Join us for the Finance and Business Committee starting now.

All right.

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Finance and Business Committee.

Today is Tuesday, April 14th.

My name is Sedana Gonzalez Gutiérrez, and I'm one of your council members at large.

We'll start with uh introductions from council members and then we'll go into what's on the agenda for today.

I'll start to my right.

Morning, Stacey Gilmore, District 11.

Good morning, Paul Cashman, South Denver District 6.

Good morning, Matthew, Northwest Denver District 1.

Good morning, Darrell Watson, fine district nine.

Good morning, Diana Romero Campbell, Southeast Denver District 4.

All right.

I don't know that we have it doesn't look like we have anybody participating virtually right now.

And if they do, we'll um we'll patch them in.

Um with that said, we have three items up for action today.

Um we'll be starting with Department of Finance presenting on a real estate acquisition in District 10, and then we'll have again Department of Finance uh presenting on the five points bid renewal, and then we have the janitory services contracts with general services.

So we'll kick it off with Department of Finance.

If you all can introduce yourselves and proceed with your presentation.

Sure, great.

Hi, I'm Molly Scarborough with a Vibrant Denver Bond program.

Patrick Riley, Vibrant Denver Bond.

Lutha Lumley, Director of Real Estate.

And Lia Mitchell from the Department of Housing Stability, Director of Development and Catalytic Partnerships.

Thanks.

So we'll just jump right in.

Super.

Well, thank you for um hearing us today.

Uh as you know, November of last year, Denver voters voted overwhelmingly to support the Vibrant Denver bond ballot questions, including funding for housing and sheltering.

So today I'll describe the vibrant housing investment process for allocation of the 45 million for the affordable housing project developments.

Lisa Lumley will be here to discuss our first recommended investment opportunity at 251 East 12th Avenue.

And then we are asking you to decide if you approve to move this forward to the bull council.

I understand you have a full agenda, so we're going to walk through this quickly, but we will open um things up for questions later.

So our vibrant housing goals focus on the mitigation of displacement of existing residents by providing affordable housing in proximity to city investments or other projects that could otherwise have the potential to spur displacement.

We are targeting investment in five to seven properties, site improvements or building acquisitions to support as many units as housing as possible with requirements for long-term affordable housing within each project.

Our housing investment process, first I want to thank all council members for helping us revise uh this process to get to you today.

So thanks for all that feedback along the way.

Our process starts with our Department of Finance Real Estate Office, identify opportunities.

So the district in which that opportunity resides.

For the housing recommendations, we also bring in executive directors from host from DITO and CPD to join our VOLT or Vibrant Oversight Leadership Team.

If they concur that the recommendation should move forward, then we bring it to the executive sponsors for the Vibrant program, which includes the CFO, Nicole Dohaney, as well as Mayor's Office, Jeff Dolan.

And the council president, again, the district in which that property resides, as well as the council president.

If they concur, we bring it uh here to committee and then to the council process.

Um council approve uh this acquisition, then we would have 90 days to issue an RFP for housing partners to provide the affordable housing.

That 90 days is sort of our max time.

We hope to get those out sooner if possible.

Oops.

And so the advisory committee really focuses on project and site selection criteria as they are reviewing the projects.

Um I'm not going to go into this in detail just because I we did present this at Mayor Council.

I understand you're on um uh interest in moving forward quickly, but really focusing on um sites that are in proximity to services, um sites that could potentially have the uh opportunity disfer displacement, um, making sure that no more than two vibrant bond funded affordable housing projects are in one districts, um, and then some site criteria.

Um should this property um be acquired, uh council agree, then uh we have some housing RFP criteria that we would pursue.

Um all proposals are required to include the development of long-term affordable housing.

Um we have uh various options for those development types.

Um they could be affordable housing only, mixed or minimal income housing, mixed use buildings, and we really want to provide um opportunities that are right for that site in that area.

And now I'm gonna turn it over to Lisa.

Thank you.

So we are going to look at the 251 East 12th Avenue building.

This is owned by the state of Colorado.

Um it is the parcel itself is just under an acre at 43,200 square feet.

The building itself is 91,470 square feet.

District 10.

Um zoning is CMX 8.

The purchase price is 4.5 million dollars, and again, the source of funds would be the vibrant bond.

Um this would support then affordable housing and as um was just mentioned, mitigate any involuntary displacement.

The property could be we're we're working through whether we would do a ground lease or actually sell it to a partner to own with a covenant on it.

Um, and this will be kind of dependent upon how we we're trying to be flexible at whether this could be a conversion, whether this is something that um developers feel like it would need to come down, or whether they can keep the building converted and build on top of it.

So when we do our RFP, we will not be restrictive in that way.

Um this is I'm just looking here too.

Oh, yeah.

So this is though a great location in terms of walkability, and it is going to be transit friendly with Qualfax BRT, especially.

Uh, it is zoned for high density, um, but has not seen any new affordable housing units since before 2020.

As we brought this through the process, the advisory committee um recommended this project for approval, again, recommending that 4.5 million in bond funds for the acquisition.

Um the project meets the site selection and uh location criteria.

It's close to the new Colfax VRT, Civic Center Parks, 16th Street, new DDDA investments, all of which could be drivers of uh potential displacement.

