City Council - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon and thank you for joining us for the Denver City Council meeting. Today is Monday, August 17th, 2026. Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish. Sam or Jasmine, would you please introduce yourselves and let our viewers know how to enable translation on their devices?

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, August 17, 2026. Councilmembers, please join Councilmember Watson in the Pledge of Allegiance.

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

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

The Denver City Council honors and acknowledges the land on which we reside is a 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 a commitment to working

Eleven members present. Council has a quorum. Approval of the minutes. Are there any corrections to the minutes of Monday, August 10th? Seeing none, the minutes stand approved. Council announcements. Are there any announcements? Let's go ahead and get started with Council Member Hines.

Thank you, Madam President. I have a few announcements that are all items that are on consent, and I'm happy that they stay. They remain on consent, so I'll just talk about them here in announcements. First, at the top of the order is the Betchert Concert Hall. That's the biggest bond project in Vibrant Diver Bond, and there's funding from a previous bond as well. And so One of the items that's on consent is to allow for naming rights for the Betcher Concert Hall. So I'm very excited that that is here. We happen to be in District 10 here, and the Betcher is also in Council District 10. So I'm

Thank you. Council Member Alvedrez. Thank you so much, Council President. Please join us in District 7. We have another session of our Constitution Book Club. We're getting all the way through the Constitution. We're going through Amendments 5 through 9. We meet at the Habitat for Humanity headquarters at 430 South Zuni. We'll be there Wednesday at 5 p.m. Another fun community event we have coming on Saturday. The great organizers of Porch Fest have decided to do a free concert to benefit the Baker Urban Garden. There's a Denver Urban Garden in Baker that they are at risk of losing. So help us

Thanks, Madam President. Three quick announcements today. One, I will just say very briefly because we're going to do a proclamation on in a minute, but 30th anniversary of Mayfair Park celebration is this weekend with the Mayfair Party in the Park, which happens every year. It will be on Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. in Mayfair Park. You can come eat food trucks, hang out with your neighbors, watch the Denver Municipal Band, enjoy this incredible space that is such an asset to the Mayfair community. Second, we are coming up on District 5 Fall Community Cleanup Day. So it'll be Sunday morning, the

That's it. Thanks. Thank you. Council Member Sandoval. Thank you. Next Wednesday, we are hosting yoga at Elitch's Carousel at the Dome on 38th. It's free at 6 to 7. If there's rain, you don't have to worry because we are in a sheltered location. So just go to the corner of 38th and Tennyson next Wednesday from 6 to 7. And then next Friday, I'm hosting my annual Zuni Park movie in the park, and that is taking place on Friday the 28th. The fun starts at 6 p.m., so come anytime to 52nd and Zuni. And then we had a fun thing happen in the north side last week. I just want to give a shout out to the

Thank you. Councilmember Torres. Thank you so much. Two things. I want to give a shout out to Museo de las Americas. This week they're celebrating their 35th anniversary. They are a premier Latino cultural community and history museum, and they're right here on Santa Fe Drive in Council District 3. Just huge collaborations. to Claudia and her team there. Fun fact, they were my summer internship when I was in college. So like 30 years ago, they gave me this incredible opportunity to know more about my community, my history, through the lens and the way that they are able to activate creativity

Thank you, Council President. On Tuesday, August 18th from 4.30 to 6.30 p.m., we're having our fifth Welton Next Steps Community Advisory Group meeting. This is a discussion about multimodal options for the Welton Street corridor. We've held five community advisory group meetings where this is going to be one of the final community meetings before an alternative ideas for multimodal transportation in Walton is going to be presented. So folks can come out to listen to the discussions of the community advisory group. It's going to be at the Blair Caldwell African American Research Library in Fiv

Thank you. So you won't be wearing your spandex sparkle outfit.

Okay. I do have a few announcements as well. I wanted to invite people to come to Eisenhower Park this Wednesday from 530 to 7. The Office of Children's Affairs and the Mayor's Office is doing a child care listening session to think about what does child care look like in the city moving forward. And the listening session is at Eisenhower Park this Wednesday. So please come out and join us there. Also, this weekend, we needed the rain. We desperately needed the rain, and it was great, but it also made us cancel our event in the park. And so I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for their

There are no presentations. There is one communication being read this afternoon. Madam Secretary, please read the communication.

Thank you. The communication has been received and filed. There are two proclamations being read this afternoon. Council Member Sawyer, will you please read Proclamation 26-1196?

All right. Proclamation 26-1196, recognizing the 30th anniversary of Mayfair Park. Whereas beginning in 1972, Mayfair residents and community leaders worked for more than two decades to create a park at the heart of their neighborhood, pursuing land acquisition, public funding, and community support despite numerous challenges and setbacks. And, whereas, that persistence ultimately succeeded, with the City and County of Denver approving funding for the development of Mayfair Park in 1994, and officially naming the park in 1995, bringing to life a vision that generations of Mayfair residents wo

Council Member Sawyer, your motion to adopt. I move that Proclamation 261196 be adopted. It has been moved and seconded. Comments by members of Council. Council Member Sawyer.

