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A bill for an ordinance approving a proposed Fiscal Year 2021 Appendices to the Second Amended and Restated Operating Agreement between the City and County of Denver and Denver Health and Hospital Authority, providing for the amounts to be paid for services by the City and County of Denver and by the Denver Health and Hospital Authority for Fiscal Year 2021. Approves the 2021 Denver Health and Hospital Authority operating agreement (DDPHE 202056359). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 12-7-20. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 11-4-20.
DenverCityCouncil_11232020_20-1138
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11 Eyes Council Bill 20 Dash 1128 has passed. Councilmember Sandoval, would you please put council Bill 1138 on the floor for final passage? I move that council bill 20 dash 1138 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. Second. Thank you. It has been moved and seconded by Councilman Hines. The 30 minute courtesy public hearing for Council Bill 20 Dash 1138 is open. May we please have a staff report? Thank you. Madam President will send here from dpkg with just a quick introduction. I'm joined by Meghan Preso, the Public Health and Environment Contracts and Grants Manager and the Contract Administrator for the operating agreement who will be giving a short presentation. We're also joined by colleagues from other city agencies to address questions. And by Denver Health and Hospital Authority representatives, including CEO, Dr. Rob Winston, associate CFO Brad Kimball and others. And with that, I'll turn it over to Megan. Evening. Council members. I'm going to share my screen here. Everyone see? Great. Thank you for having us this evening. Well, already provided introductions. I'm the contract administrator you for the 2021 operating agreement. And thank you for your time this evening. Quickly a little bit about the structure of the agreement. I know many of you are familiar with it. Roughly 16 city agencies and over 40 to 50 people at the city managed the agreement all the way from budget to monitoring performance and many other aspects of the agreement. It's divided into three parts. The first part is considered Appendix A and the course services. These are the services which the city purchases from the authority. That includes examples here, like the medically indigent payment, EMS services, public health, Denver Cares, Prisoner Medical, etc.. The second section of the agreement is Appendix B. These are considered non-core services. These are services which the city may purchase in the hospital but could have multiple providers through a selective bidding process. These examples of these include first line jail, medical services, treatment on demand, and many others. And then the last section of the agreement, Appendix D are the flip and reverse. There are limited services, the hospital purchases from the city. And these some examples include payroll and legal services related to for service employees that are at the hospital. Radio support fuel man one. One call taker and many others. A little bit about. The 2021 agreement itself. There are 39 sections in the operating agreement. As you can see in the chart here, 28 of those sections remained unchanged. Ten of them had relatively minor revisions, and one of those has been removed or suspended in 2021. In 2017, I believe there was an audit of the operating agreement and lots of robust changes occurred in 2018. Therefore, the minimal changes this year. Couple of things to note. The oversight and accountability provisions that were updated and called out by council in 2020 are remain in the 2020 agreement as well. And as I mentioned, one section of the agreement due to budget reductions has been suspended for the 2020 year and that's the Marijuana Public Health Impact Monitoring and Epidemiology section. I'll quickly try to run through some highlights of each appendix. These lists the general changes in each section with some a few small ones not noted here, but these are the major ones. So for the course services in appendix A key changes to the emerging emergency medical services at the airport. It was just an update updated time that the second ambulance is dedicated to the airport. Some changes in public health services. We added some language around potential mid-cycle negotiations, language around addressing public health information between the two entities. Some routine updates to performance metrics and targets, and then some minor updates to the emergency preparedness procedures. Partially based on my experience with covered medical services for prisoners. We just updated the time the sheriff's department has to arrange for transport of a patient. And then lastly, just some courier services were updated for the Office of the Medical Examiner. Highlights of changes in Appendix B, the caution outline. We clarified some rules and kind of oversight responsibilities within those sections for Nurse Swine. We updated details regarding medical providers that provide that second level triage at Nurse Lynn and broader the options for external language interpretation services. For health care at the jail, added health services administrator position to oversee the nursing functions removed in additional limited term health care staff and added some assurances that the city will provide some space for health services to perform the required requirements outlined in the contract. As mentioned before, the Marijuana Public Health Impact Monitoring and Epidemiology section has been removed in 2021, and then the At Risk Intervention and Mentoring Program updated some some numbers related to the number of individuals that they will provide service to and the number of positions and associated costs, although there was no overall increase to the cost of the program. And finally, highlights in appendix Appendix C and there's obviously just one. And that was just to add Internet access and maintenance for the mobile routers and the paramedic vehicles. A little bit about the budget. Similar to city agencies, the city requested that the hospital take a reduction in 2021 to their operating agreement cost and the total contract amount for 2021 is 61 million plus. It's comprised of a $27.7 million payment for patient care services and the remaining 33.8 million roughly for other core and non-core services . Obviously, it also includes that approximate revenue for the city provided services at roughly $3.7 million. The graph on the left provides a distribution of the core services budget, and the graph on the right talks a little bit about the total cost of the medically indigent patient population. The orange portions of the bar graph representing the city's portion of those payments. And in conclusion, I just want to thank you all for your time. I know that this is a rather extensive agreement and there's many services, so appreciate that it's such an important decision being considered today. I also want to make sure that we keep in mind the importance of executing the contract by January 1st. We're wanting to make sure that we avoid any gaps in critical services for vulnerable residents in Denver. And for many of these services, there are likely other providers that are able to step in, and certainly not at this point in time between now and January 1st to provide those same services with that, that concludes the staff presentation. Thank you for your time. All right. Thank you, Megan. We have 22 individuals signed up to speak this evening. And just a quick reminder that this is a 30 minute courtesy public hearing. And so we'll go ahead and start with our list of speakers and most likely will not be able to get through them all, but would ask the speakers if you feel like you're repeating information or information has already been shared. If you could limit your comment so that we can get through as many individuals as possible. And so our first speaker up is Justin Harper. There you go. Go ahead, Justin. Hello? Can you hear me okay? Mm hmm. Can you hear me okay? Yeah. Hi, everyone. And thanks for coming. My name is Justin Harper. I'm a paramedic. I'm one of the assistant chiefs with the Denver Health Paramedic Division. I'm a Colorado native. I grew up in Denver in the Capital Hill neighborhood, as a matter of fact. I'm a product of the Denver public schools and I'm this I graduate the proudest I graduate, I should say. I currently live in the park neighborhood of Denver with my sons, who are also attending Denver public schools. So I chose to become a paramedic, and I joined Denver Health in 2000. And it was really my opportunity to give back and to be a part of this community in a different way. And really, Denver health affords that opportunity in many ways for paramedics to contribute. And, you know, speaking of the contribution, the Denver health paramedics were on more than 130,000 calls per year for service. It's definitely the largest emergency medical services system in the state and certainly in the region. And running such a service comes with a lot of challenges. But I think that we manage these challenges well and we find ways to help people, and we find ways to help beyond just the response of the paramedics. We actually in the last two years, we've trained people in CPR. First aid stopped the bleed, over 7000 people in the last two years in these courses. We've also trained over 550 EMTs and paramedics in the last three years. And so the impact of this health care education and it's a great example of how we reach our community in different ways. And it can't be understated. You know, one of the things that we know as paramedics is that people don't necessarily survive out of hospital cardiac arrest if they don't have bystander CPR. We know that you can bleed to death from a major injury for four from excuse me in less than 3 to 5 minutes. And so providing this community training and helping people to be able to help themselves and others we know is vital. And that really speaks to who we are and how we're embedded in this community. The Denver Health Paramedic Division exists to serve our community. Beyond the ambulance response or excuse me, we are a core city service that contributes to the greater good of this amazing city. The Denver health paramedics are based out of an incredible hospital with integrated health care services. And, you know, leveraging the departments that we have within the hospital and bringing that care to the city is really what we're all about. So thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Denver Health Paramedic Division. And thanks for having me. All right. Well, thank you, Mr. Harper. Next up, we have comrade defense. Hello again. Employees of. Denver residents. Oh, I saw you shaking your head. Madam President, I'm so sorry to inconvenience you one more time for a whole 3 minutes. So I just want to talk about. The fact that I actually I support being able to make sure that our people, the residents and citizens of Denver have access to health care. I believe in something called Medicare for All, though I don't believe that Denver Health, which is a for profit organization, should be receiving more funding. Instead, we should fund Social. Social Security. We should fund Medicare and Medicaid. So that those who are not lucky enough to still be employed in the middle of a pandemic can still get help. And yeah, of course, you know, the emergency rooms are going to accept you and they're going to they're going to treat you as though they're going to kick you out the door. And that person who just got here just got out of the hospital with maybe little to no clothing, might return to where they thought their camp was, for it to be fenced off and for the police to have literally thrown away all of their property. Brutalizing them again. Yeah, I know, I know. I keep bringing it up. And I'm so sorry, Madam President, but it irks you. But honestly, I'm not, because you cannot continue business as usual when we are looking at thousands of people who are unhoused or housing insecure in the middle of a pandemic where they can't even get a job, and those who can't get a job have to wait 30 days for health care coverage. So why do we not instead give money to Medicare, do something like California has done, and build their own their own Medicare? So that we can make sure that we that the residents and our lovely tourists have health care when they need it. Also November 30th. I want to go on record saying this. November 30th, the city and county of Denver plans to sweep. Yeah, I use the word sweep because it's treat it like trash to you as like trash. 300 people that you sent there, the Denver police sent to the Arkin's camp and that, oh, you're going to sweep up. Where are they going to go? You're going to destroy property. You're going to traumatize more people. And so one last time, I just want to say. Thank you, Madam. President. Thank you for joining us tonight. Our next speaker is Cyprus Charles. Looks like we're trying to get Mr. Charles connected up. All right. I think you're in the panelists, Mr. Charles. Go ahead. All right. We must be having some. Technical difficulties. We'll go ahead and go to our next speaker. Sandra Parker Murray. Hello. Good evening. My name is Sandra Parker Murray. I am a member of the. Community Workers Alliance for a Healthier Denver. I served on the Paid Family. Leave Task Force in 2019. I'm here to speak. In support of the passage of the Denver Health Operating Agreement and request that you also take measures to protect workers as they protect us, to keep us and the community safe. Denver Health Frontline workers must have proper protections living wages, readily available COVID 19 testing, contact tracing, full pay pandemic leave when they test positive. And just as importantly, the freedom from intimidation and fear in joining their union. Denver have workers cannot do their jobs as caregivers if they do not have these basic protections. I've been a paid family leave and union activist for two decades. I'm here to ask you to hear my message. Those closest to the problems are closest to the solution. Listen to them. Denver health workers and community members have been going to the Denver Health Board throughout the pandemic to raise issues about their safety, their working conditions, patient care, community health, wages, racism and the right to have a union without retaliation or intimidation. They are saying that existing power relationships in the workplace have not been enough to keep people safe. Denver Health Union busting has real consequences on people's lives. My elderly mother suffers from Alzheimer's. She's contracted COVID 19 from a low wage care provider in her nursing home. I believe that if my mother's caregiver had all the workplace protections she needed living wage, paid family leave so she could afford to stay home when sick. A union proper p. E. She might not have made my mother sick. In Colorado, black residents like my mother make up roughly 6.5% of deaths and 10% of hospitalizations despite being 4% of the population. Hispanics are 22% of the population, but have a much higher percentage of cases 38%. I know that listening to the voices of frontline workers is necessary in eliminating racism in health care. The amazing Denver health staff have come together to form a union with an agenda of dismantling racism, and currently top executives approach to their group of workers is to discourage staff from joining the union and to otherwise ignore its existence. Leaders cannot keep workers safe in a pandemic or dismantle racism while at the same time running an anti-union campaign. They cannot claim to listen to workers and ignore their collective voices. We understand now, in this new pandemic world how dangerous that is. What is needed now is worker protections, not worker intimidation. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. Our next speaker is Lisa Ghanem, Gwyneth. Sorry about that. We should go ahead and correct me. That's no problem. When I saw it the first time, I stumbled upon it as well. Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Lisa Green and thank you for helping me. I have been with Denver Health eight wonderful years. It's really been the opportunity of a lifetime. I am a professional addiction medicine systems developer. I've been in the field treating this patient population all of my career, and I cannot imagine a different. A different job. So today I'm going to talk to you about treatment on demand and specifically talked to you about the opioid crisis and how we treat persons with opioid use disorder . Historically, most patients have received medication assisted therapy through an opioid treatment program, and opioid treatment programs have very limited access. Typically, we are open Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., so leaving a substantial amount of time available for persons that may be seeking treatment without access to care. It was within the city's collective impact initiative that treatment on demand was imagined. This program, led by Denver Health and Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, is a collaborative partnership which successfully transformed Denver's system of care for our community members and really. Helped leverage. Our collective ability to fight the opioid crisis. A Denver Health Emergency Department. We have medical staff and licensed clinical social workers beginning medication assisted treatment services and treatment referral planning onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is why we call it treatment on demand. All M.I.T. inductees engage in a bio psychosocial evaluation. They work with the physician to inject on buprenorphine, and we do triage planning efforts that begin on site at the bedside and focus on activities needed to prepare the community member for access to their ongoing care. The impact of this program has had on the community. When we put into context that Denver County ranks among the top six counties in Colorado with the highest rates and numbers of both opioid use and fatal overdose. And this program was the first line of defense. The Denver Health Emergency Department is the first in the state to provide an induction and continues to be the only emergency department in the state to dedicate specialized social work teams to fully enroll persons into treatment. This program has successfully increased admissions by 54%. Denver is leading a medication assisted treatment and having access 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is my professional pleasure to work with Denver Health and the City to make this program available for our residents. Thank you and good evening. Thank you. Our next speaker is Valerie Collins. There you go. Go ahead. Valerie. Okay, great. Good evening. Thank you for. The opportunity to comment. My name is Valerie Collins, and I'm an attorney. With Towards Justice, a nonprofit law firm that represents workers involved in various workplace. Injustices. But most. Recently, as you can imagine, a lot of our. Work has involved. COVID related workplace issues. And I'm sure everyone by now has seen all of the kind. Of cheesy commercials and yard signs applauding. Health care workers while they are. Literally giving their all to. Keep our friends and our family and our. Community safe. And while that community recognition. And support is. Wonderful, what is far more critical is. For health care institutions such as Denver Health. To support their workers. And one of the most fundamental ways institutions can do this. Is to create an. Environment where open communication, including criticism, is, at the very least. Doesn't lead. To retaliation or the fear of retaliation. And today, I'm here to tell you. About a complaint that George just has filed with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment on behalf of Denver health workers related who in turn are filing on behalf of the state of Colorado. Because Denver Health has fallen short in this area. Under Colorado's new whistleblower law, employers can. Designate organizations such as Denver Health Workers United to pursue anti retaliation whistleblower legal action based on their own experiences, but on the behalf of the state to protect whistleblowers. And that's what we've done here. Specifically, the. Complaint explains. How Denver Health has. Repeatedly retaliated against employees who have. Spoken out about the. Extraordinary stream that they're under while trying to protect. Not only their patients, but. Themselves. Other employees have faced backlash for asking Denver Health to confront the long standing public health emergency of systemic racism. Which has only been aggravated by the ongoing pandemic in the U.S.. Employees are seeking an order. Essentially just requiring Denver Health. To comply with the law by allowing. Workers to speak. Out without the fear of retaliation. Now more than ever, it. Is just critical to support these workers who speak out regarding. Public. Health and workplace safety, particularly regarding COVID and systemic racism. Not only is this activity legally. Protected by law, it's essential to protecting workers and the public. We ask if the Denver. City. Council stand with Denver health employees and workers everywhere against any attempts to silence them. I thank you very much for the opportunity to comment. Inc u. Our next speaker is Sarah Young. Hello. My name is Sarah Jungles. I live in Council District ten and I work as a certified nurse assistant for Denver Health on the main campus and Council District three. I joined Denver Health Workers United because I believe many workers like me are extremely underpaid for the work that we provide. On January 1st, my base pay 14, $14.35 will not meet the city's definition city of Denver's minimum wage increase. And I'm not alone unless most support staff won't meet minimum wage. So even with our less than livable wages, we are expected to provide excellent care to everyone in this community. We frequently have to care for aggressive and combative patients while at work. It's not uncommon to have patients physically, verbally and even sexually assault us while at work. And while this is happening, our thoughts have to be on keeping the patient safe, even over our own safety. Many of times, even if we're not dealing with these types of patients, it's not uncommon for us to be so short staffed that one CNA is doing 2 to 3 jobs at once. This is not safe for us and it's not safe for our patients. The COVID 19 pandemic has just worsened these issues and caused more safety issues for the patients and staff. Frequently, assignments are made not considering the transmission of the virus from patient to patient. I frequently have assignments where only half of my patient load has COVID 19 and the other half does not. Even with the best precautions, I know that I'm greatly increase in the chance of spreading the virus. From from one room. To the next. Most of us live in constant fear that we're going to be the one who gives COVID 19 to a patient. You don't have it before they enter the hospital. So not only do we have to worry about potentially killing a patient. After a burst back home to our families and doing the same. This intensifies in situations we've been asked to sit inside of COVID positive rooms, to keep a patient safe for hours, and even to. Our entire 12 hour shift. Without asking. Us for suggestions on the many ways we keep both of our our patients and ourselves safe. They have decided to sacrifice us to COVID 19 and increase our chances of catching this violent virus exponentially while paying us an unlivable wage, not even offering us as little as hazard pay. It is for these reasons, and many more employees decided to unionize at Denver Health to try to make our voices heard. We created and have been a union since the end of May, and our executive staff refuse to acknowledge us as why we're here to ask for your assistance in allowing us to continue to make positive change at Denver Health for our fellow staff members, for our community, and without fear of retaliation. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Sarah. Our next speaker is Peter Della. Leaving Council. GREGORY okay. Go ahead. My name is Peter Delvecchio. I'm a Denver paramedic. I worked at Denver Health for almost two years. I'm here speaking on my own account. And as a proud member of Denver Health Workers United, I ask that you approve the Denver Health Operating Agreement. We urgently need the money to pay for the emergency services my coworkers and I provide every day. The vast majority of patients are uninsured or underinsured and rely on the safety net, which the Denver health provides on my right shoulder patch. Officially becoming a paramedic of the city and county of Denver was one of the most difficult and single greatest achievements of my career. I've worked at many agencies over the last decade, but I've never seen the dedication and expertize which I've seen with the Denver health paramedics. If you get shot, stabbed or otherwise brutally injured, data shows that you have a better chance of surviving in Denver than anywhere else in the country. This is due to the speed, skill and expertize of the Denver paramedics and the staff of Denver health. Our prowess in treating medical conditions is followed close behind our trauma care. Prior to the pandemic, working on the streets of Denver with challenging, engaging and extremely rewarding. I still get the same satisfaction from my job during the pandemic, but it comes with an intense level of stress. Since March, fear of spreading the virus to my family comes every time I walk through the door. Frustration comes when an encounter a person society has forgotten. Anger comes when I am assaulted by the citizens who are at the end of their ropes. Fatigue comes from significant daily call volume. Despair comes when my patients die. These things are to be expected during the pandemic. These are things I can handle. I can't handle being issued protective equipment, which won't survive the rigors of the ambulance. I can't handle a lack of regular testing for a virus which spreads asymptomatically. I can't handle seeing turnover of expertize because we're paid significantly less than surrounding agencies. I can't handle seeing Denver health executives paid bonuses, which are equivalent in value to hazard pay. We've been promised I can't handle constant phone calls from the Denver health billing environment for bills, for treatment from being assaulted on the job. I can't handle being actively targeted for making my voice heard. We will make it through this pandemic. But the management of Denver health is making it difficult. I used to think that being a union paramedic would just be a minor benefit. I now know that our collective voice is essential in protecting the welfare of our patients. Denver Health workers are the safety net. We work tirelessly to protect the integrity of this network. We're the first to see when someone might fall through. So it is essential for workers to have the ability to sound an alarm. Strong workers are aggressive in protecting their patients. A strong union means a strong safety net. A strong union means. Lives saved. We all need to do our part to fight COVID 19. The public need to wear masks. Paramedics need to run, call. Nurses need to treat patients. Doctors need to get care. Management needs to support workers. Our leaders need to keep us all protected. I ask you to pass the operating agreement for Denver Health and continue to vigilantly protect our constitutional right to organize. Thank you. If you have any questions. Thank you, Peter. Next up, we have Michelle McDaniel. Good evening. I am Sean McDaniel. I'm the resident in District nine, but more. Importantly, I'm an outreach worker for Grasp Congress Science Project as well as a program manager for AIM, the At Risk Intervention, a mentoring program at Denver Health. One of the programs funded by the operating agreement you were considering tonight. I'm not a numbers person, but I know how important they are. So I will begin with just a. Few to put into context how important your investment. Is to the program. Our budget of. $163,993. Pays for 2.25 outreach workers to be subcontracted from grasp. 2.25 Outreach workers with collectively 38 years experience that are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 51 weeks a year. Yeah, we actually do take the week of Christmas off. In 2019. 163,000 paid for the. 266 interventions that AME and grass provided. To individuals at Denver Health, as well as the services we provided to 384 individuals in the community. It's supported the 27 critical crisis. We responded to. The 40 trainings. We provided the two medical pipelines programs that we support. The numerous boards, councils, community organizations that we are a member of and partner with. We are still on track to meet, if not exceed. Our 2020 goals, not because we are. Considered essential workers, but we believe that the work that we do is. Essential and because nothing, not even a pandemic, will stop us from serving our community. $463,000 may pay for the only hospital based violence. Intervention program in the Rocky Mountain region, but supports the collaboration with other hospital. Based violence intervention programs across the country, the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention. The hobby and its efforts made towards ending violence. Addressing trauma and promoting healing. Your 163,000 pays for the hours. We sit next to a young person who has just been shot and may be considering what to. Do with the rest of their life. That is, if they make it. It pays for the minutes we get to spend. Apologizing to the mother. Who just lost her son. And the second that we have to. Stop an angry. And confused kid for making a mistake that could. Impact the rest of their life or someone else's and has one mission. Capitalize on the teachable moment to provide trauma informed. Care. To violently injured patients and provide outpatient case management by culturally competent. Community outreach workers to prevent recurrent injury. And promote client wellness. We have one vision. Through a reciprocal. Understanding of lived experiences. Create a culture of healing throughout the medical community that connects traumatized patients to needed resources and supports the. Overall wellness of both parties and health care workers alike. And although technically immigrants were two programs working together, we are one team that needs your continued support. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Thank you. Our next speaker is Jacob Otto first. What? Can you hear me okay? Mm hmm. Go ahead, Jacob. My name is Jacob. All too fast. I'm a resident and city council district nine. Councilman Seelbach is district. Tonight, I am speaking as a member of Denver Health Workers United and as someone born and raised in this city. There's little more that I cherish in this community. And Denver Health has a special place within it. I've been a paramedic to Health for two years. The first that I asked you approve the Denver Health Operating Agreement. That money will help fund the Denver health paramedics and allow us to always come for help when called no matter what the problem or the person calling. Denver Health paramedics have a reputation in this region and nationally as the best and the brightest. Our medicine is strong because Denver health pushes us to be strong and because our coworkers expect that when we are working, we don't just represent ourselves individually. We represent the paramedics as a whole. This is truly a privilege. It is not taken lightly by me or by any one of my coworkers. To say that this pandemic has been challenging would be, to put it lightly, setting aside the especially while it's summer, caring for a sick coban patient pre-hospital, he comes with an exceptional number of risks and very little perceived reward. The process by which the virus kills a person is not by any means traditional. Many of the treatments available to us are not effective and increase our own exposure. How would you feel to be responsible for the continued life of a person who is dying in front of you? How would you feel to have no way to give this person even a chance of relief without possibly giving the same disease to your family? How would you feel to have this death disregarded daily in the news this weekend, I was part of patient care with two very sick COVID patients. The first was a man in his thirties who is now on a ventilator in the ICU, who went from a weak and speaking to unconscious and incomplete respiratory failure in less than 30 seconds. The second was a man in his 60 who died in his home in front of his wife, myself, my partner and a fire crew attempting to resuscitate him for nearly 40 minutes while she watched. In my attempt to save these patients lives, I was exposed to the virus. I would and I will do it again in a heartbeat. But during the pandemic, I have never developed symptoms. This could be because I'm careful. This could also be because I'm one of the possibly 40%, according to CDC best estimate, of persons who are asymptomatic and carrying the virus with no symptoms. I have never been tested for the virus. I love my job, I love my patients, and I don't want to be the reason that they're sick. This club is one of the largest reasons I am proud to be part of that union at Denver Health. We formed our union in this pandemic to raise up our voices and work to improve care for our patients and safety for each other. Doing my job and it's we will times without regular COVID testing for myself or my coworkers. I now understand that having union a union to give us an independent and collective voice at work is essential. There is no way for me to change anything alone, but without my coworkers and through the union, we can make change and save. Save lives, our patients, and possibly our own. It's important that we all do our part. People at home need to wear masks when around others and wash their hands frequently. The second hand endeavor needs to improve funds for a hospital with every penny available in order to protect health care workers and the community as a whole. My fellow paramedics and I will continue to alleviate suffering and preserve life. Thank you for your time. Thank you. And we had 30 minutes for the courtesy public hearing. And so our last speaker is Frederick Karachi. Great. Good evening. Can you hear me okay? Go ahead. Hi. My name is Fred Karachi. I'm a general and trauma surgeon and I've worked at Denver Health for ten years. Before I began working at Denver Health. I completed a trauma surgery fellowship here under the mentorship of Dr. Jane Moore and obtained a master's degree in public health with a concentration in racial and socioeconomic disparities in surgical care. As a trauma fellow, it was immediately apparent to me that Denver Health was special. Before that, my impression was that hospitals could not simultaneously fulfill the missions of both safety, net care and academic excellence. The Denver health model shattered this misconception because we conducted the primary research, design, the protocols, and developed the new techniques that the rest of the trauma world followed and then apply them to our underserved patients. Since I'm the child of poor immigrant parents, it remains tremendously fulfilling to me to provide the best care to our patients who in many other communities would not have access to it. As an attending, I direct our bariatric surgery center. Weight loss surgery cures debilitating diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and decreases health care costs for patients and their children. Here, our academic focus led us to become accredited as a center of excellence. This accreditation was particularly meaningful for our team because we became only the third safety net hospital in the country to achieve it. And it also opened doors to our community in terms of increased resources to combat obesity at its origins. In addition to clinical excellence, we worked hard to improve access to bariatric surgery regardless of ability to pay and now for completely funded bariatric surgery. Two Denver County Residents Without Insurance. Earlier this year, I had the privilege of becoming the president of the Denver Health Medical Staff. This role brings me face to face with the issue of physician well-being and burnout magnified exponentially during the COVID pandemic. I am proud of the commitment of our hospital to addressing health care worker, mental and physical fatigue, and the numerous free, confidential resources available to keep our practitioners safe and healthy. Next week, I will complete a one day training to join over 50 volunteer volunteer providers in our resilience in stressful events. Arise Employees Psychological First Day Program. Finally, my role in the medical staff leadership has involved sharing our Medical Necessity Committee, which last year alone authorized charity funds to over 900 uninsured Denver County residents to undergo elective surgery procedures to restore quality of life and the ability to work or live independently. In many cases, we approved these surgeries after other hospitals with which the patients had prior relationships had denied them. There are, of course, many other examples of the effect that Denver Health has had on our community. I'm fortunate to have been part of impacting access to high quality surgical care for our city's most vulnerable members. It remains the most important reason that I work here. Simply put, Denver would and could not be Denver without Denver health. Thank you. Thank you. And I'd like to thank the other folks who had signed up to speak tonight. And unfortunately, that's the 30 minutes that we had for the courtesy public hearing. And we also have another hearing after this one. And so concluding our speakers questions from members of Council on Bill 1138. We have Councilwoman CdeBaca. Thank you, Madam President. I have a few questions. Is there. So I have been trying to find a transparent wage and salary scale for all the employees at Denver Health. Does that exist? This is Robin went to see them, the CEO here at Denver Health. There's there's not a single published wage and salary scale, depending on the particular position. We use a variety of different