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Record of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting, May 4, 2026: Proclamations, Zoning Hearings, and Contract Approvals

City Council — Monday, May 4, 2026
BodyDenver, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, May 4, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:48:34

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
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.

0:23

Good afternoon everyone.

0:25

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

0:29

Today is Monday, May 4th, 2026.

0:33

Tonight's meeting into is being interpreted into Spanish.

0:36

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

0:44

Yes, of course.

0:45

Hello everyone.

0:46

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

0:51

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

0:56

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

1:37

Thank you very much, Sam.

1:41

Oh sorry, it's glad.

1:43

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting on Monday, May 4th, 2026.

1:47

Council members, please join Councilmember Heinz in the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:11

Thank you.

2:12

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

2:17

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

2:26

We also recognize the 51 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.

3:17

Here Flynn.

3:18

Here.

3:21

Heinz?

3:22

Here.

3:22

Cashman.

3:23

Here.

3:24

Lewis.

3:25

Romero Campbell.

3:26

Here.

3:27

Sawyer.

3:27

Here.

3:28

Torres?

3:29

Here.

3:29

Watson.

3:30

Here.

3:30

Madam President Sandoval.

3:32

Here.

3:33

Twelve members present.

3:34

There are 12 members present.

3:35

Council has a quorum.

3:37

Approval of the minutes.

3:39

Are there corrections to the minutes of April 27th?

3:43

Seeing none, the minutes stand approved.

3:46

Council announcements.

3:47

Are there any council announcements this afternoon?

3:51

Councilmember Gonzalez Cutters start us off.

3:54

Thank you, Madam President.

3:55

It's a very very important day for many people who enjoy these movies as much as I do, but it is May the Fourth.

4:04

And so to all my colleagues and to the people of Denver, may the fourth be with you.

4:13

A proud Star Wars nerd.

4:15

My daughter actually made all of these for me.

4:32

Thank you.

4:33

Councilwoman Sawyer.

4:34

Thank you, Madam President.

4:36

I also am gonna take a moment of personal privilege.

4:44

So I don't know how it happened that my youngest children turned 16, but they did.

4:54

Thanks.

4:55

Thank you.

4:56

Councilmember Heinz.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use Zoning████████████████████████████████████36%
Housing Development██████████████████████22%
Procedural███████████11%
Small Business Opportunity███████████11%
Announcements███████7%
Affordable Housing███3%
Parks and Recreation█1%
Arts And Culture█1%
Youth Programs█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting, May 4, 2026

On Monday, May 4, 2026, the Denver City Council convened at 3:30 PM and adjourned at 7:25 PM. Twelve council members were present (Alvidrez, Flynn, Gilmore, Gonzales-Gutierrez, Hinds, Kashmann, Lewis, Romero Campbell, Sawyer, Torres, Watson, Sandoval); Councilmember Parady was absent. The meeting featured two proclamations, a block vote approving 27 resolutions and bills, three required public hearings on zoning changes and a zoning code amendment, and a general public comment session.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes of April 27, 2026 were approved unanimously.
  • Proclamation 26-0583 (Yellow Dreams Youth Art Program) adopted 12-0.
  • Proclamation 26-0584 (Small Business Week) adopted 12-0.
  • Resolution 26-0529 (BUILD Denver Program contract with Colorado Enterprise Fund, $9,000,000) adopted 11-0 with one abstention (Councilmember Lewis).
  • Block Vote (Consent Agenda) – 26 items adopted en bloc, all passed 12-0, including:
    • Resolutions for HOPWA program amendments (26-0525, 26-0526), data sharing agreements for SIPPRA (26-0527, 26-0528), HOME grant (26-0560), fleet vehicle upfit components (26-0518, 26-0519), pest control services (26-0520), Westwood Community Center lease (26-0543), non-congregate shelter repair reimbursement (26-0544), Workday platform services (26-0516), appointment to Civil Service Commission (26-0548), behavioral support services for Head Start (26-0541), ten on-call restoration/ecological/technical services agreements (26-0530 through 26-0539), joint plant sale contract (26-0540), fire department burn structure (26-0485), Tennessee & Oneida Storm System Phase 3 (26-0517), street dedication of North Irving Street (26-0522), parking lot maintenance at 61st and Peña (26-0523), Knaq hardware/software for DEN (26-0524), and bills on final consideration for Denver Health Westside Family Health Center (26-0367) and University of Colorado Hospital HIV/AIDS services (26-0492).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • General Public Comment (5:00 PM – 5:30 PM): Several residents spoke about water rights, agricultural impacts of water transfers from rural basins to the Front Range, and concerns about community cohesion. No specific action was taken.
  • Required Public Hearing – 26-0345 (992 N. Knox Court rezoning): David Roybal and James Warren spoke in favor; Jesse Parris spoke in opposition. Speakers highlighted neighborhood safety, walkability, and potential commercial benefits versus concerns about gentrification and displacement.
  • Required Public Hearing – 26-0346 (1453 N. Wabash Street rezoning): Jesse Parris spoke in favor, supporting regularizing a long-standing auto body shop's zoning; no opposition speakers.
  • Required Public Hearing – 26-0344 (Extended site development plan validity): Brian Fishman, Jesse Parris (who also supported this), Brad Farber, Dennis McGillicuddy, and Evan Kurtis all spoke in favor, citing market conditions and need to preserve housing pipeline.