Thank you, Madam President. I'm really happy and excited to recognize the 30th anniversary of Mayfair Park and the Mayfair residents who worked for decades to make it happen. It took, believe it or not, more than 20 years to bring this to fruition. It was the work of community leaders, and it's incredible to think about how much time and effort went into creating something that we now, like a little bit, take for granted. It's just Mayfair Park, right? It's the heart of the neighborhood. The park also has an incredible history behind it, including its connection to the Spears Hospital and to t

Madam Secretary, oops, no one else. Madam Secretary, roll call on Proclamation 26-1196.

Aye. Aye. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. 11 ayes. Proclamation 26-1196 has been adopted. We have time for the proclamation acceptance. Councilmember Sawyer, who would you like to invite up to accept the proclamation?

We have members of the Mayfair Neighbors Board here to accept the proclamation. Do you guys all want to come up? Otherwise, it's going to be you, Kelsey. Come on up, you guys. Just come up to the podium right here, and each of you please introduce yourself, and then I know you guys have a few words.

Great. Councilmember Flynn, will you please read Proclamation 26-1197? Yes, I will, Madam President. Thank you.

It has been moved and seconded. Comments by members of Council. Council Member Flynn.

Thank you. Madam Secretary, roll call on Proclamation 26-1197.

Aye. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. Ten ayes. Ten ayes. Proclamation 26-1197 has been adopted. We have time for the proclamation acceptance. Councilmember Flynn, who would you like to invite up to accept the proclamation?

Madam Secretary, please read the bills for introduction.

Councilmembers, this is your last opportunity to call out an item. Councilmember Watson, will you make the motions for us this evening?

Now I will do a recap. Under Resolutions, Council Resolution 26-1128 has been called out for a vote by Councilmember Watson, and Council Resolution 26-1122 has been called out for questions by Councilmember Alvidrez. Under Bills for Introduction, 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. Madam Secretary, please put the first item on our screens. Council Resolution 26-1128 A resolution approving a proposed second amendatory agreement between City and County of Denver and Jefferson County Publi

I move that Council Resolution 261128 be adopted.

It has been moved and seconded. Questions and comments by members of Council on Council Resolution 26-1128. Council Member Watson.

Thank you, Council President. This item was erroneously submitted as a resolution instead of a bill, so Council will need to vote it down and consider it when it is refiled correctly as a bill.

Okay. Madam Secretary, so we need to vote nay on this one. Madam Secretary, roll call on Council Resolution 26-1128. Council Members Gilmour? Nay. Alvidrez?

Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. Eleven nays. Eleven nays. Council Resolution 26-1128 has failed. Madam Secretary, please put the next item on our screens. Council Resolution 26-1122, a resolution approving a proposed second amendatory agreement between the City and County of Denver and Zuora Inc. for continual use and support of the Zuora Billing Platform. Council Member Alvidrez, will you please go ahead with your questions on Council Resolution 26-1122.

Thank you, Council President. My question was around, were we getting a new contractor? And we are. One of the complaints that my office has been getting is that they have to pay their bill in a different state. And so my question is, Is the new contractor, are people still going to have to pay their bill and send it to a different state before it can be processed?

Okay. Okay. Do I need to repeat the question? I was just going to say, she's been promoted. Great. So the question was just, are customers going to have to continue to make their payments and mail them out of the state of Colorado?

And what? Was there any in-state company that was considered or that applied or responded to this bid?

Okay. So then you are continuing this contract with Zuora and it does not take the payment. What does it do?

Which is a separate money, Payment Tech. Correct. Correct. Chase Payment Tech. Yes. Thank you very much. That's all. Thank you, Council President. Thank you.

Thank you. This concludes the items to be called out. All bills for introduction are ordered published. Councilmembers, remember that 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 Watson, will you please put the resolutions for adoption and the bills on final consideration for final passage on the floor?

I move that resolutions be adopted and bills on final consideration be placed upon final consideration and do pass in a block for the following items. Series of 26, 2 6 1 1 2, 2 6 1 1 3, 2 6 1 1 5, 2 6 1 1 7, 2 6 1 1 8, 1 1 9, 1 1 2 0, 1 1 2 1, 1 1 2 2, 1 1 4 5, 1 1 2 6, 1 1 2 9, 1 1 3 0, 1 1 3 1, 1 0 6 6, 1132, 1133, 1134, 1135, 1036, 1085, 1087, 1088. It has been moved and seconded. Madam Secretary, roll call. Council Members Gilmore. Aye.

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

11 ayes, the resolution has been adopted, have been adopted. The bills have been placed upon final consideration and do pass. On Monday, September 14, 2026, Council will hold a required public hearing on Council Bill 26-1111, changing the zoning classification for 3201 North Speer Boulevard in West Highland. Any protest against Council Bill 26-1111 must be filed with the Council offices no later than noon on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Proclamation 26-1200, which was on today's agenda for the 5.30 p.m. session, will instead be read during the meeting on Monday, August 31, 2026. There being no