Our salutatorian of the class of 2023, Kenan Thomas, will share some words.

Struggle and triumph. When I was expelled, it was the worst news I'd ever received at that point in my life.

Attending PCA was the best decision I've ever made, and I can confidently say that most graduates on this stage would agree.

The teachers here really had an immense impact on the person I had to come.

The ultimate reward as a teacher is making it to me, right?

and it's watching that student and watching you as an individual not just walk through that stage,

but to lead your peers through that stage, to hear your voice boom in that auditorium.

Oh, man.

Yeah, 26 years in this profession.

You never know which kids are going to make it.

Triumph looked differently for all of us.

For me, triumph was like a full ride to CSU.

Keenan O'Connor Thomas.

And I remember having a conversation with you, and I said to you, what about CSU?

And you're like, Izzo, there's no way I'm going to get into CSU.

They wouldn't want a person like me.

And I remember whipping my head around and being like, a person like you?

What does that mean?

They'd be lucky to have a person like you.

And that's the ideology that needs to be broken, I think, with first-gen kids.

Like, I can't do it.

I don't even know how to do it.

It's so big of an idea, right?

Yeah.

But it's like any other idea.

It is.

You just got to believe in it.

Just take a second and look at this thing out.

I think being first-generation, it's overcoming and it's showing future generations of first-generation students that it is obtainable and that it is possible.

So how's your semester going so far?

I just feel very overwhelmed a lot.

I do think that taking 18 credits is really hard.

Okay, so you're taking 18 credits.

Yeah, taking 18 credits.

You're also taking Life 102, aren't you?

Yes.

Well, we actually have tutoring for that class

at the Tilt Building, and it's just drop-in,

so you go in there and get the help you need.

I work with students who are mostly first generation

and who come from marginalized communities

and, you know, diverse backgrounds.

Three, two, one, and go!

They mimic me a lot and how I was when I first came into college.

And I know that my first semester on college, I was terrified.

I think I called you on my first day of college and I told you that I wanted to drop out.

You did.

I was terrified.

I think you might have even been crying a little.

I think I was too.

I think in my past, I didn't feel recognized by my teachers.

And I feel like they wouldn't see me and they wouldn't try to work with me.

And all I ever got was suspension or, you know, expulsion.

There was also a level of support from you that I had never felt from any teacher I've ever had before.

You're going to make me cry.

I wanted my master's education after undergrad and become a teacher in social studies

and, you know, work with an alternative school where students who were at risk

to be able to do what y'all did for me and plant the seed.

As a teacher and as a professional that has had you as a learner,

I personally think that the world would be a better place if you were a teacher.

But I know Kenan Thomas.

And I know Kenan Thomas is going to want more.

And he's going to want more to do for these kids than just be in the classroom.

I think Kenan Thomas will get bored and want to help them in ways that they've never even imagined.

I see Kenan Thomas being a lawyer, protecting these people's rights.

I see you in the political world.

You might start with that,

but what I see for your future is something bigger,

more wonderful than that.

Everybody has their own story,

and it's important to connect with people

and to hear their stories,

to figure out how to best support them,

how to best be their friend,

how to love each other more in a time

where there's not that much love in the world.

I was diagnosed at 65.

37. Earlier than most.

Every nine minutes, someone is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

And every one of them can turn to the American Parkinson's Disease Association.

Visit APDAParkinson.org to learn more and show your support today.

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.

Thank you.

We'll be right back.

We'll be right back.

Thank you.

There we go.

Out and jealous.

All right, we're on live.

Welcome.

Great to see you all.

Thanks for being here.

Welcome to Mayor Council.

We will start with some introductions and announcements.

The distinguished gentleman to my right.

Go right ahead.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Paul Cash from South Denver District 6.

Hi, everyone.

Sedana Gonzalez-Piquettis, Council Member at Large.

Good morning.

Amanda Sawyer, District 5.

3, 2, 3, 2, 10.

Diana Romero-Campbell, Southeast Denver, District 4.

Laura Alvarez, Lucky District 7.

Kevin Flynn, Southwest Denver, District 2.

Hermine Amanda Sandoval, Northwest Denver, District 1.

Great.

Thank you all so much for being here.

We do have a couple of items on executive session today, so we don't have a general session,

but we do have time for announcements or any information you want to make sure that the residents have from our council members or other colleagues have from you as well.

Councilman Flynn, do you want to start us off?

Yes, please.

Thank you.

Mr. Mayor, folks around the city are getting the property to my communication postcard this year.

They need to produce a budget this year.

All the payments are online, and this is the only reminder people are getting.

Mayor, I would like to ask the administration to be mindful

and maybe come up with a strategy for seniors or other folks who are not online,

who get this and are totally confused as to what to do.

I've got an email already from someone.

How do I do this?

I don't know what this is all about.

And so I would hate to see us come up on July when that second half payment is, I think it's July,

and we have some seniors who just didn't know how to pay their taxes and get in trouble over it.

So I'd like to have a strategy for dealing with that.

Wonderful.

I think I see our TFO, Nicole Duhani, here who says that we have a strategy for that,

so I can either have her directly brief you afterwards.

