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

Tonight's coverage of Denver City Council starts now.

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

Today is Monday, June 22nd, 2026.

Tonight's being meeting is being interpreted into Spanish.

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

Yes, of course.

Thank you for having us.

Hello, everyone.

My name is Sam Guzman with the CLC.

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

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

Which is us, and thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, June 22nd, 2026.

Council members, please join Council Pro Temer Campbell in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Council members, please join Council Pro Temeral Campbell as they lead us in the Denver City Council land acknowledgement.

The Denver City Council honors and acknowledges that the land on which we reside is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe 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 erasures and exclusions and erasures of indigenous peoples.

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

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, we'll call.

Council members Gilmore.

Here, Sawyer.

Here.

Albitris.

Here.

Flynn.

Gonzalez Cutieres.

Here.

Heinz.

Here.

Cashman.

Here.

Lewis.

President.

Romero Campbell.

Here.

Watson.

Here.

Madam President Sandoval.

Here.

Twelve members present.

There are 12 members present.

Council has a quorum.

Approval of the minutes.

Are there corrections to the minutes of June 15th?

Seeing none, the minutes stand approved.

Council announcements.

Are there council and announcements from members of council this afternoon?

Councilmember Alvides, why don't you start us off?

Thank you.

I just wanted to make sure all the fathers are council and your city and happy working policy.

Dads and father to fill those roles are self-important.

Do you have your mic on?

I don't.

Look at us.

Okay, there we go.

I got used to not having to turn my mic on.

I was saying I wanted to wish a happy father's day to all my colleagues at our fathers, all of our city workers and people in the audience who are fathers.

I think fathers and my father, dad, happy father's day.

Uh I wouldn't be here, obviously, not just literally, but for so many reasons.

I wouldn't be here if I didn't have an amazing father, and to all the people that fill those roles, but you're often filled by neighbors and moms and other people when um there is an absence of a father.

So I wanted to shout out Happy Father's Day.

I also wanted to take a moment to congratulate the Broadway Jid.

We have such an incredible launch last Thursday afternoon with Caitlin Braun, our new executive director, taking the helm of the future of what that area on Broadway looks like.

To I think something that was incredibly meaningful to me is all the new jobs.

There's all these new people that have a job now, which is to help take care of Broadway, and also Caitlin, who has been a bartender on Broadway forever to step into an executive director role, has been really exciting.

I am really excited for her leadership and what she brings to the table.

So I just wanted to mention those things.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Heinz.

Thank you, Madam President.

Three weeks ago, I shared with you that Denver had lost 25 people on our streets this year.

Last week it was 28.

Today it's 29.

I keep reading these numbers into the record because I don't want them to become background noise.

And because I want to be honest with this body and the people of Denver, where 29 actually sits.

It might be tempting to hear 29 and feel some relief.

Last year we ended at 93, after all, a record.

And against that number, 29 in late June could sound like we're ahead of the curve.

We're not.

We are now at the deadliest stretch of the year.

The period we've just entered, Memorial Day to Labor Day, is what the state calls the hundred deadliest days.

And that name is earned statewide last year.

Nearly a third of all traffic deaths, 32%, happened in this window.

More than half of all serious injuries happened in this window.

The toll does not climb evenly across the calendar.

It bends upward right now.

And the days get longer, and more of us are out walking, rolling, biking, and driving.

So 29 is not where we are for the year.

It is where we are before the worst of it begins.

Here is what I asked the body to sit with.

Do a lot of sitting.

The surge is not a surprise.

It arrives on the same calendar every single year, which means meeting it with speed cameras still not deployed, and our safest street designs watered down, is not bad luck.

It is a choice.

And before this number climbs the way calendar, the calendar tells us it will, I ask that we make a different choice.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Watson.

Thank you so much, Council President.

I want to first start by uh thanking Norman Harris and the good folks at the uh five points bid, the five points businesses for having what felt like the largest Juneteenth parade uh that I participated in um thus far.

Um it was an amazing turnout of folks in community, loving community, dancing, partying, having fun, drinking, and number one supporting small businesses along the corridor, uh, while remembering the reason for Juneteenth.

And so to Norman Harris, anyone else that was involved in this process, it was a great celebration, a great reminder, and a great rooting of community um an important day for all of us.

Uh, so thank you all for having an amazing three-day event this past weekend.

And then also want to share each month um the Fine District 9 hosts our community hours where we meet at a community small business and we open it up for all questions.

So community members come out to uh my June community hours, which will be at City Park Tavern, um, from 1230 to 14 on Friday June 26th, uh, from 12:30 to 145 at City Park Tavern.

If you want more information, you could reach out to my office through our website.

And then this weekend, another community gathering, community event.

Um, we have a weekend chalk full of pride.

Um, I am honored, as I have stated over and over to being the first black gay man elected to any office in the state of Colorado must less to be representing all the folks in fine district nine.

Uh, pride is once again not just simply a celebration, it's a revolution.

It is a requirement, expectation that our community is not to be tolerated but to be celebrated this year more than most.

Um, the reminder of how uh the federal government and others have treated our community.

It is important to show up, and it's important for our allies to show up.

So this Saturday I will be um Huffing and Puffing, um, with Kim and some other folks doing the 5K run for um the annual 5K um pride run.

And then this Sunday, a series of events, including um the largest uh Pride Parade west of Mississippi, not in Clinton, California.

Um, we have amazing Pride Parade um that celebrates all communities, and so you are all welcome to come, um, come early, um, stay and share in the joy of our community.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Lewis.

Uh, thank you so much.

Um, I wanted you all to join myself, Councilwoman Parity and Councilwoman Gonzalez Gutierrez, Gonzalez Gutierrez, excuse me, for a virtual meeting on June 24th, for our last community meeting regarding 260328 or municipal sentencing bill.

We look forward to presenting on the bill its history and why, if all, as well as the specific compromises we have made with the mayor's office and the prosecution and code enforcement team, and to answer community questions about the item.

The event begins at 5 p.m.

and runs until 7 p.m.

You can sign up by following the links on our social media pages as well as those of Councilwoman or my social media pages, excuse me, as well as those of Councilwoman Gonzalez Gutiérrez and Councilwoman Parity as well.

In addition to that, I wanted to make some announcements that were specific to District 8.

Um, from information from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and some of the work that they're going to be doing as it pertains to construction.

Um, and so on Montview Boulevard and Valentia Street, Dhadi will add a new crosswork crosswalk, excuse me, and curb extensions to improve visibility and shorten crossing distances in the East Colfax and Central Park neighborhoods.

In addition to that, on Montview Boulevard and Tremont Street, this intersection will see a new crosswalk, a pedestrian refuge island, and a push button activated flashing lights to help people cross uh more safely.

And then finally, you all may have noticed some construction on Martin Luther King Boulevard and Birch Street.

Um, so this will close the existing median cut through, add new construction or add new crosswalks, and install new push button activated flashing lights to create a safer connection across Montbell, and cross MLK, excuse me.

These improvement improvements will enhance enhance access to City of Axam Park and the new Park Hill Park, just north of that corridor.

Um, and so just wanted to let you all know about some of those construction projects um so that you're not caught off guard by them.

I'm also looking forward to this year's um and this weekend's pride parade, and so I hope to see you all there.

Um, it begins at 9 30 along 17th.

Um, and um happy pride.

Additionally, I wanted to thank the organizers of Juneteenth.

Um, it was a wonderful celebration um to see um just such a beautiful showing.

I've been going to Juneteen since I was a little girl, um, I as early as three, and so to see Juneteenth becoming restored in the manner in which I had always experienced as a young girl, it's very exciting, and so really appreciate the planning committee who were able to make that happen.

And then finally, a shout out to the Teen Live Conference and their organizers, which brought teens from all across the state to Denver this past weekend to discuss health care, health care policy and navigating the healthcare system as young people.

I was very impressed by the event, which was organized and led by youth from the presentations to the breakout sessions, and I was honored to be able to give the keynote speech and to be invited into a space of our young folks that was very selective to the adults that they allowed in that space.

Um, and so congratulations to them.

They are killing it.

Our future is in great hands.

Um, thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, we have councilwoman tourists.

Thank you so much.

Um, I know last week was everyone's first time in this change, but this week is my first time in the new chambers.

Um, and they're amazing.

And I recall this process started when Councilmember Gilmore was present through my time as president, through your time as president, um, and uh with great partnership from Councilman Flynn as our uh resident historian, um, and just so much work and collaboration.

Thank you so much for your stewardship, and thanks to all the incredible workers who supported this project.

Um, I want to give my personal thanks to the Gates Family Foundation.

I received one of their fellowships to attend the state and local leaders uh program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government for their three-week program, and I just returned on Friday.

Um, those three weeks filled my cup on both a personal and professional level.

And I'm just so grateful to this body for keeping the good work moving and to my team, my district three team, for allowing me to be present in that space by handling all the work here.

I look forward to applying all of the things that I've learned, sharing all of the things that we were shared, and just trying to bring that effectiveness and diligence back to my work here.

Also want to share, we have an incredible mural coming up in District 3.

It's under Federal Boulevard along the Lakewood Gulch.

Artist Mark Romero, along with the Southwest Denver Coalition, brought youth together to paint this gorgeous mural.

And it's part of our effort to activate and beautify Paco Sanchez Park.

If you'll remember, this was also our hub for quite a bit of crime, drug trafficking, a lot of neighborhood complaints and issues.

And it will accompany with lighting, all through a grant from the state of Colorado.

And then Denver Parks and Recreation will be following up with final implementation of Paco Centra's Park renovations, which will include over 20 new lights, a renovated disc golf course, and a lot of really improved features.

So, oh, including there used to be a zip line that will be placed with a toddler area, a toddler kind of activation area.

Just really wonderful things happening in that area and really grateful for all of the partnership from Denver Police Department, Dottie, Parks and Recreation, Human Rights and Community Partnerships who have made sure that we didn't lose the attention on Paco as things were going through.

So thank you so much.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Diana Maricumble.

Thank you, Madam President.

I a zip line.

I will go and try it out.

Or no, it's a toddler zip line.

Sorry.

I will go to the park.

Wonderful.

I just wanted to make a quick announcement.

The Highline Canal Conservancy is doing a 5K run.

And it's called the Summer Scamper.

It's Wednesday at Bible Park at 5:30.

And I will have a table out there, as will a number of other community partners.

But the reason I wanted to highlight this is because the Highline Canal, there's about 10 miles of it that runs through the Southeast Denver, and parts of District 5 and a little part of District 6 as well.

But this is a treasure that we have.

There's more than 70 miles that run through the entire through like multiple districts, multiple municipalities, all the way from Waterton Canyon out to the Eastern Plains.

And this is a run to help create uh more knowledge and interest, but also an understanding of the Highline Canal now that it is become an open waterway.

It used to be an open waterway to distribute water out to the plains, but now it is used for recreation.

So this is an exciting, I think, asset that we have in Southeast Denver, and we are great partners with the Highline Canal Conservancy.

So please come join us this Wednesday.

I do have a few extra, I say that and it's gonna probably be crazy, maybe not.

A few extra registrations.

So contact my office if you are interested, and I will uh distribute those to the first come first serve of people who sign up.

So please join us on Wednesday at 6 30 at Bible Park.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So thinking about summer activities this Wednesday, June 24th from 6 to 7.

My office will be hosting free yoga.

So if you think about where the old Elich Gardens was, 38th in Tennyson, there is a carousel dome that was still left there.

And we will be under the dome from six to seven.

So just bring a mat, a friend, and is in state of mind.

And the nice thing about practicing under this dome is you can come rain or shine.

So if it's raining, you can still do yoga, and it's beautiful.

Also, this Friday, I'm hosting a free concert in the park at Rocky Mountain Park off of 46th and Grove.

Um, bring your friends, family, and we'll hear from the Denver Municipal Band.

And we will also, you can order from the food truck that we have, or you can bring a picnic, and it's just free, and it's our way of giving back to the community as the community gives to us.

So we hope to see you this Wednesday at 38th and T Home from 6 to 7, or this Friday at 7 o'clock at Rocky Mountain Park.

Seeing no other announcements, there are no presentations, there are no communications.

There's one proclamation being read this evening.

Councilmember Watson and Hines, please read proclamation 0932.

Proclamation number 26-0932, recognizing the 52nd anniversary of Denver Pride, whereas June marks the 56th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, marking the beginning of the modern lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual rights movement, resulting in the recognition of June throughout the world and in Denver as Pride Month to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQIA plus communities.

And whereas the Center and Colfax has provided a strong voice for Denver's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities for 50 years, playing a pivotal role in initiatives aimed at reducing harassment and discrimination.

And whereas One Colorado, the state's leading advocacy organization for LGBTQIA plus Coloradans and their families, has helped advance and defend policies that protect LGBTQIA plus people in healthcare, education, employment, housing, and public life, strengthening communities throughout Denver and Colorado.

And whereas One Colorado has been a leading voice in protecting the dignity, safety, and freedom of transgender Coloradans working alongside community members, families, health care work, health care providers, and advocates to ensure that all people can live as their authentic selves.

And whereas Denver Pride has grown to be the largest pride event in Iraqi Mountain West, attracting visitors from across the state and region and generating an economic impact on a city and county of Denver in excess of 25 million dollars.

And whereas the Center on Colfax produces Denver Pride each year.

Proceeds support year-round programming, benefiting the community, including programs for youth, young adults, older adults, and transgendered community, as well as providing workplace training on LGBTQIA plus related issues, preservation of LGBTQIA Plus history, and free mental health services for community members.

And whereas Denver has a long history of being a city where the LGBTQIA plus community and allies work tirelessly to advance local and national policy and dialogue around acceptance, civil rights, and human rights for the LGBTQIA plus community.

And Denver has served as a pioneer for many policy protections.

And whereas the Denver, the center on Colfax, will host the 52nd annual Denver Pride Fest on June 27th and June 28th, including vendors, exhibitors, and upwards of 505.

I'm just saying that again, 555,000 people.

It's a lot of people over two full days of entertainment and community fun.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Denver City Council Section 1 that Denver City Council hereby designates June 2026 as Pride Month in the city and county of Denver in section two that a clerk and recorder of the city and county of Denver shall affix the seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation and that a copy be transmitted to Kim Silvaggio, CEO of the Center on Colfax, and Nadine Bridges, executive director of one Colorado.

Thank you, Councilmember Watson and Hines, Councilmember Watson, your motion to adopt.

I move that proclamation 260932 be adopted.

It has been moved and seconded.

Comments by members of council.

I'll start with Councilmember Watson.

Uh thank you so much.

Uh Council President, and thank you, Councilmember Heinz, for sponsoring this with me once again this year.

Um I shared a little bit about the importance, at least of the idea of why pride should matter.

I'll share a little bit of my personal story.

Um in 1993, I came out like a flame in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Believe it or not.

I was living over there for a short period of time.

Came out in 1993, and I desired to be involved.

I desired to be with my people and to celebrate.

Now Lincoln doesn't have a pride of 555,000 people.

Um that were just simply fighting to survive.

And Citizens for Equal Protection did, I think, one of the first prides in Lincoln.

It was about five blocks.

We walked in traffic.

So there was a car in front of us.

And we stopped at the stoplights, and we walked for about five blocks and came back around a corner and stayed in a park.

I think if it was a hundred of us, that would have been maybe too much.

And even here, folks are lonely or feel left out.

And why Denver Pride is so important.

But in small communities like Lincoln, small towns across Colorado, um, that's not available.

There aren't communities that surround us or allies that are strong enough to stand with us in these moments.

So Denver Pride isn't simply just walking in a parade.

It is ensuring that we have community year-round that ensures that all of us can live the lives that we were born to live and feel protected and feel loved and feel celebrated.

And so I know no one in Lincoln is watching right now this recording.

Uh, but to the folks in places and spaces that don't have $550,000 on a weekend, 550,000 people on a weekend, um, there to say we love you.

Um, we do these events, we support these events, and the folks that we're going to invite to come up and speak um lead these events for those small communities that need to know that there are places like Denver and the places where they're at, it's their opportunity, their responsibility to make sure that they live out, they live proud.

And so happy pride to everyone that's going to be out this weekend.

And pride is uh uh a daily thing, it's not just uh one weekend deal.

And so happy pride to everyone.

Thank you.

Councilmember Heinz.

Thank you, Madam President.

I am proud to speak in support of this proclamation, and I'll say it's a particular honor for me because I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the heart of Denver's LGTB QIA Plus community sits right here in district right here in District 10.

The Center on Colfax, which produces Denver Pride, and which we recognize today is my constituent.

One Colorado is also my constituent.

Lavender Hill constituent.

So is everyone who's walked through uh the doors of any of those organizations of the last 50 plus years looking for support, community, or simply a place to be themselves without apology.

Fifty years or more than 50 years is worth sitting for a moment.

Again, as I said, I do a lot of sitting.

The center has been here through the eras when this work was dangerous, unpopular, and invisible.

