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.

Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish.

Sam or Jasmine, would you please introduce yourself and let our newer viewers know?

Would you please introduce yourself and let our viewers know how to enable translation on their devices?

Yes, of course.

Thank you for having us.

Hello, everyone.

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

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

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

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting on Monday, May 18th, 2026.

Council members, please end Council Member Watson and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Council members, please join Councilmember Watson 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 a traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapao 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 indigenous peoples.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, roll call.

Louis.

Here.

Gilmore.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Here.

Cashman.

Here.

Romero Campbell.

Here.

Torres.

Here.

Watson.

Madam President Sandoval.

Here.

Twelve members present.

Twelve members present.

City Council has a quorum.

Approval of the minutes.

Are there any corrections to the minutes of May 11th?

Seeing none.

The minutes stand approved.

Council announcements.

Are there any council announcements this afternoon?

Councilman Gonzalez could get to start us off.

Thank you.

I think we all heard the news last Friday, and I can't go without um saying something about what happened and what our governor did.

Jared Polis commuting the sentence of Tina Peters violates the role of clemency in our judicial system.

This decision adds to a long pattern of polls working alongside Donald Trump.

As we know this is not the first time, and Colorado deserves better.

That is why I look forward to his term as governor coming to an end in 239 days, or perhaps less.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilman Aviderez.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I wanted to start by, I know we said it last year, last week, but uh happy belated breathing, Council of the Torres.

Thanks.

This is Monday was closer, so I wanted to say it again.

Um, and I also just wanted to thank the Mayor's bicycle advocacy Mitty for a committee for a great ride on Saturday.

We rode all around District 7.

It was a lot of fun.

I highly recommend if you're able to join to join when they do your district.

But it was great fun, a gorgeous day, and we got to also visit some local small businesses.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Councilmember Watson.

All right, thank you.

Uh Council President.

This past weekend we received a notice that uh Judge Andre Rudolph um is no longer with us, lost his life.

Uh Judge Rudolph uh was a pillar within our community.

Um beyond being a judge, he was a good person, and one that many of us have relied on and respected, and so to his family and friends to the county judges that are I think are having a tough um morning, are our city attorneys, um, anyone that's worked directly with Judge Rudolph.

Um our hearts and thoughts go out to him and his family, and also the legacies that he's left behind, the folks that he has helped, the young men that look like me that really seeing a judge, a young judge, um standing for them and providing them opportunities for a better life.

So, once again, on behalf of um uh my office now, so maybe on behalf of the city council, um we wish the um the family and loved ones of Judge Rudolph um um all the support they need.

Um, want to have one additional uh um announcement.

Um, uh, 56 year old, I love to run.

Um I ask folks for prayers for my knees because I love to do these long runs.

Um I ran the Colfax half marathon this weekend.

Uh 13.1 miles.

I survived, I made it.

It was great, but there were 28,000 folks that also ran over this past weekend, which is phenomenal.

Um, there are hundreds of nonprofits that were supported because of this run, um, and so many folks um have put in so much energy.

So, to the Colfax Marathon team, staff, thank you for putting forward such a great event to the neighbors that were impacted, streets had to be closed.

Thank you for your patience, um, and for all the runners, uh, get some rest.

Um, and thank you for going out there and demonstrating not just love for this sport, but also love for community with all the funds we were able to raise this weekend.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Pro Tem Remaryl Campbell.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, two things I just want to thank Denver Parks and Rec and Samuels Elementary School.

We celebrated Arbor Day last um Thursday.

It was super fun.

There were hundreds of elementary school kids.

I thought it was just gonna be third graders, it was like third, fourth, fifth graders, um, all over the park.

Um, they got a chance to see like the cherry pickers and learn more about um conservation.

They did climbing, they even had uh ways for us to climb a tree, and I thought it was gonna be super easy, and it was not.

Um, and I'm still sore from trying to climb a tree in Roseman Park.

Try this on your own.

Um, but it's fun.

I thought it was super high, it was like maybe four feet off the ground.

Um, but I just wanted to say thank you again to um Sophomore, or not South Moore to Samuels Elementary and to Denver Parks and Rec.

And we are also having um, I think you've heard um me talk about this, but the Welshire is gonna celebrate a hundred years, and it's a it is a golf course that started out private and is now um open to the public.

It's the only only Donald Ross golf course that is uh public uh here west of the Mississippi.

Um but there's a little fact, and they want me to do this, so we're gonna just ask it.

What iconic um Denver landmark can you see from the eighth green?

Red Rocks.

Red Rocks, and we were just there.

So Red Rocks is one of the um beautiful, iconic landmarks that you can see.

Thank you to the council members that are gonna have the opportunity to play with us.

Um but a community celebration will be held in the evening from 5 to 8 p.m.

So come check it out.

Come with us uh and celebrate.

We'll have some bands, um, community bands playing, and just an opportunity to just enjoy um the Welshire.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Oh, I forgot to tell you when.

It's on June 5th, in the evening, Wednesday.

No, that's a Friday, June 5th.

Sorry.

Got my days mixed up.

I mean, where?

It is on, I want to say Wednesday.

It's on Friday, June 5th from 5 to 8 p.m.

at the Welshire.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up we have Councilperson Gilmar.

Council President.

Wanted to make sure that the community had the announcement.

The Aurora Regional Navigation Campus Town Hall is going to be this Wednesday, May 20th, from 6 until 7 p.m.

It's at 4343 Airport Way.

The Aurora Regional Navigation Campus is in Aurora, it's right across the street directly from the city and county of Denver, and the businesses along that corridor have had uh increased issues with folks experiencing large need and support in that corridor.

And so please come out, join us uh on Wednesday to get more information about what is being proposed and done for that corridor for both the clients at the regional navigation campus and the businesses that are along that uh chambers um 40th corridor as well, and then um a note regarding um Governor Polis's um actions regarding Tina Um Peters.

Uh it's a gross uh misjustice that he um took the actions that he took.

Uh it's important that we continue to tell the truth and that we talk about what actually happened on January 6th, and um that that was a day of uh um insurrection that happened in our nation's capital and um I don't talk about it much, but being Denver City Council president during that time, we were prepared for armed militias to possibly take over the state capital, and we are right across the park from the state capitol, and so it's not hard to find our addresses, etc.

There were security measures underway for uh council leadership, because if we don't have the votes to conduct business of this body, contracts do not move through the city council process, and so our democracy is very, very fragile, and for there to be a lying about the severity of what happened.

People died that day, and uh it is um disgusting, and I hope that there are the full extent of what might be done uh to address that because it's important that we are on the right side of history and we cannot morph uh the truth because knowing what we knew, there were reasons to be concerned, and that threat has not gone away.

If anything, that threat has increased, and the rhetoric has to be clear on what we're doing and why we're doing it, and this was a total cave-in of any elected official and should go down in history.

Uh, as that.

Thank you, council president.

Thank you.

Um as a friendly reminder, Monday is Memorial Day, so that means city, this meeting county of Denver is closed.

City council meeting is canceled.

All of our committees are canceled.

So we convene again on June 1st.

I hope everyone has a great memorial day.

Um, and um we remember those who have fought for liberties, such as voting that we have, and um I am also just disgusted with what happened with team of computers.

I just can't, I can't even believe it.

I don't even know how words for it.

So thank you both for um colleagues for saying something that I've had a hard time putting words to.

Um other news uh parks and recreation is going around and asking city residents what they want for the next 20 30 years in their park and their rec centers.

We are hosting one in Northwest Denver at Scheitler Rec Center or AKA Berkeley.

I don't know.

I call it Berkeley pool, Saturday, May 30th from 10 to 12.

So please check that out and come and tell Parks and Red what you'd like to see in our rec centers for the next 20 to 30 years.

Seeing no other announcements, there are no presentations.

Madam Secretary, please read the communication.

Communication 26-0703.

General Fund Financial Status Report, Quarter 1, 2026.

In a report provided to council on May 14th, 2026, the Department of Finance shares that general fund revenue collected through March 31st, 2026 is 289,481,245.

This represents 17.4% of the original 2026 revenue projection.

The city's general fund revenue projection for the remainder of the 2026 fiscal year is 1,374,847,276 as projected in the original 2026 fiscal year city budget.

The projected 2026 year and unassigned fund balance of the general fund currently remains at 196,440,869.

A detailed description of the financial accounting is available online or at the council desk.

The communication has been received and filed.

Madam Secretary, please read the bills for introduction.

From the community planning and housing committee, 26-0602, a bill for an ordinance designating 3535 East 26th Avenue Parkway as a structure for preservation.

26-0608, a bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 831 South Monaco Street Parkway in Washington, Virginia Vale.

From the Finance and Business Committee, 26-0597, a bill for an ordinance approving a proposed agreement between the city and county of Denver and the state of Colorado.

Acting by and through the Colorado Department of Labor and for and employment to fund training and employment of residents of the Colorado Rural Workforce Consortium Citywide.

26-0633, a bill for an ordinance approving a proposed cooperation agreement between the city and county of Denver and Denver Urban Renewal Authority for the Rasonian Tax Increment Area and Sales Tax Increment Area to establish among other matters the parameters for tax increment financing with incremental property and sales taxes in Council District 9.

26-0634, a bill for an ordinance approving an amendment to the Welton Corridor Urban Redevelopment Plan to add the Rasonian Project and to create the Rasonian Project Property and Sales Tax Increment Areas.

And from the Health and Safety Committee 26-0590, a bill for an ordinance approving a proposed amendatory revenue agreement between the city and county of Denver and Colorado Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Administration to provide funds for substance use disorder, mental health treatment, jail medicated assisted treatment, and pre-sentence reentry to Denver City Jails citywide.

Thank you, Madam Secretary.

Council members, this is your last opportunity to call out an item.

Councilmember Watson, will you make the motions for us this evening?

Yes, Council President Sandoval.

Thank you.

Under resolutions, Council Resolution 0600 has been called out for postponement to rule 3.6 by Councilmember Flynn.

Council Resolution 0503 has been called out for comments by Councilmember Parity.

Council resolutions 0578-0579-0580 and 0581 have been called out in a block for comments by Councilmember Parity.

Have been called out for questions and comments by Councilmember Gonzalez Gutierrez and Councilmember Alvidres.

And for questions and comments and a vote by Councilmember Parity.

Under bills for introduction, no items have been called out.

Under bills for final consideration, no items have been called out.

Under pending, no items have been called out.

Madam Secretary, please put the first item on our screens.

Council resolution 0600, a resolution approving a proposed contract between the city and county of Denver and Matrix Design Group for landscape architecture planning design and related services citywide.

Councilmember Flynn, what would you like to do with Council Resolution 0600?

Thank you, Madam President.

I need to hold this over under Rule 3.6 for a one week delay, which are actually to the next meeting, which will be in two weeks.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

No motion is required.

It's resolution 0600 has been postponed to Monday, June 6th.

Is that right?

I thought it was June 1st.

Isn't there our next council meeting June 1st, Madam Secretary?

Yes, June 1st.

Yeah.

Okay.

No motion is required and has been postponed to Monday, June 1st, 2026.

Madam Secretary, please put the next item on our screens.

Council Resolution 0578, a resolution approving the appointment of Donna Fleury to the permanent panel of arbitrators created by City Council pursuant to charter section 9.10.4 C.

And to the permanent panel of mediators created by City Council pursuant to charter section 9.10.7 B.

I don't know what it means when you had to say it appeared in the brackets.

Council resolution 0579, a resolution approving the appointment of Jay Bailey to the permanent panel of arbitrators created by city council pursuant to charter section 9.10.4c and permanent panel of mediators created by city council pursuant to charter section 9.10.7b.

Council resolution 0508, a resolution appointing approving the appointment of Mark Travis to the permanent panel of arbitrators created by City Council pursuant to charter section 9.10.4.c and to the permanent panel of mediators created by city council pursuant to charter section 9.10.7b.

Council Resolution 0581, a resolution approving the appointment of Gina Revokonna Nova to the permanent panel of arbitrators created by City Council pursuant to charter section 9.10.4C and to the permanent panel of mediators created by City Council pursuant to charter section 9.10.7B.

Councilmember Parity, please go ahead with your comments on Council Resolutions 0578 through 0581.

I apologize.

Can I be heard?

Yes, we can.

That was a very inopportune moment for my um for my Zoom to drop me off.

Um thank you for reading all of those, Council President.

I called these off just for two quick reasons.

Number one, I want to be um I'm grateful that um we have this panel of arbitrators in place, and that we'll now have um uh a good number of people to start um working through any disputes that arise as our city union I as our city workers start to exercise their rights as they've been doing.

Um and I also want to thank the three uh mediators and arbitrators who have been appointed from the get-go.

Um they've really been helping everybody involved uh get these processes set up for folks.

Um I'm grateful to my council colleagues and the council member Torres uh for working to approve council providing uh sort of a bridge to pay for the administrative expenses that those arbitrators have had, um, because those weren't in any city agency's budget, and so we're covering that from our council budget, um, and I'm grateful for all of that.

And then mostly I just want to say that um the city charter change passed in 2024 with um a resoundingly high percentage of Denverites in support of it.

I think it was 76% of the vote, which is pretty remarkable.

Um, we have now had employees um who have filed uh to foreign bargaining units, including our library workers who really were part of the driving force behind the um this ballot initiative passing in the first place, uh, that have been waiting for over five months um for these processes to begin.

And so that's there's been a lot of work happening.

Um, but I just want to encourage all city leaders and everyone involved um to make sure that now that we have arbitrators in place and everything else that we're really moving as quickly as we possibly can um to start these processes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Madam Secretary, please put the next item on our screens.

Council resolution 0503, a resolution approving a proposed mandatory agreement between the city and county of Denver and Service Source Inc.

to fund the Denver Day Works Program, providing participant wages and support, staff salaries, and program operations citywide.

Councilmember Councilmember Parity, please go ahead with your comments on council resolution zero five zero three.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I wanted to recognize that the Denver Day Works program um it's fairly unique in Denver.

It provides day labor employment services and resource navigation specifically for people experiencing homelessness, and it's actually our only workforce program in the city that we fund for unhoused people.

Um it's now operated by service force, which uh used to be um under the name of bayout.

Um they staff case managers, employment specialized specialists, and work site supervisors, uh, and the day later operations now primarily occur at um what what used to be known as all in mile high communities, um so at those particular um shelter locations.

So um the city funding for this service has been flat at $750,000 for the last five years.

Last year in the mayor's proposed budget, this was cut entirely.

Council restored that through a budget amendment um that I sponsored, I believe, with Council Member Lewis.

Um, and I think it's very good that we did that because um now after Trump's gutting of Medicaid in the big bill, whatever that thing, HR one from last year, um, unhoused people are going to be required in many instances to meet work requirements in order to keep access to Medicaid, which is also how we um basically pay for healthcare services at shelter sites, is um largely through Medicaid reimbursement.

And so if we if those folks lose access to Medicaid coverage, um, then we will have a problem together with uh CCH, which staff these sites, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

We will have a big issue in um being able to get people their medical care because we don't have other budgets for that, obviously.

So Denver Day Works um is really crucial to people meeting those work requirements, retaining their Medicaid, um, and it's very well worth the investment to do that.

And if anything, we may um I know we're in another flat budget year, but it's something that really we should be growing over time.

It would save us all of these systems a lot of money in the long run.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, please put the next item on our screen.

Council resolution zero five zero four.

A resolution approving a proposed agreement between the city and county of Denver and AFL maintenance group incorporated to provide janitorial services for group five, citywide, excluding Denver International Airport, Council Resolution 0505, a resolution approving a proposed agreement between the city and county of Denver and CCS Facility Services, Colorado Inc.

to provide citywide janitorial services specifically for groups one, two, three, four, and six citywide, excluding Denver International Airport.

Councilmember Watson, would you please put council resolutions 0504 and 0505 on the floor for adoption in a block?

Yes, Council President.

I move that council resolutions 260504 and 260505 be adopted in a block.

It has been moved.

And seconded questions by comment questions and comments by members of council.

Councilmember Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um myself and and councilwoman parity's office and councilwoman LV that is this office, um, had an opportunity since uh committee where these contracts came before us in finance and business, uh, because we were outreached by by some of the the employees.

And um, you know, we wanted to make sure we were giving everybody the same amount of opportunity and time for conversation.

And we heard some very serious concerns coming from some of the janitorial staff impacted by the recent contracting changes.

Some of these things include issues of lack of communication, unstable hours, fear of retaliation, unclear oversight, unclear payment cadence, but and potential violations of transition protections.

Um, you know, I think we we talked about this in committee.

We asked questions about what that 90-day transition is, what is in our current code?

Um, making sure that there is an equitable transition, that there is transparency with that.

I do have some questions because I believe we're joined by many folks here today um that may be able to answer these questions because it just led it led me to additional questions even coming out of committee.

Um, so some of those, I think some of these will be for if the new contractors are here.

Great.

Um I do want to ask you, um, whoever is here from from the any of the new contractors, uh, how will you guarantee compliance with the 90-day retention requirement?

Because we're hearing concerns that there are some folks that perhaps aren't being provided that, or that there's no compliance with that.

Can you tell me how you will guarantee that compliance?

Good afternoon.

My name is uh Jesus Guerrero.

I'm a regional vice president with CCS facility services.

And uh, how are we gonna be in compliance with the 90 days ordinance?

I mean, on retention.

Uh we've been uh meeting with uh all of the different groups and since we took over this contract.

Uh and before that, we end up having meetings with all of the employees and uh assuring that they are keeping their jobs, their hours, and their benefits.

Uh one 100%.

Again, one one thing that we've been uh discussing, I mean uh with the um uh directors.

Uh it's specifically on the hours.

I mean uh because uh as you know, they had some hours hours uh reductions um on the past years.

I mean, and they were concerned thinking that they will be keeping those hours.

Uh we're keeping the hours that they had previous to this contract as it is right now, and uh we are retaining all of the employees.

The only people that we did not retain is uh some of those employees that they decide to retire.

Other than that, everybody is staying with CCS and Alpha Green that uh that is our subcontractor.

Okay, so that everyone has been able to maintain employment currently, yes.

Okay, um, and you said that the hours cut were there have been no cut hours.

No.

Okay, so that's where it gets a little bit tricky because I think we're hearing opposite of that, and I don't know if there's an explanation for that of why we're here.

There is some confusion for sure.

I mean, and and even with that confusion, uh, as you know, I mean, when we um uh got the contract and the hours that we bid, I mean, for the contract, what specific hours on that contract when we went and uh confirmed those hours with the employees.

Uh some of the employees are saying we used to have six hours, we have three hours and things like that as it is right now.

I mean, we've been telling all of the employees that they are keeping their hours that they had previous to our contract with CCS.

And uh going back to um the uh directors that we've been did um working with, I mean we are telling them that we're keeping all of those hours, regardless if it's going a little bit over budget based on what it was on the contract.

And some of those uh specifics, I'm gonna talk about the library.

When we took over the library, we the budget was 300 hours that they got, I mean, um on the budget, but they needed 600 hours.

But we work with Kevin right away in order to uh for him to submit a letter, I mean, and a request, I mean, for more hours, and uh, but again, since they won, we keep all of the employees with the hours that they have.

Okay, and I guess going forward, uh are you all committed that the wages and scheduled hours will not be reduced during or even after the transition happens?

That is correct.

After the 90 days, so we we are committed to the hours that we do have in the service agreement.

Okay, and what are those?

Uh there is specific hours for each one of the buildings.

So, so one thing that we've been I I think that what we've been doing is educating the employees on the hours that they have.

They they were thinking that they will have the previous hours previous to this contract, but they are maintaining the hours.

I mean that they had uh when again on this transition, we are not cutting any hours right now.

Okay.

Um I would say one of the concerns that came up was that some of these folks are having to take on extra jobs because of a lost hours of work.

I guarantee that there is no hours that had to be cut.

Okay, all right.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate your time.

Um I have a couple questions for general services.

Thank you, Director.

So much, Adrina Gibson, executive director of general services.

Thank you.

Can you tell me?

And I know we talked a little bit about this in committee as well, but I just want to make sure we're clear, crystal clear on this.

Um, how the city is going to verify that contractors are meeting the retention wage and anti-retaliation requirements.

Yes, and so I have brought my team here as well as we've been meeting with City Attorney's Office to share in that information.

So if one of my um partners from the team would like to come in and discuss that with regards to city attorney's office, and then I wanted to also elaborate with regards to the hours in the budget as well.

Yeah.

Yeah, thank you, uh, Kimmy Jolian, the director of administration with general services.

Can you just state your question one more time?

Yeah, how is the city uh working to verify contractors are meeting retention wage and anti-retaliation requirements?

Great.

Thank you for that.

Uh so we have been um uh discussing internally with our facilities management team about uh how they are going to be tracking everything with regards to the ordinance because this is fairly new to us.

This will be the first time that we are actually implementing the ordinance uh with a service agreement.

So uh so they are working on a tracking tool to ensure that they are checking in with payroll records uh and the invoices that we are getting to track uh compliance with the 90 days and retention of those employees.

So that is in process right now, and unfortunately, our uh director had a uh previous uh time off, so he couldn't be here to discuss that process.

But we're also uh in close communication with our uh city attorney that supports general services to talk about any sort of prevailing wage concerns that come up.

I know that there has been a question about that, so we are in communication with them and learning a little bit along the way.

As I said, the you know, the transition in this ordinance um we're sort of learning along along the way.

Um, but we are reaching out to all of those partners to understand that better, how we can track it internally, and then we definitely have a good relationship with uh both of the the new vendors, excuse me.

Uh, you just heard from CCS.

We also have AFSG uh in the audience as well if you'd like to uh hear from them, and then uh we have members of the SI uh SEIU Local 105 here that we've been working very closely with on any sort of uh complaints or or issues or anything that they're hearing from their membership as well.

So, with that, so with the complaints that maybe, you know, if they're coming through or not, are there mechanisms in place for workers to report violations from the employer to the city?

I guess if especially like once one during the 90-day transition, but then after?

Yeah, I would not say that we have a formalized process right now, but I think that is something that we can work with our facility management teams on that.

Um, but there is language within the ordinance about that specific 90 days, but we would encourage not only um those uh those workers to uh reach out to us directly, but if they don't know how to, then we would also um, you know, recommend that they go through the union as well so they can have a unified voice whenever they're coming to the city with their concerns.

Uh we do have some um regular meetings that we're setting up with the SEIU uh to understand a little bit more about uh any sort of issues that may be coming up.

So that's a that's a very recent new thing that we've we've begun.

I will maybe ask SCIU in just a second, because I have one more question I wanted to ask you.

Um is there confidence that the contractors have the capacity to manage these the buildings if there's already some gaps that we're hearing, at least that's what we're hearing on the ground is that there's some gaps in this transition.

Sure.

And I know I had asked this question even in my one-on-one around the fact that they don't currently have the capacity, and obviously that's why there is this 90-day transition, so that workers could then move into these um under these new contractors.

But do we believe that they will have the capacity?

I guess when this is all said and done to be able to manage the needs of the buildings.

Yeah, thank you for the question.

Um I do believe that both of the contractors have the capacity to carry out the functions uh that we identified uh through the proposal process.

It went through a two-tier uh approach whenever we looked at the evaluation.

First, we had the actual scoring of the written proposals uh that occurred, and then we also had in-person interviews for the the three finalists.

