City Council - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon and thank you for joining us for the Denver City Council meeting. Today is Monday, August 24th. Tonight's meeting is being interpreted into Spanish. Sam or Alejandro, would you please introduce yourself and let our viewers know how to enable translation on their devices?

Here we go. Thank you very much. Welcome to the, let's do that again. Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, August 24th, 2026. Council members, please join Council Member Sawyer in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Councilmembers, please join Councilmember Sawyer 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 that 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

There are 12 members present. Council has a quorum. Approval of the minutes. Are there any corrections to the minutes of Monday, August 17th? Seeing none, the minutes stand approved. Approval of the minutes... Oops, we got that twice here. The approval... Council announcements. Are there any council announcements?

Let's go ahead and get started with Councilmember Alvidrez. Thank you so much, Council President. I wanted to start off by thanking Dottie and Director Amy Ford for helping us make the benefit concert for the historic Baker Garden this weekend possible. We had a great turnout. If anybody's looking for a cause to support, there's a historic Baker Garden that is used for food access and one of Denver Urban Gardens gardens. And they're trying to fundraise to keep it. It was recently the owner has decided to sell it and so they're trying to keep that. But thank you to the Porch Fest team for makin

Thank you madam president We in Denver's perfect ten have town halls every month and this Thursday We are going to have our next town hall between 7 and 8 o'clock 830 p.m., yes, an evening town hall at Sakura Square, so that's 1947 Lawrence. So if you want to participate in learning more about what's going on in District 10 in our center city and in our legislation and want to share some thoughts or input, please feel free to attend our town hall. One other item that I just want to share is not every day do we get... elected officials or former elected officials here in our audience. We really

Thank you, Madam President. We have a couple of cool events happening in the north side this week. So we've been doing an outdoor yoga series at the old historic carousel dome on 38th and Tennyson. We've brought an hour of free yoga. And this week, it's bilingual yoga because a lot of people's native language is Spanish. So it's from 6 to 7 at 38th and Tennyson at the old historic English carousel dome. So just bring a yoga mat. And then this Friday is our annual Zoo Night Park resource fair slash movie in the park. We're featuring How to Train Your Dragon. The fun starts at 6 p.m. and the mov

Thank you. Council Member Torres. Thank you so much. Sloan's Lake is where District 3 and District 1 meet, and they'll be hosting Colorado Dragon Boat Festival. That'll be on Saturday from 10 to 7 and Sunday from 10 to 5. The race, though, because a lot of people come out to cheer their favorite team on, starts at 8 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday, so looking forward to that. And then if folks want to help support Denver Animal Shelter, They are holding a Melodies of Gratitude concert at Denver Library Central Branch this coming Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. It is a ticketed event, $40 per person, $

Thank you so much, Council President. Two quick look-backs at an amazing weekend in Denver. The Flocken Zoo for the Denver Zoo, an amazing event for family, friends, and everyone. Krista Tejera and your team, you did an amazing job this past Saturday. And then Cleo Parker-Robinson Dance Ensemble, dancing with the Denver Stars, was also this weekend. A fantastic event. Thousands of folks. Actually, it was just about a thousand folks there. But it was a packed hall with great folks from around the city putting themselves out there to dance for two and a half minutes for a room full of about a th

Thank you, Madam President. Just two quick announcements for the residents of District 5. The first one is our biannual community cleanup day will be Sunday, September 27th. So meet us at 8.30 a.m. at Montclair Rec Center. You will gather supplies and get some breakfast and then head out. We clean half of our city-owned parks in the fall, half in the spring, and we repaint a number of the bus stop benches around District 5, which is always an adventure, but definitely needed. So come on out and join us. Again, that's September 27th. And then second, I just want to remind residents of District