It stayed, it built youth programs, services for older adults, mental health care that costs people nothing, and a pride celebration that has grown into the largest in the Marocke Mountain West.

I want to name uh the part of this proclamation that matters the most to me right now.

Specifically, I want to recognize the work of protecting transgender Coloradans, their dignity, their safety, their freedom to live as their authentic selves.

We say that plainly, and we say it on the record, because in this moment, that protection cannot be assumed.

It has to be defended.

Denver has a long history of being a city that defends it.

Pride is a celebration, and it should be joyful.

There will be more than half a million people on these streets in just uh just a few days.

And the economic impact is real, north of 25 million dollars to the city.

But underneath the joy is a serious commitment that every resident in Denver belongs here, fully and equally.

To Kim and the team at the center, to Nadine and the team at One Colorado, thank you.

Denver is better because you are in it.

I urge my colleagues to join me in support.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Alvidares.

Thank you so much, and thank you to the sponsors for bringing this forward.

Thank you for being here as well and all the work that you all do.

I think it has been a scary time the last year.

I will say I've had residents in my district that have had their flags removed from their homes several times, to the point where they had to get a security camera, and it was very scary for them.

And so I think the reason this is so important is yes, Denver has a history.

South Broadway has a strong history, Baker neighborhood in particular has a strong history.

But we have to double down on it right now and say these things out loud because there are there are attacks right now on people's personal lives.

People are afraid to hold hands with their partner in public.

And especially what you said, Councilman Hines, about our trans residents being under attack in particular, their health care being under attack in particular.

I have some gender-affirming stuff on me right now.

And so, what does that mean?

And how do we communicate that this is a safe place and safe space?

And I think it's speaking up and being there for our brothers and sisters uh right now.

So thank you for bringing this.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Lewis.

Uh, thank you so much, and thank you to the sponsors for uh bringing this proclamation forward.

Um, and for you all for the work that you all do, um, and continue to do in community.

And I just wanted to say a few words.

Um, as a queer woman on this council, um, queer communities are both hyper-visible and invisible at the same time.

And people are fascinated by our lives.

They speculate about our relationships, about our identities, our thoughts, even our bedrooms.

They debate our existence as though it's a public issue to be solved rather than a human experience to be respected.

We simply want to live our lives out loud.

Yet, too often we are told to be quieter.

We are often we are offered prayers to pay the gay away.

We are told our identities are a lifestyle, and we are warned that if we would just choose differently, we could somehow avoid condemnation.

For generations, people have tried to tell us who we are, and yet, despite it all, we remain.

And history has not always been kind to us.

Neither is the present.

Today, transgender people in our communities are being targeted by this administration.

We have watched hospitals, institutions, and organizations fold under pressure.

We have heard elected officials, CEOs, and executive directors say we cannot afford to lose federal funding, so we comply.

And to that I say we cannot afford to lose the people in our community.

We cannot to that I say we cannot afford compliance when people's lives are at stake.

And we cannot afford to deny our LGBTQ IA plus community the care they deserve, and in many cases, need to survive.

And we cannot afford to lose another member of our community, not one.

And I invoke the name of Jax, who councilwoman Gilmore would absolutely do this, um, who was a vibrant transgender woman whose life touched so many people.

And before the community could fully grieve, her death became a political talking point, and her humanity was overshadowed by these agendas.

But Jax was not an agenda.

She was a person, she was loved, she mattered, and her loss reminds us of why this fight is so important.

Because if you know our history, then you know our survival has never been guaranteed.

It is always dependent on our on ordinary people to find the courage to stand against injustice, to stand against cruelty, to stand against tyranny, to refuse to be silent when silence is a lot easier.

But we have to speak up and we have to educate and we have to agitate and we have to organize, and we have to figure out how we do this together.

And I heard some folks talk about Stonewall, and it was part of the proclamation.

Stonewall wasn't simply um a movement.

Stonewall was a movement, a movement born out of people who were tired of living in fear, people who were tired of being harassed, tired of being criminalized and targeted for simply wanting to exist.

And at the time, the LGBTQ people were being targeted by police departments across the country in many places, merely gathering together, expressing affection or having a conversation with someone of the same sex could lead to harassment, arrests, or even worse.

And so really let that sink in.

Not ancient history, American history, our history today.

And in Denver in 1973, members of the gay coalition of Denver packed these city council chambers and demanded an end to the unfair targeting of LGBTQI people, and they won, and they prove that organized people can change systems.

But the fight didn't end there.

The fight continues today, and we see it in the attacks of transgender youth.

We see it in the efforts to restrict health care.

We see it in the policies designed to make people feel unsafe, to feel unseen, to feel unwelcome, and we see it in the ballot measures and legislative attacks that seek to turn our neighbors into political targets.

And speaking of political targets, we see it in the now presence of two 2026 ballot measures, one on what 109, which is the male and female participation in school sports, and one ten to prohibit certain surgeries on minors, and that's a shame.

And so if every single one of us elected are not loud about our opposition to these two ballot measures that we know are going to cause harm, then our words are hollow at best.

Um I am just, I'm sorry, I'm going off.

I'm gonna shut up in just like five minutes, I promise.

Um I just have to thank Councilwoman Gilmore and the opportunity to co-sponsor some legislation to provide protections for our transgender community, because if we cannot recognize that the attacks happening in front of us, then we are choosing not to see them.

And history has taught us what happens when good people choose not to see.

So I'll leave you all with this.

The greatest tragedy of any era is not simply the actions of those who cause harm, it's the silence of those who witness it and do nothing.

And so I ask, who will we be in this moment when future generations look back at this chapter?

What will they say about us?

Will they say we spoke up?

Will they say we fought for one another?

Will they say we stood on the side of dignity, justice, and humanity, or will they say we folded under pressure?

And that choice belongs to each of us.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Um, Madam Secretary, roll call.

Councilmember.

Sorry.

Council members Gilmore.

Aye.

Parody.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Alvides.

Aye.

Gonzalez Cutieres.

Aye.

Hines.

Hi.

Cashman.

Hi.

Lewis.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Torres?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

Twelve eyes.

12 ayes.

Proclamation 0932 has been adopted.

We now have time for the proclamation acceptance.

Council members, who would you like to invite up to accept the proclamation?

Council President, I welcome Kim Salvaggio and Nadine Bridges.

I want to first, I'm Kim Salvaggio.

I am the CEO of the Center on Colfax, which is the producer of Denver Pride.

I want to thank Councilman Hines, not only for today, but for the hours that you have spent with me at the Center on Colfax.

Thank you.

Watson, thank you so much, Councilman Watson.

All of you that have spoken today on behalf of our community.

It is um, of course, there's trials.

And I don't want to gloss over those in any way.

We are living in a time where we have over 500 active pieces of legislation in the United States, too, which I'm sure my partner over here is gonna talk about 109 and 11 happening here in Colorado.

But I think what's important for me to recognize is not just the trials of our community, but our triumphs.

To give some context, this being the 52nd year of Denver Pride that started 52 years ago in Cheeseman Park with 50 people and a couple balloons, has grown to over 500,000 people that will come and celebrate, not just this weekend, but have been celebrating this entire month in protest and joy because joy is an act of resistance, which is protest.

But I want to just speak a little bit what is happening outside of Colorado.

New York City, Pride, where the home of Stonewall is, is seeing 750,000 less in revenue this year.

San Francisco Pride is 300,000 less.

We have seen from Tampa to California, all across our country, pride's closing.

And what is fascinating to me is that is not happening in Denver.

In Denver, we have 42 more sponsors.

We are up over 800,000 in sponsorships this year.

We have, because of a few traffic and construction zones, lost our historic place where Denver Pride has been held and had to pivot entirely to a new model.

And we went from 22 hours of pride programming to over a hundred.

What that tells me is that in the face of trial, our community is coming together triumphantly, and that deserves to be recognized.

And that is recognized because of proclamations like this, the language that's been spoken, and also the incredible partnership that we share with one Colorado.

Every day at the center, I meet someone that has come from another state.

We're expecting anywhere from 1.2 to 2 million Americans that are going to be displaced from the states that they live in.

There is more safety here in Colorado, and Nadine and One Colorado are fighting for even more.

This is not abstract for me.

I am also the mother of a transgender child who has lost their care.

And I am fighting not just for my family, but for all of our families because these kids deserve their dreams.

They deserve to be who they are and they deserve to be affirmed.

So thank you for recognizing us today.

Remember, pride is not just for our community, but it is for our allies, and that is what brings our triumphs to life.

So thank you.

Happy Pride, and I hope I see you this weekend.

Thank you.

Can we pull it closer?

Can I pull it closer?

Oh no, I can't.

Darn it.

That's okay.

Okay.

Um I wanted to start by a pin my wife gave me actually right before I walked out the door today that says you and I are history.

You and I are history.

Each one of you in this room is setting a blueprint and a foundation of what love looks like, what passion looks like, what queer joy looks like, what leadership looks like, what fight looks like, and the message to others that you cannot take away our freedom, and you cannot take away our joy.

Um we have been traveling across the state of Colorado, everywhere from uh, I have to look at my notes on this one, but everywhere from Colorado Springs to Longmont to Durango, um, and everywhere we go, we have powerful folks who are saying we are not going to hide.

We are not gonna go back into the closet, and we just need folks to tell us that they're gonna fight for us, that we deserve to be seen and heard, that everybody understands what the respect and the love of the human condition means, and they will not let anyone take that away from you.

I've met with mama bears and dadvocates, who, for some of y'all, they were asking to be called daddy bears, and for some of us, no, that that is not what we should be calling her comparance.

But our advocates who have been coming from Oklahoma and Texas and Florida, and actually are just right here in the state, who see this state as a sanctuary, and they see Denver as a sanctuary, and they see Denver as the architect of what freedom looks like.

They see architect, they see Denver as an architect of what inclusion means.

When there's a young person who can go to school and be safe, they understand that they are loved and they deserve adulthood and they deserve power and they deserve pride.

And each one of you are sitting here at the city council right now, are demonstrating exactly what that can be.

One Colorado is committed to fighting.

We have a we have a uh a small but mighty staff of over 13 staff members.

The majority of our staff are trans, non-binary, gender expansive.

And if they're not going back in the closet, that means each one of us has the opportunity to keep kicking down the doors for them to thrive, not survive but thrive.

That's right.

And one Colorado is gonna be at the helm of leading that.

I am deeply proud of the center in Colfax and their thriving opportunities that they're creating right now for our communities to be seen.

When folks are saying some of the most negative narratives out there, their center is saying, no.

We're gonna walk down 17th Avenue, we're gonna throw all the glitter, good luck for those who are cleaning.

We are gonna show all of the joy because we deserve to be seen and heard at every moment, every day, every minute.

LGBTQI plus community members are not going to hide.

We are not going to quiver and cry under the hatred that's here.

We're gonna kick it down and we're gonna keep moving forward.

And I just want to say to each one of you that queer joy is what it's all about.

Solidarity is our superpower.

We are literally representative of every community out there.

As long as we stand tall, as long as Denver decided, as long as Denver decides to leave that blueprint and be the architect of what's good what's happening out there, which is joy, happiness, solidarity.

We will be alright.

So I just want to thank you once again for having me here.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of y'all at Pride.

I'm looking forward to seeing you all fight these initiatives that are out here and sending the message that Colorado and Denver will not be taken down by hatred.

Thank you very much.

Thank you all.

Madam Secretary, please read the bills for introduction.

From the community planning and housing committee, 26-0776, a bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 406 South Quentin Street in Westwood.

26-0777, a bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 4901 South Monaco Street in South Moore Park.

From the Health and Safety Committee, 26-0328, a bill for an ordinance updating the classifications and penalties for municipal criminal offenses.

And 26-0863, a bill for an ordinance approving a proposed intergovernmental agreement between the city and county of Denver and Denver Health and Hospital Authority to provide care, treatment, and supportive supportive services to individuals living with HIV and AIDS in the Denver Transitional Grant Area, PGA citywide.

Thank you.

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

Council Pro Tem Lamaro Campbell, will you please make the motions first this evening?

Yes, Council President Sandoval.

Thank you.

Now we will do a recap under resolutions.

Council resolution 0775 has been called out for questions and comments by Councilmember Alvidres.

Under bills for introduction, Council Member Council bill 0328 has been called out for amendment and comment by Councilmember Lewis under bills for final consideration.

No items have been called out.

Under bills for under pending, no items have been called out.

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

Council resolution 0775.

A resolution approving a proposed agreement between the city and county of Denver, big truck rental LLC for refuge truck rentals and corresponding maintenance repair services.

Councilmember Alvidres, please go ahead with your questions and comments on Council Resolution 0775.

Thank you, Council President.

I want to acknowledge Dottie is here in the room and was able to send me an email about why we're renting trucks, but I still have some follow-up questions.

I my understanding from the email is that we're renting trucks for trash because we don't have a way to purchase them quickly enough or fix the ones that need to be fixed quickly enough.

Is that correct?

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councilman Alvidres.

I would say generally, yes.

So this contract, sorry, Nicholas Williams Dottie.

Uh, this contract really kind of serves as an emergency uh fleet on there that as those other vehicles, the existing vehicles that we have, uh, go down for either repairs or maintenance.

These vehicles are able to be utilized for um for to cover those routes to make sure we're not missing any routes, but generally, yes.

I think just based on kind of where the budget is and where the vehicles are right now, that's why this is kind of a short term solution while we start to catch up with the remainder of our fleet, kind of fill in, start to fill in our backlogs.

That's what this this rental contract serves as.

Do you happen to know how much a trash shark costs to buy one?

Oh, dang.

No, but we do have Nina Weisdorf on line.

Uh, okay, and I've warned her that I get stomped so producer.

If you'll promote or they could raise their hand, who did you say Tim?

I mean Nick Nina Weisdorf.

Nina Weisdorf.

And are they with Dottie or are they with the big truck?

She is with Dottie, and actually she just seems to be about 450,000.

Okay.

Okay.

Um interesting.

Well, I would like to just learn more about that.

I am concerned about us renting trucks when we could maybe purchase some trucks and the use of those funds, but um I'll go ahead and vote yes on this tonight.

But thank you.

We would love to have a further conversation.

Thank you.

Yep.

Thank you so much, Madam President.

We don't need her.

No, we don't need her.

He was able to say 450,000 dollars.

That's how much it costs to buy one.

Thank you.

Thank you.

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

Council Bill 0328, a bill for an ordinance updating the classifications and penalties for municipal crime offenses.

Council Pro Temeral Campbell, will you please put council bill zero three two eight on the floor for publication?

I move that council bill zero three two eight be ordered published.

It has been moved and seconded.

There's another motion on the floor.

Councilmember Lewis, what would you like to do with Council Bill 0328?

Um, I move that council bill 260328 be amended in the following particulars.

One on page one, line nine, insert whereas a class five offense shall be created to make the penalties for city offenses that prohibit the same or identical conduct as CRS civil infraction no greater than those allowed under state law and not to capture DRMC current regulatory offenses that are not that are not comparable to civil infractions.

It has been moved and seconded.

Questions and comments by member of council on amendment one to council bill zero three to eight.

Councilmember Lewis.

Yes.

So we have seven amendments tonight, and I'll speak to the purpose of the specific amendments in just a moment, but I wanted to read a transmission from Tim Hoffman that was sent to members of council, and I would like to read it off in light of the seven amendments we are bringing tonight.

Um and so it reads Good morning, Denver's good morning, members of Denver City Council.

I'm writing to provide an update on the administration's position on 260328, the municipal sentencing ordinance before you this afternoon on first reading, where the proposed amendments being offered by councilwoman Lewis accepted by the full city council later today.

The administration's remaining concerns would be addressed.

Mayor Johnson will provide a statement before the final vote, but I wanted to give this information as the amendments are being considered.

And I wanted to, if it's appropriate, call Tem to the podium just to confirm this.

Good afternoon, Tim Hoffman with the mayor's office.

I was glad there weren't any typos or I I strung together coherent sentences in that email.

Um yes, that's accurate.

Uh were all of the amendments to be uh adopted by this body tonight that would address the administration's remaining concerns, and as I mentioned in that communication, the mayor will be issuing a statement um later in the week.

Um providing a little bit more context, but um I can confidently say that at this point.

Great, thank you.

You can go be sick now.

Do you want to go back to the purpose of this one amendment?

Yes, um, I'm happy to.

Um so now turning to this amendment, the purpose of uh the purpose of this amendment is to add a whereas clause to clarify the legislative intent of the class five offense.

Perfect, thank you.

Madam Secretary, roll call on amendment one to council bill zero three two eight.

Council members Gilmore.

Aye.

Aye, Sawyer, aye.

Albitris, aye.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

Hines, aye.

Cashman?

Aye.

Lewis.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Torres?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

Twelve ayes.

Twelve ayes.

Council Bill 0328 has passed.

Councilmember Lewis, please proceed with your next amendment.

Thank you.

I move that council bill 260328 be amended in the following particulars.

One on page one, line 12, strike removing the struck through language, and two on page two line 20 through 21, strike certain offenses present and present an increased risk of harm to the community and therefore in the interest of public safety, any and replaced with any.

