OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Mayor and City Council Joint Meeting: RNO Modernization Update and Executive Session - February 10, 2026

Mayor-Council Meeting — Tuesday, February 10, 2026
BodyDenver, Colorado
SessionMayor-Council Meeting
DateTuesday, February 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 25:15
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Thanks for joining us for this weekly joint meeting of the Mayor and Denver City Council.

0:06

Follow along as the Mayor and City Council members hear updates from city agencies and projects,

0:12

discuss important city matters, and hear about what's happening across the Mile High City.

0:17

Join the discussion with your elected officials, starting now.

0:30

We'll be right back.

1:00

Welcome to Mayor Council. Thank you so much for being here.

1:18

We will start with some introductions. Back in black, the distinguished gentleman to my right.

1:23

You can start us off.

1:24

Thank you, Mayor.

1:25

Good morning, all castles from the South, Denver District 6 in the house.

1:30

Oh, I'm so excited.

1:32

I'm ready.

1:33

She's backers off the coffee.

1:35

Good morning, everyone.

1:37

Serena Gonzalez-Cuperas, one of you at large.

1:40

Good morning, Amanda Sawyer, District 5.

1:42

Laura Vibras, Lucky District 7.

1:44

Good morning, Gary Watson, Fine District 9.

1:46

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

1:50

Jamie Torres, West Denver, District 3.

1:52

Good morning, Amanda Sandville, Northwest Denver, District 1.

1:55

Wonderful to see you all. Thanks so much for being here. We have an exciting general session as well as an executive session on the calendar today. I'd love to start with announcements. Are there any announcements from Councilmembers? Councilwoman Albedrez, Sawyer, move right down the line.

2:08

Great. We're having constituent hours this week, Friday, lucky Friday the 13th from 1 to 2.30 at Athmar Park Library. Catch us there and come talk to us if there's anything going on.

2:18

Just a reminder for everyone tonight, 5.30 p.m. George Washington High School Library is our annual District 5 Community Open House.

2:30

So please come and join us. Councilwoman Gonzalez Gutierrez and her staff will be there as well.

2:35

The mayor's office will be there and a number of different city agencies.

2:39

So just an opportunity for residents to come and talk to the people who are actually implementing the work in our district and ask all your questions.

2:48

George Washington High School.

2:49

And then through the north.

2:51

Thank you so much, Councilman Sawyer.

2:53

Other announcements?

2:55

Councilman Watson.

2:56

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

2:57

Just wanted to thank the family and community for coming out this past weekend for Dr. Daddio's repass and life celebration.

3:06

It was a fantastic opportunity to say, you know, thank you to the history that he made.

3:13

for folks that didn't know that Dr. Daddio was the owner of the first black radio station

3:19

that began right at Five Points.

3:22

He also was a griot, and what that means is that he also told stories

3:27

of the legacy and history of the African-American community.

3:31

There are hundreds of folks that were there.

3:33

Thank you to Cleo Parker Robinson Dance for the repass,

3:36

for allowing us to have the event there.

3:39

And so thank you all for being there, and thank you for all the good work

3:42

that Dr. DiDio did for our communities.

3:45

It was good to see the mayor there as well.

3:46

Thank you, Councilman, for your great comments at that ceremony.

3:50

Fascinating.

3:50

He ran the first black-owned radio station west of the Mississippi.

3:55

West of the Mississippi.

3:56

Remarkable, right here in Denver.

3:57

Very, very proud story.

3:59

Also the best voice for radio.

4:02

Any other announcements for folks?

4:07

Okay, well, we're excited for our general session this morning

4:11

to talk a little bit about our registered neighborhood organizations

4:15

and opportunities to help support and improve them.

4:18

This effort has really been led tremendously by two of our council members,

4:21

Councilman Washington, Councilman Cashman, and so I'm going to give it over to the two of you.

4:28

Yeah, it was like a benefit.

4:29

It was like merging them all.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement█████████████████████████████████████████████74%
Procedural██████████16%
Pending Litigation████6%
Racial Equity██4%
Summary of Proceedings

Mayor and City Council Joint Meeting: RNO Modernization Update and Executive Session - February 10, 2026

[Introductory paragraph summarizing the overall meeting.]

The Mayor and Denver City Council held a joint meeting on February 10, 2026, featuring a presentation on the modernization of the Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO) ordinance, followed by discussion and a motion to enter executive session for legal advice on pending litigation.