Thank you. Council Member Gonzales Gutierrez. Thank you, Council President. So Councilwoman Torres brought up the Dragon Boat Festival. If you would like to see your at-large councilmember rowing in a boat in the reenactment, I will be there. At 9.45 a.m., I think the ceremonies begin, and they started doing this last year and doing the reenactment in the story. And so I'll get to be joining them again on Sloan's Lake. My other announcement is between Councilman Watson, Councilman Cashman and myself and of course the mayor's office. Last Friday was the kickoff of the opening of the application

I apologize, Council President, but I'm back again. The fine District 9 and throughout the city, we're sending our kids back to school. So there are teachers, principals, folks going back to our schools to drive. slower Denverites around these school zones. But I want to shout out the mighty, mighty Manuel Thunderbolts. I was there this morning on the east side wearing your pin today. They have the red carpet welcome to all of the young scholars. So to principals, Dr. Klinkscales and Dr. Chris DeRammer. Actually, Doug Klinkscales. Sorry for calling you Dr. Doug. I think you're going to be gett

Thank you. I do have one announcement, and thank you for saying something about our students going back to schools. Please drive safe in every neighborhood, but it's a big time of year for everyone, so keep them safe. I have an announcement about our Rosamond Park pickleball courts. They have been completed and this, I'm just trying to think of what day we are on, Wednesday, we are doing a grand opening of the pickleball courts at Rosamond. Rosamond Park, and it starts at 4 p.m. We're asking community members to come and sign up, and Director Joel and Clark and myself will be playing the first

Proclamation 261230 honoring Vibes in the Park, whereas Vibes in the Park was founded in 2020 during a time of unprecedented isolation, evolving from a grassroots gathering among three friends into a cultural movement that has become a significant part of Denver's black and brown cultural history.

And whereas Vibes in the Park has grown beyond an event into a platform for connection and opportunity. drawing hundreds of residents and visitors from across Colorado while creating meaningful opportunities for local artists, musicians, food vendors, small businesses, entrepreneurs, creatives, and...

Whereas, for six years, Vibes in the Park has become a defining chapter in Denver's cultural landscape, demonstrating how public spaces can cultivate community celebrate culture expression, and strengthen neighborhoods through free, family-friendly experiences where black and brown communities feel seen, welcomed, and celebrated, and...

Whereas, through intentional partnerships with community organizations, local government, public safety agencies, neighborhood leaders, and volunteers, Vibes in the Park has continually evolved to ensure community celebration is paired with safety, responsibility, and stewardship of Denver's public parks.

And whereas the success of Vibes in the Park inspired the creation of Vibes Community Inc, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to inclusive experiences, supporting underserved businesses, empowering local creatives, and strengthening civic engagement throughout the Denver metro area. And...

Whereas, Vibes in the Park has reshaped how Denver gathers by bringing neighbors, families, and friends together while celebrating culture through music, dance, art, fashion, food, and tradition, leaving a lasting impact on communities throughout the City and County of Denver.

And... Whereas from its beginning at City Park to its continued growth at Sunken Gardens Park, Vibes in the Park has demonstrated that the heart of the gathering is not defined by a single location, but by the people, culture, and connections that make every space a place of celebration, belonging, and shared experience. And...

Whereas the dedication of its founders, committee members, sponsors, volunteers, performers, vendors, community partners, and attendees reflects the spirit of service, innovation, resilience, and pride that enriches the City and County of Denver and represents what can be achieved when a community comes together with vision and purpose.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Denver City Council, Section 1, that the Denver City Council recognizes and celebrates Vibes in the Park for its extraordinary contributions to community engagement, cultural enrichment, economic opportunity for local businesses, and the promotion of unity, belonging, and civic pride throughout the City and County of Denver.

And 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 co-founders of Vibes in the Park in recognition of its continued service and enduring commitment to the people of Denver.

Councilmember Lewis, your motion to adopt. I move that Proclamation 26-1230 be adopted.

It has been moved and seconded. Comments by members of council. I'll start with you, Council Member Lewis.

The script says 29. This says 30. I just want to make sure one of those two are right. Happy to start. Here it says 1230.