Uh, and uh we talked about capacity and performance and the ability to support the city with the the size and scale that we have here at the city.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

And um, Director Gibson, did you have something else you wanted to add?

The budget, I know there's been a lot of questions around the fluctuation of the hours.

Um, and I believe that there was even a question in the committee.

Um, I wanted to just highlight one that we've sent an updated question in response to all of the activity that's been happening since the committee meeting.

Um, and with that being said, general services oversees generatorial services for all of the city agencies, and so to much respect, we manage the budget specifically for general services and the facilities we oversee.

However, there may be other agencies and departments that still fall underneath that contract that may have to adjust their hours.

I'm not saying that that's going to be a deliberate or for sure thing, but we do have to give flexibility and um understanding that that may happen, especially given the very tight resource reality that we're having right now with regards to budget.

We're doing everything in our power with regards to communication, good stewards and commitments from our um our prime vendors as uh CCS as well as AFSG, and then making sure that we're having quarterly meetings with the local union to make sure that any sort of adjustments are known ahead of time, and we're putting plans in place to retain staff as best we can.

So I just wanted to highlight that.

Thank you so much.

Uh, if I can have a representative from SCIU.

Good afternoon.

If you can go ahead and introduce yourself.

My name's Alejandra Aguilera.

I am the director of property services for SEAU 105.

Thank you so much for being here.

And I know I'd I'd asked um for you to come up during committee as well.

Um, but just kind of hearing some of the concerns that have been brought to light.

Just want to know what is what kind of role is is SEIU playing in kind of hearing these types of concerns, and then how is that being brought to these contractors and how is it being dealt with?

How's it being remedied?

So thank you for asking.

Um, we have been in constant uh communication with the contractors.

I've actually been in constant contact with Camia as well, um, on hours off hours to making sure that we are addressing any and all concerns with the workers.

I really do believe that the delay in this process has caused a lot more chaos than not.

Um the conversations we're having with workers are about the the what if, right?

If tomorrow this happens at that as that happens, Jesse, our organizer is actually assigned to this or this uh new contract.

We have our leaders, uh, stewards as well in separate buildings who are communicating with workers.

Any issue that comes about, we are addressing it immediately to ensure that there's no communication lapse thereof or that we are having a follow-through.

What are the next steps?

And our bottom line is making sure that this contract uh transitions smoothly and that all these jobs are union.

Okay, and if there are workers that maybe aren't represented by the union or haven't, you know, and for whatever reason they or maybe they're maybe they haven't made a decision.

Um can we provide information for them for you?

Okay, we have an MRC uh line, which is the member resource center.

We also have flyers that we provide for all the members for contact information, either to their current new employers, to us, and to the member resource center as well.

Okay, thank you so much.

And then my last couple of questions are for um Denver labor.

I believe Matt Fritzmauer is online.

Yeah, oh okay, thank you.

Uh Matt, I have a couple questions for Denver Labor.

What mechanisms are in place for workers to safely report violations.

Yes, thank you.

Matt Fritzmauer, uh, Denver Auditor's Office.

Um there are a number of mechanisms in place.

We will be doing prevailing wage compliance on these contracts and for these workers.

We have uh prevailing wage complaint form online that they can fill out.

We have an email address, wage complaints at Denvergov.org that they can contact.

Um, we are in close touch with SEIU 105 and actually just emailed um Ms.

Aguilar to make sure she had my contact information.

So we accept third party complaints and questions, their union can reach out to us.

But finally, we try to make it as easy on people as possible to um have their rights enforced without having to take any risk and be the squeaky wheel.

And so, especially because we work in the web building, um, our prevailing wage analysts and investigators frequently do site visits, they talk to workers, they can do so in Spanish or English or any other language if we have a little bit of notice.

And so we can always take anonymous and third-party complaints, complaints through our process, and we do a lot of proactive compliance as well.

Thank you so much for that.

Um, and thank you for being proactive.

One other question that I have is around um the retaliation piece.

So what are there, if any protections exist if workers are told that union involvement could result in them being terminated?

It can be very fact-dependent, but typically their recourse is to address the issue through their union's grievance and arbitration process, or file a charge with the National Labor Relations Board.

However, if there are wage issues involved where they are speaking up about alleged wage theft or wage violations, if they are just asking questions about their wages, making inquiries, and then there's retaliation potentially because of that.

They can also file a complaint with our office using any of the methods that I talked about a few minutes ago.

Thank you so much, Matt.

Um, that's all my questions for now.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Next up we have uh Councilwoman Parity.

Just checking that everyone can hear me okay.

Yep.

Great.

Thanks.

Sorry, I've had problems with that recently, as you all know.

Um I just by way of prelude for my questions.

I just want to explain that um I think a letter was just sent by general services to all of council um about the fact that workers came to the city and county building for a meeting on May 15th as Councilman Gonzalez Guterres referenced.

And I just want everyone to know that um I reached out or one of my team members did to the prior employer for help getting in touch with employees because we wanted to speak to them, and so that was at our behest, um, and they were invited and welcomed to the building.

Um I'm a little bit um startled, I guess, to to see it.

I'm curious.

I guess my first question for general services is um in that letter, you talk about sort of the number of people who attended and their roles.

How did you all come to learn who came to that meeting with our offices?

Hi, uh Kimmy Jolie again, director of administration.

Um so I wasn't aware of the meeting uh initially, but have been having conversations again with SCIU because they they heard about the meeting um and then reached out to me to understand uh if I knew anything about it.

And that's whenever we found that there was some sort of required meeting that was requested for folks to show up in the city and county building.

And that there was a mix of folks that are potentially supervisor versus covered workers.

Okay.

And I just want to say that even if people are supervisors and they're therefore not members of the union, I want to see unionization happening among workers who are eligible.

But I also care about people that were in supervisory positions.

These are not, you know, someone who's a building supervisor on one of these contracts, I don't know exactly how much they make, but I don't I don't see them as employees that are not also deserving of our protection.

And so one of the things that I do have concern about is that um that that's where cuts are happening is that supervisor both positions have been cut, and so there aren't as many supervisors working our buildings, um, and that also their hours have been cut, and that that's essentially happening because those workers are not able to unionize, which is a common kind of labor and employment law problem.

Um there's often lots and lots of litigation for those who don't know about who who can really be, and I'm not implying that this is illegal in any way, but it's just the lines between um sort of uh on the ground supervisors who then become uneligible to unionize um when oftentimes they are still relatively vulnerable workers.

So I just want to say I understand from SCIU's point of view that you don't represent those workers, um, but I still care about their experience, and I'm glad that um that a mixture of workers came in to speak with us.

I also just want to say that what we heard is not really matching up with what we're hearing here today.

We heard very specific examples of ours being cut, um, and most concerning of all, we heard directly again from employees who are impacted, whether or not they are uh line supervisors or um, you know, unionized non-supervisory employees.

We heard directly from people that they had been told that they um could lose their jobs.

I'm not sure by who exactly if they spoke to city council, and that's just a huge problem for me.

Um so I don't love seeing a letter that sort of implies that it was inappropriate for workers to come in and speak to us or that it was um you know that the city is upset that they were put in touch with us.

We should not ever have a problem with that.

Um, the other piece that I want to ask about is um I think it's a question for GS as well.

Um, and I think I do know the answer to this, but I just want to ask because I think it illustrates why we need to move towards best value contracting, not only in the construction arena, but um throughout many of our city contracts and certainly these kinds of employment that are like classically covered by Davis Bacon and um where we try to raise the boat with our public employment.

Um does GS have much awareness of uh one of the new companies that we're contracting with CCS of that company's um litigation and fine history for different kinds of claims, including with the EOC um and other and other federal kind of regular worker regulatory agencies.

Uh yes.

So we were aware of the uh the fine that I believe you're talking about the 1.2 million dollar fine.

Uh we had addressed that in the original QA.

I back to council.

I believe that was uh just shortly after our finance and business or potentially before the previous meeting where we uh had to reschedule um uh that meeting, but we did address it uh that it was a fairly large amount initially, but then um uh that was negotiated or uh found to be at 1.2 million dollars.

It sounded like it was something that had been going on for a number of years, and that CCS, I mean they're in the room, we can have them come out to the podium and talk about that specifically as well.

Uh, but I think it had been going on for such a long period of time that uh, you know, due to their sort of standing in the community and uh wanting to move past uh the administrative findings uh that they chose to settle uh at that dollar amount.

Um so uh but I I would certainly welcome them up to uh address any of those specific uh concerns.

Um just quickly before uh I invite them back up here.

I did want to to mention um uh in the letter uh the additional QA in the letter that you all received.

Uh I don't want that to be misinterpreted that we would ever stand in the way of workers contacting you.

Uh whether that's uh a covered worker, a non-covered worker, a supervisor.

Uh they we've we opened that uh, you know, that ability to do that.

I think from our perspective, um, you know, as issues have come up, we've we've been very forthcoming with uh offering either uh town halls for workers, or uh, you know, we have folks that are working in our buildings that are very familiar.

Some of these folks have worked in our buildings for a number of years, uh, that they could have uh um uh brought us some concerns or or challenges.

Uh uh, we also, you know, um, I think the the union, as they mentioned, have uh uh been open to hearing folks, so so we really would have uh welcomed the opportunity to have some one-on-one conversation or have some discussion uh with folks so we could uh figure this out so we could address these uh things in real time.

So I I just wanted to mention that, but thank you, uh, councilwoman parody.

Uh would you like me to bring up CCS on the okay?

Thank you so much.

Um I just I I just want to explain though that um that kind of scrutiny to workers having a meeting with public officials, um, regardless of intent, it is absolutely intimidating.

Uh people didn't even want to confirm who they were to us when we met with them on Friday.

And so um I'm gonna need people to sort of rethink that.

I think having this called out in a letter to all of us as though it was again um a bad thing.

There is no question that that will um silence people in the future from thinking that they should come in and talk to us when these contracts change, and they absolutely should, and they're already terrified to do it.

So I I think that really bespeaks that um that we have some issues here, although I do appreciate the explanation.

The other thing I want to say is that um companies always settle without an omission of liability, and so the idea that you know, yes, CCCS settled to avoid further proceedings, that's why you always settle.

Um, that in no way indicates that there was not merit to a fine of that um magnitude.

And there are many other examples of lawsuits and things like this, which I think is what happens when we go to one of the largest janitorial service uh companies in the country that is incredibly cost focused as opposed to um locally owned minority and women-owned businesses.

This is a company that's going to meet our maybe weeby requirements um through subcontracts, um, and I'm just I'm alarmed, I don't think that we're moving in the right direction with this.

Um, and that's why I called this off for a no vote.

I don't think I have any further questions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We have councilwoman alpha.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I have a lot of similar questions to my colleagues.

I think that what we have heard from workers is concerning and just really understanding the procurement process and needing the best value contracting when it comes to this type of service.

So I think the other reality is that the city is facing budget cuts, and it's our fault also that the city doesn't have the budget to pay for the amount of cleaning services that we have had in the past, and so it has affected city workers, it has affected our staffs, and it is affecting the people that clean and keep our building clean and safe.

So I just want to acknowledge that um that is part of the root cause of all of this unsettlement, and it is heartbreaking.

It's always hard to think about the people that need their paycheck the most, taking less money.

They're people that live in my district when my father first came to this country.

He cleaned toilets and cleaned a lot of the buildings downtown.

And we talk about the politics, we can talk about all the things, but at the end of the day, it's the workers that are getting hurt at the bottom, and that's really a cause of the city not being able to keep within our budget.

And so that's that's just how I'll leave it at that.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Seeing no other colleagues in the queue.

Madam Secretary, we'll call on council Resolution zero five zero four and zero five zero five in a block.

Council members.

No, no.

Sawyer.

Aye.

I'll be the Flynn.

Aye.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

Cashman.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Torres?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

10 ayes.

10 ayes.

Council resolutions 0504 and 0505 have been adopted.

This concludes the items to be called out.

All bills for introduction are ordered published.

Council members, remember that this is your this is a consent or block vote, and you will need to vote aye.

Otherwise, this is your last chance to call out an item for a separate vote.

Councilmember Watson, will you please put the resolutions for adoption and the bills on final consideration for final passage on the floor?

I move that resolutions be adopted and bills on final consideration be placed upon final consideration and do pass in a block for the following items, series 26, 0503, 0562, 0582, 0592, 0593, 0575, 0576, 0577, 0578, 0579, 0580, 0581, 0587, 0595, 0596, 0588, 0585, 0586, 0589, 0591, 0594, 0599, 0693, 0561, 0566, 0558, 0559, 0565.

Thank you.

It has been moved and seconded.

Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members hines.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

I'll be the place.

Flynn.

Aye.

Gilmore.

Aye.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

Cashman.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Torres?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval?

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting.

That's the results.

12 ayes.

12 ayes.

The resolutions have been adopted and the bills have been placed upon final consideration and due pass.

Tonight there will be a required public hearing on Council Bill 0391, changing the zoning classification for 3232 Lamer Street in five points.

A required public hearing on Council Bill 0476, changing the zoning classification for 4458 North Pearl Street in Globeville, 5275, North Franklin Street in Guilville, and 4621 North Tally Ride Street in Green Valley Ranch.

And a required public hearing on Council Bill 0431.

Authorizing a moratorium moratorium on data centers.

If there are no objections from members of council, we will recess until 5 30 before reconvening the regular meeting.

Except for any matter that is scheduled for a meeting, prior to the hearing.

The general public comment session will begin at 5 p.m.

Hey Denver.

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The fiction beer company book club meets on the third Monday of every month.

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Check the website for all the rules, office hours, and the link to apply.

Get out of your usual circle and meet new people.

Flirt a little and have a fun weeknight outside with some pickleball.

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When the gold rush of 1859 kicks in, that influx of people forced the Native Americans out of this region, and no access to land or water after that.

Consider the culture and society and the mindset of the Western Europeans coming out here.

That's the way they felt things should be.

That's that manifest destiny attitude.

How did the farmers obtain the oldest water rights and maintain them today?

What goes back to those gold miners who turned to irrigation?

Benjamin Eaton was one of the earliest water developers in our area.

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There were developers that came out here from Kansas.

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Sign up begins at 5 p.m.

on Thursday, May 28th.

Forward to hearing you from you again, and thank you for attending.

Council will now reconvene from our earlier sessions.

There's no unfinished business from the earlier session.

There are no proclamations being read this evening.

We have three required public hearings tonight.

As a reminder, city council members need to turn their vote on during the turn their video on during the vote.

For those participating in person when called upon, please come to the podium.

On the presentation monitor on the wall, you will see your time counting down.

For those participating virtually when called upon, please wait until our meeting host promotes you to speaker.

When you are promoted, please accept the promotion, turn on your camera if you have one and your microphone.

All speakers begin their remarks by telling the council their names and cities of residence, and if they feel so if they feel comfortable doing so, their home addresses.

If you have signed up to answer questions only, state your name and note that you are available for questions of counsel.

Speakers will have three minutes.

There is no yielding of time.

If translation is needed, you will be given an additional three minutes for your comments to be interpreted.

Speakers must stay on topic of the hearing and must direct their comments to council as a whole.

Please refrain from profane or obscene speech and refrain from individual or personal attacks.

Councilmember Watson, will you please put Council Bill 0391 changing the zoning classification for two Laramir Street in five points on the floor for final passage?

Yes, Council President.

I move that Council Bill 260391 be placed upon final consideration and do pass.

We require public hearing for Council Bill 0391 is open.

May we please have the staff report?

Certainly.

Good afternoon, evening, City Council.

I'm Brandon Shaver, Senior City Planner with Community Planning and Development, to walk you through this rezoning application at 3232 Larimer Street.

Beginning with the request, the property is 12,500 square feet and currently vacant with some accessory structures, and is under the same ownership as the adjoining parcel at the corner of 32nd and Larimer Streets.

Zooming in a little bit more, this property is located in Council District 9, represented by Council Member Watson and is within the five points neighborhood.

The existing zoning I'll detail in the next slide, but it is RMU 30 with a waiver.

This is in close proximity to a number of mixed use districts ranging from three to five stories, some with design overlay seven.

So this property was last rezoned in 2007 to RMU 30 with a waiver.

That is a residential mixed-use district.

The current waiver restricts the building height to 55 feet instead of 140.

And then this property was left in chapter 59, even though we rezone most of the surrounding industrial areas in this neighborhood to IMX in 2010, with the adoption of the Denver zoning code.

Additionally, this property was not mapped with design overlay seven in 2018 as it had custom zoning on it.

So the proposed zoning, IMX3, which is an industrial mixed-use district of up to three stories, really serves to provide a transition between mixed use and industrial areas where we want to see a high degree of walkability, and primarily see this in industrial dominated areas that are served by collector streets.

The design overlay seven ensures that buildings are designed to be adaptive as time goes on, and also promote a vibrant pedestrian-oriented frontage.

Some design elements here, it has a minimum street level height of 16 feet, and also increased transparency and street level active use requirements.

Existing land use again is vacant.

Surrounding land uses include a lot of industrial, commercial, retail, mixed use, and some single and two-unit residential across the alley.

Here you can get a sense of the subject property on the top left and the adjoining parcel, which was formerly infinite monkey theorem on the bottom left.

Speaking to the process, this application had informational notice sent in early December, went to planning board in mid-March, where it was voted uh unanimously as a recommendation of approval.

And we're here today in mid-May for the city council final public hearing.

We have received a number of comments from the public on this application, including three letters of support from nearby ROs and nine letters of support from the public, includes nearby residents, business owners, and property owners, and one letter of concern.

And again, planning board did move this forward unanimously.

So moving to our review criteria, the three we have here.

First, comp plan 2040.

We find this request to be consistent with a number of strategies which are detailed by Vision Element, including affordable, equitable, affordable, and inclusive, creating strong and authentic neighborhoods, and making sure that we develop an environmentally resilient fashion.

Moving to Blueprint Denver, this property is mapped as an urban center neighborhood context.

However, we do have some flexibility at the edges in Blueprint Denver, which says that they can be interpreted with limited flexibility if the request is further goals of Blueprint and other plans.

Given the future land use designation in the neighborhood plan and inclusion of design overlay seven, we believe that the requested context, which is special district, is aligned with the goals of Blueprint Denver along this section of Laramir Street.

So the place type here is community corridor, high mix of uses, up to eight stories in height, and the future street type is a mixed use collector along Laramore Street and local along 32nd.

This fits into our community centers and corridors growth area where we expect 25% of housing growth and 20% of new employment by 2040.

Another plan to look at is the Learn Swatsia neighborhoods plan from 2015.

While this is outside of those neighborhoods, that plan does provide land use guidance around the 30th and Lake Rail Station, which this property is within a half mile of.

Moving to the last plan, the Northeast Dental Neighborhoods plan, we do have very specific guidance in this plan for mixed use industrial and up to three stories, which is what this proposed zone district is.

We find that this meets the public interest by implementing adopted plans and encouraging um neighborhood skilled walkable mixed use areas around transit.

Lastly, we find it to be consistent with the neighborhood context, zone district purpose and intent statements have laid out here.

And with that, uh CPD does recommend approval of this application.

I'm happy to answer questions, and I believe the applicants are present in person as well.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Individuals signed up to speak.

First up, we have Alexandra Hansen.

Hi everybody.

Um my name is Alexandra.

I'm one of the two owners of the business that applied for the rezoning at 3232 Laramir Street to be rezoned to IMX3 DO7.

Um so I just wanted to share a little bit about our process and our intentions with the space.

As a first-time business owner, um, what I've valued most in the process is the direct community engagement we've had.

Um we've chose to do this outreach ourselves, not through a third-party consultant, because we believe if we're going to build a business in the neighborhood, we should personally show up for those already living there.

Um we've knocked on doors, met direct residential neighbors, spoken with nearby businesses, um, presented to RO groups, and met a lot of other community members at the Rhino Street Fair recently.

Um and some of these uh direct neighbors are here online tonight, and we're super grateful for their support.

And through these conversations, we've heard more about what our neighbors want in Rhino and the broader five points uh neighborhood is more opportunities for connection, thoughtful um indoor outdoor um urban space and recreation space, walkability and businesses that participate in the community instead of kind of opening up around it.

Um, and we've also spent time reviewing the neighborhood plans that Brandon um shared out so we can develop along alongside these goals.

And I just wanted to really emphasize that our business cannot succeed unless we are good neighbors throughout this process.

Um our success depends on being respectful about choices down from delivery times and lighting and daily operations.

And while we haven't invested in our final plans for this space yet, as we want to see through the rezoning, um everything we do as an extension of our business at 3200 Laramir will be done to full adhere to the law and designed with neighborhood um compatibility in mind.

Um, as I am the majority owner, we are a woman-owned and minority-owned business, and we intend to champion other local businesses, especially women and minority-owned businesses wherever we can.

And with somebody who this is I'm a first-time business owner, my background's in higher ed and nonprofit work.

It's especially important for me that once we get stable and situated and open, um, we will uh capitalize on building relationships with the organizations that exist in the broader five points neighborhood.

Um, I was lucky to make some really great connections with longtime organizers in East Denver through my time working at CSU, and they've um given me great recommendations of organizations in the area, like Boys and Girls Club I'm Metro Denver, Center for African American Health, the Denver Urban League, and others um to connect with that we can um partner with in various ways.

And um, lastly, many of the businesses that we've spoke with on Laramir between 32nd and 33rd um have expressed a lot of excitement and optimism as this property has sat vacant for a year and a half, and um I think adding in new energy, local businesses ready to partner.

Thank you.

We have Jesse Paris virtually.

Yes, good evening, members of council, those watching at home, those on the council chambers.

My name is Jesse LaShawn Paris.

I represent for Black Star Action Movement for Self-Defense, Positive Action Commitment for Social Change, as well as the Unity Party of Colorado, the Northeast Denver Residence Council or the North Park Hill coalition now, frontline black news, but smiths enhance the revolutionary agenda, and I reside at the Roach and Bedbug Infested Legacy Loss and Councilman Daryl Daryl Watson's district of District 9, defined District 9, the historically black district of five points.

But since the broad and big was terms such as minorities and people of color, I guess that's supposed to include black.

I didn't hear black mention any time tonight.

There was no mention of black this whole time, or FBA for that matter, but get into this rezoning.

It looks like they did the proper homework.

Um it looks like they dotted all their I's and crossed all their T's.

But I just don't want any more unintended consequences to come from any of these rezonings at this current in the previous.

So the occupant has made it clear and known that she has reached out to the community that she has did her proper diligence.

So we see no reason why you would not pass this tonight.

We definitely watch you guys white supremacy head to orders.

So y'all need to do something about that.

And as far as your second setting, because you used to have five, now you only have three.

So your criteria, your public safety, I'm gonna let you know this now.

Our people, black people, foundational black Americans, we don't feel safe in Denver, period, nor the state of Colorado, nor the United States of America, though we built it.

We don't feel safe.

So that doesn't get factored in because y'all mentioned the demographics, but we already know what this is, and whoever speaks after me, that's what they're gonna be addressing their so-called involvement with the community, the pre-existing community that existed before all these new arrivals got here.

Now they want to interact with the others with the undesirables.

Now they the ones who uh also I mean I'm a candidate on a ballot for House District 8.

The election is November 3rd, Jesse Parrish for House District 8.

Next up we have Will Lake.

