City Council - Special Meeting

Okay, we are on. Good morning and thank you for taking the time to join us this morning for the Denver City Council special meeting. Today is Wednesday, August 5th, 2026. Today's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish by Sam or Jasmine. Would you please introduce yourself and let our viewers know how to enable translation on their devices? Are Sam or Jasmine online? Okay. Can we hold for just a second? Can we? Thank you for your patience. We are just going to make sure that we have translation for this meeting. If we don't have, just go ahead and continue. OK. All right. We are going to go

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic of which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Councilmembers, please join Councilmember Hines as they lead us in the Denver City Council Land Acknowledgement.

The Denver City Council honors and acknowledges that the land on which we reside is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. We honor elders past, present, and future, and those who have stewarded this land throughout generations. we also recognize that government, academic, and cultural institutions were founded upon and continue to enact exclusions and erasures of indigenous peoples. May this acknowledgement demonstrate, sorry, I'm choke

There are 12 members present. Council has a quorum. Approval of the minutes. The minutes of Monday, July 27, 2026 were approved during the meeting of Monday, August 3, 2026. The minutes of Monday, August 3, 2026 have been distributed to members of Council for review. And should there be any corrections, they will be discussed during the meeting on Monday, August 10, 2026. Council announcements. Are there any announcements from council members? Seeing none, there are no presentations. There are no communications. There are no proclamations being read in this session. We'll have one a little lat

Now I will do a recap. Under resolutions, no items have been called out. Under bills for introductions, no items have been called out. Under bills for final consideration, no items have been called out. Under pending, no items have been called out. No items have been called out today. This concludes the items to be called out. Councilmembers, remember this is a consent or block vote and you will need to vote aye. Otherwise, this is your last chance to call out an item for a separate vote. Councilmember Hines, will you please put the resolution for adoption on the floor?

I move that the resolution be adopted in a block for the following item, 26-1143.

It has been moved and seconded so that people know, and we have this because it is a special meeting. I'm just going to take a moment to read what that resolution is. For the record, a resolution declaring a vacancy in the office of an at-large council member. This declares a vacancy of the office of an at-large council member, seat B. That's me. There's details in there. Council Member Romero-Kelm approves and directs this for direct filing.

It has been moved and seconded. I'm sorry, Madam President. I have a quick question. My understanding is this is not seat B because we're operating under the original rules.

So, great question. Thank you. John, can you please address that? Or Lori? A or B.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you for the clarification. Thank you. Mr. Secretary, roll call.

Mr. Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. 12 ayes, the resolution has been adopted. If there are no objections from council members, in light of this being a special meeting, we will not recess and will move immediately into our second session. There is no unfinished business from the earlier session. There is one proclamation being read this morning. Council members, would you please read proclamation 26-1146? Am I the first? Yes. I believe so. Yes. Okay, sorry. Mic on? Microphone.

Whereas Councilmember Sarah Paradis has brought her legal expertise, policy expertise, and commitment to public service to the Denver City Council, and her work alongside fellow Councilmembers has contributed to important conversations and decisions affecting the future of our city. And...

Whereas, as an at-large member, Councilmember Paradis served every resident of District 10 alongside its district representative, whoever that is.

Her insistence that Denver's laws, budgets, and institutions account for those the city was not designed for, whether by circumstance, income, or ability, she reflected a conviction that government works best when it is shaped by lived experience, a conviction her colleagues will carry forward in her absence, and...

Whereas, without knowing much about who Sarah Parity was before she joined City Council, it was a joy to get to know who Councilmember Sarah Parity is as a legislator, leader, and partner. She took seriously the trust that the public placed in her and championed policy that pushed the envelope, forced people to think critically about government, and never stopped being a champion of the people.

Whereas Councilwoman Sarah Paradis brought a fierce heart, a sharp mind, and a noble spirit to the pursuit of justice, approaching every challenge with courage, compassion, and unwavering conviction. Through her leadership and relentless advocacy, she helped move Denver forward in just three years in ways that might have otherwise taken decades. challenging us all to think bigger and act bolder, including putting people over parking by removing parking minimums citywide, bringing ADUs citywide, and uplifting our houseless neighbors' safety in extreme weather conditions. Councilmember Paradis s

Whereas Councilmember Sarah Paradis has always been for the people. She understands the history, sacrifice, and ongoing struggles of communities that since the inception of the United States have been systematically oppressed. Every day of her tenure as an elected official, she worked to change policy, to reflect the human rights that all people deserve. It has been an honor serving with her, and I know that her story remains to be fully told. A girl who grew up in Wyoming, who served on Denver City Council while being a mom, partner, and loving friend, This is a time to rest, and we look forw

Whereas Councilmember Parity chose to establish her roots in Colorado, raising her family in Denver, her life experiences influenced her commitment to public service and principled advocacy. She embodied not only the role of a council member, but that of a devoted mother of two. often accompanied by her children at community events and public meetings, reflecting her deep connection to the people she served and represented. Councilmember Paradis' dedication to ensuring that all Denverites can thrive and continue to call Denver home will be remembered through her advocacy for fair labor practic

Whereas Councilmember Paradis stood unapologetically in her values, continuously questioned the status quo, and acted boldly with policy and with persistence. She shed light on many needs and issues for the people of Denver, not only by creating a longer table where everyone could participate, but also by showing up as a caring neighbor first and foremost. She cared for so many. Councilmember Paradis is a thoughtful, meticulous, and courageous leader. Inspiring others to act with intention, integrity, and attention to detail. She has made our council body better by showing us how to be critica

Whereas, Councilmember Paradis has been a staunch advocate on behalf of marginalized and vulnerable in Denver. And she has shown herself a fierce and undaunted fighter in this advocacy. She is always willing to collaborate, but never willing to yield to political expediency or surrender her values in service of what may be easier or more popular. She has been a formidable force for structural change, sponsoring over 20 bills and 30 budget amendments and three short years on council. the overwhelming majority of which passed and went into effect. Council Member Parity often says that she is har

that now therefore be it proclaimed by the Denver City Council that the Denver City Council, section one, that the Denver City Council honors and expresses its gratitude for the years of public service former council member Parity provided, acknowledges the meaningful contributions made for the community of Denver at large, and extends sincere wishes of continued healing, fulfillment, and success in all her future endeavors.

