Finance and Business Committee Meeting - March 24, 2026
Finance and Business Committee Meeting - March 24, 2026
The Denver City Council's Finance and Business Committee met on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 10:30 AM in Room 391 of the City & County Building. Chaired by Councilwoman Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, the committee considered one action item (the first contracting action under the Vibrant Denver bond program) and four consent items. The meeting featured a presentation by the Vibrant Denver bond team and Denver Health leadership on a $20 million funding agreement to construct a new Westside Family Health Center. All items were approved and will move forward to the full City Council.
Consent Calendar
- Purchase Order with Wagner Equipment CO: Approved $730,205.00 for a one-time purchase of replacement asphalt paver, citywide (Item 26-0338).
- Purchase Order with Insight Public Sector, Inc.: Approved $1,821,500.00 for annual usage of Amazon Web Services (AWS) software, citywide (Item 26-0339).
- Denver Great Kids Head Start Grant: Established a budget based on a letter of intent to fund the grant for the program period July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 (Item 26-0366).
- Lease Agreement with Denver Firefighters Museum, Inc.: Approved a lease for $10.00 through December 31, 2030 for a museum at 1326 Tremont, Denver, in Council District 10 (Item 26-0369).
Discussion Items
- Vibrant Denver Bond Funding Agreement for Denver Health Westside Clinic (Item 26-0367): The committee heard a presentation from Molly Scarbrough (Vibrant Denver Bond Program), Patrick Riley (Denver Bond Program), and Chris Gott (Chief Operating Officer, Denver Health). The action item approves a Funding and Assignment Agreement between the City, Denver Health and Hospital Authority (DHHA), and DHHA Westside Clinic QALICB to provide $20 million in Vibrant Bond proceeds (approved by voters in November 2025 at over 70%) for constructing a new Denver Health Sam Sandos Westside Family Health Center in Council District 3. The project has a total cost of approximately $100 million, with the city's $20 million contribution serving as a grant to complete the capital stack. The new three-story, 82,500 sq. ft. clinic will nearly double the existing square footage, include enhanced services (physical therapy, CT scanner, light-filled spaces), and be built on the same site. The existing clinic will remain open during construction, with a shuttle service provided. A parking deck will replace the old clinic after completion. The project adheres to 10% W/MBE goals and 1% public art requirement ($580,000). First patient visits are expected by Q3 2027.
Key Outcomes
- Motion and Vote: Councilman Darrell Watson moved to approve the action item (26-0367), seconded by Councilman Paul Kashmann. The committee voted unanimously (thumbs up) to advance it to the full City Council for first reading on March 31, 2026.
- Consent Items: All four consent items were approved without objection and will also move to the full Council.
- Next Steps: The funding must be provided to Denver Health by May 1, 2026 to facilitate their new market tax credit process.
- Future Briefing Requested: Councilman Watson requested a future deeper dive into the overall Vibrant Denver bond investment portfolio, including the strength of bond investments. Chair Gonzales-Gutierrez confirmed this will be arranged.
Meeting Transcript
This biweekly meeting of the Finance and Business Committee of Denver City Council. Join us for the Finance and Business Committee starting now. Morning, everyone, and welcome to the Finance and Business Committee. Today is Tuesday, March 24th. My name is Serena Gonzalez Gutierrez. I'm one of your council members at large and chair of this committee. And we're gonna start off today. Romero Campbell, you're here in person. We had you down as as virtual, but um we're gonna start off uh before we go into the agenda with introductions of council members. Uh and I will start over here to my left. Uh thank you, committee chair, uh Darrell Watson, uh flying district nine. Uh good morning, Paul Cashman, South Denver District 6. Hello, um, good morning, Diana Romero Campbell, uh Southeast Denver District 4 in person. Uh and just before um uh we have Council President introduce yourself. Is there anyone online joining us? Nobody online. Um Council President, if you want to introduce yourself. Northwest Denver District Man is that perfect timing. All right. Um with that said, we're gonna turn it over to the bond team in Denver Health. Uh they're gonna talk to us about uh one of the vibrant Denver Bond Vibrant Denver, yeah, Bond Projects. Yeah, go right ahead. Hi, Molly Scarborough, Fibrant Denver Bond program. Patrick Riley, uh Denver Bond Program. Chris Gott, Chief Operating Officer at Denver Health Wonderful. Um we're so happy to be back in front of you all today. Um on November 4th, obviously we had the election for Vibrant Denver, and one of our ballot measures to see was for uh the Denver Children's Advocacy Center and the Westside uh Health Clinic, the San Santos Clinic, uh, with Denver Health. That ballot measure passed at over 70 percent. Um on November 5th, we subsequently did a groundbreaking uh for the Westside Health Clinic. Um today we are here to bring you our first um contracting action under Vibrant, which is for a uh FAA uh funding assignment agreement to uh fund the 20 million dollars that the voters approved as part of Vibrant Denver. Um we are we're gonna talk about that action. Um 260367, which would provide funding for the 20 million that was voted on and approved. Um as just a general clarification of how this works. This will be the first of a couple FAAs. Um we as a city provide funding to Denver Health, who adds this to a part of a larger capital stack. This is not a 20 million dollar project. It would be super awesome if it was, but um I'm sure everyone would agree uh appreciate that. It's um but we are providing that as part of a larger capital stack for them to do their project. Um it is uh bald into the the social ordinances, things like our Disbo goals and public art. Um so they will be partnering with Arts and Venues as part of the normal public art process. They are underneath the DISBO process and did seek goals and will be um adhering to those as well. Um so this funding assignment agreement really just helps complete their capital stack. Thank you, Patrick. So this uh these bonds were issued as part of issuance one, as part of our taxable bonds. Uh 20 million dollars to build the new Denver Health West Side Family Health Center in Council District 3 to provide affordable medical service and increase availability of care. Um, as Patrick said, this is a partner-led project. We are so um appreciative to partner with Denver Health. Um, this contract memorializes the delivery of the bond funding to uh Denver Health and Hospital Authority and the DHHA Westside Clinic Qualic B. Um the Qualic B is a single purpose entity created by DHHIA to be an investment vehicle for new market tax credit transactions, and so we are excited to be able to contribute funds that helps them unlock um this funding opportunity. Um the project highlights, and I'm gonna review just high-level project highlights and then turn it over to Chris to give you a little bit more information.
openpublica.com