Weekly Joint Meeting of Mayor and Denver City Council - July 22, 2025
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Weekly Joint Meeting of Mayor and Denver City Council - July 22, 2025
The Mayor and Denver City Council held their weekly joint meeting on July 22, 2025, beginning with introductions and announcements, followed by a presentation from First Tee Colorado Rocky Mountains about their youth golf programs. The meeting adjourned without any formal votes or decisions.
Announcements
- Council President Pro Tem announced a family putt-putt golf event at Kennedy Golf Course on Wednesday, June 30th (12:00–4:00 p.m.), free but requiring registration, including hot dogs, chips, and soda.
- Councilman Watson announced the annual Brick City picnic at Mestizo Curtis Park on Saturday, July 26th (12:00–7:00 p.m.) in the Five Points neighborhood.
Presentation by First Tee Colorado Rocky Mountains
- Paula Pierre Foy, Junior Golf Director for the City and County of Denver and CEO of First Tee Colorado Rocky Mountains, presented the program. She described how the organization uses municipal golf courses to serve youth, focusing on life skills and core values (responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship, judgment).
- Programs include on-course fee-based classes (no one turned away for inability to pay; "golferships" provide coupon codes confidentially) and free in-school/after-school programs (e.g., Read & Swing literacy program, club-building with math and science curriculum).
- First Tee hires over 100 high school junior coaches (ages 14–18) through a rigorous application and interview process, with professional development.
- Statistics provided: Over 93,000 children served since inception; annually serving over 12,000 participants at golf facilities, recreation centers, My Denver, and 65 schools; second largest chapter worldwide out of 150+ chapters; 71 college scholarships secured (44 funded by First Tee); new vocational education and training scholarship; 9,000 of 12,000 participants are free/reduced fee; 80 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to programming.
- Partnerships include Sims/Fiola Foundation (young men and boys of color) and Cobbled Streets (children who are homeless or in foster care). Denver Golf provides the Junior ACES Pass (free rounds, range balls, club rental) and participates in the Denver Just Play program.
- Future goals under 2030 strategic plan: reach every child in the service area, especially overlooked groups such as children with disabilities, homeless children, and those outside traditional education.
Discussion and Comments
- Councilman Josh expressed interest in enrolling his grandchildren and praised the program's life skills focus.
- Council President Pro Tem noted that a parent or child can find the program through a web search (e.g., "junior golf Denver") or word of mouth at Title I schools.
- Councilman Watson shared a personal testimonial: his daughter participated in First Tee at Willis Case Golf Course, later brought girls' golf to North High School, became a First Tee instructor, and received a college scholarship (though the program was canceled due to COVID). He highlighted that 76% of girls' golf scholarships go unused due to lack of awareness. He offered to include First Tee information in his district newsletter reaching 8,000 residents.
- Council President Pro Tem shared that she never had access to golf growing up but recently started learning, noting the importance of expanding opportunities and representation.
- Councilman Catchment commented on the beauty of golf courses as public spaces and suggested considering Sunday closures (like St. Andrews) for community picnics to increase access.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes or decisions were taken. The meeting adjourned after the presentation and discussion.
- The Mayor and council members expressed support for helping promote First Tee programs through newsletters and community outreach.
Meeting Transcript
Thanks for joining us for this weekly joint meeting of the Mayor and Denver City Council. Follow along as the mayor and city council members hear updates from city agencies and projects, discuss important city matters, and hear about what's happening across the Mile High City. Join the discussion with your elected officials starting now, I think. Welcome to Mayor Council. Thank you so much for joining us. Um I was excited to jump in already to our first tea presentation, but I do forgot I need to do introductions and announcements first. So we will start there. The distinguished gentleman to my right, could you please open us up with some introductions? Yes, thank you, Mayor. Very much appreciated. Good job last night to uh Madam Prez, Madam Proz Pro Temp. Uh Paul Cash from South Denver District Six. Couldn't be happier to be here. So glad we are. Good morning, everyone. Sarana Gonzalez Coach, one of your council members at large. Good morning, Daryl Watson, representing the Fine District Nine. Good morning, Diana Romero Campbell, Southeast Denver District 4. Well, I think appropriate to open the morning with some congratulations, which is obviously congratulations to our new president and returning president for her second term as council president elected last night, for those who didn't see that. And to our President Pro Tem, elected also to a second term as Pro Tem for the next year. And so thank you all so much for your leadership and excitement for the next year ahead. Okay. Do we have any announcements from members for people listening at home or for any of the rest of us? President Rotem. Thank you. Um, thank you. Uh I actually, and it's perfect for the timing of the topic that we're gonna have here today on Wednesday the thirtieth. So at the end of the month, we are going to have a family um putt-putt day from twelve to four at Kennedy Golf Course. Um, this is free and open, but you do have to register because we have um timing for people to go through. So there's still some open slots for um people to attend. Uh once you finish, you can get a hot dog, chips and a soda as well. I know I'm super excited. Um there at the pub. But we want um people to be able to come and join us, so just go to the website and register, but it's on Wednesday, June 30th, uh, twelve to fourth. Kennedy Pop Pet. Other announcements, Councilman Watson. You know, I can do putt-fight and we're gonna be talking about the tea for um Colorado Rocky Mountains. Uh I'm not a golfer, so I may come join you and do some putting. I may come on this Saturday. Um we're having the annual Brick City uh picnic at Mystico Curtis Park. It starts from twelve and goes until 7 p.m. This is an annual event in community. It is one that should not be missed. So uh Saturday, July 26th, 12 to 7, Ms. Diesel Curtis Park in the amazing Five Points neighborhood. Thank you. Maryland here. I'm wondering were you a singer in high school or college? They must have been my show or the acapella. In my shower.
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