OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting – May 11, 2026: Prevailing Wage Amendments, Five Points BID Renewal, and Proclamations

City Council — Monday, May 11, 2026
BodyDenver, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, May 11, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:15:11

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

Tonight's coverage of Denver City Council starts now.

0:14

Thank you for joining us and taking the time um to join us at our today's meeting.

0:19

Today is Monday, May 11, 2026.

0:23

Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish.

0:26

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

0:34

Yes, of course, thank you.

0:35

Hello, everyone.

0:36

My name is Sam Guzmano with the CLC.

0:39

Joining you virtually through Zoom, and along with my colleague Jasmine.

0:44

We will be interpreting today's meeting into Spanish.

0:47

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

1:26

Thank you very much, Sam.

1:29

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, May 11, 2026.

1:34

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

1:46

For which it stands, one nation under God.

1:57

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

2:03

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.

2:11

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

2:17

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

2:23

We also recognize the government academic and cultural institutions we're founded upon and continue to enact exclusions and erasures of Indigenous peoples.

2:31

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

2:47

Alvidras here.

4:30

It is one of the ways that this community decided we are going to show how we can activate these underutilized spaces in our community, knowing there's transformation coming no matter what it was going to be.

4:44

And it's just a really amazing time.

4:46

So 4 to 10 p.m.

4:48

this Saturday.

4:49

And also happening this week, Denver Urban Gardens.

4:53

I just want to give them a shout out.

4:54

They'll be doing a ribbon cutting this Thursday at Joe P.

4:57

Martinez Park.

4:59

They are establishing a food forest and community gardens and have just installed all the beds.

5:05

And this is part of their focus on West Area neighborhoods in a lot of their uh food access work that they're they've been doing with us.

5:14

So that's on Thursday at Joseph P.

5:17

Martinez Park.

5:17

Thank you, Madam President.

5:19

Thank you.

5:22

Thank you, Madam President.

5:23

Just a moment of personal privilege.

5:25

I want to congratulate Redeced Salvadres or Rodriguez.

5:30

He's high school alumni.

5:33

He will be he's been working in my office.

5:36

Salvidres.

5:38

Oh, okay.

5:38

Well, he's been working in my office as a Colado Capital Fellow.

5:43

Um Clado is the Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy and Research Organization.

5:48

And he's been assigned to my office as a 2026 Capitol Fellow for the first time was assigned to a City Council office during the legislative session.

5:57

I've had many uh capital fellows over the years as a state legislator, and they reached out and said, Would you like a Capitol Fellow at City Council?

6:04

I said, sure.

6:06

But I want to thank Redecel for his time in our office.

6:09

He supported us during this legislative process, looking into bills and keeping track of positions.

6:14

He assisted with the review, giving very valuable feedback on the RO report that was published, as you've all seen.

6:22

And he attended and supported events in our office that we hosted through the last few months, like the registered neighborhood organization feedback sessions and the Office of Independent Monetary Events.

6:33

So on behalf of our office, Rede Cell, we want to wish you the best on your future goals and cannot wait to see what you do next and hope that you stay in contact with us.

6:41

Thank you.

6:43

Thank you.

6:49

Councilman Albidres.

6:52

And I will also second the Sun Valley Night Market is amazing.

6:55

Have been there.

6:55

We'll be there again.

6:57

I want to invite people that to come out for a bike ride in District 7.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Economic Development█████████████████████████████████████████41%
Procedural███████████████████19%
Public Safety███████████11%
Worker Protections███████7%
Land Use Zoning████4%
Contracts And Procurement███3%
Historic Preservation███3%
Small Business Opportunity███3%
Arts And Culture██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting – May 11, 2026