Hello, I am a co uh owner with uh Alex, who previously spoke, and I am uh was coming up here more so to answer questions, but given the time, I will give some time to speak.

Um we are uh owning a doubles club, which is a uh bar cafe, and we're trying to bring some vibrancy to the Five Points neighborhood to an empty uh lot that has been there for some time.

We're looking uh to rezone it from IM or I'm sorry, um, from RMU uh 70 to IMX 3.

We think that uh Laramir Street is a charm within uh the Denver community.

You know, you see the old building that was once an industrial side of town, has been updated to a very vibrant and artsy side of town.

We look to continue bringing this to the area um and create more involvement within that area.

Um right now uh the spot has been, again, as I mentioned, vacant for uh some time.

And we think that by bringing the community together to create green spaces and outdoor spaces where people can enjoy the beautiful weather of Denver, um, is uh a spot that this would be uh good for.

Um I was just keeping this short and sweet, and I probably will not use the whole three minutes, so I do apologize.

But if there are questions from the council members, I'm happy to answer those at this time.

Good evening, Council President Sandoval, Councilman Watson from the Fine District 9.

My name is Steven Bennett.

I live at 29th in California Street in Curtis Park.

I am here behalf of the Curtis Park Neighbors registered neighborhood organization this evening.

We are one of the three ROs that provided a letter of support for the doubles club.

And I just want to address the process, and I really want to thank Alexandra Hansen for uh being patient with us in the neighborhood.

Alex attended a neighborhood meeting, Curtis Park Connects in November.

And because we internally didn't follow our process for neighbor proper neighborhood notification, we invited Alexander back in February, which gave us the time to uh distribute that announcement in the Curtis Park Times and on Facebook to ensure that the neighbor had the proper notification of that her attendance at our meeting.

Our policy is to take letters of support or opposition in Rhino if they border Curtis Park or on a five points if they border well then.

And since this property does the back edge of that is in the alley of Curtis Park, we did get involved, and after meeting with Alex and Will and hearing about the rezone, we took a unanimous vote on the board and provide a letter of support.

So thank you.

Thank you.

That concludes our speakers.

Councilmember Wednesday.

Uh thank you so much, Council President.

Um, to Alexandra, um, and and also Will.

Um, I know that we are not a place and space in Alexandra, if you don't mind coming up.

Um, we're not a uh this is reviewing the rezone um the actual um specs of what you're developing.

Um, is it absolutely necessary?

But if you could just share a little bit as to what your high-level thoughts are for uh the space, um, that would be fantastic so that my colleagues can hear a little bit of that mediation.

Yeah, absolutely.

So we're leasing the property, um, and the property owners own 3200 Laramir and this uh vacant lot that does not have any current building on it, 3232 Laramie Street.

Um we're moving forward with plans um at the existing buildings on 3200 um to transition a former tap room of the previous wine manufacturing facility and tap room space into a bar and cafe.

Um we're adding windows to open up that space, brighten it up right there on the corner of Laramir 32nd.

Um the former warehouse um space will have some indoor courts for recreation, um, and then their previous patio space on 3200 um Laramir will be revitalized and maintained as a social patio with a lot more added green space.

Um we have no intentions of adding any building structures on 3232 Laramore Street.

So having um so building heights or visibility or neighbors' views and any of that is definitely not a concern.

Um but instead we want to look at it um and see what's possible after this rezone as an extension of recreation social green space.

Um so it would be open air, um working on landscape connections right now, um, and I mean from personal use walking around that neighborhood and even engaging with people at uh the um street fair this past weekend.

It's like I live very close to Curtis Park.

I love Curtis Park, but kind of limited in green space.

So um we've honestly through this process kind of been informed on the term third space, and while I always thought that that was more of a public use thing, I guess a lot of people kind of have heard our ideas and referred to it as such.

So if we can be an extension and offer some green space in the very industrial-rooted neighborhood and serve as a little oasis for people to meet new connections, move around, enjoy Denver Sunshine.

Then that's kind of our goal is the extension of what we're doing and the structures on 3200 Thermore.

And I know in our staff report, it provides information on kind of your outreach uh to community.

Can you share the outreach to the business improvement district or anyone else that you reached out to?

We heard from Steven from the Curtis Park Neighbor Organization.

Absolutely.

Well, I also want to thank Brandon again for his guidance with all of this because as a first-time business owner, I've this is also the first time going through any sort of process like this.

So he and his team and the planning board committee made it easy to navigate.

So our first step with the pre-application opened up just the RNOs in our neighborhood and all of that contact information.

So we did meet and engage with those that responded back to us from that list.

Not everybody responded back, but the opportunities we had to speak with and have letters of support with were the Rhino Arts District, Curtis Park Neighbors, the Rhino Business Improvement District as well.

So looking to expand, you know, those relationships as we go on.

Steven being here is great and was meeting those constituents and kind of just hearing even just fresh ideas is awesome to get in front of the community that way.

Outside of RO specific work and speaking to you in your office as well.

As well as door knocking to individual residential neighborhood or neighbors and nearby commercial neighbors as well.

So that's everybody from the Camden apartments across the street to Dio Meo on our block to the townhomes that border our alley.

And I know one of them was I think I don't know if he signed up to support, but was in the waiting room.

So it might have just been poor directions to them.

But through this process, it's been really great to get to know our neighbors, whether that's living in Curtis Park ourselves, sharing the space, participating with event organizers and being on the streets and meeting other nearby businesses as we were parked up over the booth a couple weekends ago.

But that is the majority of how we have connected and what I was mentioning previously.

Some of my previous professional relationships have allowed me to get some great recommendations, which were at the start of connecting with community organizations.

So I would love to, once we're open and have the capacity, whether it's donating, you know, used recreational equipment for after-school programs or discounts for district public school teachers, something of the nature.

There's a lot of opportunities I think that we have to recognize that we are in a space, you know, that a lot of different businesses, a lot of different families have come before we have.

Thank you so much, Alexandra.

No further questions, Madam President.

Thank you.

No other questions from members of council.

The public hearing is closed.

Comment by members of council.

Councilmember Watson, I'll start with you.

Yes, just briefly, Council President.

I met with Alexandra and Will at the beginning of this process, and um they have been based on their description tonight and the work that I've seen in community committed to making sure they're elevating community voice as far as what the outcome of this uh great space should be.

I love the Infinite Monkey.

I practically live there.

Um, and was saddened that it closed.

Um, but knowing that we have folks who love the space and have been very involved with the community is um rewarding.

Looking at the zoning requests and the three uh criteria, they meet the criteria.

They have received the support from community, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in uh supporting this result.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Madam Secretary, we'll call on Council Bill 0391.

Oh, hold on, but one second.

Sorry, I totally missed it.

I got tied track.

Um I'd like to I'd like to um uh welcome councilwoman Lewis to the meeting.

Sorry, she wasn't here before, and I have to formally welcome her before we can vote.

Madam Secretary will call on Council Bill 0391.

Council members, Lewis.

Aye.

Sawyers.

I.

Albitres.

Aye, Flynn, Gilmore, Gonzalo Gutierrez.

Cashman, aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Torres, Watson, aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

12 eyes.

12 eyes.

Council Bill 0391 has passed.

Councilmember Watkin, will you please put Council Bill 0476, changing the zoning classification?

And 4621 or Tyright Street in Green Valley Ranch on the floor for final passage.

Yes, Council President.

I move that Council Bill 260476 be placed upon consideration and do pass.

Final consideration.

Upon final consideration.

Yes, I move that Council Bill 260476 be placed upon final consideration and do pass.

My apologies.

Thank you very much.

It has been moved in.

Second in the required public hearing for Council Bill 0476 is open.

Maybe we have the staff report.

In this presentation, I will go over the request, the location and context.

Then we'll look quickly at the process to finally go over the review criteria.

This is a request that comes from the executive director of community planning and development on behalf of the parks and recreations department to rezone three properties to the open space zone district.

Rezoning these properties to OSA will bring them into an appropriate zone district to allow them to be preserved, developed, and improved as parks, open space, recreation space, and park maintaining uses.

Now let's take a look at the location and context.

The subject properties are located in Council District 9 and in Council District 11, which are represented by Council Member Watson and Councilmember Gilmore.

We have two of the sites located in the Globeville neighborhood.

And we have one of the properties that it's located in the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood.

Here in this image, you can see some aerial views of the three subject properties.

The first image on the left is the 44th and Pearl and Named Park, that it's located in Globeville, and it's around uh 0.6 acres in size.

Then we have the middle uh image that shows also another property in Globeville.

Um that's the Heron Pond uh park, and it's also 21 acres.

Um, sorry, not also, it is 21 acres.

And then the final one is far northeast maintenance facility, um, that it's 3.1 acres.

Here, the same, we have them in the same order, so you can follow them.

Uh, we have the existing zoning, so you can see that the first one is UMX 3, the second one is IB, which is um heavy industrial, and then finally the Far Northeast one, it's custom zoning Beauty 319.

And this final uh slide with this three images is showing the current uh land use.

So you can see that the on the left, the 44th and Pearl unnamed park, it's uh the current land use is industrial, heron Pond in Gloville is quasi public quasi public and open space.

And then Far Northeast is classified as agriculture.

And then here we have just an image, they're all vacant, so they're all look pretty much the same on the photos, but you can see what they look like right now.

Now let's take a look at the process.

And the board voted unanimously to recommend approval of this rezoning.

As of today, staff has not received any comments, any letters of support or opposition, or any statement letters from the RNOs.

Now let's take a look at the review criteria.

For a rezoning to be approved by City Council, it must be found that the requested map amendment is consistent with the three review criteria stated in the Denver zoning code.

Our role as staff planners is to evaluate the requested district, in this case the OSA, against these three review criteria.

The first review criteria is consistent with consistency with adopted plans.

We have four plans applicable to each one of these properties.

So we have Comprehensive Plan 2040, Blueprint Denver, and game plan for a healthy city for three of the properties, and then we have the Globeville neighborhood plan applicable to two of the properties, of course, the ones that are located in Globeville.

And then we have the Far Northeast area plan applicable to the property that it's in Green Valley Ranch.

As stated on the staff report, the rezoning is consistent with several goals in Comp Plan 2040.

This map amendment will reinforce current park uses by aligning their zoning with their current uses, and it will facilitate the development of new parks by implementing appropriate zoning to these uses.

Now let's take a look at Blueprint Denver.

The proposed rezoning includes properties that are within the general urban, the special districts, and the suburban neighborhood context.

Parks are not only appropriate but are also aspirational in all neighborhood contexts.

Therefore, the proposed rezoning is consistent with all neighborhood context designations.

Blueprint Denver classifies the subject sites within the proposed rezoning as community center and public park and open space on the future places map.

The OSA zone district is appropriate for all future places.

Furthermore, Blueprint Denver is structured around the concept of complete neighborhoods.

One of the three elements of a complete neighborhood is quality of life infrastructure, which refers to the places, trees, plants, waterways, parks, and outdoor spaces that stitch together our communities and contribute to the health, needs, comfort, environmental resilience, and social connectedness of Denver.

The first policy under quality of life infrastructure is to expand tools and regulations to ensure high quality parks and outdoor public spaces keep pace with Denver's growth.

The proposed rezoning aims to rezone areas that are intended to become parks to align with its current and future uses.

This not only reinforces that existing parks should remain parks in the future, but it also facilitates development of new parks in locations where city policy and community input have determined they are appropriate and needed.

Game plan for the Healthy City is an adopted supplement to comprehensive plan 2040.

And part of the larger coordinated planning efforts that included the development of Blueprint Denver of Blueprint Denver.

Game plan for the healthy city provides both a vision and a strategic roadmap to future of Denver's parks, hundreds of facilities and recreation programs, and 20,000 acres of park landscapes.

Rezoning to allow for more park space is consistent with the plan recommendations we are which are essential to Blueprint Denver vision for a city where every neighborhood is complete.

Now looking at Far Northeast for the property that it's located in Green Valley Ranch.

The Far Northeast maintenance facility facility falls within the boundaries of the Far Northeast Area Plan.

This facility will help facilitate the goals to grow parks and recreation access and diversify services and programs, and it will help maintain a high level of park service and access in far northeast by growing the park system.

And then finally, we're gonna look at the Globale neighborhood plan, um where the 44th and Peril and Names Park and Heron Pond sites uh reside.

In the strong global guidance principle, the plan talks about a future where the neighborhood has complete and accessible system of parks that encourage physical activities, social interaction, and environmental responsibility.

The purpose, the proposed rezoning would directly implement these goals from the plan.

Now looking at the second review criteria, staff also finds that the requested rezoning meets the next criteria.

The rezoning will further the public interest through implementation of the city adopted plans, and also by preserving current parks and facilities and creation of more public park space.

The proposed rezoning will allow for the city to continue to add parks and maintenance facilities, which has shown to improve health in several ways.

And our finally uh our final review criteria, the proposed open space park district is intended to protect and preserve public parks owned, operated at least by the city and managed by the city's department of parks and recreation for park purposes.

The property is owned by the city and it's consistent with the OSA purpose and intent statements.

With that, finding that all three review criteria have been met, CPD recommends that city council approve the proposed map amendment, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

And we have people from parks if you have any further questions.

We have two individuals signed up to speak this evening.

First up, we have Jesse Paris.

Yes, good evening again, members of council, those watching at home, those in the council chambers.

My name is Jessica Sean Paris, I'm representing for Black Star Action Move for Self-Defense, positive back and commitment for social change, as well as the Unity Party of Carl, the North Park Hill Coalition, Frontline Black News, Sabacus Black Express and Hairs, the revolutionary agenda.

And I am a candidate on the ballot for House District 8.

Carl State House District 8.

And I reside at the Roach in Bedbug infested.

Legacy loss.

Can't stress that enough.

In the historically black district of fire points, and Daryl Wash is difficult to find district nine.

Um I thought there's gonna be more gentrification as usual, but it's just parks.

So, you know, we ain't got no shortages of parks.

We have shortages of homes, we don't have no shortages of parks.

So yeah, more parks, the more the better, like you did uh park hill golf course.

More parks.

So I'm a full support of this.

I'll see y'all on the next one.

Thank you.

Next up, we have John Diaz.

I'm sorry, I entered into the wrong chat, so I don't I'm not commenting on this one.

Thank you.

Okay, that concludes our speakers.

Do we have questions from members of council on council bill 0476?

Councilman Torres.

I just have a quick question for Fran.

Um slide nine on the existing land use.

What's the band of public quasi public mean?

And it's different from parks versus open space for Heron Pond.

That one, that band of blue and then green.

I might ask someone from parks.

So the presenter today, Sake, seek the case manager.

So, as you know though, like the land use is just like a snapshot of what should be in place.

So I'm not 100% sure what's on that side.

I'm sure.

Hey, all wells, parks and rec.

Um Heron Pond is kind of a unique area.

Uh, there's some daddy land in there, so I think the land use category, the CBD's folks probably picked up with some of that old infrastructure, but we're in the process of turning that all into an 80-acre regional park.

Okay, okay.

So it's what do you mean old infrastructure?

Um the old um.

Yeah, this water quality sewage treatment, and our colleagues at Daddy are the landowners that were helped us work in partnership to convert that into park.

So I think this is just like a land use code, it's not a park related graphic.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

See no other council members in the queue.

The public hearing is closed.

Do we have comments by members of council on council bill zero four seven six?

Thank you, Councilmember.

Councilmember Gilmer.

I'm sorry, I didn't.

Thank you.

Councilmember Gilmer.

Okay.

Thank you, Council President Sandoval.

Um, I wanted to make a comment.

Um, one, um, we needed to go back and make sure that uh the 47th Intelli Park facility was um referenced as District 11 on this uh rezoning.

But for the record, I also want um folks to understand and know that with the benefit of this new park, there has also been um a significant diversion of funds um for a park's maintenance facility that is supposed to be built out on this parcel of land as well.

In the RISE bond, um there was um over 15 million to have a maintenance facility in council district one and a maintenance facility in council district eleven, and instead of that being split equally um for 7.9 for each maintenance facility.

This facility that is built in District 11 in the far northeast.

Um parks is estimating it to not be a 7.9 million dollar building, but a 2.5 million dollar prefabricated metal shed uh that's going to be built for the far northeast with 5.4 million being taken out of the far north um into a district that does not have the same equity concerns nor the same uh historic uh deficit in infrastructure and care, uh especially in a majority community of color.

I'm gonna be voting um for this tonight because it's gonna move forward one way or the other um with the open space designation, but Director Clark and Denver Parks and Rack, I know you're watching, I know you're listening.

You still have the ability to do right and not divert $5.4 million from 80239, 80249, two of the most diverse neighborhoods in the entire city and county of Denver.

Please do not divert that 5.4 million because we still have tree limbs all the entire stretch of Chambers Road that all of those trees lost branches and were broken over the snowstorm, and parks and rec still has them all laying out there.

There's about 15 of them out there, and that is to say because we do not have proper parks maintenance facilities in the far northeast.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Watson.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I wanted to share to the neighbors of Global for the work on 44 and Pearl.

Uh that park has been an opportunity uh for community to take back land and really build uh a space uh outdoor space for uh community members.

So I am beyond um excited for the good work that has been done with community members, Denver Park Trusts and Denver Parks and Rec to realize um the three zone, and now the step goes forward to ensure that this has accessible um green space, quality green space for that community.

And Heron Pond has also been a very long-term, long time planned um park and open space uh for neighbors in Gloville, Hillary and Swansea.

And so once again, this is a great step, one step closer to having that open space um for neighbors.

That is absolutely needed in one of the most polluted uh zip quotes in um the city um and in the state, and so thank you to all the partners, community members that have engaged in this process.

Thank you, Madam President.

Madam Secretary, we'll call on 0476.

Council members.

Louis.

Aye.

I'm muted.

Aye.

Flynn.

Gilmore.

Gonzalez Cutieres.

Aye.

Cashman.

Romara Campbell.

Aye.

Torres?

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

Twelve eyes, Council Bill 0476 has passed.

Councilmember Watson, will you please put Council Bill 0431 authorizing a moratorium on data centers on the floor for final passage?

Yes, Madam President, I move that Council Bill 260431 be placed upon final consideration and do pass.

And moved and seconded.

The required public hearing for Council Bill 0431 is open.

May we please have the staff report?

Yes.

Yes, sir.

Council Gonzalo's Cutters, uh Councilman Watson and I will do the board.

You guys are gonna tag team the staff report.

Okay, perfect.

Got it.

All right.

Well, I'm yours.

Thank you, Madam President.

I um will kick us off here.

I want to thank the community first and foremost for your voice and advocacy.

Uh Councilman Cashman for your leadership in initiating this conversation, as well as Councilman Watson and the mayor's office as we proceed with these next steps.

My hope is that we will unravel the complexity of data centers and create policy to ensure our communities are protected.

Is make sure Councilman uh Cashman and Councilman Watson, if there's anything you'd like to add as an opening, and then we can proceed with the presentation.

I think you covered it quite a bit.

Uh so when we're talking about the problem, uh currently Denver has limited regulations specific to data centers.

Data centers have evolved, and regulations are important to protecting our city.

Data centers historically use massive amounts of energy, adding potential strains to our electrical grids, leading to potential blackouts and higher rates for customers.

Data centers usually use diesel fuel backup generators and the use of these giant generators spew harmful emissions into the environment, which is a major concern.

We're also concerned with the amount of water being used to operate and run data centers.

Denver is currently experiencing a drought, and not addressing water usage could lead to irreversible damage to our water availability.

In addition to water and energy usage, data data centers emit constant humming and vibration noises that have the potential to have harmful effects on humans and surrounding wildlife.

This moratorium will allow us to think of equitable regulations that put our communities first.

We are hopeful that our future regulations will preserve our water and energy resources, address climate concerns, and protect our neighbors from any potential consequences that arise from the construction and use of data centers.

Next slide, please.

So this is a map, there are approximately 50 data centers in Denver wherein six buildings are what are called main use data centers.

Secondary use data centers are a property that has a primary use, such as a hospital, and the secondary use of the building is that of a data center.

Third use status centers are those uh where the first use could be for parking and the second use as an office building, and then the third use as a data center.

The square footage determines the labeling of these uses.

This map, I know it's kind of difficult to view here on this slide, but if you click on the PDF of this presentation, it should open up a larger map to kind of show those distinctions.

Um we know that our our friends from CASER, you know, the data came from Energize Denver, and we know that CASAR, the climate action sustainability.

I always forget the R.

Resiliency.

A lot of uh words there might have more information about the categorization of these data centers.

And so this is information that we're utilizing from what we currently have.

Um certainly they may be able to offer some more information.

I'll turn it over to Councilman Cashman.

Uh thank you, Councilwoman.

All right.

First, uh, before I get to this slide, I want to uh give my thanks to to councilwoman uh parody.

Um I became uh aware of the data center issue a couple of years ago when Corsite Company uh was requesting a nine million dollar tax incentive for the uh facility that's now under construction.

The councilwoman brought it to our attention.

Uh the request for the tax incentive was was voted down, and I started looking at uh what the concerns uh were that the community was expressing about data centers and saw that we're not the only ones that as this slide indicates, this is just a selection of uh about a couple dozen uh cities and states from from around the nation who have looked at the fact that along with uh storing the data that uh the electronic world has brought forward, um, data centers generally have these challenges that councilwoman uh Gonzalez Guterres uh brought uh to our attention in an earlier slide.

And uh as it says 71% of the cities in our state have no regulation.

So uh we've seen that uh from Apex North Carolina to the state of New York.

Folks are trying to figure out if and how uh they can uh welcome uh additional data centers for their communities.

Uh next slide, please.

Uh this more what this moratorium will do is is to put a pause on uh accepting applications for uh new data centers from the effective date, which if it should pass tonight uh by this council, we expect it'll be signed and official 21st.

Um, the current uh data center uh being built uh up in uh uh 49th, um, we'll be able to continue with the construction and operation of the building under construction, uh, some additional detail permits may come forward just to allow the construction to get finalized.

Should uh a corsite uh decide they want to continue with a second and third building, which was in their initial plans, um, their uh construction of those facilities would be subject to any new regulations that come forth from a working group that we're in the process of of putting together that as the slide says will look at all the issues that come up in relation to Denver's adopted plans, be that Blueprint Denver or comprehensive plan uh city's climate goals as put forward uh by CASA.

I know there's great interest amongst my colleagues here on council as well as in the community as to who is going to be on this uh working group.

Unfortunately, where we're at now is we're hiring a facilitator to direct that group, and when that facilitator is hired, they will contact the people that are on our list to see are they interested?

If they're interested, are they able to make time available to do to get things done?

Um I had hoped to have that uh available tonight, but it's simply not, and we can't release names when the people themselves have not been contacted to see if they're willing to participate.

And with that, I will pass it across to Councilman Watson to close us out.

Thank you so much, uh, Councilmember Cashman.

Thank you so much, Councilwoman Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Um, as Councilmember Cashman shared, there's a lot of interest on the working group.

Um we want to make sure in Denver, from the prior slide that Councilmember Cashman shared there, many cities, municipalities, practically every city in the state of Colorado is struggling with the idea or the ideals of ensuring the regulatory environment meets the moment.

Um each of them have taken the step that we're taking now.

Um, cities are looking into this is um looking at putting forward a moratorium so we can build a regulatory environment.