All right. Thank you so much. So tonight, I have the incredible opportunity of recognizing two people who have become such a part of a beautiful community for me and a part of my community, both Tiffany and Gabrielle, the founders of Vibes in the Park. I've had the privilege of working with and alongside of you both for almost three years now, which is wild to think about. And over those three years, my support for Vibes in the Park has absolutely grown. When we first started working together, I remember you all were hosting Vibes in the Park at City Park and you reached out to my council offi

Okay. Thank you. Council Member Taurus. Thank you so much. I echo all of that. That was praise duly laid upon your feet. And I just really think you've done a really beautiful thing here. I think when I... Anthropology is my background, and we talk a lot about how do you create community? What are the dynamics that actually do that? And it is creating memories, it's creating associations between tastes and a moment, sounds, music, and a moment, and it becoming fixed in people's minds. And they always take you back to, you remember when we last heard this song? It was in Sunken Gardens Park, an

Thank you. Madam Secretary, roll call on Proclamation 26-1230.

Aye. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. 12 ayes. Proclamation 26-1230 has been adopted. We have time for the proclamation acceptance. Councilmembers, who would you like to have, who would you like to invite up to accept the proclamation? Great. I'd like to, we'd like to call up Tiffany and Gabrielle.

You just go ahead and whenever you're ready, just introduce yourselves and go ahead and continue.

Thank you. Councilmember Flynn, will you please read, we are going to move to your proclamation next, yes. Councilmember Flynn, will you please read Proclamation 26-1231.

Yes, Madam President, thank you. Proclamation 26-1231, honoring John Simonet's principled and moral leadership on behalf of the people of Denver. Thank you. Whereas Louis John Simonette was born in 1937 in Newark, New Jersey, and after brief stays at the US Air Force Academy and as a college football player in Missouri, entered the seminary and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1964. And whereas John soon was assigned to a parish in Patterson, New Jersey, where one year later he and another priest opened the Catholic Community Center in the middle of Patterson's poor black community to focus o

Thank you. Councilmember Flynn, your motion to adopt.

I move that Proclamation 26-1231 be adopted.

It has been moved and seconded. Sorry, my screen was closed. Moved and seconded. Comments by members of Council. Council Member Flynn.

Thank you, Madam President. For a brief time over the weekend, we thought that John would be able to be here for this, but I think he's watching Channel 8 at home. Hi, John. At least I hope he is, to hear this proclamation. I see in the room a number of people who have known John over the years, and I'll invite them up afterward to speak. I knew John when I was a reporter at the Rocky Mountain News. And I think one story, one episode really stands out for me. And that was when, John, I hope you remember this, because I had the opportunity to visit with him on Thursday at his home with Melanie.

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you for your words, Councilman Flynn, and for bringing this forward. I'm sitting here wondering, how did I not know that John Simonette was a Jersey boy? As am I. And I mean, he's a decade older than me, but unbeknownst to each other, we spent a good bit of time just a few miles apart when I was in college in a city called East Orange, which was adjacent to Newark. at the time he was there. Then when he moved over to open the Catholic Community Center in Patterson, we might have shared space in a restaurant or a shop. My cousin's aunt and uncle lived in Patter

Thank you. And thank you, Councilman Flynn, for bringing this forward. I always appreciate the history that you bring and the long thread of relationships that you're able to bring forward to this job. So thank you very much for bringing this forward. Madam Secretary, roll call on Proclamation 26-1231. Councilmember Gilmour? Aye.

Aye. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. 12 ayes. 12 ayes. Proclamation 26-1231 has been adopted. We have time for the proclamation acceptance. Councilmember Flynn, who would you like to invite up to accept the proclamation?