The Denver City Council met on Monday, May 11, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. (recessed and reconvened later for public hearings) with 12 members present (Councilmember Gilmore absent). The meeting included proclamations, a block vote on several resolutions, debate and amendments to a prevailing wage ordinance, and a public hearing on the renewal of the Five Points Business Improvement District (BID) with extensive community testimony.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes of May 4, 2026 approved.
  • Proclamations (en bloc): 26-0643 (Remembering Byron Thomas “Whiz” Weiss) adopted.
  • Resolutions (en bloc):
    • 26-0552 (Second Amendatory Agreement with Colorado Nonprofit Development Center for purchasing a permanent health access facility) adopted.
    • 26-0644 (Settlement of $225,000 in the Sjostrom v. Malone civil claim against Denver Police Department) adopted.
    • 26-0567 (Setting public hearing for Hurley Place Commercial Metropolitan District service plan) adopted.
    • 26-0601 (License Agreement with Denver Health for sewer lines) adopted.
    • 26-0563 (Contract with ATIS Elevator Inspections for conveyance inspections at Denver International Airport) adopted.
    • 26-0564 (First Amendment with DHL Express for cargo facilities lease at Denver International Airport) adopted.
  • Bills for Introduction (ordered published): 26-0557 (rezoning 8401 E Belleview), 26-0561 (Preservation of Affordable Housing Ordinance amendments), 26-0566 (pedestrian intersection improvements land acquisition), 26-0558 and 26-0559 (classification and pay plan amendments), 26-0565 (High‑Performance Existing Buildings amendments).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Council Bill 26-0389 (Rezoning 1057 S Gaylord Street): Jesse Parris spoke in favor. No opposition. Staff report recommended approval.
  • Council Bill 26-0392 (Rezoning 5101-5115 N Milwaukee Street): Noticing error cited; no public testimony. Postponed to June 22, 2026.
  • Council Bill 26-0486 (Five Points Business Improvement District 10‑year renewal):
    • Supporters (34 speakers): Included business owners (e.g., Keith Pryor, Risa Jones, Fatima Dickerson), residents, representatives of community organizations, and University of Denver partners. They highlighted the BID’s role in marketing, beautification, safety, cultural events (First Friday Jazz Hop, Juneteenth), business support, and leveraging grants (e.g., $125,000 in 2026, $190,000 in 2025, plus RTD/DoT studies and DURA grants). Many cited the leadership of Executive Director Norman Harris and the need for coordinated investment to preserve Five Points’ heritage.
    • Opponents (3 speakers): Nina Roop, Maedella Stiger, and Jesse Parris expressed concerns about high assessment taxes without perceived benefits, lack of board term limits, appointed (not elected) board structure, and that festivals sometimes fence off local businesses, causing revenue loss. Property owner Dr. Renee Cousins King noted paying over $100,000 in assessments over 10 years with nominal return.
    • Neutral (2 speakers): Renee Cousins-King (later clarified opposition) and DeVindra Williams provided data on assessment fees (annual $276,101) and management salaries (45% of budget).

Discussion Items

  • Prevailing Wage Ordinance (Council Bill 26-0542):
    • Councilmember Sawyer introduced two amendments to clarify exemptions: (1) excluding projects where the city transfers dedicated funds to non‑city entities (e.g., metro districts, downtown development authority) – passed 12‑0; (2) exempting projects that received a Department of Housing Stability award letter before June 1, 2026 – passed 12‑0.
    • Councilmembers Parady and Sawyer stated the amendments were clarifications, not substantive changes, and noted ongoing disagreements with the City Attorney’s Office over interpretation. The bill as amended passed 12‑0.
  • Harm Reduction Action Center Building Purchase (Resolution 26-0552): Councilmember Parady expressed frustration that $715,000 in unspent funds were rolled over for a third year due to difficulties purchasing a permanent facility. Tim Hoffman (Mayor’s Office) reported the city attorney’s office is working with HRAC on contract questions; no building yet identified. Councilmember Parady urged colleagues to monitor progress.
  • Settlement Transparency (Resolution 26-0644): Councilmember Lewis noted the $225,000 settlement brings the 2026 total for city settlements to $784,500, all drawn from a liability claims pool, and stressed the need for budget vigilance.
  • Five Points BID Renewal (Council Bill 26-0486):
    • Staff report by Dennis Wegienek outlined the district’s 42‑acre footprint along Welton Street and the renewal process.
    • Councilmember Watson questioned Executive Director Norman Harris about economic impact: Harris cited $125,000 in grants secured in 2026, over $200,000 in DURA grants to businesses, and RTD/DoT studies worth $750,000‑$964,000, plus advocacy that led to $12.3 million for Blair Caldwell Library.
    • Councilmember Torres raised concerns about the southern end of the corridor (parking lots, zoning). Harris acknowledged need for continued outreach and committed to exploring board transparency, including moving to an elected board and revisiting term limits (currently three terms).
    • Councilmember Parady and Gonzalez-Gutierrez pressed for specific plans to address property owner grievances; Harris pledged to initiate board discussions on amendments to the creation ordinance post‑renewal.
    • Councilmember Lewis expressed disappointment that no concrete plan was offered for dissenting businesses and voted no.