Uh it's located within a half mile of public transit, first last mile infrastructure, schools, parks, libraries, rec centers, child care, food services, and employment opportunities.

So there are a lot of services in the area.

Um other considerations that were discussed is there is a high demand for affordable rental units in district 10.

Um, and so the RFP would really allow flexibility in housing approaches to meet those needs.

So last slide, um potential timeline.

Uh, we are here today at Finbiz.

Um, if you um choose to move this forward, we would go to Mayor Council April 21st, City Council on uh April 27th, um, and then again that RFP would be issued within 90 days of closing of the property.

Great questions?

Thank you.

Um I have a couple council members in the queue.

So council members, if you have questions, please let me know.

Um we'll start off with Councilman Hines, followed by Pro Time Mario Campbell.

Thank you, committee chair.

Uh Ms.

Lanley, thank you for the invitation to um to visit the site.

Um I have been by the Colorado Department of Education building thousands of times.

I mean just uh my in my 20 years of living in Colorado have lived inside the district 10 footprint that entire time.

So it's I think it's an amazing location.

I think it's um you know it's right there part of the Capitol complex, and so it would be ideal for state employees who for better for worse, um, you know, they uh make a difference in um in impacting how our state operates, but um they do it for the love, not for the money.

Um so just as uh one example of I think of uh a potential uh market for um uh for affordable housing could be uh the state employees in the state complex.

They're also it was just a like it's actually in the the capital complex, but even just a couple blocks away, there are a bunch of city um owned uh buildings and uh and jobs.

Um this is uh it's such a beautiful spot.

It's you know within a block of the state capital, and so you'd see an unobstructive view of the gold dome.

If you're above basically above the ground floor, um you get to see a uh you know a view of the state capital.

Um you're right, the median age of um Capitol Hill is 34, median income is about 44,000 a year.

I don't know how you know uh caught Denver is the third most unaffordable housing for rent market in the nation.

Uh so I don't know how the people of Capitol Hill make ends meet, and and as I um talk with constituents there, they they say that they are um you know one maybe two paychecks away from being unhoused themselves, which is um part of the reason why there's a lot of um sympathy and empathy for uh for our unhoused um particularly in Capill.

I I think it's a good location.

I think that um you know the site has good bones.

Um I think that there are some uh there's some reasons why this is not an ideal spot as is.

Um so I think it's um uh I think we would be fortunate to have this opportunity to um to purchase.

Uh you mentioned you haven't decided between a ground lease or selling.

Um I would strongly encourage a ground lease, um, even if it's 99 years.

Um you know, I I can't I think most developers don't imagine that they're going to build a structure that will last a hundred years, but um uh but as we saw with um the renegotiation of uh the BNSF rail line west um through the tunnel that was a 99 year conversation that came up for renewal this year or last year, and so um you know we know that it won't happen in our lifetimes, but um, but it has happened uh that 99 years have come up in you know in our lifetimes from things that have been negotiated a long time ago.

And I'd love to preserve um the ownership of the land for um for the future generations of council members that make decisions.

Um so I want to councilman.

If I can just say I I think we agree that actually uh a ground lease is always our preferred option, and that is 90% of the time the way we go.

So I think we just recognize that there could be we've seen it on one property where there could be some challenges, and so I think that's why we just don't have a definitive answer right now, but I think we're pretty consistent with hosts that ground lease is definitely what would be our normal option.

Yeah, and then just the last comment.

Um you mentioned no new affordable housing since 2020.

There's been a lot of interest in affordable housing, including First Baptist Church was a block away.

Um they wanted to put in affordable housing on their parking lot.

Um unfortunately the parking lot has been um designated historic.

Um so we had a conversation about that, but nights of Columbus, and I apologize again to my colleagues for not doing all the research that I should have with that that property, but um uh here we see the first Baptist Church wanted to put in affordable housing, could not do so because of the um uh historic nature of the parking lot.

So um there certainly is interest in uh in affordable housing, and I see that this is an opportunity to uh to realize some of that um very needed affordable housing.

So thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

Uh Council Pro Temer, Mara Campbell.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, I just have a a few questions, and it's more on um process.

So of the total dollars that are being allocated for housing, we have 10 million roughly.

There's 45 million.

45 million, okay.

So a portion would go towards this acquisition.

Um how exactly do we decide which ones come through first?

I think as a broader strategy across the city.

Um again love affordable housing, we need it.

We we want to find all the locations.

Is can you tell me more about how this one is surfacing first?

Sure.

So I think um, and we are super sensitive, I will say, to recognizing we want to make sure that we can look across the city to find opportunities.

Um this is an opportunity that actually the state contacted us to see if we would have interest.

And so um I think the you know the challenge is if we wait to try to have all of them at once, uh we will lose opportunities at the same time, right?

And so it is each time there is a new opportunity as it is vetted through real estate to make sure it meets basic criteria, then that is where it will go through the advisory committee to determine whether it still meets criteria, including now is it in a new geographic area, is it still meeting all of those um other requirements?

I mean, I'll stop there for a minute and see if there's anything you guys want to add as well.

I just want to add that the advisory committee looked at that as well.

We recognize that things will come up potentially one at a time.

Um they have an interest in looking across the city as a whole.

As I said, we're targeting about five to seven properties, is what we're guessing.