Discussion Items

  • Proclamations: Councilmembers highlighted the Yellow Dreams Youth Art Program, celebrating youth creativity and cultural expression during AAPI Heritage Month, and Small Business Week, emphasizing the role of small businesses in Denver's economy and community character.
  • 26-0345 – Rezoning 992 N. Knox Court (Villa Park): The property would change from E-SU-D to E-MS-3, allowing a mixed-use building with 15 residential units (including 2 permanently affordable units) and ~950 sq ft of commercial space. Staff found consistency with West Area Plan and Blueprint Denver. Councilmember Torres expressed support, noting the site is the only interior commercial node in Villa Park. The applicant committed to 12% affordable units at 70% AMI (rental) or 90% AMI (for-sale) with a 99-year covenant.
  • 26-0346 – Rezoning 1453 N. Wabash Street (East Colfax): A 6,000 sq ft lot would be rezoned from E-TU-B to E-MS-3 to match the adjacent auto body shop's zoning, resolving a long-standing split-zoning issue. The owner plans to clean up the site and eventually build a storage building. Staff and councilmembers noted this aligns with East Area Plan and transit-oriented development near the future Colfax BRT.
  • 26-0344 – Amendment to Denver Zoning Code (Site Development Plan Validity): The ordinance extends the validity of approved site development plans by three years for plans approved on or before December 31, 2025. This aims to preserve a pipeline of ~22,600 residential units and numerous commercial projects that face financing delays due to high interest rates and construction costs. Councilmember Watson sponsored the bill, and it received broad support as a market-responsive measure.
  • Council Announcements: Multiple councilmembers gave personal or district updates, including May the 4th Star Wars Day, Denver's selection as host for the 2028 Democratic National Convention, community office hours, park ribbon cuttings, and upcoming events.

Key Outcomes

  • All proclamations and the block vote items were adopted (see Consent Calendar for specific votes).
  • Council Bill 26-0345 (992 N. Knox Court rezoning) passed 10-0 (Gilmore, Gonzales-Gutierrez, Parady absent).
  • Council Bill 26-0346 (1453 N. Wabash Street rezoning) passed 10-0 (same absentees).
  • Council Bill 26-0344 (Zoning code amendment for site development plan validity) passed 10-0 (same absentees).
  • Bills for introduction: 26-0486 (Five Points BID renewal) ordered published with a future hearing; 26-0542 (prevailing wage amendment) ordered published; 26-0521 (rezoning at 361-363 W. Evans Ave) ordered published with a future hearing.
  • Upcoming hearings: May 11, 2026 for Five Points BID; June 1, 2026 for 361-363 W. Evans Ave rezoning (protests due May 26, 2026).

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 afternoon everyone. Thank you for taking the time to join us for Denver City Council's meeting. Today is Monday, May 4th, 2026. Tonight's meeting into 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. Hello everyone. My name is Sam Guzmano with the CLC, joining you virtually through Zoom. And along with my colleague Jasmine, who will be interpreting today's meeting into Spanish. Please allow me a quick moment while I give instructions in Spanish on how to access interpretation. Thank you very much, Sam. Oh sorry, it's glad. Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting on Monday, May 4th, 2026. Council members, please join Councilmember Heinz in the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. Council members, please join Councilmember Heinz 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 Youth Cheyenne and Arabaho peoples. We also recognize the 51 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. Here Flynn. Here. Heinz? Here. Cashman. Here. Lewis. Romero Campbell. Here. Sawyer. Here. Torres? Here. Watson. Here. Madam President Sandoval. Here. Twelve members present. There are 12 members present. Council has a quorum. Approval of the minutes. Are there corrections to the minutes of April 27th? Seeing none, the minutes stand approved. Council announcements. Are there any council announcements this afternoon? Councilmember Gonzalez Cutters start us off. Thank you, Madam President. It's a very very important day for many people who enjoy these movies as much as I do, but it is May the Fourth. And so to all my colleagues and to the people of Denver, may the fourth be with you.

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