Key Outcomes

  • Prevailing Wage Ordinance (26-0542): Passed as amended (12‑0). Ordinance clarifies exemptions for pass‑through entities and grandfathers affordable housing projects with award letters before June 1, 2026.
  • Five Points BID Renewal (26-0486): Passed 11‑1 (Councilmember Lewis dissenting). The BID is renewed for an additional 10 years. The board committed to discussing amendments to improve governance, transparency, and board elections within the renewal term.
  • Zoning Change 1057 S Gaylord (26-0389): Passed 12‑0. Rezone from U‑MS‑2 to U‑MS‑2 with waivers (permitting hotels) after neighborhood negotiations.
  • Zoning Change for N Milwaukee Street (26-0392): Postponed to June 22, 2026 (12‑0) due to noticing error.
  • Proclamations: Police/Sheriff Appreciation Week, O’Hayres family service, Detective Cody Davison, World Facilities Management Day all adopted unanimously.
  • Contract Resolutions (Janitorial): Both AFL Maintenance ($3.75M) and CCS Facility Services ($21.75M) postponed one week to May 18, 2026.
  • Right of First Refusal Waiver (26-0562): Postponed to May 18, 2026, to align with companion affordable housing ordinance.
  • Next Steps: Council will hold a public hearing on June 8, 2026, for rezoning 8401 E Belleview Avenue (26-0557).

Meeting Transcript

Tonight's coverage of Denver City Council starts now. Thank you for joining us and taking the time um to join us at our today's meeting. Today is Monday, May 11, 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. Hello, everyone. My name is Sam Guzmano 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. Thank you very much, Sam. Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, May 11, 2026. Council members, please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. For which it stands, one nation under God. Council members, please join Councilmember Parity 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 city of Colorado. We honor elders past, present, and future, and those who have stewarded this land throughout generations. We also recognize the government academic and cultural institutions we're 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 future contributions of Indigenous communities in Denver. Alvidras here. It is one of the ways that this community decided we are going to show how we can activate these underutilized spaces in our community, knowing there's transformation coming no matter what it was going to be. And it's just a really amazing time. So 4 to 10 p.m. this Saturday. And also happening this week, Denver Urban Gardens. I just want to give them a shout out. They'll be doing a ribbon cutting this Thursday at Joe P. Martinez Park. They are establishing a food forest and community gardens and have just installed all the beds. And this is part of their focus on West Area neighborhoods in a lot of their uh food access work that they're they've been doing with us. So that's on Thursday at Joseph P. Martinez Park. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. Just a moment of personal privilege. I want to congratulate Redeced Salvadres or Rodriguez. He's high school alumni. He will be he's been working in my office. Salvidres. Oh, okay. Well, he's been working in my office as a Colado Capital Fellow. Um Clado is the Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy and Research Organization. And he's been assigned to my office as a 2026 Capitol Fellow for the first time was assigned to a City Council office during the legislative session. I've had many uh capital fellows over the years as a state legislator, and they reached out and said, Would you like a Capitol Fellow at City Council? I said, sure. But I want to thank Redecel for his time in our office. He supported us during this legislative process, looking into bills and keeping track of positions.

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