Denver City Council Meeting - November 24, 2025

The Denver City Council held its regular session on Monday, November 24, 2025, at 10:30 AM. The meeting included a presentation on the People's Budget participatory budgeting program, a proclamation honoring the Denver Foundation's 100th anniversary, and consideration of numerous bills and resolutions, including amendments to dissolve several pedestrian mall maintenance districts in favor of a new General Improvement District on South Broadway. Ten council members were present, and the meeting lasted approximately two hours.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the minutes from November 17, 2025, was approved without correction.
• A block vote adopted 50+ resolutions and bills on final consideration, including items such as council bills 1610, 1611, 1633, 1637, and many others. The block motion passed 10-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the meeting.

Discussion Items

• People's Budget Presentation: Kiki Turner, Program Administrator for Denver's Participatory Budgeting Program, presented the results of the community steering committee's work. The committee of about 30 residents created a guidebook for Cycle 3, which will allow Denver residents to decide how to spend $2 million. Key decisions include: anyone who considers Denver their community can submit ideas; project delegates must be 8 or older and live, work, or go to school in Denver; voting is open to all ages and immigration statuses, including incarcerated individuals; and a ranked-choice voting system will be used. A special $1 million ballot will be reserved for the Near Southeast neighborhoods. Idea collection opened as of the meeting date.
• Proclamation 25-1973 – Denver Foundation Centennial: Councilmember Hines read a proclamation honoring the Denver Foundation's 100th anniversary (1925–2025). The foundation has grown from a $1,000 gift to $1.4 billion in assets, awarded over $1.5 billion in grants to more than 13,000 organizations, and launched a $100 million centennial campaign. Multiple council members spoke in support, highlighting the foundation's work in immigrant legal services, giving circles, and community partnerships. The proclamation was adopted unanimously (10-0).
• Council Resolution 1748 – Red Rocks Flagstone Awards: Councilmember Alvidrez questioned Tad Bowman, venue director for Red Rocks, about a $900,000 master purchase order for the "Piece of Rock" awards. Bowman confirmed that the city pays only about 5% of the cost; the rest is recouped from promoters. The resolution was later adopted as part of the consent block.
• Council Resolution 1770 – Hilltop Securities Financial Advisory: Councilmember Alvidrez asked the Department of Finance about when Hilltop Securities is involved in city financing decisions. Finance staff explained that Hilltop provides analysis and strategies for all debt issuances, including for the Denver Post building purchase. Alvidrez requested that such analysis be shared with council in the future.
• Council Bill 1753 – Morrison Traffic Management: Councilmember Alvidrez questioned Tad Bowman about an intergovernmental agreement with the Town of Morrison for traffic management at Red Rocks events. Since Morrison disbanded its police department, Denver will provide traffic control, with costs paid by event promoters. The bill was later ordered published.
• Council Bills 1726, 1727, 1728 – Broadway Pedestrian Mall Assessments: Councilmember Alvidrez introduced amendments to three bills assessing annual costs for pedestrian mall maintenance districts on Broadway. The amendments dissolve these districts and transfer responsibility to the newly formed Broadway General Improvement District (GID), which passed in a recent election. The amendments ensure no assessments will be levied in 2026. All three amendments and the bills as amended passed unanimously (10-0).
• Council Resolution 1814 and 1815 – Live Nation and AEG Contracts: Councilmember Gonzalez-Gutierrez postponed consideration of these two resolutions for one week pursuant to Rule 3.6.
• Council Resolution 1789 – Appointment of Al Gardner as Manager of Safety: Councilmember Alvidrez abstained, stating she had not yet met with Mr. Gardner. The resolution was adopted 9-0-1 (Alvidrez abstaining).
• Council Bill 1714 – Downtown Development Authority Fund Amendment: Passed 9-0 (Alvidrez voted no, citing insufficient information).
• Council Bill 1634 – Building and Fire Codes Amendment: Passed 9-0 (Flynn voted no, expressing concern about increased risk without housing benefits).

Key Outcomes

• People's Budget Cycle 3 launched: Idea collection begins immediately; community voting will occur in fall 2026.
• Denver Foundation Centennial Proclamation adopted (10-0).
• Broadway Pedestrian Mall districts dissolved: Three bills (1726, 1727, 1728) amended to transfer responsibilities to the new Broadway GID, with no 2026 assessments. All passed unanimously.
• Al Gardner confirmed as Manager of Safety (9-0-1).
• Live Nation and AEG contracts postponed to December 1, 2025.
• Block vote passed (10-0) adopting over 50 resolutions and bills on final consideration.
• Next meeting: December 1, 2025, with a required public hearing on Council Bill 1704 (park building plan at Cuernavaca Park).