Um the 45 million can accommodate.

Um this is 4.5 million of that, and so there are still other opportunities as they may come up, um, but we don't have the luxury of seeing all of the opportunities at once and then choosing between them.

Um we would need to respond um as those opportunities come up.

Um thank you.

And then I might have missed this in the presentation, but this would be um a conversion, a building conversion.

Eventually, and so when we do the RFP, um we have plans that from the state that we can provide as well, and I think the opportunity is there.

We're not trying to limit the developers on what they can do.

We want to see what great ideas can come forward.

So they could recommend that they would tear it down and just start with all new product.

Um again, we're encouraging them to look at conversion, and like I said, it appears from what we're hearing that potentially they could build on top of it too.

And so we are trying to encourage any and all ideas from that standpoint.

Um and then thank you, and and then um just those are all my questions for now.

I'll hop back in the queue if I need.

Okay, thank you.

Councilwoman Gilmar.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Uh thank you for the briefing and everything.

Um a couple clarifying questions.

So um having been council president um in the past um and managing those bond funds, um, two, actually, I think three as we were closing out one, um, it was always set up that there was an executive committee.

And so Jane Fisher was the dedicated person in DOTI or in the Department of Finance that managed the whole portfolio.

Who is responsible?

Who is the new Jane Fisher in this scenario with this bond?

So it's uh right now it's split between Molly and myself, so it depends on what the role is.

So I take primarily the delivery responsibilities.

Molly takes more of the operational responsibilities, so it depends on what the task is.

We have uh complementary skill sets, so we're able to match.

Perfect.

And so the two of you, um, Molly and Patrick are responsible then um for managing and facilitating the executive committee for um everybody's edification.

Would you do a quick overview of who exactly is on that executive committee?

Because um I don't know if the public exactly understands um the process, maybe, and I'm trying to understand because this is granted a new process, and there's 45 million dollars on the table, and so um yeah, who's on that?

And so we're calling it the vibrant oversight and leadership team.

It is executive directors who are um more directly responsible for delivery of the uh vibrant projects, and so that includes um the parks and rec uh executive director, Jolan Clark, Amy Ford, Department of Transportation, uh Gretchen Halra, Arts and Venues.

Uh it also includes Mayor's Office and Department of Finance, uh so Nicole Dohaney uh from Mayor's Office representing uh then Dreyer.

Uh we have Nico Brown from the city attorney's office.

And then again, for these um housing uh discussions of joining them includes uh uh formerly Molly Urbina from um Department of Housing and Stability and now Kurt Cole Cole, sorry, Cole Chandler Chandler, sorry, just announced Cole Chandler from um host um as well as Brad Buchanan from CPD.

Cole, sorry.

Cole Chandler.

Chandler, sorry, just announced Cole Chandler from host as well as Brad Buchanan from CPD.

Okay, great.

So with that advisory committee or whatever, the leadership committee is council leadership represented on there.

Is that council president Sandoval?

So we that is an internal executive leadership committee that uh reviews these things, and then as we said, the next step, and we can show the slide, is following those reviews, then we do bring it to executive sponsors, so CFO and CPO, um, chief projects offers uh officer from uh mayor's office, uh Jeff Dolan uh to council president um as well as the district's um council member in which the opportunity resides.

Okay.

Um so I'm not sure while if you could um producer if you can keep that slide up because I think it's a really good point that needs to be made, and then I want my um council colleagues who are newer who are who have not been council president before understands the power of the position.

So the council president needs to be on that advisory committee.

That is not appropriate because the council president is the pivot point within Denver City Council to mitigate concerns that we're having come up this morning because council members have not all been briefed.

When I served on that leadership committee with Jane Fisher with Happy Haynes, with Brad Buchanan, um lots of people in the city still know how that worked, and it was my responsibility as the council president to say, well, you know what?

Somebody wants this, somebody wants this, we're gonna need to coordinate and as council president pivot and make sure that there are not glitches as you're trying to roll out these funds.

You are gonna see today what happens specifically when the council president is not on that committee and not thereby responsible to the rest of this body, to all of us to advocate for our communities and for our needs, but also to inform us.

So as council president, I would say, don't you even try to bring that to committee because you first need to brief all of my council colleagues, you need to let them know it's up, and then I need to have the opportunity to hear what their concerns are so that it is not postponed in committee because not all council members feel like they have been briefed on it, and that we've got a big wide city here, and I know that you think this is a tiny amount, but it's no longer Mayor Johnston's general fund dollars.

These are voter-approved bond dollars that people voted on, and so I would respectfully ask, and you know, let's widen the leadership responsibility, put the council pro tem on there as well so that you have a team because council president is not going to be in for more than six more months, so you're gonna have that transition.

You've got six years to do this bond, and so I would just highly recommend uh that so that we are informed and so that this is not a fire storm every single thing that you're bringing through.

And so I will respect the conversation, but at the end, um I understand your need and want for this councilman Heinz, but I would also um ask that um we make sure that everybody is briefed so that we can have equity, accountability, and transparency for it.

So I know you probably have great reasons why it's awesome, but at the end of the conversation, I will be making that motion to postpone because I would like to also know what the plan is, and I can't trust the mayor's administration to make those decisions and then trickle it down to the council president and the two at-large members, and then if it all blows up, it who is responsible for it.