So, in order for Denver to get this right, um, we absolutely need a broad coalition of folks at the table.

Um, and as the slide uh presents, uh the working group will have three council members, and this is all public information, so folks will be able to pull this off of our legislator site um tonight and have it for your records, two um individuals from utility companies, uh two union representatives, one industry representative, three advocacy groups, uh seven community members, um one subject matter, subject matter expert, and seven ex officio members from Denver City Departments will be involved in this process.

Um we know that this group there's gonna be a lot of work, collaborative work that's necessary.

We believe that it's gonna be a representative group, and we look forward to receiving feedback from folks when those names are released.

Um, a balanced working group of committed individuals is how we build rules that are practical and enforceable.

You can move to the next slide, please.

So the working group will study um many of the outcomes that we've heard from community members from the one large uh data center meeting that we've had, and also the prior meeting we had when um course I came to um the city council asked for support uh several years back.

So we're gonna be looking at uh studying noise, air quality, emergency generators, uh traffic construction impacts, lighting and setbacks to name a few.

Um, we'll recommend updates to our zoning code, building code, energy code, green code, and Denver revised municipal code as necessary based on the feedback from this uh group of uh folks within the working group.

Um the working group recommendations um must fundamentally protect residents and community health.

Um we believe that clear rules are good for everyone.

They provide neighborhoods more protections, they provide industry more predictability, and they provide Denver a strong and fair way to manage um data sets.

Next slide.

And the next steps are are basic.

We will finalize the working group members as Councilmember Cashman shared and provide those names to folks as soon as possible.

Um we're in the process of hiring a facilitator to manage and direct the working group, and then we'll release that list of folks and we'll get to work and be informed by you, the community at large, by our colleagues as well, as this process continues.

And with that, I'll turn it back over to Brother Cashman.

Thank you, Councilman Watson.

I think that pretty much uh wraps up uh our presentation, and I look forward to uh hearing from our public uh comment and questions from uh members of council.

Thank you after that presentation.

Um we have 58 individuals signed up to speak this evening.

You will have three minutes to speak, but are not required to use the entirety of your time to deliver your testimony, meaning if someone spoke some said something that um they you already said you don't have to repeat it, but you're able to use all three minutes.

And also, due to the fire code requirements around room capacity, ask that after you have delivered your testimony.

You please relocate to room 431 on the fourth floor so that more speakers may enter.

You will be able to view the rest of the meeting from room 431, and also you can also talk to our fire marshal to make sure if as people leave, if they're seats, feel free to move them.

First up, we have Julian Aguilar.

I'll say the first fight.

So Julian Aguilar, Gilbert Herrera, Candy Cabaca, Harmony Cummings, and Pierce Fernander.

Go ahead, Julian.

All right, thank you, Council President Sandoval and members of council for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is Julian Aguilar, and I I live in Council District 2.

I was born and raised and still live in the city of Denver.

I'm speaking today on behalf of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union number 68 in favor of the moratorium.

I'm a third generation union tradesman in the city of Denver.

My grandfather was the president of Iron Workers Local 24.

My uncle was a member of Iron Workers Local 24.

My father is a member of IBW Local68, and I also have two cousins who are members of Local68.

We have helped build the city over three generations the right way, the union way.

Tonight you will hear people talk about how jobs on data centers are temporary jobs.

As someone who has built data centers, I'm here to tell you that's a false narrative.

Initial build-outs of data centers last 18 to 36 months, depending on the size of the facility.

And in construction, we have a saying you work yourself out of a job every day.

That's the nature of our business.

We build, then move to the next project.

The project that has sparked this moratorium had 220 IBW 68 members working on the project.

220 members feeding their families, paying rent or mortgages, and taking care of their bills.

With multiple phases and build buildings on the aforementioned project, this data center has the opportunity to last at least 10 years.

That's 10 years of wages and benefits for our members.

Not sure how many of you have worked at one place for 10 years, but in construction in the construction industry, that isn't common.

However, I do have another example of this.

In the early 2000s, IBW 68 built a data center in the Highlands Ranch area.

My father currently works at the status center, as do multiple other members of IBW 68, doing maintenance work and continuous upgrades.

That's over 25 years of work at one facility.

We all know we have a need for data centers in the world we live in today.

Data centers aren't a new thing.

And as you just heard, and through this moratorium and work working group, we can figure out a way to keep our economic opportunities for our members while not impacting ratepayers and the communities they are built in.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to working with all of you on this issue moving forward.

Next up, we have Gilbert Herrera.

And when I retired, I didn't know I came home with this.

Now I understand with the data center.

If them grids were to overload, people, 10% of the population in 80216 are here on ventilators, oxygen, seek pat machines.

If we were to lose power in that time room, what are people going to do without oxygen?

This happened to us once already in my home.

They said call 911.

So I ask if 10% of people lose their oxygen.

How are they going to get oxygen to all the people?

Otherwise, some of us might not make it.

Thank you for your time.

Next up, we have the honorable Citabaca on you.

Thank you.

My name is Candy Sedavaca.

I'm a social worker, community organizer, policy expert, and former D9 Council member.

My family's lived in Swansea for six generations.

I'm neutral on this moratorium.

This, but this moratorium is not courage.

A moratorium is what you do when you want to appear to act without actually acting.

It is a pause button that hands the microphone to industry lobbyists and calls them experts.

It creates the illusion of a process while the process gets quietly designed by the very people who profit from the outcome.

What this body should be doing, what the moment demands is a ban.

We're currently in a drought.

We're in a drought-prone state, and we sit that sit at the end of a drying Colorado River.

And this council is deliberating over how to regulate an industry that consumes millions of gallons of potable water per day, threatens grid stability, and pumps diesel exhaust into neighborhoods that already fail federal air quality standards.

Neighborhoods like mine that have been sacrifice zones for 100 years.

This is not regulation.

This is legislative malpractice if there were such a concept.

In my neighborhood right now, next door to our senior housing community clinic, our rec center, and the ECE that I run, a data center went up without community meeting, without environmental review, without a single knock on the door.

That happened before this moratorium.

It will keep happening if this moratorium produces industry-defined rules instead of a genuine ban.

I'm watching this council and the task force being assembled.

My community is watching, and we know the difference between protection and performance.

Do not let this moratorium become a pathway for data centers.

Let it be the beginning of the end of them.

Data centers are the super highway infrastructure of our generation.

And just like the interstate highway system that was sold as progress and jobs and economic opportunity and then driven straight through the heart of black and brown communities.

The decisions about where this infrastructure goes, who it harms, and who it serves are being made right now without us.

We cannot afford to make that mistake again.

The guardrails don't come after the damage, the guardrails come now, or they don't come at all.

And the only logical guardrail here is ultimately a ban.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up we have Harmony Harmony coming.

Hello, council.

My name is Harmony.

I run the Greenhouse Connection Center, two blocks from where they're building the Corsite Data Center.

In January, I got to go to Tucson for a data center advocacy, training with 85 people from across the country fighting data centers.

And I learned three things.

First, data centers are coming for communities everywhere.

And every local and state government is broke and desperate for jobs, and our capitalist systems are failing the people and the planet.

Two, water is life, and it is devastatingly dry flying from the headwaters of Colorado down the Colorado River down to Tucson.

Some things about water, aurora water large user metric table.

If you haven't seen it yet, I really encourage everyone on this working room in this council in this mayor's office in Denver Water to get associated with quickly.

I'll send it to you.

Two, the water energy nexus.

If you change to closed loop systems, you use more power and you use more chemicals, all which require more water.

Blue field research did a study saying that 70% of the water demand will actually be indirectly for making the chemicals and the power, not in the facility itself.

Three, the importance of place-based organizing, coming physically to the places where these data centers are happening so you can see, smell, taste, and feel it for yourself.

I can tell you that the data center is close to a nursing home, but until you physically stand there and feel that for yourself, it is 70 feet away.

I sent an invitation to everyone on this council.

Thank you to the council people who came.

And if you haven't made it yet, it's a standing invitation anytime.

I encourage every state, everyone in the city agency and everyone on this working group to please join us, walk with us and have a conversation with us right where it takes place.

Right now we need a data center moratorium and beyond because there's more considerations for where we put a swing set in a park as I was sitting in a planning meeting with community members with Councilman Watson when the kids' youth came up with a plan for a park we're trying to convert, and they wanted it by the fence line, and we have to rezone from industrial to a park.

More considerations on a swing set than there are for 14 diesel generators touching the city or touching a nursing home.

The state is not going to protect us, couldn't pass things at the legislative sessions, not even basic transparency.

They did an environmental justice analysis.

The school and virus exposures, 95th percentile, environmental effects, 94th.

Didn't stop the project from happening.

Nothing.

We only even know about the summary because of a reporter.

But as I end, I want to end on a foundation of hope and love for humanity for my children, for the water, for all the children, and the future.

I play Dungeons and Dragons with my kids with our ultimate challenge of fighting AI at the end because we use our imaginations, moving from algorithm to rhythm.

The data center, IA, automation, workforce decline, surveillance day, industrial war complex, chaos collapse economy, the future.

The time is now to protect our water, our communities, our children, and future.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Pierce Fernander.

Hello, Council.

Thank you so much for having us today.

My name is Pierce, and I definitely want to let you guys know why I think we should have a moratorium plus some on these data centers.

As we've said, they drive up utility bills, uh, drain our rivers, consuming our public resources at an unprecedented industrial scales.

Their growth deepens dependence on reckless extra extricative uh energy systems, opening the door to risky, poorly regulated nuclear development and expansion.

Data centers power surveillance systems, military warfare, and targeted adversaries designed to steal our rights and attention, and big tech corporations consolidate power.

Data centers empower corporations like Palantir to track surveillance surveil and detain people in your nationwide and abroad increasingly.

Uh data centers are considered as legitimate targets in war.

Developers promise jobs that don't exist and economic growth that is questionable.

While surrounding communities absorb the cost of utilities, grid upgrades, and water infrastructure, billionaires profit from while environmental and economic burdens are pushed onto the public.

The influx of data centers, not only in this state but across the country, is just a way to make Big Brother even bigger.

These data centers are being used to store all our private information as well as the means of which to desecrate Palestine and now Lebanon.

It does not benefit anyone except for the elite and governments utilize them to commit genocide as well as surveil every aspect of our lives.

We must think about the consequences of allowing these monstrosities in our city and state.

I don't believe in just a regulation, I believe in a complete ban.

This is a start, but we must build community, not data centers.

Thank you.

I'll call the NYX five.

Daniel Riley, Alfonso Espino, Don Angel Diaz, Britt Dahel, and Jesus La Oza.

First up, Daniel.

Thank you so much.

Good evening, President Pro Tem and members of City Council.

My name's Daniel Riley, and I serve as the vice president of economic development for Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, where I oversee our global business attraction efforts to bring uh high-quality primary jobs and capital investment into our region.

Uh, we're the region's primary economic development organization.

Our mission is to grow and strengthen the economy across 12 counties, up and down I-25 corridor from Wyoming border down through Pueblo that make up our Metro Denver and Front Range region.

And I'm here tonight because we believe this moratorium, however well intentioned, uh sets a troubling precedent for how Denver engages with the local and global business community, and we want to offer a better path forward.

And let me be clear the Metro Denver EDC does take seriously the concerns that have been raised around energy consumption, water use, community engagement.

Uh, those are legitimate policy questions, and the the community and the city of Denver is right to want answers, but a blanket moratorium on an entire industry is not the right tool to get there.

Uh data centers are not a fringe industry.

They're the physical infrastructure of the modern economy, housing, cloud storage, financial transactions, health care records, uh communication systems, things that Denver businesses and residents depend on uh every day, and they provide high-paying jobs and significant property tax revenue uh and sales tax revenue resources that fund the very city services that this council is charged with with protecting, and uh this is also compared to a very low service cost and models for the city to support those same data centers.

And so Denver has worked hard to earn its reputation as one of the top technology hubs in the country and globally.

Uh Mayor Johnson himself has said he is proud to partner with uh city council in keeping Denver as one of the top tech sectors in the nation, and we share that ambition.

Uh, but signals matter enormously uh to the world when we're talking about economic development.

And we hear regularly from executives uh and site selectors who are concerned that with Caro's policy environment and where it's headed, we're especially uh the increase in cost and burden of doing business here, and those policy choices are being reflected in our data, and a moratorium of this kind adds that perception.

And when the city announces it's halting an entire industry, even temporarily, businesses take note, site selectors take note, investors take note, and they begin to ask whether Denver is actually truly open for business or whether the next industry that draws community concern will face the same blunt response.

Our recent towards the more competitive Colorado report found a decline in Cardo's tax and regulatory competitiveness and raised concern that without disciplined regulatory review, these well-intentioned policies risk the increased cost for employers and consumers, undermining economic mobility and competitiveness.

And this moratorium is exactly the kind of policy that we were warning about.

Uh so we want you to do two things.

First, commit to it a first uh robust structured stakeholder engagement process that the business and economic development community uh can engage with uh from day one and not an afterthought.

Maybe Daniel.

Okay, thank you.

Good afternoon, council members.

My name is Alfonso Espino.

I'm an organizer for the Global Swansea Coalition, but more importantly, I am a lifelong resident of Leary and Swancia.

I grew up a block away from where this data center core site is currently being constructed on Vine Street at 4751 Vine Street of my grandpa's house.

My parents live one block next to it on Gaylord Street.

I live within five blocks on Josephine Street, so this is not an issue that is only important to our communities, but it's important to me personally.

My little sister, Elena, had lead poisoning growing up because of the industrial pollution.

My older, my younger brother, myself, and possibly more of our family members future generations will have asthma.

I have asthma.

I take four different medications just to address the issue, just to be able to breathe.

And I think that many of our community members have already spoken really well about our concerns, and I really just wanted to take the opportunity to continue elevating the fact that we are not here to fight an industry, and referring to the previous speaker who seems more concerned about if Denver is open to business to touch grass, because people will die because of the decisions that the city will or will not make.

This is located within the exact same grid system that core site will operate in.

That spewed hundreds of millions of tons of toxins in one day.

Because of a power outage.

And we do not want to conceptualize what a dystopian future will look like where people have to choose to become climate refugees from our own neighborhoods.

I also want to just close by saying that the moratorium is a good first step.

But only that.

It needs to mean something.

And it's the it needs to look towards a future, and it needs to ensure that we're building the right things, things that people actually need.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Don Angel Diaz virtually.

Good evening, and thank you for the opportunity to speak.

My name is Don Angel Diaz, and my great-grandparents bought a home in the GES neighborhood over 70 years ago.

I've lived here all my life.

I understand that decisions like this are not simple.

You're being asked to balance gross growth, infrastructure, and the future of our community.

But those decisions also have real um impacts on real people, and that's why I'm here.

This isn't about being against technology.

This is about fairness.

It's about the kind of deals we are making and who they actually benefit.

Right now, what's being proposed does not feel like a fair deal.

It feels like a death sentence for compute for communities like mine.

Decisions are being made out of our out about our land, our air, and our water without using able truly being able to be at the table.

If we're honest, when something comes into a neighborhood and uses large amounts of resources, adds heat, adds pressure, and leaves residents with long-term consequences.

I think it's fair to say who is this really working for.

In any real agreement, both sides should benefit, but here the trade-off is an uneven.

Data centers bring very few permanent jobs.

The data center will demand huge amounts of electricity and water, and these demands are separate from reality.

They land in communities that are already carrying environmental burdens.

So what are we actually getting in return?

And more importantly, what are we being asked to give up?

For communities like mine, this isn't something we can willfully do.

We're already living with the impacts of decisions made without us.

We already carry the weight of pollution and health risks.

So when we see another project like this, it doesn't feel like an opportunity.

At some point we have to call it for what it is.

When the harm is predictable, the risks are known, and communities are still expected to carry the burden.

That's not a fair deal.

That's why this moratorium matters.

Bill 260431 gives us a chance to slow down, slow this down and do it right to fully understand the impact, the real protections in place, and to make sure community voice voices are actually part of the decision before it's too late.

And I want to be clear this moratorium is not a signal that we will eventually say yes, because we won't.

This is not about buying time, so this project can come back unchanged.

As it stands, we do not support it.

The costs are too high, both physically and financially, and we are not willing to trade our health and our resources for a bad deal.

Because no one should be allowed to come into our communities, take what they leave, and leave things worse than what they found them.

I urge you to just to support this bill.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Except we have Britt Dale.

Great.

Hi there.

Good evening.

My name's Britt Dill, Vice President of External Affairs representing the downtown Denver Partnership, and we're registered neutral on this bill, and I'm really here to address the process ahead.

Should this legislation pass.

The modern economy runs on data centers, as we all know, from apps on our phones, the systems that dispatch first responders, um, and this infrastructure really underpins daily life in ways that most people will never see.

Then this context really matters as council weighs in on the scope of this moratorium.

Pausing to understand impacts before writing permanent regulations, the reasonable approach, and we appreciate that the bill includes structured engagement processes.

But the outcome will only be as good as the process itself.

Denver's business community needs a meaningful voice at that table.

Not a formality, but a substantive substantive role, excuse me.

We'd ask that the working group timeline be clearly defined, industry perspectives be genuinely considered, and the process remain open and accessible throughout.

Thank you for your time tonight and for addressing this incredibly complex issue.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Jesus.

Denver ultimately needs an outright ban on the construction of massive new data centers like the one Corsite is putting up in the backyard of our GES neighbors.

What is happening in GES is a continuation of a legacy of environmental racism in a predominantly Latino neighborhood.

The same community that has already carried the burden of historic slaughterhouse pollution, displacement from the I-70 expansion and industrial zoning, is now being told that they should sacrifice their health and resources for corporate profit.

GES residents need grocery stores, pharmacies, green spaces, clean air, clean water, reliable energy infrastructure, and investment in human needs, not another massive industrial complex consuming extraordinary amounts of energy and water.

As a union member, I can empathize that data centers mean jobs for my union siblings in the building trades in the short term.

But these data centers are meant to supercharge unemployment for the rest of us.

On to water consumption.

Colorado is already facing severe drought conditions.

We all got the notifications about the watering restrictions.

What will be the water restrictions on data centers?

Denver waters collection system is at historic lows.

Yet this core site campus is projected to use nearly one million gallons of water every single day, equivalent to the indoor water use of more than 19,000 Denver homes.

At the same at the same time, these facilities are driving up electricity demand and utility costs for everyone else.

Corsite's campus alone is projected to consume more electricity than the Denver International Airport.

Excel Energy is already using data center demand to justify higher rates and extending the life of coal plants that are supposed to be uh put to rest.

Um that means working families will be asked to pay more on their utility bills while corporations get richer and our climate goals get abandoned.

And for what?

These massive new data centers are not being built to meet ordinary internet needs.

Uh apps, uh these projects are not so that we can more effortlessly stream Netflix or generate innocent cat AI videos.

They are being built because billionaires and massive corporations are racing to dominate AI technologies that are increasingly being used to uh surveil workers, uh fix prices, uh, and uh for policing and militarization.

So, yes, pass this moratorium, but this cannot be the end with a study group or a temporary delay.

Denver needs the courage to say that our water, our air, our neighborhoods, and our working class communities are more important than the ambitions of billionaires.

Uh, thank you for your time.

Next set of speakers.

Chess Crane, Elizabeth Gillespie, Hamilton Lough, and Sergio Cardova.

First up, Brendan.

Next up, we have Chess Crane.

Chess.

Next up, we have Elizabeth Gills Gills.

Thank you.

Hello?

Can you hear me?

We sure can.

Go ahead.

Go ahead.

Great.

Uh, thank you, Council.

Um, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this discussion.

My name is Beth Gillespie.

I'm a physician in the Denver area, Zip Code 80212, mother of three children, and also a um member, a board member of physicians for social responsibility of Colorado.

I'm speaking here on behalf of myself.

I did have something prepared, but I think I would just agree with many of the points that have already been made by uh neighbors in North Denver and environmental justice experts who have already spoken out about their wish for a complete ban on data centers because of the concerns about drought, um, corporate greed, and also just a lack of consideration of the health effects of all of these things that are bringing being brought um by the data centers that already exist.

Um I also um would like to say that um I appreciate the uh list of members.

Um, should this moratorium pass, which I agree it is an important first step.

Um, you know, if it is possible to consider all of the health effects of the potential health effects of incredible energy use, water pollution, noise pollution, and still um create a proposal that allows community resilience that the community can vote on and approve.

Um, that would be great.

I think we have to get all the information though.

Um, I just don't see us getting to a point where um the unknowns um are solvable and are worth all of the harms that we have seen already present in other states.

Um but getting back to the the list of working group members, um, I think it is important to include community members on this list.

I would caution about the subject matter expert that is invited to be on this.

When I saw that, I the alarm bells went off in my head, and I would just hope that the subject matter expert is not paid by industry.

Um is a subject matter expert on the health effects of pollution on risk assessment, um, and that that be something somebody that um community members are able to uh approve and work with.

Um beyond that, I just thank you for the time.

Um, and I hope that um there is a yes vote on this moratorium as a first step in um health equity in our community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up we have Hamilton Nicolov.

Good evening, Madam President, Council people.

My name is Hamilton Nicoloff.

I'm a GES resident and city council district nine candidate.

I recently heard a Denver's elected official comment that sometimes community and small businesses are a necessary sacrifice in the name of progress.

Some of you will die today, he quoted from a movie.

Kindly, I must disagree.

Because without community, without businesses, families, culture, and history that make Denver-Denver, progress is just an empty word devoid of substance and value.

Swansea is not an empty industrial corridor.

It is a living neighborhood that has already carried more of its share of sacrifice for the city, refineries, high rates, rail lines, industrial expansion layered upon industrial expansion.

And yet a substantial number of Denver residents have chosen this as their home, a place to raise children and grandchildren and grow old.

As such, we wish to leave the past in the past and work towards building a brighter future for our neighborhood.

But now, despite our dreams, plans, and wishes for our neighborhood residents are once more asked to absorb the burden of massive infrastructure projects and told the impacts are simply the cost of modernization.

For years, residents have implored this city for basic investment, a grocery store, neighborhood serving businesses, spaces that nourish community life.

Instead, we are told the answer is another massive industrial project that no other neighborhood apparently wants either.

People notice when a neighborhood asks for food access and receives unwanted and unasked for further industrial expansion.

Yes, I understand the argument about economic growth and tax revenue, but we should be honest about the trade-offs.

These facilities consume enormous amounts of land, water, and power while creating few permanent jobs compared to other forms of development.

And let us be further honest and acknowledge that you cannot guarantee jobs and tax benefits, if any, will inure to the neighborhood you were asking to absorb these projects.

As an alternative instead of data centers.

Imagine the long-term return of investing in mixed use quarters, local businesses, urban agriculture, workforce housing, clean manufacturing, community retailer, public marketplaces that circulate wealth back into the neighborhood instead of walling it off behind security fences and cooling infrastructure.

In conclusion, I respectfully ask this council to consider something plainly.

If a proposal arose tomorrow to rezone land near Yale and Iliff beside one of Denver's Denver's country clubs for a massive data center complex, would this city embrace it with the same enthusiasm?

If the answer is no, then we must ask ourselves why neighborhoods like Swansea should be expected to carry the burdens that others would never accept for themselves.

A moratorium is not anti-progress, it is it is responsible, equitable governance.

