OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting – June 8, 2026

City Council — Monday, June 8, 2026
BodyDenver, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, June 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 53:40
Transcript — Verbatim
0:11

Thank you.

0:12

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:14

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

0:17

Today is Monday, June 8th, 2026.

0:21

Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish by either Sam or Goose or Jackson.

0:28

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

0:35

Yes, of course.

0:36

Thank you for having us.

0:37

Hello everyone.

0:38

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

0:44

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

0:50

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

1:29

Thank you very much.

1:32

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting on Monday, June 8th, 2026.

1:37

Council members, please join me in the pledge of allegiance.

2:02

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

2:09

Thank you.

2:52

Madam Secretary, roll call.

2:55

Council Member Gilmore.

2:58

Here.

3:11

Here.

3:12

Gonzalez Matias?

3:13

Here.

3:14

Heinz?

3:15

Here.

3:16

Cashman.

3:17

Here.

3:18

Lewis.

3:19

Present.

3:21

Sandoval.

3:24

Watson.

3:25

Here.

3:27

Madam Protember Mara Campbell.

3:29

Here.

3:31

Ten members present.

3:33

There are 10 members present.

3:34

Council has a quorum.

3:36

Approval approval at the minutes.

3:38

Are there any corrections to the minutes of June 1st?

3:44

Seeing none, the minutes stand approved.

3:47

Council announcements.

3:48

Are there any announcements from members of Council?

3:57

We'll start with Councilmember Alvidris.

4:00

Thank you so much.

4:17

Wonderful.

4:20

Hi, thank you.

4:20

I wanted to extend an appreciation to the Denver Parks and Recreation Department, including Keith Bell, John Martinez, and Director Clark, especially the staffers of the Mombella Recreation Center.

4:32

So yesterday we held a healing space for community as they were looking to reopen the recreation center this morning.

4:40

And it was absolutely a beautiful showing of folks and would also like to not only thank the healers that were able to come and provide a sacred space for that cleansing opportunity, but um Media and Dr.

4:54

Arsette, as well as the African American Commission in their work, Adam Preston, Director Ridgway with the OCA.

5:02

And if there's anyone who I missed, I apologize, playing my head, not my heart.

5:07

The work, there's absolutely more work that we need to do to make sure that we fully recover and that the community has what they need as they are reopening this space after such a tragedy and the loss of folks in our community.

5:21

Um I just want to reiterate uh as to what I said last week is that we actually know what needs to happen, and that we know that more needs to be done for our youth in the city in order to be able to keep them safe and engaged in our communities, and that's us being sure that we prioritize dollars necessary to take proactive strategies.

5:42

Thank you.

5:43

Thank you.

5:44

And thank you for holding that space.

5:47

Um I have two announcements.

5:49

Um, one I just want to thank everyone who was able to come out and participate in the Welshire 100.

5:56

Um, it was a fantastic day.

5:59

I just want to have a huge thank you to all of all of the volunteers and my staff who put on an amazing golf tournament to celebrate the time.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████████████████38%
Land Use Zoning██████████████████18%
Legislative Affairs█████████████13%
Youth Programs██████████10%
Pending Litigation███████7%
Parks and Recreation██████6%
Economic Development████4%
Civic Infrastructure██2%
Community Engagement██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting – June 8, 2026

The Denver City Council met on Monday, June 8, 2026, at 3:30 PM, with 11 members present (Councilmembers Parady and Sandoval absent; Councilmember Torres arrived late and was absent for the zoning votes). The meeting included approval of a consent agenda, several individual items, and two required public hearings on zoning changes. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes of June 1, 2026.
  • Approved en bloc the following resolutions and bills:
    • 26-0709: Fourth amendatory agreement with Denver Rescue Mission to add $602,016 for 20 additional family shelter units at The Crossing (total 30 units), absorbing families from the Salvation Army Lambeth closure.
    • 26-0710: Amendatory agreement with Work Options for Women ($219,321.47 added) to provide meals to micro-communities.
    • 26-0506: Janitorial services contract with Roth Property Maintenance ($500,000, through 2029).
    • 26-0682: Lease amendment with Fax East Colfax Redevelopment ($2,715,937.41 added, 38 units).
    • 26-0696 through 26-0702: Mayoral appointments to various commissions.
    • 26-0694: Tobacco Education Prevention and Cessation grant ($910,238).
    • 26-0695: Amendatory agreement with Advocates for Recovery Colorado (opioid misuse services).
    • 26-0707: Amendatory agreement with Colorado Health Network (harm reduction).
    • 26-0705, 26-0711: Street dedication for West 1st Avenue and North Federal Boulevard.
    • 26-0706: CDOT grant for air pollution mitigation ($1,000,000).
    • 26-0713, 26-0714, 26-0717: $50 million contracts each with AECOM, AtkinsRealis, and J.A. Watts for project delivery support at Denver International Airport.
    • 26-0715, 26-0716, 26-0718, 26-0719, 26-0720, 26-0721: Airport lease/use amendments (British Airways, Delta, Prospect International, Southwest Airlines cargo and GUB, Smiths Detection).
    • 26-0678: IGA with Denver Public Schools for Youth Employment Program ($1.5 million, flat since 2022).
    • 26-0684: Ordinance requiring businesses to comply with all applicable laws.
    • 26-0615: Donation of retired police horse “Maverick” to Ride and Shine Equine Assisted Therapy.
    • 26-0636: Alley vacation at 3800 West Colfax Avenue.
    • 26-0659: Tax credit IGA amendment for Downtown Denver District Thermal Network study.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • A half-hour general public comment session was held at 5:00 PM; the content consisted of a recorded promotional announcement about Denver parks, events, and the Red Bull Soapbox Race. No individual public testimony was provided.