So I will stop there and when it's time for the postponement.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman McGillmore.

And I want to give an opportunity for you all to respond.

Um, and I know that I had asked um prior to this coming, as you all know, I had asked for there to be outreach to council members to be briefed prior to this coming to committee.

Um, and I I know that I had a briefing about the process where I raised concerns around council involvement throughout the process because originally there was not that extra arrow on that second box there.

Um, and then I raised it again when we were all briefed again at Mayor's Council.

So mayor council, we had individual briefings offered, at least I can only speak for my own office, offered, but then also we had it presented in Mayor Council where we had opportunity again to ask questions.

And I again asked at that point why is it a arrow and a we're notifying versus part of the conversation?

And so to that point, Councilwoman Gilmore, I did raise that issue at that time and asked where is that involvement piece as far as the project that's before us today.

I think you know there are um there are questions from other council members we know about the selection process and how we're just deciding to acquire buildings when there might already be buildings uh properties owned by the city and why are those not being considered, and so I just want to put that out there because I know that has been expressed as a question and concern.

Um, but I will pass it to Council President Sandoval so that um she could also respond.

But if there's anything else you'd like to add from what I just said, um please do, and then we'll pass it to Council President Sandoval.

Yeah, I just wanted to add um this process, and thank you.

We did offer um briefings to all council members to discuss the process, and we did take that feedback and integrate it along the way.

Thank you for pointing that out.

A couple key integrations is that um notification as things go to advisory committee with the intent of uh council members um to being able to raise any questions or concerns along the way.

We also added following your mayor council um recommendation, recommendation at Mayor and Council, and the uh box um after the vibrant oversight leadership team reviews when it goes to executive sponsors, council president um, and the district council member review.

So that adding that um into the process as well.

In addition, ahead of our mayor council where we also presented the process, um, Carolina Flores from Department of Finance also shared information specifically around this property to all council members ahead of mayor council so that questions could be asked at that time as well.

So just wanted to give that update on how this process has evolved over time.

Council President.

Thank you.

So my I have a similar question to uh councilwoman Diana Romero Campbell Pro Tem.

How is the selection because we own land in Denver?

We own several parcels.

So I don't understand why a city parcel isn't coming first.

Why are we using acquisition dollars instead of building on land we have?

Well, I can answer that.

Um, so when we got into the actual language that that was included, it says the project would allow us to invest in land, buildings, or site preparation to provide affordable housing and mitigate displacement.

The city will invest in land buildings and our site preparation to support development and acquisition of affordable housing to mitigate and voluntary displacement, land or buildings, maybe lease to partners or city owned, depending on the specific details of the project.

The city expects to use this capital leverage, uh capital to leverage additional investment to deliver on these projects.

So that is the language that was in the project description.

So yeah, I I I get that.

I worked on that language to get it into the bond.

But my question again is it takes so much to get projects up and going, right?

We have have we done a heat assessment, have we done an assessment, an audit of all of the land that we own in the city and county of Denver and help get those pads prepared for for that because we own land.

I know specifically one in a different council district that has three-story zoning, it's vacant.

We could use some of that money to actually get the pad prepared for developers go out for our again.

I understand that we have that language in there for acquisition 100%.

I agree with that.

I just understand I don't understand the process of how this one came first, and we're not utilizing city-owned land that we already have.

Councilwoman or Council President, if I can respond.

So yes, we do have, we probably don't have as much as everybody thinks, but we do have a couple sites.

Um I was not party to certain conversations recently that were um I think referred to this morning.

Uh, but I do know that I think there had been some ongoing conversations about how that site could be used short-term versus long term.

So I think long-term, there always has been a commitment to housing, and I will say, as far as I'm concerned, because I do have kind of that city list that you're referring to, as well as then being aware of other opportunities out in the market.

Um that we do have a city list of one parcel in particular that um was referenced.

Uh but I think there's some other host conversations to have, and it was more a matter of timing.

Um, and I would say that that probably goes on another site that I'm thinking of as well.

It was a matter of timing versus whether it actually could be a project or not.

The issue of project is it the issue it's timing.

Okay.

And then related to the process for the bond executive committee, which still meets monthly, this is a total that you the administration created, this is a total separate process for the 45 million dollars.

Is that accurate?

Because when we met, we don't have this process when we're doing parks and recreation, we don't have this process when we're doing like the DOTE projects, we don't have this process.

You all created, meaning you all, meaning the administration, you all created this process separate for the 45 million dollars, correct?

Right, the flow.

And how why when I gave you all feedback about not like taking apart the executive bond committee, this is exactly what I was talking about.

I'll never forget, I was literally in January in my pre-meeting before the bond meeting, I said you cannot dismantle the executive bond committee because it does not create checks and balances in the bond.

I I were specifically remember telling you that, Molly.

And then you all came with this separate idea.

So where did this idea come from to create a separate stream than the executive bond committee?

So this stream is for the how many.

No, I understand that.

I'm not asking that question.

Let me say it a different way.

All of the rest of the money, how much was the bond?

95 million million.

950 million.

So you have a separate stream for 45 million dollars.

That's not part of the executive bond committee.

Why did you create that?

Is what I think Councilwoman Gilmore's question is.

Why did you create that separate process?

What was the what was the what was the intent?