Please vote yes on a moratorium, and in the future, please yet yes on a ban outright in the GES neighborhood.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Sergio Cordova.

Good afternoon, Council members.

My name is Sergio Cordova, and I'm a business agent with Five Federal Local Union 208.

I appreciate the opportunity to speak uh today regarding the proposed data center moratorium.

I would like to offer a neutral uh position that recognizes both the concerns surrounding rapid development and economic opportunity for this uh projects uh these project projects create.

The data centers are have become a critical part of today's infrastructure and economy.

They support cloud computing, communication, healthcare services, financial institutions, manufacturing, and many of digital services that people rely on every day like Zoom.

Uh as the demand for technology and data center storage continues to increase, data centers construction has also expanded significantly.

From the work uh workforce standpoint, these projects provide substantial employment opportunities for the skill trades for organizations such as Pifitter's Logo 208.

Uh, data centers generate thousands of man hours for pipe fitters, welders, service technicians, and apprentices.

The work is uh it's itself is highly specialized and technical.

Firefitters are responsible for installing and maintaining large-scale chill water systems, HVAC piping, cooling infrastructure, process piping, and other uh mechanical services that are essential to keeping servers and equipment up uh operating safely and efficiently around the around the clock.

This careers also provide a middle-class wages and benefits.

A skilled pipeto welder or service technicians working on these projects like data centers, can um earn well over 150,000 annually in total compensation when wages and benefits are combined.

This often includes family health insurance, retirement pensions, training opportunities, and other uh collective bargaining benefits that provide long-term financial stability for workers and their families.

Uh modern data centers uh rely on advanced cooling technologies that are designed to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

Many newer uh facilities use closed loop uh cooling systems, air cool chillers, or high efficiency mechanical equipment that significantly reduce water consumption uh compared to older technology.

As technology continues to improve, many uh operators are investing in systems that minimize water use while maintaining the reliability required for critical infrastructure.

In addition, uh to the immediate construction work uh work, data centers create long-term employment opportunities to ongoing maintenance uh equipment upgrades, retrofits, expansions, and operational support.

Those projects also help sustain apprenticeship programs and provide opportunities for younger workers, build long-term careers in the trades.

Also, the importance of recognize the benefits of project labor agreements to ensure the access is reliable, highly skilled workforce while uh promoting safety, efficiency, and coordinating among multiple traits.

And I appreciate uh your time.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Next up, we have Renee Chakon, followed by John Alvino, followed by Nicolsia Neibler, followed by Shannon Hoffman, followed by Joshua Acosta.

Renee.

Thank you.

We sure can.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

My name is Renee Malay Chuckko, and I'm co-founder of William From the Mountain.

Does environmental justice with and for you to Indigenous communities here in Colorado.

I was also on the environmental justice action task for equity analysis of cumulative impacts.

I asked Denver City Council to not only consider this moratorium, but recognize that it's a way to hold the door open right now.

As of this year, legislature was not able to pass any form of environmental justice protections, enforceable protections, or environmental health equity analysis when it comes to data centers.

We already know where a lot of these data centers are being proposed is already disproportionately impacted communities harmed by several different forms of cumulative and devastating impacts from our air quality, our water quality, and even our land.

I know exactly what that looks like from Suncor.

And when we're talking about data centers, we need to consider not only our disproportionately impacted communities being harmed by rates, we are not going to get those jobs.

Those jobs do not last, and they often do not benefit our communities, not for our lungs, our hearts, our health, and our air.

So I ask that you use this moratorium as a way to also guide state legislators to have enforceable protections because we can no longer rely on a federal government to protect us on an EPA level, even on the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.

It is truly up to you right now to not only have forms of banning data centers for DIC, but recognizing that we need to be in renewable spaces and nuclear is not one of them either.

So as an advocate and a mother that is concerned about future generations, I ask that you consider this moratorium as a way to also guide the state in how we can protect our communities.

Maine has done it, and in several of the spaces, even Hawaii is looking at overturning citizen united because corporations have more personhood than the very community that live in these spaces.

So I remind you where you put these data centers, people live here.

So please act in a way that is respectful and loving to the next seven generations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, we have John Alvino.

Good evening, Council members.

Thanks for the opportunity to speak tonight.

I am the business manager of the sheet metal air rail and transportation workers local union nine, representing 1,500 sheet metal workers throughout our jurisdiction, with more than 11 uh hundred building trades members who work on construction projects throughout this region and the state, including projects involving data centers and critical infrastructure.

We understand the concerns being raised here tonight.

Concerns about environmental impacts, energy uses, usage, water consumption, and impacts on neighborhoods deserve solutions, uh serious discussion and thoughtful planning.

Well, we also have to acknowledge the reality that uh modern life depends on data centers, whether it's remote work, online education, healthcare systems, uh emergency communications, banking, streaming services, social media, or even uh participating in public meetings through Zoom or live streams, all of it relies on data center infrastructure.

So simply saying we're not going to build them may sound like an easy answer, but it's a short-sighted one because it does it does not solve the larger issue.

The demand is already here.

The real question is how do we build and operate these facilities responsibly in a way that reflects our values?

That is where labor believes we can help be part of the solution.

We believe that government, labor, industry, environmental stakeholders, and neighborhoods should come together and create a responsible path forward.

One that includes implementable environmental standards, transparency, accountability, and considerations of impacts on surrounding communities and their workers.

If these projects move forward, they should move forward with high road standards that include community benefits uh agreements, project labor agreements, apprenticeship opportunities, local higher pathways, and best value metrics that ensure these projects create family sustaining careers while protecting public interest.

Denver has an opportunity to lead by showing that innovation, sustainability, community engagement, and good union jobs can all work together.

Thank you.

I appreciate your time tonight.

Next up, we have Nicole Shea Neibler.

Nicole Shia, can you accept the promotion?

Next up, we have Shannon Hoffman.

Good evening.

My name is Shannon Hoffman, and in late 2023, I began working for the community investment fund in Globeville Illeria in Swansea.

Last year, around this time, we came to you asking you all to be kind to us.

I don't think it can be overstated how much the city has not been kind to my neighbors.

However, what eventually compelled me to move to Eleria now a year ago was not all the problems we face, but that in spite of those problems, my neighbors find joy, peace, interdependence, creative solutions, and though sometimes we resent that, we've have to find it.

We have a deep well of resilience.

I now live at 4683 Vine Street, directly across from our beloved Valdez Perry library at 4690 Vine Street, where many children and their families come for free snacks and crafts, and most importantly, community connection.

This is two blocks south of the corsite data center.

I'm supposed to tell you a lot of facts about data centers, but you will hear many of them tonight from my friends, and I think you know these facts, and as such, I believe you are going to pass a moratorium, and I thank you for that.

But we are not here to ask for a moratorium.

We are here to ask for a ban.

And I compel you to think about it this way because I don't know if all the facts will change your mind.

You would never want your mother to live next to this building.

I promise you that.

And I compel you to see every woman in my neighborhood just like you see your mother.

You would never want your loved ones to live next to this building.

The people in this neighborhood have suffered enough.

Their homes have been taken by eminent domain, which is an act of evil.

My neighbor who has lived there for 40 years tells me.

And there's a part of me that wants to say, turn it on, so you can see how strong we really are.

But what I'm gonna say is what my neighbor Dolores says, which is me, I will not suffer.

We are grateful for your moratorium.

We want to ban whatever you decide.

We will have joy, we will have love, we will have a deep well of resilience.

You cannot take our pride, is what my mama used to say.

But I hope you come to see our neighbors just like you see your own family, and you help us shut this thing down.

Thank you.

Good evening, counsel.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak.

My name is Joshua, I'm an organizer and resident of Aurora.

Um I do support this bill as a first step, as many before many before me have said, but uh I'm you know must also acknowledge that this data center that is currently being built in the Globeville Area Swansa neighborhoods that core site has every intention of expanding with two more buildings, should have never been approved.

As of course, the necessary guard vills were not there, and as a bare minimum, community input needs to be a part of the process.

Um this multi-billion dollar corporation was able to come in, set up shop, and turn a blind eye to the community.

This type of thing can never happen again.

So, again, important first step to start getting something actually in place, but as many others have said, we need a full-on ban because this particular uh growth and surge of data centers across the country are massive data centers that are not for the needs of working class people.

Uh it is a race to control these AR technologies to surveillance and further displace this world, you know, the entire globe.

You know, there's not really much left untouched by you know the billionaires that run this country.

And so uh most importantly, most especially like this should not be a consideration in neighborhoods like Chiglobi or Swansea, as many of them who have lived there for many generations.

Have said to you all, like, this is just absurd to even consider with all of that that they've gone through.

Um, and then not to mention that half of Colorado is in an extreme drought, like others have said, like, this is a historic low that we're in.

So there's just no way that anything further can be considered.

A ban is the only way forward.

And so again, we respect and appreciate anything to start that process, but they cannot end there.

Um, uh just to uh also like hit home the point that we already have plenty of data centers that take care of like basic simple internet necessities that you know many people have talked about, like these data centers are not again not going towards that.

And so we urge you to, of course, vote for this, but to put the community first in the process throughout every step of it, and allow them to again put their own future in their own families, you know, allow them to have dignity and live with love.

And again, do what is right, but we need to work towards the ban.

Thank you, please.

Thank you so much.

The next five we have up are Rachel Warbelo, Benjamin Shia, Sylvia Samuel, Rose Bowspring, and Rachel Lehman.

Uh my name is Rachel.

I am a senior software engineer, a former public school co-founder and co-leader and a mom.

With a decade of software engineering experience, I am proud of the technology that I've built, all of which relies on data centers in some way.

But with AI acceleration, tech has taken a deeply concerning turn, and without meaningful action, we are barreling towards a dangerous and unpredictable future.

Goldman Sachs recently reported that AI is now the primary demand driver for new data center build out.

These facilities exist to train and power increasingly capable models.

So when we talk about data centers, we also need to talk about AI.

We need to talk about the study out of King's College in London, in which AI da AI models chose nuclear signaling in 95% of crisis scenarios.

We also need to talk about anthropics policy chief admitting that in a simulation where a model faced shutdown, it was quote ready to kill blackmailing officials and leaking sensitive data.

Now imagine what happens when we combine these models with increasingly capable robotics.

And yes, these future models might unlock a cure for cancer, but that potential does not prevent these same systems from being weaponized or spinning out of control.

The industry's own leaders admit the danger.

Last September, Anthropic CEO Dario Amade said, quote, I think there's a 25% chance that things go really, really bad.

In a conversation with Ted Cruz, Elon Musk placed the odds of annihilation, that's his words, not mine, at 20 10 to 20% within five to ten years.

Open AI, Anthropic, and Meta have all disbanded or significantly scaled back their safety teams because safety slows down profit.

Their CEOs admit this risk, but they're trapped in the prisoners' dilemma.

I will readily admit that AI has made my job as a software engineer much easier.

And it can unlock doors for people, but we can't keep barreling down this path of uncontrolled AI acceleration and expect everything to be okay.

We are, for now, still in control, but we are putting humanity's continued existence in the hands of money and power-hungry billionaires.

We need our elected officials to step up and do something.

One concrete step that we can do here in Denver is put our foot down and tell these companies that no, you cannot use our city to build the infrastructure for a technology that threatens our very existence.

And I hope that the city council here chooses never to participate in this race to the bottom, and instead chooses to invest in the types of data centers that are pro-humans.

Libraries, schools, senior centers, green spaces, cultural hubs.

Those are the types of data centers that I think the people in Denver can really get behind.

Thank you.

Good evening, Council members.

My name is Dr.

Benjamin Sher.

I'm an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Denver, where I collaborate with Denver Museum's Institute of Science and Policy to build state lawmakers' capacities to legislate on AI.

I was previously a postdoctoral fellow with Stanford's Institute for Human Center to AI and Ethics Center, and the testimony reflects my personal views, not the views of DU, the Institute of Science and Policy or Stanford, and I have no financial conflicts of interest related to this bill.

I spoke with Councilman Cashman about this bill back in March.

Since then, I've been working with DU computer science student Cody Key to research the economic, environmental, and health impacts on data centers, and he submitted written testimony.

I'm speaking in support of this bill because a moratorium on data centers affords the city crucial time to consider short-term economic uh gains against long-term energy, health, and water concerns on economic benefits.

Data centers are really good for the economy when they're being constructed, but unproven investments after that.

Good union labor builds data centers.

I love and respect that, being a member of UAW Local 4121 during grad school.

However, after they're built, only a few engineers are required to maintain them.

For example, a county in New York gave 77 million dollars in tax breaks to build a data center that will produce one permanent job on power.

In 2024, data centers consume 4% of all energy in the United States.

That is expected to more than double by 2030, and our capacity or built capacity with, for example, renewable energy is will absolutely not keep up with that increased energy demand.

So this in nearby states, we've seen this increase in energy demand result in utility rate increases, strains to aging infrastructure, and increasing reliance on carbon-emitting uh energy sources on water.

Data centers create an irrevocable amount of uh require an irrevocable amount of typically potable water to cool their equipment and lots of it.

Uh so for example, a Google data center in Iowa, which is about the size of a FedEx distribution center and is no longer even considered large, consumes the amount of water that 54,000 Denver residents will in their homes.

Uh, because data centers must always run, they cannot decrease water usage during drought conditions.

On health, uh data centers must always be running, regardless of time of day, grid outage, or natural disasters.

Uh, therefore, data centers typically have useful generators on site, which are regularly tested, resulting in the air, soil, and water pollution others have spoken about.

Uh, data centers also polluce a produce a constant high-pitch noise, uh, which is not well regulated by existing state policies and causes issues with cognitive function, sleep, and stress, and data centers become permanent heat islands.

Uh, so a proposed one in Utah would increase daytime temperatures by five degrees and nighttime temperatures by 28 degrees.

In conclusion, I urge the council to support what people overwhelmingly want.

A Gallup uh poll from last week said that uh data centers have a 71% uh um disapproval uh 71% of people uh oppose it.

So therefore, data centers have a negative 42 approval rating.

So I urge this council to uh support this moratorium.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up we have Sylvia Samuelia.

Good evening.

My name is Sylvia Semayoa.

I'm a Denver resident, and I'm here to speak in favor of the data center moratorium.

Although this moratorium is an essential first step, I don't believe it's enough.

We need a ban on data centers, not just here in Denver, but in all of Colorado, um, and not just for one year but permanently.

The consequences of opening a data center in our communities needs to be taken seriously, and I'm truthfully frustrated and heartbroken to hear the pro-business talking points that completely neglect these deadly impacts, so Denver can be open for business.

As has been stated, we are in a climate crisis, and data centers aggressively drain our most precious resources.

CoreSite's new three-building data center campus is estimated to use a million gallons of water a day.

So to contextualize that, that's 19,000 homes of water usage.

That's ridiculous.

After one of the warmest Colorado winters we've seen, leaving us with 58% of Colorado in a drought, we cannot afford to concede our water resources to these data centers.

Corsite's new data center would also use over 75 megawatts of electricity per day.

To contextualize that, that's 100,000 homes a day.

And who's footing the bill for this additional electricity?

Residents of these communities, not core site.

You don't have to take my word for this.

XL Energy is already raising people's rates as energy usage skyrockets.

Uh current projections show Coloradans could see their utility bills jump up to 50%.

We have seen the impacts and lack of accountability from other corporations like Suncor and Purina on the Globeville Elyria Swansea community, and Corsite's new data center is just a continuation of this legacy of environmental racism in this predominantly Latino neighborhood.

We know that CoreSight would be no different.

We know that this construction of this and any new data center in the GES community must be stopped immediately and permanently.

We know that there are a lot of things that this community needs: grocery stores, third spaces, clean air and water.

What they don't need, a massive hyperscale data center that will drain their resources and pollute and destroy their communities.

Thank you to the city council members who have been to the GES community meetings about this data center, who have heard testimonies from the community members.

They're already suffering high rates of asthma, cancer, reliance on CPAP machines, and other health conditions.

These residents should not be further poisoned by this data center.

We know that these massive data centers are built for billionaire profit and not to meet people's needs.

We need to pass this moratorium.

We need to get an all-out ban on data centers, and we need to develop real plans on how our precious resources can be used to meet people's needs and improve communities like GES, not destroy them.

Thank you.

Rose Balspring.

Hey City Council, I'm here to speak for the moratorium.

What I've heard from a lot of the residents around Elyrian Swansea is their main concern about the moratorium is that it will be used to dampen the energy, right?

So yes for it, but let's like keep the energy going, right?

That's the really important thing.

They do not want the data center there at all, as y'all have heard.

None of most of them that I've heard really just don't want it there at all.

I want to make sure that the needs of those neighbors are met and that this data center is actually shut down because that's what the neighbors want.

I really hope that you all act as representatives for these neighbors and not for multinational course.

Like these big companies, right?

You all are meant to serve the community, and I really hope y'all will take this one year y'all have to really get on this and make sure that these data centers are shut down.

Because like these data centers are important, right?

But this is a new kind of data center.

These are like really, really big, like way bigger than the data centers that already exist.

These are new kinds of things that are not day-to-day things that everyday people need, right?

We can have these small-scale data centers that meet the needs of people, but these big-scale data centers, like folks don't want them here.

Uh, frankly, we don't have a lot of water here.

Maybe build them somewhere else, not in these poor neighborhoods.

We really don't want them there.

Um, and yeah, I know the neighbors will keep organizing, they will keep fighting until these data centers are shut down.

And uh y'all should be doing your part as well.

Thank you.

Rachel Lehman.

Hi, I'm Rachel Lehman, and I am a mom first and foremost.

I'm an educator, and I also work in the Illyria Swansea global area, and also in Commerce City, both pretty polluted areas.

Rapid integration and normalization of AI into our daily lives raises pressing questions about its appropriate use and regulations from benign automated customer service in airlines to AI driven diagnostics and healthcare, we're witnessing a transformation that demands scrutiny, albeit a couple decades late.

Data centers are key to autonomous weapons, systems and around the clock surveillance.

These applications can be fatal.

What's most concerning is the pace of AI deployment without robust regulatory frameworks in place.

I want to highlight another unionized group, teachers.

The education sector presents particularly ethical challenges.

When we envision the future of our schools, we must ask ourselves can AI systems provide emotional support to our children?

Is a scraped knee at recess something we want handled by algorithms and not a kind human being?

Disproportionately impacted communities like DICs, like the location of corsites data center and GES will likely bear the brunt of these changes, particularly regarding water consumption for AI infrastructure.

Without proper oversight, we are we risk exacerbating existing inequalities while creating new ones.

While AI promises remarkable benefits like a used car salesman, I might add, um, the current approach to this expansion is reckless.

Data centers must address both current and potential future applications and be transparent in their actions and their intent.

Who are your clients?

Do these clients make the ultimate sacrifice to make our communities worth it?

Who are they servicing in these data centers?

And I want to see if this will work.

We're gonna try it out.

Um I wanted to let you guys hear what it's like living next to a data center.

These are just some of the things that people aren't talking about.

Our mental health is worth something, and I don't think just being able to have more surveillance and weapons is worth making a whole community sacrifice what they have already.

Thanks.

Next up, we have Stephen Hartman.

Good evening, Council.

My name is Stephen Hartman, and I'm a teacher at a DPS school in the Globebill neighborhood of Denver.

And I'm a proud member of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association.

I'm here because I'm deeply concerned about what these large-scale data centers represent.

Not just environmentally, but politically and educationally.

Real education comes from comes from relationships, from dialogue, from trust, from creativity, and human connection.

An AI machine cannot build community in a classroom.

An AI machine cannot teach empathy.

An AI machine cannot recognize when a child is struggling, when a child is scared, when they're hungry or isolated.

An AI machine cannot replace the critical thinking that emerges through real human dialogue through community and collective learning.

If schools are under resourced, the solution is not automation or the infrastructure for automation.

The solution is investment in people.

We should ask ourselves why is there always enough money for massive private infrastructure projects, but never enough money for education.

One of these facilities is being built in Globeville, Elyria and Swansea.

A community that has already been disproportionately impacted by environmental racism and political neglect.

And while there's discussion of a moratorium on future data centers, what about the one that's already being built?

What about the students, the families, the schools, the parks, the clinics and the residents that will live with the consequences?

If a task force is being assembled around this issue, those voices must be centered, not the voices of corporate interests.

We need to make the moratorium mean something.

As an educator who cares about what kind of world that we're preparing students to enter into, I believe we should be asking whether we are preparing students for a future shaped by technocratic fascists, or a world organized around ideals like democracy, dignity, opportunity, and community.

Globeville and Illyria Swansea are not sacrifice zones.

Our communities and especially our students deserve real investment in people and communities, not surveillance infrastructure disguised as progress.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Except we have Alma Urbano.

Alma?

Good evening.

My name is Alma Urbano, and I live in Swansea District 9.

I'm here like many of us to ask that you cannot only place a moratorium or a pause on data centers, but that you actually take a brave step and actually ban all data centers, especially those that impact Denver residents, like Corsai.

It is very disturbing that now every time I try to take steps outside my house, I leave my house to walk down the block.

I am faced with this great prison-like building across the railroad, across the park that I want to walk through.

My side of the neighborhood faces what appears to be the very diesel generators that course I will use when our neighborhood power gets shut down or get so overwhelmed that it shuts down.

My neighbors and I have to wait for the return of the electricity while the data center diesels will run into our lawns and our livers.

Will our hearts handle the anxiety and stress of adding more pollution to the cocktail of uh carcinogens that are already happening here in the neighborhood?

I'm really scared that if you don't ban all data centers in Gloville, Illyria and Swansea, who's gonna pay our bills?

Are you the city council gonna pay all the health technology that these data centers are gonna provide to us?

Are you gonna pay our sick time, our health insurance?

Are you gonna provide health care for the undocumented immigrants that live in our community?

We're already falling apart with our health.

We're probably gonna fall apart even faster with what's going on.

Data centers like Corsai are not an economic investment.

If they target the same bodies that actually provide for the city and the state, we are not going to have lives much less the modern lives that they keep bragging to us today.

By the way, you should have health experts in your working groups and actually address what is actually going into the human bodies that are living right next to the data center.

And also data centers are not an economic investment if they keep overwhelming our water system or oxygen or electrical grid, our hospitals, our streets.

You still have so much power, and I hope you use it for something that will save Denver and all of us for generations to come if they do.

So please ban data centers in Denver.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Samuel Hegland.

I say how do you pronounce it?

But that's that's fine.

Thank you so much.

I support the moratorium so much that I want it to go on forever, really.

Um I other speakers have already talked about the environmental uh impact, so I'm just gonna skip that.

But just to say that we don't need these new data centers.

Uh data centers have been around for decades.

You know, we use them, we rely on them.

Most of them are pretty small, and they support our regular internet needs.

And the AI companies right now don't really need all this new data center capacity.

They're building it to hedge for the future.

Billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are in a race to construct these massive data centers because they want to be the ones to power and control new AI technologies that are requiring more and more data center capacity.

And these new technologies are really surveillance uh against the enemy within in the in the minds of the billionaires.

Uh, you know, we're the enemy within.

They want to surveil us, and they also are uh weapons of war against you know, China, Russia, Iran.

Uh the war, the world is ramping up towards global war.

Some people might say we're already in World War III.

So I don't think we need to be accelerating the current, we need to be uh trying to get to peace.