salary surveys that are used to set the wage wages for different positions. And has there been an analysis of the pay equity within the organization that is public? Um, we have, we actually have done an analysis of pay within the organization where we've compared every individual employee's salary to the 50th percentile for that particular job. Within each category, we said wage rate, salary range is based on market information that we have available. Our organization aims to pay approximately the 15th percentile for all of our employees, employees to come in. They start below that and then they can, over time, go above the 50 percentile. We actually just recently completed an analysis of all jobs to see how I would compare to the 15 percentile in total Denver Health with slightly above the 50th percentile for all positions at Denver Health and the positions at the lower end of the wage scale, primarily in our service. In our service, jobs were the highest above the 50th percentile on average. Now, of course, some people coming new into the organization may start below the 50% now, but over time they will increase, the salaries will be increased so that they can get above the 50% jump. And since Denver health is a public health entity, I'm wondering if it's not. Is that data public? Lake City employees are salary information is public information. And even without the scale, is Denver Health's salary information subject to Cora? It is. And our salary information has been requested via request. And when when it is requested, we provide. Awesome. And I believe, Madam President, there was somebody who was present on the line to answer questions about the immigrant workforce at Denver Health. Is it possible to call up Sochi Gaitan? We can. So she has her hand raised. We'll go ahead and move around to panelists. Hi, Sochi. I'm curious about some of the things that we've discussed regarding the immigrant workforce at Denver Health. Could you talk to me a little bit about what you are aware of there? Yeah, the city councilwoman said about the thank you. Thank you for the opportunity. And the question I wanted. To share a few thoughts as I identify as a mexican born in Mexico, raised in Denver by immigrant. Parents, and. I'm a member of the Community Worker Alliance for a Healthier. Denver. Also speaking as co-chair of the Colorado Latino Forum. And so as an immigrant, I know that in all diverse immigrant communities, Denver Health has been the main resource for health care needs for our community. And so we deem it to be a really valuable one. I personally spent over 90 consecutive days last summer at Denver Health with my immigrant father who passed away of liver cancer late last year. I personally witnessed many inequities taking place for patients, but as well as workers. And so I just wanted to share with you all that there's community leaders like myself that are seeking to eliminate these health inequities, these and trying to keep our community safe, but building equity and solidarity with those workers at Denver Health. And so I wanted to share. A few thoughts about that. So I appreciate the. Question that. I believe that city council should be able to uplift the health care workers by really supporting, supporting and voting yes. On this bill. I believe that our Denver health workers are the true foundation of that hospital. And we know that those that workers rights and community. And the. Safety of our community, it's all interconnected. And Denver health care workers, they should have a right to free association in unions and. They don't have that right right now. There's public funds being spent on diverting from patient care and worker safety to anti-union tactics. And we were hearing reports. To the Colorado Latino Forum that the custodial. Workers were discouraged from forming a union. So we're really concerned. And we know that this pandemic has compounded those inequities for our marginalized workers, especially our custodial workers, nurses, etc.. So justice. Is required and we're. Carrying that burden as people of color. We're carrying the burden of racism. And COVID 19. So thank you for asking the question, allowing me to share a little bit about. What we're hearing from workers at Denver Health. Please recognize that there's that paradigm. Paradigm shift is taking place. Right now in institutional racism. So I want to urge. You to vote yes. And real quick, is it possible to ask Miss Valerie Collins, the attorney addressing the U.N., asking for more information on what the response from Denver Health has been since they have filed their complaint? Sure if we can get Ms.. Collins to go ahead and. Raise her hand and we'll get her moved back into the panelists. Are we are we not seen? I'm not seeing this, Collins. I don't think she's still in the meeting. Can can Denver help respond to how they're correcting the allegations of union busting? How is that being addressed? So again, this is Robin Wisniewski. Denver Health is not engaged in any any activities of union busting. So I can't tell you that I can't respond to that because we aren't doing it. And Ms.. Ms.. Collins mentioned a complaint, but we haven't seen anything, so I can't it would not have been a response since we haven't seen anything from from. Let's let me reframe the question. How our employees how are workers in this time being helped or supported in their efforts as they try to exercise their rights to unionize? All our employees are being supported in many ways as we go through the COVID crisis. I think that you heard from a number of the people who spoke about COVID and the impact that it has had on health care. Workers speak about some of the things, including the PPE, that we are providing to our employees who certainly have a great deal of expertize in infectious medicine. Dr. Pryce spoke about the work that she has been doing. We have highly, highly infectious disease teams that go out and do education for our employees. We're making sure that they have the appropriate PPE and a work environment that allows them to stay as safe as we can possibly manage for them. All of our employees are free to interact with us, and we we do this regularly to find out what issues are of concern to them and how we can address anything that may be getting in the way of their ability to do their job safely and effectively to care for patients. Dr. Pratt, you mentioned the RISE program, and that's one that we have focused a great deal of time and energy on. It really is intended to help health care workers in particular, who are facing extraordinarily stressful events, although I'll confess that a pandemic may have been more than any of us ever expected to have to address and deal with the psychological challenges of living through the sorts of anxiety and stress that our employees are facing today. So we have worked to make sure that they have access to those. We've also been deeply involved in a lot of work around identifying issues and problems that our employees bring forward and then working to resolve those, including things around human resources, policies, work environment issues they may face in the in the workplace. So as we have spoken to our employees and identified issues that are of concern to them, the entire management team is working on different solutions to those issues. And as a funder and partner, what kind of assurance can we get as the city of Denver that you all will keep us in the loop about what is going on. And what allegations are being made throughout the next year of this contract. So I think there are a couple of things that I would suggest in Campbell, and I certainly be very interested in any additional ideas and suggestions you would have. So one of the things that we started to do, and I hope that this is helping our employees and I hope it's valuable to city council as well. We have a number of initiatives that we feel are particularly important to Denver Health and the people that we serve. We've got work going on and I think I've talked to most of the council about this as an anchor institution in the community. Denver Health provides a great deal of health care, of course. We also are deeply involved in education and research. But the other piece of who we are and who we stand for is as an anchor institution. And for Denver Health, what that really means is, in addition to providing for the the physical and mental health and well-being of the people that we serve, we have an ability to offer economic opportunity to the to the community that we serve. So everything from the work that we're doing to try to make sure that our employees can earn a living wage, some of which will be through salary. But there are many other things, and I've spoken about some of those career pathways, making sure that the kinds of work supports that are available to people like child care support, earned income tax credits, those types of things that can really help support families and strengthen them during the kinds of economic challenges we're going through. We've got a lot of work going on in that. We're also addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. And I've said to all of the council members that I've spoken to, Denver Health is made up of people, and like any organization, like any group of people, there is work that we can do to improve diversity and equity and to address what really is the structural and systemic racism that exists in our society. Denver Health has signed on to racism as a public health crisis and really committed to addressing issues of diversity disparity both inside our organization and in the communities that we serve. And then finally, we have been working with our employees and identifying anything that gets in the way of their being able to do their job effectively, to have a work environment that allows them to flourish and to truly do what they came here to do. This is an extraordinarily mission driven organization, and I can tell you without exception, every single person who works at Denver Health cares to the core of their being about who we are and what we do. So we are we send out about every other week. We send out a communication with all of the different things that we're doing. And we're summarizing that. And we sent it off to City Council a number of times now, and I hope that that has been helpful to you. As I said before, I will come and talk to all of you or any of you individually. If there are issues or concerns that any employee brings to you, please send them to us and let us have an opportunity to employees. We want to make sure that we hear concerns and then we have an opportunity to address those and to make changes where we need to. Because undoubtedly there will be times when changes are necessary. Thank you. And my last question is for Katie Bakes. Is Ken Baker still on the line? You got me. There's a handsome. I will get her promoted. And then. This is the last question I. Have. Great. All right. Thank you. All. Katie, my question for you is about the employee survey. Can you tell me a little bit about that employee survey that we discussed? You mean the Press Ganey survey? Yes. I have not seen it in its totality, but my understanding is that it is pretty dismal and much worse than it was previously and is peppered with concerns of lack of trust for executive leadership. I did have a statement prepared. I know and appreciate everybody's time. I personally have been targeted for speaking up and speaking up about concerns about equity. I run the same program that Michelle McDaniel so eloquently described. My job is currently. Under threat because I have spoken. Up and. I unfortunately am very disappointed by our leadership. I agree that the. Staff at Denver Health. Make up the heart and. Soul of Denver Health, and I have recently joined Denver Health Workers United because I understand that if I, as. A. Professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics. And. Being at Denver Health for 20 years can be retaliated against by the highest levels of our administration. That I cannot imagine. What frontline workers who don't have my title and come from underrepresented minority backgrounds must feel when they are trying to speak up. About their workers rights. Thank you. Misspeaks Ms.. Signer or Robin. I'm wondering if there's a potential. For you to. Report out to us. On on. Terminations and if people were. Union affiliated. I'm curious to monitor who is being let go and if they are union affiliated. Is that a possible report out that you could include with your other report outs to us? Well, I certainly can't report out to you about union affiliation because I don't know. And we don't if that is something that if an employee is involved, that's up to them. And we don't ask the question, nor do I have any idea who the employees are who might be involved in terms of termination. What I'd like to do, Councilwoman, is just have an opportunity to speak to general counsel. I do want to be careful that when it comes to situations of employees that we're protecting, we're protecting our employees privacy and rights. And I would want to talk to them before I give you an answer on that. If that's if that's okay. That would be awesome. And if it's possible to have a form at termination, asking the employee if it's if they're if they're authorizing you to release that information, that would be really helpful for us to monitor. Thank you. That's it for my questions. May I make one final comment? May I make one final comment that's related to that? Very briefly, please. We've got four other people in the queue of questions. I just wanted council to know that I before I joined Denver Health Workers United, I was called by my supervisor and H.R. because I was reported for recruiting people to the union. I was not a member of the union at the time, nor was I participating in that. I think that kind of direct. Discussion. Puts fear into workers. It certainly put it in to me, and I think. It goes counter to the statement that there is no effort to undermine the. Union. I thank you for sharing that, Councilman Torres. Thank you, Madam President. Just one question, and I'm sorry if I missed it. In the prior line of questioning, one of the commenters mentioned that they currently do not have a salary that meets the city's January one minimum wage level. Does Denver health. Come into line with the minimum wage increases. Robin, I see you coming in there. But let me let me finish the question real quick. But I do know that you had mentioned raises. I'm just curious what the status of that looks like and whether or not you're exempt. We are not exempt from that. So when the city's minimum wage went into effect last year, I think it went to 1277 or 1287. Denver Health raised the minimum wage here to $13 an hour. And we'll be raising our salary again to meet the minimum wage, I think. I think we may be going to $15 an hour. So and then this year we did the we did merit increases for our employees. And our plan is to do the same thing again again next year. So we will we will be compliant with at least the minimum wage in the city and county of Denver. Okay. Thank you. That was my only question. All right. Next up, we have Councilman Hines. Thank you, Madam President. I thought I was later in the queue, so I was slightly underprepared. I. I want to ask Miss Biggs if she's still here. I want to ask one more question. She might have severe. All right. Well, moving on to other issues. Just so maybe it's you. You said that you had been retaliated against and you gave one example where you perceive the retaliation is do you have other examples or is that the primary example? I'm just curious. Yes, sir. Thank you. I do have other examples because of the limitation in time, my statement only included. What had happened with AIM. But I have experienced. Retaliation multiple times. For speaking up. Would you say provide one more example? I'm not. You're right. Because of time. I don't I don't know if I can ask you for all of them, but perhaps one of their example. I've been retaliated against for advocating, for aim and to continue funding that we received through the city. I was told that I had undermined our CEO, Dr. Wittgenstein, because I had spoken to my colleagues in emergency medicine and trauma and they had written in to support the program to prevent it from being cut from the city budget . And I was told by my direct supervisor, Dr. Nussbaum, that Robin had met with him and that she had told him that he did not like me because I undermined her authority because of the support for aim. She was forced to change her mind and keep AIM in the. City budget and. That she would no longer support me and undermine the programs. I run. Okay. Thank you. Thank you for. I'm. I'm hesitating because I'm thinking, What do I do? I want to try to go down and try to get by. But thank you for that that that answer. I was trying to decide if I want to get more clarity or not. I think that's good enough. Thank you. Thank you very. Much. And then one previous person testifying said that claimed that Denver Health is a for profit institution. Is that the case? No, no, no. It's not. For profit. Okay, I've. I figured that. I just wanted to make sure that I was not misunderstanding. Okay. So it doesn't appear that there's anyone who's asking us to vote no on the contract, but there does appear to be some concern about worker protection and worker organization. Is that right? I think the contract is silent on worker organization. Does the contract have any opportunity to to say anything for or against worker organization? And this is making the contract administrator and we can also promote the city attorney if we need to hear much better. It does not. It's silent on that, similar to any other kind of labor laws or otherwise. It doesn't dictate how Denver Health complies with those or not. Okay. Thank you. And that's why I don't I don't need the attorneys perspective. I think that's fine enough. Thank you. The. I think, Dr. Weinstein, I think you and I had talked about this before. I just want to. Should the Denver health workers want to unionize? Is that something Denver Health would support? Our our sense is that working directly with our employees on issues that they raised is the best way for us to resolve those. And that is the approach that we've taken. At the same time. At the same time, we're not we're not involved in or interfering with the union activities that employees may engage. Okay. Up. And this is a contract. We can either vote yes or no on and we can suggest amendments. Right. This is I mean, this is like every other contract we can suggest in there. I see a bunch of heads nodding at them. I don't know if everyone watching the Zoom call or Tally can see that, but multiple colleagues are nodding your head. So I'm just going to keep going. The does the contract or I forgot to ask does the contract ask talk about access to PPE for its workers, though it's something else that was also discussed as a concern . I think it's dependent on the section of the contract and what what type of work is being, you know, provided in each section. I'm not sure the level of detail in the operating agreement gets to the level of detail that states what type of PPE and the amount of PPE. I think that's somewhat dictated by the kind of overarching services provided and Denver Health's kind of rules and regulations associated with PPE. So I don't think the contract gets into the level of detail you may be describing. Okay. That's fair. I mean, it's it's a bunch of money, so I can understand why you might not have. 87 and 95 masks or whatever. I get that. So perhaps I could ask this. Do Denver Health Workers have adequate PPE? So. So, Councilman. Oh, I'll start answering the question and then I'm going to ask Dr. Price to jump in, because she really is our infectious disease expert. So Denver Health has adequate stock of PPE to take care of our employees. We have very specific guidelines around the type of PPE based on the risk that the employee has in different situations. Of course, like every other health care provider in the country, the way that PPE is used today is different than the way it was used a year ago. Obviously, the pandemic has been, as I said, it's not just it's not just in health. It's not just Colorado. It touches the United States. The entire world is in the grips of this. So it has changed how deeply is used. But we do have adequate stocks of PPE and that Dr. Price can share with you some of the over kind of the overarching principles that we use. And frankly, we would be happy to send to the entire council the same communication that we send to all of our employees that lists all of the main pieces of PPE that are important for them. And we provide them on a weekly basis a list of all the PPE we have in the stock that we have available to us so that everybody can know exactly what we've got and make sure that they're feeling comfortable because we have a lot of people who were concerned at the beginning, particularly of the pandemic, when it was really hard to get to get some of the items that we needed that we would run out. And so we started sharing with our employees, this is what we have. So perhaps Dr. Price can jump in and just share some information with you. So hello, counsel and hello. Thank you for asking this question. It's this was one of the most stressful efforts during the first wave of COVID. And not only to those of us trying to make sure we never ran out, but to those on the front line. All of us were hearing about shortages nationally of PPE. All of us were hearing about our colleagues running out of PPE and other places having to use their masks for a week at a time, having to bake them at home to sterilize them. We did none of that at Denver Health. We followed our crisis standards of care guidelines for PPE from the state of Colorado. We actually exceeded what the CDC recommended. And as part of transparency, because it's so important when you are going to see a patient that you can feel confident in your PPE. We started sharing with our staff our days on hand of PPE. It wasn't always pretty, but there were always PPE. And what we do is we take our stock and we look at that week of use, the week prior, and we say, okay, based on use for that week, that volume of use, how many days on and would we have as PPE if we started the entire supply chain stock? And we don't take for granted that that supply chain is going to keep coming in. We actually do plan for one day it could stop and we provide those data to our staff and weekly emails and we have been doing that since the beginning of this pandemic. I am happy to include the City Council on all of those data so you can monitor it with us. And my gosh, if you ever see any red on that chart or numbers of days on hands that you don't like, we would happily take your help in sharing the PPE. The other piece of this is making sure that our staff are confident and able to use the PPE effectively that they have. And we have been very deliberate in our training and utilizing these wonderful employees, these talented staff who I've been working with for 18 years to help educate each other and support each other in confidence and use of PPE. Okay. And so, Madam President, just one final question. I went to the Denver health paramedics luncheon and they were doing a fundraiser for paramedics because apparently the paramedics don't have enough shirts as they switch shirts from one call to the next. And and so the luncheon was doing a fundraiser for t shirts. For the paramedics. Is this. Yeah, the fundraiser, actually, the main the main beneficiary of the fundraiser is the paramedic scholarship. So getting going for training to be a paramedic is, um, you get through school and you pay tuition. The fundraiser is intended to, um, to help raise money for scholarships for that we do. However, also we bought, um, we bought paramedics different out of uniform uniforms. It is. I'm sure you're used to the fact that the Denver health paramedics have traditionally worn a white shirt. What we found when we got into the pandemic is that they were uncomfortable, that they were going from cold, cold, cold with the same shirt. And so we ended up for the summer. We had t shirts for the winter. They're actually going to be longer, long sleeved shirts. They're all blue. Um, and we have, we've had a lot of people say, can I help support the paramedic by donating money for t shirts and shirts, etc.. So, so some of it was used during that. It was, it's a way to connect to the community who really does want to support our first responders during, uh, during this crisis. But the very large bulk of the money that was raised is going into scholarships for people, particularly people of color, people who live in poverty to go through training to become a paramedic. It really you heard from you heard from more than one paramedic tonight. It really is an amazing profession for somebody to get involved in, to have an impact on the lives of people at their most vulnerable point in time. When they i, i, i have called 911 myself. That is a moment in time when you are afraid for yourself or a family member. And when the paramedics show up, all of a sudden, you know, things are going, you've got somebody there who can help and everybody wants to help the paramedics and the first responders. And so it's within that spirit of letting people help by supporting the cost of t shirts and church for the paramedics. But the bulk of the money is going into scholarships for people who couldn't afford to become a paramedic otherwise. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilman. Councilwoman Zoya. Thanks, Madam President. So thank you. For for being here. Really appreciate it. Really appreciate the the comments that we heard and and and the information that we're getting from the Denver health leadership. So I just want to know kind of from the perspective of our legal team and if we were to if there were seven people who felt like, based on the testimony we heard tonight, this was not a contract or a relationship that we wanted to support anymore. What would happen then? Hi. I I'm fairly new to the city, but my sense from the years that this has been approved over and over, as there'd be starting January 1st, a pretty huge gap in services that are paid for under the agreement, because I believe language is written that essentially for core services under the agreement, Denver Health has sort of the first right of refusal. And again, maybe we'll call up Mitch Bear, the attorney, to probably speak more eloquently on this than I. But first, right of refusal for those, of course, services. Unless that's the case, there's no backup option. Unless they defer to a second party, there's no backup option. And for the non-core services, we would have to go through a procurement process to identify alternate service providers for every portion of the agreement that wasn't approved for those services. And obviously, the services in the agreement that the city provides back to Denver health would not be provided as of January 1st as well. And we're talking about a huge breadth of potential services and things that are critical on a day to day basis. Okay, thanks. So so it would be safe to say it would be incredibly irresponsible governance to vote down this contract tonight and not have any sort of backup option for, you know, our health services in the middle of a pandemic. Yeah. I mean, I don't you know, it's hard to, but personally. Yes. And I think it's an obvious yes for the city. The Denver health serves a great number of the vulnerable, you know, residents in our city, even more so in the pandemic. And although these are kind of, you know, difficult conversations to be grappling with today. Yes, I would say yes. Okay. Fair. I mean, I agree with you. I'm just but that's what I'm asking the questions. Right? I mean, we're required. And I think it's important for the community and the people who are watching to sort of understand the breadth and depth of what this contract actually does for our communities. So wanted to make sure that we kind of got that out there. So. So but that said, right. There's if this is a concern, what does this look like for 2022? Are there conversations we can be having with Denver Health now to potentially talk about some of these concerns or address some of these issues for the 2022 contract? Or when would that start or what do those conversations look like? I guess how do we address the situation? I guess my question is how do we address the situation proactively in the future so that for the 2022 contract, we do not find ourselves over a barrel, so to speak, with zero backup options in the middle of a pandemic for providing city services when it comes to a health provider and not being happy with. The. Way our health provider and not having any other options and and not having any other. Choice, I guess. Yeah. Negotiations for 2022 start as early as the spring. March-April timeframe is when we start conversations with city agencies around what's working in the operating agreement for the work that they're receiving in the services that are being provided. You know what? What would they like to address and change? And that's when the negotiations start as early as April timeframe. And so, you know, Will is probably best suited to maybe talk about process here. But I think leading into that time frame, hearing thoughts and input from city council, from residents, from folks across the city who agencies that are receiving the services and supporting this work, I think receiving input in that time frame leading up to April, there's plenty of months of negotiation happening between April and say today in the fall, but negotiations start as early as the spring of next year. Okay, great. Thank you. Thanks, Madam President. All right. Thank you, Councilman Sawyer. Councilwoman Ortega. Thank you, Madam President. I first want to make a comment and then I have two brief questions. I want to thank the employees who reached out to talk with me and to share some of their concerns. I also want to thank Dr. Wittgenstein and Dr. Price for giving back to me and their willingness to sit down and meet and talk with the employees who I met with. And so basically where in the in the middle of just waiting to get the names of the employees who who are willing to be part of that meeting to sit down, to share their detailed and specific concerns about what those those issues related to safety and, you know , just practices where they feel like their their safety or the public safety has been compromised, whether it's from the paramedic unit or the nursing unit or any of the the doctors who are willing to come forward. So. And it's not always easy when people have to be brave to step up and speak out. And so I appreciate everybody on all sides and their willingness to sit down and figure out how do we how do we get through this? I wanted to ask Valerie Collins if she could come back on, if she's still available to answer two quick questions. I think the councilwoman had tried to call her up before and I don't believe she will. Let me see if someone else is available, can answer these two questions. I'm trying to find out if and maybe Dr. Woodson can answer the first one. Are you aware of other public hospitals that have their employees that are unionized? So that's one question. And then the second is, I'm just trying to find out, has there been any identified date or timeframe in which there's a hope and expectation to have a. Vote of the employees? And we do have Ms.. Collins backup as well. So we'll go ahead and let the Denver health answer and then we have in this column. Okay, great. Thanks. So, Councilwoman, I am aware of other other public safety institutions that have a variety of employees who may be denied. And I'm not aware of any event, any dates in relation to your second question. Okay. All right, Miss Collins. Do you want to address either one or both of those questions? We might have to have you unmute, Ms.. Collins. All right. Well, we might not. We thought we had her promoted. Yep, we got her on. But for whatever reason, we're not getting a response. Councilwoman, I'm sorry. Okay. All right. No problem. Thank you for letting me ask those questions. And I do look forward to helping facilitate that conversation. That's one of the things that I was asked by the employees when I met with them if I was willing to help facilitate getting a meeting together. And one of the board members was involved in helping to make that happen. And Dr. Weinstein felt that it was more appropriate to have Dr. Pryce be the point person who oversees, you know, part of the operations of the hospital. And so we're in the middle of trying to get that coordinated. So thank you so much. All right. Thank you, Councilwoman Sandoval. Thank you, Madam President. And I'd also like to thank all. The speakers in Timber Health for joining us this. Evening. So, Dr. Weinstein. On Tuesday. On May 19th, you received a letter from 14 state senators, 29 state representatives, three U.S. Congress members and nine city council members. Do you remember getting that letter? I do. Did you respond to any of them? Did you respond to anybody? I did not. Why what? Why wouldn't you respond to a letter that came from 14 state senators, 29 state representatives, three US Congress members, and nine city council members. The the letter was a statement of support for employees who are interested in unionize and didn't require a response. So as a public hospital, you don't think that acknowledging a letter from 14 state senators, 29 state representatives, three U.S. Congress members and nine city council members doesn't elicit a response. Councilwoman. The letter came as a statement of support for activities that the employees were engaged in and didn't ask any questions. It didn't require to request a response. And we did not feel that there was anything that needed to be responded to. Okay. I'll just say that I get a lot of letters of support on my council office and I get a lot of inquiries in my council office, and I acknowledge every single one of them. I feel like that's my duty as a public servant is to acknowledge them. So you and I may have just have to respectfully disagree on that one. Um, so under this operating agreement, there's the Denver Public Health and the Denver Department of Health and Environment. There's a shift taking place. I would like to know how long has Denver Health known about the shift that would affect the funding? Um. Can you help me understand what shift you're talking about? So basically the Denver the Department of Denver will take over what Denver Public Health is doing. That is not what is in the agreement. We have agreed that next year and frankly, we were hopeful that we would be past the pandemic when we had the conversations that Denver Public Health and DDP would enter into conversations about how public health services are organized in the city. Obviously, coming through the pandemic, we both had significant learnings about how to handle a pandemic, how services work effectively, where there may have been points, opportunities for improvement. So we agreed that we would sit down and have a conversation about those. There is no wholesale shifting of responsibilities from Denver Public Health to simply an agreement that we will have a conversation. And if we agree that there are any any services where there should be a change based on the mutual agreement of Denver, Denver health and the city, that we would work through that in 2021. We've come through a situation that, frankly, none of us had ever seen before. I think to not sit down and have a conversation about what did we learn and how can we organize ourselves differently, perhaps so that we can better serve the people who live in the city and county of Denver? It wouldn't have made sense. So that's what the operating agreement change said. Okay. So I've heard comments about the employee engagement survey. Is there any opportunity to send those to all of the city council members? The results suggest. That we that is not something that we would send to city council. I'm happy to to to share with you that the employee engagement survey is something that we do approximately once every year to 18 months. It's a follow up to the work that we did with our leaders in the organization after the situation we had in the spring and we asked for it, we told our employees that we would come back to them and ask them for information about a whole host of things that go on in Denver health, much as we do each year. And we did it again this year. So can you can share any like high level results with any of us? Um. Let me. Let me pull out what we can share. Okay. That would be great. I would like to see that survey. It's been brought up several times in public comment and through the conversations that I have still as a voting member of Council on the operating agreement, I would love to see what the employees of Denver Health are saying. So as much as you could share would be greatly appreciated. And just a few more questions. So regarding diversity, equity and inclusion, are you currently working with the Denver Office of Social Equity and Innovation? We are not we're not working with them yet, although we're as we're working right now with the Equity Project, which is an organization based here in Denver that focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion in organizations much like Denver Health, where just we've just started that engagement and we will be working with with them and then we will be engaging the city's office because they've got some expertize there as well. Great. Thank you. And one last question. How are you engaging with communities specific necks with this recent surge of COVID cases to minimize and equitable health outcomes? Um, there are, there are a number of things that Denver Health does, and there's additional things that we are also doing. We have, as you know, community health centers that are scattered across the city and county of Denver. And so they're deeply embedded in their neighborhoods. We engage with various different neighborhoods and groups that live in those neighborhoods through the clinic. We also have we have a patient advisory committee. We have a the Community Health Services Board. And you heard from Carol Lewis is the chair of that. The Community Health Services Board is the group that oversees all of our community health centers. They have 51% or more of the members of that board are actually patients of Denver's Denver health. And there's a wide diversity of representation on that. We use that as a way to bring in additional information. And most recently, we've started a community engagement committee of the board of directors and paired who is the chair of our board can speak to it. But but really it was intended to be a way for both management and the board to look at issues around diversity, equity, inclusion, or our role as an anchor institution and how we can advance economic opportunity in the community and really make sure that we are continuing to move towards the vision of bringing both bringing opportunity out into the community, but also bringing community voices. And we have a number of community organizations. I think, Councilwoman, it's about ten, although I don't remember the exact number of different organizations from the community that have been asked to join that committee and help bring additional voice of the community back into the organization. We also do things like regular community engagement surveys. We did a community engagement strategic plan about 18 months to 18 months ago or so, obviously COVID. And it's trying to kick in for a lot of things. There are there are differences. And the COVID has had a disparate impact on a number of populations. We are looking at, um, through our public health department and our community health services division. Where has there been different impact on different populations and how can we help to remedy some of that? The mobile health ban you heard about, for example, we have areas of our communities where there are high rates of cases and low rates of testing. That mobile health ban is intended to help rectify that and bring out into the community that has been so significantly affected. Additional resources, both testing but also care and education around COVID. Um, at this time for exactly that reason, we're very concerned about the disparate impact that coping with that. And you've heard the reasons for it a lot of times on this. The people are essential workers. They, they go to work because they have to and then they are at higher risk of potentially contracting COVID. And for many people, um, with, with complications and comorbidities, the impact is even more significant. But I'll let I'll let Pia also speak to that. Good evening, council members and commentators. My name is Pia Dean. I am a Denver native and a Denver resident. I live in area code 80209. I am the chair of the Board of Denver Health and Hospital Authority, and we specifically wanted to get to this specific issue of how do we get more community voice in at the highest level of the organization. So we in the last year have created this committee, engagement committee and are in the process of inviting and I think it's closer to 15 different entities have now agreed to be part of that. We've only had no's from two and both because they were overwhelmed by the requests they were getting for help from their own community. So the goal is to have that information pulled in and to create partnerships. It works toward the entire institution concept where we're both hiring locally and in sourcing locally, but also hearing from the fair communities that we serve. So. That's been the approach from the board level. Okay. Thank you, Madam President. All right. Thank you, Councilwoman Sandoval. The public hearing for Council Bill 20, dash 1138. Oh, I'm sorry, Councilman Torres. Okay, you're getting in there. All right. The public hearing for Council Bill 20, Dash 1130 is closed. Councilwoman Torres comments. Thank you so much, Madam President. Denver Health mine is just, I think, a message and a plea. Basically your crucial institution in Denver. And I know and you know the work that you do in District three is immense. Your main campus is in District three, West Side Clinic, and your clinic and across the street from the Colfax and Perry location. Your value is based not just on transactions and services, but on trust. And it's critical that you regain trust if you lose the confidence of your team. Denver Health will implode. Either this is your commitment to rectify or it isn't. People don't become nurses, therapists, EMTs, medical assistance because they're going to make millions of dollars. They do it because they want to be of service to individual and community health and well-being. It doesn't serve the city to vote down this operating agreement. It does, however, serve the city for you to be a better employer, to respect the right of your employees, to organize and give them a workplace that they feel safe and that they can be proud of. The health of our entire city depends on it, and never more than what we've seen lately in a pandemic. So I just implore you to be that employer, to be that entity and that institution in Denver. And I ask you to let me know how I can help you. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Hines. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank everyone at Denver Health who is here. I, I owe Denver Health my life. I might have said this before, but I think now is a good time to say it again. I was in a crash and ah, ah, ah. Sorry. I was in a crash on August 26, 2008 at 18th and Logan. It's very close to Kaiser Saint Joe's, Purcell, Kindred and the ambulance went the other way and went to Denver Health and and it was thanks to thanks to Denver Health that I survived. I spent eight days in secure surgical ICU and another five days in stepped down. And I, I don't remember much about it because I was on some pretty heavy medication at the time. But. But I do, I do remember snippets of being at Denver Health and I and I and I understand and respect. The work that you do. And I want to thank you for all that you do for for underserved communities, for me and so many other people. I also I invite you to in this time when we have so many health workers just, you know, at wit's end, at breakdown stage, there was a Denver Post article on Sunday that that talked about by National Jewish actually as what it was. And it had some really stark black and white photos. And and I'm I'm concerned that that our workers are are in trouble. I know I'm not a health worker myself, but but from what I hear from other health workers, I'm concerned. So I hope that you lift up our health workers, as you mentioned, your you know, your hospital and just and frankly, any organization and a city for that matter, what is a city but its people, you know, the hospital is no better or worse than the people who work there. And so I just want to make sure that they have what they need to succeed. As my colleagues will recall, I was the lone no vote for providing PPE to the and to small businesses. And the reason I said that is because I wanted to make sure that health workers, front line workers, had PPE. And I couldn't get an answer on whether our health workers in Denver had access to food. So I care very much about our workers. I want to make sure that they can succeed. The the hospital itself, the building did not save my life. It was the people who work there. So so I thank you so much for your for your efforts, for your leadership. I, I hope that you continue to keep workers in the forefront. And, and and I would challenge you to push them even more in the forefront. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilman Hines. And just a quick time check. I know we still have some folks that are staying on the line. We have one more courtesy public hearing that will begin immediately after our vote on this. And we have three more folks in the queue. Councilwoman Sandra. Foster. Thank you, Madam President, and thank you, Denver Health for all that you do. I am looking at your values and you talk about excellence, compassion, relentlessness, stewardship and learning. And I really believe that you do care about those values. I just hope that as these your workers who are unionize, that you respect those values as well, that you expect excellence from them, that you offer them some compassion, that you offer them learning opportunities. I believe that Denver Health is a foundation in Denver. I don't ever remember. I always remember it in general. And my whole entire life I've known that you can go there and you can get services that are needed. And to everyone else's point, you don't go into the health care industry to make a lot of money. You go into service, same as city council. I'm here to serve the people. And so I feel a bit disappointed that once again, a whole entire letter was sent. I in all my years on council, I've never seen so many people come together from the US Congress to city council to state reps to senators, all to sign on a letter of support and to not receive a response does not feel very like bridge building. It does not feel very good. I get tons of emails and my job as an elected official who takes public money is to respond. To the people. So I implore you to actually work with us. We are not the enemy. We want to see you succeed because your success means success for the people of Denver. Your success means health care for the people of Denver. And. Health care for those who are disadvantaged. So I will be supporting this tonight, but I will be making sure that I do my homework and check on the operating agreement next spring. So I'm much more involved and we don't have to have a public hearing like this late into the evening next year. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Sawyer. Thank you, Council President. I won't repeat what all of my colleagues have said, but I agree with it 100%. I think everyone is spot on and I'm very appreciative of all of their comments. And I and I agree 100%. And I just want to say how frustrating I think I am, how frustrated I am, and how frustrating I think it is to find ourselves in this position again where we have no other choice. We are out of time. We have no other option. We are forced to vote yes on a contract we are not happy with. As a provider, we are not happy with because we have. No other choice. We've been given no other option, and we were not a part of the conversation to begin with. And I think that that's not acceptable. And so to Didi G to the administration, I think that this needs to be a part of a conversation where we come together and talk about how our values as a government won't need to be reflected in the contracts that we have and in the contracts that we approved moving forward . I think this is something that keeps coming up repeatedly and and has come up several times. Over the course. Of this fall and this year now. And so, you know, once is maybe a one off. Twice is a pattern. Three times. Four times. Now, this is for sure a pattern. And it's something that we need to come together and and discuss, I think. So I just wanted to put that out there. Thanks so much to everyone who spoke out tonight. I really appreciate it. And I will be supporting this not because I don't know, because I want to, but because I have no other choice. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman CdeBaca. Thank you, Madam President. I echo my colleague's sentiments tonight, and I want to thank the workers for all that they're doing to really put their lives on the line to protect us. And I want a message to be sent to Robin and the board, I think. That you all. May see tonight's vote as a victory. But this is personal for me. These are my I have friends and family members who have devoted their lives to Denver health. And the ability to know what's going on from the inside is not going anywhere. And so we will be paying attention to exactly what is going on in there. From the emails you send to employees, to the trainings that you're doing, to the PowerPoints that you're doing, we see them all. And the only thing saving this contract in this moment is the fact that we have a city that is dying, literally dying, and we have to vote tonight to protect them. But this is not a. Vote of confidence in Denver health at all. And I want that to be very clear. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you. Next up, we have Councilwoman Canete. Thank you very much. I first want to thank all of the speakers. You know, the high level, you know, surgeons, the front line EMTs. And I think that what is really clear is that there is incredible pride and there is an incredible array of really high quality services being provided by this hospital in our community. And it is special. There's not a competitor. There's not another public hospital that takes every person, regardless of insurance, regardless of immigration status. And that's okay, right? Because that is what a safety net is. A safety net doesn't, you know, compete based on profit or price. It just serves everybody. I really want to appreciate the thoughtfulness of the speakers, and I think it's telling that as frustrated as clearly some of the workers were, they are putting the hospitals best interests ahead of their own personal feelings and were united in supporting this contract moving forward because it's in the best interests of the hospital . And I ask, I think the management and the the the board to really reflect on that. Right. And I think, you know, we don't spend a lot of time talking about what a union is in these debates. It ends up kind of being more of a political back and forth about who did what and how unfair it was. But the essence of what we're talking about here is this idea that there can be value to a collective voice. And this is the disconnect I keep hearing. I heard it tonight, which is we're interested in hearing from our employees directly. And it misses that employees have an opinion about how they communicate and where they choose to communicate collectively. There's a reason there, and it might actually have value to you as a system, as a hospital system. And other employers, for example, will find that you might have 100 requests from employees and you maybe can't afford 100 requests . But if those employees collectively prioritize what they think is most important and narrow it down to two or three, then how powerful that can be for you to work with them collectively on those two or three priorities. Those are the essences here about and problem solving, right? That's the other essence that, you know, we're a collective group of employees can share ideas for efficiency or improve patient care. I heard that tonight. I heard interest in making sure there wasn't disruption in personnel. Right. That that the protective equipment is related to absences. That testing is related to not infecting patients. I heard patients at the center of the conversation tonight, and I guess I would ask that there's a script sometimes I've, you know, watched this for many years where, you know, oh, this must be bad. We must try to stop it. We must have consultants, we must have closed door meetings. And it's a script that that doesn't pause to reflect and what the potential benefits are, what the potential opportunities are, and the value of just being neutral, the value of just allowing the workers to decide how they want to communicate. You don't lose your opinion. And as a management team you don't lose your opinion as a board, you simply have an opportunity to have a more organized conversation. That's the value here. And so I ask that we reflect on those things. I actually am proud to vote on this contract tonight, but I do that with the hope that this conversation creates new questions and reflections, that I don't just keep hearing the same script that that frankly isn't engaging with the underlying question of what's the opportunity here, what's the potential benefit, and what might be better for patients in the long run in terms of an organized communication with a group of employees who can prioritize and not you won't be able to do everything. You are a public hospital, you are as limited as we are as a local government. But I just think it's important to reflect a little bit on these underlying pieces. So so I am proud to support Denver Health tonight and I am proud to support the Denver health workers. I don't believe this is a choice between the two of you. And I don't believe either of you in the end believe that you can make a choice between the two, that that is that that you are inextricably linked and being neutral and allowing the employees to make some of the choices about how they communicate with you. I hope that we aren't here next year, but I move forward with the pride that you are all interrelated and you have the power to improve our community working collaboratively. And I hope that happens. Thank you. Madam President. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Herndon. Thank you, Madam President. I just wanted to win support. Show my support for the contract. I do not feel forced to vote a particular way. I am happily able to support this contract. I remember back in 2011, 2012, when Denver Health opened the Montello clinic and the work that that and I actually have to but I just speak specifically to my Belo the work that that clinic does for that community is just a taste of the great work that you all have done for years. And from the author out, every worker who's a part of this team. Thank you for that and thank you for all you do. I think about losing my grandmother to COVID and who was the health care worker that was with her when she took her last breath. And I think about my family members that I know that work in the health care industry and dear friends and thank you for all that you do during this pandemic and even before, because that's very real and personal to me. And I. Second Councilwoman Canisius, I don't I don't believe this should be about picking a side. I willingly support this because of the great work that you do. And I thank the leadership team because issues have been brought forward today. You did not have the appropriate time to respond to defend yourself. And I could have asked questions. But this isn't the right forum to do that. This should need to be not publicly at a city council. Mary, But I trust that you have heard some of the concerns and that you will address them. And so that's why I feel very good saying, yes, I will support this and thank you for all that you do each and every day. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilman Herndon, and I'll just chime in. Definitely. Thank you all to all of the speakers and and the hospital care workers who had an opportunity to sit and visit with some of you recently. And really what you're asking for is not off the charts. It's to have a plan. It's to value your safety. It's to improve your work culture. It's to lower the bureaucracy that you work in. And I hope that this gives the folks that testified tonight a voice and an opportunity to share that. But knowing that there's hundreds more that have some of these very same concerns, and I look forward to paying attention to what's happening a bit more and hearing from those employees and folks on both sides so that we can get to a better place to protect people who are, in turn, protecting the public. Madam Secretary, roll call. Black I. See the Barca I. Clark. I. When I. Herndon. I. All right. I. Cashmere high. Can I? Ortega. I. Sandoval. I. Sawyer. I. For us. I. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, please close the voting and announce the results. 39.
A proclamation honoring the life and service of the late Denver Police Detective Gail S. Riddell.
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, right on the corner on the district seven side of federal. And it was really cool to see this finally moving forward. So thank you for that. All right. So no other announcements. We're going to move on to presentations. There are no presentations. There are also no communications. But we do have two proclamations this evening. Councilman Sussman, will you please read Proclamation 263? I will, Mr. President. Thank you. It is my great honor to read proclamation number 0263 honoring Denver Police Detective Gail Radel for Women's History Month. Whereas the Denver Police Department is celebrating the 160th anniversary of its founding in 1859. And. Whereas, women have played a very important role throughout the history of the department first serving as matrons, managing and running the jail in the 1920s as inspectors of theaters, leading law enforcement efforts against sex trafficking. And in the late 1960s, joining their male counterparts on the streets of Denver fighting crime. And. Whereas, in 1977, President Jimmy Carter, through executive order, declared March of each year as Women's History Month. And. WHEREAS, The Denver Police Department and the Denver Police Museum have chosen March 2019 to honor the life and service of late Detective Gayle Riddell. And. Whereas, Gayle was born in 1946 to Mary Margaret in Salem, Oregon, and later adopted by Robert Riddell. And. WHEREAS, Patrolman Riddell joined the Denver Police Department in 1969, at the age of 23, after getting into a fiery debate with a male friend who insisted that women could not succeed as police officers. What did he know? And. Whereas, Officer Adele brought her full dedication to work every day and persevered in a role without precedence serving in the Patrol Division Communications Bureau. Burglary. Theft. Shoplifting. Units of criminal investigation. And. Whereas, in 1976, she was promoted to detective due to her strong work ethic, immense attention to detail, and her uncanny ability to engage people inside and outside policing. Stating that a police officer must be a composite professional, including social worker, humanitarian and teacher. And. WHEREAS, in 1990, Detective Riddell was named Colorado Policeman of the Place Woman of the Year. Whereas Gayle, in her personal life adopted her daughter Molly, serving as a single mother, community leader and Denver police officer, all with distinction. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Council of the City and County of Denver, that Section one, the Council hereby recognizes and honors the life and surface of the late detective Gail Riddell and her service to the citizens of the city and county of Denver. Section two that the Clerk of the city and County of Denver shall attest and affects the seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation, and that a copy be delivered to the family of Detective Riddell and the Denver Police Department. Thank you. Councilwoman Sussman, your motion to adopt. I move that we adopt proclamation number 20263. It has been moved and seconded. Are there comments by members of council? Councilwoman Sussman. I am so honored to be able to do this. I got to got been able to do this for several years in a row now and especially doing it on Women's History Month, honoring our one of our wonderful policewomen. Of course, all of our police department are people that we treasure and thank for keeping us safe. There's a lot of you here. How about all of those who are representing the police department? Please take a stand so we can see you and cheer for you. I'm always so heartened by how many folks come today, including our chief, Paul Payson. So thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to honor this special woman in the way that we have. And I urge my fellow council persons to vote for this proclamation. Thank you, Councilwoman Sussman, and thank you so much for bringing this forward. Madam Secretary, roll call. Baby Sussman. Hi. Black. I. Espinosa. I Gilmore. I Herndon. I. Cashmere. I can each i. Lopez. Hi. New Ortega. Hi. Mr. President. Hi, Madam Secretary. Please close voting. Announce the results. 1111 are proclamation to 63 has been adopted. We do have 5 minutes allotted for proclamation acceptance. Councilwoman Susman, is there someone you'd like to call up to accept? Yes. I'd like to call up Molly Rydell, the daughter of the woman that we are honoring. And I think Deputy Chief Barbara Archer was also going to come up. So please come up to the microphone. I know my mom would be really honored if she were here, even though she wasn't a big attention person. So I'm really glad that you wanted to do this and really honored. So I'm excited to accept this. Thank you. I'd also just want to say thank you again for the opportunity to recognize Women's History Month and the impact women have had on the Denver Police Department, and specifically the life and service of Detective Gail Riddell. She was a trailblazer for other women in the department. She paved the path for future generations that included opportunities for myself. There's a lot of retired police women here tonight who I'm proud to call friends and family. So as you heard that Gayle joined the police department in 1969 on a kind of a dare or a bet that women couldn't succeed in police work. And, well, he was clearly wrong. I've got a lot of colleagues here to prove that she continued to prove him wrong throughout her 30 year career with the police department when she made detective. Her area specialty became shoplifting, and she was really known for her strong work ethic. And like you heard, she could bring people together and talk to people from any walk of life and make them kind of find common ground. So with that, she took the initiative to create a network of retailers to address the increasing problem of shoplifting. And this was back in the mid eighties when it was really a new emerging problem. And she brought retailers together, combining information from law enforcement and from businesses, this information sharing. We were successful in identifying serial shoplifters and establishing prevention models that are still in existence today. So I just want to say thank you for taking the time to honor the service of Detective Gail Riddell. Thank you very much.
AS AMENDED a bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 805 West 38th Avenue in Globeville. Approves an official map amendment to rezone property from I-B UO-2 to C-MX-20 (industrial in the former zoning code to urban center, mixed-use), located at 805 West 38th Avenue in Council District 9. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 1-29-19. Amended 2-11-19 to clarify the boundary of the proposed rezoning on Galapago Street.
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720337 7712 or contact the city council main office and we can have them get it to folks as well. So we'll talk with you more about the bill next week. Thank you. Thank you. Madam Secretary, are you pleased with the next item on our screens? And Councilman Cashman, will you please put Council Bill 42 on the floor? Yes, Mr. President. I move the council bill 19 Dash 004 to be ordered published. It has been moved. Can I get a second? Moved and seconded. Councilwoman, suspend your motion to amend. Thank you, Mr. President. I move that council bill 19 zero zero 42 be amended in the following particulars. This is going to be fun. Together with the West, one half of that portion, a vacated Galapagos Street described as follows. By the way, insert this in the following after line 13 on page two, that part of Galapagos Street, more particularly described as follows commencing at the northwest corner of Lot five BLOCK 43 Viaduct addition to Denver City and county of Denver, thence southerly along the east, right of way line of Galapagos Street, a distance of 71.55 feet to the true point of beginning thence. Along a non tangent curve to the right with a radius of 48 feet, a length of 110.43 feet, and a delta of 131 degrees, 48 minutes and 37 seconds with a cord of 87.64 feet, which deflects 114 degrees, 5 minutes and 41 seconds to the right from the aforementioned course to a point on the West, right of way line of said Galapagos St, thence southerly along said west right of way line of Galapagos St to the north to right of way line of the valley highway. Thence easterly along said north the right of way line of the valley highway to the said east right of way line of Galapagos St thence northerly along the said east right of way line of Galapagos Street to the true point of beginning. You're welcome. On page two, omit lines 24 through 38, and on page three, omit lines one and two. Thank you. Councilwoman Sussman. Now, can you say that five times fast? Yes, I. Can. All right. So the northwest corner of the the amendment. Did we get the amendment moved and seconded? No, we got it on the floor. Yes. Yeah. Yes, we did. Okay. All right. It's been moved and seconded. Are there questions or comments by members of council or Councilwoman Sussman? Yes. Thank you, Mr. President. The purpose of this amendment is to clarify the boundary of the proposed rezoning on Galapagos Street. The amendment does not substantively change the proposed ordinance. Thank you, Councilwoman Sussman. Councilman Flynn. Thank. Mr. President, I just want to express my gratitude that the amendment uses the term Valley Highway. Yes, we don't hear that very often anymore. It also sounds like it was written by Shakespeare. Thank you. Jasmine Flynn. Seeing no other comments or questions. Madam Secretary, roll call on the amendment blank. All right. Brooks. I. Espinosa, I. Flynn. I. Gilmore. I earned it. I. Cashman. I can eat. Lopez. Right. New Ortega by Cessna. I Mr. President. All right. Madam Secretary, please close voting in the results. 3913 is council bill 42 has been amended and now Councilman Cashman, will you please put Castro 42 on the floor to be ordered published? Yes, Mr. President. I move that council bill 19 dash 004 to be ordered published as amended. It has been moved and seconded. Any questions or comments? Nope. All right, Madam Secretary, roll call. Black Eye. Brooks I. Espinosa, i. Flynn. I. Gilmore. I. Herndon, i. Cashman. I. Can I. Lopez. Hi. New Ortega. I. Susman, i. Mr. President. I. Madam Secretary, please close voting and announce the results. 1313 I as Constable 42 has been ordered published as amended, and that concludes the items to be called out this evening. All other bills for introduction are ordered published and we are now ready for the block vote on resolutions and bills on final consideration. Council members remember that this is a consent or block vote and you will need to vote I. Otherwise, this is your last chance to call an item for a separate vote. Councilman Cashman, would you please put the resolutions for adoption and the bills on final consideration for final passage on the floor? Yes, Mr. President. I move that resolutions be adopted and bills on final consideration be placed upon final consideration, and do pass on a block for the final items. 19 Dash 006 218 Dash 1330 619 Dash 005 919 Dash 006 119. Dash 006 719. Dash 006 819. Dash 006 919. Dash zero zero 6018. Dash 1370 619. Dash 006 318. Dash 1420 119 003 519. Dash 003 919 Dash 004 519. Dash 0054 and $19 0008. All right. Thank you, Councilman Cashman. It has been moved and seconded. Madam Secretary, roll call. Black eye. Brooks, i. I. Flynn, I. Gilmore, i. Herndon, i. Cashman, I. Can eat i. Lopez. I knew Ortega I. Assessment i. Mr. President. I. Madam Secretary, please close the voting. Announce the results. 1313. I. As the resolutions have been adopted and bills have been placed upon final consideration and do pass tonight, there will be a required public hearing on Council 18 Dash 1477 changing the zoning classification for 1709 and 1717 Washington Street A required public hearing on Council Bill 18
Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, and take the actions necessary to adopt the Fiscal Year 2021 budget as listed in Attachment A. (Citywide)
LongBeachCC_09082020_20-0831
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Thank you. Now we're moving on to the budget here. Let me. 1/2. If you could read the item, please. Report from financial management a recommendation to receive supporting documentation under the record. Conclude the public hearing and take the actions necessary to adopt the fiscal year 2021 budget citywide. Okay, we're going to start the hearing by the remainder of the public comment, which we have public comment for us. I will allow the clerk to go through Parliament first. Thank you. Our first speakers, Brett Jorgensen. Brett Jorgensen. Hello. This is Brett Jorgensen. Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. All right. Thank you. As I mentioned, my name is Brett Jorgensen. I'm the proud parent of two children who've been involved in the Long Beach Junior Lifeguard program for over five years. And I'd like to express concern about proposed budget cuts and elimination of the junior lifeguard coordinator and the 10% Ocean Lifeguard cut. For those who are familiar with it, it's a vital and important role. And the Junior Lifeguard program instills numerous values in our youth integrity, responsibility, hard work, dedication, leadership, and giving back to the community. So in saying that, we need to ensure that the guidance and resource funding does not go away for the program and is, as I'm a very proud parent for our Long Beach schools as well, I do have to say that personally, I've watched my children develop a greater sense of social community awareness, marine environmental conservation and care and safety of all of our Long Beach citizens as a result of the program. So the funding is what what I think hurt us in terms of long term to our long term future and then in terms of just long term. Program opportunity provides a pathway and a vision to help complement our kids education and looking at what their career opportunities could be to help better serve the community. My older daughter actually had an opportunity this summer to be an Ocean lifeguard, and I couldn't be more proud and thankful to Long Beach and the Marine safety organization. So please again, want to thank you. Our next speaker is Devon Beebe. Hello. I can hear you. Hi. My name is Devon Beebe and I'm a member of the Long Beach Lifeguard Association. I'm here to express concern over the proposed elimination of the junior lifeguard coordinator position and 10% of our ocean lifeguards. We're aiming to develop a workforce that reflects the community we serve by increasing and diversifying recruitment efforts, as well as accessibility to the Junior Lifeguard program itself. Through our partnership with Long Beach Unified School District. We've been able to increase access to both our prep class and summer program, as well as provide free transportation. This free prep class takes place at Cabrillo and Jordan High School, giving participants from underrepresented areas access to the program. I also want to emphasize that there is no way this program can run safely and efficiently without a marine safety officer in the coordinator position. This past summer, there are numerous times that having a marine safety officer on scene dedicated to the program was critical for the safety of participants. Further, our non-career lifeguards are the first line of defense out on the beaches, actively engaging with the community to warn about potential dangers and prevent tragedy. Over Labor Day weekend, lifeguards had over 150 rescues, this number being a testament to the importance of a fully stocked beach. Unfortunately, the lifeguards that would be most affected by these cuts are our most recent hires, many of whom came through the career pathway. That is the Junior Lifeguard program. I urge you to reevaluate these cuts and allow our lifeguards to continue to provide these essential services to our community. Thank. Our next speaker is Ella Jorgensen. Ella Jorgensen. Ella Jorgenson, your time starts now. Our next speaker is Jade Johnson. Thank you, Mayor and City Council. My name is Jay Johnston. I am the chairman of the Long Beach Police Honorees. I speak for all of our 650 voting members. We stand with the Long Beach Police Department and are against any budget cuts to the department. I live in the fifth District and my neighbors and I have already seen an increase in homeless encampments and crime. I mean, what's important to myself, my neighbors, the 650 voting members I speak for is the safety for this city, the safety for the residents in this city, and the safety for all Long Beach police officers. As the city council, you are expected to lead this city with rational decisions. Please make Long Beach a safer community. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Ella Jorgensen. Ella Jorgensen. Our next speaker is Mark Alonzo. Hello. Yes. We can hear you. Hello. Hi. Hello, Mr. Mayor. To City Council. My name is Mark. My name is Mark. Hello. Hello? Yes, we can still hear you. Okay. I'm sorry. Hello, Mr. Mayor. And City Council. My name is Mark Longo. I'm also a strong supporter and an LP, a honorary member. First of all, Mr. Mayor, I want to say again that I'm very, very sorry about the loss of your parents to COVID 19. And I want to offer my condolences to you, to you and your family. The father asked that you do not define the law to be speedy. And we're approaching the holidays, the Christmas holidays, and typically every year and the Christmas holidays, the crime goes up, especially money crimes which are referred to such as burglaries and carjackings and robberies, assaults, and not to mention the response times by the police, are going to become much, much slower because of the ban that they're going to have with other parts of the city. With respect to the helicopter, Forks helicopter and the K-9 unit, those are among the most important tools for our police officers to use in apprehending dangerous criminals or fleeing suspects. Without those tools, that makes it more dangerous for our police officers. And thank you. Our next speaker is Ellen Jorgensen. Hello. This is Ella. Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. They can. Hello. I'm Ellen Jorgensen. I'm a former junior lifeguard and an ocean lifeguard. And I'm here with my younger sister, Paige, who is currently a Long Beach Junior lifeguard. We are here to address the proposed budget cuts of the junior lifeguard coordinator and 10% of the ocean lifeguards. Through my five years with the J.G. program, I developed skills in ocean safety, leadership, responsibility, professionalism, and improved as an athlete. I later joined the Cadet program, which prepared me for a career as a lifeguard. I also worked as a cadet intern, a position made possible through the partnership with ILB USD. This internship gave me exposure to what a marine safety officer does and has inspired me to pursue it as a career. Everything that I've learned from the J.G. program helped me to be successful, and I am now an Ocean Lifeguard with the goal of becoming a marine safety officer. If the J.G. program was run by administrative staff, I would not have gained so many skills or exposure to careers in marine safety. Also, if I were to be cut along with 10% of the ocean lifeguards, not only would the beaches be a dangerous environment for the public, but I may lose a chance at pursuing a career in marine safety. I respectfully ask that you reconsider these proposed budget cuts, as I hope that the youth of our community can have the same opportunities that I had with my program. With this program, for example, my sister. Hello, I'm Paige Jorgensen. I've been a judge for five years and have goals of going through the cadet program and. Thank you. Our next speaker is Marty Cox. Hello. I please begin. Can you hear me? Yes. Hi. Thank you, Mayor and council members. I've been a Long Beach resident for nearly 50 years. I've owned businesses here. I've raised my family here. I love the city. While I appreciate the difficult decisions facing you with regard to the 2021 budget. I do not support the city's plan to reduce the Long Beach Police Department's budget by $10.3 million, especially at a time when not only has the number of officers serving our city declined in recent years, but our city has grown and crime in our neighborhoods is on the rise. I believe these proposed cuts are too severe and that they will have a serious impact on the safety of our communities. Have there even been any detailed studies to determine just how these drastic cuts might negatively affect police response times? Not to mention the many successful outreach programs mentioned earlier. The city must assess and fully understand the potential impact these cuts will have on all aspects of public safety. I strongly urge the city to reconsider and find alternative ways to balance the budget as preserving public safety must remain our highest priority. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Mary Lee Chamberlain. Mary Lee Chamberlain. Our next speaker is Nancy Elorza. Hello. This is Mary Lee Chamberlain. Hi. Please begin. Okay. I would like to voice my support for the Long Beach Police Department and discourage you from approving the proposed budget cuts to the department. Our department has been understaffed since a 20% cut in 2009, with the population of over 463,000 people. 792 officers is not enough to ensure the safety and law and order for our city. The riots earlier this year speak to my point. We watched helplessly on television as private citizens businesses were looted and destroyed while the Long Beach PD stood down due to lack of officers. The crowds were so large and out of control that our officers wouldn't have stood a chance if they tried to intervene. While the rate of crime is up in the city, the use of force cases and officer involved shootings are down. I believe this speaks to the training that our officers have been receiving recently in those areas. I would ask that the City Council not pander to the special interest groups that are demanding the defunding of police departments all over our country. Instead, do what is right for the citizens, visitors and businesses that our city relies on for its growth, economics and way of life. Encourage you all to strongly consider the impact a cut to our department will have on the community at large. As a longtime resident, I am proud of our Long Beach PD and feel that they deserve to be treated with respect. After all, they're the ones that put their lives on the line every time they put on that uniform. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Our next speaker is Nancy Loza. Hello. Eight. Please begin. Hi, my name is Matthew Moore, and I just wanted to say that I am against defunding the police or making a budget cut. I've been in Long Beach for over 33 years and throughout these years with police actually on our side helping clean up the neighborhoods in the community, they have been doing a fantastic job. It is very sad and disappointing that we are seeing people who are looking at only what they want to see, especially when it comes to BLM, BMO and all these things. They want to see the bad guys, but they're not looking to the good things that police officers are doing for the community, which is acting upon the police. The response to cops is an increase. I am very afraid of that, especially since we're being a better community with cops. I think that it is time for police officers to get their power instead of taking away their power by people who are making a crime. If you do the crime, you've got to do the time. Is that simple. Let's play by the rules. That's all I have to say. Thank you. Our next speaker is Rena Rosales. Hello. Hi. My name is Reynolds Wallace, and I do not agree with the proposed police budget cuts, but I think we have a lot to lose by furthering cutting police funding. Crime will continue to increase. We haven't fully recuperated from the 2008 2008 recession. So your plan on cutting over 50 from police officers, that's a huge question. Who will protect our elderly, our young from other criminals? Not only they live in our city to pacify. As we saw during the initial right. It's not the protest, but during the riots. Our businesses deserve protection protections. They bring a lot of money into our communities, in our schools or streets or visitors. Our children deserve the protection they need, especially once school commences. There will be a lot less on patrol. How long will it take for an officer to respond to an armed robbery or burglary? Home invasion? How about domestic violence? And you suggest that Foreign Office staff be replaced with civilians? I think that would be a even bigger liability force for our city. We have seen civilians getting hurt in other and other neighboring cities. I remember last year in Garden Grove there was a civilian that was hurt. She was stabbed and she was a large man. And I think that would be even bring a lot more losses to our city. We all want a safe city. We want. I know I heard some of the presentations and want to hire social workers and go ahead and do it, but not by taking away our sworn positions. We can't. If we we should come to an agreement where both social workers and our officers can work together. Why is there two different sides? Thank you. Our next speaker is Rick Chambers. Good evening, mayor and city council members. I'm Richard Chambers. I'm the president of Long Beach Police Officers Association. The public. Thousands of residents were asked how they feel about police funding, staffing and crime in the city. They've given you their feedback. I'm urging you to stop and listen to what the majority are telling you. 66% of residents want department funding kept the same or increased. The city's budget survey showed that maintaining a low crime rate is a top five priority. We understand that this is a tough budget, but let's find efficiencies where it makes sense and not allow excessive cuts based on politics or emotions. The proposed cuts will affect critical units in our department, which will affect public safety. We ask you to take the time tonight to understand how cutting these critical units will impact safety and response times. I encourage you to ask questions about the cuts and understand the answers before making your final decisions. The cuts to the warrant detail force legally mandated work undone or pushed on to on to others and the proposed cuts to the Air Support Unit need your attention. They need to be discussed. The police helicopter is a critical resource for locating and safely arresting violent suspects, for locating missing persons, and for providing homeland security patrols over the port. Civilian pilots cost almost the same as Warren and provide no savings. We have requested reasonable restorations that can make a big difference when it comes to the safety of our communities. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Cheryl Hill. Oh. Thank you for your time. Our Long Beach Police Department is not broken. Well, there may be the need for additional training. There is no justification for a general reduction in the police personnel when we are in the midst of increasing crime levels. If anything, I believe that we need an increase in our police presence in the city. The city council seems to be responding to the political wave sweeping the country for the municipalities are bending the knee to social pressure based upon a principle that violating the law is acceptable policy. I do not believe that the members of the City Council are truly representing the will of the people of Long Beach. If the Council is so confident that the cuts to law enforcement are beneficial to the city, then why not put the democratic vote of the people? After all, the citizens of this city pay taxes which pay the salaries of the police department as well as the city council. Are you afraid to put this to a vote of the people? Law and order is the priority of the police department and that is the constitutional duty of the government. I strongly encourage the Council to really understand the consequences of a police force reduction and what it will do to the safety and security of our city. Thank you for your time. Thank you. And give us a moment when we transition to the Spanish interpretation. Our first speakers. Maria Isabel. Luis Elorza. Send your alert to Mexico. They see this. Little picture perfect mandolin, but as a courtesy, the interpreter. Gracias. Okay. When I started, you know, Maria and I started seeing your president. Garcia. Good afternoon. You first met Isabel. And thank you to Mr. Garcia. Continue your thought. And I think with the butter up again and the stuff with other Lombard spectrum was my policy, as momentous policy as. I am supporting Pedersen and I am supporting a survey right now in order to ask to support Josie for support for the police of the city of Lambic. Continuing care, leaving children to the richest health policy possible. PELOSI Rachel MADDOW The Rachel MADDOW agreements are back when we get them up ahead on the stuff we belong, which. I am advocating for human rights. But human rights is that protect represent the bullies. How is it that criminals have more human rights than the police? I want more support and more human rights for the police. Computer came up with a similar strategy that communal policy at end users buying through models but a broader problem that. But without a necessity. That alone not. I put them in the trash. Doesn't matter. It's not going to get better. So what is going to happen then? What is going to happen with less police if they have the training? They watch the entire city. They are taking care of the entire CD. Then what happens? Any criminal would be able to get into our houses. Continue continuing. But in that particular policy, as long as they're muttering, they've got it in the accounts of what was one of several of them, the reputable government policy in the camp. In this stuff. Leader of Yemen. If so, yeah. So what? I mean, we have my policy on the enemy. There's invariably several of longer you have done so far as the end. The support is the one the policy has been etc. so whatever they and this aura I know okay I got of policy forum is more like the longer bang up a reputable feels them up pronto go up or you'll hear. And what's going to happen is that the police is going to take more time. When we call 911, they're going to take more time. They're not able to come soon because there will be less policemen available. In the 1980s, we had more police than the year 2000. We had more police. It was safer. There were gangs in the neighborhood, but the gangs, as soon as they saw the police, they would run away. They will go away from there. So if we have less police, we're going to have more gangs. Continue. Said Thank you. Our next speaker is Rosa Gutierrez. Hello? Can you hear me? Yes. Hello. Hi, Mayor and council members. I would like to just give my opinion and feedback as a Long Beach resident. Also 35 years. Please do not make any budget cuts. We do need our officers actually more than ever. Cuts will only bring chaos fears to the good citizens that do not commit crimes. And if we do replace, you know, regular citizens that you mean by replacing an armed officer with a civilian, it will just be a joke. For an example, criminals don't respect your local security guard at any store. They just keep robbing, just increasing crime in our city. People don't realize that by cutting our budgets, that only means increased crime longer wait times. When you call 911 in emergency situations, the crime will go up. Residents will live in fear. There won't be enough help, support and city order. Period. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes public comment for this item. Thank you and thank you to everyone that has engaged the budget, not just tonight but throughout the whole process. We've had, of course, public comment at all the hearings. We've had the committee, the virtual community budget discussions, we've had the survey. So there has been obviously a lot of engagement. So I just want to thank everyone that's participated. We're going to move into the council discussion on the budget and the motions. I just want to just kind of remind the council especially I think this is probably councilman's in the House, his first budget. So kind of go over kind of how it works as well. So there is a series of motions that will be made and a series of votes and you probably have those in front of you. The the the first vote will be the mayor's proposed recommendations. The second vote is the bosses propose funding recommendations and there amendments to those recommendations. The third motion is just adopting additional expenditures or revenues in the budget book. And typically, if there are other types of discussions around the budget, they almost always happen in the second or third vote. The one of those two items, I think most of you know that already and then after those are after those we really get into just votes and I think are pretty standard every year, which are the adoption of fees, the capital improvement project, the Stanley Resolutions. And we'll go through all of those votes, but they all have to be voted on separately, just as a reminder. And there's there's a lot of them. So we just we just go through those one by one. So I'm going to go ahead and start the budget process. I'm going to make some overall comments before I turn it over to the first motion. And Miss Yoon from the Budget Office will read into the record after the clerk reads the caucus the motion. Ms.. Jung will read the whole documentation that's got to be in all of the items. So that will take some time. But she'll do that throughout for all the items for the committee. So I'm going to begin with some general comments. I want to just start by just kind of taking us, I think, back to the work that's happened to get this project to this point. And I want to just remind us that this is a $2.6 billion budget and it funds the operations of our seaport or water systems or storm drains or rescues operations. And, of course, all of the other issues that are that are there neighborhoods depend on every single day our parks, our public safety system, our libraries and all of the activities that happen within within this community. At the same time, we are living and leading through this COVID 19 pandemic. This is the largest global health crisis of our lifetime, and it has required us to take a really hard look at this budget and make sacrifices. And the truth is, is that everyone is sacrificing in this budget. There are cuts all across the city, many of which are difficult and many of which required creativity on really on the part of our staff. And I think I want to thank our entire finance team for their just stellar job in putting this budget together. Thank them greatly for. All their work. Up at the budget, also because of a $30 million deficit largely fueled by this COVID crisis. We've had to reimagine ways in which we deliver public safety and health care services and how we make our investments in infrastructure, homelessness and all the other issues that matter to us and our neighbors. We are still in a COVID 19 health crisis, and we have the numbers staggering to me. We have spent already over $100 million just to handle this response. It's been over 180,000 tests have happened in this city. We've sheltered hundreds of homeless individuals that needed shelter. We purchased PPE. We have done contact tracing. And we work with our partners at FEMA and at the state for a reimbursement and to get support for this community. And we've had to fight. I mean, the reason we have CARES ACT funding today is not because we were expected to actually get any when Congress passed the initial bill, but because we and other court and another and other coalition of cities fought for CARES Act funding through the state where almost $41 million and an additional almost $40 million to the county to ensure that we had proper testing and support. This pandemic has already cost the city over 200 almost 230 lives and is a leading cause of death in Long Beach. And so this budget is being adopted in light of that crisis and where we have this health crisis. We know that's also affected our economy and our economy. It's been fueled with the enormous amounts of unemployment, small businesses that have been really suffering. And I want to just commended this council for stepping up and establishing small business recovery programs. They are thought to ensure that small businesses would be supported across our community and we are fought for local, federal and state dollars as well. And we have ensured in this process that we work with our city employee groups to come out with fair and responsible ways that we can all contribute. And through furloughs and through other programs across the city. And we also know that we are living in this just incredible moment where we're all moving towards a more just country where we're focused on racial justice and equity. And I just want to uplift that within this budget. There is an enormous. Commitment by the city and the council to racial justice and to a breaking down systemic racism that we know exists in all institutions, not just here locally, but about across the country. There are there are direct investments and reinvestments within our Long Beach black community, but also other communities of color in health and community, life, crisis response and violence prevention programs. And we know that that that list will continue to grow as as we look at the needs that we have in front of us. We have had a difficult but also an important conversation around public health and safety. And the largest police department within this budget has also put forward new models and new ideas on how we can really focus on community based policing. And we've heard the protests on the streets through actions that have happened within the city. This is a moment where we are also pushed to reevaluate and do better as a city and as a community. We know that within within our own work that we. Struggle and continue to struggle with all the work that's ahead of us as it relates to breaking down and reimagining our institutions so that they're more just are we the racial justice work that's happening? Everything from our universities, college promise, equity evaluation or police department reforms that are in this budget? I mean, shifts that we've made towards health and wellness. I also just want to add something that was mentioned earlier. The work doesn't end tonight. We have work ahead to reexamine our homelessness and mental health support. A lot of folks tonight talked about the Cahoots program and other programs that exist across the country. We are looking at those programs that communities looking at. Those are, along with the police department, is taking a really hard look at those to ensure that we are doing everything we can to ensure that if someone is having a challenge with addiction or mental illness that need assistance, that we ensure that there are social workers and clinicians there to help and to assist. And I just want to at this moment just thank everyone that's been involved in this in that part of the work, and that includes our public safety officers. I want to thank the police officers that are out there working every day under very difficult conditions. I want to thank our firefighters that are out there working every day, not just in our city, but across the state dealing with these wildfires. Our Marine safety officers, we have a public safety team made up of of of police officers, of firefighters, of marine safety officers, of lifeguards that put on their uniform every day and work to make our city safer. And so I know I speak on behalf of all of us when I say thank you. This is a tough budget for everyone. But we will we will continue to try to to do right by by the whole city. And so that safety work within this budget continues. And there are reforms that we should be proud of. And there's also a lot more work to do. And I think we all we all know that. I just want to also just uplift that there's over $50 million to address homelessness within this budget. And I want to thank all of our partners involved on that on those issues. There's incredible work around housing. I'm really I'm proud that we're able to expand important work to help communities that need additional support and and our our voice around language, the language access policy or the justice fund and and areas around housing. And I want to remind us that we've taken, I think, some pretty good steps on making the budget even stronger. We're making sure that our libraries don't receive substantial cuts. We're making sure that we're not contracting out critical services. We're making sure that we are investing in our people, which is really which is really critical as well. I want to also just add that arts and culture is getting a huge boost thanks to measure. Be. And I think I want to think in particular, Councilman Austin in the B or C, who will be making some presentations on some of that measure B money, which we're really excited about. And I want to thank him for his partnership on that and the B or C and and I also want to just just remind us as well as I close, that the budget that we also have in place continues this enormous, enormous infrastructure plan that we have in front of us. And it's it continues to be the largest infrastructure plan we have had in the last 50 years. We can always do more, but we should be proud of all the work that's going to happen in this budget to work on our on our streets and our sidewalks and our public buildings. And it's incredible, an incredible capital improvement program that exists. And so there's obviously a lot more than that in this budget. But I just thought it was important, just to recap, just in this moment, that there's a lot of areas in the city that we can be proud. And I want to thank every single member of this city team, all 6500 employees. Thank you for your hard work. And I want to add to the members of this council and especially the B or C, councilman Austin, Councilwoman Price, Councilman, rearrange. I want to thank you all for doing that extra work around around the budget, which is which is really, really significant, especially at this time of year. And so I want to thank you all for that. And with that, I want to turn it over to Councilman Austin, who's making the motion. We're going to go into the motions. And, Councilmember, do you want to make a couple comments now or do you want to make them at the start of the next item? I will make the motion to on this item, but I will save my comments until the B or C recommendations. Mr. Mayor, if that's okay. Great. Thank you. Madam Clerk, can you read the first budget? Number one.
Recommendation to adopt Specifications No. RFP GO18-060 and award contracts to GridX, Inc., of Milpitas, CA; MRW & Associates, LLC, of Oakland, CA; and, ZGlobal, Inc., of Folsom, CA, for conducting a comprehensive Community Choice Aggregation Feasibility Study, in an aggregate amount of $300,000, with a contingency in the amount of $50,000, for a total aggregate amount not to exceed $350,000, for a period of one year, with the option to renew for three additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager; and authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into the contracts, including any necessary amendments. (Citywide)
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Okay. Thank you very much. So next, we're going to take item number 30 and then we will go to public comment and then the rest of the agenda. Item throws report from Energy Resources Recommendation to award three contracts for conducting a comprehensive community choice aggregation feasibility study for a total aggregated amount not to exceed 350,000 citywide. Okay. Can we have a brief staff report? And certainly our energy. Resources director, Bob Dow. Will give her a quick report. The item before you this evening seeks approval to award contracts for conducting an investigation into the feasibility of establishing an electrical power purchase, community choice aggregation or CCE program for the City of Long Beach. Under CC a program, the city will either form a new agency or join an existing agency to purchase and sell electrical power to all the people who live and or conduct business within Long Beach, the existing local utility. In our case, Southern California Edison or SCC, continues to provide the transmission, distribution and customer billing services for a fee paid by the customers. Typically, CCAS offer customers a wider range of renewable power options than those currently available from the local utility companies. Additionally, all the people who live and or conduct business within the newly formed CC would automatically be enrolled unless they proactively elect to opt out and return to their local utility company. In January of this year, the city issued an RFP seeking the services of qualified and experienced consultants to to access to assess the feasibility, size and general characteristics of implementing a potential seascape program for Long Beach. Five proposals were received in response to the RFP by the March 12th deadline. A seven member selection committee consisting of staff representing finance, harbor, water and energy resources departments, along with the Office of State of Sustainability, evaluated the proposals in accordance with the evaluation criteria specified in the RFP. After a thorough evaluation process and additional due diligence activities, including requests for clarifications, the selection committee selected three individual firms as the most qualified to complete portions of the requested services and when combined, will provide the entirety of the scope of the desired feasibility study. The companies selected were M RW Associates, LLC, Grit X, Inc and Global Zglobal, Inc. Each company possesses its own expertize in the unique areas required for the thorough and comprehensive analysis to be performed. The feasibility study is anticipated to take 4 to 6 months to complete, at which time staff will return and present the results to council. The aggregate amount for the three contracts required to conduct the feasibility study is $300,000. With a contingency in the amount of $50,000 for a total aggregate amount not to exceed $350,000. This concludes my report and I'm available for any questions. Thank you for that staff report. Councilmember Pearce. I yes, thank you very much. I want to thank staff for all their hard work on this. I want to highlight that we've had several community members engaged in this process for the last year, that this was something that was talked about in great detail at the Sustainability Commission and that I want to thank Connor lock out of my office who's been working really closely with the city manager's office and for bringing me Sprite. It's a good Sprite bringer and for working with Bob and his team. I know that this is a conversation we've been having for a very long time, but we haven't really had it at council. And I do want to highlight for my colleagues that like shorter meetings as we contemplated having a full PowerPoint presentation tonight, but we opted not to. So you're welcome. So one thing I want to highlight is that the model that the city has gone forward with is doing an RFP for three different companies is something that I fully support. I think that this is a complex issue that should not be rushed into. It is something that a lot of cities are already doing and have been leading the way. And so we really do need to take the time to make sure that we get all that information. But we also want to make sure that we get in queue, right? That we are not missing out on the opportunity to create good jobs, a stronger economy in our city, but also cleaning up our environment in a way that residents really have a choice and an option, which is something that in Long Beach we haven't really had. And so I'm not going to give the full presentation around why cars are the best model. I think that we're going to have a lot of community members that want to speak to that tonight. I did have some questions on timeline moving forward. I know that we had some questions around the end of the year. DEADLINE When do you think we're going to be able to get back some of the data that is required to meet that deadline? What could you be more specific or the deadline? Well, I think that we were looking at a deadline of the end of the year that we had talked about getting our load data, the 15 minute interval load data. How long do you think that's going to take through our process? The item here tonight seeks approval for the contracts. When the when the consultants get together, they would be able to provide that information to us as to if the data that we currently have received from Edison through our NDA is sufficient enough to move forward, or if they are going to if they really need that 15 minute interval data to conduct the analysis. Aha. That is the question that I was looking for. Thank you very much. That is the answer. I hope that my constituents in the audience could hear. I think we should go to public comment and then hear from our council colleagues if we have any other questions. If that's okay with the chair. That's fine. Council Member Richardson. Are you okay with that public comment, please? Very good. Quick as the address. I think this is a fantastic idea. As a matter of fact, you'll hear from this Templar of some new information that she brought to my attention. Recall, if you will, about a month or so ago, I suggested on the advice of Homer Simpson, one of my great sources of the concept of solar panels being put over the tennis court at Marina Vista Park, and then also capturing the energy of solar panels from the Peterson Rowing Center, as well as the as well as fire station 14 and the street lights leading up to that. But then I started thinking a little bit more. And after talking to Homer and listening to this gentleman. We're really talking about a billion, billion dollar. Proposition. Our revenue stream about $1,000,000,000 to the city of Long Beach. Because every neighborhood, every corner, every street. As lights. Buildings had to have lights. Edison is not giving that money away, that electricity away. Somebody is paying the bill? No, unfortunately, in our set up, we don't know. I've tried to get a financial the financial service people, they don't know. Who's paying the bills. But I think if we apply that. What I referenced before that one area like powering the electricity of fire station 14, the police, I mean, the lights and so forth, and extrapolate that through the entire city. We are really talking about a revenue stream that's got to be at least a billion. That's Beavis and Butthead. That is a lot of money. So other people will talk more cogently about it and with more, more detail. But the, the I yeah, that idea just popped into my head this past week and so for the last few days. Give it a lot of thought because it is $1,000,000,000. It's a billion. A billion. They're not giving up. Edison's not giving it away. So we can harness that. Thank you. So thank you for that public comment. And I see quite a few people lined up in the spirit of our conversation here this evening. You have up to 3 minutes, but you don't need to use all 3 minutes. Understood, councilman. My name is Sarah Jones. I'm a District nine resident. And I'm also a union electrician with IBEW 11 and also a journeyman. The vast majority of CCAS or more use more renewable energy. And are current utilities too. This means more projects and jobs and also cleaner air all in one package. We have had blackouts and Long Beach case will help address this. But the projects like battery storage and microgrids in order to stabilize our electric grid during the worst parts of summer. I seek and buy. Energy from this. As our project. Are a plant which is creating good union jobs. On average, the rates at municipal utilities are 20% cheaper than our investor owned utilities. What does that tell you guys? Southern California Edison care about Long Beach. Do they care about the air quality along the 710 corridor, which is happened to be where I live? Do they care about local jobs or are they only bringing in their own people? Why should a huge utility decide what programs like feed in tariffs, energy efficiency, electric vehicle incentives? We should have local control. I also worked on the Blue Line upgrade a few years back. As a Long Beach resident. And a Long Beach worker. Thank you. I mean, my Clemson I'm a District four resident resident. I am the energy program manager at the Cal State Chances office. One of the projects we're working on right now is a K for higher education. I think it's important to note that the keys are largely a solution that's actually kind of been solved, which is the integration of renewables into the electric grid. Edison's actually become one of the leading utilities in the country, having to install renewables and advanced battery technology. For example, we've seen the power content, the carbon content of Edison Power reduce by 50% by from 2009 sales. To just a mention, though, that the renewables have changed the utility game. The current kind of idea is that you dispatch the load to follow the demand, but because of the variability of renewables, you have to you have to reduce the use to address dispatch the demand of all follow the supply. A lawmaker can help facilitate that, but only if it's only if it's set up that way. One thing I think is important to note is that the state there are times when we have to export our power at a loss because there's so much solar on the grid that we can't use it. If we had a way to change the demand profile, then we'd be able to take advantage of that. One thing I think we shouldn't do is include whatever electricity operations in with the natural gas operations. The two are kind of at cross-purposes. And, you know, if you're trying to reduce emissions, that goal is not aligned with Long Beach gas. And I just want to mention how gas was recently found to be implementing or impeding the transition from natural gas to protected business. And we can't allow that to happen here. This could include a small charge to drive emission reductions through energy efficiency or by displacing natural gas through electrification. This would make Long Beach K a leader in the utilities. This program doesn't exist anywhere else. It's one to say the city can't just buy more renewable power and expect this to be make Long Beach a leader. I think there's a path forward with a K, but has to be intentional on reducing emissions, not just accounting for more renewables. Thank you. Thank you. Next up. Good evening. Counsel. My name is James Grant. I'm a member of IBEW Local 11. I'm mainly just want to say I'm here for support to say we should go ahead and move forward with this proposal and get this study going forward. Mainly just because. I support union workers. This gives us a lot of opportunities to move forward with providing good jobs, solid jobs, people that we can be proud of. I mean, when I go home every day, I worked here over on Ocean and Alamitos. I help build the current over there. When I go home and see with my friends and family and I can look at something now proudly built in my city, man, I feel good and I feel like we should get more support like that. This is an opportunity for us to do what we love. We like doing what we do, but we need those opportunities and this here agenda here with this. This change in the grid provides an opportunity for future bills. And I like to see a lot more apprentices coming in from the city so they can also go home and talk to your family and talk to their friends about something that they proudly build. This is one of those things that you look back on from years from now and be like, Man, I helped build that. And this is one of those opportunities that can provide that for the youth and also for the current workers. It sounds like this can really help lower bills for our community as well. Give us options, give people a little bit of that alleviates part of those bills. Mainly electricity is something that we need. But, you know, it's getting is getting high. It's getting expensive unless bureau is getting hot because, you know, global warming, global warming is real. I've been a member of IBEW since 2015. I want to give that opportunity to other folks and I think you should definitely vote for this. Have a good evening. Jane Tamplin 623 Rose Avenue District two Proud member IBEW. I'm here to speak about you support. For this, a feasibility study. I think we need to look at renewables. I think we need to look at newer types of energy. And here we are with a green port getting greener. I'd like to see our city following suit. I have concerns. I support the master plan. We're a growing city. I'm looking back a year ago when. Edison was blowing men. Man covers off the Volt, and I have a concern about our power supply. I would like to ask you to make sure included in this feasibility study is the battery power, our