Because with the rest of the bond, 95 million, we have an executive bond committee for.

So what was the intention of creating a whole entire new mechanism, separate stream, second set whole different approval process, doesn't bring it to the executive bond committee.

No one in the executive bond committee votes on it.

What was that intention?

Why?

So the bond executive committee that you're referring to for elevate and rise focuses on the allocation of purpose contingency for um elevate and rise.

This is not purpose contingency.

This is the allocation of the project funding.

So typically for projects for any projects, whether they're elevate, rise, vibrant, the um department um and the project manager identifies the process for how we spend funds on the projects within that area.

And so in this case, for the housing, because of the direction that was passed as part of this project, we decided that this project needed a specific process with an advisory committee, um, initially vetting it, bringing forward to executive directors, bringing forward to uh yourself and the district that process that I showed earlier is that allocation of the project funding specifically.

Um this is not allocating purpose contingency overall.

This is allocating the project funding.

And so because this project is unique, we have not done this in the same way in the past.

We think it needed a special um process to allocate that 45 million.

I would say I think the the actual question is why are we not doing the same thing we did on Rise and Elevate?

And I'll say the reason why is because you're leaving out the voting body that that has the updates for that.

And so I think that that was the feedback that other council members were giving you.

It's a feedback I attempted to give you in January, and you all decided to do this separate process.

So I can't vote on an administrative process, right?

I can vote on bills that come to us.

I can provide you feedback, my colleagues can provide you feedback.

You can take all the briefings and then the administration can use their executive authority, which I've been told, and do what they need to do.

I'm c once again, that's why I was concerned in January when you talked to me about make creating a new process, is because it leaves the executive branch or the the legislative branch out, and the only way that this bond got to the ballot was through us.

And so I think that you're fundamentally missing the pieces, the checks and balances in all of this by creating this new system.

It's just odd.

I'll just have to say I don't know any other system where you don't have someone from city council.

All of our task force, all of our working groups, like you name it, it usually has a council person on it.

So I think the the main the main difference in what we were attempting to do is when you look at like a riser elevate where you have hundreds of projects and you have these citywide buckets, which we heard loud and clear during the Bond process from this body.

You did not want to see repeated.

You wanted very discrete and defined projects.

You want this project in this district, and you didn't want to see citywide pedestrian improvements.

You didn't want to say citywide sidewalks or citywide bikeways.

You wanted to see District 11 signals.

You wanted to see Evans Avenue, you wanted to see you know this pool, not citywide pools.

So we have in particularly named pool improvements, in particularly named signal improvements.

Um what we were attempting to do through this was we have a a much more defined, there's 58 projects.

The only real kind of bucketed project we really had was the housing.

So we were in in an attempt, and I'm hearing you clearly right now, want to be very clear with that.

Um what we were trying to do was actually increase the transparency of this, and we're coming to the body as a whole more often.

We're briefing more often, we're coming to you at Mayor Council once a quarter.

It was less of um trying to cut the legislation out and more of coming to the legislative body as a whole more often.

So I'm I'm hearing you clearly that we may have missed that mark, but it wasn't it wasn't from a lack of effort, it was from a feeling like we were trying to increase the transparency.

I get I'll can I respond pretty much and then I'm I'll be done come, Madam Chair.

It just oftentimes feels like with that process that you said.

So thank you for that, Patrick.

I appreciate that explanation.

The sausage making is done.

So when you're on the executive bond committee, I'm able to actually look at projects and then call my council members and say, hey, this is gonna come up for next month.

I'm I'm I'm tracking things.

What's your input?

If you don't have counsel on that group, there's no way to have the council person who's responsible who can have conversations with 12 other colleagues be able to track that because the sausage making is done.

So it's already been decided, and we just get briefed.

Where it would feel better on the front end to have an elected official in that group because in that group that you all said, there's not one elected official.

And you have to respond differently to people when you're elected.

You do you all are our city workers, you're under career service.

You have peppers, you have all these, and things we don't.

We have to be responsible to the voters.

And so that's what I think I'm seeing you're missing is having an elected official, and all of the people that you have on there are all appointees from the mayor's office.

So they're all gonna lead the direction of what the mayor says, and we may not always have the same um response as the mayor.

We might actually respectfully disagree.

And so that's actually a really good dialogue to have someone in there who's not always on the same agenda because they're not an appointee, they're elected, and then they're within the body, and they might have a different perspective, and it's really good to always have different people at the table to make sure that you're getting all of the different perspectives when things come to the body because then we can give you ideas of what's working, what might not work, what our council members are feeling.

So just some food for thought.

I think that's why you got so many questions on this new process for the 45 million, because at our retreats in our workshops, affordable housing is the number one issue that we have been talking about since I have been here since 2012.

Never gone away.

Never.

And we were proud to get the 50 million dollars in there, and so I think that that process could be short up and just improved.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Councilman Cashman.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'll make it very quick there.

Um I think the work you've been doing on bull and money is outstanding.

I think you're all as confident as we could ask for.

Um, I think is sometimes gets lost that council comes at times from a different perspective.

And I would just support what councilwoman Gilmore brought up that if if there's an executive committee on anything going on in the city, no less the this type of an expense that the courtesy be given uh to uh involve um the legislative branch.

So thank you Madam Chair.

