OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Denver Parks, Art and Culture Committee Meeting – April 7, 2026

Council CommitteesTuesday, April 7, 2026
BodyDenver, Colorado
SessionCouncil Committees
DateTuesday, April 7, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:25:43

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Welcome back to this monthly meeting of the parks, Arts and Culture Committee of Denver City Council.

0:08

Join us in the Parks Arts and Culture Committee starting now.

0:18

Hi, good morning.

0:19

Thank you for joining us this morning at Parks Art and Culture Committee, the best committee on this beautiful morning.

0:29

And I will my name is Flora Alvidres.

0:31

I'm the chair of Parks Arts and Culture Committee, and we can start today by introducing the council members.

0:35

I'll start with my co-chair to my right.

0:38

Vice Chair.

0:39

Vice Chair.

0:39

Hey Denver.

0:40

Chris Hines, Denver's Perfect Dead.

0:41

Chantel Lewis, District 8.

0:43

Darren Watson, Flying District 9.

0:45

Diana Romero Campbell, Southeast Denver, District 4.

0:49

Really excited to hear from Parks today.

0:52

So Jesus, you want to take it away and introduce your team.

0:55

For sure.

0:55

Good morning, Council members.

0:56

Jesus Arranti Community Engagement Specialists with Parks and Recreation.

1:00

We have several items that we will bring presenting to you today.

1:10

I'll have them introduce themselves and then we will get right into the presentation.

1:13

Thank you.

1:16

I'm Jessica Anderson, the Urban Ecology Supervisor with Denver Parks and Recreation.

1:20

Good morning, everyone.

1:21

I am Kristen Beer, Design Construction Supervisor with Denver Parks and Recreation.

1:27

So as I mentioned, we are we have 19 on call contracts that will be presented as an action item.

1:33

In addition, we will be presenting 10 ecology contracts to you all.

1:37

Those are running about a week behind, and so we want to make sure to be able to present them.

1:42

Those are not on action.

1:43

So those we will not be voting on today.

1:46

Today for the agenda, we will be talking about on calls, what uh how we use them, the reason that that they're a good thing, and we will provide some background on these contracts and how they will work.

2:01

Uh I will be kicking off uh the purpose and the use of our on-call contracts in relate in relation to uh the design and construction or the landscape architecture and related design services.

2:14

Um, some of the benefits on our on-call contracts, um, it provides a list of consultants that are pre-approved with experience and knowledge of the DPR standards and park focused design teams.

2:26

Um it condenses timelines and provides more efficient process project starts.

2:31

Uh it produces procurement or reduces procurement timelines and supportive of all small business and reduces proposal generation.

2:39

Um we also encumber funds on an ongoing and as needed basis.

2:44

Um, our selection process is very competitive.

2:50

It uh follows the formal RFP process and it's public publicly publicly um issued through BidNet.

2:57

Um we also have selection committees consisting of at least five internal subject matter experts.

3:04

Um it does follow the selection rating criteria and evaluations.

3:10

Um I think that is it.

3:16

Umil calls through mini-bid processes.

3:20

We have a procurement committee um set up within the um planning design and construction um teams.

3:28

It's a group of internal management level subject matter experts that review scope, details, and scale of the project to ensure that we provide equitable opportunities for all firms to propose on projects.

3:39

So the committee um actively monitors workloads across um all firms, provides oversight without slowing delivery processes, and prevents disproportionate allocation to one consultant.

3:52

Um so we want to just make sure that we're being very equitable as we're distributing all the work among all of the on-call consultants.

4:02

Um as funding is available, projects are approved and they're presented to a select group of consultant firms.

4:09

Um we we do have a formal bid process for three or more firms if the anticipated budget is 150,000 or more.

4:24

Um the on-call contracts are that are being presented today.

4:36

Um we have 19 total contracts for the on-call landscape architecture, planning, design and related services contract.

4:42

They'll be utilized for citywide and specific um site-specific vision planning, community engagement, and parks and trails design.

4:52

Um then also uh Jessica will be providing more information on the future um council consideration.

5:00

Yes, thank you.

5:01

So as Jesus mentioned, our ecological contracts are about a week or so behind, so they are not an action item today, but we wanted to present to give you the full picture of these services.

5:11

The RFPs went out at about the same time.

5:14

So this is for our restoration ecological and technical services contract, which will utilize we will utilize citywide and for site-specific ecological restoration, our landscape transformation program.

5:26

So we're moving bluegrass and replacing with native landscapes, our natural resource inventory and analysis projects, monitoring, natural resource planning and design, aquatic resource management, wildlife management, and some environmental site assessment and remediation projects.

5:44

So I'll continue to present those first and then I'll hand it back to Kristen with the action item today.

5:50

So our restoration contracts, we received 19 proposals when we put this out to RFP through BitNet, and we've selected 10 firms.

5:59

Five of those firms are new to this on call contract list with the city.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parks and Recreation█████████████████████████████████████████████67%
Community Engagement█████████████19%
Contracts And Procurement███████10%
Procedural2%
Water And Wastewater Management2%
Summary of Proceedings

Denver Parks, Art and Culture Committee Meeting – April 7, 2026

The Parks, Art and Culture Committee of the Denver City Council met on April 7, 2026 (agenda listed 10:30 AM start; the instruction provided 5:30 PM UTC – discrepancy noted). Chair Flor Alvidrez presided with six members present (Hinds, Lewis, Romero Campbell, Sandoval, Watson, Alvidrez) and one absent (Parady). The committee approved a block of 19 landscape architecture on-call contracts, a use agreement with Denver Dream Center for the former Globeville Recreation Center, and a consent item for My Outdoor Colorado programming.

