OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting: April 27, 2026 – Proclamation, Resolutions, and Globeville Rec Center Vote

City Council — Monday, April 27, 2026
BodyDenver, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, April 27, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:02:59

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

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

0:10

Tonight's coverage of Denver City Council starts now.

0:18

Good evening, everyone.

0:20

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

0:24

Today is Monday, April 27, 2026.

0:28

Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish.

0:31

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

0:38

Yes, of course.

0:39

Thank you.

0:44

Joining you virtually through Zoom.

0:46

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

0:51

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

1:32

Thank you very much, Sam.

1:35

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, April 27, 2026.

1:40

Council members, please join Councilmember Gilmar in the pledge leaders.

1:57

Indivisible with liberal liberty and justice.

2:04

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

2:10

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

2:18

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

2:27

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

3:07

Here Gilmore here Gonzalez.

3:12

Here.

3:26

Eleven members present.

3:32

Are there corrections to the minutes of April 20th?

3:36

Seeing none, the minutes stand approved.

3:39

Council announcements.

3:40

Are there any council announcements this afternoon?

3:48

Councilmember I'll be there to start us off.

3:51

Thank you so much, Council President.

4:15

And we will be at the meeting that will be held this Wednesday, the 29th at 2 p.m.

4:22

Please contact my office if you want to attend District 7 at Denvergov.org.

4:26

Thank you, Council President.

4:28

Thank you.

4:28

Councilmember Watson.

4:30

Thank you, Madam President.

4:31

Uh wanted to state again.

4:33

I think last Monday I spoke to the number of folks within our communities that are dealing with uh senseless gun violence.

4:40

Um we've had uh three individuals have been shot and and killed in district nine only, uh solely.

4:48

Uh we had another uh person that was shot on Friday um near about two blocks um from um my house in uh the wheat here uh community.

5:00

We want to thank the neighbors in the cole neighborhood for hosting a community dialogue specific uh for coal neighbors and folks surrounding to have a a place of space to speak to what they're feeling and how they are dealing with this, and also to hear from Denver police on the steps they're taken to make sure that families are safe and that they are um protected.

5:22

Um wanted to um inform folks that we there will be another meeting this Friday at in Curtis Park for five points for community members that want to engage in dialogue.

5:34

And then this Saturday from 10 uh to 12 o'clock at the Clayton Early Learning on Colorado and um LK.

5:45

We're having a discussion with Denver Police led by the Colorado Black Round Table, um, Senate President uh James Coleman and many others, the uh community members, um, faith communities, um, as well as Denver Police will be there to provide an update on what's occurring, and we'll also be there to answer questions and discuss next steps and to help to elevate community thought on things that we can do together together to combat this.

6:12

Uh, I want to share clearly to neighbors.

6:14

There are neighbors who are feeling um scared, feeling sad.

6:17

What you are feeling is fine.

6:20

You have a right to feel how you are in your community.

6:23

Know that our community uh city council members were here to listen to you and here to move forward on things we can go do together to reduce this crime.

6:32

So on Saturday, please come out to um the Colorado Black Wrong Table from 10 to 12 at Clayton Early Learning to speak, to listen, to heal, and to get clear uh next steps from Denver Police and all of the city partners that will be there on um to hear your thoughts and to take some action.

6:51

Thank you so much.

6:52

Thank you, Madam President.

6:53

Thank you.

6:54

Councilmember Flynn.

6:55

Thank you, Madam President.

6:57

Uh, this Saturday is the first of what we hope will be every weekend, uh every Saturday through October of the new Harvey Park Farmers Market.

7:07

This is a complete volunteer effort.

7:10

I'm very impressed with the uh the energy in the community to put this together.

7:14

Local vendors, local products, uh sought out specifically uh because they are locally produced.

7:22

And uh sort of will be every Saturday morning from this Saturday, May 2nd until the end of October at Quince Miller Creative Arts Academy in the middle of Harvey Park at on the north northeast side of the school at uh Patton and Highliffe.

7:39

And so come on out, there'll be music, there'll be crafts, there'll be food, home produced uh goods, and uh enjoy yourselves over 50 local vendors, and we'll see you there.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement█████████████████████████████████33%
Parks and Recreation██████████████████████████26%
Procedural████████████12%
Contracts And Procurement██████████10%
Public Safety█████████9%
Youth Programs█████5%
Land Use Zoning███3%
Economic Development██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting – April 27, 2026