Announcements

  • Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer (District 5) announced constituent hours on Friday, February 13, 1:00–2:30 p.m. at Athmar Park Library, and the annual District 5 Community Open House on February 10 at 5:30 p.m. at George Washington High School Library.
  • Councilman Gary Watson (District 9) thanked the community for attending the repass and life celebration for Dr. Daddio, noting his legacy as the owner of the first Black-owned radio station west of the Mississippi, and acknowledged the Mayor's attendance.

Discussion Items

  • Mayor Johnston and Councilmembers introduced a presentation led by Councilmembers Amanda Sandoval and Serena Gonzalez-Gutierrez, and their staff (Masha Lior and Sina Jodri), on the RNO modernization effort. The RNO ordinance, created in the late 1970s, has not been updated.
  • The engagement process included over 40 community events from May to September 2025, five neighborhood engagement workshops (four in-person, one virtual), and surveys that received 1,127 responses in English, Spanish, and French. Feedback was also gathered from 20 city agencies and external partners.
  • Key themes from community input: awareness and access, communication infrastructure, equity and inclusion, governance and accountability, and support capacity and sustainability.
  • Councilwoman Alvidrez (District 7) expressed concern that outreach may have missed struggling RNOs in lower-income, working-class neighborhoods like Athmar Park, and recommended door-knocking and engaging with community benefit agreement participants (e.g., West East Neighborhood United).
  • Councilman Watson shared his experience as a former RNO president, emphasizing the need for city resources and support to reduce disparities between wealthier and lower-income neighborhoods.
  • Councilwoman Romero-Campbell (District 4) noted confusion between RNOs and HOAs in Southeast Denver, and that large areas lack any RNO or HOA, leaving residents disconnected.

Key Outcomes

  • The final report with preliminary recommendations is expected to be published in March 2026 and will be presented to the Budget and Policy Committee.
  • After the report, community feedback will be gathered on the recommendations, followed by drafting of an ordinance. Councilmember briefings are planned for April–May 2026, with a vote targeted for summer 2026.
  • A motion was made and approved to enter executive session pursuant to DRMC 234, 6, and 7 to receive legal advice on pending litigation against the city.

Note: No public comments or consent calendar items were present.

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. We'll be right back. Welcome to Mayor Council. Thank you so much for being here. We will start with some introductions. Back in black, the distinguished gentleman to my right. You can start us off. Thank you, Mayor. Good morning, all castles from the South, Denver District 6 in the house. Oh, I'm so excited. I'm ready. She's backers off the coffee. Good morning, everyone. Serena Gonzalez-Cuperas, one of you at large. Good morning, Amanda Sawyer, District 5. Laura Vibras, Lucky District 7. Good morning, Gary Watson, Fine District 9. Good morning, Diana Romero-Campbell, Southeast Denver, District 4. Jamie Torres, West Denver, District 3. Good morning, Amanda Sandville, Northwest Denver, District 1. Wonderful to see you all. Thanks so much for being here. We have an exciting general session as well as an executive session on the calendar today. I'd love to start with announcements. Are there any announcements from Councilmembers? Councilwoman Albedrez, Sawyer, move right down the line. Great. We're having constituent hours this week, Friday, lucky Friday the 13th from 1 to 2.30 at Athmar Park Library. Catch us there and come talk to us if there's anything going on. Just a reminder for everyone tonight, 5.30 p.m. George Washington High School Library is our annual District 5 Community Open House. So please come and join us. Councilwoman Gonzalez Gutierrez and her staff will be there as well. The mayor's office will be there and a number of different city agencies. So just an opportunity for residents to come and talk to the people who are actually implementing the work in our district and ask all your questions. George Washington High School. And then through the north. Thank you so much, Councilman Sawyer. Other announcements? Councilman Watson. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just wanted to thank the family and community for coming out this past weekend for Dr. Daddio's repass and life celebration. It was a fantastic opportunity to say, you know, thank you to the history that he made. for folks that didn't know that Dr. Daddio was the owner of the first black radio station that began right at Five Points. He also was a griot, and what that means is that he also told stories of the legacy and history of the African-American community. There are hundreds of folks that were there. Thank you to Cleo Parker Robinson Dance for the repass, for allowing us to have the event there. And so thank you all for being there, and thank you for all the good work that Dr. DiDio did for our communities. It was good to see the mayor there as well. Thank you, Councilman, for your great comments at that ceremony. Fascinating. He ran the first black-owned radio station west of the Mississippi. West of the Mississippi. Remarkable, right here in Denver.

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