All right thank you.

Councilman Hy so we're at 1125.

We are probably going to have to reschedule one of our other action items because we're just not going to have enough time.

And so I just want to be mindful of that.

I want to try to at least get one other action item in.

So yeah thank you committee chair um there's always a uh pleasure and a risk of being first in the queue um I I want to thank you for I felt in the loop but um but just because I'm in the loop doesn't mean council's in the loop and so I support the current and past uh council president and we should have the legislative branch in the process and I hear a lot of executive branch names and not any legislative branch names so thank you.

Thank you committee chair.

Thank you.

And I'll just say that I I think this is a worthy project right I think we all have talked ad nauseum about affordable housing and having it throughout our city and you know I raised the concern I raised earlier and I think that warrants um follow-up for sure around and council president also raised the same question around existing property um and how we can you know look at some of those as options as well not saying necessarily no to this option but hearing there is a concern still on the table about process um and I appreciate the fact that you have incorporated some of that feedback but I think it's still as we have seen um there's still a lot of unanswered um questions and um and unresolved concerns.

So with that said uh I'm gonna turn to councilwoman gilmore I think um you had a motion uh yes thank you um Madam Chair I'd like to um postpone uh this item until May 12th uh and have it come back then and it is resolution 26-0120 you second council pro tem Romero Campbell okay motioned by councilwoman gilmore seconded by council pro temromero cambill sorry I know it was a tie um with that said do we need a roll call vote not seeing any roll call vote all right um thank you so much for the information we will see you all again on May 12th with that said um I believe we are going to need to I'm so sorry postpone the janitorial contracts because I think that will have a lot of dialogue um and so I apologize greatly for all the folks that may have joined us um for that action item uh and we'll be working with Melissa Mata from our um policy team to help us in in getting that rescheduled so I apologize to those of you who came down for that um with that said we are going to pivot now to uh our next item um for action which is the five points bid renewal so if those folks could join us at the table hello all right um we're gonna turn the information over to you now if you could um introduce yourselves and go on with your presentation and then I'll be taking um a cue for questions thank you excellent um I'll just I'll start off uh Dennis Rujanick uh with capital management and financing and the in the department of finance and um I'll hand it over to these two to introduce themselves.

Hi my name is Norman Harris I serve as the executive director of the five points business improvement district.

My name is Sarah Cullen and I'm with Sidecar Public Relations the communications support for today.

Excellent um so well we we have probably don't have to rush quite as much as we initially thought but uh we'll we'll jump into it and and and get this uh get through this pretty quickly and get to a QA but um ultimately we're here today just to discuss the uh ordinance to approve the renewal of the five points business improvement district for an additional period of 10 years which will uh conclude at the end of 2036 um as you may recall from a previous renewals uh you know when these districts were created they uh uh uh have a requirement to uh seek renewal after an initial 10-year period and so um part of that process is in the uh in the in the ninth year of the district's existence they are required to hold a public hearing um and and uh if that board uh of directors votes to approve a renewal of that district they then submit a resolution to the city and county of Denver um which ultimately kicks off this uh renewal process and so um earlier in March uh well actually I'll start and say that um this the five points BID held a public hearing back on uh February uh eighteenth of 2026 where the board voted to seek an additional 10 year renewal uh and then shortly after that they submit a resolution to the city uh which then uh kicked off this process and so we did have the resolution to schedule a public hearing go through council um earlier in March which set a public hearing date for may 11th so coming up here in just a few weeks um and then uh this is ultimately the formal action to um uh approve that uh renewal uh and so we have a you know the uh first reading coming up here in a few weeks and then the public hearing on May 11th so um those are the two main council actions associated with this uh and so um ultimately to speak to what the district has been doing and some of the things they have planned I will uh hand it over to Norman and Sarah to uh talk about all the yeah all the great things going on in five points

And so we did have the resolution to schedule a public hearing go through council earlier in March, which set a public hearing date from May 11th, so coming up here in just a few weeks.

And then this is ultimately the formal action to approve that renewal.

And so we have a you know the first reading coming up here in a few weeks, and then the public hearing on May 11th.

So those are the two main council actions associated with this.

And so ultimately to speak to what the district has been doing and some of the things they have planned.

I will hand it over to Norman and Sarah to uh talk about all the great things going on in Five Points.

Well, thank you, Dennis, and thank you all for the opportunity to speak about the great things happening in Five Points.

Again, my name is Norman Harris.

I serve as the executive director of the Five Points Business Improvement District.

We're a quasi-governmental agency that oversees the marketing maintenance and general improvement of the Welton Corridor, which is in the historic Five Points neighborhood.

The streets that we represent or that we uh service are between 20th and 30th on Welton Street.

So if you're looking at this map, um it's that green area.

The um Five Points Business Improvement District was started in 2016.

It actually began operating in 2017, fairly humble beginnings when it first began.

I believe that first year our operating budget was barely 100,000.

So outside of maintenance, there wasn't much that the business district was doing, but really just preparing for the future.

Um between 2016 and 2019, there was a tremendous amount of momentum that was built up on the Welton Corridor.

Um then COVID came and it really kind of disrupted uh the advancement in five points along with the rest of our city.