Consent Calendar

  • 26-0472: Approved a contract with the State Board of Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund for $2,000,000 (through 12-31-2030) to continue My Outdoor Colorado coalition initiatives and programming in Council Districts 3 and 9. Approved by consent.

Discussion Items

  • Parks and Recreation Landscaping On-Call Contracts (26-0402 through 26-0420): Kristen Beard (Design Construction Supervisor) and Jesús Orrantia (Community Engagement Specialist) presented 19 on-call contracts for landscape architecture, planning, and design services citywide. The contracts cover four years with a one-year extension option. Fourteen contracts for MWBE firms are at $2.5 million each; five for SBE firms are at $1.5 million each. The MWBE pool has a 20% MWBE participation goal; the SBE pool has a 30% self-performance requirement. Councilmembers raised questions about capacity, project timelines, drought considerations, and use of on-call contracts for strategic vision planning. The committee also heard about upcoming ecological restoration contracts (not yet for action). Councilmember Watson secured verbal commitments from DPR regarding the Curtis Park implementation schedule (target 2028) and a budget breakdown for the project within 30 days.
  • Dream Center Denver Use Agreement (26-0471): Jesús Orrantia presented a three-year use agreement for $90,000 to allow Dream Center Denver to occupy and program the former Globeville Recreation Center (Council District 9). The previous vendor’s contract ended in fall 2025, creating a gap in services. Councilmember Lewis expressed concern that DPR did not conduct a new community engagement process for the RFP, relying instead on a 2017 RFP. Deputy Executive Director John Martinez acknowledged the misstep and committed to robust community engagement within the first year and a half of the contract. Representatives from Dream Center and Globeville First (Milo Valdez, Rebecca Treehouse) spoke about their partnership and commitment to community-driven programming. Councilmember Watson vowed to ensure Birdseed Collective also remains integrated.
  • Consent Item (26-0472): No discussion; approved by consent.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved 19 on-call landscape architecture contracts (Resolutions 26-0402 through 26-0420) in a block vote of 6-0 (motion by Lewis, second by Hinds).
  • Approved Dream Center use agreement (Resolution 26-0471) by a vote of 5-1 (Lewis opposed).
  • Approved consent item 26-0472 by consent.
  • DPR committed to providing a list of upcoming projects to the committee.
  • DPR committed to a community engagement process within 18 months for the next Globeville Recreation Center RFP.
  • Councilmember Lewis emphasized the need for equitable community input processes, particularly for Black and brown communities.
  • Councilmember Watson received commitments on Curtis Park timeline and budget communication.
  • The ecological restoration on-call contracts (10 firms) will be presented for action in a future meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome back to this monthly meeting of the parks, Arts and Culture Committee of Denver City Council. Join us in the Parks Arts and Culture Committee starting now. Hi, good morning. Thank you for joining us this morning at Parks Art and Culture Committee, the best committee on this beautiful morning. And I will my name is Flora Alvidres. I'm the chair of Parks Arts and Culture Committee, and we can start today by introducing the council members. I'll start with my co-chair to my right. Vice Chair. Vice Chair. Hey Denver. Chris Hines, Denver's Perfect Dead. Chantel Lewis, District 8. Darren Watson, Flying District 9. Diana Romero Campbell, Southeast Denver, District 4. Really excited to hear from Parks today. So Jesus, you want to take it away and introduce your team. For sure. Good morning, Council members. Jesus Arranti Community Engagement Specialists with Parks and Recreation. We have several items that we will bring presenting to you today. I'll have them introduce themselves and then we will get right into the presentation. Thank you. I'm Jessica Anderson, the Urban Ecology Supervisor with Denver Parks and Recreation. Good morning, everyone. I am Kristen Beer, Design Construction Supervisor with Denver Parks and Recreation. So as I mentioned, we are we have 19 on call contracts that will be presented as an action item. In addition, we will be presenting 10 ecology contracts to you all. Those are running about a week behind, and so we want to make sure to be able to present them. Those are not on action. So those we will not be voting on today. Today for the agenda, we will be talking about on calls, what uh how we use them, the reason that that they're a good thing, and we will provide some background on these contracts and how they will work. Uh I will be kicking off uh the purpose and the use of our on-call contracts in relate in relation to uh the design and construction or the landscape architecture and related design services. Um, some of the benefits on our on-call contracts, um, it provides a list of consultants that are pre-approved with experience and knowledge of the DPR standards and park focused design teams. Um it condenses timelines and provides more efficient process project starts. Uh it produces procurement or reduces procurement timelines and supportive of all small business and reduces proposal generation. Um we also encumber funds on an ongoing and as needed basis. Um, our selection process is very competitive. It uh follows the formal RFP process and it's public publicly publicly um issued through BidNet. Um we also have selection committees consisting of at least five internal subject matter experts. Um it does follow the selection rating criteria and evaluations. Um I think that is it. Umil calls through mini-bid processes. We have a procurement committee um set up within the um planning design and construction um teams. It's a group of internal management level subject matter experts that review scope, details, and scale of the project to ensure that we provide equitable opportunities for all firms to propose on projects. So the committee um actively monitors workloads across um all firms, provides oversight without slowing delivery processes, and prevents disproportionate allocation to one consultant. Um so we want to just make sure that we're being very equitable as we're distributing all the work among all of the on-call consultants. Um as funding is available, projects are approved and they're presented to a select group of consultant firms. Um we we do have a formal bid process for three or more firms if the anticipated budget is 150,000 or more. Um the on-call contracts are that are being presented today. Um we have 19 total contracts for the on-call landscape architecture, planning, design and related services contract.

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