But I also just get this feeling that the decision's already been made, and uh this moratorium is just a stopgap to let the situation cool off but uh before just going ahead with the plan anyway.

And uh this community can't and uh won't allow that to happen.

So thank you.

Hello, everybody, thanks for listening and letting everybody speak.

And um I my name is Julie, and I live at 2121 East 48th Avenue.

I live directly across the street, just steps away from Corsite.

Um let me see.

I live in the apartments, and I am for this moratorium, but I am ultimately also for a ban.

Um, living right next to and just steps from it.

I'm you know, I uh I'm just I just I don't want it there, you know, and I wasn't asked, and I wasn't told, you know.

Um what's I lost my place.

I'm asking for passing at this moratorium as a first step towards either a ban or heavy accountability guardrails.

Um, as we're already the most polluted neighborhood zip code in Colorado.

This site is right across from a nursing home that's being built right next door to me.

Um, there's a park on the other side of it where kids play in a rec center directly across from it on the other side.

Um, I just think that this was this wasn't the place for this.

That there's people that live right there.

This and we already deal with sun core and you know the pollution from that.

Um, you know, we have health issues, everybody that lives there.

Um, unfortunately, you know, we're like um it's we're mostly like the working poor, you know.

It's uh, you know, basically a poorer neighborhood.

Um it's so it's easier to live there, you know.

For me personally, you know.

Um, I love my community.

Um, and yeah, I'm I'm totally for a band.

I I think that you know, the fact that that what everybody's talked about, especially the water, that's gonna be and we already are in a water crisis, you know, and to add these data centers that consume even ridiculous amounts of our precious water, people don't realize, you know that I mean water is life, you know, and everybody just takes that for granted, you know.

Um but pretty soon with all these data centers that they're just slamming everywhere, everybody's gonna realize you know how precious water is because we're gonna be looking, we're gonna be, you know, saying you know, fighting people for water or whatever.

It's gonna be like you know, like in the movies or whatever.

It's ridiculous, and I've already have health issues.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Leo.

No, uh, moment.

Hello, my name is Leo.

Okay.

That has uh uh produced cancer with some of the E sepenta el exceso de ruido los carros correcos on I7 pollution, que al respirar hasta duele la nariz, y como disen otros hasta pica.

No, we have I 70 with its large with its uh heavy noise pollution and cars race through I70 and it's hard to breathe and some say it even stings to breathe.

Una vez yegando los pulmones ya is difficilse.

We all know that once the smoke reaches the lungs, it is very difficult to take care of.

Y ahora para colmo este centro de datos is muchino in various aspects and now even these data centers will be way more harmful in many aspects.

That's why I direct my comments to the owners of Corsay data centers to place yourselves in our shoes.

I piensen, mediten, reflexion, y ahora me dirijo al consejo que tiene por la prevenir los centros de datos.

You more considerables.

Be more considerate, be more humanitarian, be aware of the potential harm.

And now I direct myself towards the city council that has the authority to place this moratorium.

See ya.

But we demand that these data centers be prohibited.

And I also want to take advantage of this time to make aware many people who to talk to many people who are not even aware of the situation, for example.

We must use the churches to communicate this information to everyone.

Because we do want we do not want to suffer the fatal consequences.

Thank you very much for listening to me.

Gracias Leo.

Thank you.

Next up we have Jen Beverly.

Jen.

Next up we have we have Brian Ortiz.

Producer, do we have Brian?

No.

Brian Ortiz.

Next up, we have Camilla Viteis.

Hi.

Good evening.

My name is Camilla Vitis, and I'm a Denver resident and lifelong Coloradin.

I'm here to advocate for not only a moratorium, but also a full ban, like many of the previous speakers.

As I said, I'm a lifelong Colorado resident, and there is nothing I love more than the incredible environment we are all lucky enough to call home.

Each year I spend countless days hiking, exploring the unique, beautiful landscapes of Colorado, trekking to Alpine lakes, and spending hours in our lush biologically diverse forests.

I'm also a woman in my 30s, getting ready to start a family, and I really hope to do that in the place I love so much.

And I'm also a jazz musician and educator immersed in and inspired by the thriving artistic community that we have here in Denver in our really iconic and historic jazz scene.

So in short, I love Denver, and I want to continue to build my life and raise my family here, but I'm deeply concerned that all of these wonderful parts of our city will be destroyed if data centers are allowed to be constructed in our fragile climate that is already suffering.

Speakers have already spoken to the drought and environmental impact, so I don't need to repeat those things, but as a reminder, in January 2026, the UN released a report that stated that the world is in a state of water bankruptcy.

So we are we are actively facing this not only here in Colorado but all around the world.

Furthermore, if we're interested in creating jobs, I want to echo what a previous speaker said.

There are so many more creative ways to facilitate job growth.

How about investing in sustainable energy and climate projects?

And if we're really concerned about jobs, we need to acknowledge the concern that AI will be taking over and replacing a ton of existing jobs.

And I'm also concerned about our thriving music and art scene.

Are we gonna let AI take away that part of our humanity too?

That's an iconic part of being a Denver resident.

And I just believe that supposed economic growth won't matter when no one has water, farmable land, or breathable air.

I want to live in a Denver that takes care of its citizens, not corporations.

I want to build my future family here and know that they will be taken care of, taken care of by their city.

Please enact this moratorium, ban construction of data centers altogether.

And I think it's time that we forget tech and industry and corporations instead.

Let's show the world that Denver is a champion for climate justice, that Denver is a leader in shaping a future where community well-being and environmental care are cherished and prioritized.

Thank you so much for your time.

Good evening, Council.

My name is Emily Webster, and I am a Denver resident for eight years, and I'm also a licensed professional counselor.

Yeah, I just wanted to reiterate a lot of the points that have already been made, you know, basically hearing kind of an argument between job creation and the future of technology versus like the vast environmental impact.

And um, you know, something I see a lot in my practice as a therapist is climate anxiety.

Um 81% of people between ages of like 16 and 24 globally express climate anxiety as a significant concern, and I can attest to this anecdotally.

And Denver and Coloradans care about mental health.

Um, Denver funds the STAR program, the support team assisted response, which is awesome for people in mental health crises and Colorado taxpayers fund programs like the Child and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act and the Family First Prevention Services Act.

Um, you know, so there's a lot of public support for this already, but it seems like the data centers would work against this.

You know, they're harming the climate, contributing to climate anxiety, and then not to mention exacerbating the stress levels and the anxiety levels of like the local residents who are near the data centers.

Um, so Denver should take steps to support programs it's already paying for, and like other people have been saying, if we want to create jobs, create them through, you know, alternative stuff like libraries, schools, grocery stores, um, health clinics instead of these data centers that would further destroy the environment.

Um, you know, we're already running out of water as it is.

People have already spoken to this, and using as much water as 19,000 households per day just for one data center is something we simply can't afford.

Um, Denver's already number eight in the country for the worst ozone levels, and this would just add to that pollution.

Um, in Aurora, where a big data center already exists, residents are being asked to cut back on like their water usage while the data center is just guzzling water, and the Aurora residents aren't seeing much direct benefit to themselves as like families.

So while we may feel in desperate need of jobs or sales tax revenue, we can't eat tax revenue, we can't drink business or our children can't breathe jobs while they play outside.

There are alternative ways to find jobs, but there aren't alternatives to clean water and clean air.

Um, so like people have said before, I'm urging the council to make decisions with the next seven generations in mind.

Um, like others have said, we don't just need a moratorium, we need a full ban.

Thank you.

We have James Valentine on Zoom.

James.

James Alan Team live in Brookfield, Colorado.

I'm speaking in favor of the data center moratorium at the very least, but a full band is better.

We have stage one drought conditions after Colorado's warmest winter on record.

But data centers predicted using 5,000 gallons of water a day is on the table.

That's not right.

The argument that data centers bringing in money is a week one, too, when the State House was just trying to introduce bills like HB26-1030 that would give them a hundred percent state sales and use tax rate for 20 years.

So a little bit about me.

I grew up in western Colorado where there was a lot of fracking.

The people didn't have a choice where the wells went up, but they are the ones who bore the negative effects.

One of my teachers in elementary school could turn on their water, light a match underneath it, and it would catch fire.

A lot of people got sick, and nothing was done about it.

A study was released in 2012 that showed living within a half mile of the well pass increases lifetime cancer risk in the county's response.

We didn't ask them to do that study.

Um this year, the sunlight long fracking well near the Aurora Reservoir was approved, and based on my experience, I'd be willing to bet it will affect the water for the 400,000 people that rely on it.

Now, you guys are only considering a one-year ban on data centers.

I'm tired of elected officials and companies choosing profits over people, and then we're the ones that have to deal with the consequences.

We don't want more data centers.

The bulk of new data center projects aren't even for everyday use, they're for AI and surveillance.

AI and new data centers are being forced on us and called inevitable by the people they don't affect.

They're fear-mongering to rush development and control.

Sam Altman and Elon Musk are arguing in court saying that guy is gonna kill us all with AI, so I should be in charge of AI.

Kevin O'Leary is saying if we don't make these data centers, China will get ahead of us.

Alex Carp is gleefully bragging about how many people Palantir kills with AI and investor calls.

These data centers don't help us.

They just help rich pricks get richer.

I'll leave you with some questions to consider before you vote on this.

First one, who elected you?

Would you live next to a data center?

Do you want to be responsible for poisoning your constituents?

And how many people be heard choke on their own fucking lungs?

Okay.

Please don't use profanity because there's people, families who watch this.

So I would just ask that all of you.

I know it's tempting, but please just don't use profanity.

Like this is it's on channel eight.

People can tune in.

So please don't.

Juan Sebastian Pinto, next.

Thank you, City Council.

One of the most meaningful stories in the history of Colorado that I've learned so far is that of um the chief of the Arapaho, Chief Naiwat.

And this curse, some people call it a curse that he left on Colorado that warned that it is the beauty of this place that will bring the people, and it is the people who will take away the beauty of this place.

I see nowhere where this is more true than in the construction of data centers and extra nursery homes or in the construction of data centers in places like the Garden of the Gods.

Recently, the press at Colorado Springs and some pundits have been saying that it's good to have a data center next to the garden of the gods because it's used for military.

It just supports our military.

But what does the military use these data centers for?

AI built using these tools with generative tools with AI tools, classification tools, and data centers today supports the exploitation of personal data to murder civilians in places like Iran, Palestine, and Lebanon.

I learned this working for the companies that sell these technologies to the Pentagon, for the companies that promote these technologies and their use.

Even the head of the NSA recently said we kill people using metadata.

Why am I here today?

It took me a year to brush up on the education that even I working for these companies needed to understand these systems and tools and how they data centers form a core part of the infrastructure that supports ground level surveillance here and across the world in battlefields, in cities, as we turn more of our world into a surveilled exploitative economy that enriches big tech who pushes for the adoption of these tools across the world.

Data centers are enabling the mass handling of data at unprecedented proportions today, and the construction of highly complex agentics generative AI systems that are used in military warfare and completely obfuscate accountability.

Recently, the Pentagon even ended because it has no more money supposedly to take accountability for civilian deaths in the battlefield.

And we're going in an endless spiral where AI companies are pushing these tools, these economies of exploitation.

As the representative for human rights, Francesca Bria says, we are building an economy out of exploitation, and data centers here are that infrastructure that supports that exploitation.

I urge you all to take this opportunity here today, this moratorium, which I hope we will pass, to open up this conversation to the rest of the city of Denver so we could all catch up, so we could all learn and prevent ungodly things from happening in places like the Garden of the Gods.

Thank you.

Hi, Council.

Uh, I'm Ala Weiniger.

Um, a PhD student studying how the way we structure our physical environments actually contributes to social inequality, and I'm here to echo the sentiment of um many of my fellow Denver community members in voicing my support for the moratorium on data center uh construction in Denver, but also to make it very clear that what we need is to ban data center construction in Denver and broader Colorado all together.

The residents of Globewille and Elyria, Swansea have made it very clear that they do not want this data center in their neighborhoods.

They voice concerns about the deadly impacts of pollution on their health, some of many anecdotes that we've heard here today.

Um, the detrimental environmental impact, noise, rising energy costs, immense amounts of water use, all concerns that have been validated by extensive research findings from across the country, and many of which have been addressed here, with a couple highlights being the massive data center campus using more electricity than the Denver International Airport and enough electricity to power over 100,000 homes per day.

Again, our estate energy, our state's monopoly energy provider, XL Energy is already raising their rates with a projected 50% increase for Coloradans over the next few years, uh, using nearly one million gallons of water per day, equivalent to over 19,000 Denver homes, meanwhile, 58% of Colorado is experiencing extreme drought.

And so taking all of this into consideration, it's hard to understand what the motivation behind City Council's approval of this contract was in the first place.

Was it the promise of new jobs that in actuality exists to contribute to an expanded AI infrastructure that lead to mass layoffs and streamline costly war and genocide in the Middle East?

Does it have something to do with these neighborhoods being predominantly Latino, following long-lived legacies of environmental racism observed across the country from Flint, Michigan, to Cancer Alley in Louisiana?

Or maybe it's because, like we've seen demonstrated by the Trump's by Trump's federal regime, that our local government too has no interest in serving and protecting its people, but would rather continue lining the pockets of a few greedy corporate billionaires.

Now, maybe one or all of these reasons are true, but if not, and I really hope not, I expect City Council to move forward towards a data center construction ban in Denver and in broader Colorado.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Jessica.

Jessica.

Next up.

Rodriguez.

Hello, everyone.

Thank you for being here, and thank you for taking time with us to hear us.

Um, I invite you to really take to heart the words that have been said.

And I want to invite a different vision for Colorado.

In this time, we're in very dark times, and we have the capacity to bring the light into these dark places.

And in this data center situation, many, many of the situations on our planet right now, we have solar flares that are going crazy that we're not talking about with the fire hazards here, how we're protecting our communities.

We have geopolitical threats when we're combining our military industrial complex information with our community information with all the information of Medicare, Medicaid, all of our veterans, when we combine those in one place in a data center, then we are creating geopolitical hazards for the communities that these data centers reside in.

And there's nobody who can be safe when those are combined.

And so I ask for support for this moratorium as well as consideration to take the opportunity to step back into the light to show GES and our entire state and the entire nation our capacity to have compassion for the people and to make this right, and to put the brakes on it for now with the moratorium, but to look at a ban and what would that look if we took that time and we just stopped things and took a deep breath and start to understand and really investigate what are the repercussions that we are looking at as a state.

Because we have an entire nation thirsty for solutions.

What would that look like if Colorado brought those solutions to every home in America?

And we made that economic gain, and we took a different path, and we led our nation in a way that we could be proud of, and that our children will be proud of.

Let's honor the waters that we all are as we sit in each other's company.

Because there's a spiraling vortex that's happening, and we have the opportunity in this alchemy to create a new energy and welcome the evolution of our species.

So I invite you to take courage to come from the heart, and to be proud of the choice that you ultimately make.

Thank you.

Can you just state your name for the record?

Anjali Rodriguez.

Thank you so much.

That's beautiful.

Next up, we have Ben Bergstrand.

Yes, Ben Bergstrand, thank you.

Good evening, and thank you for the time.

My name is Ben Bergstrand, I'm a district eight resident, a third grade teacher, a union member, and a proud father of two young adults who would like to be employed now and in the future.

AI and the data centers are advancing dangerous tech that big tech's own developers and CEO CEOs don't understand.

Let's take this very necessary first step and all the ones that follow.

Let's be a city that leads the way down a safer and brighter future.

The problem is our world is not more convenient when over the last five years, our Excel energy bills have gone up 30%.

Similarly, Denver Water increased their rates in January.

If we listen to these billionaires whose nihilistic lives strive to only be trillionaires and little else, fueling this unfettered growth, our economy's future hinges solely upon massive energy and water-intensive facilities being built as quickly as possible.

Corporations like Corsite can't even manage to properly and respectfully communicate the consequences of their presence in our city prior to the building of their deadly monolith.

Tonight, we heard from representative of the data center industry.

His words were his best attempt to scare us into allowing this industry to build rapidly with the empty promise that they won't ruin our communities like they've already done in elsewhere.

The promise is especially empty given the presence set by Corsite and GSE.

We live in a state that has a year-round fire season.

We live in a metro area that has horrible air quality, particularly in the summer.

This negatively impacts many Denver citizens, my wife, apparent ability to work, play, enjoy this amazing city.

We live in a city that's sitting in a fragile ecosystem.

We live in a city that needs real sustainable economy, economic development that benefits everyone, not just the tech bros and the friends of Governor Polis.

We live in a city where none of its citizens' health and financial well-being should be under threat by any corporation.

And yet Globeville, Swansea and Elyria, one of the oldest, most historic, and ethnically diverse parts of our city, has always been under this threat.

And you, we, we let this happen again.

And none of us in this room is a billionaire.

Who benefits?

Even the industry's representation was vague in his threats.

We live in a real world with real consequences.

I urge you to take these steps towards the moratorium and a further data center ban.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Micah Pete.

Mika.

Sorry.

Next up, Alexa Perez.

Escobar Perez.

Hi, good evening, Council members.

My name is Alexa Escobarpaez, and I'm a concerned Clayton neighborhood resident, CIPCOT 80205, and a public health professional.

My home is about two miles away from the proposed three data centers in the Glovale, Illyria, Swansea area.

And although Clayton's environmental burden is not nearly as high as the burden that the families that live in GES have to live through, we all have a lot to lose with these high polluting massive computer buildings.

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the most recent leading causes of death in Denver were one cancer, two heart disease, and four chronic lower respiratory conditions.

In Denver, the rate of ER visits due to asthma for children's age 5 to 14 in 2024 was statistically higher than that of the state, and it increased from 2023.

And Denver has the highest age adjusted rate for COPD hospitalizations in the Denver metro area counties, as well as statistically higher rate than the entire state.

Why does this matter?

As we've learned here today, data centers generate pollution from diesel generators, which emit nitrogen oxides and five particulate matter, among other things, which increase the risk of respiratory disease, cardiovascular conditions, and cancer, all top leading causes of death.

The people in this room asking you to stop the building of these enormous data centers are not anti-business, anti-job, or anti-technology.

But we are against companies coming into our communities, placing computer value over people value to make us sicker than we already are, make our cost of living harder to meet, and threaten our environment.

Because of this, I support the one year moratorium, but believe that a pause is not enough.

To protect the health and well-being of my neighbors, myself, and the people across the state, we need a data center ban.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, I'm Dr.

Julia Gonzalez.

Thank you for hearing me today, Council.

I'll be as brief as I can as I am exhausted from many hours working at the hospital, where I see the human impact of this inequitable resource distribution that's been so heavily discussed tonight, demonstrated every single day.

Um the lower the resources, the worse health care outcomes there are for the citizens of these communities, and that means that even with the possible innovations in cooling technology, which are a greenwashing and will result in greater energy consumed, the development of these centers with a maximum benefit of worsening the existing wealth gap is an act of physical violence against the people that live in these communities.

Next up, we have Hallie Dunham on Zoom.

Hi.

Go ahead.

We know that we're already experiencing frequent climate disasters globally and severe drought in Colorado.

And as an energy researcher, I'm painfully aware that the enormous power and water consumption of data centers is one of the great threats to humanity right now.

We need a data center ban, and we also need legislation that makes companies, the companies profiting off of data centers, pay for the desperately needed clean energy infrastructure and resilience improvements of our energy system that benefit the planet and Denver residents.

Thank you.

Angelina.

And we're worried about the construction of the data center.

Because it's harmful in many aspects of our lives.

We want secure protect uh secure and sure protections for our lives for our lives.

For este motivo notomamos el tempo para communicar al Consejo Municipal.

And for this reason we're taking the opportunity to communicate to city council the following.

To uh pause any further development of the same kind, any future data centers.

No queremos que existan in GS.

And we don't want them built in GS.

The one that is being built now is in the incorrect place, construction in delirium.

It's close to the park and very close to us.

We ask that it be removed.

We are hard working people with a good heart.

With good principles and morals, and we deserve to live with the dignity of life.

And therefore that is why we dare to lift our voice and raise our voice with these uh subjects in society.

Politica, social y economica, political, social and economic.

But we are still humanistic with feelings thinking about.

We are also creative of cultura.

We create culture.

Always trying to change minds and ideals for the for the improvement of humanity.

Gracias.

And that technology not rob us from the liberty of being unique.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, yes, let's see.

Um hi, my name is Taylor.

I am a longtime resident of Denver.

I live in 80218.

Um I'm a active community member and a therapist, and that helps me have my finger on the pulse of the social and emotional and economic impact that decisions like building more data centers have on the residents of Denver.

And I appreciate that the council will likely vote for this moratorium.

And I want to add my voice to many that have spoken here today about needing to move towards something more like a full ban.

Um many experts have spoken already about the environmental and psychological and social impacts of building more data centers.

Um I also want to encourage the council to look into and familiarize yourselves with the GES coalition's suggestions for making the moratorium mean something platform, which means ending by rate approvals for large data centers, closing loopholes during the moratorium, requiring full public disclosure of energy and water use, providing costs, shifting onto residents, limiting diesel generators and protecting communities during drought and grid stress and creating real community-led processes for writing enforceable rules.

I appreciate the work that you're doing to support the residents of Denver, and I hope that you will continue to do so by um voting for the moratorium and supporting a full ban and supporting the GS Coalition's suggestions for moving forward.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Jason Ward Grip.

That's me, it's me.

All right.

Good afternoon, good evening, good night.

My name's Jason Wardrip.

I'm the business manager of the Colorado Building Construction Trades Council.

First of all, I do not support an overall ban from data centers.

We're watching across the United States.

I have a national uh network that tells me like when they're not gonna build it here, they're gonna build in Wyoming, they're gonna build it in New Mexico.

One thing to remember is we're in the headwaters.

So it's gonna flow downhill.

Guess where the water's gonna go?

Guess where your next fight's gonna be.

It's not just in Denver.

But I do support the idea that we are good neighbors.

And we figure out ways to support uh the neighborhoods, the city of Denver, the surrounding uh uh metropolitan area, as well as in is uh as well as in Colorado.

Um the building trade supports 24 unions, thousands and thousands of workers, registered apprenticeships, all which come with a collective bargaining agreement.

Um, we think that when they build these things, consider tax incremental financing, which I don't know we want to be given basil's tax incremental financing, but you know, if we're gonna do that, they should have project labor agreements.

They should be making sure that they have good wages, benefits, and working conditions.

The one thing that a CBA or a project labor agreement actually has control of.

Making sure that good working conditions are being had, that we have opportunities to create apprentices.

When I go into construction, what construction really is.

The inevitability of construction is that we're gonna work ourselves out of job.

You heard Julian Aguilar say that a few minutes ago.

Well, an hour and a half ago.

We work ourselves out of a job, but on specifically core site, since apparently that's the number one data center out of the several in the city of Denver that by the way I started in 1998 on my first data center, three years into my apprenticeship.

So these aren't new because that's a new thing that we started talking about at the Capitol for four months straight.

Once on core site, they now are almost built out on the first phase.

Now we have people going back and we're doing upgrades and updates already on the first phase.

Those are hundreds and hundreds of man hours already on an almost finished product to make sure that it's updated for the new technology that happens year over year, month over month, week over week.

They're not temporary jobs.

Construction is absolutely a transient job.

But when you come back to do the service, those are long-term jobs, those are jobs that we do year over year, month over month.