The Denver City Council held its regular session on Monday, April 27, 2026, starting at 3:30 PM and adjourning at 7:48 PM. Eleven members were present (Alvidrez, Flynn, Gilmore, Gonzales-Gutierrez, Lewis, Parady, Romero Campbell, Sawyer, Torres, Watson, Sandoval); two were absent (Hinds, Kashmann). The meeting included a proclamation honoring the Colorado Spartans arena football team, a block vote approving numerous resolutions, and two public hearings: a required hearing on a zoning change and a courtesy hearing on a use agreement for the former Globeville Recreation Center. The latter generated significant debate and ultimately failed.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes (26-0568): The minutes of April 20, 2026 were approved unanimously.
  • Proclamation 26-0571: Recognizing the Colorado Spartans and honoring the team’s commitment to community, accessibility, and athletic excellence. Adopted 11-0.
  • Resolution 26-0491: Contract with La Raza Services, Inc. ($1,083,647) for HIV/AIDS services. Adopted 9-0 (one abstention, Gonzales-Gutierrez; Watson absent).
  • Block Vote (Resolutions) – A motion to approve the following resolutions en bloc carried 11-0:
    • 26-0463: Contract with Jewish Family Service of Colorado ($3,420,000) for Rapid Rehousing supporting households with I/DD.
    • 26-0487: Setting a public hearing on Welton Corridor Urban Redevelopment Plan amendment.
    • 25-1736: Amendatory agreement with Baker Tilly US LLP for data privacy/security.
    • 26-0484: First Amendment with Kaplan Kirsch LLP (add $200,000) for aviation legal services.
    • 26-0488: Second Amendatory agreement with Colorado Nonprofit Development Center (add $239,375) for behavioral health/syringe access.
    • 26-0489: Contract with La Clinica Tepeyac ($918,771) for HIV/AIDS services.
    • 26-0490: Amendatory agreement with Hunger Free Colorado for nutrition assistance enrollment.
    • 26-0569: Settlement of $80,000 for claim Paul Turner v. Samuel Powell (Denver Police Department).
    • 26-0497: Grant agreement with CDPHE ($952,000) for Montbello Landscape Transformation Project (17 acres).
    • 26-0254 through 26-0276: Various amendatory agreements for on-call vertical professional/technical services (architects, engineers) – totals varied up to $8.68M.
    • 26-0277 through 26-0287: Second amendatory agreements for on-call large vertical construction services (e.g., FCI Constructors, Gerald H. Phipps, Haselden Construction) – amounts up to $37.55M.
    • 26-0288 through 26-0291: Second amendatory agreements for SBE vertical construction services (Bauen Studios, Halcyon Construction, Sky Blue Builders, Wilderness Construction) – each add $3M to $8M total.
    • 26-0326: License agreement with VEORIDE INC. for shared bike/scooter program (3 years).
    • 26-0473: Contract with A-1 Chipseal Company ($6,133,405) for cape seal/crack seal on ~125 lane miles.
    • 26-0474: Contract with Silva Construction, Inc. ($4,122,192) for concrete/curb/gutter replacement.
    • 26-0493: First Amendment with FlashParking, Inc. for digital parking at DEN (no cost change).
    • 26-0494: Purchase order with M-B Companies ($3,972,253) for broom vehicles and driving simulators at DEN.
    • 26-0495: Contract with Northwest Cascade, Inc. ($1,186,200) for portable restroom/pump services at DEN.
    • 26-0496: Master Purchase Order with Oshkosh AeroTech ($58,000,000) for passenger loading bridges at DEN.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Rezoning Hearing (C.B. 26-0230): No public speakers. Staff report delivered by Abner Ramos Salcedo of Community Planning and Development.
  • Globeville Rec Center Hearing (C.R. 26-0471): Eight speakers:
    • Bryan "Pastor B" Sederwall (Denver Dream Center) spoke in favor, emphasizing community support and sports/rec programming.
    • Aaron Betcher (Centennial resident) opposed, questioning RFP transparency and scoring.
    • Milo Valdez (Globeville First) spoke neither for nor against, but stressed need for community-led space and partnerships.
    • Marcus Weaver (online) opposed, alleging lack of measurable outcomes by Dream Center and citing a KUNC report on $693,000 Caring for Denver grant with poor reporting.
    • Rebecca Trujillo (Globeville resident) spoke neither for nor against, highlighting need for youth programming and trusted local organizations.
    • Scott Gilmore (District 11 resident) opposed, criticizing DPR's lack of transparency and calling the contract process disrespectful.
    • Kyla Green-Great House not present.