Three on page five, line 22, insert after but are not limited to.

Five on page 12, line 25, strike removing removing the struck language through language, and six on page 20, line seven, strike subsection 38-93 and replace with section 38-157.

7 on page 20 line 23, strike 38-93, and replaced with section 38-157.

I think it's specials.

Do we have any questions or comments on by members of council on amendment two to council bill 0328?

Councilmember Lewis?

Yes, the purpose of this amendment is to correct drafting errors.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, we'll call on amendment two to council bill 0328.

Council members Gilmore.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Albitris.

Aye.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

Heinz.

Hi.

Cashman.

Lewis.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Torres?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

Eleven ayes.

11 ayes.

Amendment two to council bill 0328 has passed.

Um.

Councilmember Lewis, please proceed with your next amendment.

Thank you.

I move that Council Bill 260328 be amended and the following particulars.

One on page 24, strike lines one through two and replaced with the following.

Effective date, sections one through 23 of this ordinance shall become effective 60 days after final publication.

Section 24 of this ordinance shall become effective immediately after final publication.

Two on page 23, line 32, strike January 31st, 2027, and replaced with March 31st, 2027.

It has been moved and seconded.

Questions and comments by members of council on amendment three to council bill 0328.

Councilmember Lewis?

Yes.

So this amendment clarifies that the working group section of the ordinance is effective immediately and amends the date the working group uh report is due.

Great.

Madam Secretary, we'll call on amendment three to council bill 0328.

Council President, I had a question.

I'll withdraw my question.

I think the councilwoman clarified that.

Okay.

Okay.

Councilwoman Gonzalez could get us.

Thank you, Madam President.

I just wanted to say that this also came at the request, and some of the feedback that we heard from our colleagues in asking if there could be some additional time for this working group to meet.

Um and also balancing the fact that many of the members on this current body would like to be able to take this issue back up.

And so we thought this was striking the right balance in uh giving an additional two months to this process.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council members Gilmore.

Aye.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Alvidres?

Aye.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

Heinz.

Aye.

Cashman.

Aye.

Lewis.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Torres?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

Twelve ayes.

12 ayes.

Amendment three to council bill 0328 has passed.

Councilmember Lewis, please proceed with your next amendment.

Thank you.

I move that council bill 260328 be amended in the following particulars.

One on page three, line one, insert G, unlawful display or flourishing weapons as defined in section 381-11.

Two renumber subsequent sections accordingly.

Questions and comments by Councilmember by members of council on amendment four to council bill 0328.

Councilmember Lewis.

I'll keep it general and I'll have Councilwoman Gonzalez opine further.

So this is to make unlawful display of flourishing of weapons a class two offense, and she can talk to how we got here.

Councilwoman Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um thank you, Councilwoman Lewis.

Yes, this is one of the areas in the um work that we did with pace as and as well as the Office of Municipal Public Defenders and the Mayor's Office.

Um this was an agreement that was made.

I do want to though recognize the fact that you know flourishing of a weapon, and this is something we've talked I think at length about um is not only talking about deadly weapons, right?

We're not just talking about guns, we're also talking about sticks.

We're talking about um, you know, holding a ruler.

There's there's many different things that can be considered a weapon, and one of the I think um agreements that we arrived upon was the fact that we would ensure that this is also taken up in the working group conversations, um, because there is a lot of nuance here when it comes to flourishing of a weapon, whether or not you are seeking to strike fear into somebody by flourishing said weapon, or are you walking down 16th Street Mall with a big walking stick, right?

That those things can be seen as one of the same under the current code, um, and what will be going in with this amendment?

And so this was a concession that we made as sponsors in the um uh, you know, in working in good faith um with the stakeholders, and I ask for support of this amendment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Watson?

Uh thank you, uh Council President, and to the sponsors, can you clarify what was the actual um sentencing guidelines for this prior to the change?

Your it's now um uh as a class two offense, which I believe a class two offense is uh nine hundred ninety nine dollars, three hundred days.

What was the originating yes?

It's a guideline.

Yeah, I believe it was a class four.

Um, and so it was at the uh 10-day, and that was because uh all of the other offenses as it relates to those that are related to handguns and possession of of um firearms were already being captured at the highest um penalty.

So that was originally what was in it, so now it has been moved from 10 days to 300 days.

So the 10 day listing for this was something that was presented in this bill, or was this the originating sentencing guideline that was within the code?

So outside of camp, what was the charges?

Um was was this a reflection of a specific state charge of simple the similarly flourishing weapons that was changed by camp or changed by the sponsors?

That's I'm trying to clarify if this was a higher charge, um, and then the legislation made it 10 days, and now we're moving it back up to class two.

Can we have Rachel?

So I was yeah, I was just gonna ask to phone a friend if we can have Rachel Mercer.

Yeah, if you don't mind, and Rachel, if you could speak to the different classes as well, because I I think that would provide some clarity.

Uh yes, so originally, Councilmember Watson is.

You disintroduce yourself for the record?

No problem.

My name is Rachel Mercer.

I'm a uh senior attorney at the Denver Municipal Public Defender's Office.

Uh unlawful flourishing of the weapon prior to camp.

Um, this is a municipal-only offense.

There's no state comparable offense.

Um so originally this was 300 days and a 999 dollar fine.

Um the bill had originally proposed um this being a class four offense, which would be 10 days and a 300 fine, but this amendment would move it back up to 300 days with a 999 dollar fine as a class two offense.

And so the originating was class two as it as it stood, since this was not governed by camp.

Yes, correct.

There was no class.

The class two offenses have been changed, but originally this was under the general penalty that currently exists in the code of 300 days and a in jail and a 999 dollar fine.

And so my clarification uh the council sponsor stated flourishing a weapon on 16th Street could be someone walking with a big cane.

Um is there someone that can speak to you from uh legal um uh um uh review as to would flourishing be is it walking with a cane or flourishing a weapon?

Can you describe the difference?

Because I want to make sure we're clear what we're discussing when when this says flourishing from your understanding, what is flourishing?

Uh my understanding would be that you if you took the cane and you were to flourish it, you were to waive it in some move it in some manner.

I suppose there's some ambiguity and vagueness in our code as to what exactly it means to flourish a weapon, it's a fairly broad term.

Okay, thank you so much.

One final question for the sponsors, then.

Your statement, Councilwoman Gonzalez Gutierrez, you stated that the commission, if passed, will review this.

What is the thought process of the review?

Is it to look to bring that back down to 10 days or to make that um a non-criminal activity?

What what's the the the broad the the extent of what you're considering a review of flourishing?

Councilman Watson, I don't think that's for us to decide here tonight.

That's the purpose of the working group is to have those conversations.

Not necessarily to make a determination on whether or not it should go away, but it could be, you know, potentially um is it does it need to be teased out some more of what types of weapons are we talking about?

What can we define what flourishing is in more depth instead of having it so vague, those kinds of conversations that I think will be important?

But I really think that that should be handled by the working group and not by us this evening.

I I appreciate that.

I have one follow up on that.

Can I just add the intention of the work group is was exactly designed for us to be able to come to some answers that we weren't able to make um in terms of like clear laws or um even in our negotiations with the mayor's office, and so we didn't we didn't decide on what the outcomes might be, but we decided that we wanted to be able to convene the work group and provide a space where folks could really grapple with the nuance of these and then um uh have an understanding that there were specific topics that we won't we're going to be addressing in the workroom.

And I think in my greater comments at the end, I'm just speaking to this amendment.

I will share my deep concerns with the the construction or the the idea of what the commission is going to be reviewing, but specific to this, um, for the sponsors, can you share with me from your thought process when this was brought forward in January, why um 10 days um was a consideration for flourishing weapons?

Um why what was your thinking on this?

I would love to have an idea as to really kind of the root of why this amendment was even needed in the first place.

Councilman Watson, I guess I'm confused a little bit by your question because we're coming with this amendment to make the change, and I think we already explained uh the reasoning as we've already discussed with uh an attorney, and and so I'm not I guess I'm not sure what you're trying to get at, and perhaps maybe you should just say what it is that you try to do.

No, no, I I think I'm being very clear, Councilwoman uh Gonzalez Guterres.

Can I hold pause?

Yeah.

Councilwoman Parity has her hand up, and maybe she can help bring some clarity to this situation.

That's helpful.

Councilman Parity, can you um opine?

Well, I don't think there's any lack of clarity.

I mean, I think that um we're offering an amendment to keep the penalty exactly the same.

And I think the reason, which we've said over and over and over in our like eight committee presentations so far, that we had it at 10 days originally is because it's conduct that is not criminalized by the state.

Um, and that's because uh when there is any kind of there are more serious offenses that capture more serious versions of this conduct.

And so um we had it at 10 days because we very consistently in the beginning proposed putting all municipal only offenses at 10 days with the presumption that um things that are more current criminalized only by the city are generally and they are uh less serious than things that are criminalized by the state.

So that was where we started from.

Um, and we've now made this concession today.

I appreciate that, Councilwoman Parity, but what I also want to be clear with that I've also been meeting with community, and it's these types of changes uh in the originating bill that were not um um required through camp.

Camp did not call out flourishing.

Um community members up and down district nine, this is one, and then the other two are the other two that they are concerned with.

Um, there was a decision made by the sponsors to bring this down to 10.

We are discussing that a commission is going to have a review of whether this should go back to 10 days.

I'm trying to get the originating why, and you're saying because there were multiple flourishing um uh pieces of uh of items.

Is that the reason why was 10?

No, I think if you under if you understand how criminal law works, when there's a weapon involved and someone's being directly threatened with it, that's going to carry other kinds of charges.

Like a gun, for example.

So what we're talking about with this ordinance, um, I just blinked a little bit on the screen, so I want to make sure I'm no you're I can't start in the room.

Um so the what this ordinance captures that the state does not capture is a is a narrower realm of conduct.

Um thank clarification.

Um uh thank you for proving the time to ask those questions.

Um, this is one of the reasons why we'll be voting no on this amendment.

Councilmember, if you're still in the queue.

Do you want to say anything else?

If I might, because I just want to we've had a lot of discussion, and I just think I want to clarify for the general public, um, that this became a class four under the new one, and then we put it back to a class two, and so to be clear, the council sponsors actually did not want to move this forward, but it was a part of our negotiating with the mayor's office in order to get this to a place that people could vote and not feel like they were that this was a hostage negotiation, and so the council sponsors were very intentional about bringing these amendments to the floor so that um the administration as well as our council colleagues um could vote on something.

If councilman Watson wants us to bring it back to the 10 days, I would imagine that that stuff could be decided on in the um work group, but the work group, and I can't say this definitive definitively enough, the work group is not going to be automatically moving this back to 10 days.

The purpose of the work group is to have discussions and determine the nuance of these because we couldn't come to agreement, and so this is what we negotiated and agreed upon that we could both live with the mayor's office as well as the council sponsors.

Thank you.

And Council President, since Councilmember Lewis called my name, but I want to make sure what I'm saying is clear.

My statement was that the initial initial ordinance should not have gone down to a class two.

Um that this was clear that this was a um uh higher penalty that was not spoken to with camp.

So I was trying to get the thought process as to why it was reduced in the first place.

So no, I'm not requesting for this to be changed back to a low offense.

I'm saying that where it's at, because it was not impacted by camp, should not have been touched, and that's where my concern has been all along the steps taken to address issues outside of the state supreme court direction to all municipalities that those steps were taken and should not have been, and that has been my statement, and that's why I'll be voting no on this amendment.

Councilwoman Parity?

Yeah, I just want to say this even more clearly.

Councilwoman Watson, there's a specific separate municipal code provision that involves, for example, threatening someone with a gun.

I get that.

Okay.

Just I hadn't said that as clearly as I as I want to.

I get that.

But this was not listed.

Uh uh, thank you all.

I'll be voting yes on this.

This is one that I had concern about, and I appreciate the sponsors taking this back to the original stance.

This is not part of the package now.

This goes back to the original stance, the way it is, and gives the opportunity for the working group to opine.

And I'll say, as somebody who had been working with the sponsors, this fulfills my concern about the bill in general.

So I'll be absolutely supporting this amendment this afternoon.

Madam Secretary, roll call on amendment four.

Is it amendment four?

Yeah, amendment four to council bill zero three two eight.

Council members Gilmore.

Aye.

Parity.

Aye, Sawyer.

Aye.

Alvides.

Aye.

Ronza Gutierrez.

Aye.

Heinz?

Hi.

Cashman.

Lewis.

Aye.

Romera Campbell.

Aye.

Torres?

Aye.

Watson.

Nay.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announced results.

11 ayes.

11 ayes.

Amendment 4 to Council Bill 0328 has passed.

Councilmember Lewis, please proceed with your next amendment.

Thank you.

I move that Council Bill 260328 be amended in the following particulars.

One on page three, line five, insert K, firearms, firearms prohibited in city owned or lease buildings were posted as defined in Section 38-131.

Two renumber subsequent sections accordingly.

It has been moved and seconded.

Questions and comments by members of council on account amendment five to council bill zero three two eight.

Councilmember Lewis.

Thank you.

So the purpose of the purpose of this amendment is to make firearms prohibited in city owned or leased buildings.

We're posted a class two offense, and then I'll turn it over to Councilwoman Gonzalez Gutierrez to speak a bit more about how we got here.

Thank you.

Um thank you.

So this was actually an oversight.

Um in the original bill, uh, this had just gotten left out.

So this was not something that needed to be changed because we had it in a different way.

It was purely an oversight as we were drafting the legislation.

So ask for support on this, seeing no other questions and comments, Madam Secretary, roll call on amendment five, the council bill zero three two eight.

Council Council members Gilmore.

Aye.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Aye.

Alvidres.

Aye.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

Heinz?

Hi.

Cashman.

Lewis.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Torres?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

12 ayes.

12 ayes, amendment five to council bill 0328 has passed.

Councilmember Lewis, please proceed with your next amendment.

Thank you.

I move that Council Bill 260328 be amended in the following particulars.

One on page 12, strike lines 20 through 22 and replaced with the following.

D, violation of this section is a class three offense, except that if the restrained person has previously been convicted of violating a protection order, or if the protection order is issued pursuant to section 18-1-1001 CRS, or the by basis for issuing the protection order in order included an allegation of stalking, or the parties were in an intimate relationship, the violation is a class two offense.

E.

Any sentence imposed for a violation of this section must run consecutively and not concurrently with any sentence imposed for a crime involving domestic violence as defined in section 14-68.

Two on page 23, line 31, insert D, specifically assess the ordinance language and penalties for violation of a protection order as defined in 3844.

The working group shall assess and discuss whether the section adequately encourages compliance while also using city resources thoughtfully and avoiding overuse of the criminal legal system.

Thank you.

It has been moved and seconded questions and comments by members of council on amendment six to council bill zero three two eight.

Councilmember Lewis.

Thank you so much.

I'll start and then turn it over to Councilwoman Gonzalez Gutierrez.

So the purpose of this amendment is to amend the penalties for a violation of a protection order, and it clarifies that this that the section must specifically address uh by the that the section must be specifically addressed by the working group.

Thank you.

Um councilmember Watson.

Uh thank you, Council President.

Uh clarifier again, once again, there have been so many changes with this bill.

I'm trying to keep up.

Where was um the actual census and guidelines for this protective order prior to this amended change?

What was the proposed um uh guidance um census and guidelines for this section?

Rachel, can you come up?

Thank you.

And also, is was this um a uh camp directive as well?

Was this based on the state's supreme court requirement for camp change?

Uh this is Rachel Mercer from the Municipal Public Defender.

Uh originally, as it's currently states in our code under DRMC 38 43, we have a very general provision that makes it a crime to violate any kind of court order.

What the bill does is add a specific section addressing protection orders for people specifically uh in 38 44 of the code.

Uh and the goal is for this new section to mirror state law, the violation of protection orders crime under the state code.

And so the purpose here is really a camp purpose.

It's to clarify what the punishment is for violation of a protection order by mirroring the state language so that there's no confusion about what the penalty is, and the penalty will align with state law.

So the originating sentencing guideline before to clarify that you provided, what was the sentencing guidelines for the originating sentencing guidelines?

Originally, like most offenses in the code, the violation of court orders section fell under the general penalty of up to 300 days in jail and a 999 dollar fine.

Most violation of protection order crimes under this bill will also still be 300 days in jail and a 999 fine.

A few as per camp will be limited to the punishment for a class two misdemeanor under state law, which is 120 days jail and a $750 fine.

But most violation of protection order crimes will be at the highest level for a class two offense.

And that that's mostly camp.

So the subcharge, if this was not for a restrained person who is previously convicted, if you never been convicted, this would be a class three offense of a hundred and twenty days and seven hundred and fifty dollars.

If it's for a person that's not previously been convicted of violation of a protection order, and it's not a domestic violence case, it's a protection order possibly between neighbors or someone who's not been in any kind of intimate relationship, it would be capped at 120 days jail and a 750 fine, which is the cap under state law, so that's the highest the municipal court can go.