Thank you, Madam President. There are several people I want to invite up. I wish one of them were John. He's at home. John, I wanted to mention that we have a Colorado flag that was flown over the state capitol in his honor. John and Fran will bring this home to you. But we have several folks here. Number one is John's daughter, Fran, Denver County Court Judge Fran Simonette. And I see you have judges with you as well, Nicole Rodarte and Judge Fay. And I am honored to have Sheriff Diggins here. representing the Denver Sheriff's Department. I see Chief Thomas in the back also. Thank you for bei

Due to an administrative change, Proclamation 26-1229 is being pulled from today's agenda. So we have our two proclamations and we will hear from that one at another date. Madam Secretary, please read the bills for introduction.

Councilmembers, this is your last opportunity to call out an item. Councilmember Sawyer, will you make the motions for us this evening? You got it, Council President. Now I will do a recap. Under Resolutions, Council Resolution 26-1166 has been called out for comments by Councilmember Alvidrez. Council Resolution 26-1158 has been called out by Councilmember Lewis. Council Resolution 26-1159 has been called out by Councilmember Lewis. And Council Resolution 26-1169 has been called out for a vote by Councilmember Sawyer. Under Bills for Introduction, no items have been called out. Under Bills fo

Thank you, Madam President. Just briefly, this I think is a really fitting agreement to have the theater at Loretto Heights be managed and operated and overseen by the Community College of Denver because the Sisters of Loretto built this theater in 62, 63 as a teaching facility, as a curricular structure. And the performing arts program at Loretto Heights College was nationally known in the 60s and 70s. A lot of the graduates from there went on to very productive careers in that industry. And so I feel like it's full circle for Community College of Denver to come in, to step in, and use this f

Thank you. Madam Secretary, please put the next item on our screens. Council Bill 26-1125, a bill for an ordinance approving a proposed amendatory agreement between the City and County of Denver and Regional Transportation District for eligibility determination, application processing, and services related to the RTD

live live live program thank you councilmember lewis please go ahead with your comments on council bill 26-1125 thank you um so i just wanted to highlight the rtd live program it's an income based low income specifically program that builds on some of the work that i was committed to both as an employee and as a director of the Regional Transportation District, and so I'm very excited to see this program and this partnership. For those of you that don't know, this program offers eligible customers a 50% discount on regular fares, and discounts are valid on all RTD buses, light rail, accessorid

Thank you. Madam Secretary, please put the next item on our screens. Council Resolution 26-1166, a resolution approving and providing for the execution of a proposed grant agreement between the City and County of Denver and the State of Colorado Department of Local Affairs, DOLA, concerning the Denver Broadway Station Pedestrian Bridge Project and the funding therefor. Council Member Alvarez, please go ahead with your comments on Council Resolution 26-1166.

Thank you, Council President. I just wanted to highlight this bridge. The pedestrian bridge is essential to making Santa Fe Yards a truly transit-oriented, community-serving development. It will connect the Broadway station, light rail station, directly to the stadium and to housing, businesses, parks, and the South Platte River Trail. Very important things to District 7. I also want to highlight that one of the first traffic deaths that I experienced as an elected official was right here as a bicyclist was trying to cross Santa Fe and Mississippi. That loss has stayed with me since then and i

Thank you. Madam Secretary, please put the next item on our screens. Council Resolution 26-1158, a resolution approving a proposed HUD CDBG public facility and improvement amendment between the City and County of Denver and Zion Senior and Community Resource Center to renovate the building located at 5151 East 33rd Avenue in Denver for the use of a community service facility in Council District 8. Council Member Lewis, please go ahead with your comments on Council Resolution 26-1158.

Thank you. I actually just wanted to say congratulations to the Zion Senior Center and Community Resource Center for these dollars. They're much overdue and available for really important and important critical facility improvements for each of you, for the facility overall, including the fire alarms, the plumbing, the electrical lighting, flooring, bathroom, and then ADA accessibility upgrades to ensure that the building remains safe. This is such a community hub, a space of gathering, a space where people come together as seniors, it's multi-generational, you can learn to sew, which I'm very

Thank you. Thank you. Madam Secretary, please put the next item on our screens, Council Resolution 26-1159, a resolution approving a proposed First Amendment to the lease agreement between the City and County of Denver and Project Voice for providing community services and office space at 2900 Downing Street, Unit AA in Denver Whittier neighborhood in Council District 9. Councilmember Lewis, please go ahead with your comments on Council Resolution 26-1159. Great. I'll be brief.