stored energy consideration that comes for our first responders and for some pardon my voice and for some of our private industries like hospitals where they have fallback. When they lose power, they go to generators which are not always reliable, unfortunately, but stored energy is in all times, and it is something that is directly fed from photovoltaic straight DC very savings involved. Excuse me. So for all the good reasons are more you're going to hear. I do ask for your support on this and I thank you for that. Thank you. Good evening. Counsel. My name is Robert Diaz. I'm a journeyman. Inside assignment for the IBEW Local 11. Two years ago, I purchased a home in Long Beach, where I reside with my wife Molly and my son Bronson. My son is a third grader. He goes to Bernie Elementary. CCAR would lower utility costs, which would help families like mine with the rising cost of living. Most importantly, it will create local jobs employing local workers. I would love the opportunity to build in my community, build in Long Beach. I'm very proud of what I do. And I. I'm very proud of what I do and and the feeling of accomplishment that I would receive building in my own community. Working closer to home would reduce travel time, lower emissions, and it would allow more time for working families to spend together. Thank you for your time. Good evening, council members. My name's Jennifer Noé. Not only am I a proud member of IBEW Local 11, but I am also a mother of two children that go to couple's junior high school. I hope we can get your support on this. Not only will it create jobs in our community, it will create a sense of community pride, and it will give our children clean air, which is very important not only to them, but everybody else on the planet. Thank you. Hello, council members. My name is Manny Solis. I'm a longtime IBEW member. I have 32 years in local 11 IBEW Los Angeles, and I have resided in Long Beach on Bourbon Street here in a and Stacy Mungo's district. I was accepted into the IBEW in 1987. And at that point in my early career as an apprentice, I was very fortunate to have worked on a few projects here in Long Beach and Terminal Island as well. But one I wanted to mention was the Surf Project, the Southeast Resource Recovery Facility, where they burn trash and and created power through a steam turbine when they heated up the the water and the piping. But that was one of the projects that I worked on. I'm very proud when I go by that project, even today, 32 years later. And also, I worked on projects like at the port where we did ship to shore power. We provided power for the container ships that come in, and then they were able to turn off their diesel engines, which limits the pollution. So we've done that for the city of Long Beach as well. And being in this trade has provided me many, many years of great service and giving back to the community through the IBEW and also that. I'm thankful that our city leaders, leaders such as yourself had a vision back then. And I would hope that you'd continue to have that same vision for renewables and for clean power. As I have progressed in my career now. Not only electrician, also high voltage cable slicer and an instrumentation technician. That was free education through the union. So we are providing free jobs and outstanding careers for many, many youths that are coming up. And with that, I just wanted to say that approving this CCI feasibility feasibility study would move this clean, clean energy forward. And also, I would like to ask you to approve. We're also likely to approve the implementation of the C c k in a dual path so that both of these. Both move forward and create clean air and clean power for all the residents, not only in Long Beach, in Los Angeles and on the West Coast. Thank you very much. Thank you. Good evening, council members. I'm Patricia Chen with Long Beach 350. Um, we support the staff recommendation and are pleased that the city is taking the first important step to implementing community choice aggregation. Um, it's probably one of the most important things that can be done within the city towards implementing the upcoming Climate Action Plan. Um, and it's particularly timely now that we have a U.N. report that tells us that we're in even worse trouble with the climate than we had previously thought. We do ask that you guide the development of CA in Long Beach in a direction that will result in the fastest possible transition to renewable energy and keep rates low for residents. Build a just transition with good green local union jobs. Um, for instance for gas and oil workers to move into as they move out of gas and oil extraction in Long Beach. And we'd like to see solar and electric incentives that are attractive and meaningful to residents of all walks of life. Thank you very much for your consideration. Thank you. And while we're here, I just want to make sure everybody lined up that wants to speak. And if not, please. Okay, I see you and I see a different guy. This lady in the front will be the last speaker. Perfect. Council members. My name is David Brzezinski of Unite and Energy Consulting, Efficiency Hero Consulting and member of the Long Beach Sustainable Business Network. With the conclusions of the recent U.N. report in mind, Long Beach has a societal and economic responsibility to investigate the feasibility of crime and to take steps between becoming a more sustainable city. That being said, we need to do it correctly. We must be intentional on the implementation and making this particular measure and this particular study. Extremely important for us to be able to become that city that we want to become. It will not work if we do not take due diligence in taking a study and learning how to become the most effective care possible. Thank you for your time, and I appreciate. Thank you. Hi there. I'm Gabrielle Weekes, resident of the second District. But I'm the chair of the Sierra Club for the region. So I represent somebody in every one of your districts. And we've heard from people from all the districts. Obviously, I'm here mostly as an environmentalist. If we had community choice aggregate, we would have less air pollution. And boy, we're at capacity with that. I've been following Community Choice for over a decade. They were doing it in the Midwest and Massachusetts, smaller states than us worked the bugs out. Obviously, you know, we've got quite a few of them going in California. The Marin County, one is so very, very popular. It's now selling energy to a lot of its neighbors. Lancaster came here and did a speech to the Sustainable City Commission over a year ago. Lancaster's is doing really well. They've signed on a bunch of other cities and now the county. Sheila Kuehl started one for Los Angeles County, and it's got a lot of cities in it. I can't remember how many, but a lot of the big cities. So everyone's doing it and it seems to be working well. No one's had any problems yet. Large cities like Culver City and Santa monica are in the county. One I hope we move forward. It's not just good for the environment and good for the workers. A lot of workers have talked about getting good paying jobs here. These are jobs that can't be outsourced to China or someplace. But the another thing that we haven't talked about is that when we provide job opportunities for our neighbors, it is a lot less money we have to spend on city services, parks, programs, babysitting the babysitting that happens in libraries a lot. If people are making a decent wage, they don't have to rely on you guys to provide all kinds of other services for them. So that's it's really a win win win economically for the environment. It's really going to help all of us. I'm pretty sure if you have any doubts, just look at Marin County, look at Culver City. They're loving it. And if you want to talk to me about it, I know I emailed you guys last September about it with our one page flier with some information. Some of that's changed a little bit. But if you want to have a conversation with me, feel free to get a hold of me, because in the last year, I've only learned to love it more. Thank you. Okay. Hello. My name is Dean Thorgy. I'm a Long Beach resident. Seventh District. I support signing the contract. I think it's going to confirm that the code be feasible. It's worked everywhere else. There's no reason why I shouldn't work here. A k if it's well managed, you have some money to work with. Mainly because we don't pay dividends to stockholders. That money is to use here for things and we could do a lot of good things with our money. We have to choose from some options. So here's my wish wishlist. Number one is to move as rapidly as possible to 100% renewable energy. The state has targeted 2045 when all the electricity in California has to be carbon free. That's pretty good, but we need to go a lot faster. As a couple of other speakers said, climate change is the big problem, right? It's getting worse and it's getting worse faster than was expected. The science, the climate scientists have told us that the world needs to get its greenhouse gas emissions down to net zero before 2050 . That's everything. Everything. Not just electricity, but everything else. And electricity is actually the easiest part. So we should move really fast on that. The second thing is that I think we should put a large piece as possible that makes sense into local generation to build things in the locality, to provide local businesses with contracts, and especially to target local employment, especially for people who really need those jobs. The third one is that connected with this is that we should have programs that help reduce air pollution in the neighborhoods with the worst air pollution. So that doesn't directly come from the electricity generation, but it comes from other things, like we can use it to use this as a support for more electric vehicles to get vehicles that use gasoline and diesel and natural gas off the road with EVs. Then you can use the EVs and the charging system as the battery system for storage. So we generate a lot in the afternoon. We charge the batteries and draw them at night so there's no waste. So it can be part of the electrical system of the car. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Council members Angelina Galette of I'm founder of the Renewables 100 Policy Institute. I chaired the World Council on Renewable Energy, and I'm also a member of the Long Beach Working Group for Community Choice. I'm here in support of this item, of course, and believe that this is the first step that allows Long Beach to empower the option of choice and enable the city to have a more local control and visibility into its energy future. The future that we all see in the energy business is highly digitized, decarbonized, decentralized and democratized. This initiative literally allows power to the people because renewables are very flexible, very modular, and they enable us to be building the community by community, sector by sector, focusing on the local needs with local control and what we need for our communities to achieve the goals of decarbonizing the future. CCI is another high risk at this time. They've existed for almost eight years. They have credit ratings. They have been able to be funded. They have access to funding. And they operate well and efficiently. They have a track record of providing reliable service, improving resiliency, investing in jobs and economic development, and ensuring community inclusion and control. A feasibility study and more importantly, an expedited implementation plan would allow Long Beach to have the option of exploring a CCI and indeed moving forward with the CCI. Being able to keep the deadlines that are imposed by regulations and statutes is important so that you have the option to transition as fast as possible to be able to take advantage of this opportunities. You can certainly work with local utilities, with the local city departments and with all stakeholders to shape the energy future of this great city. The 18 cases that have existed today have saved more than 100 million to their customers, and they have done it reliably and also with a remarkably low attrition rate of less than 3%. So people are incredibly happy with their case and they like to stay there because they have the option. Working with the utility hand-in-hand means it's a win win for everybody, including the utility, including the CCI, including the city and all stakeholders. Bottom line, while being low risk can provide benefits such as improving the environment, creating local jobs, investing in new technology, new development, improving resiliency and reliability of the system, creating economic development, and, most importantly, under local control. We heard about the Europe plan. We heard about the fears of the community, as would enable Long Beach to epitomize the saying Act locally, think globally while you create the best K that I'm sure even Council Member Rex Richardson could be proud of for Long Beach. Thank you. Good evening, council members. My name is Kobe Sky. I'm a second district resident and I'm very proud to chair the. Sustainable City Commission. I'm speaking in support of the item and I want to say that I was thrilled to see that the city staff. Was presenting a recommendation to. Move forward with a comprehensive study. And to move forward. With this item. I was a little crestfallen that it's a. One year. Item with three years optional to extend. I just want to say that Long Beach sometimes takes a while to develop good policies. It took us. Ten years of discussing before we finally banned Styrofoam. It took many years to discuss urban agriculture. Before we adopted a good policy. I think those policies certainly benefited from a lot of discussion. But Councilmember Pierce pointed out that there is an opportunity cost and so just urge you to move forward as quickly as possible on what is really a good policy that's going to benefit the city in so many important ways. It was two years ago that the county launched their CA. Since that time, over 70 cities. Have joined them. Including almost the entire county of Ventura. And the cities that have moved forward with CCS have seen reduced rates for their citizens and businesses with increased renewable. Energy portfolios, more local generation, more local jobs. There's so many benefits to it. So I just urge a yes vote and to encourage city. Staff to move forward as. Quickly as possible. Thank you so much. Good evening. My name is Dave Shukla. My address is on file and I am one of the founders and the operations director of the Long Beach Alliance for Clean Energy. I'm here this evening to urge for your strong support for a feasibility study for a Long Beach Community Choice Aggregation program . These programs provide too many tangible benefits to communities and municipalities in California for our city, for Long Beach, to ignore the first and as we've heard many times, is the transition to a 100% carbon free, clean energy system meeting net zero goals, something that the investor owned utilities have steadfastly not achieved. But it is something that now that we have not only AB 32 and SB 100 on the books, Long Beach must have the ability to determine the viability of whether these programs are feasible and perhaps even beneficial. Second tangible benefit is expanding the development of local integration of distributed energy resources. Dealers are some of the most promising and innovative pieces of the transition to clean energy from demand reduction incentivized in place to new generation to battery storage throughout the city, to microgrids. These assets can not only be owned by their local CA programs, but they can provide more than just mitigate of measures to energy demand load and the resultant pollution, but also allow us to adapt to lock down climactic changes and provide greater reliability of grid service. And this should be really great news to all of us in Long Beach. Seeing as how we all have seen blackouts and common increasingly. The third benefit is economic development. These programs such as Marine Clean Energy, SBA, Clean Energy, have already broken ground on a number of projects in their localities that have strong economic fundamentals. From job training and apprenticeship programs to local hire to quality working conditions and high standards and output of work. As we heard about so eloquently from the gentlemen who worked on The Current. We can build jobs. Careers. Workforce development that you can't offshore. That we can build out from our existing high schools and community colleges. Job programs that like the the nursing program at City College. We can be really proud of for for the tangible benefits that they provide. The next benefit, obviously, is something I don't have time for. So please, I urge you to vote for this feasibility study and do so with all posthaste. Thank you. Good evening. Thank you for allowing me to address the Council on for our city as you all represent a wide array of constituents. My name is Tiffany Davey. My address is also on file and I'm the average director of the Long Beach Alliance for Clean Energy. And we would like to express our support for the site of. Let's start with the first reason as this would provide the option for Long Beach to move towards 100% renewable energy, which would. Allow Long Beach as. Well as we've seen with other cities, to achieve their sustainability goals much faster. In light of the IPCC report, which has been mentioned many times before this evening on the global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius, Long Beach does have the opportunity to create the pathways that will mitigate our solutions in the required 12 years of action. This item. This item also supports the United Nations SDG number seven, which stands for the Sustainable Development Goals. Item 7.1 ensures universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. 7.2 by 2030. Increase sustainability and the share of. Renewable, renewable. Energy in the global energy mix. And 7.3, which by 2030 would double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency. I want to thank you and again, ask you to support this item. Thank you. Good evening. Council Staff Thank you for the opportunity to speak and thank you for your service. My name is Joe Sullivan. I work for IBEW Local 11 as well as the National Electrical Contractors Association. This represents about 350 electrical contractors in L.A. County that employ approximately 10,000 electricians. We are in support of moving forward with this feasibility study. We think when CCS are done right, they can create jobs more quickly than utilities do. And when they have the right structure and the right workforce standards and the right partners involved. Other CCS have achieved record clean energy levels. We're seeing other benefits, like creating jobs. Lancaster As you know, there are several businesses we're seeing with other CCS solar projects on brownfield sites in low economic areas. We're seeing EV programs of EV by gallons and free EV charging systems to improve air quality in areas. And we've seen cities that have goals of 100% renewable energy. And these are 20, 30 years goals. And they achieve them right away once the key is in place. They facilitate these goals and they can facilitate the port's cleaner action plan as long as as well as the city's goals. And what's important with these cases, they can help the community economically. When you create jobs, you force us to go out and hire apprentices and our apprenticeships. Amazing. It's a five year program with a remarkable education. It costs nothing for the students. It includes not even books, tools. After the fourth year, they have full family, medical, dental. They retire with dignity and a great retirement. And they earn family sustaining wages. And all this is taught at a net zero facility with a state of the art microgrid. So these cars are proven. We believe they can create good benefits. But not only do we want you to go forward with the implementation plan or the feasibility study, but we also encourage you to concurrently move forward with an implementation plan. You cannot get in the queue with the resource adequacy delay without an implementation plan. The CPC has passed a law that requires you to wait one year to start a CCAR in the clock doesn't start until the beginning of the year. So if you wait till after this year, the clock takes two years to launch your CCR. So the implementation plan needs to start concurrently. Okay. Thank you. Good evening for the council. In name is Sona Coffee. I'm a resident of. The fourth district. And I'm vice chair of the city's Sustainable City Commission. I'm also here to speak in support of this item and to thank you and the staff for bringing this item to the city. You've heard the infinite amount of opportunity and benefits. That a community choice aggregation. Program can bring to Long Beach. And there really are. It's a lot for the. City to take in. And it's important that this. Study is structured properly so that we. Can really. Incorporate all the benefits that we're looking for. Some things that were mentioned today, really looking at. The different structures of the amount. Of renewable energy we want to bring to Long Beach. So looking at the scenarios where 50%. 100% renewable energy. And making. Sure that those are part of. The study and that we get to assess the scenarios and the rates for that. Probably one of the most exciting things about CCAR is that you, as we as the city, will get to set our rates for electricity and pass those benefits on to the businesses and the residents in this community. And doing that in a way where. We're focusing on green energy. So we're trying to move towards 100% renewable to meet the state's goals, meet the city's goals that are reflected by what the community wants here and by the Community Action Plan that we'll. Be working on. One request I would have to make of City Council and we've heard this I think a couple of times is the timing. The data that the city has now would be enough to start the risk assessment piece of the study. That should take a couple of months if it would be possible for the staff and consultants to come back in the first quarter and three months to bring that to you. That won't be enough to do the implementation planning that Joe just mentioned from IBEW 11. The implementation planning requires that interval data that Councilmember Pierce was asking about. So if there's any way to fast track that request through Edison and get the data back as soon as possible so the city could meet the year end deadline, that would be key in terms of getting that implementation plan in place. If not, if that takes some time to get from Edison, at least putting in a structure for a timeline every three months, every quarter, something like that. So the council hears back on the progress of the study and that the community hears back from it as well. Would be great. Thank you. Okay. We appreciate all the public comment. I'll take it back behind a real council member, Pearce. Thank you. And I want to thank everybody that made public comments, everybody that's been a part of the process of the work group. I know that everyone that spoke today has been involved in this not just for this week, for this year, but for a very long time. And so I really want to thank you for educating me, my staff, and working with city staff along this process. And so I want to be clear, I hear the concern loud and clear to clarify with staff that we are concurrently doing the implementation plan along with the study, and that the implementation plan based on trying to get the data and some of our legal questions addressed, that that is a 4 to 6 month process. Is that clear? I mean, is that correct? I'd actually like to clarify that. So we would absolutely be trying to get that data from Edison. So we we are the single largest customer. We believe that we will be asking for that implementation data, the 15 minute data. However, we have done some research into this about whether or not we can file an implementation plan prior to the end of the year. In order to do that, you would have to pass an ordinance saying We are doing SCCA. So you would have to positively pass morning saying We're in, we're going to do it before you complete a feasibility study. That's not something that staff is comfortable recommending. We believe you need to be doing that feasibility study. That's why we're here tonight and then we will continue to try to. Get that data. We are hopeful we'll be able. To access it or we'll do as much of the feasibility study as we can. And our process is right now about a 4 to 6 month process. If we can go faster, will go faster. But we do believe you need to have a feasibility study before you make a decision on whether to take that next step and do the implementation plan. Could we request? I would like to request that this item comes back in four months with a review, even if all the data is not there, but that in four months we actually have a staff report on where the implementation in the study is. Sure, we can certainly do that. Okay. I know that. I think one of the challenges with this item has been that we've had a lot of dates, we've had a lot of information. There are a lot of aides out there, 18, that already exist. We've seen Lancaster that's done a great job with their work. And just trying to get us to have these conversations holistically with everybody at the table has been the goal. And so can you briefly talk about the process that the study is going to to implement for how they're not only gathering the data, but some of the things that they're going to be doing to include all the stakeholders. Certainly Pearce, like any study, it starts with gathering the data and then the next step would be doing the analysis. In this case, you have to look at a load analysis and that would look at Long Beach is very unique. These other cities that that have been mentioned are nowhere near as complex as Long Beach. I think there's approximately 140,000 Edison accounts in the city of approximately 150 of those control, over 50% of the load. So their participation and their opt out status would be critical to this study. And those things have to be looked at in very much in detail. There's been some recent regulatory changes that have impacted the PCR charge. Those also impact the feasibility study and next year there's going to be another direct access offering by the PUC whereby large industrial and commercial customers can elect to participate in those procure their own power, basically circumventing a PC or a city's choice. So we need to look at those very much in detail. So that would be part of the analysis. Once you've completed that portion, you would have a better understanding of your load. Then you have to look at forecasting the rates to compare. Would a pricing schedule be advantageous to what Edison's offering? There's a number of things that are changing in that arena as well. So all those need to be conducted first. Once you complete the analysis, you would draw some conclusions from that and make some recommendations. And we're hopeful to have that completed. We could do something hopefully very quickly in four months, but if it got more complex, it would certainly take a little additional time. Okay, great. So just no matter where we're out of in four months, we could get a report back at council. Not a two from four, but at council. That would be amazing. Keep us on track. I want to also highlight knowing that Long Beach is complex, knowing that it's different. I know that it's been brought up several times that here we have city and other cities don't have. SC You know, Lancaster has a different structure than us, but they've really worked with seemed to be clear with everyone is that this doesn't take SC out, but they deliver the energy that we opt on what percentage we want to be renewable? 100% renewable would be amazing of course, but that SC still has a role to play in this equation. And so I just wanted to to say that I urge my council colleagues to vote to move this forward. I think that this is the way that we can democratize power. This is the way we can ensure that we have job creation, not just for Long Beach residents, but we can have a conversation down the road about how do we prioritize who gets those jobs. You know, is it single families? Is that people that have been previously incarcerated? This is really an opportunity to lift all boats, to clean the energy, to clean our air, and to transform the city of Long Beach into practice of what so many of us have felt here for a very long time. And so I think it's the right thing to do, and we can continue to have community conversations about this in the next several months. But I'm really happy that we're finally at a place where we're agenda raising this and bringing all these consultants on board so that we can do it the right way. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Richardson. Thank you, Councilman Alston. So I think this ESEA conversation, I've followed it for a long time and though a lot of people have, I think it's a really interesting conversation and I won't elaborate too much, but I see some real potential opportunities here. More specifically to the benefit programs for our local residents as well as create local jobs. Now I want to say that I don't want us as long, long beach as the second largest city, not just in L.A. County, but in six Southern California counties. I don't want us to be absent from the regional conversation in our case. And I know that the county, Los Angeles, has been for a while talking about a countywide SICA or establishing some guidelines or some rules. I knew that there was a deadline before about a opt in and when they didn't get certain participation, I know that conversation had changed. And so I think being the large the large city that we are and our relationships with the county, we should communicate to the county that we are engaging in this discussion and see if whatever accommodations can be made for us to participate in the regional conversation. Because what happens is those cities who have opt in, opt in, they're going to be able to help create the write the rules for whatever happens at the you know, whatever happens at the county wide level. They're going to be able to help write those rules. And although we're not at the place where we have an ordinance passed tonight, I think they will want to know whether or not Long Beach is interested in engaging in this conversation. So I don't think it would be too too much to ask, you know, ask, you know, Tom or whoever to to reach out to Gary zero , the county or whoever is engaging and say, hey, look, we've taken this first step to engage in this study. Our council is very interested in this, but we haven't until we figure out these things, we don't know if we're going to be in or not, but we like to participate. And that might help inform our decision of whether or not we participate. So so first, Tom or Mr. West, is there is there any headaches with reaching out to the county and requesting that we be a part of those regional conversations? So we have been part of the regional conversations. We sent staff to just about all of the regional county meetings. So we're very much plugged in to what's going on at the county. And part of this study is my understanding is we would be looking not just do we do our own care, but could we participate in somebody else's. So yeah, we you know, we can certainly reiterate the discussion that we had tonight, but also we'd be looking at their model to see what what they do that might work for us. Great. And again, you know, I think this is very interesting, some real opportunities. You know, everything else we've done, we've aired on the side of local control. We've aired on the side of the American Army. Conclusion. We've, you know, we know that there are gaps in terms of like, you know, there's a lot of programs for low income solar individuals. And solar is very expensive. But what about those middle class working families who are getting 300, $400 light bills and they want to participate, too? And we can figure out, you know, we can figure out programs by utilizing this. So I think the opportunities are there. And I'm glad to hear that you're at the table for those regional conversations. I know that they want Long Beach to be a part of this conversation, but we should do our diligence. So those are my remarks. Again, I thought, I think this was healthy. And again, whatever we can do to make sure we don't miss any opportunities with the county, I think that's helpful. Thanks. Thank you, Councilmember Gonzalez. Yes. Thanks so much for everybody staying real late. We appreciate that very much. I know this has been a good conversation so far. And thank you, Bob, for being here and certainly doing the work behind the scenes and getting us to this point. So we appreciate this very much. I just want to reiterate, you know, there have been a lot of interest within our residents and not just people who are environmentalists by trade, but really people that just absolutely care about our city and want to diversify our energy portfolio. And having been a councilmember that experienced in 2016 the drama we went through with Edison, and not to say that that can happen anywhere else, but I think that we have an opportunity here to really look forward and see what the options are. And really, as I mentioned, put the power to the people. I really love that because that is very important. And I know a lot of our residents really want to have that choice for many, many reasons. And I do think, you know, the governor, Governor Brown, has mandated by 2045 to get to 100% renewable. But we can absolutely do that beforehand. And I know that's something that is attainable and this is moving forward in the right direction. We'll do that. A quick question. If we were to once once the feasibility comes back and if we were to create that the ordinance, are there any challenges with the implementation plan with the state ? Know you would follow the implementation plan with the CPC and it would basically put them on notice of your plan and expected load requirements and your methodology for preparing it so they could schedule that accordingly. Okay. And then is there any other, like issues with that at all? I mean, anything else that. Would keep us from doing that? No. Okay. And so what I would just close in saying is that, you know, the K what's nice is that in getting it, you know, move faster is that there are rules changing every day with energy and with state legislation. And so I would say the faster we can get this done and I know we're doing as much as we can, you've heard it from various people, the better in terms of being able to make our own decisions and do what's right for Long Beach. So thank you so much for indulging us and we appreciate it and I look forward to moving this forward. Great. So I'll just add my comments here and say that I'm going to support this item because I've been intrigued with the case for some time now. Many municipalities, local governments throughout the state are looking and going in is moving in this direction because it does provide an options for clean and renewable energy for for our communities and it creates good local jobs. And from from my standpoint, those are those two points alone should be merit this council being aggressive about moving in that direction and staff for that matter. And so I'm really encouraged by the fact that we are moving forward. We're going forward with a feasibility study tonight. I know under the staff report, it says timing, considerations. And I just want to be clear on that. It says to expeditiously complete the cay feasibility study for the city. And what is expeditious me. If you just one more time if you could just tell us what that means. So the current estimate, based on the scope, is about 4 to 6 months we've been asked to come back and four months, and we can certainly do that and we'll let you know where we are from from that point. So as Bob mentioned, it can be pretty complex. And if we need to do additional study, I will have the contract authority to do so. But our plan right now is 4 to 6 months. Okay. I know there is a lot of urgency and excitement from the public on this and certainly by some members of the council as well. But I think tonight by approving this this item, we will make a great first step in this direction. And so I'm supportive of doing that. Thank you. Councilmember Pearce. Great. Thank you. I just had two comments. One. One in reference to County versus Long Beach. I think we're a city of half a million. And when we talk about local control, we talk about job creation. The county level doesn't have as much detail to what kind of job creation we want to the type of level. So I think it's great that we're having this conversation about Long Beach and what that might look like because the county's kind of already done their process and we would be opting into that. So we we have that there. But it's important for us to identify what a Long Beach process would look like. And to I guess, my my question on the implementation plan, if we did an implementation plan and we did an ordinance, is there anything keeping us to that say we submitted that to the CPC? Is there anything saying that we couldn't three months later go through a process and say, you know what, a CCAR isn't right for us? Certainly you have that option. I believe it's the Palm Desert one just did the same thing where they filed their implementation plan with the APC and then recently withdrew that great. So that was the clarity I was looking for, that we could do an ordinance, we could do an implementation plan. If that takes 4 to 6 months, however long that hopefully sooner rather than later, but that even that doesn't tie our hands requiring us to move forward. And I just want to make sure that was stated clearly. So thank you, everybody, for your support and thank you. STAFF Let's vote. Members, please cast your votes. Motion carries a two. Right. Looks like we finally did something right tonight. So next up is a public comment for those who signed up early. We have Larry Goodhue, Christy Moore, Melly, Fernando Gallardo, Alex Armstrong and Latoya Marshall. Please line up. You have 3 minutes each.
