Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting - November 5, 2025

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of Denver City Council met on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 2:55 PM. The agenda included 54 action items and five items on the consent calendar. Three major presentations were heard: on-call contracts for professional and construction services, a design contract amendment for the Police District 6 station, and an update on the Storm Drainage Master Plan. The on-call contracts were postponed to a future meeting, while the police station design amendment and storm drainage master plan were approved.

Consent Calendar

• The committee approved five items on the consent calendar with no items pulled for discussion.

Discussion Items

1. On-Call Contracts for Professional Services and General Civil Construction

• Presenter: Elena McWarter (Legislative Liaison, DOTI), Jennifer Williams (Engineer, Infrastructure), Ryan Crum (Engineer, Transportation Implementation)
• Overview: The presentation covered the background and reprocurement of two on-call contract categories: professional services (14 categories, $206 million capacity, 45 firms selected) and general civil construction (1 category, $400 million capacity, 8 firms selected). Total combined maximum capacity is $600 million over three years, with a possible two-year extension. The contracts enable rapid deployment of subject matter expertise and support capital projects across city agencies. MWBE goals are 12% for construction and embedded in professional services.
• Council Concerns: Councilman Hines expressed reservations about using on-call contracts for strategic projects, citing a past instance (5280 Trail bond project) where council oversight was bypassed. He argued that such projects should undergo competitive RFP processes to ensure transparency and innovation. Councilman Flynn requested a memo detailing the mini-bid process and suggested quarterly updates on on-call projects. Councilwoman Alvides questioned the low 12% MWBE goal for construction and called for a deeper review of how goals are set and enforced. Councilwoman Gilmore (via chat) asked about potential overspending and underspending; staff noted that historical utilization was about 50-55% of capacity.
• Outcome: A motion to postpone the resolution to November 19, 2025, was made by Councilwoman Alvides, seconded by Councilman Hines, and passed. The committee will revisit the item.

2. Police District 6 Station – Design Contract Amendment

• Presenters: Molly Scarborough (Programming Manager, Elevate and Rise Funds), Kara Saquino (Director, DOTI Vertical Construction), Commander Michelle Former (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Support Bureau)
• Overview: Staff requested approval of a $674,000 amendment to the existing design contract with Roth Shepherd Architects. The funds cover redesign costs incurred while value-engineering the project to fit a constrained $54 million construction budget. The project involves demolishing the current station and building a new facility at Washington and Colfax, including a two-story parking garage, expanded interview rooms, sally port, recording equipment, ADA compliance, and a community room. Timeline: design completion in Q2 2026, construction start late 2026, occupancy by end of 2027. Officers will temporarily relocate to the police administration building (14-month transition) with minimal code upgrades.
• Council Feedback: Councilman Hines strongly supported the project, noting the current station was never designed as a police facility and lacks ADA accessibility. He emphasized community engagement and balancing safety with transparency. Staff confirmed that floor plans would not be widely shared due to security concerns, but the community room design may involve public input.
• Outcome: A motion to approve the amendment was made by Councilman Hines, seconded by Councilwoman Alvides, and passed.

3. Storm Drainage Master Plan Update

• Presenters: Jungman (Engineering Specialist), Tom Blackman (Engineer Supervisor), Elena McWarter (Legislative Liaison), Bruce Johannik (Director of Environmental Team) – all from DOTI
• Overview: The 2025 Storm Drainage Master Plan is now fully digital and publicly accessible via Denvergov.org/stormwater. It uses advanced 1D/2D modeling (first in the Front Range) to assess flood risk across 50% of the city, identifying over 200 potential improvement projects totaling $2 billion. The plan focuses on basins with recent CIP investments (e.g., Montclair, which saw 6-foot flood risk reduction) and four newly modeled gulches west of the South Platte River (Dry, Weir, Sanderson, Lakewood). The online tool includes interactive maps, educational content, and language access. The plan feeds into the one-water plan and six-year capital improvement plan for prioritization.
• Council Questions: Councilwoman Alvides inquired about flooding in the Valverde area; staff noted an ongoing outfall system plan with Mile High Flood District and committed to providing a briefing. Councilman Hines praised the GIS integration and the award-winning nature of the project. Staff explained that project prioritization uses criteria such as multi-benefit value, funding partnerships, and equity.
• Outcome: A motion to move the resolution forward was made by Councilwoman Alvides, seconded by Councilman Cashman, and passed.

Key Outcomes

• On-Call Contracts (Resolutions 25-1643 through 25-1687 and 25-1384 through 25-1391): Postponed to committee meeting on November 19, 2025, for further discussion.
• Police District 6 Design Amendment (Resolution 25-1628?): Approved.
• Storm Drainage Master Plan (Resolution 25-1628?): Approved.
• Consent Calendar: Approved without objection.