Discussion Items

  • Council Announcements: Councilmember Alvidrez thanked Parks & Recreation for a healing space at Montbello Recreation Center. Councilmember Lewis thanked participants in the Welshire 100 golf tournament and promoted the High Line Canal Conservancy summer scamper.
  • Resolution 26-0709 (Denver Rescue Mission): Councilmember Lewis asked whether the 20 added units required construction or were existing space repurposed. The mayor’s office confirmed it was absorbing families from the Salvation Army Lambeth closure into existing space; no additional capacity beyond 30 units.
  • Settlement Resolutions (26-0815 through 26-0827): Councilmember Lewis noted these 13 items approved $2,865,000 in settlements related to a police civil case (Marquis Dominick, et al. v. City & County of Denver, 22-cv-01343). She stated that the 2026 total for city settlements now stands at $3,867,000, funded by a liability claims pool and a $3 million rescission from the general fund contingency.
  • Bill 26-0615 (Horse Maverick): Councilmember Flynn praised the animal’s service and noted it has Cushing’s disease; retirement will be at a Wyoming facility.
  • Bill 26-0678 (Youth Employment): Councilmember Lewis asked about funding trends; Tony Anderson confirmed flat funding at $1.5 million for three years, highest level ever. Councilmember Torres asked about expenditure history; staff promised a breakdown of rollover amounts.
  • Bill 26-0684 (Business Compliance): Councilmember Lewis clarified that the ordinance is not aimed at any specific business, contrary to a news article, and that she requested a retraction.
  • Bill 26-0704 (Park Creek Metro District): Councilmember Lewis explained the IGA will support city attorneys in conveying roads from the metro district to the city, addressing long-standing infrastructure issues in Central Park.
  • Bill 26-0686 (Lobbyist Regulation): Councilmember Gonzales-Gutierrez moved an amendment adding individuals appointed by the mayor, auditor, or clerk and recorder to the definition of “covered official” and applying post-service lobbying restrictions. The amendment passed 11-0. Councilmember Sawyer commended the sponsors. The bill was ordered published as amended.
  • Recess and General Public Comment: Council recessed after the block vote; a recorded promotional segment aired during the public comment period.
  • Public Hearing – Zoning 26-0176 (17600 E 56th Ave & 4991 N Telluride St): A public hearing had been held on April 6, 2026; the item was postponed to this meeting. No further testimony was taken. Council voted 10-0 to approve the rezoning from C-MU-10/C-MU-30 to S-MX-5/S-MX-8. (Torres absent).
  • Public Hearing – Zoning 26-0557 (8401 E Belleview Ave): Staff presented the rezoning from B-8 with waivers to S-MX-8 (suburban mixed-use, up to 8 stories) to allow a mixed-use development. Eric Hecox (Shea Properties) spoke in favor, noting the site is underutilized and adjacent to the Marina Square redevelopment. Skye Stuart was available for questions. Councilmember Romero Campbell asked about preserving mature trees; the applicant committed to preserving as many as possible. No opposition. Council voted 10-0 to approve. (Torres absent).

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: All 24 resolutions and 6 bills on final consideration were approved en bloc unanimously (11-0). The consent agenda included contracts, grants, appointments, and settlements.
  • Amendment to 26-0686: Adopted 11-0.
  • 26-0686 (Lobbyist Regulation): Ordered published as amended.
  • Zoning 26-0176: Passed 10-0 (Councilmembers Parady, Torres, Sandoval absent).
  • Zoning 26-0557: Passed 10-0 (same absentees).
  • Total Settlements Approved: $2,865,000 for 13 claims against the Denver Police Department.
  • Next Steps: The meeting adjourned at 5:56 PM. The next regular Council meeting within the 30-day review period for many items is June 22 or June 29, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for taking time to join us at Denver City Council meeting. Today is Monday, June 8th, 2026. Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish by either Sam or Goose or Jackson. 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 Valeria, we will be interpreting today's meeting into Spanish. Please allow me a quick minute while I give instructions in Spanish on how to access interpretation. Thank you very much. Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting on Monday, June 8th, 2026. Council members, please join me in the pledge of allegiance. Council members, please join Council Member Lewis as they lead us in the Denver City Council land acknowledgement. Thank you. Madam Secretary, roll call. Council Member Gilmore. Here. Here. Gonzalez Matias? Here. Heinz? Here. Cashman. Here. Lewis. Present. Sandoval. Watson. Here. Madam Protember Mara Campbell. Here. Ten members present. There are 10 members present. Council has a quorum. Approval approval at the minutes. Are there any corrections to the minutes of June 1st? Seeing none, the minutes stand approved. Council announcements. Are there any announcements from members of Council? We'll start with Councilmember Alvidris. Thank you so much. Wonderful. Hi, thank you. I wanted to extend an appreciation to the Denver Parks and Recreation Department, including Keith Bell, John Martinez, and Director Clark, especially the staffers of the Mombella Recreation Center. So yesterday we held a healing space for community as they were looking to reopen the recreation center this morning. And it was absolutely a beautiful showing of folks and would also like to not only thank the healers that were able to come and provide a sacred space for that cleansing opportunity, but um Media and Dr. Arsette, as well as the African American Commission in their work, Adam Preston, Director Ridgway with the OCA.

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