North Dakota has four projects being built.

Three of them that are approved, one that's in the middle of approval.

The next fight's gonna be in North Dakota that's already been there.

One of the projects has 100,000 man hours projected on just upgrades and updates year over year on a three-year transition on new switch gear and power change outs.

The amount of hours that they built just to build the infrastructure was uh for the for the operating engineers.

Thank you so much, Jason.

That's your time.

Seven talls.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Jordan Rec.

No Jordan.

Next up, we have Anna.

Where where Ella?

Arella?

Anna.

Okay.

Anna Varela, you there?

Yeah, sorry about that.

You're probably okay.

Hi, thank you for your patience.

Thank you, council members, and thank you, everyone listening in.

This is probably more specifically for folks who don't know the area, um, and who are listening in especially.

Um, I don't think we've taken a moment to talk about the actual place, the real place where this data center is being proposed to be built.

And let's be real, on top of everything I'll say, it's also really ugly.

Okay, so imagine everything we're about to talk about, and then imagine the ugliest building you've seen in Denver so far being built there.

My name is Anna Barella.

I'm the standing president of the Elyria Swansea RNO.

I also work for a nonprofit in the community.

I'm a business owner in the same zip code, and I've lived in the gorgeous 1895 house that is the fourth closest home to the proposed data center site.

I'm at 47th and Gaylord.

Actually, the only people closer to the house than uh to the data center than I am are the tenants of the Venia apartments.

One of those you met today, Julie, who is an amazing active person in our community.

They're brand new award-winning apartments.

Actually, it's also the location of Clinica Tepeyac, our only clinic in the neighborhood.

On top of that, the only people that will be closer to the data center will be sharing a sidewalk with them.

That's gonna be the elder housing that's being built right now.

If any of you have been to this location, and I encourage you to do so, you can actually stand on the corner of 49th and race and watch both of the structures being built at the same cent at the same time, the elder housing and the data center.

So, like the view of the elders will be the data center.

You can stand from the corner of our only park, the historic Johnson Rec Center Park.

Um, one block over from that park is also the proposed bond project site where the old bus stop depot is, excuse me, and where the landfill cap is.

It's the one across the street from the newish and line stop.

So this big ugly data center is going to be directly adjacent to a future city community investment site, a rec center, dense elder housing, and a historic neighborhood of organized neighbors.

This is a bad idea.

I mean, even a child drawing a map has a better urban development planning skill than corsight.

Okay.

Clearly, Corsite isn't ready to continue to build since they don't even know the gravity of where they want to be.

I don't blame folks in the wider Denver area for not knowing how deeply at the core of the residential life that this corner is for Elyria.

But Corsite should have done their research.

Actually, Coresight, this is embarrassing.

They made a donation and they said it was for the Rec Center, and they actually sent it to a random other rec center.

It's like they didn't even look at Google Maps or like use an AI app.

Um, I just I'm really upset about this because it's just constant excuses and blaming people, day-to-day people, for using AI.

Our neighborhood, we have to fly her door-to-door because of how little technology they use.

To be equitable, we should be putting data centers at the heart of Fortune 500 corporate users and people that are pro-AI data centers.

So enjoy them in your own neighborhoods.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Anna McDevitt.

Anna.

Hello, members.

Thanks for the opportunity to get public comment tonight.

My name's Anna McDevitt, and I'm a Denver resident.

I live in the Cole neighborhood, so um I'm in district nine.

I am supportive of a moratorium, especially until basic guardrails are put in place to protect Denver rights from the negative impacts of hyperscale data center development.

As you surely know, the Colorado legislature failed this spring to pass much needed state level protections, and consequently, there's now immense pressure on local governments like Denver to step up and regulate data centers.

So we're really grateful for the attention that you're giving to this matter.

While I am speaking tonight as a resident, my professional background is in state energy policy and more recently, data center policy across the country.

Here in Denver, we have the unique opportunity to learn from other states' negative experiences with unregulated data center development.

And from that experience, we know that we simply cannot trust big tech companies and large data center developers to do the right thing for Denver.

We know that we can and should take the time to do this right and to put our communities on a path towards more sustainable development that is transparent, inclusive of community input and benefits, requires data center companies to pay their fair share, protects our water and air, and ensures Denver and the state of Colorado stay on track toward important clean energy commitments.

All of these policy solutions do exist and they can make data centers better neighbors, but zero of them are currently in place to require any basic protections here in Denver.

So I urge council to pass this moratorium until strong guardrails are established so that we can ensure our community is safe as well as engaged in the decision making process.

Thank you for all that you do for Denver.

Hello, my name is Morgan Brown.

I'm a community organizer for the Greenhouse Connection Center, a community center in third space located down the street from the soon-to-be Core Sight Data Center.

And I will be reading a poem I wrote for public comment today.

Now I am no historian, but I don't have to be one to know that we need to vote yes on this moratorium.

Predatory industries preying on the GS community for centuries.

Now we have this core site data center consuming land like treasuries.

They would like you to believe that this is critical infrastructure.

Yet where are the necessities that frontline communities like GES actually need?

Buildings like the grocery stores, laundromats, and access to clean air, rivers, and streams.

We are in a drought-stricken state, yet we continue to pour millions of gallons of water into oil, gas, and now big tech, all while communities continue to suffer and they get a paycheck.

Yet the people on the front lines always pay the ultimate price.

So, no, we will not play nice while you make us into a sacrifice.

We don't need artificial intelligence.

What we need is an emphasis on human intelligence and collective humanity.

Giving these predatory industries more power is absolute insanity.

They would like you to believe data centers are to stream our movies and TV shows.

Yet I am here to I am here to disclose that it's really for the military industrial complex and to fuel mass surveillance so that big corporations can have even more control over our autonomy for the quote unquote benefit of our economy.

We have heard that story time and time again, yet these investments only benefit big corporations, not community relations and future generations.

We are already being choked out by oil and gas.

Industries like Suncor curving lawsuits so they can barely pay to pollute more.

Now they want to push nuclear, yet how can we be more clear?

Stop putting people over profits.

Hello.

Hi.

Hi.

My name is Sidoni Blake.

Good evening.

Um I am a community member in Globeville in Denver.

I first moved to Globeville when I was 18 years old.

I'm also a farmer and a teacher and an organizer, also working in Globeville.

And I'm in favor of a moratorium, but even more so for a data center ban.

I have seen firsthand working with the land what happens when there is less water.

It just rained this week, but our soil has the inability to even hold water any longer.

It just sits on top and it evaporates.

This is a larger crisis that we're facing.

And things like data centers are only going to further restrict and push our communities into survival mode.

And we're already there.

We're already past that point.

I definitely believe that no data centers should be approved by right.

Because what about the rights of the people?

What about the right to life?

What about the right to living in a community that's healing, where our children can grow up, where people can be fed, where we can have homes and dignified places to live.

And I've heard people come on today and say it's short-sighted to believe that data centers can be banned because they're already here.

Well, we were already here, too.

We've been here.

We have been in this community, and we were here first, honestly, before the data centers.

And so I think instead it's short-sighted to not challenge the confines of what we think is possible and to only do what we think is easy, what we think is the most obvious solution.

I think it's short-sighted to not even take a moment to imagine what a future where our communities can grow could look like without having to sacrifice life itself.

I'm also a teacher, like I said.

I work with youth specifically in global ill area swancia.

I already see the way that the children in our community are being sacrificed.

The youth believe that this city and the city of Denver is not a place where they can trust the ideas that come out of their own minds.

They can't trust the things they see online or in person.

They can't, they don't believe that the work of their hands is valuable.

They think that the work of their hands can be replaced by the work of a computer.

They fear that they're living in a place where they're constantly being watched and judged.

And I want to know how surveillance will benefit our communities more than systems of care.

I want to know how a computer will teach the next generation how to think for themselves, how to create.

I just believe it's a choice that the people who make decisions, they really need to make that choice.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Eric Gross.

Next up, we have Travis.

If you'll raise your hand, there's two of you on Zoom.

Got it.

If you could please unmute.

Next up, we have Emma Briggs.

Hello, everyone.

Um, thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight and for your continued attention as we get a little later into the evening.

My name's Emma Briggs.

I'm a graduate student and cancer researcher living in Orbata.

I'd like to start by saying that I, along with many others today, strongly support both the moratorium being discussed and any future legislation that would create a permanent ban on hyperscale data center construction.

I also want to say that I have degrees in both biomedical and mechanical engineering.

So my opposition to these data centers is not because I'm a technophobe or because I don't understand what's being proposed.

In fact, my experience actually makes me a little bit frustrated with some folks who have tried to argue that the hyperscale data centers are the same ones that are supporting like our daily functions like Zoom.

When at when it's clear that these data centers pose a much greater risk to our communities than any benefits claimed.

We've seen the videos of people living near the Medicine or in Georgia who no longer have clean water to their house, the increased energy demands from data centers in Virginia that have doubled or tripled electrical prices, and heard the noise from the generators and chillers echo across the hills in Appalachia.

I can't think of a reason why anyone would want to add one of these campuses to their community, or why we would green light something that puts such a strain on the environment, especially in a year when we've had historically low snowpack and are already facing water restrictions.

I can only imagine that it's because the people who benefit most from these uh data centers and these projects do not live in the communities that will be most impacted.

Right now, AI is being sold to us as something inevitable, where we all have to get on board or get left behind while these poorly designed structures get built elsewhere.

I strongly disagree with that sentiment, but if I'm wrong, there will still be demand in 10 or 20 years.

And we have enough research to show that they can be built in a way that won't disturb the environment after we develop technology to minimize noise pollution and the water and energy demands, and after we have regulations in place to ensure that no harm will come to the communities in which they're built.

I think it's important to remember that just a few years ago, Denver's public image benefited greatly from hell from headlines celebrating its efforts to promote environmental justice and finally make some repairs to the damage done by the racist and classist policies used during periods of growth and innovation for the city that ended up disenfranchising the same neighborhoods that will now be the site of data center construction.

If we allow data centers to move in with the interest of signaling to a few out-of-state CEOs that were open to business, it shows that there was never a true interest for these communities, and they're we're still willing to throw our neighbors who already live in the most industrial polluted area in the United States under the bus just to benefit the wallets of the wealthiest and most privileged.

Please vote yes to support the data moratorium data center moratorium today.

And if I can offer one suggestion, I would argue that every member of the task force that eventually approves a data center be required to live next door.

Thank you for your time.

If you'll unmute and our last speaker for the night is Jesse Paris.

Yes, say the best last.

Yes, good even members of council, those watching at home, those in the council chambers.

My name is Jessica Sean Parrison.

I'm representing for Black Star Action movement for self-defense, positive action commitment for social change, as well as the Unity Party of Colorado, the Northeast Denver, now North Park Hill Coalition, Frontline Black News, Shabaka's Black Experience Enhanced, the Revolutionary Agenda.

And I am a candidate on the ballot for House District 8.

The election is in November.

And I reside at the Roach and Bedbug infested legacy loss in Darrell Watson's district of District 9, the fine district nine, the historically black district of five points.

Um you just need to have the initiative to do it, council.

Um you let in Johnson run this uh city like Trump is running the United States, and you need to take a stand tonight, Council, and tell him enough is enough of this.

They keep talking about billionaires having their hands in all this.

Yes, billionaires do have their hands in all of this.

Um that is not being mentioned, though, is Michael Bloomberg.

Michael Bloomberg donated 2.5 million dollars to Johnson's campaign.

That's why he's the mayor, and I'm not.

But getting back to this, um, the community has spoken out.

This community has been historically uh disenfranchised and underserved and divested in.

And every time something uh affects this community comes up, this council goes out of their way to approve it, despite what the community has said.

The community wants a ban on moratoriums on data centers, not a moratorium, an actual ban to perpetuity, because enough is enough of this madness.

You have used this community as a dumping ground for whatever experiments and what have you that you like to do, as so many have alluded to the health concerns that come from these data centers.

I didn't hear nothing about the colossus though, data center that they just put out outside of uh Memphis, Tennessee.

I didn't hear nothing about that in a predominantly black city and predominantly black area of the city.

Um, yes, this is a predominantly Latino area of town.

They have been treated badly, not as bad as foundational black Americans, but badly nonetheless.

And I'm tired of being your little guinea pigs for your little experiments.

So tell the billionaire tech giants, we don't want data centers in our communities.

We've done enough damage already.

You need to pay reparations for the damage that you've already done.

A ban is just a start on the repertory justice that is needed.

Thank you, Jesse.

And thank you to all the speakers.

We may go back.

That concludes our speakers.

Do we have questions from members of council on council bill 0431?

Councilwoman Torres.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I was looking at the uh makeup of the committee.

Are ex officio department members voting members of the committee.

No, okay, okay.

Just making sure.

Thank you.

Um, that's my only question.

Thank you.

Councilman Alviderez.

Thank you.

Um my question is was there thoughts around a ban instead of the moratorium and what made that decision happen?

Well, I'll be clear for our process.

We understood that we needed to make sure we stopped the ability for um data centers to occur while we're looking at a regulatory steps.

Um my focus was to make sure that we had regulations in place that we didn't have in place first and foremost, and within that discussion, we can discuss all of the other um things that impact uh data centers and community.

Go ahead, Councilman.

I mean, I would actually differ to you, Councilman Cashman, because I know that this was something that you brought forward, and I've joined on as you know, being part of the next steps.

Thank you.

Um, uh as I said uh earlier um when I started looking into uh data centers, it became very aware to me that there is uh consistently this group of issues that come up as prop problematic, be it the water use, the power use, other related environmental concerns.

Um, so to me, what made sense is as a community, we look deeply into those issues to see if they can be uh regulated or not, I appreciate that, and I think one of the things that I did learn through this process of is about the data centers that we have.

Um in District 7 I wasn't aware of and how they've changed over time, and I think there's probably some level of data center we never want to see, and maybe you know, there is an option for some of the much smaller scale other options.

So I appreciate that.

Thank you, Council President.

That's all I can.

Thank you.

Councilman Pro Tem Romero Campbell.

Um thank you, Madam President.

Um I just had a real question around the cadence that you expect to report back to the rest of the council during the this next year.

I guess the only answer to that is regularly.

Yeah, no, I mean I mean that quite seriously.

Um we haven't yet um established the um the cadence for the group itself, uh, as soon as you know, I would just leave it at that regularly.

Uh, you know, I would guess maybe budget and policy would be a convenient uh committee to add that to, but whatever uh council decides is the easiest way, and we'll make sure that we as we let's start the transparency of the the working group, the cadence, the governance of the process, all of that stuff, like our regular working group processes.

Um council members will become very much aware, and we're gonna seek your input as well.

So uh, but yeah, the work group has not been codified as yet.

There are some steps we need to take first before we we are clear on cadence, at least from from from my perspective, but that's a couple.

Um, and then another question around the start.

So I know that the the facilitators still being secured that the folks need to be um I I they're identified but like contacted when would the the year start would it start when the first meeting the year starts the year starts when it's when it's signed.

Yeah with the mayor sorry and look I mean I've read articles that say well if the work gets done sooner it could be less than a year.

What I would add if the work doesn't get done in that year it might need to continue past there what we're looking for and I think at least I speak for my colleagues we're looking for a thorough discussion not something that is short circuited for someone's convenience.

I appreciate that I think that that's what we all would want and hope and expect um just for those who are watching to wonder when would this actually start when does the committee come together so I appreciate the clarification.

Thank you thank you Madam President Parity.

Yes thank you um my question is for the bell sponsors and I am curious um about the working group makeup understanding that individual people haven't been identified and having seen the slide that you all put up two things I want to know number one is there a commitment um including from the mayor's office that at least a majority of the community representatives will be from the immediate neighborhood.

Yeah I'll take that one if okay councilman um yes that is something that I think is being considered and I would ask Vic um from the mayor's office if you'd like to come up because I think there was a question around whether or not the mayor's office is also committed to making sure that there are community members from the vicinity and the majority of those that was my specific question thank you so much counselor.

Yeah thank you so much uh council president councilmember thank you for the question council member to nique in with the mayor's office complete alignment with council member um Gonzalez with the edis we've been working with council members cashman Watson and Gonzalez with the editors on the makeup of the working group list and we are in commitment with um ensuring that the community members represented on the group are um from mostly inclusive of um the GES community and the surrounding locations.

Thank you so much for the clarity of that response and then um my other question is around the um position that's being identified as a subject matter expert just like a few of the public commenters I'm a little bit concerned that sometimes that's code for someone industry aligned and I don't think that's the intent but I would love to know that that position is reserved for someone who is specifically not industry aligned doesn't make any profit of any kind you know in their life or their work from the data center industry.

And I also agree that you know that could include a lot of things and it seems like there's a gap around a health care expert I don't know that I want to say that that position should be a health expert because I think there's other kinds of expertise also needed but um would love to know that that person will not be qualified for that role if they are industry aligned in any way.

Yeah thank you for the question council member parody um I actually want to jump to council member cashman council member cashman was um the council member that suggested that we have a subject matter expert um and as we've all shared the working group list is not finalized yet and so I don't feel comfortable sharing names um but happy to to pass it to council member cashman who suggested that we include that individual councilman is um at this point uh I would not uh be advised if that became subject matters experts because uh there's a variety of areas that we need that expertise and in our discussions thus far we have done our best to eliminate people whose only position there who would be coming from a position of profit as their main motive.

Um, so uh like I said, I'm hearing health care, uh, health health-related issues, uh, needing expertise, as well as you know, who can tell us the absolute details of uh the best way that cooling should be handled in these uh facilities that use enormous amounts of water.

Who can really get to the details of of the power grid?

Yeah, it will not be an industry member, Councilmember Parity.

We've we've had that discussion.

We have a listing of an industry representative already.

Um the expert will not be an industry member, aligned industry person, someone that profits from industry.

Uh, not at all.

Perfect.

Thank you so much for that.

Um, I think those are my two questions, and I'll say the rest for comments.

Thank you so much, Madam President and sponsors.

Councilmember Hines?

Uh thank you, Madam President.

My questions uh have been answered.

Councilwoman Gilmer.

Thank you.

Um to the sponsors.

I guess was there conversation with the mayor's administration um around um asking the mayor's office to pause the construction of the first geo building in GES because of the egregiousness of where it is placed, the long-term health effects, etc.

etc.

Was there any formal communication between the sponsors and the mayor's administration asking for those building permits to be paused by community planning and development?

My communication, I asked that question to the city attorney's office, and their response is I understand it, is that they are able to continue with the building of that building because of its level of approval.

Past that additional buildings will be subject to whatever new regulation comes up.

I am not an attorney, I can't judge whether the CAO's interpretation is correct or not, but that's what I was presented with when I asked that question.

Do we have a city attorney from the mayor's office?

Are you representing them as a city attorney?

No, okay.

Sorry, we've got Adam Hernandez online who can speak to the departments that have been.

Great.

Um, so I guess once we can hear from here um Adam can question.

So I understand you telling council members, Adam, that the level of approval um it's not desirable for the city to stop the construction of it, because we would get sued, but at the long-term um risk of the residents that reside in this neighborhood.

Uh we approve settlements in the city this body does.

Um, if it's the long-term protection of residents, I think that that's an appropriate risk for the city to bear to stop the construction of this first building to protect the residents because it seems like it was a gross mistake, and it was a use by right, and it should have never gotten to this place, and I'm just curious.

Can you turn that into a question?

Yeah, why hearing I I understand that Adam would be able to.

Why are we not stopping the construction on it, Adam?

Is he on there?

I don't I don't control Zoom.

He's I'm not, I don't work for Adam.

Is Adam Hernandez on Zoom?

Adam Adam, my question, could you please answer it?

I did.

Uh Adam Hernandez, assistant city attorney.

Uh actually just want to clarify.

I never had any discussions with uh the council sponsors on this.

Um communicated with me go directly with the city attorney.

Did you hear that, Adam?

I did not.

Could you repeat that council member?

But I just said that my communication was directly with our city attorney, Miko Brennan.

And is that where you heard this um advice, council member?

Yes.

So Councilmember Gilmore, I don't want to speak for Miko, but I just would say, you know, there is a legal issues that do come up with.

The level of construction and uh what approvals have been um provided to a owner at a certain time.

Okay, well, we'll go ahead and stop you with there, Adam.

We don't want to put your job at risk.

You risk for retaliation from the city attorney.

Uh I think that the first person should be stopped.

Um it doesn't seem like it's been fully um vetted through why that can't happen, other than the city attorney said no.

And that doesn't seem like a good reason.

So um thank you.

That or you know, my second question on that is I know that there's a desire to have a majority global Swansea residents on this task force.

I would also ask that there be the accommodations, the very real accommodations, that there's gonna be other communities that are gonna need to be represented because District 11 with Denver International Airport and the thousands of acres around the airport.

Phil Washington last August already said that the reason the airport is pursuing a small modular nuclear reactor is not only to power the airport to but to power data centers that are on city owned land.

So they're coming for GES, but they're also coming for District 11, because we have raw undeveloped land.

Um, and um that's why I am very disappointed tonight that we're not actually talking about a ban of data centers because this body doesn't have the expertise, no community member is gonna have the expertise to put the guidelines in that the industry needs to follow.

Um they're already gonna be 10 steps ahead of us, and so um I think it puts us at a grave um disadvantage.

Thank you.

See, no, um, so I I did have a question for the sponsors.

So looking over the list that we got, it looks like the the council district that's mostly impacted is actually council district 10, which was fascinating.

I didn't even realize that.

So have we talked with council member Heinz and um asked him and I got his um input?

We've requested community members.

I don't have the list in front of me.

Do you have it right here?

Um, additional districts.

So we've reached out to some of the other council districts that we know could be impacted by, you know, whatever is determined by this group.

Um and so those are council district three, four, eleven, and ten.

So I know um say that one more time.

Three, four, eleven, and ten.

Okay, and that's I think based on the data so far.

Now, obviously, like it a lot of this stuff we're still in being very flexible, and just as we talked about with the expert uh subject matter expert piece, like we want to make sure that we're listening to you know who are the folks that that are missing around the table and making sure that you know if there are you know, additional this is an opportunity also for education, right?

For us to understand, you know, what are the different types of data centers?

What is uh, you know, what are the health impacts?

I think that is an important question.

Um, it's not just about zoning, it's not just about use, it's about you know what is happening to the humans um that are near these things, and then you reached out just to be clear, you reached out to the council members in those council districts and they provided um some uh recommendations.

So to your point, Councilman Gilmer, did you provide recommendations?

Because they reached out to you?

Yeah, yes, I did.

Okay, just closing the loop on everything here.

All right, and then um so if we don't would uh if we don't get through the year, do we come back and we just push the date back out in this moratorium?

Do we open this one back up?

Well, my intent would be, yeah.

I mean, if the work isn't done, then we need to continue.

Is that Adam?

Hernandez.

Yeah, so the moratorium is a legislative act, so it could be amended uh to extend um or to amend section five of the council bill.

Okay, thank you.

Councilmember Heinz.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, because you're asking about the um the uh council districts that are impacted by data centers.

Half of all the data centers in the city are in district 10, um, both by the number of data centers and the square footage.

Um the next uh most uh prevalent uh district is council district seven with eleven percent of the uh data centers.

And so um I think that's part of the reason why I wanted to be on the task force is because um this is the um uh data centers significantly impact district 10 far more than any other district.

