The weekly joint meeting of the mayor and Denver City Council convened on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at an unspecified time. The public session was brief, consisting of introductions, announcements, and a motion to enter executive session. No formal agenda or minutes were available. The transcript also includes pre-recorded interviews with council members and a separate presentation about black-footed ferrets, which appear to be extraneous to the formal meeting.
Public safety, always my first priority. A safe city uh has to be maintained. Secondly, improved quality of life for the people around here, and then finally, uh better economic development in Southwest Denver. What is your proudest moment so far in your time on council? Uh I tell you what, it was when voters several years ago awarded the highest amount of bond investment ever in Southwest Denver, and that's the $30 million to renovate the Loreto Heights Theater and reopen it as a community accessible performing arts space. Wonderful. What lessons have you learned during your time on council? Uh the most important thing is to listen to people, hear what they say, and authentically represent them. It doesn't matter what I want for here. What matters is what these 65,000 people around here tell me in the main that they want. And what message would you like to leave us with today? Get involved. Find your neighborhood organization, join it, express your uh express yourself, your opinions. Uh if you don't uh get involved with your RNO, if you don't have one, uh call me individually because I can't represent you honestly and authentically unless I know what you want. Councilman Flynn, thank you for your time. Thank you. See you later. Councilman Watson, how are you doing? Hey, I'm doing fantastic. You ready to do this? I'm ready to roll. So tell us where we are today. We are in five points here in Denver, the Harlem of the West. And why did you choose this location? I chose this location because we're at the Omar Blair Research Library, African American research library. And what is your favorite thing about your district? The favorite thing about this district, District 9, is the diversity of the folks who live in this district in a diverse neighborhood. What is your favorite thing about our city? I think our city is a welcoming city, and I appreciate that. We welcome all to come to Denver. What's your favorite memory from living in Denver? Uh, my favorite memory was purchasing my first home in Whittier, just a few blocks from here. How long have you been a council member? I've been a council member for 20 months. It feels a little bit longer, but it's only been 20 months. And why did you choose to run for council? I choose to run for council because I wanted to fight for regular Americans, regular Denver rights to make sure that they were able to live in the places that they love. What is the biggest challenge facing your district? The biggest challenge is housing affordability. What is the biggest opportunity in your district? I think that's the biggest opportunity as well is housing affordability, ensuring that we can create a city where all folks can live in the places that they love. What are your biggest priorities that inform your work as a council member? Uh, my biggest priority is to make sure that we create legislation to increase affordable housing across the city and county of Denver. What is your proudest moment so far in your time on council? My proudest moment is being a co-sponsor of a bill that increased tenants' rights for the places that they choose to live to make sure that they can live in dignity. What lessons have you learned during your time on council? Uh, the lessons I've learned is that the time goes fast, working collaboratively with council members, listening to community members to co-create legislation that works for all. And what message would you like to leave us with today? Uh I'd like to say I love Denver. This city is an amazing city, a welcoming city.