Denver City Council Budget and Policy Committee Briefing on Civic Assemblies and Parking Citations – October 27, 2025

The Budget and Policy Committee of the Denver City Council met on October 27, 2025, at 12:30 PM to receive two informational presentations: one on the concept of Civic Assemblies as a tool for community empowerment, and another on a proposal to allow parking citations to be mailed rather than affixed to vehicles. No formal votes were taken, but committee members raised substantive questions and concerns, and both items were deferred for future follow-up.

Briefing on Civic Assemblies

Councilmember Amanda Sandoval (Council President) introduced the briefing. Councilmember Candi Lewis, along with Rashawn Bliss (National Coalition for Dialogue and Liberation) and representatives from the Civic Canopy, National Civic League, Healthy Democracy, and American Public Trust, presented the concept of a Civic Assembly: a randomly selected, demographically representative group of residents who deliberate on a specific policy issue over multiple paid sessions and make recommendations by a 70% supermajority. Councilmember Lewis noted that a proposal for an affordable housing Civic Assembly is currently pending with the mayor's office.

Committee members expressed a range of positions:

• Councilmember Jaleh Heiny (District 10) described a similar effort in her district that had low turnout, and asked how to improve participation. Presenters emphasized the importance of real decision-making power, compensation, and proactive outreach.
• Councilmember Jamie Torres asked how Civic Assemblies would relate to existing community advisory committees and the People’s Budget process. Presenters clarified that assemblies are meant to be binding on the specific issue, not merely advisory.
• Councilmember Darrell Watson questioned whether an assembly could replace established expert advisory boards like the Housing Stability Strategic Advisors Board, and requested more examples of outcomes from other cities.
• Councilmember Kevin Flynn voiced skepticism about the ability of randomly selected citizens with no prior expertise to make informed recommendations on complex issues like housing.
• Councilmember Paul Cashman expressed general support for community empowerment but stressed the need for more data on past assemblies, including costs and implementation rates.
• Council President Sandoval raised concerns about Denver’s strong-mayor form of government, noting that council can pass legislation but cannot compel the executive branch to implement assembly recommendations. She requested examples from cities with similar governance structures.

Presenters responded by citing international examples (Ireland, Belgium, Oregon, Fort Collins) and noted that most decision-making bodies do implement at least a portion of assembly recommendations. They emphasized that the process builds trust and yields recommendations that enjoy broad public support.

Discussion on Mailing Parking Citations

Councilmember Paul Hines presented a proposal to amend Denver Revised Municipal Code § 54-788 to allow right-of-way enforcement agents the option to mail parking citations instead of affixing them to vehicles. Current law only permits mailing for moving violations (e.g., red light cameras). The proposal aimed to improve agent safety, reduce the need for specialized vehicles, and increase efficiency for high-volume violations like street sweeping. Adam Peter, interim director of Right-of-Way Enforcement, confirmed the change would be optional, not universal.

Committee members raised numerous concerns:

• Councilmember Kevin Flynn worried that delayed notice would hinder a recipient’s ability to contest a citation due to lost evidence or memory.
• Councilmember Paul Cashman requested data on current citation costs, payment rates, dispute rates, and the financial impact of mailing. He also asked about enforcement of the 72-hour parking rule, which Mr. Peter said is now rarely enforced due to a 2023 code change.
• Councilmember Jamie Torres asked about lessons from other municipalities and questioned how the proposal would enhance enforcement of accessible parking violations, particularly on private lots.
• Councilmember Laura Vidads and Councilmember Alvidares echoed concerns about notice, especially for residents who do not check mail frequently or who have outdated addresses. They also noted the recent dissolution of the Parking Magistrate’s Office, leaving residents with no clear way to dispute tickets.
• Council President Sandoval expressed concern that the proposal would shift work to lower-paid processing staff and that it could increase complaints, especially if license plate errors are common. She warned that a future administration could mandate 100% mail-in citations without the same evidence as photo enforcement.

Councilmember Hines acknowledged the concerns, especially the timing of the proposal relative to the parking magistrate issue. He suggested that requiring photographic evidence for mailed citations could be considered. Committee members agreed the proposal needs further study, including data on citation locations and amounts, and a clearer understanding of the new dispute process.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken on either agenda item.
• The Civic Assembly briefing is to be followed up with additional data, examples from strong-mayor cities, and the written proposal to be shared with all council members. Councilmember Lewis will offer further briefings.
• The parking citation mailing proposal will return to the committee at a later date, after the Parking Magistrate situation is resolved and after Dottie (Right-of-Way Enforcement) provides data on citation locations, dollar amounts, and the new dispute process. Councilmember Hines will coordinate with committee staff for a future agenda slot.
• The committee stood adjourned at approximately 2:15 PM.