity and being able to um uh continue working through a few of these rezonings.

I take questions from uh residents who um some are very supportive of the memo, some are upset that we have the memo, which has um given the guidance that we don't support rezonings that don't come with some guaranteed affordability um or income restricted units, and um Jesse's I think someone who's demonstrated that we can build these and we can also include something um affordable that replaces um whatever the option that was there uh was uh to West Denver families.

Um this is this uh third rezoning coming through.

We have others um that have come through or on the way.

We're still complying with that, and I think it's um uh pretty incredible that we've been able to uh not just um uh build the case off of the West area plan that we need affordability or tools in order to keep folks um who want to stay in West Denver housed and give them options to own uh in West Denver.

I think that that's one of the biggest responsibilities that we have.

And we've been able to find folks who will deliver that.

And those are the folks that we want developing in West Denver.

So I really appreciate Jesse and look forward to seeing the projects built.

I will be supporting this and really grateful to host for finding ways to work with small developers on uh income restricted units.

And uh thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilman Torres.

I also will be supporting this this evening.

Um worked on the memo with you, Councilman Torres and with CPD.

And although some people don't agree with it, I think we would be seeing many more rezonings coming through had we not worked on that memo to ensure that we had an affordable housing agreement with each rezoning that came through.

Um gentrification and displacement is real.

Um so I understand what you're saying, Jesse.

I bought when I was really young, and so luckily I live in the north side, but most of my friends don't.

So I live and breathe that every day.

That's why I ran um is to work on issues such as these.

Um, but we need to have developers who are willing to build affordable housing.

So I agree um with that, and I know that this needs all the planned guidance as we worked on the um memo and I worked on the West Area Plan as I had represented part of uh West Colfax in that during that time.

Seeing no other comment, colleagues in the queue, madam secretary.

We'll call on council bill 1445.

Council members Gonzalez Cutieras.

Aye.

Albitares.

Aye, Slyn.

Hi.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Heinz?

Hi.

Torres.

I'm sorry.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close voting announced results.

10 ayes.

10 ayes.

Council bill 1445 has passed.

On Monday, November 17, 2025, council will hold a courtesy public hearing on council bill 1578 approve approving and accepting the downtown Denver area plan, which shall become part of a comprehensive plan 2020 2040 for the city and county of Denver, pursuant to the provisions of section 12 through 61 of the Denver revised municipal code.

And on Monday, December 8th, 2025, Council will hold a required public hearings on Council Bill 1635, changing the zoning classification of 33 West Regis Boulevard and 50 51 through 5115 North Federal Boulevard in Regis neighborhood and council bills 1636, changing the zoning classification for West 3333 Regis Boulevard in Regis neighborhood.

Any protest against council bills 1635-1636 must be filed with council offices no later than noon on Monday, December 1st, 2025.

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

Good night.