OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Denver City Council Regular Session – March 16, 2026

City Council — Monday, March 16, 2026
BodyDenver, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, March 16, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:02:52

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

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

0:09

Tonight's coverage of Denver City Council starts now.

0:26

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

0:30

Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish.

0:33

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

0:42

Thank you for having us.

0:43

Hello, everyone.

0:44

My name is Sam Guzman with the CLC joining you virtually through Zoom.

0:50

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

0:55

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

1:36

Muchas gracias, and thank you very much.

1:39

Thank you very much, Sam.

1:42

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting on Monday, March 16th, 2026.

1:47

Council members, please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:10

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

2:16

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

2:25

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

2:32

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

2:37

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

2:47

May this acknowledgment 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.

2:59

Thank you.

3:00

Madam Secretary, we'll call.

3:29

Here.

3:30

Here Louis.

3:39

Here.

3:51

Approval of the mayors.

3:52

Are there corrections to the minutes of March 9th?

3:56

Seeing none, the minutes stand approved.

3:59

Council announcements.

4:01

Are there any council announcements this afternoon?

4:09

Council Pro Temer Meryl Campbell.

4:12

Thank you, Madam President.

4:13

Um I have two announcements.

4:18

Doors open at five o'clock at Thomas Jefferson High School.

4:21

We are doing an uh community open house that we have a number of agencies that'll be there to answer questions specific to the district.

4:36

The Dottie team will be there.

4:38

Parking lab.

4:39

The Department of Economic Development will be there to talk about different um projects that are happening and economic development around Hampton.

4:50

If you have questions about the library, they will also be there.

4:54

Um we will have a table about the Welshire 100.

5:00

Police officers will also be there.

5:02

And so we just encourage everybody into the form and join us.

5:07

We actually have a total of 18 city agencies and nonprofits to be in attendance to answer any questions and to give an update on projects and what's happening throughout Southeast Denver.

5:17

So we will also have some pizza.

5:20

I hope to see you there.

5:21

Again, doors open at 5, and this is Wednesday March 18th.

5:28

I think of a date.

5:51

So if you are interested, we believe that spots are gonna fill up very quickly for the tournament, and this is on it will open on April 1st.

6:01

Spots are limited.

6:01

Secure your spot today or become a sponsor, and you can also get a ticket to play in the tournament.

6:09

That's about it.

6:10

Thank you.

6:11

Thank you, Council of Member Louis.

6:14

Thank you.

6:15

I have a few announcements.

6:16

The first one is it's that time again, so we'll be hosting our community panels for input from my constituents in District 8.

6:23

Um this year we'll have four meetings, which will all be virtual sessions beginning Wednesday, March 25th in the evening.

6:29

It's free to sign up, and so I encourage you all to attend.

6:31

You can email Jesse Carey at Denvergov.org with the subject line community panels for more information or to sign up.

6:39

In addition to that, Councilwoman Gilmore Sawyer and myself have a town hall tomorrow tomorrow regarding the budget together.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement███████████████████████████27%
Land Use Zoning█████████████████████21%
Public Safety████████████████16%
Procedural████████████12%
Public Health Policy████████8%
Public Engagement███████7%
Community Planning███3%
Arts And Culture██2%
Revenue/Taxation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Denver City Council Regular Session – March 16, 2026