A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for approximately 9701 East 56th Avenue in Stapleton. Approves an official map amendment to rezone property located at approximately 9701 East 56th Avenue from M-RH-3 and OS-B to M-RX-5 (master planned, row-home to master planned, residential mixed-use) in Council District 8. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 5-15-18.
DenverCityCouncil_07092018_18-0424
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I propose bringing us the results. 13 Ice 13 Ice Council Bill. 570 passes. Congratulations. All right. Councilman Lopez, will you please put Councilor Bell for 24 on the floor? That's Mr. President of the Council for 24th series of 2018. Be placed upon final consideration and do best. Thank you, Councilman Lopez. It has been moved in, seconded the public hearing for council bill 424 is now open. We have the staff. You may as soon as I load my PowerPoint. Okay. Which is Aunt Theresa Lucero lowering the PowerPoint. Okay. Good. I apologize. I still have vacation brain. I should have loaded this during the break. My apologies. No problem. Here we go. So this is an official map amendment. It is. Well. There we go. Sorry. It is for approximately 9701 East 56th Avenue. The proposal is to rezone from master plan context, rowhouse, three story and OSB, which is private open space to master plan context residential mixed use five stories. This is in City Council District eight in the Stapleton neighborhood. It is about 331 acres. It is probably the last large piece of Stapleton that we will be rezoning. It is currently vacant and the proposal again to go from master planned row house three stories and private open space to master planned residential mixed use five stories. The purpose is to rezone the property so the existing zoning, as I said, master planned row house three and open space to the north and east is the Rocky Mountain arsenal in Adams County, and there is agricultural zoning there. To the south is an old Chapter 59 mixed commercial, mixed use with waivers and you are one and to the west OSB and master planned residential mixed use five and mixed use five residential master plan. So the property is currently vacant again to the north and east is the Rocky Mountain arsenal. To the south is industrial property to the west, underdevelopment and vacant property. So hopefully you're seeing the aerial of the property. And then the pictures of. The area, most of it vacant. As you can see there, the the high school athletic fields south of 56th, just west of the industrial land, uses that are south of 56 pictures of the Rocky Mountain arsenal and off to the west. You can start to see some of the infrastructure going in. So the master plan context was specifically written for our newly developing large areas like Lourey and Stapleton, and this is a mixed use stone district. So Urban House, Duplex, Garden, Court and Row House are the primary building forms allowed and it's intended to promote development of of these new neighborhoods in phases over time. So this application first informational notice went out in January of 2017. Then there was a revised application. So we sent out a few more notices of complete application. We scheduled planning board, but there were some other issues. Reasons we had to delay planning board. So Planning Board was held finally on in April of this year, and there was a unanimous vote to recommend approval. And we were at Moody Committee on in May. And then, of course, here for this public hearing. There are several RINO's in the Stapleton neighborhood. We have no comment letters from an R.A. or a private party. So no comments on this one. And, you know, the criteria for a rezoning. So I'm not going to read them the plans that that are pertinent to this area. Our current plan 2000 Blueprint, Denver and the Stapleton Development Plan Comp Plan 2000 speaks to environmental sustainability supporting mixed use development, supporting development that mirrors development in the course city and of course, developing housing wherever we have the opportunity to develop housing. So staff believes that this rezoning is consistent with current plan 2000 blueprint. Denver calls this an area of change and single family residential and park, which is sort of remarkably like what's being built there. Except the park is rearranged a bit. And this is the same zoning or same land use category that we've used throughout Stapleton. So staff believes that this proposal is consistent with this blueprint, the blueprint Denver concept land use. So street classifications 56th Avenue is the only street built, although on the East, Havana is built to a degree. Both are mixed use arterials. And then no other streets are constructed in the area yet. The Stapleton Development Plan from 1995 talked about this area as a predominance of residential uses with opportunities for corporate or institutional land uses . District Center in the Middle. Transportation Improvements on 56th Avenue. A significant restoration of the Sandhills. Character of the parks and open space. Special sites for institutional and corporate uses and joint planning with Commerce City and the National Wildlife Refuge. Staff believes that this is consistent with the Stapleton development plan, that by using one of our standard zoned districts, we are furthering the uniform application of the districts throughout the city by allowing redevelopment of our former airport. We are furthering the public health, safety and welfare and of course, changed conditions is the justifying circumstance. And staff believes this criteria is met by all the changes happening in Stapleton and that this is consistent with the zoned district, a context and purpose and intent of the district. And with that, staff recommends approval. All right. Thank you, Teresa. We have five speakers for speakers this evening. I will call the first one. Bruce, Donna. Mr. President, members of council, good evening again. Bruce O'Donnell, 386 Emmerson Street in Denver. And I'm representing for a city Stapleton on this rezoning request. Thank you, Teresa, for an excellent job on what's probably the last big piece of Stapleton, just like Lowry the. Last two nights and eight of last. I guess. But we are here. The team and I are here to see. Do you have any questions? And we formally request that you vote to approve this rezoning request. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Mr. O'Donnell. Forest Hancock. Good evening. My name is Forest Hancock. I'm with four city Stapleton 7351 East 29th Avenue, Denver. I'm here to answer any questions that the council has it. Wow. What a name. All right, Tom Gleason. Good evening, Mr. President. Members of council. I'm Tom Gleason, also with four City 7351 East 29th Avenue. And again, we are available for questions. Great. Thank you, Mr. Gleason. Chairman Sekou. German so-called Russian action moving in self-defense. Representing poor, working poor. Senior citizens. And homeless for. Hmm. Absolutely not. No. No. No, no, no, no, no, no. Put in historical context. The neighborhood in the east side of Denver was called three phases when the gentrification hit. This was the strategy. You had the Near East, which was downtown all the way to. Probable bar. Then you have from Colorado Boulevard all the way to Quebec. That was called the Middle East. And then from Quebec on to Green Valley Ranch was called the Far East. And then here comes the developments of the move with you had Stapleton coming in with no housing and yet the existing stock of housing that was occupied by black people, 95% owned. Yeah. And then you had to flip on the real estate and everything went upside down. By design. That was not no accident. And then here we go. Look at the development. No laws, no development. Red District, Middle East. Business cycle, housing underground. Look, wait, just let's talk about this in the context. Don't interrupt. The reason. The reason. This is what we're talking about. I'm talking about people need to know what they're doing. So you need to know the historical context, what you uprating in so that you can make a decision. Not because of what they say or what to say or what's on a piece of paper. I'm doing what's like history. The history I lived. You weren't even here. You weren't even born. So you don't have a right to say nothing at this point. And it's very disrespectful. I'm going to continue. Okay. So if you don't talk about the reason, you will be cut off. So here comes homeboys. Ever take the record of development? The development inside of what they do. Black people are last in contract works. One, two, three ABC And then you had these black folks leaders who are being paid consultant to explain that to us so we can accept that. Yeah. Pictures on the wall everywhere. In this building. Coconspirator to this whole mess cost so many. Which is nothing but a tool for gentrification. And then we'll come tell you how to vote on it. So long I've been down here. 12 years. Unanimous. Here we go. Unanimous. I bet you that I put my last dime on it. Because I was looking at you doing the subcommittees when you're doing this. I know y'all in alignment with all of this. Tell me I'm not going to get a unanimous vote on this. Go ahead. Go ahead. I don't want people just looking. This thinks I'm some kind of procrastinator or some genius. No. The reason if you pay attention to the zoning process, it will let you know as you're looking at this on video, because you're not coming down here. You can't get here because it's rush hour traffic. 530 meetings. Yeah, real public meetings and then committee meetings. Or do an afternoon when everybody's at work. All outstanding. So we get to get to communicate with a machine. And then call your office and maybe get a loop. Maybe return a phone call. Maybe not. You guys are busy. Got a lot of work to do and a lot to do. Okay, so you. So are you close with this so you can get on with your process? Because I don't want you getting off to answer that. So, you know, 160 rule. Just just focus on the bills. Focus on the bill. Letting your feelings get made. You're a judge. You focus on the bill. Focus on 160. And stay off your phone. Focus on the bill. Yeah. No, the bill is. No, absolutely not. And if you vote for this, that's a bump of white supremacy. That's above gentrification. And you are above me. And this is the most profane body I've ever seen in my life. Without using profanity. Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Profane. In the annals of history. Smelling like camel dung in the nose of God. Okay. So with that, I'm going to close with this statement. There was a commercial on television. It was about the rabbits and tricks. And this little rabbit was always trying to steal the tricks from the kids. And the kids finally smacked the rabbit. A rabbit. Silly rabbit tricks. Anyway. So that had nothing to do with the rezoning. We're open to questions by members of Council. Councilman Ortega. Thank you. So my first question is about the. Tom, would you mind coming up? So is this site covered within the IATO, as was the rest of Stapleton? Yes. And excuse me, that's the Stapleton affordable housing plan specifically. Okay. So do you do we know yet whether this is going to include for sale or rental or maybe a combination? We this parcel is part of section ten and we expect to have affordable rental and affordable foreseeable. Okay. And where are you guys at in terms of overall meeting the obligations under that housing plan for for Stapleton? We, as you know, we have two components. We have an affordable rental and affordable for sale. Currently, we have affordable rental at 543 affordable rental units that have been completed as part of our donated land program for making that possible. We've donated at the present time about 11 and a half acres. As you recall, the figure initially was eight acres. But the reality is, is that we have donated much more land than that because we've also donated needed land on the Affordable Ownership Program as well. Together, the affordable rental and affordable for sale that have been completed are under construction as 1008 to 84 homes. We have the affordable rental is running probably at a little over, probably over 20% at the present time on the Affordable for sale, which has been challenged. There's no question about that. We are running probably about 7%. Okay. Can you tell me if this is the site that had the application that was received by the Colorado Land Board for drilling that they later. That was withdrawn? No. It was part of. His North Norfolk. Yeah, it was not on Stapleton and it was I think to the east of that, I think. But I'm not absolutely sure. Okay. I know they had gone on the Lowry. I mean, on the. The wildlife preserve with the arsenal. They are still here. But but I know there was one to sixth Avenue, so this this was not one of them. Okay. What what is the condition of the soils? Just looking at the map and the topography of it, it looks like there may have been some. I don't know some soil's issues with it. So what is the condition of that? In this particular area, there was some bedrock that was discovered. And so what we did is we worked with staff to make an adjustment so that the open space was configured to be over the bedrock because it prevented, obviously homes from having basements, etc.. So it's basically just an adjustment. Same amount of open space that was originally planned. Okay, let me just make sure I've asked all my questions. Okay. I'm good. Thank you. All right, Councilwoman Canete. Thanks so much, Mr. President. Hey, Tom, how are you? Just wanted to follow up on a couple of the questions that Councilwoman Ortega was asking. So it looks to me like we're looking at a slight increase in density here in theory. So from the RO home three to the Annex five. Do you have a sense of how many additional market rate units or, you know, overall units that you're you're going to be able to do compared to what you would have under the old zoning. Was to go with this or. Take a look at that. An increase in density. I'm not a councilwoman. I'm not really sure, to be honest with you. I'd have to check that out. All right. Yeah. And the reason I'm asking is, I think as we've talked over the years, when we increase the amount of market rate housing that you're doing, it then increases the percentage needed to be affordable. And so it moves the goalposts in some ways in terms of the goal, because we have a percentage goal here. And I guess to to follow up on that question that Councilwoman Ortega was asking, we we worked with EDI to do some analysis to say what are our hopes, what are the barriers, what are the challenges to getting to the goal by by build out? And I was just curious where that dialog is at. Are you still meeting regularly with the department? There were a few things they flagged that would need to happen for us to be on track because we do. We still continue to have meetings there. I think with the new housing officer, we have not yet met with that person, but the in particular the area where our transit oriented development is, we have already developed some affordable housing there, but we anticipate that there will be a more opportunities for higher density housing there and that will include additional affordable as well on ownership. Okay. So so no new announcements yet and how to make up the gap on the for sale side in term. I think their conclusion was that you would need to increase the pace of the affordable development. Right now it's kind of plodded along and it would need to increase considerably, which means using more developers at the same time. And then you would also need to to increase the density in a few of those places. So those were a couple of the recommendations. So are we in action mode on those or we're still figuring out? Well, and again, on the two pieces, first of all, on the affordable rental, that is something that requires in spite of the fact that we donate land and provide cash subsidies and requires traffic credits. And of course, that's a that's an issue to be dealt with there. On the affordable ownership, we have experienced a greater pace of the affordable ownership. We have two very good developers of affordable northeast Denver Housing Center is one and then Thrive is doing another one as well. So that piece has picked up and we think that going with those two developers makes a lot of sense at this point . Always in the back of our mind, we have talked about the possibility if it reaches a point that a another developer should be brought in. But we often make things more difficult for the two that are actually doing much better now. So our current plans are always just to stay with those two developers on the affordable ownership. Okay. It's my understanding that the EDI analysis is was that if you continue that there is no way to meet the goal because they have a capacity, they can only do so much at one time. And so it concerns me to hear that a decision has been made not to change strategy, because the conclusion was that that strategy would not get us to the goal. So I will check back and that that's concerning to hear that. Okay. Thanks. All right. Thank you. Councilwoman, can each. Councilman Espinosa. Theresa. I'm going to reference three slides because they're trying to understand this completely. Yeah, I think I understand it, but I need to see it and hear it from you guys. Slides five and six. One is the existing context zoning. Right there. One more. Next one. This one? That one. So what I'm going to be referencing is the stuff that's being built out right now, which is currently our five on the west side of the open space. And then what is the proposed area which is which is currently RH three? One quick question actually, is the general building form? I mean, is the urban townhouse? Form part of. Did it address the master plan special context or not? I'm sorry, can you repeat your question? So currently the, the if we're talking about those two zone districts, the R five and the RH three. Mm. They both allow single family, they also duplex they bought. But then the RH meaning rs5 then skips over garden court and and row house and goes right to the general building for. The General Building Forum was one of the problems that we addressed with the slot Home Task Force. Does that apply to the match in this context? Yes. Okay. The. So now the next slide after this. If we're looking at those two areas, we see how the form the current rx5 has been developed. Right. You have a little bit of retail along 56 or Northfield Boulevard, and then the rest is all largely single family duplex and largely single family with some. Townhouses on the edge that thrive this building. Now, if we go to the way in in the back set of slides where we're looking at the GDP. Hmm. Oh. Yeah. What I want to know is, is if we're going to the zone district that allowed them to just plat and build tract after tract after tract of sort of single family housing. It does this GDP tell me that this will this will in fact have a different outcome or will have the same outcome. The GDP doesn't get specific about which land uses where. I mean, it sort of does with its the patterns it has. But in the language, it's hard to read. But it's it basically says it's the intent of the developer to develop a range of housing types and know it's hard to read, but. So what are we hearing from the owners representatives here? What? It sounds like you guys are are you sort of on the west side, even though it's the same zone district, you're sort of you're doing single family largely in this area is intended to be something else or is it going to be more of the same? Do you want to answer that or. Councilman. We're working with the. Same homebuilders, bringing in the same product that you see on the west side of Section ten now. Okay. So under Mark's five, we can build garden courts under the general form. In the west side, we actually have. Row homes completely lining the central median. On Beeler Bel-Air median right there. So it is a blend of single family duplex row homes. And I guess I'm drawing a blank on a third right there. But it is it is going to be I don't want to say replication. But same builders, same products with the exception of we've got one new builder, I. Think we're talking about bringing in there. But no, no changes to our our recipe from what we've been building in Stapleton. Okay. Because I appreciate that. It's not that I wasn't I was actually expecting nor do I know that any other sort of concept would would be successful. I will just admit that I was a bit I was a bit green to the master plan zone districts. I didn't actually understand the context until tonight. And I'm sitting here going, how to how is this our X5, the same animal that we're dealing with in other contexts? And it is. It is an. And and so I just needed that clarification. So I appreciate it. It's a good question. But no no changes on our business. Program there with the homebuilders we're working with now. Thank you. All right. This concludes the questions for members of council. Sorry. Can I just clarify the building forms? I pulled out my code. Would that be helpful? Yes. Four or five urban house duplex in general. That's it. Yeah. So we didn't create an urban townhouse. And so you could theoretically not that any of your builders do this, but you could build a slot home out there. So choose. Correct? If that's the builder they select. They're looking for new places. I could tell you that much. All right. This concludes the questions for members of council. This hearing for 24 is now closed. Comments by members of Council. Councilman Herndon. Thank you, Mr. President. It is amazing to think in 2008, prior to be on town council, when I first my real estate agent brought me into Stapleton at the Timeless East Bridge. What has become of this community? There was no East Bridge Town Center. There was no connections through the war. There was nothing north of I-70. Blessed Lake was the actual park, not the new neighborhood. And what it has become ten years later is truly remarkable. I'm in support of this. I will say that affordability is a prime concern for anyone. I would encourage my colleagues, if you ever want to do a drive to with me, because I don't believe anyone on this day is has I'd be happy to drive through you and show the multiple sites. I do know Councilman Canete, who has been a champion for that, has done that with for city. I will also double check with Audi because I have been a part of those analysis when it has come to the affordability for city is doing a great job with the forint. There is a struggle with the first sale, but I've personally spoken with Jean Meyers of Thrive and Gate with Northeast Denver housing toward their products and toward their sites. And there's still the possibility coming at the TOD site. So I am confident that we are going to hit that. And you're already doing that above when it comes to the for rent cap housing is going again for traffic credits. Northeast Denver how they are doing their product off of Moline which take section eight vouchers I believe. And I mean, there's not another community in this city where I can say we have those transitioning, transitioning from homelessness, are living next to those and almost multimillion dollar houses. And so the success of Stapleton is truly remarkable. And I want to applaud all those who had the vision, community members, elected officials beforehand for what this community has become. And it's amazing that this is the last major piece north of 56. So can I want to congratulate you on that? And I would encourage my colleagues to support this so we continue to move forward this development. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman Kelso, Indonesia. Thank you, Mr. President. I agree with my colleague's comments about, you know, the the the impressive quantity of housing and the the important developers who are doing it. They are doing a great job. And I have done, I think, two of the twice I've toured. And I think there was quite a bit of progress even in between those tours as well as being some of those groundbreaking. But one of the things I'm faced with today is a decision about whether or not the proposed zoning is in conformance with the plans. And one of the adopted plans for this site includes the fact that there are contractual obligations. And I think one of the things that I regret our predecessors didn't do is they didn't require that the proportionality of the housing occur along with the development. And so we're in this unfortunate position of back loading, particularly the for sale housing. And so I have to evaluate the zoning decision and whether it's going to impede our ability to conform with those contractual obligations. And every time we increase the number of housing units overall, we increase as a as I described in my question, the goalpost moves for the affordability. You cannot build a 100% affordable condo project at a Tier D. I hope that's really important for folks to understand that you can't get it financed. The FHA will not underwrite the loans for the individuals who live in those condos to be able to get there first time homeowners. So you can put some of the affordability in a in a single building attitude, but you can't probably exceed 50%, which means then you have every the rest of that is going to be market rate. So and 50% is high. There aren't very many condo projects that are that are at that rate of affordability, which means you're going to, again, be increasing the number of market rate units as well. So I have to be able to see a path to know that if we're going to increase the amount of market rate housing, that we have a specific time allocated plan for how we're going to do that. And that that's where, you know, we spend a considerable amount of time going over the math. There is enough land, I believe it's possible there probably is enough financing and and demand to make to make those projects financeable. In terms of the the loan market, how much will one lender give to one developer is a question, a concern. And this I worked with with both Gate and Jean. They're both really great developers. This isn't about them. This is about, though, the contractual obligation. And the contractual obligation then falls on us as a city to enforce. So if we end up at this finish line and we're not there, then the question about how we go about legally enforcing it becomes our responsibility and how I say to the constituents who continue to share their concerns not just about the pace of new housing, but our loss of housing as some of those units time out because they're getting to that 15 year, the 15 year. Covenant period is ending on some of them in very short order. So I just can't without more information to indicate to me how we are recalibrating to make sure that we don't just meet the existing goal, but now we meet an increased goal because the zoning increases the capacity. I can't support it today because of the conformance with the plan. It does meet the other criteria in terms of, you know, being the right mix for this location. But but but that legal agreement is is an important one that we're bound, I think, to enforce as a city. And it would be inappropriate for me to say, go ahead. And then at the back end say, oh, I got you because you didn't you didn't fulfill the agreement. I think we're your partner in this. I think it's up to the city to help to develop strong criteria and enter into those negotiations to make sure we are helping this community achieve this goal because we're not just achieving it. For the residents of Stapleton, where we you know, we're achieving it for the overall citizens of Denver who forwent significant resources through the tax increment financing in order to make it possible. So it really, you know, in my mind, this is a goal that belongs to the entire city as well as to the residents who believe in the vision of that diversity. And we owe it to both of them to to make sure that these earnings conform with the plans. And I just can't find that tonight. So I will have to vote. No, thank you. All right. Thank you, Councilwoman Canete. Councilman Espinosa. I am not intending to contradict what I but Councilwoman Kennedy just said. But I do see it slightly different in that the the the forms that the allowed forms in the existing zoning versus the proposed zoning based on if you're building essentially the same thing using the same product. I mean, developers, you, you, you basically can keep going. There's there's nothing in the current current use by right situation that couldn't allow you to develop most of what you're doing. So the carve out, I mean, the ability to go from the garden court in the row house to add the general, that actually gives you a lot more latitude to be able to develop these affordable units to do to do, to be more economical and efficient with your square footage and to deliver these units. And you know that I'm saying that from an informed place, having worked out there and done these very same things. That said, I remember having these conversations, which is, yeah, you guys weren't expecting when you started this project some however long ago was you had a wildly successful market and you weren't expecting a couple of years, couple of three years of recession. But you've had you were also weren't expecting this degree of prosperity. And so I do think that there is in your business model, there should be I don't get into your financials and whatnot, but there should be the capacity to push these and help these guys deliver these units at a faster clip on the affordable side. So and I do see the general building form as helping deliver on those those needs. So I will be supporting this zoning, but I'm going to put it on for city. I'm saying that if it doesn't get done, it's because for a city didn't bite the bullet and dig in and make this happen. Because I think that I. I believe you guys can. So let's close the gap. There's still some struggles in the business side of things. I get that on the on the commercial side of things, but there is no problem on the residential side of the proforma. And so please, we have a need. This is a great place for families and people to start and a long, a very long, prosperous life in Denver. And but if they don't have the opportunity, it can't happen that way. So please provide those opportunities. This zoning, this additional little carve out gives you that additional flexibility. Please use it to deliver on what is needed. Thank you. All right, Councilwoman Ortega, I'll be brief. And Stapleton has been very successful with the development, both with commercial as well as residential. I share the concern that we have not yet been able to get there on the for sale side. I know on the rental side we've done very, very well. And I would just ask that rather than wait till we get to the end, that we have, you know, periodic updates where you guys come in and tell us where where this is going bring you into our. Council committee to to do an update, maybe with our housing subcommittee to just monitor where that's at, because I think we all want to make sure that that that goal is met. And if we just wait till the end, then shame on all of us for not really tracking it in a way that could be a lot more intentional. So that would be my request to our current and incoming president. So I'll be voting for this tonight. Thank you. We have an incoming president. I'm just telling Councilwoman Quinn each year. Thank you. I did just want to add one more fact to the record, because I think I glossed over it in the mention of rental reminded me there are two components in the housing agreement that that was signed. One was an aspirational goal about the quantity of rental overall, and the second was the portion of that that would be affordable. Where Staples in is doing a great job is on the portion of the rental that is affordable. It's higher than the aspirational vision in the agreement, but the overall quantity of rental is far lower. And I have to put this on the record because I'll get an email from a cab member by the morning if I don't. But the cab will tell you that the overall there is much less rental in the entire project than was envisioned. And whether it's dedicated as affordable or whether it is simply just rental housing, which generally is more accessible for folks who may not be candidates for for for sale, that is an aspect to the mixed income vision that is is not quite where the community expected it to be, where the agreement estimated it to be. That is not a binding piece of the agreement. But I did just want folks to know that when you analyze those quarterly reports and time, you're great. I appreciate you sending them. You guys have been transparent and shared everything we've asked you to. But but you can you can track this, and you have to pay attention to the total number of rental units, not just the percentage, because the percentage is high, but the overall number is low. So I just because I glossed over that, I just wanted to make sure I clarified the record and and because I know the community will catch me if I if I didn't clarify that. Thanks. I sure will. Thank you. Councilwoman. Can each. And the only thing I have to add is a. Gentleman heard it. You know, I was just going to offer that they they do come. I think there's some generalizations that I, I wouldn't characterize as fair to the to the builder right now, but it's not the appropriate form to have this element on chambers. But as someone who has lived here and lived this for a long time, I have no doubt the developer's commitment to affordability. And there are some things that have changed when it comes to that number. As we have talked about with the cab, the fact that one neighborhood, Central Park West, is a huge residential neighborhood, the original intent that was supposed to be commercial, but there was no interest in commercial at that time. So being adaptable and being flexible for city with residential, what's the community embraced? And that did change the number overall and has an impact. So I just think there's some things that we're just not getting specific enough that I don't think is fair. So I would offer that this does come to committee of those councilmembers are interested or come to a cab meaning we talk about this regularly affordability. So I just wanted to just throw that out. There's, there's some numbers that we're not getting into now that I think we should before we make generalizations. But I, I would hope that the majority of this body would move to support and support this. Thank you. Okay. Any other comments? Going once i will say Councilman Herndon, another area where homeless housing is next to $1,000,000 homes is right here in your downtown. All right. I will be supporting this as well. Great debate, everyone. Madam Secretary, roll call. Herndon. I Cashman. I can eat. Lopez All right. New Ortega. I. Sussman. I black. Clark All. Right. Espinosa. Flynn All. Right. Gilmore I Mr. President. I police. So the following US results of. 2012. As one nay 424 has passed. Congratulations. Monday, August six, 2018. Council will hold a required public hearing of Council Bill 18 Dash 668 Changes on a classification of 2900 South University Boulevard in Wiltshire. You know about that? And it required a public hearing and council bill on Council Bill 18 Dash 699 changes on classification of 150 and
Recommendation to increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Public Works Department in the amount of $620, offset by the Fourth Council District One-time District Priority Funds transferred from the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department to install a new street light in the Fourth Council District. (District 4)
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Communication from Councilman's Councilman Super Na recommendation to increase appropriations in the Capital Project Fund Group in the Public Works Department in the amount of $620 to install a new streetlight in the fourth Council District. District four. Do you have any comment? Yes. Thank you, Mr. Vice Mayor. I'd like to amend the recommendation on the floor to change the dollar amount to 20 $500. The original amount included the street lamp, but not operating it, and we found that a street lamp illuminated is far more effective. So it is. The city attorney would like what he read the entire item or is just the dollar. That would be fine. You're changing the dollar amount from 620 to 2500. Correct? So I'd like to get a second. And this is Mary. I second the motion. Yes. Any public comment on this item? There's no public comment on this item by any. Any council coming. Okay. Would you please vote? District one. I'm District two. I. District three. I. District four. All right. District five. I. District six. I. District seven. I. District eight. District nine. All right. Motion carries.
A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for the 3600 Block of Downing, bounded by Downing Street, 37th Avenue, Marion Street, and 36th Avenue, and including vacated portions of Lawrence Street south of 36th Avenue in Cole. Approves an official map amendment to rezone the 3600 block of Downing Street from B-4 with waivers and conditions, UO-1, UO-2; U-SU-A1; and C-MX-3, UO-1, UO-2 to C-MX-5, UO-1, UO-2, IO-1, DO-7; C-MX-3, UO-1, UO-2, IO-1, DO-7; and C-MS-5, UO-1, UO-2 (business zoning in the former zoning code to downtown, urban, and urban center with overlays), located in an area bounded by Downing Street, 37th Avenue, Marion Street, and 36th Avenue, and including vacated portions of Lawrence Street near 36th Avenue, in Council District 9. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 1-29-19.