Can you describe what's a protection order?

A protection order is just an order issued by a court, um, could be civil or could be criminal that protects a particular person.

Um and frequently those are gonna be issued in domestic violence cases, but not always.

And so this speaks to if you're convicted for um violating a protection order, if someone verbally continues to harass someone, they're not convicted.

Does that escalate it to a class two or do they actually have to violate the protection order?

So the default um is that violation of a protection order is a class three offense with 120 days jail, unless there's an aggravating circumstance and the bill lists several aggravating circumstances.

Um if there's a prior violation for any kind of violation of a protection order, that would aggravate the offense and increase the penalty.

If the parties are shown to have been in an intimate relationship at any time, that would increase the penalty.

If the protection order was issued in a domestic violence case, that would increase the penalty.

And if there's an allegation under this amendment of stalking, that would also increase the penalty.

So there's several different ways in which the penalty could be increased, and again, all of that mirrors the state statute.

And that increase would be for the second offense, so the initial would it's still capped at 120.

Is there a level of egregiousness of the uh the offense for the initial offense of breaking a protection order?

So they break a protection order.

Um I won't I won't describe some of the stuff that I've I've I've with meeting with domestic violence and advocates over this um time of this bill, but is there a level um since this is the work that you do, is there a level of egregious behavior with a first offense that has any level of trigger for the courts to say this was so out of bounds, um we can trigger a higher offense, or is it simply uh a breach of protection order?

This is the first time this is the a judge's discretion is capped, no matter what the level of egregiousness.

So, under state law and the camp decision per the Colorado Supreme Court, the maximum punishment for the first violation of a protection order is a hundred and twenty days jail, kind of regardless of the nature of the violation, no matter how many times you contacted them.

Um, however, if it's the first violation of any kind of domestic violence protection order, it automatically goes to 300 days and a 999 dollar fine on the first offense, the first violation.

And obviously, if you are violating a protection order and you've also committed another crime, such as an assault or any other kind of offense, that can be charged as well, and you can be punished for that like co-occurring offense at the same time, which would address most of the I think aggravated circumstances of the violation of a protection order.

So this amendment uh provides for that class three, 120 days, um, and then the uh bump up or the escalation to the class two of 900, I mean 300 days 999.

The existing was all at 300 days.

Yes, but under the camp decision for certain violations of protection orders, we couldn't go to 300 days anymore because we would be exceeding the state penalty for the violation of a not domestic violence protection order.

The state penalty was lower, so our violation of court orders punishment currently on the books is too high under the camp decision.

So that's why I say this amendment and the bill text on violation of protection order is largely motivated by the camp decision to match state penalties and also clarify for everyone in the courtroom exactly what the punishment is for these crimes so that everyone there's less confusion.

Do you have um any data information on what were the numbers?

So, for example, were we seeing offenses that weren't as clear that uh the clarification that you just provided to have the singular offense at um um class three at 120 days instead of um them all w the clarifier that you just provided, um what level, how many what was the the the and I know this is more of a hypothetical um uh uh you may not have this evidence, and I will ask um uh our city attorneys prior to second reading to if they can provide this to me.

But for folks who are not um having second violations that under this reading would get you to back to class two.

Do you know what that percent is?

How many of those or how you see in court or who would have that information to see the difference of the initiating um offense and then the escalator offense going up to 900 um going up to 300 days?

I mean, I don't know the statistics.

My guess is that most of the violation of protection order cases we see are domestic violence cases, so they would be at that 300 days.

But without the domestic violence piece, because we have this staggering, doesn't speak just to the domestic violence.

Yeah, we do have some cases that are charged in our municipal court that are absolutely not domestic violence cases, neighbor disputes, things where people family members got protection orders and those are being violated, those would be at the 120 days unless there was another aggravating circumstance.

Um, and I'm just not sure what the percentages of those.

All right, but again, I would say that this violation of protection order amendments have mostly been asked for by the city attorney's office to match the state law and clarify the penalties for these this kind of criminal conduct.

Councilman Parity.

Yeah, I just wanted to remind Councilmember Watson that a few months ago we sent around the um all the courts data from the past five years about all charges in the municipal courts, and so that's what's available.

Um, and it's the same thing that we all have, and and you have that as well.

So it is hard to parse, but you know, we everyone sort of has the same ability to try to parse that.

It's quite voluminous because it's something like 70,000 charges, but that's where that data lives.

Um, and we and we all have that.

Correct, councilwoman parody.

My team did parse that, we did review that.

We didn't see um for this separation that the um the having these separate clock um classes of of charges for censing guidelines from our perspective was not necessary.

And so we went through every line of that data, identified um not only the demographics, but the crimes that are being committed that are considered uh petty crimes that the uh county court provided.

And so we have that data, we've reviewed it.

That's hence my questioning um of um the team here as to what their understanding was as far as impact.

Thank you.

Um just want to say to the council sponsors, again, this is one that I was um had concern about.

I've had a protection order that's not have anything to do with domestic violence and um so I I appreciate you moving this and making this amendment.

Madam Secretary, we'll call on amendment six to council bill 0328.

Council members Gilmore.

Aye.

Sawyer, aye.

Alvidus aye, Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Hines, Cashman, Lewis, Romero Campbell, aye.

Torres?

Aye Watson.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, roll call.

I mean, Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

11 ayes.

11 ayes, amendment six to council bill 0328 has passed.

Um tonight there will be a required public hearing on council bill.

I that's where I'm supposed to go, right, Madam Secretary.

I think I have one more.

Yeah, but we have to go to public comment.

My bad.

I'm so sorry.

Tonight there will be a required public hearing on Council Bill 0392, changing the zoning classification for 5101 5115 North Milwaukee Street in Illyrious Swansea on Council Bill 0742, designating 2100 California Street and 2101 Walton Street as structures for preservation, and on Council Bill 0620, designating 2329 North Gaylord Street as a structure for preservation.

There being no objections from members of council, we will recess until 5 30 before before reconvening the regular meeting.

City council will provide a half-hour general public comment session to hear from the public on city matters, except for any matter that is scheduled for a legally required public hearing.

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

Us at our next session or submit your comments in writing.

The next session will be held on Monday, June 29th.

Sign up begins at 5 p.m.

on Thursday, June 25th.

We look forward to hearing from you again, and thank you for attending.

Council will now reconvene from our earlier session.

We will continue with the amendments to and consideration of Council Bill 260328.

Councilmember Lewis, please proceed with your next amendment.

Thank you.

One on page three, line twenty-three, insert e threats as defined in section 38-92A.

Two renumber subsequent sections accordingly.

Three on page 19, strike 27.

Let me start over three on page 19, line 27, strike class 4 offense and replace with class 3 offense.

Four on page 23, line 31 insert E specifically assess the ordinance language and penalties for threats as defined in section 38-92A.

The working group shall assess and discuss whether the section adequately encourages compliance while also using city resources thoughtfully in avoiding overuse of the criminal legal system and whether the section adequately addresses harm to pets.

Questions and comments by members of council on amendment seven to council bill 0328.

Councilmember Lewis.

Thank you.

So the purpose of this amendment, it amends the penalty for threats as defined in section 389-92A, a class three violation, and specifies that the subsection must be specifically addressed by the working group.

And Councilwoman Gonzalez Gutierrez can speak more about this.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman Lewis.

Um thank you, Madam President.

Um there's I don't know that there's a whole lot more to add other than the fact that this was another amendment that uh came by way of conversations, ongoing conversations and back and forth with the mayor's office, with pace, and with the municipal public defenders in trying to make sure that we are striking the right balance, understanding that as it currently, just knowing that there needs to be some additional conversation around threats, specifically as it relates to pets, because right now pets are defined as property in our code, and so there is there is some misalignment there that perhaps the working group could take up and and maybe tease out a little bit more of what is an inanimate object versus a living thing, such as pets and and seeing the differences there.

So I ask for support on this amendment.

Umber Cashman.

Yeah, thank you, Madam President.

I just wanted to clarify something from the sponsors.

Um we've talked uh a bit tonight or uh the sponsors have about a working group being formed.

And my understanding is the working group will make recommendations at the end of their work.

They won't pass a bill, they'll make recommendations, and the normal city council process will take over from there if any changes are to be made or additions to what's being proposed right now.

So if any member is upset with something the working group comes up with, they can fight it, or if they love what they see, they can support it, correct?

Mm-hmm.

Yes, um, Councilman Cashman, yes.

That's the purpose of the working group is to come back with recommendations on um you know proposed changes.

Uh and we're not determining what those changes will be.

We we are rather making sure that what is to be taken up by the working group and trying to identify those things, and then it will be this body, of course, the legislative branch that would make the decisions on what policy actually gets passed.

Thank you.

I just wanted to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary I was missing.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Seeing no other comments, um, Madam Secretary, roll call on amendment seven to council bill zero three two eight.

Council members Gilmore.

Aye, Carity.

Aye.

Soya.

Aye.

Alvides.

Aye.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

Heinz.

Aye.

Cashman.

Aye.

Lewis.

Aye.

Romero Campbell, aye.

Motis.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

Twelve eyes.

12 ayes.

Council Bill 0328 has been ordered published.

I mean, sorry, has passed.

Councilmember Romero Campbell, would you please put Council Bill 032A on the floor for publication as amended?

I move that council bill 0328 be ordered published as amended.

Do we have any questions and comments from members of council?

Council bills 0328 as amended.

Councilmember Albida is starting out.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I just wanted to say thank you to the sponsors for all their work on this.

This is a huge lift, uh, very complicated, and I appreciate the delay so that I could understand better.

Um, and I am still waiting on one small uh addition to the working group.

Um, it's been really important to me.

I've had to work with the DA on some really challenging issues with the city attorney, figuring out what those are.

So I'm really grateful for them that they're that we're having this conversation and they're figuring it out.

Thank you.

That's all.

If I just might respond if that's okay.

Absolutely.

Um, I just want to to say on record that the council sponsors are looking um to be so councilwoman alvides asked um that the district attorney be a part of the work group, and so we are in conversations with the mayor's office um as well as his council sponsors and councilwoman Albidras to make that happen.

We just want to make sure that we're able um to balance the work group, and so our hope is that we can bring forth an amendment um for second reading in order to be able to honor um that request.

Thank you, Councilmember Heinz.

Can I just finish one more thing?

Sorry, I apologize.

Thank you.

Not guaranteed.

Oh, yes, next week.

Thank you.

Okay.

Councilmember Hines?

Thank you, Madam President.

So I as we have seen through this discussion, there are seven amendments that we've uh we voted on tonight.

And I want to thank the sponsors for continuing to uh to move with this conversation uh to continue to have um uh uh additional dialogue with um with I I know several of my neighbors uh businesses and nonprofits who have expressed concerns um uh over the preceding months.

Um I know that I have sent out now three rounds of um uh of drafts of this particular piece of legislation and uh those who are in the upper downtown neighborhood association, the lower downtown neighborhood association, Roseandum, uh, and uh numerous businesses and business organizations and business owners uh have all provided uh comments and thoughts um about this uh this ordinance.

Um a uh one constituent uh reached out just today and said about this bill.

I agree that we don't want to be overly punitive, but we also need some semblance of accountability for low-level or quality of life type stuff focus.

Folks are not happy right now.

Please vote no on this version and work with council on passing a clean version that brings us to the camp requirements, not beyond them.

So I'm reading this quote um from someone who clearly is not as uh invested in the conversation as uh those of us on the dais.

Um I'm reading it because uh we are as a community still trying to keep up with the continued changes that um uh that have been going uh with this uh this proposal.

And so uh I am doing my best to uh to synthesize the um uh to reach out to my community and synthesize the concerns from my community, and oh boy, are they doing a whole lot of work to continue to uh to look at the changes?

Now we have another set of seven amendments for the community to consider uh yet again.

Um so uh I when you look at a map of crime, a heat map of crime in the city of Denver, um there are spots around the city.

District 10 is a big red spot.

I think the uh only other area that's a big red spot is the five-point statistical neighborhood, ballpark and and river north, and um and so uh another thing that I'm working with uh working with my community, one to make sure that they're caught up, but two, uh there is a uh perception of um uh of con of crime and the data backs it up that there's actually crime in district 10 and um and there uh the can there's a concern from the community that we don't want to um uh the revitalization of downtown is fragile, and we don't want to negatively impact the revitalization of downtown by um eroding uh municipal only offenses uh or keep or making it so that people are not as accountable um with municipal only offenses.

So I know that is uh certainly the um the preference of uh the constituents that I've talked to that we align with camp, then uh create the um the the stakeholder working group to look at the uh municipal only offenses uh that seems safer to me and uh and so I am uh so again, playing catch up with my community, but I I guess I I do wonder why we should um pass the municipal only offenses to next week and then do the uh working group as opposed to doing the working group and then using the information for them working group uh to inform how we would change those municipal-only sentences in the future.

So um I'll be a yes tonight um because I think it's important for us to continue to have dialogue as much as we can.

Uh, but that's kind of the framing that I have now.

Is it seems uh safer and simpler for us to align with camp, then do the stakeholder working group to make sure that um uh that we're moving in the right direction and uh with intention without making any mistakes.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Watson.

Council President, I just want to be clear.

This will be the final opportunity for comments prior to voting on moving to some first reading, or this is just on the amendment.

This is this is the publication, so first reading on the whole entire package now.

On the whole package, and then next week we'll but we'll have a courtesy public hearing in the evening at 5 30, and then we'll vote.

Um, it sounds like there will be one more amendment next week, and then we'll vote on that amendment, and then we'll have to be, but this is as amended as the whole package.

Excellent.

I didn't know if it was the whole package or just um uh discussion on the amended portion.

So let me share my my comments.

Um, uh I want to be clear um to folks who are watching this and um to my colleagues on the dais.

Um my office has spent uh tremendous amount of time reviewing this bill.

Um we've had uh community meetings with every neighborhood within district nine.

We've met with each of the uh business improvement districts, the general improvement districts um within uh district nine.

We also met with a council of business improvement districts and um and general improvement districts.

We've met with the county courts and the county judges um three times to sit and speak with them.

We visited Rose Andam, which is the leading domestic violence um nonprofit in the city and county of Denver from my perspective, and we've met with them four times.

Um we met with the city attorney's office almost on a weekly basis for almost I think three months.

We've also met with the district attorney's office in our regular monthly discussion as well as additional discussions.

Um we have held um for a bill that I am not a sponsor of more meetings on this than we've I've had for most of the bills that um have come before this council in the last several months.

And my office did this um because I thought this was important.

It's important to make sure that we get this right.

So first let me be clear.

The camp requirement or the state requirement for camp versus Westminster, the city of Westminster requires the municipalities across the state of Colorado that if there are municipal sentencing guidelines that do not match the state, that we take those steps and make those changes.

Um one is asserting that that change should not occur.

This bill, this ordinance, this request, this proposal, um, could have stayed specifically to the state camp decision, but it has strayed, and it strayed from the onset of the original um proposal, and it continues to this vote tonight to include items that are not directly um moving this to be in concert in connection with state with the state um um guidelines for similar petty offenses.

Why does this matter?

Councilmember Hines spoke a little bit to part of the process that has been overly concerning to me, and I think to the communities that have um reached out to me throughout these last six months and even before.

When I have, and I'm not certain how others have done prior to me being elected, consequential pieces of election that has faced this city council.

The normal process that my office has led is that we create a working group or task force.

We did that work, and we're doing that work now with data centers, highly complex, highly um um uh emotional folks with very strong opinions.

What we didn't do is create an ordinance on data centers and create a provision within that ordinance to create a commission to review the outcomes of that ordinance.

My concerns are twofold.

We do have the ability as Denver City Council to pass this, and obviously the votes are here to pass this proposal, this change in sentencing guidelines.

We do if we make a mistake and pass something that has a dramatic effect on victims of crime, we have a do-over.

All of us up here can come back in March after the outcomes of the commission that's being created, and we can make whatever changes we need.

But victims of crime for the decisions that we make tonight and next week do not have a do-over, and that is what my community has been communicating to me.

It would have been beneficial from my perspective for this council to remain strictly with camp.

The move beyond, and then the listing, and I won't read through what this bill offered initially, um, but I'll do that in second reading, because I want to make sure that folks in the community understand what was being proposed.

What types of petty offenses were being proposed that have been amended almost on a weekly basis up until this 13th um version, I think, of this bill, of which we've seen many more changes than 13.

We've seen over 20, and tonight, seven new amendments that we received this morning at 9 a.m., not enough time for our office to review fully what these changes are.

Not with the same requests that council members have made for bills that that we have passed, stating that we must have sufficient time to be able to debate and to discuss.

I will be a no on moving this forward because I do believe that there is an opportunity and has been throughout this process to stick to camp.

And if there is a need for a commission to be created to look at other items, that could be done at another time.

But going beyond camp tonight and then reviewing and seeing if we should go even further, which I'll be clear.

Some of the advocates on this have stated some of these that have been compromises or quote compromises will be revisited to see if those census and guidelines should be reduced.