Uh between about 2022 to 2024, the uh business improvement district was administered by the downtown Denver Partnership, um which provided uh great service in terms of administration, but um really what lacked was on the ground, boots on the ground, really an intentional leadership.

So the board of the business improvement district uh made the decision to um hire an executive full-time director.

Um currently or uh during that same time frame, um our my family, we purchased a brewery on uh called Spangling on 27th and Welton Street.

Um I've also been organizing our city's June team celebration uh since 2012, so it's uh this would be year 15.

And I say both of those experiences really gave me the understanding and perspective of what was needed at a macro level to really help the equitable advancement of the Welton Corridor.

Uh so when I saw the um job open up for the executive director, I said that this was something that I was meant to do.

Um so I applied for the job in October of 2023 and uh took on leadership in early 2024, and that first year just really spent a lot of time listening.

And really, what my goal was was to really align the business improvement districts um priorities with those of the many stakeholders and the folks that we represent.

Uh so um what that looked like was on top of providing um day-to-day services such as um you know cleaning and maintenance, uh snow removal, um, what we really looked to do was to unify our um corridor under one vision, which was what we see as it really being a modernized cultural marketplace.

And so um we began working with um city agencies such as Denver Arts and Venues, began working with state agencies such as um OEdit and really working to provide um business support for some of the really unique businesses that are along the corridor.

And so I think when you look at this um this slide here, it really illustrates some of the accomplishments that we've made over the last two years.

Um is that um we've um we've secured uh again support for small businesses through uh working with um the Denver Urban Renewal Authority who's provided much needing working capital for businesses such as uh uh Welton Street Cafe and for um Urban Sanctuary.

We've also worked with the um state SOED department securing those same types of resources on a larger scale.

What we've also done is we've advanced the conversation of what the look and feel of Walton Street should be like.

Um as I mentioned, the business improvement district had been in um existence since 2016, where there have been conversations about just what the future of the street should be by probably since before I was born.

But most importantly, one of the big conversations is the light rail and the L-line.

Um since what we believe is uh 2011, there have been countless studies, countless conversations about um just making Welton Street of a main street character.

There have been countless uh studies that have occurred, have been published and literally made it to the back of folks filing cabinets.

Um but since we've um come into leadership, what we've been able to do is get the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure in the same room as RTD in the same room as city planning development, and with the great leadership of our council um uh of our our councilman um Daryl Watson, we've um advanced the discussion of the future of the light rail.

And so um RTD and Dotty have committed to at least I believe somewhere between about uh three quarters of a million to a million dollars for a study to really kind of make a decision on what's going to be best for our community.

Um so um what I'm really proud to say is that um over the last uh three years um we haven't had a business close on Welton Street.

Um we currently are supporting over 60 uh commercial businesses, of which I believe 16 are African American owned.

Uh we service over 90 commercial properties.

Um and again, we really have unified this community um under one vision.

Um so um what we're coming to you today is hopefully for your support and for your approval.

Um on May 11th, you're going to be asked to renew the business improvement district for the next 10 years.

But really, what I believe you're going to be renewing and what you're going to be supporting is the great momentum that we're seeing on this corridor.

Um, you know, I mentioned when I say momentum, some of the other projects that are coming online that are going to be in front of you.

Um, one is going to be uh for approving TIFF financing for the Rossonian Hotel, which is probably one of the most culturally relevant landmarks in, I believe, our city.

And so you know, I'm turning 50 years old this year, which I wish I wish I could say I was turning wish I could say it was 30 years old.

Um but in my 50 years of running up and down um the Welton Corridor, I have never seen the Rossonian Hotel uh functioning.

And um, you know, when you talk about momentum and you have the Rossonian Hotel, you have um the uh resurgence of the Welton Street Cafe, um, you have several new culturally unique and relevant businesses, such as Spangling Brewery, um, such as the Culture Bar, such as uh just so many different businesses up and down the corridor that um I think they really start to tell a great story for the city, um, that we really have um a true place that is the Harlem of the West.

And so by one um supporting the renewal of the business improvement district, but two, hopefully, and I'll probably be back in front of you talking about the Rasonian Hotel, which is a completely separate um initiative that when you guys are um voting in support of that, what we really are doing is we are stopping the compounding effect of us saying we'll get to Welton Street next.

Um and since I've been born, um I can say that unfortunately that Welton Street has not been a top priority um for our city and for our state, and now is the time.

So um we're certainly uh open for any questions and comments, and uh just appreciate the time to um to talk today.

Thank you so much.

Um is that the that's the end of the presentation?

Yeah, kind of some sites we can.

Yeah, we're gonna knew that we had time.

I appreciate it.

Um I'm gonna go to Councilman Watson, and if there are others that would like to join the queue, let me know.

Committee chair, thank you so much.

Uh thank you so much, Norman.

Thank you so much, Sarah Calling.

You didn't get to introduce yourself.

Um, thank you, Dennis, and the team.

Um's bid, as um Mr.

Harris shared, um, has been instrumental in really elevating once again um the delayed um actions uh that this corridor has been asking for from since Pen Mayor Pena stated that he was going to reopen the Rossonian.

That was Mayor Pena in 1983.

Um and so I have been so impressed, uh Mr.

Harris with you and the board and your leadership in two parts, which I think matters most when it comes to bid renewal.