The Denver City Council convened on Monday, March 16, 2026, at 3:30 PM (note: user-provided timestamp indicates 10:30 AM UTC; minutes state 3:30 PM local time) with all 13 members present except for Councilmember Torres during the consent vote. The meeting included the Pledge of Allegiance, Land Acknowledgement, approval of prior minutes, council announcements, two proclamations, a consent agenda of 11 resolutions, introduction of several zoning bills, and a required public hearing on a rezoning application. The meeting adjourned at 5:59 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of minutes from March 9, 2026 (Minutes 26-0325).
  • Adoption of Proclamation 26-0331 honoring Dr. Greggory LaBerge, Director of the Denver Crime Lab, for his 30-year career and leadership (vote: 13-0).
  • Adoption of Proclamation 26-0332 recognizing Soka Gakkai International-USA (SGI-USA) Youth and Community Dialogue for Peace, Culture, and Education, and declaring March 16, 2026 as SGI-USA Youth Day of Peace, Culture and Education (vote: 11-0; Councilmembers Gilmore and Parady absent).
  • Approval of 11 resolutions en bloc (Consent Agenda) with a vote of 12-0 (Councilmember Torres absent):
    • 26-0221: Appointment of Melissa Schenter to the Denver County Cultural Council.
    • 25-1985: Amendatory agreement with The Salvation Army adding $274,683.77 for nutritious food access (total $825,357.77) through 2027.
    • 26-0333: Settlement of $67,500 to Matlin Injury Law for a claim against the Department of Public Health & Environment (incident April 10, 2025).
    • 26-0217: Amendatory agreement with JV LoDo Denargo LLC adding $22,419.99 for community garden overages in Denargo Market redevelopment (total $3,022,419.99).
    • 26-0209: Dedicating a parcel as Leetsdale Drive at South Oneida Street.
    • 26-0210: Dedicating a public alley bounded by North Perry Street, West 14th Avenue, North Osceola Street, and West 13th Avenue.
    • 26-0211: Dedicating a public alley bounded by North Pearl Street, East 16th Avenue, North Washington Street, and East 17th Avenue.
    • 26-0213: Dedicating West 38th Avenue at North Zenobia Street and a public alley bounded by West 38th, North Zenobia, West 39th, and North Yates.
    • 26-0214: Dedicating West 38th Avenue at North Zenobia Street and a public alley bounded by West 38th, North Zenobia, West 39th, and North Sheridan Boulevard.
    • 26-0215: Lease agreement with USO for 3,831.4 sq ft club space at Denver International Airport Concourse A for $10/year for 10 years.
    • 26-0216: Purchase order with Front Range Fire Apparatus for $12,229,826 for one 2028 F550 Patrol Unit, one 2030 Pierce Velocity 100' Ladder Truck, and three 2027 Oshkosh Striker Vehicles for Denver Fire Department operations at DEN.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • During the required public hearing on Council Bill 26-0081, one speaker, Jesse Parris (representing Black Star Action Movement, Unity Party of Colorado, and others), spoke in favor of the rezoning. He initially opposed the project but changed his position after learning it would facilitate a much-needed medical clinic in the area. No one spoke in opposition.

Discussion Items

  • Council Announcements: Several councilmembers made announcements about upcoming community events, including a district open house (March 18), a budget town hall (March 17), a meet-the-city academy (April 1), Nouruz celebration (March 18), and recognition of World Down Syndrome Day (March 21) and the DU Pioneers hockey team.
  • Proclamation 26-0331 (Dr. LaBerge): Councilmember Flynn read the proclamation. Councilmembers Alvidrez and others praised Dr. LaBerge's leadership, noting the crime lab's role in solving gun crimes and cold cases, and its national model for ballistic intelligence. Former District Attorney Mitch Morrissey also spoke. Dr. LaBerge accepted, dedicating his career to victims and highlighting his immigrant journey.
  • Proclamation 26-0332 (SGI-USA): Councilmember Hinds read the proclamation. Councilmembers commented on the organization's new building on Speer Boulevard and its cherry tree planting partnership (over 2,000 trees). SGI-USA representatives accepted and noted that five Denver youth will attend a peace training in Hiroshima.
  • Recap of Bills Called Out: Councilmember Lewis called out Resolution 26-0333 (settlement) and provided a running tally of 2026 city settlements totaling $447,500, emphasizing the need for fiscal transparency.
  • Required Public Hearing – Council Bill 26-0081: Staff report by Joe Green (CPD) explained the rezoning from B-1 with waivers to E-MX-3 at 385 S Zuni Street in Athmar Park. The property currently has a single-unit house but is zoned for commercial uses with many waivers (e.g., no medical clinic). The applicant seeks to open a medical office. The rezoning is consistent with Comprehensive Plan 2040, Blueprint Denver, and the Southwest Area Plan. Planning Board recommended approval unanimously. Councilmember Alvidrez expressed support, noting the community's need for a local clinic. Councilmember Flynn humorously listed the waived uses (apothecary, bank, dental clinic, etc.). The bill passed unanimously (11-0).