So I appreciate the amount of engagement, the amount of work that folks have done on this.

I know from my office perspective, it has been a tremendous lift trying to keep up week by week by week with truly what is in this bill.

As I stated, I know how to count the votes, I know council members are supporting this to move to a second reading.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Sawyer.

Thanks, Madam President.

I think my colleagues have um shared the sentence sentiments that I've heard from my community as well, and so I will also be a no tonight.

That's all.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Lewis.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, and I'm gonna keep my remarks very short tonight because I know we have a whole uh whole other night next Monday um when you know we are in the final stages of this bill.

But what I do want to just say tonight is I want to thank everyone, everyone who has been part of this effort, part of this work, from the coalition members to our colleagues to our city attorneys, including um pace and and of course, uh municipal public defenders, the victims' rights groups, all of the folks, and of course, our our amazing council aides, um, they have really rocked it and have helped keep these things afloat.

And I have to say that yes, this is this is a big um piece of legislation.

Uh, however, you know, half half the work was done, and I think it's important to, you know, take a step back and really think about the types of crimes that we're talking about.

Um, I'm not gonna go into detail right now because I think there's there's more time and space for that um conversation, um, but I do know that a lot of the things that folks have brought up, uh, even in some of the public comment and and in other spaces, are things that are already happening right now.

So I just want to say that our courts are abiding by the law right now, what is constitutionally required.

Things like theft, theft of retailers, for example.

That's already being addressed.

That is that falls under the camp decision.

That's already happening in our courts.

Those sentences have already been modified, and that's happening every day in our courtrooms between our public defenders, our city attorneys, the prosecutors, the magistrates and judges, um, and the people that are involved in those cases.

And so I just want to be very clear that there's the majority of this, it's already happening.

And the majority of this is simply making sure that our code reflects what is required to us, required of us constitutionally.

That's what we're doing.

And you know, when we talk about these other offenses, we did a very diligent effort working with the mayor's office, working with pace to take a fine-tooth comb to what offenses are of the most serious that they see as the most serious, the most egregious.

And we made sure that those were still being prosecuted at that higher level.

Absolutely.

And so I just want folks to hear, we're not adding any new crimes, we're not taking any crimes away.

People will still um be accountable.

There, and and right now for some of these offenses that uh are disproportionately targeted at sometimes our unhoused population, they're not receiving the max penalty right now anyway.

So I just I just want to say, you know, there will be more to be said at the next um at the final reading.

I appreciate everyone's work in digging in on this, everyone, my colleagues.

I know this has been a huge lift for all of you as well.

Um, and you know, I I had fortunately or unfortunately the experience of doing this once before.

Um, and I know how big of a lift it is.

And so I I really want you to know I extend my gratitude to all of you for taking the time for taking every briefing.

Um, some of you took every single briefing we offered, um, and the amount of time that the folks in our coalition took to make sure that, you know, we were dotting all the I's and crossing all the T's, and of course the city attorneys, who I hope we we haven't driven mad at this point, but really appreciate all of the effort that has gone into this, it's been huge.

Um, and the last thing I'll just say is you know, councilwoman parody, I'm sad that you're not here in the chamber tonight, but I know you're online.

Um I know that this has been something that you have been working on from day one of being elected to your off to your seat.

And I'm really glad that that you're here right now and that we're doing this right now because I know that this has been something that you've been looking at before there was a camp v Westminster, because you saw the inequity that already existed.

Um, and so I just want to thank you for for bringing us along and doing this work.

Um, and I'm I'm grateful for those supporting um and and grateful for again all of the time and effort that everyone has taken.

And I ask for my colleagues to support this um for for first reading and publication.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Lewis.

Thank you so much.

So I'll save the bulk of my comments for next week when this item is on final reading.

But I did want to say a few things tonight, however.

First, these amendments tonight represent our commitment and our approach throughout the entire time that we have been working on this bill.

And we sent them out prior to 9 a.m.

this morning.

I wanted to clarify that.

We've heard that the bill radically expands the scope of sentencing reform.

That is not true.

We have work with those who we have worked with those who would work with us to find a sensible and workable revision of the Denver Municipal Code as required by the Colorado Supreme Court.

And in a way that aligns to the legislative intent of the Colorado legislature, why we're forming petty offenses to carry a lower general penalty than those in Denver.

So to that end, we made 16 substantive revisions to the bill when PACE requested them, not counting the four amendments tonight.

And this is a good thing representing engagement and collaboration in the face of complexity.

We also heard the calls for a clean bill, and that would keep all municipal level crimes at 300 days in jail and up to a 999 fine.

That is 30 times higher than state than state petty offenses and would cover things like barking dogs, having a dog off a leash, unvaccinated pegs, untagged dogs.

And this doesn't seem like it is worthwhile to be kicking that can down the road to discuss those charges, or many others that are on that list.

To that extent, the specific municipal only crimes are a concern to council members or the administration.

We have asked and implemented those changes.

It's not a nefarious scheme that the bill has changed since it was implemented.

Raising past issues of the bill does not reflect the understanding of the sponsors or the stakeholders as it has evolved throughout the process.

And I wanted to address one more point.

We heard that this bill, we heard that this is a bill that has been rushed.

That is also not true.

We have worked on this bill since late 2023 as Councilwoman Gonzalez Gonzalez Gutierrez mentioned because of councilwoman parity's foresight and interest in this topic.

We've had over 15 meetings with stakeholders as diverse as the mayor's office, JIDS, bids, ROs, housing organizations, victims groups, and others in that time.

We are holding another meeting this very week, which we invited you to at the top of this meeting to discuss the bill as amended tonight.

And it's not our fault of the bill sponsors or through the lack of effort on our part if advocates or nonprofits or bids or JIDs are not aware of the bill over the past few years, nor does it make the process rushed.

Additionally, sponsors were careful to hear feedback that was both critical of the bill as well as supportive, as opposed to hearing from only the loudest voices in opposition to the bill without considering the folks in support.

And then finally, the work here is not done.

The working group will continue to examine the nuances of the Denver Code and will work to recommend changes to reflect the concerns of folks around the city.

And so the bill sponsors have worked hard on this bill.

It is neither too broad nor insufficiently thorough.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Councilman Parity.

Yeah, I just want to um thank everyone for the work as my co-sponsors have.

Um this kind of revisiting of a criminal code is a complex thing, and I don't know that Denver City Council um it's certainly been a very long time since we've tried to look at our municipal criminal code in its entirety in this way.

Um, and a lot of that I want to recognize was led by the collaboration between the public defender's office and the prosecutor's office in the city, as you know, the experts on this code, um, sort of through the sponsors as mediums going back and forth and um really sharpening up the elements of a lot of offenses, aligning them with state law.

Um, and so I'm really really proud of the work that we've done.

I think it will um lead to better clarity in our courtrooms.

Um, it certainly will lead to camp compliance.

Um, and I just want to say it's not a it's not a gotcha that the bill goes beyond camp.

The reason the bill goes beyond camp is because we have a number of municipal petty offenses that are so low level that the state does not criminalize them they're municipal only they're very frequently prosecuted in some cases um and it's not right to leave those at a nearly a year sentence um especially now that we're aligning um similar kinds of offenses that the state does cover with state law um with 10 day sentences or lower any kind of sentencing scheme um and I've worked under federal sentencing laws I've worked under state sentencing laws um has to be rational um to be fair to protect due process and the reason that the state um made this move in the first place to align sentences that um councilman of terrors was a part of and that by the way um in the end was supported by all stakeholders and by you know the bipartisan um state legislature um is because we we have learned a lot about crime and punishment in this country um and in particular we have learned that when we just put people on a conveyor bolt through the jail because they are poor because they're unhoused um because they're committing crimes of desperation that that does not solve those issues and in effect makes them worse and it is a massive waste of public resources and so that's why this issue matters to me that's why I've worked on this bill from the beginning that's why this bill goes beyond camp because the lowest level offenses are the ones that that decision does not address and those are the offenses that are least well suited to a 300 day sentence we don't need a commission to tell us that um we know that and that's what this bill reflects I also look forward to the work of that commission um to get at some of the areas that do need a little more digging um and to report back to council on those I'm sad that I won't be here at that time um but I'm I'm very proud to have worked on this and I thank everyone for their votes tonight thank you see no other comments in the queue Madam Secretary roll call on council bill zero three two eight as amended council members gilmore aye parity aye sawyer nobidris aye Gonzalez Gutierrez aye Heinz Cashman Lewis aye Romera Campbell aye Torres Aye Watson Madam President Sandoval aye Madam Secretary close the voting announce the results 10 ayes 10 ayes council bill zero three two eight has amended has passed has uh has been ordered published as amended this concludes the items to be called out all bills for introduction are ordered published council members remember that this is a consent or block vote and you'll need to vote aye otherwise this is your last chance to call out an item for a separate vote.

Council pro temerio Campbell will you please put the resolutions for adoption and the bills and final consideration for final passage on the floor.

I move that the resolutions be adopted and bills on final consideration be placed upon final consideration and you pass in a block for the following items um in series 26 0743 0744 0745 0770 0778 0779 0780 0781782 0783 0784 0785 0786 0787 0788 0789 0790 0791 0792 0793 0794 0795 uh 07960797 0798 0799 Uh 0800 0801 0802 0803 0804 0772 0773 0774 0850 0769 0760 0771 0775 0805 0806 0807 0808 0851 0758 Thank you.

Madam Secretary, we'll call Council Member Gilmore.

Aye.

Parity.

Aye.

Sawyer?

Aye.

Alvidres.

Aye.

Gonzalez Cutieres.

Aye.

Heinz.

Aye.

Cashman.

Aye.

Lewis.

Aye.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Torres.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the vote voting, announce the results.

Twelve eyes.

Twelve ayes.

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

There is one proclamation being read this evening.

Councilmember Lewis Matson, please read proclamation 0934.

Thank you.

Proclamation 260934, honoring Black Pride Colorado, Colorado, excuse me.

Whereas Black Pride in the United States was born of grief and refusal, emerging from the Black Queer gatherings of Washington, DC in the 1970s and 1980s, and formalized over Memorial Day weekend in 1991, when black LGBTQIA plus communities, devastated by the AIDS epidemic and erased from the broader pride movement, came together to bury their own with dignity, to raise money for their own care, and to insist that black queer life is sacred, visible, and worthy of celebration.

And we're asked that the first gathering sparked a national and global movement, affirming across generations that black queer identity is not a margin of the LGBTQIA plus story, but a wellspring of it.

And whereas Juneteenth marks a freedom that was granted and granted late, while Black Pride marks a liberation that is claimed and ongoing practice of healing, restoration, and resilience that no authority confers and no authority could revoke.

And whereas Black Pride Colorado carries the legacy forward of our state, fostering inclusivity, deepening cultural understanding, and confronting confronting systemic discrimination against black LGBTQIA plus individuals through celebration, education, and organizing.

And whereas Black Bride Colorado builds intentional spaces where Black Queer Joy is itself a form of protest and where black LGBTQIA plus individuals gather in affirmation, connection, and pride.

Now therefore be it proclaimed by the Denver City Council, Section 1, that the Denver City Council hereby recognizes and celebrates Black Pride Colorado and firms that the liberation it pursues must be claimed, cultivated, and protected by us all.

And section two, that the clerk and recorder of the city and county of Denver shall affix the seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation and that a copy be transmitted to Dr.

Tara J, founder and executive director of Youth Scene and Black Pride Colorado.

Thank you.

Councilmember Lewis, your motion to adopt.

I move that proclamation number 260934 be adopted.

It has been moved and seconded.

Comments by members.

I'll start with Councilwoman Lewis and then I'll go to Councilmember Watson.

Councilwoman Lewis.

Yes.

Sorry.

Black Pride is pride.

It's not an addendum.

It's not an afterthought.

It's not a separate chapter in the story.

Black Pride is pride because there is no pride movement without the brilliance, courage, resistance, culture, joy, and leadership of black people.

From the very beginning, black LGBTQ people have been at the forefront of every fight for liberation, not because we sought recognition, but because our survival demanded it.

Every movement teaches us the same lesson.

If we are serious about liberation, then those who are most marginalized must be at the center of it.

Because when we build a world that protects those most vulnerable, every single one of us becomes freer.

Today, our transgender siblings, especially black transgender, and non-binary people are under relentless attack.

They are targeted in our politics, targeted in our schools, targeted by employers, targeted by landlords, targeted by strangers who believe they have the right to determine whether someone deserves dignity.

Black transgender people experience some of the highest rates of housing discrimination and homelessness within LGBT within the LGBT community.

They are denied jobs not because of their qualifications, but because of how they move through the world, they are asked to shrink themselves to make others comfortable.

But the world has never deserved their brilliance, and if I can say, and if and if it cannot first recognize their humanity, their existence is not a debate, their identity is not a political talking point, their lives are sacred.

And we know these fights because black communities have lived these fights.

Our history reminds us that pride was never simply a celebration.

Pride was born from resistance.

It grew from the courage of people who refused to disappear after Stonewall.

It was built by organizers who understood that liberation is never given, it is demanded.

Black LGBT plus leaders simply don't participate in that history.

They shape it.

When HIV and AIDS devastated our communities, black activists organized, cared for one another one another, demanded research, demanded treatment, and demanded our lives be value when governments refused to act.

When LGBTQ plus youth had nowhere to sleep, organizers created spaces of refuge because they understood that housing is dignity, safety is dignity, love is dignity.

They knew something that remains true.

Our liberation is bound up in one another.

That is why you will always find black LGBTQ plus people at the center of movements for racial justice, disability justice, immigrant justice, economic justice, and gender justice, because intersectionality is not a slogan.

It is our lived experience.

We do not have the luxury of separating our identities, and we walk through this world carrying all of them.

Black, queer, trans, disabled, immigrant, working class, and every one of those identities deserves freedom.

So when we say black pride, we're not dividing the movement.

We are reminding people of its roots.

We are honoring those who carried us here.

We are celebrating people who have been who have transformed pain into power, rejected the resistance and survival into joy because black joy is resistance.

Black queer love is resistance.

Black trans existence is resistance, and black pride has always been and will always be pride.

Happy black pride, and may we continue to work.

May we continue to fight and may we continue to never forget that none of us are free until we are all free.

And I would like to just say one thing that I am a black queer woman on this council, and I cannot separate those identities.

So when I hear people talk about pride and talk about Juneteenth as though I don't go to both of those because my identity is in a sexual, it's really frustrating to hear that kind of language considering you have two council members on this body who are black who are queer or part of the queer community and have said so proudly.

And so I would encourage us to stop dividing our communities because we don't show up as just queer or just black or just a woman or just a gay man.

We show up as our whole selves.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Watson.

Thank you so much, uh, Councilman Lewis for um allowing me to join on this proclamation and and I stand in solidarity.

Actually, I sit here in solidarity.

I think um when you consider the pride movement and you consider the discussion of Stonewall, there's no stonewall without black folks.

Um there's no resistance, and that push began by black transgender people.

Um that fight began within our community.

Um we can't move anywhere in a work that we do um without taking our skin with us.

We are black first and foremost, but as a queer man throughout this work that we do, oftentimes pride and being queer is looked at as something that's for the white community, not just for us.

Why black pride matters is that all communities, especially the black community, um that are impacted disproportionately in all of the things that hit the queer community, LGBTQIA plus community.

Uh, we're hit double because on top of all those things, the racial biases are there.

Why should we continue to make sure we elevate the voices of black communities within pride?

Is because we want to make sure that folks know we're not a monolith.

The ideas and the things that are impacting um queer communities, LGBTQIA plus communities, are also exponentially harmful to our communities, as transgendered folks.

The rates of of suicide are higher disproportionately for our community.

This proclamation is part of resistance, it is part of liberation, it is part of us saying that we will be seen, we will be heard, and we are part of this movement.

So to all who are out there celebrating pride this entire month, and those who will be marching on this weekend.

Um Black Pride Matters.

Black Pride is important, and I'm honored to serve on this council with uh my sister, Councilwoman Lewis, and to serve this proclamation in solidarity.

Thank you.

Seeing no other comments, Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members Gilmore.

Aye.

Aye.

Sawyer.

Alvidres.

Aye.

Gonzalez Cutieris.

Aye.

Heinz.

Cashman.

Aye.

Lewis, aye.

Romero Campbell, aye.

Cotis.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval?

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

Eleven ayes.

11 ayes.

Proclamation 0934 has been adopted.

We now have time for the proclamation acceptance.

Council members, who would you like to call up?

Uh thank you.

I'd like to call up Dr.

Tara Jade, the founder and executive director of UCN in Black Pride, Colorado.

They are actually online.

Tim.

Thanks.

T-A-R-A-J-A-U.

Um, I'll tell you now.

I just told them to raise their hand.

No.

C C new and Tim.

They've been texting me throughout this, so they've been on.

Thank you.

Okay.

Well, Tara, we're here.

I would say thank you.

Right.

Um, do you want to say any last words on anything?