Discussion Items

  • Council Announcements: Councilmembers spoke about gun violence incidents, upcoming community meetings (response to shootings in Districts 9 and 11), Harvey Park Farmers Market, and La Rasa Park grand opening.
  • Resolution 26-0491 (La Raza Services): Councilmember Gonzales-Gutierrez abstained due to familial relationship.
  • Resolution 26-0569 (Settlement): Councilmember Lewis noted approval brings 2026 settlement total to $559,500. Councilmember Gilmore discussed drone privacy laws and Independent Monitor.
  • Resolution 26-0497 (Montbello Landscape): Councilmember Gilmore raised wildfire risks near open space; Councilmember Sawyer acknowledged Parks & Fire outreach.
  • Bill 26-0367 (Vibrant Bond – Denver Health Westside): Introduced; ordered published.
  • Bill 26-0492 (UCHA HIV/AIDS): Introduced; ordered published.
  • Council Bill 26-0230 (Rezoning 4211 N Hooker St): Staff report noted the property is zoned PUD-547; proposed to U-SU-C, CO-6 to align with neighborhood. No opposition. Passed 10-0 (Romero Campbell absent).
  • Council Resolution 26-0471 (Dream Center at Globeville Rec Center): Extensive debate.
    • DPR staff presented: three-year use agreement, $90,000 total ($30,000/year), 95 hours/week operation. Former tenant Birdseed Collective had operated since 2018; RFP issued July 2025; three responses (Dream Center, Globeville First, Birdseed).
    • Council questioned DPR on lack of community engagement. Deputy Director John Martinez admitted: "I dropped the ball … no public process." DPR Executive Director Joan Clark said building cannot be sold, and delay was due to transition.
    • Councilmembers voiced concerns: lack of transparency, 2017 RFP language outdated, no public input, and Dream Center’s past reporting issues (Caring for Denver grant, lack of metrics).
    • Councilmember Torres presented alternative model from Westwood community visioning process.
    • Pro-tempore Romero Campbell and Councilmembers Sawyer, Watson supported approval to avoid further vacancy; Councilmembers Gilmore, Gonzalez-Gutierrez, Lewis, Parady, Alvidrez, Sandoval opposed citing broken trust and need for community process.
    • Final vote: 8 no (Alvidrez, Flynn, Gilmore, Gonzales-Gutierrez, Lewis, Parady, Torres, Sandoval), 3 yes (Romero Campbell, Sawyer, Watson). Resolution failed.

Key Outcomes

  • Proclamation 26-0571 adopted (11-0).
  • Resolution 26-0491 adopted (9-0, 1 abstention).
  • Consent agenda (block vote) adopted (11-0) for 38+ resolutions.
  • Council Bill 26-0230 passed final consideration (10-0).
  • Council Resolution 26-0471 failed (3-8). The Globeville Recreation Center will remain vacant; DPR indicated a new RFP with community engagement would take approximately six months.
  • Bills introduced: 26-0367 (Denver Health Westside) and 26-0492 (UCHA HIV/AIDS) ordered published.
  • Adjournment at 7:48 PM.

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. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for taking the time to join us for Denver City Council's meeting. Today is Monday, April 27, 2026. 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? Yes, of course. Thank you. 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. Thank you very much, Sam. Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, April 27, 2026. Council members, please join Councilmember Gilmar in the pledge leaders. Indivisible with liberal liberty and justice. Council members, please join Councilmember Gilmer 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 the Rappahoe peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are also that are historically tied to the land that make up the state of Colorado. We honor elders past, present, and future, and those who have stewarded this land throughout generations. Here Gilmore here Gonzalez. Here. Eleven members present. Are there corrections to the minutes of April 20th? Seeing none, the minutes stand approved. Council announcements. Are there any council announcements this afternoon? Councilmember I'll be there to start us off. Thank you so much, Council President. And we will be at the meeting that will be held this Wednesday, the 29th at 2 p.m. Please contact my office if you want to attend District 7 at Denvergov.org. Thank you, Council President. Thank you. Councilmember Watson. Thank you, Madam President. Uh wanted to state again. I think last Monday I spoke to the number of folks within our communities that are dealing with uh senseless gun violence. Um we've had uh three individuals have been shot and and killed in district nine only, uh solely. Uh we had another uh person that was shot on Friday um near about two blocks um from um my house in uh the wheat here uh community. We want to thank the neighbors in the cole neighborhood for hosting a community dialogue specific uh for coal neighbors and folks surrounding to have a a place of space to speak to what they're feeling and how they are dealing with this, and also to hear from Denver police on the steps they're taken to make sure that families are safe and that they are um protected. Um wanted to um inform folks that we there will be another meeting this Friday at in Curtis Park for five points for community members that want to engage in dialogue. And then this Saturday from 10 uh to 12 o'clock at the Clayton Early Learning on Colorado and um LK. We're having a discussion with Denver Police led by the Colorado Black Round Table, um, Senate President uh James Coleman and many others, the uh community members, um, faith communities, um, as well as Denver Police will be there to provide an update on what's occurring, and we'll also be there to answer questions and discuss next steps and to help to elevate community thought on things that we can do together together to combat this. Uh, I want to share clearly to neighbors. There are neighbors who are feeling um scared, feeling sad. What you are feeling is fine. You have a right to feel how you are in your community. Know that our community uh city council members were here to listen to you and here to move forward on things we can go do together to reduce this crime. So on Saturday, please come out to um the Colorado Black Wrong Table from 10 to 12 at Clayton Early Learning to speak, to listen, to heal, and to get clear uh next steps from Denver Police and all of the city partners that will be there on um to hear your thoughts and to take some action. Thank you so much.

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