So uh because you asked for the data, I wanted to make sure you had it.

Thank you.

Yep, I saw that on the Excel doc.

Thank you so much.

Appreciate that.

See no other questions in the queue.

The public hearing is closed.

Comments by members of council on council bill 0431.

And I'll start with Council Member Cashman.

Uh thank you, uh Madam President.

I do want to start by thanking everyone who came out tonight to express their concerns and for hanging uh later into the who probably wanted to be at City Hall.

Um, uh for the gentleman who spoke early in this hearing, and who is worried that the message will get out, that Denver is not open for business.

Um the message that should get out is regardless of the industry, Denver is definitely no longer open uh for unregulated businesses that should that lack of regulation continue uh present a real and significant threat to the health and welfare of the community.

Um, as far as council's partnership with the mayor, that has been portrayed in a number of ways uh from my view that partnership extends today to examining the well-documented challenges that data centers bring, period, to see if additional regulation will address the uh challenges that have been discussed so clearly tonight, so that additional data centers can be brought into the community.

That if is the question that must be answered, if the industry will demonstrate the commitment to address the water power and other issues that unaddressed make it really difficult to imagine opening our arms to further development in that area.

Um I also wanted to say that there is a clear difference between the data that we need to process so that we can buy things with our credit cards and that allow our telephones to keep us all connected.

There's a difference between that and the artificial intelligence data that has already destroyed our ability to determine reality from fantasy uh on the internet and threatens to take the jobs that are currently done by our family or friends uh and our neighbors and give them to electronic bots, the jobs that not only bring in the earnings so we can feed our families, but contribute to the fulfillment of our time on planet earth.

I find it really ironic that Meta is talking about cutting 10%.

I think it's about 8,000 jobs.

The people who have created artificial intelligence are about to lose their jobs too.

Artificial intelligence.

Um and and to broaden the discussion a bit, um, I want to urge you all to research the latest studies by Quinipiac University and other groups that show that while the use of artificial intelligence is surging, the very same people who are using artificial intelligence and are boosting those usage numbers are simultaneously expressing real concern about the growing use of artificial intelligence and what it bodes for our future.

I'm gonna read you a couple of quick statistics.

I'll let you do your own research, but I think a whole lot of people that are using AI don't know that they are, but when they hear of the potential damages, they're extremely concerned.

I've asked uh Mayor Johnston uh to convene a separate task force not related to the data center working group to develop a clear policy on how Denver as a city views artificial intelligence and to what degree we're willing to incorporate AI into city operations.

Are we willing to save money by giving city jobs to electronic bots and the whole breadth of that?

As I continue to look at data centers and at AI, I would have to say I'm not seeing things that encourage me, that either direction is a wonderful place for us to head.

Um so I would just ask everybody, do your own research.

If you find things that, you know, uh show the other side of the coin how the balance shifts to AI is wonderful and data centers are great, please let me know.

That's all I've got, Madam President.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Councilwoman Parity.

Yeah, hi.

Um, so I want to I want to just say that before even um the tour that Harmony offered, which I wasn't able to be on, um, I went over to look at this um building and I I was really um stunned by how close it sits to the Tepeyat Clinic, the Vinya Senior Housing Apartments, um, the park and the rec center.

It is just right across the street.

Um, and that was further, you know, my shock at that was further driven home um at the community forum the other week and listening to um some of the same neighbors who spoke tonight, um, and really I think getting my mind around the idea that um, although Corsite has sort of pushed aside concerns about these 14 diesel generators by saying they'll only run for a few minutes a day, they're just for backup in the course of emergencies.

Um the fact of the matter is that we're facing increasing blackouts.

Like our our energy grid is um is getting worse and worse.

We all know that.

We know that anecdotally, um, and we know that if we um if we look at any kind of projections about the grid and about sort of the growth of the city and placement of substations and all those things.

Um and I and so in the future, if we imagine a multi-day blackout in GES, and we imagine 14 diesel generators running of, again, 70 feet away from the Tepeyak Clinic, where people go to be seen for asthma every day of the week, and the Venia, where many people live who are um who have asthma and other respiratory diseases.

That's sort of the end of it for me.

Um my single biggest regret as a member of this council is that after we killed the tax credit, which keep in mind the Johnson administration asked for, um, is that after we killed that, and the company withdrew that request, um, that it just simply did not occur to me that we could use our land use powers to stop this use by right.

Um, and it's occurred to us now, and I'm glad about that.

I regret that that building is there.

And I understand that the folks who built it had good jobs, and I appreciate that.

That building should not be there.

There should be no world in which 14 diesel generators can run throughout a blackout across the street from the Vinya and five miles from my kids' school.

Um the impacts on the people in the neighborhood should be enough for us to permanently stop the rest of this project and to ban data centers of this scale from the city and county of Denver.

They have no place here.

But even if that weren't enough, the immediate impacts on the neighbors of this particular data center or and of most industrial zoning in Denver, by the way, even if that wasn't enough and is enough, 300 million gallons of water a year is the ultimate projection if all three phases of this data center are built.

And for scale, the entirety of Denver water, which serves the city and county of Denver and also serves other jurisdictions, other municipalities that buy our water.

The entirety of Denver water's water usage per year is about 60 billion gallons.

And so this is adding half a percentage point increase to water usage.

And not only that, most of this water evaporates because it's used for cooling.

So I've heard different numbers 70%, 80%, something like that.

Normal water users, the water doesn't evaporate.

We take a shower, it goes back back down the um, you know, down the drain and it gets cleaned again, right?

And put back into the cycle.

Um evaporation at that scale, again, there's just, I just don't see how we could even consider allowing this.

And so, of course, I support a moratorium because I do not want anything further going forward at this moment, and I hugely regret that we didn't do this sooner.

Um, but I also don't think we need any more information to get to a ban.

Killing massive data centers might cut off the hypercharged growth of AI.

That would be fine with me.

Our pre-AI data needs have been served without these kinds of data centers.

So it's not like Zoom and the entire internet are gonna go away if we don't keep building these things.

However, we will stop enabling this incredibly destructive and rapacious new industry.

Um and that to me is actually an argument in favor of this kind of a ban, not an argument against it.

The idea that individual consumers are sort of responsible for these data centers because we go on YouTube or whatever is ludicrous.

That's not what they're for.

As people have pointed out, um, the type of data that is stored there is again to power uh AI slop that we don't need to power social media, to power uh war systems, and to power surveillance systems.

And we don't need those things.

Um at some point, we will hit the actual limit of what kind of resources we can burn and how much we can pollute and still literally survive.

And we're approaching that limit.

We were all elected to govern in what I think of as the twilight before basically total environmental collapse.

And so our decisions actually matter.

Um, and I think there's absolutely no question that what we should be looking at is a ban and that we should be doing that quickly.

Um, also my experience so far with Johnson administration work groups, um, including the surveillance task force and the Excel working group tells me that the speakers tonight were right and that um this work group is a way to hold the door open to the other two phases of the core site data center going forward and other data centers being built in Denver.

Um the mayor's statement about uh about the work group is classic triangulation, and it's sort of premised on this idea that we can have our cake and eat it too.

Um not that I think data centers are cake, um, but that we can basically find a way to um continue to allow them as though they are a positive thing to have in the city, which I do not think they are.

Um, this is not a have your cake and eat it too situation, even if you think that these are economically positive things, and I don't, because using up all of our water will not enable a good economy in the future.

It will in fact kill the economy.

Um, but even if you think that there's something that is, you know, a good use that's beneficial, that's positive, and that's needed, you cannot put them across the street from senior housing.

Um, and you cannot justify their water usage at this point in in um in climate history.

We don't have the water.

We cannot put these kinds of generators across the street from the kinds of uses that that exist right there.

Um, and so I think that we need to immediately move towards a ban um and not be sort of bogged down for too much longer.

It a work group process to try to find out information that we don't know or hear from neighbors and all that is fine.

Um, but I know everything that I need to know.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, uh, Council President.

Um, I appreciate Councilman Parity's comments.

I just want to start by saying that the city should have never approved that data center.

That's in Globeville.

Um the location being next to a clinic, the whole situation that happened when it came to committee.

We tried to raise as many concerns as we could.

We could we should have gone further and pushed back.

I think there was confusion around where the permits already pulled, where was it in the process?

I'm grateful that at least they didn't get those tax credits that they were going to get.

Um, but I just want to acknowledge that, and I do have concerns moving forward.

This whole task force thing I've seen over and over again with the administration hasn't ever worked out well.

Um, so I'll just say I have concerns, but the least we can do is make sure that no more being built right now.

This is the bare minimum that we can do is this right now.

So I will be a yes tonight.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Heinz.

Thank you, Madam President, uh, for uh for calling on me.

Um first I want to start by saying that I um agree that a moratorium is the right answer for this uh this conversation, and so I am for the bill and for the uh moratorium.

I think now is the right time to implement the moratorium.

I'll talk about that in a little bit more in a minute.

Um I'm also in favor of a task force that creates a strong look at data centers and the impacts of data centers.

Um second, I want to say um we should be thinking about our planet.

Uh it's important that we can consider the environmental impact of data centers.

Um we should consider the impact of current regulations.

Uh there aren't a whole lot.

Um, we should also consider how to make a data center more environmentally resilient.

Um I actually um I you know, computer science degree.

I think I'm the only um I might be the only STEM graduate on council, and if I'm not please uh correct me quickly.

Um, but uh uh, but certainly with the computer science degree, I have in my computer, I have two closed loop uh um oil cooled systems, one for my CPU and one for my GPU.

It is possible to do a closed loop system um that is oil and not water instead of uh what's going in in core site right now, which is uh water that um that heats up and gets uh either evaporated or spit back out in the data center.

Um so uh so we should be uh considering uh ways to make data centers more environmentally resilient, and uh I'm glad we have the task force to consider despest practices and frankly ways to push the envelope.

Denver's known for the rugged outdoor lifestyle.

That's the reason why I uh it's not the reason why I came here, I came here for a tech startup, but I stayed because of the rugged outdoor lifestyle.

And uh I don't want to be um part of the destruction of um our planet or uh the beauty that is Denver.

So uh third, I also think we should be thinking about our community.

Um we've got a lot of people uh testifying tonight in um in GES, uh next to the core site center that's going in right now, and um and we should be thinking about the impacts of data centers on our community.

Um fourth, I hope we make informed decisions.

Um there are uh different kinds of data centers.

They're traditional data centers, um, things that we use today, and there are AI data centers.

Um Denver also uses uh AI data centers today.

Um testifier rightfully called this a hyperscale data center.

I think that was the person who said she had a um mechanical engineering degree.

And um, I sure hope we have someone on the task force who can speak to the difference in data center types, uh, or at least someone available to educate the task force on uh the different types of data centers and the requirements for those types.

Um hyperscale data centers are the ones that we're reading about now that are on the scale of the number of uh the you know 2x the size of Central Park.

Um, or um uh, you know, the the comparisons on the scale of the percentage of size of cities, uh, those are generally the hyperscale data centers.

And um, and I would say um there's uh there's I believe there's strong um uh that there'd be a strong conversation in any task force for a ban of hyperscale data centers in Denver.

Uh frankly, I don't even know if the industry would want to put a hyperscale data center in Denver.

Just doesn't make um good planning, good uh financial sense, um just because of the uh the requirements uh as in the geographic size of those uh kinds of data centers.

Um the reason why you might put a data center as Den in Denver is because nanoseconds count.

Uh and if you stick it out in a farm in the middle of nowhere, um that's more nanoseconds.

Uh, but when we go to AI goes boop, boop, boop, boop.

So time is not of the essence, but if you're thinking about financial transactions or uh mission critical applications, sometimes fractions of fractions of seconds are important, and that's why we have data centers here in the city of Denver.

Because uh the backbone between Denver and the rest of the world is uh is right here in central Denver.

So um I hope that um so fifth, I hope that we're honest about some of the testimony tonight.

Um, you know, the conversation is about a citywide moratorium.

Um and uh and then we've had numerous testifiers talk about the core site data center specifically and um and GES and the impacts in GES, which I think are totally valid.

Um, but that specific core site um data center, while it might be the impetus of the moratorium conversation, it should not be the sole subject of the um of the conversation.

So, you know, the um the testifier is talking about 80216 uh and the environmental impacts of a data center in 80216.

I think that's totally uh valid and relevant.

Um there are three super fun sites uh right in 80216.

Uh that it is the most polluted zip code.

Someone said in the state that was one of the testifiers.

It's my understanding that 80216 is the most polluted zip code in the nation.

So um so those who are uh part of the GES coalition who are talking um here uh tonight, you know, there's a reason why GES is activated and um and I think it's good that that people are speaking up for the community of GES.

Uh the data centers, uh, this particular moratorium and task force is talking citywide.

So I just want to make sure that we're um that we're talking that we understand the testimony and uh and the nature of the uh the uh moratorium and task force.

Um so uh also I I want to talk a little bit about where data centers are in Denver.

Um I think I mistakenly said 48% of the buildings uh in uh Denver are in district 10.

I meant 38% of the buildings, um, 19 uh data centers are located in district 10.

But if you look at the square footage, 53% of the square footage of data centers in the city are in district 10.

So um so it is disproportionately in our center city, it is disproportionately in district 10.

And um, and I would suggest we have uh three high cost neighborhoods in district 10.

Um, and uh and I would say uh the um the way the neighborhoods in district 10 look are different than 80216 and different than GES.

Um, yet we have a lot of data centers in District 10.

So um I I just want to make sure that we have an honest conversation about how uh the city is not just sticking a whole bunch of data centers into underserved communities.

There is one uh that is the impetus of this again, uh the impetus of this conversation.

I just want to make sure that that's not the only thought is that this is the only thing is that we're sticking data centers in GES.

Um it's also important to note that um thanks to the document that the mayor's office sent over, I know that I know that I live a block and a half from a data center.

We in City Hall are um our offices and um and the city council chambers are half a block.

They're across the street from a data center, happens to also be in District 10.

And so again, this is a citywide issue, it's not just something that's uh that's in one zip code.

Um, I hope we're realistic about our current use of data centers.

Um we do use data centers all the time.

Emergency services in Denver and just about everywhere rely on data centers.

Um body cam video is stored in a data center, which um is a fair amount there to um uh to make sure that our uh public safety folks are accountable.

Um our all our Word Excel PowerPoint documents um that our 14,000 city employees use are um are stored in a data center.

We have an enterprise agreement with Microsoft and um SharePoint and um OneDrive, those are both uh data center types of technology.

Also uh Granicus and our city council calendar to all presentations that are available for public inspection are also stored in a data center.

So um I think that there are things that we can uh that we can point to that make the people's lives easier and make uh the city more transparent and accountable, um, also use data centers.

And then uh seventh and finally, I I heard uh early testimony from uh the uh economic development corporation, some concerns about uh the bit from the business community.

Um, you know, for site selectors, uh I think that um, you know, I've asked and I've not heard of a single data center that was uh was or has been planned to break ground in the next year.

So um it isn't as if this moratorium and task force will slow down or stop a planned data center.

Um I've also asked and uh the hope is that this task force will make a recommendation in the next year.

So again, inside a window where um we weren't planning to um break ground on any tasks or data centers anyway.

And so, in my opinion, now is an ideal time for us to implement the task force, think about the plan and to think about community and uh and think about how we can have um uh data centers in our city uh with in an educated way that um that aren't hyperscale data centers, uh, but things that can help make our lives easier.

So um I'll be in support of this tonight.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I will be brief.

I just wanted to thank everyone who testified tonight um and really with thoughtful um data and comments and staying here and um I think many minutes.

So just thank you all.

Um second, I just want to also thank the sponsors for bringing this forward.

I think this is the right thing to bring forward.

I think a moratorium is the right thing for us to do.

Um, and I also appreciate the outreach for district four for representation.

Um, that is much appreciated.

Uh, in addition, I think the task force is gonna be tasked with a heavy lift.

Um, and so a quick thank you to all of those that are gonna agree to do this because I know that there is um a ton of data out there, um, looking not only at the operations of the uh the work of what a data center does, but then also and the impact, but also the impact on um community and public health, which I think is gonna be a necessary part to this entire um return that uh that will be looked at during this moratorium.

Um, you know, we aren't the only council in the country that's addressing this.

Um we are uh I think, early on in um councils that are looking at um what this means for communities across the country, and I'm also um grateful that we are not waiting for the state to decide what happens in Denver.

And we need to be able to decide how and what we want our community to look like.

So thank you.

I'm glad we're not waiting for the state to try to figure this out for us.

So I will be in favor of this moratorium tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I I'll keep my remarks very brief, but I just wanted to thank folks for the opportunity to listen to their stories and to hear them speak.

It was actually quite informing in terms of my learning.

And I am 100% in support of this moratorium, but I'm also in support of an all-out band, and I really appreciated that sentiment coming from community.

And so thank you so much for the opportunity to hear from folks and to have this presentation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

And I know everybody keeps thanking everybody, but honestly, I know it takes a lot out of folks to be here and to stay here for the long haul throughout the night.

I appreciate a lot of the comments that were made tonight, hearing from the residents that are experiencing this right now when you walk out your front door.

The fact that the broader GES community has time and time again been harmed at the hands of the city.

So I just want to make that very clear.

And I know that that's not what this is about tonight, but it is about it, right?

When we're talking about the communities that we've seen historically continue to get these things put in their communities, whether it's, you know, um high-rises that are luxury apartments and not for affordable housing, whether it's you know, so for the sake of progress and development, right?

I saw it happen in my own community in the north side.

It wasn't a data center, but we saw things that happened in our community, right?

And if we don't get a handle on it right now, which is what we're seeking to do with this moratorium by taking a pause so that we can at least put that pause on it right now and do the work that we need to do.

This is why I'm grateful to be on the working group as one of the at-large members, as we've heard even my colleague Councilman Heinz say that this impact is not just in one area of the city, but it impacts other communities across our city.

So, as one of the at larges, I think it's important that we have that perspective.

There is much knowledge to be gained about data centers through this working group.

There are different types, sizes, construction, their functioning, their impacts on the environment and the communities that they are constructed in.

This working group, in my opinion, should be looking at all options.

Everything should be on the table for discussion.

And I agree with my colleague, Councilman Cashman.

That in that our decision, uh, everything should be on the table for these discussions and decisions, even if that includes some level of a ban.

We cannot limit ourselves in these conversations.

So when I say this is about an opportunity to truly learn what those impacts are, not what you know, uh somebody is whispering in our ear.

Like, I want to dig in.

I want to know how these are actually functioning, what are the drivers, what are the impacts on our community.

That's what I intend to know.

And I've shared this, whether I you know have met with our union friends, whether I've met with community, whether I've talked to the core site folks, I've shared with them that my number one concern is making sure that our communities don't continue to be harmed by these things.

And so that will be my commitment as part of this going forward.

And I will be open to any, you know, meetings and being available as always.

Thank you, Madam President, and I thank my council members, uh fellow colleagues who are in support of this tonight.

Thank you.

Council person member.

Thank you.

Um I appreciate Councilman Heinz talking about STEM careers.

Um I actually have a degree in zoology and chemistry.

And so thinking about environmental justice and environmental racism is something that I have addressed and tried to combat my entire professional career.

Um I founded environmental education STEM-based organization, environmental learning for kids to teach black and brown kids about science and natural resources and pursuing careers in that.

And I am totally supportive of this ban tonight.

How much is for commercial uses, uses, and how much is residential uses.

We know that historically commercial and industry uses an inordinate amount of energy.

Residential, not so much.

They have us all running around here trying to separate separate out our trash into recyclable and compost, but yet in our very buildings here and out in um satellite shops, we have plastic bags that are lining our purple recyclable containers.

So the city fails at this already, and I think the only way that we're going to be able to get that information and really have the industry come to work with us, is a ban until they show us that it is safe, that it's not going to gobble up our water, and we have talked nothing about the environmental concerns to wildlife, to aquatic environments, to our riverways, to um bird migration, uh, to all of the different components of an ecosystem and how that affects all of us, not just humans, every living being in the environment, and there's new research and studies coming out, especially about how root systems, especially from trees, and from um from mycelium for common folks or mushrooms, but they have uh a very um complex network under the soil, and nobody knows what the constant hum vibration and energy use of the data centers do to our most vulnerable relatives who can't necessarily talk for themselves, and so um I think it's gonna be a really tough haul, and I'm for the um the uh moratorium, but I would be right there for a ban.

So hopefully um we can come back rather quickly and do the band because that's gonna be the only way that you encourage industry to actually show up.

There's a reason why we had to have super fun sites to clean up Rocky Flats to clean up the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.

It was because they were made to come to the table and do better, not by asking.

Thank you.

Councilmember Watson.

Thank you, Council President.

I want to thank once again all the folks who uh came out to speak, and the folks who've stayed through this process.

Um we've had uh several meetings in Global Air Reswancy on the Corsite Plan, um, going back a year, and I appreciate thoughts, input, and the direction.

Um, this working group and its moratorium, I think is essential.

I think across the board we have consensus that now is the time to do a moratorium to stop and to actually learn what the impacts on water, energy, and community, what that could be with data centers.

I think it's essential for us to have a group of folks together, from folks who are within the community, folks who work within the environment, and others, folks from labor, etc.

on this balanced um working group over the next year to identify really what these harms can be, what are some of the solutions, and to create regulation without regulation.

I think we are in a tough spot, and we know many other municipalities are dealing with this.

So I want to thank all the unnamed folks uh who've raised their hands to be a part of this working group.

This is going to be a tall order, but I think that's part of the reason why we're elected to city council is to lean in on these tough issues to listen to community and to try to build a system in which we can actually regulate um these types of industries.

Um thankful for all of council members on your engagement, your comments.

Thankful to the sponsors for your participation, and I encourage council members um to support this moratorium and to support this process as we go through this over the next year.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Clint.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

Uh the pace of change in society and technology has just accelerated so rapidly over the last well, over my lifetime, but just in the last 10 years, if you will, and our zoning code has not.

We adopted it in 2010.

And so the uh the uh facility that's under construction now, I think was approved under the uh general category of storage and trade uh facilities, which really doesn't speak to what this facility is.

Um I know we've had data centers for decades, but the type and the technology and the resources they require have accelerated at uh almost uh well to the AI territory superhuman pace.

Uh and it's hard to visualize what society and technology will be like in 10 years from now.

And so I think it's completely appropriate to take this time to examine our zoning code and where things like this may fit, and perhaps even forward look to what's next, and what else do we have to look at in terms of these uh technological and digital and resource-hungry facilities that want to operate and are going to operate, whether they're in Denver or Colorado or Texas, or North Dakota, or anywhere else.

Uh so I will be supportive of this tonight and look forward to that supposed to work, and um hope that I'm around that it's finished in a year before several of us are off council here, uh, so that we can actually weigh in on the resolution.

It would be tough to turn it over to a new council after all this groundwork was laid.

So I would love to see it done in a year.

If it isn't, I'm open to extending it.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilman Parks, thank you so much.

Um I'm also in support, I think Councilman Flynn makes a good point about um zoning.

The one that's in Council District 3 is in Old Code.

It's in Chapter 59 zoning.

Um what I do ask for the sponsors is to also ensure in your conversation, as you talk about zoning, um, that uh it doesn't get relegated to the industrial court of Denver.

That's just our adverted L.