Um, just to thank Tara and Black Power, Black Pride Colorado for the work that they've been doing.

Um, they have been doing some incredible work with our youth, um, and understanding the importance of of um these topics and having spaces available for folks um in our queer queer community, whether that be housing, shelter, are things more expansive.

Um, and so just thank them for the work that they've been able to do.

Um, in partnership with Councilman Watson and I.

Um, in this council.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Alright, we have three required public hearings tonight.

As a reminder, council members need to 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 should begin their remarks by telling the council their names and cities of residence and 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 council.

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 the 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.

Council Pro Tem Romero Campbell, will you please put Council Bill 0392 changing the zoning classification for 5101 5115, North Milwaukee Street in Illyria Swancia on the floor for final passage?

I move that council bill 0392 be placed upon final consideration and do pass.

The required public hearing for council bill 0392 is open.

May we please have the staff report.

Good evening, Council President and Council members.

My name is Liz Weigel.

I'm with community planning and development, and I'll be providing the staff report for this rezoning.

So I will walk through the request, give you some brief background on the location and context and the process, and then we'll go through the review criteria.

So this is a rezoning of 5101 and 5115 North Milwaukee Street.

The site is located at the corner of 51st Avenue and Milwaukee Street.

It's approximately 12,000 square feet.

The site is currently occupied by a single unit house and a vacant lot.

You have two parcels.

And the request is go to go from a ESUD district, which is a single unit district in our urban edge context that requires a minimum lot size of 6,000 square feet.

That district allows urban houses and accessory dwelling units.

The proposal is to go to UTUC, which is an urban two-unit district that has a minimum lot size of 5,500 square feet.

This district would allow still the urban house, but also the duplex and tandem home and also accessory dwelling units.

So the proposal is within Council District 9 and Councilmember Watson's district.

And it's in the Illyria Swansea neighborhood.

You can see the site here.

This is the zoning map showing ESUD is the yellow.

This map is showing you the existing land use.

As I noted, the site today has two parcels.

One has a single unit home on it, and the other is vacant, and surrounding it is largely other single unit uses.

In terms of the process, this application was submitted in January.

At Planning Board in March, the planning board voted unanimously unanimously to recommend approval.

We have received one letter of support from the United Community Action Network.

The applicant did do a great deal of outreach to the RNOs and to neighbors, although we did not receive any other comments on the application.

Now I'll walk through the review criteria.

As you are aware, we have three review criteria in the zoning code.

First is consistency with our adopted plans.

So I'll walk through comprehensive plan 2040.

We do find that the application uh supports comprehensive plan 2040 by allowing an uh a mix of housing types and promoting infill development.

The second is uh adopted plan is Blueprint Denver.

Uh Blueprint Denver uh recommends this site as urban, uh which is consistent with the request.

It's also identified as residential low, which are areas in the city that allow single and two-unit houses um uh on smaller medium lots.

Um, and as you are uh likely very familiar at this point, we have guidance in Blueprint Denver specifically about how to evaluate individual rezonings in residential low areas.

Um it specifically says that rezonings to two unit are not appropriate in all areas, and that we should look at specific um criteria.

This includes whether there's an existing zoning pattern, and then secondly, what the adopted small area plan says and and neighborhood input.

And specifically, we're looking at the small area plan uh outlines an intent to set a new pattern for the area.

Uh so in terms of a zoning pattern, as I showed in earlier slide, this area is largely ESUCD ESUD, so there's not a pattern of two units.

Um but when we do look at the small area plan, and that's the Lyria Swansea neighborhood plan from 2015.

It specifically calls out this area as single family duplex.

Um, so it speaks to the desire to have a mix of housing types, specifically calling out single family houses, duplexes, row houses, and small apartment buildings.

So we do find that the rezoning uh meets that plan guidance in the small area plan.

Just to show you a little bit more from that plan, uh you can see here in this pale yellow that with the red outlined is is the area that the rezoning is in, and it's called out a single-family duplex as I outlined.

Um, and secondly, the Illyria Swansea plan also called for that change in context.

So, this is going from urban edge to urban, um, and the plan said that that better reflected the existing context in the area.

Um, further uh staff finds that this rezoning meets the public interest and that it's consistent with the neighborhood context, the zone district purpose and intent.

So, all that said, CPD recommends approval, finding that the review criteria have been met.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I was super.

We have two individuals signed up to speak this evening.

If you are here in person after your name is called, please make your way up to the front bench.

If you are on Zoom, please accept the promotion when called upon.

First up, we have Brent Lucini.

Lucini.

Hello.

Hi.

How are you today?

Um I'm just gonna reiterate most of what she said, but we are looking to, I'm representing the green group.

Um, and we're looking to rezone the full property and kind of do a favor for the current owner of the house that is there, but also mostly focused on 5101, and looking to purchase that lot for a duplex.

Um, that is the purpose of the rezoning.

And there has been quite a bit of community outreach that happened during October and November between emails and flyers and such through that time.

And the closest neighbor right across the street is one of the only people that really responded, and he was in support of it.

Um, he didn't really mind too much, didn't have a whole lot to say.

Um all of those were bilingual, and it was to all of the homes in the area of 200 feet around the property.

Um currently it is it is vacant.

There's just a driveway on there on that 5101 lot, and it's currently being used by the tenant right next door.

Um, but he has been spoken to as well, and was also in support and mentioned that he doesn't plan on being in that property past the current lease.

But there is also an ADU in the back of the property of that renter right now with a garage.

So it would affect the current resident.

None at all.

Um that is about all I have.

All right, thank you so much.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Jesse Paris.

Yes, good evening, members of council.

Those watching our home, those in the council chambers.

My name is Jessica Sean Parrison, representative for Black Star Action Movement for Self-Defense.

Positive IC Committee for Social Change, as well as the Unity Party of Colorado, the North Park Hill Coalition, Frontline Black News, Shabbat's Black Experience Enhance, the Revolutionary Agenda.

And I reside at the Roach and Bear Bug Infested Legacy Loss.

And Darrell Watson's district of District 9, the fine district nine, the historically black district of five points.

Um in regards to this, well, first of all, I'm black and I'm black first, and no matter what I choose to identify as, I'm still black first.

I just want to make that perfectly clear.

Now, regards to this zoning, um, I'm in favor of it.

Um further um investigation.

It seems like it's a good thing for the uh neighborhood of Swansea.

I'm glad to see that they're actually gonna um do something with this lot that's gonna be beneficial for the people there.

A duplex that sounds really good.

Um, I have questions about the duplex though.

What is the AMR level gonna be for the duplexes?

Is it gonna be for sale?

Is it gonna be for rent?

Combination of both.

What?

I didn't get that from the presentation or from the occupant.

So someone could please answer those questions.

I would greatly appreciate it.

All right, I'll see y'all on the next one.

Thank you.

That concludes our speakers.

Do we have questions from members of council on council bill zero three nine two?

Seeing none.

The public hearing is closed.

Comments by members of council on council bill zero three nine-two.

Councilmember Watson.

Uh thank you so much, Council President.

I was gonna do a question.

Like uh, I we've talked through this quite a bit.

I know that Brent, um, your team did a lot of of of outreach uh to community members.

My office also reached out to GS Coalition and TR Collectiva Um to receive uh verbal feedback.

Uh I see the letters and the support from UCAN as well.

Um this um zoning change as described by community planning and development meets the uh the three criteria.

It's also consistent with the type of um rezoning that we've been um in collaboration with um with other organizations in GS, ensuring that we're not um uh having large single family um uh developments on on these lots, but also providing um workforce housing at uh some level for uh folks to split those lots and have uh additional folks on it.

I want to appreciate um uh tell you thank you so much for ensuring um taking uh the advice from CPD and our office of ensuring that your communication was in um both English and Spanish and actually doing flyers and not just emails uh to folks, making sure you hit uh those doors.

And so uh um uh I was looking to see if there's other council members that had questions for you on this, and since there are no questions, I um I am in support of this, and I encourage my um fellow my colleagues to join me in support as well.

Thank you, council member.

Madam Secretary will call on council bill zero three two.

Council members albidres.

Aye, aye.

Gonzalez Cutieris.

I aye Heinz, Cashman, Lewis, aye.

Romero Campbell, aye.

Watson, aye.

Madam President Sandoval, aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, answer results.

Nine ayes.

Nine ayes.

Council Bill 0392 has passed.

Council Proteir Mirror Campbell, will you please put Council Bill 0742 designating 2100 California Street and 2101 Walton Street as structures for preservation on the floor for final passage?

I move the council Bill 0742 be placed upon final consideration and do pass.

It has been moved and seconded.

The required public hearing for Council Bill 0742 is open.

Maybe please have the staff report.

Okay.

That's you, right?

Thank you so much, Council.

Um this designation application before you today is for the federal garages, two historic bus garages located along 21st Street between California and Wilton, in the Arapahoe Square or Upper Broadway area of downtown.

This is in Council District 9 in the Five Points neighborhood.

This is an owner supported designation.

The owner is the United States federal government, represented by the General Services Administration.

Here is a boundary map of the site.

So I'll just very briefly go over the requirements for your landmark designation.

I'm sure that most of you are really familiar with this by now.

Landmark preservation has been a constant in Denver since our 1967, when our first preservation ordinance was passed, and the ordinance is designed to designate, preserve, and protect the important buildings in our city, foster civic pride, and promote good urban design.

We have 369 individual landmarks and 60 historic districts spread throughout the city.

Most of our districts and individual landmarks are residential buildings, but we do have some commercial buildings in there as well.

This constitutes about 4.5% of the city, which is on par with cities across the country.

Preservation in Denver is a community-driven process.

Um it can be started by the property owner, community uh the development, excuse me, the manager of community planning and development, city council members, or three residents of Denver.

And to be a landmark, you need to meet the following criteria.

So I'll go through each of these in turn and how these buildings at 2100 California Street meet these requirements.

We'll start with um criterion A, having a direct association with a significant historic event or with the historical development of the city state or nation.

The federal garage buildings are significant for their role in the development of transportation in Denver and along the front range.

They were home to the Denver Colorado Springs Pueblo Motorway.

These routes provide consistent, affordable intercity travel between three of Colorado's most important cities.

The system provides crucial connections between employment hubs at the Air Force base in Colorado Springs, the steel mills of Pueblo and the Capitol of Denver.

These garages reflect the change from reliance on rail transportation in the early 20th century to road and bus transportation over the next two decades.

By the 1920s, as rail ridership declined and roads and highways were developing, railroad companies began to actively develop their own bus companies, which were cheaper to run and maintain.

At peak usage in the late 1930s, this bus line transported over 1500 people a day.

And that is um just as a little fun fact.

That is more than the really popular bus tank route transports today.

So the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, which is one of Colorado's largest railroads, create or bought these bus companies to transport goods and passengers throughout the state, and this was one such railroad owned subsidiary.

The Denver, Colorado Springs Pueblo Motorway also promoted sightseeing by bus, advertising the roads routes, showcasing uh the bikes, Pikes Peak reason and beyond.

The garages of California and Welton Street provided the buses with a home base and maintenance space.

The California Street Garage was constructed in 1925, had room for six buses, but was expanded in 1938 due to the popularity of the route.

A second garage was constructed about 10 years later.

This is the Welton Street Garage, and they're significant for their role in supporting this key shift in transportation patterns in Denver.

I will note that the main ticket office for the motorway was located at Eighth and Wazi in the Auraria neighborhood, but that has that was demolished as part of the urban renewal area to make way for the Auraria campus.

So therefore, these are some of the few remaining buildings in Denver associated with this transportation history.

The federal garages are also eligible for designation under criteria C for embodying this distinctive visible characteristics of the Spanish colonial revival style.

This style was common in the United States from approximately 1915 to 1940, and it was especially prevalent in Western states such as ours.

This style is characterized by low-pitched clay tile roofs, rounded arches at entryways and doors, towers, arcades and balconies, and masonry walls.

Consistent with its utilitarian use, the California Street Garage is a simplified Spanish colonial revival style, as you can see from the photo.

The 1938 edition replicates the original's exterior supplement, supplementing the factory, the facility at California.

And that although the style had fallen out of favor by the time that the second building was built, it's clearly intended to complement its neighboring California Street garage, be it still in that simplified style.

And although the building's windows and entrances are currently covered in plywood, the original windows and openings remain and could be restored.

Finally, the garages also promote an understanding and appreciation of the urban environment by means of distinctive physical characteristics and rarity.

These garages are among the few industrial buildings remaining in the area from the early to mid-20th century.

The buildings reflect the changes over time, this portion of the Five Points neighborhood as it evolved, first from a single-family residential area to an industrial area.

As you can see from the 1925 sandborne map on the screen, the neighborhood was home to many single family buildings.

As we entered the Great Depression, single-family homes gave way to apartment buildings, similar to the change that we saw in Cap Hill.

It later transitioned into an industrial uses as more industrial and auto-centered businesses emerged along the Broadway corridor.

I would also argue that this really deepens our understanding of Broadway as an arterial through the city.

When we think of Gasoline Alley, we think of it being further south along Broadway with some of the more famous sports castle, things like that, buildings that really showcased automobiles, but this is where with the heart of fixing them and taking care of them evolved.

However, during the Denver urban renewal of the 1960s and 70s, this area was radically altered with widespread demolition, which is still available in the many surface parking lots, dotting the area.

So as you can see from the 1967 sandborne map, there's a lot of changes taking place, and then those yellow squares are showing areas that are now surface parking lots.

So the fact that these garages remain, that they retain their original features, allowing their original use to be easily understood, contributes to our understanding of the former industrial nature of the area and the transportation experiences of residents of Denver and the region.

The government does not own the parking lots to the north of the property, and that parking lot is not included in the designation.

Chapter 30 also requires a landmark designated property to maintain its historic integrity.

Historic integrity is defined as the ability of a structure to convey its historic, geographic, architectural, or cultural significance.

Staff finds that the properties do maintain their historic integrity of location setting design and their feeling and association.

And then finally, as appropriate for uh property proposed for designation, the historic context is strongly interrelated both to the areas of significance and the period of significance.

The designation would provide context on the evolution of the five points neighborhood, the role of bus routes in supplementing and then supplanting railroad transportation, and the history of the development and the expansion of the garages.

The period of significance is 1926 through 1961, reflecting both the use of the buildings as bus garages and the ownership of the buildings by the motorway.

And though unusual for landmark staff, I will be talking about some area plan guidance.

These garages are located in Arapo Square or the Upper Broadway study area of the recently adopted downtown area plan.

Their location is at the um intersection of two visionary elements of the plan.

And the location of the federal garages on the trail would allow many more people to learn about the changing land historical landscape of the Arapahoe Square area and provide much needed historical context for the area.

Additionally, the downtown area plan calls for these buildings to have ground level activation.

These buildings with their existing bay rhythms and large expanses of windows could easily provide small affordable commercial space for local businesses and provide pedestrian oriented activation.

So as of 10 a.m.

on June 18th, uh CPD has received no written comment regarding the application at the public hearing um for before the landmark preservation commission.

One member of the public commented in favor of the designation, that was John Deffenbaugh with Historic Denver.

So as this designation meets the criteria as laid out in chapter 30 of the Denver revised municipal code, um CBD staff is recommending that these buildings be designated as the individual landmark.

I also just want to note that the applicant Natalie Umf, well sorry, Natalie.

Natalie is online if you have any other further questions.

Awesome.

Thank you so much.

We have two speakers signed up, two individuals signed up to speak this evening.

First up, we have Jesse Paris.

Yes.

The same on my disable my camera now.

Go ahead, Jesse.

We can hear the chambers.

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

My name is Jesse Deshaun Paris, and I'm representative for Black Star Action Movement for Self-Defense.

As well as the Unity Party of Colorado, the Northeast or North Park Hill coalition, frontline black notes.

And I am a candidate, as you can see from my background on the ballot for House District 8, the elections in November.

I literally live a block away from the site.

I live at the Roach and Bearbug infested legacy loss in Darrell Watson's district of District 9, District 9, the historically black district of five points.

In regards to this preservation, it's long overdue.

What took so long?

1967 was a long time ago.

Why is it just now getting the recognition it deserves and the preservation it deserves?

I would say because where it's located in historically black district, um.

So I'm in full support of this.

Thank y'all for um putting this forward, and I will see you all in the next one.

Thank you.

Next up we have John Deffenbach.

Members of Denver City Council, thank you so much for the opportunity to speak tonight.

It's my pleasure to speak in support of one of the very few things coming out of the federal government just now.

Um we are supportive of retaining these buildings.

They're not grand, they don't have Greek columns, they do not have gilded trim, but they have been sitting quietly and dignifiedly in five points, adding elegance, purpose, and contributing to its history for over a hundred years.

I think most importantly, we have lost so many of these buildings throughout the years.

Buildings like this used to be all the way up Brighton Boulevards.

Now there's condos, there's a concert venue, uh, and the people who used to utilize those buildings, artists, creative, entrepreneurs, uh, people in the food industry needing commissary kitchens.