Section 2, that the clerk and recorder of the City and County of Denver shall affix the seal of the City and County of Denver to this proclamation and that a copy be transmitted to the Honorable Sarah Parity.

Thank you. Councilmember Lewis, your motion to adopt. I move to adopt proclamation 261146. It has been moved and seconded. Comments by members of council. Mr. Secretary—oh, Councilmember Sandoval.

Councilmember Sawyer. Thank you, Madam President. Sarah, thank you. I can't say thank you enough from the bottom of my heart. this city is better for your leadership. We agree on very little and yet my favorite part of my day is the day when I march into your office next door to mine and we complain to each other about all the things going on in the city together because it turns out, although politically we are very far apart, we are actually very, very close together. And I just want to reiterate what Councilmember Sandoval said. You are not alone. And the friendships and the coworkerships t

Thank you, Council President. Thank you, Councilmember Parity, for being an ally. I think one of the things in my piece of the proclamation is just that you have accepted the challenge of representing all over the city. And I can say that the District 7 residents definitely feel represented by you. I have learned a lot from you coming into office as someone that has never had a political background and never made legislation. Having someone like you who is patient and willing to have hard conversations and talk about issues has taught me a lot. And so I think that the last three years that we

Thank you. Councilmember González-Gutierrez.

Thank you, Madam President. Council Member Paradis, Sarah, my other council member at large, we'd always call each other the others. I've had the opportunity to work alongside you since 2019. And I remember like it was yesterday. I think you had maybe just had had your daughter Right, Imogen? I was a baby legislator at the state capitol, and my mentor in the House, Janet Buckner, asked if I wanted to join her and some other senators on a little bill called Equal Pay for Equal Work. That was a bill that the Colorado Women's Bar Association was one of the main coalition members of. In walks Sara

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you. Council Member Torres. Thank you, Madam President. Councilwoman Paradis, it's not hard to do this job and take things personally. And it's hard not to compartmentalize people, particularly after the experiences or disagreements we might have with them. And I never saw you throw someone away, push them into a known corner, And it takes such an advanced ability to see that long-term vision and not just short-term wins. You are a force and you are strong and you are vulnerable and those are—you're just human. And I think you— Being able to demonstrate that t

Thank you. Council Member Gilmour. Thank you, Council President. I was trying to think back when we first met, Sarah, and I think we first talked at, like, a union hall somewhere and shared a little bit. And, you know, I grew up in Brush, Colorado, on the Northeastern Plains, and so you growing up in Wyoming, it's a similar sort of political spectrum. And then, you know, coming to the city and doing this incredible work, and you... Beyond your policy expertise and how amazing of a person you are, you also do the work behind the scenes. And I saw that firsthand when Jack Scraton... went missing

Council Member Lewis. I'll keep it brief because you know how much I love you anyways. Most folks don't know this, but I didn't know Sarah before we got on council together. We ran as a slate for DSA and... I didn't know much about her. I just knew that she was on the slate, I was on the slate, and we needed to win. And then we did. And you have been a gangster. And that is what I love about you. And that is what I'm going to miss about you. You do not play about people. You do not play about your values. You do not play about your love. You do not play about your staff. And... God, it's going

Thank you. Sarah, I think it goes without saying there's tremendous love for you on this body. And we appreciate everything that you've brought. The proclamation and the words that have been spoken today are just, I think, the tip of the iceberg of our feelings. Your dad was mentioned, and he did talk to all of us on that first day. And he had said in my conversation with him, he's like, it's all about relationships, and you're really going to love her, and you're really going to love working with her. And I was like, I'm sure I will. And he was right. I think that from the beginning of the ti

Thank you for all you've done for this council. We are going to do roll call, and then we have a little something before we give you a moment to also accept. So, Mr. Secretary, roll call.

Aye. Mr. Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.

12 ayes. Proclamation 261146 has been adopted. We have a few things for you, but we definitely need to also give you... So before you have a moment to speak, we have a few things for you. So thank you, Council Pro Tem, from the body, but also getting this done. So we're going to hand it down. You can walk it down. Oops, I'm going away from the mic. So I'm going to stay on the mic and talk. Can you walk this down? There we go. There is a piece of artwork that shows the entire city, all of the districts, in commemoration of your time. It's absolutely beautiful. And also a street sign, Councilwom

The floor is yours. I don't know if I can say a lot. I thought this was just a procedural meeting. I guess I just—I mean, this is kind of just us. This is Council. I see other folks from the City, but it's us, and it's a lot of the 60-plus people who work for us. So, on June 1st, I was trying to talk to the City and get people to think about running for the seat. On Monday, I was mostly talking to our city employees, who I love so much, but now it's just us. So I mostly want to say, first of all, that, I mean, that was ridiculous. It's too much. All of us are just what we bring here. We're kin

We want to have lots of hugs, and I want to do this before my turn comes up as well. But there being no further business before this body, this meeting is adjourned.