I just wanted to commend Project Voice, which is V-O-Y-C-E. It stands for Voices of Youth Creating Equity, but as a co-founder, it previously was Voices of Youth Creating Change. And so, really excited that the city has continued to partner with to continue to partner with Project Voice and to really invest in young people between the ages of 10 and 26 and then grades for the fourth grade through the 12th grade to provide them with tools to be able to lead to organize and create change. Our city is better because we are uplifting the voices of the youth. And this is a fantastic entry point for

Thank you. Thank you. Madam Secretary, please put the next item on our screens. Council Resolution 26-1169, a resolution approving a proposed second amendatory agreement between the City and County of Denver and Fercom Inc. for towing services citywide. Council Member Sawyer, would you please put Council Resolution 26-1169 on the floor for adoption?

I move that Council Resolution 26-1169 be adopted.

It has been moved and seconded. Questions and comments by members of Council on Council Resolution 26-1169. Council Member Sawyer.

Thank you, Madam President. For those of you who are in committee, you know I said from the very beginning I was going to be a no on this one. It's a really tough one, right, because the city has to have a towing contract. And therefore, I would ask my fellow council members not to follow my lead and vote no on this unless you personally have a reason why you want to vote no on it. But I do have a personal reason why I want to vote no on it. And I talked a little bit about this in committee. My daughter and I were in a car accident in January. And unfortunately, it was fatal. Both of us were f

Thank you, Madam President. I appreciate Councilwoman Sawyer calling attention to the lack of some metrics in the existing contract. And is there someone here from General Services who can speak to that? Hello. We approved this contract initially in the summer of 2022 as a three-year contract with two one-year renewals. So within that five-year window, after which we go out to RFP for new vendors. And so I wonder if you could tell us, hearing this, what the new RFP might contain. And is it possible that a new contract... to take effect after the expiration of this one, which I'm going to vote

Thank you. I really appreciate that. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you. Council Member Lewis. Hi. Thank you so much. I just have a few questions about the metrics that do exist. Can you talk about the metrics that exist in this contract currently and what you all are thinking about in terms of what's missing and what's going to improve that you all might be looking to include in the RFP moving forward? Yes. Thank you.

Yeah. And so in terms of that 45-minute turnaround time, does that include the cleanup that Councilwoman Sawyer touched on? Can you talk about that a bit?

So that's a new accountability metric you all have built in since having the converse.

So, yeah. What does that look like in your system in terms of being able to track what percentage of accidents are being cleaned up and what percentage of accidents are not being cleaned up? Yeah, that's a great question. Oh, that's what's missing.

Okay. And then is it common for the additional bidders to become subcontractors for the prime? Have you seen that before? Again, that was before my time.

Okay, thank you. Thank you. Madam Secretary, roll call on council resolution 26-1169.

Aye. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. 11 ayes. 11 ayes. Council Resolution 26-1169 has been adopted. This concludes the items to be called out. All bills for introduction are ordered published. 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 Sawyer, will you please put the resolutions for adoption and the bills on final consideration for final passage on the floor?

I move that the resolutions be adopted and bills on final consideration be placed upon final consideration and do pass in a block for the following items. All 26 series, 1188, 1155, 1156, 1157, 1158, 1159, 1160, 1164, 1165, 1167, 1150, 1166, 1148, 1149, 1151, 1152, 1153, 1154, 1125, 1123, and 1124.

It has been moved and seconded. Madam Secretary, roll call.

Aye. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. Aye. 12 ayes. 12 ayes. The resolutions have been adopted and the bills have been placed upon final consideration and do pass. There being no further business before this body, this meeting is adjourned. The general public comment session will begin at