So you're all being displaced out of our urban core.

We can promise and commit to that is the future for these buildings.

But if there is no building to talk about, then we can't have that conversation with the future owner.

So I really urge you to support the designation of these buildings tonight, and we will really strongly promote a community serving use for them in the future.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Seeing no uh that that concludes our speakers.

Do we have questions from members of council on Council Bill 0742?

Councilmember Watson.

Uh thank you so much, Council President.

Just one quick question.

Was it Natalie was the identified?

Yeah, they're online.

Is Natalie available?

Yep.

Natalie, um, thank you so much for wait till she's promoted.

You have to just give that transition.

Okay, she's promoted.

Okay.

Thank you.

Sorry, Natalie.

I went a little speedy.

Um I had one quick question, one that I I haven't asked before.

Is there any intent of putting these buildings up for sale uh anytime soon?

Was it precipitated this landmarking um was precipitated by uh any uh additional action?

Yes.

So thank you, council members, for having me here today.

Um, my name is Natalie Wukjanov, and I do I am here as a historic preservation specialist on behalf of GSA.

We are planning on listing the buildings for sale through a public auction.

Um that is the current plan for disposal out of the federal government's custody, and it is what precipitated the landmark listing under section 106, the National Historic Preservation Act.

As a note, the buildings are already listed in the National Register, and so this is the layer of support and um protection that the buildings need moving forward.

Thank you so much, Natalie.

Uh, no further questions.

Thank you.

Councilman Alvides.

Thank you so much, Council President.

I have a question, probably for Natalie as well, or maybe CPD.

Um, it says in some of the documents that LPC public hearing, the commission voted five to three to zero to recommend approval.

Can I get some more information on what the five, what the three, what the zero was, and why maybe someone voted against this?

Yeah, I can answer that.

Um, so the the landmark preservation commission had some pretty robust um conversation around these buildings.

Um the five were in favor, three opposed, and zero abstained.

Um, the three who opposed did have questions about the um potential future redevelopment of the site, and um, whether the criteria would sort of hinder that.

Um, as a result of their conversations, staff did go take a second look and really look to the area plans to see what they were saying about the site, looking to what areas around the development pressures were, things like that, um, and found that plan guidance did really strongly support this, and so um that's why we move forward with this.

And the part of the plan guidance that supports this, I know you went over in the presentation, but if you could reiterate now that I have that context, yeah, definitely.

So this is on the downtown area plan, and it's called out as being on the two key corridors of being the 5280 trail and the Welton Street Transit Priority Corridor.

Um as you can see, maybe in the on I on my screen, I can see um these buildings are noted in red, which is saying that they're they're calling for ground level activation.

Um, and there are a lot of studies that are put out by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, um local Clarion associates that show that historic buildings tend to have really good ground level activation.

They have the ability to have smaller floor plates so that smaller rentals, um, things like that can really boost the economic productivity of these buildings.

Is Welton the street where we're removing the light rail from further up?

Okay.

No, no, um, interesting.

Well, I think it's very interesting.

I love the history around connecting all the way down to Pueblo since we're having the front-range passenger rail conversation right now.

It's interesting how the city keeps going in circles with things like this.

Um, but I appreciate that.

Thank you.

That those are my only questions.

Thank you.

Seeing no other questions in the queue.

The public hearing is closed.

Comments by members of council on Council Bill 0742.

Councilmember Watson.

Uh, thank you so much, Council President.

Councilwoman of Vidra stance to your question.

There is a um uh alternatives um study that's being led by Department of Transportation Infrastructure along with RTD on the future of the L-line, and so that um next step study is in um is a requirement from RTD, and so that study should conclude in October with alternatives being provided for the Line.

Uh so that's specific to that, but to this, one to say, could not be more excited.

I was um had a sense that there was uh the precipitating um uh rationale was for for sale, and I think it is for the GSA, as um uh John Deffenbaugh said, thank you so much for bringing um some great news from the federal government, preserving these buildings here in Five Points on Weldon Street Corridor, um, as the uh the uh one of our our uh planning documents um lists us on the 5280 trail as well as part of the western um Welton Street Corridor study.

This is um an essential piece of history.

The north parking lots um uh next to it.

The idea to hope is that this um sale and hopeful um ground for ground floor development or ground floor activation will activate finally after maybe 40 50 years of these empty parking um spots um just um uh on that same block for uh those um to be activated.

The Melbourne Hotel, which is just another block up, is now for the first time.

Uh I would say since I've been here since 1987, every one of those storefronts at the same level and height of this building are now reserved.

Every single one going across there, and then we have Woods Boss and we have um uh Tea Lee's tea shop and a whole host of activation, and we have just this entire block with no activation.

So I'm ecstatic for this.

I appreciate the good work that your team has done and the good uh the communication and engagement with community on this.

Uh I encourage my colleagues to support me in saying uh very absolute yes on this.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, we'll call on Council Bill Zero Seven.

Oh, Council Councilmember Hein, sorry about that.

Thank you, Madam President, President.

Um I kind of want to echo something that Mr.

Deffenbaugh said.

Uh something I did not expect to be saying right now is thank you to the federal government.

Um but uh but we have a few members of the federal government that are um on television a lot, uh quoted to the media a lot, uh that are doing some very frustrating things to um uh at least in my opinion, and I would imagine uh in the strong opinion of my constituents, uh the majority of my constituents, not to a person.

Um, but uh but I do uh I think this highlights how um the people who are federal employees are not the same uh uh as to a person again to use the same phrase as the people we see on television a lot, and so that we have a lot of people who are employees of the federal government trying to do the right thing, and um, and I want to thank the federal government and GSA for um uh looking beyond the federal designation of historic status and uh locally designating designating it as historic because that provides additional protections as in protection against demolition and also uh additional um uh benefits as in uh potential uh tax implications, and uh so thank you uh to the GSA for uh for considering it before you sell it because we don't know the thought process of uh whoever comes to buy it because we don't know who's gonna buy it.

So uh thank you so much, and I'll be supporting this as well.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you so much.

Madam Secretary, we'll call on Council Bill 0742.

Council members Alvides.

Hi.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye, Heinz.

Cashman, Lewis, sorry, I got you.

Aye.

Torres?

Aye, Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting and answer the results.

Nine ayes.

Nine ayes.

Council Bill 0742 has passed.

Council Pro Tem Romero Campbell, will you please put Council Bill 0620 designating 2329 North Gaylord Street as a structure for preservation on the floor for final passage?

I move that council bill 0620 be placed upon final consideration and do pass.

It has been moved and seconded.

The required public hearing for council bill 0620 is open.

May we please have the staff report.

Hi, yes, I'm Abby Christman with community planning and development, landmark preservation, and this is the designation application for the Wellington E and Wilmot J.

Webb House at 2329 North Gaylord Street.

The house was built in 1902.

It's a four-square, and it was purchased by the Webbs in 1971 and is still their home today.

So I'll start with just the basics of the designation, and then we will get into the areas of significance.

Um so it's located in Council District 9 in the Whittier neighborhood.

You can see that blue dot there indicates the location of the home, just a block off City Park.

The applicants are Wellington Webb and Wilma J.

Webb, and this application was put together by Historic Denver.

Um they prepared the Denver Landmark application, which was based on a state register application that was done last year, and this has been listed on the state register as part of History Colorado's uh preservation for all initiative.

So the proposed boundary just follows the property line, so pretty simple there, and just includes one building, the residents.

Um this is a designation that's coming forward by the property owner.

And meets the designation eligibility requirements.

I won't go into that since you've just heard Becca's presentation.

So to get into then the details of this application.

So it's proposed as meeting three out of our 10 criteria for association with recognized persons, the webs, um, who had an influence on society, for having the visible characteristics of an architectural type, the four square.

And then finally, for being connected to social movements and patterns of growth that contributed to the culture of Denver.

So criteria B, association with recognized people who had an influence on society.

So this is a criteria that is very clearly met by the work of Wellington and Wilma Webb.

They purchased this home in 1971, soon after they were married, and this has been really where they built their careers.

So this home is where they had their really developed their careers in public service, their work to promote civil rights and their community leadership.

And through their work, then really helped open doors for future generations of black leaders in Denver and Colorado, while really reshaping Denver's political, cultural, and civic landscape.

So to get into just a little bit more detail, kind of just the top highlights of Wellington E.

Webb's career, so very long and distinguished career, but some of those highlights serving in the Colorado House of Representatives, being the regional director for the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare under the Carter administration, serving as the executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, serving as the Denver auditor, and then the mayor of Denver.

So service both at the local Denver level, the state level, and the national level.

So just a few points of legacy, really guided Denver through a major period of growth and redevelopment, really working to revitalize Denver's economy and downtown.

Worked nationally and even internationally, bringing and hosting various international leaders to Denver during his term in office, worked on the completion of Denver International Airport, Course Field, and it was under his administration that we got new arena agreements for the Avalanche and Nuggets.

So really a period of kind of growing the profile of Denver, and then also of having this growing influence of black leadership in municipal government, becoming really a national example, strictly through serving on various national mayors' groups.

And really, his administration helped reshape Denver's national image, economy, and civic identity.

And then we also have the career of Wilma J Webb, also extremely significant, beginning with her service in the Colorado House of Representatives, then serving as First Lady of Denver, and really working to make that a more active role and taking a very active role in culture and arts and trying to make culture and arts more accessible to everyone.

She then also served as Region Eighth Chief Administrator in the Department of Labor under the Clinton administration and served as the chair of the Martin Luther King Jr.

Holiday Commission.

So some of her legacy really worked tirelessly to get Colorado to designate Martin Luther King Jr.

as a holiday.

This is actually first introduced by Wellington Webb and then when continued by Wilma Webb, leading introducing the bill many, many times before it was finally adopted by the state.

She is also then the founder of Denver's MLK Marade, combining the ideas of a march and a parade to be able to have something that was both a celebration and an act of kind of civic activism and community.

Very influential in civil rights and civic leadership through her legislative work, cultural leadership, and advocacy for education, equity, and historical recognition, including her and Wellington Webb's work on getting the African-American History Center in Denver.

So then on to the architecture.

So it's key for embodying the distinctive visible characteristics of the four square type.

So probably one of Denver's most well-known architectural types, sometimes called the Denver Square.

So it has that square paleon, two story massing, hipped roof, central dormer, full width porch.

And this particular example has classical detailing, indicating the period in which it was built, 1902, when the classical revival was particularly popular.

And it's an example that has a lot of integrity.

It's very unchanged.

So it's really an excellent example of what a 1902 Four Square would look like.

It also helps tell the story of the development of the Whittier neighborhood.

So it was built by Niels Andrew Isaacson, who was a Swedish immigrant and a carpenter who was involved in small scale residential construction in Denver.

Basically buying a lot, building a house, selling that house, buying another lot, building a house.

So that kind of early development that is really how a lot of our historic neighborhoods developed.

And at the time he was building, that was really when this street was getting developed.

So this property is the one that you see at the top of the row there on Gaylord, but all this kind of block of Gaylord was all developed around the same period 1900 to 1903, 1904.

So the property really reflects that early 20th century construction of this part of the Whittier neighborhood.

And then finally, it has association with social movements, civil rights movement, political development, community activism, and also really the patterns of growth and change in Denver, and particularly the Whittier neighborhood.

So 2329 North Gaylord was really a hub of civic and civil rights activity through the Webb's House, really became a political strategy center, gathering place for community leaders, site of coalition building, and a place where they hosted local, state, and national figures.

And then it also really helps represent the expansion of black political leaderships and civil rights era gains as we saw many members of the black community move from the Five Points area into Whittier and really establishing this kind of professional middle class uh neighborhood in Whittier, and then really getting, you know, increasingly involved in community activism.

So it has excellent integrity.

It's in its original site, intact context with other four squares, historic materials are retained, and has great architectural detailing.

So it clearly conveys its architectural character and its historic associations.

The proposed period of significance has two periods of significance, 1902 to represent the construction of the property, and then 1971 to 2003.

So that's the period from when the Webb's first purchased through their kind of most active period of their political lives through 2003 is when that's the end of Wellington Webb's period as mayor.

That's also the date that they helped open the Blair Caldwell African American History Library.

So some of the associated historic context associated with the Whittier development and streetcar era residential growth in Northeast Denver, history of Struggle Hill and the eastward movement of black residents from five points into Whittier, civil rights gains and expanding opportunities, including increased access to homeownership, education and political participation, and you know, really civic life, black representation in Colorado government at both the local and state levels, and really associated with Denver's economic civic and downtown transformation during the 1990s and early 2000s.

So it is meets all of our review criteria over 30 years of age, meets three of our designation criteria, has integrity, and the landmark preservation commission recommends approval.

Thank you.

We have two individuals signed up to speak this evening.

First up, we have Jesse Paris.

Yes, good evening, members of the council.

Those watching our home, those in the council chambers.

My name is Jessica Sean Paris, and I'm a candidate on the ballot for House District 8.

And I represent for the Black Star Movement for Self-Defense.

As well as from Black News, the revolutionary agenda, Shabaka's Black Experience Enhance.

And I reside at the Roach and Bear Bugging Festival Legacy Loss and Darrell Watson's district of District Nine, the fine district nine and historical Black District of Five Points.

This is Black History right here, that it needs to be preserved.

So we need to preserve it, Denver.

This has been long overdue.

I don't know why it took so long for this to get done, but we were here now, so better late than ever.

So that's all I have to say on this.

Congratulations to the webs.

And uh may their house live on for generations to come.

Thank you.

Except we have John Deffenbahn.

Sorry, I'm so far back.

Members of Denver City Council, um, thanks very much for the opportunity to speak tonight.

Um, normally I'm quite starstruck uh looking at you all in front of me, and now I have these two legends behind me as well.

So feeling very in the spotlight here.

Um, it really has been historic Denver's privilege to work with the Webs, um, get to know them and prepare this landmark designation that is before you for approval tonight.

Um, there's so much to say um about uh Mayor Webb and the Honorable Wilma Webb, but really it's hugely well documented.

Abby did a wonderful job in the staff report, and I'm just so proud to be standing here with you all and with the two people behind me uh proposing this for approval.

Um, in approving this for landmark designation, you're saying that history lives here and history will always live here.

So we really thank you very much for your consideration and hope you approve this tonight.

Thank you.

That concludes our speakers.

Do we have any questions from members of council on Council Bill 0620?

Councilmember Watson.

Uh thank you, Council President.

The question I have is for uh First Lady Webb, uh Wilma Milk Webb and um Mayor Wellington Webb.

If there was anything else, either or both of you would like to share about the importance of this home.

I hate to make you walk all the way over here.

Good evening, members of our wonderful, fantastic Denver City Council.

Uh, I'm here along with Mayor Webb, former Mayor Webb, my husband, to say, yes, we support this effort to continue to promote the history of all of Denver.

I'm a native Denver right, and I'm so proud to be a Denver right, but I know that we need good leadership and we need good historical representation throughout our city.

And I think this really does offer an opportunity for our younger generations that really do at this particular point in our history in Denver, in Colorado and in the United States, to make sure that we are leaving some good kinds of markers for the future for our country.

I'm so pleased to say that we've had many different dignitaries who have done significant kinds of things, not only for Denver, but for Denver and for Colorado and for the country, and we've hosted them at our home.

And I'm also very glad to say that we have had throughout the years the support of our family, our children.

Uh I went to Whittier, Cole, and Manual schools in the same neighborhood from which our home is.

And our children went to Whittier, Mitchell, Cole.

No, I went to Cole.

They went to East and to Maury.

And so it's all in the same kind of atmosphere of trying to develop a city that we can be proud of that is worldwide known for the kinds of leadership that we provided.

I think that you would be probably surprised to know that when Wellington and I first bought the home in 1971, that was when we were also married, there was an ad in the Denver Post, and what it said was exactly this: old house for sale needs handyman.

And so, it was not this gentleman standing behind me, but we've been there ever since then, and we've raised our family there, and we've seen a lot of people come through that have great significance and inspiration for our country.

And as a black person, I want to say that I'm very pleased that we have tried to make the issues that are important to people, our issues, and we've tried to have people speak to the issues that really do matter to people, and I think that's very important to have that history there.

We have a lot of uh different articles in our home that have been given to us over the years.

And I know I only have three minutes, and I don't know if I've taken up three minutes yet, but I just want to say thank you, and we support this effort, and we've always been trying to take care of not just one set of people, but we've been leaders for all of Denver.

So thank you so very kindly.

Wellington Webb 2329 Gay Lord, I want to thank Wilma for finding us a house.

Uh we needed a house big enough to take in the two of us and four kids.

And it was not like the Brady Bunch on TV.

Uh, it was much more difficult than that.

But I I just want to take this last 30 seconds and say I want to applaud the city council for the action you took earlier tonight.

Um 1975, I introduced legislation in the State House to prohibit discrimination based upon sexual orientation, and I was called a lot of names and they weren't Wellington in the newspapers by the ministers and by everyone else.