Is there something you want to share, Nicole, now?

Do you want to update us for?

We can share with you after, but our team has a strategy, and we're happy to share that with you.

We've been speaking with you.

You can get out to constituents.

We'll do the same on our platform.

So thank you, Councilman, for the flag.

You know, Mr. Mayor, those of us who still have mortgages, our mortgage company pays that, and we don't have to worry about it.

But it's mostly seniors and folks in that position who've already paid off their homes who have to pay it themselves.

And this might not be enough for them is my concern.

Thank you.

I'll have our team at Finance follow up.

Thank you, Councilman.

Councilman Cashman.

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

I remind people once again, every year Denver sets aside a couple million bucks for the Denver People's Budget

to give residents an opportunity to offer suggestions on how we should spend that sizable amount of dough.

And a million goes for projects citywide.

And this year, the other million goes to the neighborhoods in the near southeast area, districts four, five, and six, Colorado Boulevard to Quebec, Alameda to Yale.

We would like folks to go online, let us know how we should spend that money.

you can go to denvergov.org

slash denverpb

denvergov.org

slash denverpb

for people's budget.

Please let us know.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Councilman.

Councilman Hines and then Sawyer

and then Romero Campbell.

Thank you, Mayor.

I want to thank all those who

talked about this last night,

but I just continue to be horrified

by what's happening

with our federal level. And I just want to reiterate that here in Denver, we have a system

of values. We at this table are all elected officials that intend to make decisions based

on the values that we care about here in Denver and want to instill those values as best we can

while resisting other groups and organizations that might have a different system of values that they want to thrust upon us.

So thank you for the colleagues who put it more plainly last night,

but we can't have people posing as enforcement agents and shooting and killing people in our streets.

That's just absolutely unacceptable.

And so we will do what we can here in the city of Denver to protect our values and push back on those who think that that's okay.

Thank you, Council Member.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Hines.

Just a reminder for everyone in District 5, two quick things.

Number one, our blood drive is still going on through the end of this week.

January 31st is the last date.

So if you would like to go donate blood, please do at Vitalant in Lowry, just north of the Great Lawn Park.

In District 5, they are the largest blood donation facility in the state of Colorado.

And we very much need blood, especially O- blood, which is a universal donor.

And especially in January, because we know blood donations go down over the holidays.

So please, if you're able to, go donate for us.

Second, the District 5 annual open house for community members is going to be Tuesday, February 10th, 5.30 p.m. at George Washington High School in the library.

So if you would like the opportunity to come and meet with city agencies and ask your questions directly to the people who are making the decisions about what is going on in your neighborhood, please come and join us.

Again, that's Tuesday, February 10th, 5.30 p.m. George Washington High School.

Thanks.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

We have a survey that is open until the end of the month.

Denver Parks and Rec Golf for the Kennedy Golf Club.

The Kennedy Golf course is getting a new clubhouse.

And we are in the process of collecting information.

This is actually one of the highest, I think it is the highest used golf course in the

city.

27 holes and it's a huge draw from all over the city and we are looking at a new clubhouse.

So please give us your input.

You can find the link on my website, district4.denvergov.org and we'd like the feedback.

Thank you.

Councilman Albedris.

Thank you, Mayor.

echoing concerns from my colleagues around what's happening around the country.

And just also wanted to elevate an issue that I have elevated yesterday

about a person that was assaulted at the tiny home village,

hoping to have some more conversations about that in the future.

Thank you.

Any other announcements?

Madam President.

So when I was reflecting about what to say, what's happening in our country, I thought of what America stands for, liberty and justice for all.

We say that at the Pledge of Allegiance and the promise of freedom spoken through our Statue of Liberty's words,

that if you've gone to see the Statue of Liberty, it says, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

And so with that in mind, my heart goes out to Alex, to Renee, and to their families, and all the ones who are affected in these tragedies.

And let us take a moment to reflect on the value of every life lost and recommit.

And I'll just say that one more time.

Let's just recommit in 2026 to justice, compassion, and accountability to all the people in this great country.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Council members, for the passion and purpose on this.

We share that commitment and are proud of both how Denver has responded and will respond

to make sure we keep everybody in the city safe and feels welcome. So thank you for all

you're doing to make that possible. With that, we'll move us into actually I'll just entertain

a motion to move us into an executive session pursuant to DRMC 234A, sections 3, 6, and

7, for the purpose of receiving legal advice regarding negotiations of intergovernmental

agreements and discussing the settlement of pending litigation and legal advice related

thereto.

Second.

Second.

All in favor?

All right.

Any opposed?

Okay.

With that, we will enter executive session.

Thank you, members of the public, for joining us.

We will look forward to seeing you next week.

We'll be right back.

And then coming to stillness on an inhale maybe bring that leg up a little bit and as

you exhale maybe draw that leg in just a little bit more and then go ahead and release, stretch

that leg out long and then find your way to tabletop hands and knees bringing

wrists underneath your shoulders and knees underneath your hips and when you

feel ready we'll do our best imitation of a cow a sway back cow by dropping our

belly and arching our spine and then as you exhale do your best Halloween cat as

you round your spine up and then inhale into that cow exhale into cat and then