Key Outcomes

  • Proclamations Adopted: 26-0331 (Dr. LaBerge) and 26-0332 (SGI-USA) were adopted.
  • Consent Agenda Approved: All 11 resolutions were approved en bloc, 12-0.
  • Council Bill 26-0081 Passed: Rezoning 385 S Zuni Street from B-1 with waivers to E-MX-3 was approved (11-0) to allow a medical clinic.
  • Bills Introduced: Five bills were ordered published for future public hearings:
    • 26-0206: Rezoning 3601 N Monaco Street Parkway in Northeast Park Hill.
    • 26-0207: Rezoning 2625 E 3rd Avenue in Cherry Creek.
    • 26-0208: Rezoning multiple properties in Bear Valley, College View - South Platte, Harvey Park, Harvey Park South, and Marston.
    • 26-0205: Relinquishing a wastewater easement at 2622 W 11th Avenue.
    • 26-0204: Relinquishing an easement at 5000 E Alameda Avenue.
  • Future Hearings Announced: Required public hearings on CB 26-0206, 26-0207, and 26-0208 will be held on April 13, 2026. Protests must be filed by noon on April 6, 2026.
  • Councilmember Lewis tracked settlement total: $447,500 in city settlements approved in 2026 as of this meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Hey Denver, it's time for the weekly general session of your Denver City Council. Tonight's coverage of Denver City Council starts now. Thank you for taking the time to join us for Denver City Council meeting. 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? Thank you for having us. Hello, everyone. My name is Sam Guzman with the CLC 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 while I give instructions in Spanish on how to access interpretation. Muchas gracias, and thank you very much. Thank you very much, Sam. Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting on Monday, March 16th, 2026. Council members, please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Council members, please join Councilmember Lewis as they lead us in the Denver City Council land acknowledgement. The Denver City Council honors and acknowledges that the land on which we reside is the traditional territory of the U, Cheyenne, and Arapaho peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. We honor elders past, present and future, and those who have stewarded this land throughout generations. We also recognize that government academic and cultural institutions were founded upon and continue to enact exclusions and erasures of it of indigenous people. May this acknowledgment 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. Madam Secretary, we'll call. Here. Here Louis. Here. Approval of the mayors. Are there corrections to the minutes of March 9th? Seeing none, the minutes stand approved. Council announcements. Are there any council announcements this afternoon? Council Pro Temer Meryl Campbell. Thank you, Madam President. Um I have two announcements. Doors open at five o'clock at Thomas Jefferson High School. We are doing an uh community open house that we have a number of agencies that'll be there to answer questions specific to the district. The Dottie team will be there. Parking lab. The Department of Economic Development will be there to talk about different um projects that are happening and economic development around Hampton. If you have questions about the library, they will also be there. Um we will have a table about the Welshire 100. Police officers will also be there. And so we just encourage everybody into the form and join us. We actually have a total of 18 city agencies and nonprofits to be in attendance to answer any questions and to give an update on projects and what's happening throughout Southeast Denver. So we will also have some pizza. I hope to see you there. Again, doors open at 5, and this is Wednesday March 18th. I think of a date. So if you are interested, we believe that spots are gonna fill up very quickly for the tournament, and this is on it will open on April 1st. Spots are limited. Secure your spot today or become a sponsor, and you can also get a ticket to play in the tournament.

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