And I'm glad that now these kinds of issues can be discussed and get a unanimous vote, which says how far our country's come, but also says still how far we have to go.

Thanks a lot.

Can I add a thing?

Yeah.

I I just want to add that I think that leadership is very important.

And what you stand for and what you work for really does make a difference in the lives of people, and I do think that having that home there where we've never moved from it, we've been there now 55 years, and having that kind of a leadership symbol for our city and for young people will really make a difference in our unifying ourselves, which I think at this particular point we need to do that.

And so I there's no way that either Wellington or myself could say in a limited time about how much we appreciate this effort, nor could we give all of what we think our home can offer to the community and to Denver.

So just thank you, and I'd like to say thank you also to uh Historic Denver for their role and their part in giving us this opportunity to put forth our home and anyone else who was involved with trying to say that, yes, we have some neighborhoods that we're very proud of, and they come from all kinds of people.

So thank you very much.

Thank you.

Okay, seeing no other questions by members of council.

The public hearing is closed.

Do we have comments by members of council on council bill 0620?

Councilmember Heinz.

Actually, I'll start with Councilmember Watson and then go to Heinz.

Uh thank you so much, Council President.

I'll I'll I'll be brief.

Um I so appreciate first and foremost our landmark team.

Um I'm trying to count on no I'm counting it wrong.

Um, this is the fourth or fifth um that we've had in the last two years of uh landmark preservation for homes um owned by black Denverites and the historic impacts of those homes to our city, to our state, and the ability to remember um the importance of the black community and the impact that we've made, I think is essential, and having First Lady Wilma Webb and Mayor Webb here, and their home, um, I think is um amazing.

I'll tell you a little quick story.

I um 1997 I purchased uh a home in Whittier and uh my home in Whittier.

And the reason I chose Whittier, um we drove around a whole bunch of places, but I'm a big nerd and I do research, and as I told Mayor Webb uh previously, I watched his election while I was still living in Nebraska, and I watched all of the work there.

But when I came back, um I knew I wanted to live um in Whittier because of uh the Webbs were living there.

Councilwoman Wedgeworth was also living there.

Um we have had a history of uh leaders in this city that chose Whittier.

Whittier is actually named after John Whittier Greenleaf, uh white abolitionists.

Um the history of the rooting of our neighborhood is based on our people, and it's based on ensuring that we have uh equality and we move us forward.

So this designation is amazing, it's fantastic, it's well deserved, and so thank you both for your legacy, and thank you so much for not just leading your lives, but the hundreds and hundreds of other um black leaders who have come through Whittier uh to take a part of this process.

So thank you very much, and thank you so much, Lionmark and Historic Denver for your good work.

Thank you, Councilmember Heinz.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I am going to quote someone that might be a little edgy, but I um uh a presentation should be like a woman's dress.

Long enough to cover the topic and short enough to be interesting.

Uh I'm actually quoting uh Mayor Webb.

He said that uh in the INC Awards, uh, where they uh recognize his lifetime dedication uh to our city.

Um so uh I want to thank Representative Mayor Webb for uh lifting up your home for historic designation that is um uh with less than five percent of uh Denver being historically designated.

Um having owners like you who are willing to uh live in a home that needs a handyman um without having handyman that that's uh that's a little bit of a risk.

Um but uh but it seems to have paid off.

If you bought your home in 1971, that's 55 years.

So here's a little bit about the the shortness of the address.

That's longer than I've been alive.

That's longer than uh my constituents and average uh average constituent in District 10 has been alive, and that's longer than the residents of the average age of the resident in Denver has been alive, and you've been in that same home.

So I think that alone, um, in addition to your uh numerous accomplishments, have really demonstrated that you are worth uh preserving and having this historic preservation will be part of the many tendrils of your legacy that is all over this city.

So uh thank you so much for uh for offering up your home.

I will definitely be voting to support it.

Also, thank you to CPD and uh Historic Denver.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilman Lewis.

Thank you.

Um, I have a few words for y'all.

I really really have such deep appreciation and profound respect for you all.

Um, it's a privilege to recognize something far greater than the bricks would and a foundation.

Tonight we designate this home as a historic landmark, but the truth is this home has always been historic.

Long before any plaque would adorn these walls, long before history books could tell the story, this house was a place where impossible dreams were given room to breathe.

It became a gathering place for movement builders, a refuge for difficult conversations, and a launching point for bold ideas that would forever change Denver and Colorado.

In 1971, Wellington and Wilma J.

Webb purchased this home.

At that time, they could have not known that generations would one day stand here honoring this address.

But perhaps you all knew something even more important that every moment needs a home.

Every fight for justice needs a place where strategy is born.

Every community deserves leaders willing to open not only the doors of government, but the doors of their own home.

Representative William Wilma J.

Webb has spent a lifetime proving that these barriers are meant to be broken.

As one of Colorado's greatest legislative trailblazers, you did more than occupy a seat at the table.

You expanded the table itself.

You fought so that women, black Coloradans, working families, and communities, too often ignored, would finally see themselves reflected in the laws of this state.

You reminded us that representation is never simply about being the first, it's about making sure you were never the last.

And Mayor Wellington Webb, Denver's first black mayor.

History will always remember that title, but those who know you understand that your greatest accomplishment was never simply becoming the first.

It was assuring that leadership looked like service, that City Hall belonged to everyone, that neighborhoods long overlooked deserve investment, that young people deserved opportunity, that government should see the people who have spent generations filling unseen.

You didn't simply make history, you expanded who believed they could make it, including me.

Today, Wellington and Wilma J.

Webb became one of Colorado's most extraordinary partnerships in public service, one leading inside the Capitol and one leading inside City Hall, together leading a movement that reached far beyond either building.

That work was never confined to elected office.

It was rooted in the civil rights movement, a movement that demanded America become what it has always promised to be.

You all understood that civil rights was never simply about one march, about one speech, or about one law.

It was about every decision that followed, every neighborhood, neighborhood you protected, every child believed in every barrier removed, every opportunity created.

The civil rights movement did not end.

It simply changed addresses.

And sometimes it lives in the legislative chambers, sometimes it lived in the mayor's office, and often it lived right here within these walls.

Imagine the conversations this home has witnessed, the victories celebrated around the dinner table, the disappointments carried through the front door, the strategy sessions, the phone calls, the moments when the burdens of leadership felt impossibly heavy, and I know how heavy that crown can be.

History often remembers the speeches delivered in public, but history is sustained by the quiet quiet moments that happen in homes like this one.

This house reminds us that democracy is not built only in government buildings, it is built in living rooms and kitchens on Fort on front porches, which you often invite all of us to come see y'all on the front porch in conversations between neighbors.

It is built whenever people decide their communities deserve better.

So to Mayor Wellington Webb and Representative and First Lady Wilma J.

Webb, thank you.

Thank you all for believing in Denver before others did.

Thank you for believing in our communities that others overlooked.

Thank you for providing that leadership.

Thank you for proving that leadership can be both bold and compassionate.

And thank you for carrying the hopes of people who simply wanted to be seen, to be heard, and to be valued because your courage, young black children across the city grew up seeing possibilities whenever previous generations had only seen barriers.

Because of your, because of your leadership, countless public servants, including many of us serving today, walk through these doors that you all opened.

And because of your example, we understand that public office is never about holding power.

It's about using power to hold up others.

This designation is not merely about preserving a home, it's about preserving a legacy.

It tells every child who walks past this house that history is not something that only happens somewhere else.

History happens here.

History was written there, and history will continue to live there.

And because of you, Wellington and Wilma J.

Webb, history continues from here.

May this landmark forever remind us that courage can live at an extraordinary address, that justice office begins around an extraordinary table, and that extraordinary people can transform an ordinary house into sacred ground.

Congratulations to you both and thank you for giving Denver not only your leadership but your lives and your home.

May this home stand for generations as a reminder that when courage finds a place to call home, an entire city can be transformed.

I love you all so deeply.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Alvides.

Thank you, Council President, and thank you, Councilwoman Lewis, for those beautiful words.

It's an honor to serve with you.

Thank you so much for bringing this to Landmark Denver.

And it's an honor to have you all here in the chambers and for you to refer to us in the beautiful way that you all did.

I think about the legacies that you left around civil rights and all the big things and the doors you opened, and also around the simple things like the city within a park and how beautiful Denver is now because of that.

The Webb home reminds us that history is not something that happened somewhere else.

It happened here within these walls and within this home where ideas were shaped, public service was strengthened, and a vision for a more inclusive Denver took root.

As our city continues to grow and change, placekeeping helps ensure that we do not lose sight of the people and communities that built Denver.

By preserving this home, we preserve the tangible connection to a chapter of our city's history that continues to influence its future.

We are grateful to Wellington E and Wilma Webb for their service and their extraordinary service, their leadership, their enduring belief in the promise of Denver.

It is fitting that this place, which was home to so much public service and community leadership will continue to tell that story for generations.

I'm grateful that future generations and my son will be able to see how great Denver has been.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Council Pro Temer Capo.

Thank you.

This is extraordinary and wonderful and well deserved.

I believe that there is been beautiful words, so thank you also for your beautiful statement.

Um I had 10 days ago, my niece got married in the church across the street.

And like any good wedding, you stand in the parking lot before, have good conversation, and you stand in the parking lot after.

And this had come through uh had come through committee.

You know, had all the had all the points and all the things and and realized um exactly where the house was located.

So I had the opportunity, again, 10 days ago, just to stand in the parking lot and tell everybody at the wedding and everybody that walked by exactly what the house meant and who you were.

And I got a chance to personally tell people the story.

Um, and not everything, but you know, uh all of the um the significance that you have contributed to not only the city, but also to the state.

Um, and that I think is what keeps the history alive is being able to help tell those stories, to be able to speak the names, to be able to continue and recognize.

I, you know, everybody's like, wow, you know, oh, you know, it was the oh, this is great.

Oh, I didn't know.

Oh, I wondered where.

And for those who were out of state, um, also recognizing how exciting and wonderful that these designations are happening.

Um, so I just wanted to share that with you that um the history is a living history, and so thank you for everything and the contributions that you've made.

I believe that this house is just a testament to, and it's and it and it signifies um everything that you've brought to um to our city and to our state.

So thank you very much.

Thank you, Councilmember Cashman.

Thank you, madam president.

Um I'm moved by this uh uh preservation uh uh being brought forward tonight.

I we uh in the 12 years I've been on council almost 12 years.

Um we've done a lot of these uh designations, and uh often uh it uh get to the criteria talking about the importance of the homeowner to uh the history of the city, and none uh that I've come across in the years I've been doing these comes close uh to uh uh the Webb's uh impact on our city.

Um I've said before I first met uh Mayor Webb when he when he was auditor, and I was journalist, and that was a pretty benign um meeting as I recall.

Then I reported on uh uh the mayor's policies and happenings when he was in office, and sometimes we agreed and sometimes we did not.

Um but there's no uh no one I have more respect for.

And uh Mrs.

Webb, you are not quite as tall as your husband, but uh you're no less powerful.

Um I've I've enjoyed the uh brief many brief connections we've had over the years, bumping to each other at events and whatnot.

But when I really started realizing who you were and the depth of who you are, um was on uh Martin Luther King's celebration of MLK Jr.'s birthday in uh uh City Park, and I would hear you speak, and uh I do mean what I said you are no less powerful than your husband.

Um and and I will close by saying I do have since we're talking about preservation, a lot of folks know I'm a uh a big music fan, and I have hundreds of CDs and DVDs, but I have four non-music DVDs that uh uh I treasure, and one is uh my uh uh son uh playing baseball, uh the other is my daughter playing soccer, one of the others is my grandson playing football, and the other is when Mayor Webb had his television show when he was uh in office, and he interviewed me, and I've told this before, and and that was long enough back that originally it was VHS tape I was given.

And uh so he's doing the interview and we get to the point of uh commercial, uh and he stops and he says, you enjoy doing this.

I say, Well, you know, it's kind of a pleasure, I appreciate it.

He said, You know what this is great for?

Said, what's that?

Uh he said uh when this is over, I'll I'll get you a tape of this, and and you your mother's gonna love it.

And he was exactly right.

She was thrilled to uh get to watch that.

But uh uh the impact of the Webb family, uh, it's almost corny.

I don't know anyone with more.

I know a lot of great people who've continued contributed to our city and making it a better place to live.

You guys are the real deal, and I really appreciate your putting your home up for preservation.

It means a lot.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Thank you, uh, Madam President.

It is really an honor to be part of this body right now and today, getting to vote on this historic designation.

I never thought that I would get to do something like this, having um, you know, grown up here in the city just like you, honorable Wilma Webb, and um being raised here and remembering when Wellington Webb was our mayor.

Um, I think I was like in middle school, maybe or elementary school.

We often wait too long to give people their flowers, and I know you all have received lots of flowers, but this is like a cherry on top.

I'm so grateful that we're here to do this tonight, and I cannot cannot say how much my family and I have been impacted by the work of Mayor Webb and representative and First Lady Wilma Webb.

My dad's family, hailing from the east side, not too far from there, um, know the importance of your legacy and what this means for the people of Denver.

As we've heard everybody talk about our kids, um, what that legacy is.

I just thank you both so much for believing in our city, for your service to our city, um, for raising your family here in our city, for representing all of us in this in our city.

And I see that then, I see that now.

You're not, you're there, you're not stopping.

You continue to fight, you continue to stand with the community.

And yes, you have a legacy, but that legacy hasn't disappeared.

You're still here.

You're still standing with us, you're still here in the present.

And so I want to just recognize that.

I mean, it wasn't even that long ago that I think you all stood in front of uh folks at the Marade and said, these things need to happen.

We need to continue to protect our communities.

So I just want to recognize like this isn't the end, and we still listen to you.

So I thank you for the battles that you took on for all of us to be here doing this work, and for the fights that you still take on.

And always thank you both for keeping it real, always.

Um it's an honor to do this tonight, and um, I can't say anything better than what Councilwoman Lewis said in her remarks.

Um, but I'm grateful.

Thank you.

Um, as I was sitting here reflecting what to say, I keep just thinking about my pops.

And the first time I went to your house was when I was little, my dad used to take me to deliver tamales, and I would have to go deliver tamales throughout all Denver with my dad.

And we had to stop by your house because we had to go have a meeting, and I remember being a little girl and thinking, where am I going?

Like, we thought we were just going to run to Molly's for the day, and now I'm making all of these stops.

And Wilma, I remember walking in and I was really nervous.

I didn't know what to do, and you just welcomed me with open arms and you sat me down, and I thought I was gonna go to follow my dad in the back to talk to Wellington, and you were like, oh no, you have to come over here and sit with me.

And that was the first time that I had my interaction with the two of you as very young.

Um, and I just keep thinking, I've been thinking a lot about my dad recent recently, his birthday is coming up on the 29th.

And how serendipitous is it that his daughter gets to sign this ordinance that Amanda Pauline Sandoval, who my middle name, I use it all the time, the P, because he named me.

My middle name is Pauline because of my dad.

And so everything that I sign, I'm always Amanda P.

Sandoval.

And you know, he would be standing in the back there with his little North Face coat on and his little rock part shoes, just smiling over to the two of you to talk about all the stories that you all had at that house, um, the memories that you all made, and the commitment that you all made together, that even when you were on opposite sides of the issue, you would sit down, you would pay each other that dollar bill after you had on opposite sides of a thing and been issue.

Whoever lost, had to pay the other person a dollar bill and pay for the breakfast, lunch or whatever, and come back together.

And that's something that I learned from my dad.

It's something that I learned from you, Mayor Webb.

It's something I learned from you, Wilma, is how to come back together after very big differences and not take them personal.

And when you need something to call.

And so thank you both for being there for me.

I know my dad asked you to be there for me when he was on his deathbed, and you really have been.

So it's such an honor to support this, and I'm so glad that your legacy and this building will be here forever.

I'm a huge proponent of historical preservation, and couldn't be more prouder to vote on this tonight, and then tomorrow add my signature to the bill.

So thank you all for everything you've done.

I can't keep talking or else I'll start crying.

So do my best to hold it together.

Seeing no other comments in the queue, Madam Secretary, roll call.

Council members Alvidres.

Aye.

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Aye.

Heinz.

Aye.

Cashman.

Aye.

Lewis.

Romero Campbell.

Aye.

Torres?

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Madam President Sandoval.

Aye.

Madam Secretary, close the voting, announce the results.

Nine ayes.

Nine ayes.

Council Bill 0620 has passed.

Congratulations.

On Monday, June 29th, 2026, Council will hold a courtesy public hearing on Council Bill 0328, updating the classifications and penalties for municipal criminal offenses.

And on Monday, July 27, 2026, council will hold a required public hearing on Council Bill 0776, changing the zoning classification for 406 South Quitman Street in Westwood.

A required public hearing on Council Bill 0777, changing the zoning classification for 4909 South Monaco Street in South Moore Park.

Any protests against council bills 0776 or 0777 must be filed with the council offices no later than noon on Monday, July 20th, 2026.

There being no further business before this body, this meeting is adjourned.