First, um coordinating with the existing um owners to make sure that we retain and are not um uh uh having um uh black business owners lose businesses on the corridor under your leadership.

You have been um engaging one-on-one with those discussions and strategically to ensure that we receive funds, for example, from the city and county of Denver to make sure for storefronts to make sure if there are needs for grants.

Um I saw you in there actually with a hammer um when Walton Street Cafe was actually trying to be reopened, hammering and painting.

You're not a contractor, but you are in there.

Um, and I appreciate that.

I appreciate your vision as well.

And I think that's an important part for a bid, especially in a historic neighborhood that does not have the millions of some of these other bids may have.

Um we have very scant dollars having a vision tied to actually plans within the city.

So when you look at um the stormwater process within um five points, that may seem small, but right at the point every single year in April, we would have floods for 15 years.

You couldn't walk across the connector and five points because of the flooding.

Um you looking at and coordinating to ensure that those investments were sticky, that we had stormwater drainage that was um updated, that we have connectivity for those businesses to some of the under growth under the tracks of the L line to the street to make sure that they can actually have AC and have all of the other connections from XL and lighting, um, working collaboratively with those folks.

Those are strategic things that may seem small, um, but they're extremely important.

Um and then finally our grand discussion on um the next step study.

I think that is important.

Um we had a wonderful discussion with um some travel um reporters.

I can't remember the name of the group, um, Mr.

Harris.

What was that group that came to Spangolang that we had this discussion on a whole host of folks?

I think Sid Wilson said it up.

With with visiting through visit Denver, yeah.

It's through visit Denver, just my colleagues and and and it uh I've lived in the points um since 97.

I've lived in Denver since 87, and I would come to Capri Chicken and I would do all that stuff back in the 80s when I was a little um rug rat run around Denver and I've known this city, but to sit in a room with I think there was about a hundred travel reporters um that came to Denver to understand what is the historic significance and importance of Denver.

And they chose um five points, and it chose Spangland, and they went back to their far-flunk communities on western slope, eastern plains.

I think someone from Nebraska and someone from Wa Wyoming to sit and listen to them about just the dream state they're in when they come to five points when they think of the Holland of the West and they think of where um our communities were um not only permitted to live, but that we were celebrated in our history for so long, and just to listen to just how much awe they had at a place where as we sit and we look at the delayed maintenance, the delayed support from the city, all of the delayed stuff, but they were just in awe.

Um and that's the work of your team and of all the businesses on five points.

So I asked my colleagues uh strongly to support me.

We have a whole book of um letters of support from former presidents to um folks who own little shops um uh across the corridor begging for us to give this um bid 10 more years so we can do it and we can deliver on the promises um that we've made to this community for for a generation.

So thank you, committee chair.

Thank you to all three of you for your wonderful work on this this corridor.

Thank you, Councilman Councilman Heinz.

Thank you, committee chair, thank you, Councilmember Watson, for your uh for your comments.

Uh I said earlier in this uh committee, but in a different briefing that I I've lived in Denver for 20 years, and all of it in the footprint of District 10, um 15 of it was at 20th and Logan.

So I could look across the street, look at my window and see District 9 from uh from where I was in District 10, half a block is neither horseshoes nor hand grenades, it doesn't matter if I was close.

I was in District 10.

Um, but there was a lot of confusion, you know, but uh about where I another candidate in 2018-2019 canvassed my neighborhood uh just you know because it was I've been close.

Anyway, um I want to I want to thank you for the briefing.

I want to thank you for the conversation um that that uh multiple conversations that we've had.

I um uh when I started going to the five points of five points um 20 years ago, it looks different.

Um some of the buildings, but the people look a lot a lot different um 20 years ago than today.

And uh Harlem of the West I I hope that I can help you lean into uh managing uh mitigating displacement because um because we want to celebrate as a saxophone former saxophone player, played saxophone for a decade.

Um we talked about uh Welton and uh and the vibrant uh you know uh jazz community that was there.

Um I'd love to help through you know Council Member Watson.

I don't want to step on uh your district, but uh um or trample all over your district, but um, but I'd love to to help and support, and um I want to thank you uh for that.

Uh one other thing that I learned recently um is I I knew that downtown Denver Partnership, which is in District 10 had um uh had some uh skin in the game uh with uh the five points bid in the past.

Um while that might have made sense in the past.

I really I want to thank you for your leadership and um uh what is good for downtown doesn't always translate to other places.

So um uh so with your leadership, I'm glad that we're able to um allow downtown to focus on downtown and for five points to focus on five points.

So thank you for that education as well.

Thank you.

Anyone else in the queue?

Okay.

Um so this does require action.

Uh I believe we need a motion.

We have councilman Watson motion, council president Sandoval second.

Uh any need for roll call vote.

Not seeing any.

This will move forward uh to the full council.

Thank you so much.

Council members, if you could just hold on, hold tight for a moment because we need some other um yeah, we need to have a motion to postpone uh uh 0504 the general services uh contracts for janitorial services.

So moved.

Okay, moved by councilman cashman, seconded by council pro tem Romero Campbell.

Um any uh need for a roll call vote on that motion.

All right, not for me.

That will be postponed, and we will get a new date for that contract.

Um with that said, we have one item on consent.

Uh that item will also move forward to the full body.

Um we are adjourned.

Thank you.