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Hi. Madam Secretary, please call the voting and announce the results. 11 nice Lebanese country on 19 20042 has passed. Councilman Lopez, will you please put Council Bill 19.0058 on the floor? Thank you. Mr. President, I move that council bill council vote 58 series of 2019 be placed upon final consideration, do pass. It has been moved and seconded before we go into the public hearing. Councilman Brooks. Yeah. Thank you. Mr. President, I want to notify the public that I will be abstaining for this vote. We have the opportunity, as city council members, to do a council initiated rezoning that's much different than a legislative rezoning, where there's multiple properties on council initiated rezonings. We've been advised from our legal counsel to abstain. Full disclosure, I live in this neighborhood. I have been a part of this area for over 20 years, and we've been advocating for community serving businesses like grocery stores, affordable grocery stores and things like that. And so I've gone. Councilman Espinosa initiated an ordinance where we send it to to send notifications to residents that live within 200 feet of this location. I've gone door to door and talk to residents about this rezoning. I've done personal meetings with residents. I've attended community meetings around this. And so I wanted to let my colleagues know that I'm available for questions, but I will not be voting on it. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Brooks. And with that, the public hearing for council will 19 005 is open. May we have the staff report? Thank you. Jeff Hurt with media planning and development. So this is the rezoning request for all of one block and a portion of another block. And it's there's a lot going on in the site. So bear with me as a as I go through it, I'll try to be as concise as possible. So the site is in Council District nine. In the cold neighborhood. And so the request area is about 2.6 acres. And the purpose is to accommodate redevelopment of a mixed use project in a transit oriented development area. And the applicant, as Councilman Brooks said, is Councilman Brooks. And so the request is, I think, best shown visually, even though it's still complicated in this map. But essentially, the request is to rezone. Now, I try to get my laser pointer here. And it doesn't work. Oh, it does. So the request is you look at the the the yellow the orange font here, that's the existing zoning. So the request is to go from before with waivers. You are one and you oh two and I'll explain what that means. And that's for this portion of the site. And so the existing zoning is you assume a one for this portion of the site. And then south of 36th Avenue is Cemex three. You are one, you have two. And the request is to go to see a five year 102i01 deal seven I'll explain all that means that's for the western half of this block and then the same sort of overlay districts and design incentive overlay district with CMC's three on the eastern half of this block. And I'll explain the funkiness here in terms of billboard overlays, I don't use overlays, but the request south of 36th Avenue would be to go to CMC five. So, so Urban Center, Main Street, five stories. And so the existing context is varied, but looking really in all directions. But to the east and the south you have mostly nonresidential zoning with a variety of building heights allowed. Along Downing Street, you see mostly five stories on the east side of Downing where the subject site is, and then west of Downing and transitions to higher, higher heights, in some cases up to eight storeys. And they're looking straight east and south of the site. It does transition to US-EU, A-1. So that's a single unit zone district and there's overlays all over the place here. And we'll talk a little bit about those. So the existing zoning is. Before. With waivers and conditions, and that's for most of the 3600 block that has the zoning. And that's an old former Chapter 59 zone district that is a business mixed use zone district, the maximum building height. So the maximum building height in the area currently with the zoning is actually regulated by a floor area ratio of 2 to 1. And so that's an important point to note that they could conceivably get actually more than five storeys under the current zoning without building height allowance. The waivers and conditions that's the the custom zoning component of the zone district for the B4 area does have some land use restriction, so certainly and uses are prohibited. This includes liquor stores, gun shops, tattoo shop, some light industrial uses are prohibited and of note as well in the waivers and conditions, there are affordable housing requirements built into the waiver, both for rent and for sale, and that does require an affordable housing plan for any residential development. So commercial development, we don't have to meet any of these standards. And this is something that was common before the city adopted the the inclusionary housing ordinance in 2002. And then largely that was supplanted by a citywide policy with the 2016 Affordable Housing Fund. You'll see in a minute here there's an even greater layer of affordable housing regulation on the site through the incentive overlay. So while that provision was in place and staffs from south perspective, it's largely been replaced through multiple iterations of both citywide and localized affordable housing policy. And there's a formal housing component of the developer's proposal I know, on the site. So the existing zoning so that's but that was before waivers and conditions so the portions that have usou a one year you a one and so that is this area, the southeast corner of the site. And I'll talk a little bit about what that area is, but it's essentially remnant C dot right away that's serving currently as a median with green space. That's USDA one. That's a single unit zoned district that does allow for accessory dwelling units, the U. Oh one zone district. And so that includes all of this area to the west of the Lawrence House, Laurent Street, as it traverses the site, as the adult use overlay zone district you go to has the same boundaries. That's the Billboard Use Overlay district and there are three existing billboards on the site. The applicant is looking to carry forward all of those designations, I would say primarily due to legal reasons, but happy to talk about that as well. So existing zoning. This is the area south of 36. This is the Cmax three. We already talked about where you are one and you have two mean C-Max three is commercial as a mixed use on district allows up to three stories and 45 feet in height. There are build to and transparency requirements for primary streets for those in district. Okay. So a couple of slides here on what's happening with Lawrence Street as it traverses the site. This is important context. So this map on the screen is an image from the 30th and flake stationary plan. So that's from 2000 sorry, 2016, I believe. And so the recommendation out of that plan was to actually eliminate Lawrence Street as it traverses the site. So if you look at the map, the red dotted area is Lawrence Street and that was explicitly recommended to vacate or eliminate that area and essentially square off these two blocks. And that's kind of where the applicant in development or the developer team is headed toward. So a little bit of the history in terms of how we got to that point. So the plan recommended the vacation of the Lawrence swoop, as we call it, but some of the history is that actually originally it was out right of and an old state highway and that was put up for sale or put on the market for purchase. And the development team has purchased that right of way. And so that includes Lawrence Street as it traverses the site and it includes the adjacent median areas that are part of the of the right of way that currently serve as greenspace. And so this is a bit unusual in that the development team is actually that's part of the rezoning is actually working with the city to fund and implement these changes as opposed to waiting on the city to do it, to implement the plan. And I will say just last slide on this, that, you know, we see a lot of recommendations like this in plans that need to be further vetted and studied. This is one in particular where public works looked at Lawrence Street as it traverses the site and concluded from a technical traffic sort of functionality standpoint that it would be beneficial to the overall system to eliminate Lawrence Street as it traverses the site and again, square off these blocks and set those new boundaries, reflect those on district request. So the existing context in terms of land use is varied. You see mostly nonresidential along the Downing Street corridor and then transitioning east to more residential. This is an image we've already seen, but just highlighting the proximity to the commuter rail station that is about two blocks to the subject's site. So a very walkable distance wise from the subject's site. And so images are the subject property. This is from Downing Street, looking east at some of the existing buildings. Downing Street is an old streetcar corridor. So this is also the subject property. A Most of the structures on the site are late 1800s, early 1900s. This is the late 1800s single family structure on some kind of the northeast portion of the site. And so this is looking at one of those median slash greenspace areas, one of two that are part of the subject zoning request subject site. And this is the other one. So this is looking North Downing Street on the left hand side of the screen and one of those median greenspace areas. And again, looking at the subject site, you see just some of the existing buildings in use as a wide range. Several buildings have been demolished, but some of it is vacant as well. So this is looking at surrounding properties. This is looking west across downing, west, northwest and sort of the or industrial nature of the area. Looking toward the rail tracks and this is looking northwest from the subject site across Downing Street. Again, you see just kind of a mix of land uses and a very much a transitional area. And so this is looking south. So this is the start, I believe, of the Lawrence swoop. But you can see an existing gas station and some commercial along Downing here as well. And so this is looking east across Marion Street. And also a mix of uses, even though it's zoned single unit residential. There is an existing church here. And then on this corner, the southeast corner of 36. And Marion is actually some office uses, some nonresidential uses as well. And this is looking north of the subject property, looking at some more commercial uses, long downing and looking north as well. East side of the block. You see, it's certainly transitional in this area. Okay. So on to the requested zone districts and a little bit about what that means. So C-Max five and three, the three and five denotes the number of stories allowed. So again, the requests will be to go to CMC's five on the western half of this block, C-Max three on the eastern half of this block, with all the overlays that does allow 45 feet and 70 feet in height, three and five stories accordingly. And the build two requirements are they're essentially stating that 70% of the buildings must be pushed to the street. So pushed along Downing within zero and 15 feet. There are transparency requirements for streets, meaning some visual interest along the street level. And there are also street level active use requirements. So see and S5. So that was CMC's mixed use and that's the area north of 36 area south of 36 is proposed to be CMC five, so it's Main Street five and that's essentially to match the existing CMS five that this would line up with if re zoned. And CMS is very similar to C index in terms of land uses, but it does carry with it a higher built to requirement and higher levels of transparency, more of that Main Street feel. So the Iowans own district districts. This is part of the rezoning request for areas north of 36 on the subject say. So this is the 38th and Blake incentive overlay. And so this is essentially a requirement for affordable housing and other community benefits if development exceeds a base height. So you'll see on this map, I know it's kind of hard to see north of 36, the site is included in that overlay and this is in the code and does establish a maximum height of five stories. And I'll hone in on the specific height guidance. And what that means for this site. But they are asking again for C-Max, five on the eastern western half, six three in the eastern half. Oh, and I should also mention that this in a subsequent slide, there are there is a requirement in the code that you can't ever exceed three stories along Merrion Street. So there's a built in transition along Mary Ann Street of 35 feet from that street where you can never go above three stories. But I'll hit that in a subsequent slide. Okay. So the d07. And so this would also apply to properties north of 36. That's the river north design overlay. And so the incentive overlay and the design overlay are intended to work in tandem with each other in terms of the boundaries and the applicability of them. But essentially what this overlay does is provide enhanced design, mandated enhanced design above and beyond CMCs and CMS. So there's things like a minimum first floor height to kind of promote adaptability of buildings over time and of higher transparency requirements and other standards relating to parking lot, location setbacks, maximum residential things like that. So you see a higher level of design when you bring sites under the deal of seven. So this is the process to date. Follow the normal rezoning process leading to tonight. I will note that Planning Board recommended approval of the rezoning unanimously on January 9th. So the public outreach has been extensive and there's numerous registered neighborhood organizations. And so there has been letters of support from three registered neighborhood organizations, from Cole, Curtis Park and the Reno Arts District for the rezoning. Additionally, there's a total of 130 Non-nano comments with 120 128 of those supporting the rezoning. And there's also two comments within that, representing four properties in the area that support the rezoning, but only for the existing commercially zoned areas and in opposition to rezoning the median greenspace areas. These are the criteria that staff use to evaluate rezonings or go through them. So there's a number of plans applicable here. You have the citywide plans and 30th and Blake is really what provides the most specific neighborhood planning guidance. So I'll go through each one of these. So in terms of what the comprehensive plan says. Staff cited a number of comprehensive plan policies that support the rezoning, mostly related to conserving land by promoting infill development at sites where services and infrastructure already exist. This being in a transit oriented development area and well connected to the city's mobility network. That is the case in a number of other policies to support redevelopment and transit oriented development sites. So staff does find the request consistent with the Conference of Plan 2000, which I know is about to change, but that's what's on the books today. So in terms of Blueprint Denver, the site is in an area of change. And so those are areas that the city believes that new growth can best be accommodated, areas new transit. This certainly is the case. And in terms of the future land use concept, it is shown as transit oriented development, just being two blocks from the light rail, from the commuter rail station, that is certainly the case. So staff does find it consistent with these designations. And overall, does staff does find the request consistent blueprint in Denver, mostly because of the location of the site being in a transit orient development area. Also that the rezoning would eliminate a former Chapter 59 custom zoned district, which is also related to blueprint policies. Okay, so 38 and Blake Plan was originally actually adopted in 2009. In 2016, the 30th and Blake Station area height amendments were adopted. This is the most focused, neighborhood specific plan guidance. So we'll focus on this the most. So the subject site in terms of the future land use concepts, this is future land use concept has it split between mixed company street and urban residential. And so both of which support the idea of a mix of land uses and to activate the public realm. And then in terms of the stationary height amendments, this is really specific height guidance for the subject site and surrounding sites. And I'll explain this really quickly. But and this this explicitly in that document does supersede all height guidance and other plans. So this is really the rule that is on the books for the site. So and it does only apply to portions of the site north of 36th, south of 36 is not mapped. But essentially what this map says is that what the numbers say is the maximum base height that would be supported by the plan. So again, that is what is being matched by the applicant's request. CMA x three cm x five. The green is the maximum incentive heights. That's the maximum height you could go if you provide affordable housing or other community benefits. And so that's only actually applicable to areas on the eastern half of the subject block because they've already with five storeys, there's no incentive height on the western half of the block. So you would be able to go from 3 to 5 if you meet the affordable housing requirements. This blue strip on the map is indicating what I mentioned before, which is the transition that's required, where you can never go above three stories within 35 feet of Marion Street and intended to transition to the to the surrounding neighborhood . So staff does find the request consistent with things like stationery plan and Hyde Amendment policies for a variety of reasons. One that the based on District Heights precisely match those in the Hyde amendments, but also that CMCs and CNS both allow a mix of land uses, which is supported by both the transitory development, mixed use and urban residential future land use designations. And then moreover, by bringing in the design overlay idea of seven, that will require enhanced design mostly, you know, related to the public realm and the sites interface with the commuter rail station. And the rezoning would also support redevelopment along Downing Street, which is identified as a main street to support investment in the 30th and Blake plan. So I won't go into the other plans in much detail because three of them. Blake And sort of supersedes those. But the Elyria, Swansea Neighborhood Plan and the Northeast Downtowns Plan also apply to this site. So kind of grouped them together for this presentation at least. And so both plans in terms of plan consistency. Santos find the rezoning request consistent with both plans in terms of policies related to supporting development in transit aurion development areas and infill in these areas. And the building height recommendations are kind of moot in these documents because they're replaced by 38 and Blake. So again, the rezoning request is consistent with these plans because the requested zoning does allow a mix of land uses supported by both of these plans and the future land use concept and both of those plans for the subject site. And all of these layers combined support many plan recommendations related to promoting development in this area, being close to the commuter rail station. So the second criteria uniform, your district regulation staff does find the request consistent with that criteria. Happy to talk about that. Staff does find the request consistent with the third criteria, which is to further public health, safety and welfare, primarily through implementing adopted plans that we just went through related to land use design and building height from a variety of plans really that support redevelopment on the site. In terms of justifying circumstances. And this is basically saying that the rezoning is justified because of changed or changing conditions in the area. There's multiple things that staff cites in the staff report. One being that there's been multiple adopted plans since 2010, which is the site's original zoning and then certainly the 30th and Blake commuter rail station openings or changed conditions that support a rezoning from spouse staff's perspective. Last criteria consistency with the description of the neighborhood context and the zone district being proposed. Staff does find the request consistent with that criteria because it promotes mixed use development, where an adopted plan supports transit oriented development with excellent multimodal access. And then when you bring in the Doe seven in the Il1 zone districts, those are explicitly mapped to the site. So it's consistent with that in that sense. So that concludes my presentation. Happy answer questions. We also have some other staff, city staff here as well, depending on the questioners. Thank you very much. It looks like we have 16 individuals signed up to speak this evening. So in order for us to get through this in a timely manner, I'm going to call the first five up at five at a time, up to the front bench. And then when I call your name, please step right up to the podium as your time will start. So the first five Keith Pryor, chairman, say COO Ty Baldock, Jessie Parris and John Young. Keith Pryor, you are first up. Hi, my name is Keith Pryor. I am at 2418 Champ Street, but I have a property that's at 3361 Lawrence, which is just literally two blocks away from this project. I'm in huge support of, as Andrew has done a great job. This is clearly stated in the Northeast Area plan of what was to be done with this property. The reconfigurations that the streets and putting the grid back is crucial to implementing the plan and executing that. And we worked very hard on getting that plan done and adopted and then just that, you know, having the retail, having a mixed use, having the affordability, this checks every box that you want to be as a part of your community. It's walkable, it has bike, it's bikeable. We're working on putting the bike lanes back on Marion and making that a community neighborhood street from what it is today. It's one of the most dangerous in the city with that curve and we're putting back in the tree line. So that one spot you're having that is going away as a median, we're actually adding significantly more trees, we're adding significantly more open space and greenspace. And also the developer is working. I am the chair of the Curtis Park Design Design Committee and they're working with us on making sure that it's going to have a really nice design, have some really interesting kind of like a signature element where it comes in there at Larimer Street and 36th Street so that you can see it from the station and really draw you in to that project. So, you know, I'm in huge support. I think that this rezoning is appropriate. It actually does everything that it needs. The current zoning, they could do a lot more. And so I think that they've really worked well with the community at Curtis Park and the other neighbors call and also Whittier and you should support this. It's just really well thought out and executed. So I hope you do support this tonight. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next up, Chairman Sekou. Chairman Seiko. Founder, Chairman Blackstar. It's a movement of self-defense advocates for poor. Working, poor homeless students. Elderly folks. The voiceless. The want to have no power. Especially sitting in this body here, you have no poor people representing nothing up there. And I am going to be the next mayor. The first poor person who is currently at the poverty level that's going to be elected. And that doesn't exist nowhere in this country. For 400. Years. This. Project. On every level. Does not qualify to be approved. Council has got to see the results of their work when they do these zoning changes. As soon as you approve zoning building starts happening. But you go around those sites and you'll find not one black person working on the site. Brown and white? No black. That is against federal law to systematically exclude a group because of race. And when you look at the developers who do this, they have no diversity inside their organization. It's all quite box. So then who is this for? Who is it for? The resegregation of our neighborhood. Where they come inside our neighborhood. And they get the political support and they get the zoning changes. And now it's only popcorn because now we are not. Being considered at all. And then in those rooms, we have a few folks. Like flowers and. Buttermilk. Who feel intimidated. By the majority of the people there because they see their voice and their vote don't mean squat. Because it's already decided. So therefore, we're just. Window covering like a mannequin in a department store and the window with nobody in there working. But the mannequin is. I'm sorry, but your time is up. Next up, tie builder. Good evening. Take this down here. Good evening, council members. My name is Taobao Waldock, and I've worked in rhinos since 1999, and I've lived in Whittier since 2008. Large construction crews have become the norm in our ever evolving corner of the city. I personally welcome the change as well, as well as recognize the growing pains associated with this progress. We have an opportunity to address an imperative need brought about by this growth. I support and welcome the addition of a healthy, affordable and convenient grocery option to our backyard. As a kid growing up in Ohio, I remember bagging groceries at Lee Williams meets. This experience taught me the value of hard work. The satisfaction of making my own money. And the responsibility of contributing to an organization whose sum is greater than its parts. All things that I still hold sacred in my family business today. I believe this new grocer will allow our community to pass along the same work ethic to our youth, who are our next generation of community leaders and entrepreneurs. Our current grocery options include Downing Super, a place that has limited, unfortunately oftentimes expired inventory or masks, a locally owned option that has superior meats but isn't always accessible for many middle class Tamil families. And finally, my go to Safeway on 20th Avenue. Recently, though, the Safeway was remodeled and a large portion of its floor plan was given to Starbucks. Now, don't get me wrong, I have to have my morning coffee too, because I can't function without it. But this remodel has resulted in a smaller produce section and an entire aisle devoted to sugary soft drinks. It's no wonder that lower income neighborhoods are at a higher risk for diseases such as obesity and diabetes. This new grocery will bring us an improved option that other neighborhoods in the city have benefited from for years, such as the salad bar, a homeopathic supplement section, and a cheaper bulk grain option. Our neighborhood deserves this just as much as the residents of Cherry Creek, who benefit daily from the beautiful Whole Foods on First Avenue. In addition, there are limited, healthy, affordable, grab and go options for lunch in the working district of Reno. My coworkers would relish the opportunity to jump on a scooter and go to the new grocer for lunch. My business Erica Motorsports is surrounded by hundreds of new residents from the new Madeira Project on Blake to the Hartley Flat Building on Walnut, with other residential projects breaking ground daily. These new residents have already been given grocery options to include the new new King Soopers and Whole Foods near Union Station. Yet our neighborhood, which have been the backbone of downtown Denver for years, are still left. I'm sorry, but your time is up. Okay. Thank you very much. And I apologize for mispronouncing your name. Next up, Jesse Pierce. Jesse Pierce. Represented for Denver Home, a sellout Black Star action moment for self-defense and Positive Action Commitment for social change. And I'm also an at large candidate for May 2019 election. We are against. This. I attended numerous of these meetings with the community. The community voiced their concerns. Their concerns were parking traffic. The fact that I-70 is going to be shut down and there's nowhere for this traffic to go except to their neighborhoods. You want to change a one. Way street into a two way street? All of this. Change is happening while our neighborhoods are being gentrified. Where we are being rapidly displaced. From these neighborhoods. I grew up in the whole neighborhood. I've been here longer than congress out. Councilman Alvin Beasley for your comments to the body. I. Am against this. You need to vote no. On this seriously. And you really take into consideration what the community wants, not what these transplants want. And these people have just been here 5 minutes ago. We need to listen to the concerns of the people that have. Been here for 20, 30, 40, 50. Plus years, for generations. This is why we need a new council. Because you do not listen to the concerns of the people in these neighborhoods. You only listen. To them on the topic of thank you. Thank you. Next up, John Young and I'm going to call in the next five up to the front row, Dara Watson, Andrew Feinstein, John Haydon, Eric Clancey and Glenn Sibley. Go ahead. Hi. My name is John Young. I live at 3639 Ray Street. I've been in the whole neighborhood for almost 11 years and I'm going to speak in support of the project. I think it's going to provide the neighborhood with a few key positive benefits. The biggest is the two way street. If you're standing on 37th trying to cross Miriam's Street, the Warren Street is a has a bend in it and you can't see around the corner and cars just fly because it's a one way street. They come around that corner, they're going really fast. So straightening out the grid, reproducing the street grid, having two way traffic will greatly improve pedestrian and cyclist safety. The next is it's going to provide detached walks and shade trees. There is one. Tree in this whole block and all of the walkways are attached and right up against the curb, or you're just right up against all the cars. And last, it's going to provide a full service grocery store that's actually walkable. When I first bought the house 11 years ago, I this is the one thing I hoped we would finally get. And with this project, we're going to actually get something that's walkable that you can actually get to. It's affordable and quality. And then the last thing is density. It's two blocks from the light rail stop. And this area is mainly a surface parking lot. With no residents in providing that much density is going to really improve that whole light rail area and station area. That's it. Thanks for letting me speak. Thank you. Next up, Darryl Watson. Good evening, members of council. My name is Darryl Watson. I'm a deep, dark chocolate brother, 30 year resident of. City Council District nine. And a 23 year resident of the great Whittier Neighborhood. Association. And I stand. Here tonight in favor of this rezoning and in favor of this development. I have three points I wanted to share. First. Affordable housing as well as having an affordable grocer. I remember 1998. When the Whittier Neighborhood Association, we did our neighborhood plan. And it was one of the first plans, neighborhood plans that was attached to the comprehensive plan for the city county of Denver. And one of our. First priorities was to have an affordable. Grocer. In. The Whittier neighborhood or adjacent to the Whittier neighborhood. And that was in 1998. We support all of the current grocery stores that currently are around and in Cole and Whittier. But having this as an addition doesn't take away from those. It just provides different opportunities for folks. As far as the affordable housing piece, that's a plus. Knowing that within District nine. We have some of the largest communities of low income. Section eight. And affordable housing. I am for all of the above. The more affordable housing, the more low and low income housing, the more section that we can have, the more folks we can support. I know my mother lives in Curtis Park. I won't share her. Business, but she lives in a rent an apartment based on her income. She loves it. She's been there for almost 15 years. She can possibly walk to this grocery. Store. From her residence that she lives right now. I think the other things that I think is important are the jobs. I think we're going to have a mixed used. Grocery store that's going to allow for folks in the neighborhood. And I can tell you, I've known Andy Feinstein for a good clip. Him and his team have done a remarkable job in reaching out to all of the neighborhoods that surround this grocery store. But I also know every business, as Andy has in our neighborhood, in our community. He hires folks from. Within the communities that they serve. That's one of his priorities and that's one of the reasons why I support him and the work that his team does. So thank you very much, members of council. My name is Darryl Watson and I. Support this rezoning. Thank you. Next up, Andrew Feinstein. Good evening, Council President. These mikes are never high enough. You're tall. You should make them taller for all of us. Tall guys. Good evening. Council President Clark, members of city council. My name is Andrew Feinstein. Thank you, Daryl, for the very kind words. I'm a fifth generation Denver aide and I'm located at 3535 Larimer Street. You might know me more familiar lately as the owner of the Tracks nightclub and the next event center, which does hire locally immediately catty corner to this site in question. I'm also the lead developer on this project and our group has owned this property, the bulk of this property since 2005, except for the seed portion which we were able to acquire last year. Jeff did a great job. Jeff from a CPD staff did a great job of walking you guys through all of the neighborhood plans, and I believe he made a good case for why this is consistent with those plans. As someone who's been in this neighborhood now for ten years, I've been in all of those public meetings. So whether it was the 2008, 2009, 30th in Blake Station area plan, the 2011 next step study the northeast downtown neighborhood plan the 30th and Blake design and height overlay that we passed last year. I went to all of these meetings, every single one of these meetings, and the one thing we kept hearing in all these meetings was four needs from the community. Number one, you know, we live in a food desert and we need an affordable grocery store that we can walk to. Number two, we need more affordable housing. Number three, we need local jobs in the neighborhood. And number four, I don't feel safe when I bike or walk around these one way streets and these dangerous intersections. So we're really here tonight because we have an opportunity with this rezoning to not only comply with all of those neighborhood plans that have been adopted by council going back ten years now. But we can finally meet the needs, the felt needs of our neighbors and fulfill the vision that we all set forth as a city and as a community. When we went through these planning processes, going back again ten years, unfortunately, our sites, including the Lawrence Street swoop that Steph mentioned and the medians we required from Seedat to complete the block while they were included in the 30th and Blake design overlay, they were not included in the ordinance. So in order for us to meet those community needs again, eliminate a food desert, provide affordable housing, which, as you'll see in the booklets we've given you, we are committing to making 10% of all the units we build to be affordable at 60%. Am I? Even though the ordinance only may require one or two units at 80%, am I provide local jobs and create a safer pedestrian experience? It's all covered. If we get this rezoning done. So we have three letters of support from Curtis Park, from Cole and from Rhino, and we have over 150 individual support letters from our neighbors. So I would encourage you all to consider passing this this evening, and I'm available throughout the evening if you have any questions. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, John Hayden. Good evening, counsel. And I like the short term. Thank you very much. So. John Hayden. I live at 2418 Champ Street for 24 years. And I was President Kerr's park neighbors when Andy and. His team brought this before our. Neighborhood for asking for our support. It was at our November regular meeting, and there were 48 neighbors present for that meeting. So there were a lot of people who came out and Curtis Park neighbors did vote to support this rezoning. Our community expressed several concerns having to do with having to do with the design of the building and having to do with making sure that the property, the grocery store was accessible by bike and pedestrian access. And we were happy to say that the developer worked very well with the neighborhood on that and addressing those concerns. We feel very comfortable with Andy and his team because they've been in our community for so long. I think in fact their family started the synagogue at 24th and Curtis over 100 years ago. So it's this really does feel like a a development that's happening from within our community by someone that we trust and that. And so that is why you see support here and not a ton of people here angry about it. So I. Am. Particularly excited about. This because of the taking the Lawrence Street swoop out and restoring our street grid. There were a number of places. Many of you know that I'm a big advocate for pedestrians and bikes in our city, and this is to me, riding. A wrong that was. Done to the five points in Cole neighborhoods many years ago. When they thought. We should be paved over and become an expressway into downtown. This is a rare. Opportunity. To take one of those pavement scars and reintegrate it back into our neighborhood. And so I hope you will support this. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Eric Clancy. Good evening, everyone. My name is Eric Clancy. Excuse me. And I live in the neighborhood that this project is proposed for. And I actually also own a business in the neighborhood. It's a gym. So my primary reason for being here is speaking up in favor of it is safety for my gym members. A lot of the workouts that we do require us to run in and around the neighborhood and the one way streets that a lot of the previous speakers have mentioned are unsafe for my members, just due to the fact that the cars travel really quickly on those roads. So I think that by the rezoning and moving some of the roads into the two ways will be a lot safer for my gym members, which is the primary reason that I'm here speaking in favor of the project. And also we desperately need a grocery store in the neighborhood. I have to travel far too far to go get food and it would be great to have something in the neighborhood where I can just walk to take my bags and then walk back home, too. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next up, Glen Sibley and I will invite the last six people. So if you haven't been up yet, but you signed up this evening to please come up to the front bench. Good. Good evening, President Park. My name is Glenn Sibley. I live in 14 a live in Wayne Koop. I've lived in Denver since 1946, off and on. They call in five points. They would have long been a food desert, dating back to the time when my father used to drive me downtown and turn towards downtown three or five points just to bloggers on this side. There's more and more bougie retail in the Rhino cool neighborhood. You only need to go to consumers and 20 that just have to be convinced of that. It's packed their night. The development of a full service grocery store between 36 and 37. Downing of benefits going 5.7. Curtis Park. Globeville. Elyria. Swans. Here they were to the north, none of which enjoy a food full service grocery store today. It's a much needed amenity with community benefits. If it goes, you sort of provide a valuable social and neutral meeting place for all ages and genders, social services, etc. Those are obvious place for kids to get jobs. Learn the work ethic that we need in this community. The office workers that are occupied, they soon open or plan projects that are on 38th and like 30 of 3500 bike projects would benefit from easy pedestrian access for their needs and the work day and on the way home from work. Lastly, the developers proposing ten times the affordable units normally required. Verizon, if I understand correctly, and further supposing those at 60% rather than 80% as regarding the zoning. This choice has real economic concerns for the president, Obama has added, although the team is taking this approach to the project. We support it. Thank you very much. Thank you. And I apologize for mispronouncing your name. Isaac Dominguez. Hi. My name is Isaac Domingue. I live at 1113 33rd Street. I live and work in the district and am in full support of the grocery store development. About a month ago, I sold my car and I have never understood the need to have a store so close to me. Then over the last couple of months, walking to work, walking to a grocery store is something that is very it's very important to me being able to go somewhere in the neighborhood that I live and work in as well. Not having to Uber or take a bike to get healthy groceries is is something that's extremely needed in the area that we're in. And then lastly, just as I ride a bike or as I scoot. This street is very dangerous, especially the area that is under this. Particular zoning. Would be very, very. Beneficial to have it with a bike lane or something that. Adds the two way street so that we can get to places safely. Thank you. Thank you. And I'm striking out on names. I apologize. The next couple, I am going to apologize ahead of time. Noah Mouse. Manos. Hmm. Good evening. My name is Noah Mannose. I own a property adjacent to the proposed redevelopment site at 3700 Marion Street, which is on the northeast corner of 37th. And Marion. I've lived in the Whittier and City Park neighborhood for almost 15. Years. And I currently live at 2228 Ray Street. I wanted to come and speak today on behalf of those who are pursuing the zoning amendment, because I believe this initiative is a legacy, a legacy to mine minded development that will have a great and lasting benefit to the neighborhood, which I believe is evidenced by the support of Councilman Brooks. I am the co-founder and principal of a design build company in Denver called Paper Airplane. The mission paper airplane is to produce sustainable and high performance buildings using passive house design, philosophy and building methodology. We're focused on producing projects with significantly reduce carbon footprint through the use of low embodied, mature energy materials. We're dedicated to creating buildings that don't rely on fossil fuel consumption and buildings that are up to 90% more efficient than what is required by the current building code. Our mindset is to create an enduring benefit for Denver residents through our projects and to create a positive trajectory and for the general health of the neighborhood. I have completed one project nearby at in five points at 2256 Washington Street, which was acknowledged by the Denver Post and 50 to 80 magazine for its unique approach to sustainability. I met Andrew in 2016 and learned about the proposal of the coal market redevelopment. I was immediately excited by the idea and how it could cultivate a meaningful, positive change in the neighborhood. Previous to meeting him, I was aware of Andy's involvement in the community through Trax and XTO. As a neighborhood resident, I've observed how his entrepreneurship was making a positive impact on the neighborhood. And there are several ways that I believe this project is legacy minded. First, the proposed redevelopment will provide a fundamental service that will improve the lives of families and community members that live in coal and rhino. This is a new this new resource will have also have a positive effect on outlying neighborhoods like Swansea, Skyline, San Rafael and City Park West. I believe there is a simple underlying formula at work in this redevelopment, which is access to healthy food equals a healthy community. The neighbor neighborhoods of northeast Denver have been historically underserved through limited access to quality food, and the coal market redevelopment project will change that. The second way I believe this project is legacy minded is through its focus on affordable housing. Affordable housing is critical as a critical issue in Denver and addressing it as essential to the health and long term viability of the neighborhood and for our city at large. We need affordable housing to encourage diversity, to support working families, to support a young, creative class that will continue to make Denver an interesting and exciting place to live. In 2005. Your time is up. Thank you very much. And next up, I'm going to go to Jennifer and I'm going to let you say your own last name. I'm going to cut my losses before I even start. You did a really great job with the first name. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Jennifer Kubert, and I'm a homeowner in the whole neighborhood. I've been a homeowner in call neighborhood for eight years. And I've watched it grow, expand, improve and gain a new life. The rebirth of Larimer Street and all of its restaurants has helped Cool Neighborhood. You also have the Railway Railway running to Union Station and then out to the airport, which has also improved our neighborhood. And now I see this project as another breath of life for the neighborhood, one we desperately need. We have restaurant shops and some parks, but that this will help us come closer to a goal of becoming self-sufficient within our own community. I would welcome a grocery store two blocks from my own house, one that my husband and I can easily walk to and shop for groceries, for dinners, or our barbecues or our evenings with friends and neighbors. Driving to Safeway, which is 18 blocks from my house or over to Union Station for a Whole Foods, is a waste of my time, and it's usually just adds to more traffic on the streets. Along with self-sufficiency, this project will provide affordable housing that will allow our community to grow and continue on a positive and diverse direction. And it can provide jobs for people who actually live in the area. But most importantly, it will improve the roads and the intersections along Marion and Downing. These are dangerous roads and in eight years I have never felt comfortable crossing the street. The cars speed through during the day and on the weekends. But at Rush. Our the congestion is overwhelming and you have cars zooming in and out constantly. With this rezoning, we can make the roads safer and hopefully with a little less congestion and we will gain safe crosswalks and bike lanes to those who commute by bike scooter . So as a long time resident of the neighborhood, I welcome this rezoning and positive change to our neighborhood. And I thank you very much for your time. Have a good night. Thank you. Next up, Stephen Sampson. Hey, my name is Steve Samson and I live across the street and work across the street from the proposed development. I think the case has been pretty well made. So I will say that the streets are indeed dangerous and the food is definitely scarce. So I think those are both good things. I've been to many of the community meetings for all of the all of the proposed developments for the. Whole neighborhood. And specifically this. And I think that some of the concerns are valid. But given that I have not seen anyone propose an alternative plan that offers anything of any real benefit. I am in support of this. Thank you. Next up, Tracy, while. Good evening. How's everybody tonight? Thank you so much, city council, for hearing us out. My name is Tracy while and I've been a resident of the Five Points neighborhood for 18 years. I'm also the president and co-founder of the Rhino Art District. This particular project was brought to our board and gained full support, as you'll see in your letter. I live in a food desert. When I first moved to the area, my closest food source was the gas station. Over the years, there has been more access to restaurants in this walkable area. But it wasn't until recently that there was a natural grocer built off of Brighton Boulevard. This has been an amazing addition and now it's so much easier to buy healthy food and produce in it an addition of another market. Within walking distance would be another great addition. With another store, I will now be able to shop and compare prices and find the food that I really want. We deserve access to fresh, healthy food. I was also thrilled to hear that as part of this project that 10% of the units being created will be affordable at 60% AMI. While this won't solve our affordable housing crisis, it is at least a step in the right direction. The developer has deep roots in our community and generally cares about our neighborhoods. This is a model I wish more developers were doing in our community. I encourage City Council to support this much needed projects project as it will create over 100 jobs for our community, provide needed healthy food access and will provide much needed affordable housing in the area. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. And last up, Jonathan Kaplan. Hi. Good evening and thank you for taking the time to listen to us this evening. My name is Jonathan Kaplan and I've lived and worked in this area for the past 12 years. I'm a property owner as well as a business owner, and I have seen these neighborhoods grown exponentially since I've been here. The neighborhoods of Cole River, north five points, Elyria, Swansea and Globeville. It's a food wasteland. It's a food desert. We need an affordable grocery store. And the proposed zoning change will move this project forward. And not only will it help create a grocery store, but it will include over 100 jobs, a 10% affordable housing counterpart. And finally, the realignment of streets to provide a safer vehicle and pedestrian experience. I have an incredible amount of confidence in Andrew Feinstein and his team. They are neighborhood centric, they're community oriented. And I urge city council to approve this change of zoning. Thank you for your time. Thank you. That concludes our speakers. Are there questions from members of council? Councilman Brooks, I see you up. Good. Yeah. I just have a question real quick. First of all, Bell Dog didn't get a chance to finish. You didn't get a chance to finish your speech. Did you want to finish that or. I'm thinking of your grocery store. All right. Okay. I have my questions for Jeff. Jeff, can you come on up and just clarify this? Because this has been a point of questioning for a lot of folks in the neighborhood and and even folks. Yeah. And it's the the 35 foot buffer from the protected district. Yes. You said it's a 35 foot buffer that can go up to three stories. Can you just explain that maybe you want to put the slide on and work in the five story start. Yeah. So just give us a little step up. Okay, so the. The code allows just looking at the eastern half of this block. So it would allow a base height of three stories and an incentive height up to five stories. So if you provide affordable housing or other community benefits, you could get up to five, however, within 35 feet of Marion Street. You can't use that incentive. It would only be three stories or 45 feet. I believe in height would be the maximum. So there's essentially a no go area. That is the the buffer intended to transition to the neighborhood. So I just want to make that clear because it sounded as if you said you can't go to three stories within the 35 feet. But the reality is you can go because they will be doing the incentive, the affordable housing. They will start their five stories in the three. That they could. They could if they meet all the requirements. Okay. I just I just want to be very clear in making that clear to the folks who are here. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Brooks. Councilman Flynt. Thanks for president. Jeff, maybe you can help me understand, as I looked at the staff report and I looked at the 30th employee stationery plan, when Lawrence is taking when the diagonal, the swoop is taken out, will 36th Avenue cuts through there right now in the middle of the block, basically, doesn't it, between Marion and Downing? Yes. Okay. Will 36th Avenue be maintained as a right of way? Yes, that's my understanding. It would be squared off and 36th Avenue would maintain. It's easy to go. Continue to go through. So the triangular parcel at the bottom of that will be separated from the main block to the north. Okay. I just want to make sure I understood that correctly. At the committee, there was some talk when this was a committee a while back about open space and the fact that those triangles, even though they're in the middle of traffic nightmare, provided some green space. And we had heard some we had some input that there was concern about loss of green space. Can you tell us how this rezoning, how it handles the open space and green space? Yeah, I mean, it's a challenge because those two areas are one, they're in private ownership now and they were previously set right away. So the city has never really own them or controlled them. I didn't mean to imply that it's that it should be green of. It just happens to be open because there's nothing else you can do with them. Right. Right. So so absent any zoning guidance or any plan guidance, saying it should be open space or a green space or a park or anything, and the fact that it's in private property ownership and was put on the market and went through that process, we have really limited options in terms of what zoning can do. But I know the applicant and if they want to submit it could speak to it has been looking at ways to mitigate that. Okay, Andrew, could you come up and address that? And also, while he's coming up, does the triangular parcel when we take out the Lawrence swoop, does do the parcel boundaries abut the other private property to the south of that does? I think you have to ask me about the tollbooth we were going to put up on the road. So no, so jokes aside, this this property, if you look at the map that just provided here. Yes. And you take this right now, this this this city block exclusive of that median has zero greenspace and very few trees . Yes. When we square off this entire block and we remove the Lawrence streets, where we are going to dress or adorn is the right word. But we're going to address the entire perimeter of this site with a brand new tree line on the Marian side. Our intention, if public works will allow it, is to make that a localized street. And we're going to have a 15 to 17 foot tree line all the way along Marion, which it does not have today. So we're actually going to double the amount of total green space and triple the amount of trees as far as the triangle to the south of 36. That is adjacent to our neighbor to the south, which is a gas station. And we play nice, we get along great, and we're going to own our triangle and they're going to own their gas station. And and we've had some preliminary discussions about reserving that as open space, but it remains to be seen what we're going to do with it specifically. Okay, great. Thank you, Mr. President. That's all. Thank you, Councilman Flynn. Councilman Espinosa. I'm looking at the the 99 plan for a mid 2000 plan, really, for Whittier, which is not referenced in the in among the plans. Is there a reason for that? Uh, if it is in the plan area boundary, um, which I'm not sure that it is. After the site. Definitely is, yeah. Okay. The northwest, the northeast corner and the triangle parcels. Okay. Well, that may be an oversight by staff's part, but we certainly have more recent guidance with the 30th in place. And this is going to be more related to my comments. But does anyone know the demographics of the neighborhood of Whittier now? Because back then it was 75, while 76% African-American and 15% Latino. So. So over 90% or over? Yeah, a lot. And I can do math again. Over 90% minority. Do you know what that is? I don't know. Um. Okay. Okay. I was gonna look at it. Slide 42. Please. Uh oh. You're already there. Awesome. So that blue band of three story is. How do you begin? 35 feet from Marianne Green. And then slide 50 as well. Uh. Uh, I only have 49. Okay. How about 38? 30? Yeah. I'm looking for. A movie off. Yeah. It's different than what's on here because it's 50 slides on here. I'm looking for the slide with the euro two boundary. That the billboard is so. Oh, yeah. There is a hidden slide. Sorry, there is a hidden slide. Which is. Yeah, I apologize. I'll get that unhidden. I see that comes up. Yeah. Yeah. So there is language in the plan that contemplates this idea that one day the economic forces would redevelop this area and maybe, you know, put less emphasis on revenue generation through billboards. It is interesting to me with the reconfiguration of the street that the Marion Parcels would be more of the residential fabric that the rest of the neighborhood to the east is and less in certainly with fewer car trips than what Lawrence configurations supports today. Was there any discussion about altering the boundary of the euro, too, so that it actually didn't go all the way into the to the single family, sort of, you know, adjacent and maybe subdivided? I mean, split it among the zone lot. Yeah. I mean, we we had discussions about that. And it's one of those things where both with the euro one and the euro two, we were advised to keep it exactly how it is, basically. And I could have the city attorneys come up here and speak more to that, but especially with having existing billboards on the site and creating issues with that. So it is a little funky, but we we did land the living in exactly the way it is. I'm not too worried about it because I did scour all the plans and there's very, very minimal discussion. And it's only in Arapahoe Square, actually in the downtown neighborhoods plans where they even talk about existing billboards. So so as far as I'm concerned, the plans don't recommend anything. Yeah, the but the plans do talk about travel said study has a travel said study prior to the reconfiguration. Is the travel study been done? I am not sure if I know that there is extensive a next step study to look at squaring off this block. And I don't know if a travel shared study was a component of that analysis. I don't. Know if you could if there is one, could you just looks. Like. Oh, great. Good, get Luke up here from public works to copy. Hi. I'm Luke Korpi with Public Works. No travel said study wasn't done, but public works that examined when we began to work with the applicant on this project, the actual traffic volumes of the adjacent surrounding streets and worked on these street improvements and operational improvements to accommodate the traffic associated with the removal of the worn swoop. I'm sort of not worried. I'm just going to sort of welcome this neighborhood into the problems of Northwest Denver because it's already really congested at times over there. I can't imagine with the reconfiguration how that necessarily is going to work other than to put more traffic in neighborhood streets. You know. It's not particularly designed to accommodate more traffic than is currently using the streets, but it is designed to accommodate the traffic throughput that is currently contained on the lawns swoop and average it out to the surrounding streets 36 Marion Downing 37th, while at the same time improving bicycle and pedestrian conditions. As public works. So one of the things is, is in my choose, my two statistical neighborhoods that are closest to the urban core and closest to transient has the most connectivity to downtown, also has the greatest increase in population and single occupant drivers. This public works have a plan because there's so much transit infrastructure over here to basically really make sure that this is this is an area that actually, you know, readily accepts and adopts the alternative means of transportation because there's probably no area in the city that is more primed for it. I think some of that is is delving into policy issues that I'm at a staff level not quite able to address. But certainly, you know, we're cognizant of the density, is supportive of the increased density around the stations and in this transit rich area. So we're certainly wanting to encourage high density but less vehicular oriented development, the idea being that we're really not in a position to be able to redesign or reconfigure the streets in any kind of substantial way to carry more traffic volume. But what we're interested in working toward is mode shifts to transit, bicycles, pedestrians and certainly, you know, we're supportive of the higher densities in this neighborhood because of their adjacency to the transit opportunities. Do you think that that is something that we should introduce in this? So, you know, we did land use decisions with the incentive overlay and other sort of creating the conditions for density and minimal parking. Do you think we should have established some requirements in the site development plan process so that actually public works wasn't just looking at access, ingress and egress, but actually sort of compelling multi-modal use? I think that's a very good question. I think I think it's a it's a policy discussion that should potentially be pursued and encouraged in my position. I'm not really able to speak on how we may want to proceed with implementing those goals. But I can certainly say that in my role primarily as a development review engineer, that examining everything and putting everything on the table to accommodate the transportation needs of development and the community is a good thing. You know, great. Those are really lead up to I have questions for the ownership as well. But I can skip if you if there is any that is lined up, I'd probably. Put just you. Right now. So is it Andy or just you alone or. Okay, so the community spoke about a conversation that you had with respect to them on design and amenity in the project. You know, I'm big on codifying these things, even though they're not a requirement of your zoning. You know, when you have these conversations with community, they start to establish certain expectations, but the zoning doesn't actually compel any of that. So what are you what mechanism are you pursuing to actually compel the outcomes that you're having that you're sort of pitching to the neighborhood? I'm concerned that you're questioning my taste, Councilman. Well, first things first. You know, when we when we and I helped, I was on the steering committee and I attended all 34 meetings that helped draft the 38th and Blake design and height overlay. We debated this extensively. If we want to have formalized design review yes or no, we ended up saying no. That said that the design overlay itself does have a lot of good. In it, including active ground floor use a certain height for the first floor setback requirements. Setback requirements. A lot of you know, we did have a what do you call hydro parking lot provisions where you can't just have a parking lot that's exposed to the street. So I think there's a lot of good tenants in there. You know, as Keith Prior from Curtis Park mentioned earlier, we've already engaged with him, with our architect, to talk about what what might work from a design standpoint, from the opinion of Curtis Park and the perspective of Curtis Park. Certainly as we get our massing going and we get our design going, should we be fortunate enough to have our zoning approved? We'll be meeting with the rhino team as well, rhinos in the process of reconfiguring its design review team and there will be meeting with them as well. So we will engage with the neighbors. But I'm very confident in our team. We've done other projects in this area before. I think we do great work. We're not out of town speculators. We're here for multi-generation, not just myself, but my partners as well. And I think that this will be a project that the whole community can be proud of because we're intending on owning it forever, so we better be proud of it. So at ludy committee discussion about pocket parks and the possibility of a pocket park sort of as a replacement for the the lost open space, I, I commented that it's a quarter of an acre of open space land in those two triangles, about 11,000 square feet. And it wasn't your commitment, I understand, but the commitment was made to capture open space. Has open space been a part of that discussion with the community? It has, especially with the whole neighborhood. I think, again, as I mentioned in my in my my answer to Councilman Flynn, we believe that by addressing the east side of city, west side of Marion, east side of our project with potentially a 17 foot tree line and turning Marin into a local ice street, we can actually double the amount of green space that is currently open, space that is currently there, and triple the amount of trees on the site. You know, those to call those pocket parks are of colors. Open space is. I just respectfully disagree with the description. I've been located right across the street for a decade now. I have never stood in either of those pocket parks and had a picnic or done anything whatsoever. They're medians and just because they happen to have grass on their medians. And so I think that, you know, there's going to be some cost benefit here. There's some things we've got to do in order for us to square up this block and improve and improve both a pedestrian and cycling, but also vehicular safety around there, you kind of can't have it all. So we're trying to explore maintaining that southern triangle as a pocket park. But we engaged with parks and they weren't interested in taking it on. And I don't want to be in the parks business and I don't think you want me in the parks business. So that's something we're working on, but we'll see how it goes. Yeah, I'm. Under no illusion that those are pocket parks, but what was contemplated was actually something more of a true pocket park as part of the development. But those are just those are spare parcels, you know, as you know, as you acquire them. Then the last question is on the 17 feet along, Marion, do you is that where your your property line is? If not, are you going to seek a variance to further your build to requirement? Or do you need us to already put an encumbrance on that? And I'm kind of speaking out of turn there. I can't answer that intelligently. But again, my understanding is we're going to work with Luc's team in public works. Maybe maybe staff can help answer that question. But again, we're trying to make Marin a local street, and that's important for two reasons not just to have an extended tree line, but also to have no commercial activity on Marion. As you know, this site is a bridge between the residential side of the neighborhood and the commercial side of the neighborhood. The residential side is on the east, which is coal, and the commercial side is on the west, which is right now. And so that's where we have all of our commercial facing West and all of our residential facing East, which is why we believe that's the best opportunity to have an extended tree line. Yeah. The reason I ask is I've seen other developers basically not want to battle with the city to do sort of what you're talking about, which is the right thing when you can just do what you're allowed to do. Well, too, I think that we all the of the boats are going in the same direction here, meaning we have alignment with Curtis Park, Rhino and coal. I think we're a pretty feisty bunch. And I think we have a we have a terrific councilman who has helped move this project forward. And I think that we have a good team, and I think that we'll have good conversations with the city. And I look forward to having those to figure out how we can produce as much open space as possible. Right. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Espinosa. Seeing no other questions, the public hearing for Council 19 0058 is closed. Comments by members of Council Councilman Flynn. Thank you, Mr. President, as I look at this. This plan and this rezoning, it brings to mind sort of an urban disaster that could have been the the Lawrence Swope the providence of that stems from the original Hyde Park subdivision in 1918 81, when the state put state Highway 33 through from 40th Avenue Smith Road and 40th Avenue on down into downtown Denver. It came in on Lawrence and Larimer, so they needed to acquire that mid-block between Downing and Marion and sort of destroyed the neighborhood and could have destroyed it much further because I believe that State Highway 33 was designated because of the the city's construction of the Lawrence Street Viaduct in 1957, when they paired it with Lawrence and made a one way couplet. This was during the time in the fifties when the city was was doing one way couplets all through all through town. However, in the mid-sixties, the voters of Denver approved the Skyline Urban Renewal Project, which included plans for a freeway. Believe it or not, this block that we're rezoning today would have been the eastern end of a freeway from what's now the Urrea Parkway, or formerly the Lawrence Larimer Viaduct, straight through lower downtown, which would have been obliterated and up through the Upper Larimer area and connecting onto Smith Road. And I when I see rezonings like this, Mr. President, which I support because I believe it meets all of the criteria. It just reminds me of many bullets that we've dodged in the past. Thank you. Thank you. Kels. Councilman Flynn. Councilman. Yeah. Andrew, I just want to. Thank you so much. You can't believe we've been for the last three years. We've been talking about grocery. Stores. And affordable housing. And you're putting that whole plan together. Is is is very admirable. And so really appreciate you and your partners and all of us to bringing this whole project together. It's going to be great and thank. You for all the leadership with Rondo as well. So thank you for everything you're doing. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman new Councilman Espinosa. Yeah, I just I would just make comments. I think I think if you guys get the outcomes that you guys are talking about, it'll be great for this community. And so with that, I'll be supporting the rezoning because it's, you know, it's what's needed to sort of get these two even going close or take a whiff at these outcomes. That said, I'm going to call on you all. That spoke about the need for grocery over here to to be vigilant in getting that outcome on this development or others opportunities in the area. But don't ignore the fact that this problem has been persistent in this neighborhood for a really, really long time. And with this gentrification that is in fact happening and with affluence coming to the area that, you know, these food deserts are more attractive for grocers to move into because there's some disposable income that they can tap. And but it is a problem and is a problem that the city voted to start to address to the tune of $8 million a year. And this this city could budget and have helped address this problem sooner rather than now. I hope and I assume that OPD or somebody may partner with you to sort of help you make sure that this outcome is is is received or. But and so but there are other communities that don't have your resources that are in a dearth of a food desert. And so when you hear that, please, because this section of this binder is the comments, individual comments of people supporting this this rezoning. And almost I mean, the vast majority talk about the grocery aspect of this development. And so that is a genuine need for you all. It will benefit everybody here and a whole bunch of other people in the surrounding areas that are there and will be there as part of the other developments of the 30th and Blake Station . But there are other parts of this city that are just as in dire need. And let's not lose focus of that. And I hope you champion that whenever you get a chance. Thanks. Thank you, Councilman Espinosa. Councilwoman Sussman. Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to congratulate the. Neighborhood and the developer. For thinking through what is going to be, I suspect, a wonderful microcosm of tackling the complexity of the issues that we are. Facing in Denver. You are you're tackling the affordable housing that a place. More places for people to live in really. Terrific neighborhoods. You're tackling the the traffic calming issues that we need to have you're tackling that need to have people maybe not. Have to be in their cars all of the. Time. You're you're tackling the. Walkability of. The neighborhood. You like doing both the transit, the traffic and the housing situation all in one place. And you're providing a density of experience, not just density of people, but a density of experience, a way to be able to enjoy greenery. Enjoy trees. Enjoyed, go shopping, have some other things that you. Can do where you live and where you work. And I think this is a really good example of of meeting this problem from all kinds of different angles. And I appreciate that the work that you did and with the work that the neighborhood did to bring. Something like this forward. Thank you, Councilwoman Sussman. Seeing no other comments, Madam Secretary, roll call. Brooks abstained. Black. Espinosa by Flynn I. Gilmore. I turned in. I Cashman. Lopez I knew. Sussman Hi, Mr. President. By I'm secretary. Please cause voting in those results. Ten Eyes, one abstention.
Recommendation to receive and file a report from Long Beach Unified School District Board Member, Dr. Felton Williams, on the 2017 Urban Educator of the Year, Green Garner Award.
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I'm sorry. Oh, I'm sorry. That was the item. I meant the item for Dr. Williams where I'm looking at the wrong one that got moved up. Item 26, 26. 171717. Communication from Councilwoman Gonzales. Councilman Andrew's recommendation to receiving file a report from Long Beach Unified School District Board member Dr. Felton Williams on the 2017 Urban Educator of the Year Green Gardener Award. You anyway. Fine. Thank you, Mayor. First of all, this is going to be very exciting for me to be able to present this award to a very outstanding individual, because the fact that the work that he's done, not only in the city of. Long Beach International, this individual, he is someone that. You will not only hear about tonight, but you hear about this guy all over the world, because I can just see that's the type of movement he has in his heart. And so, you know, my colleagues, I'm bringing, you know, basically great joy to celebrate the work of this long time friend and colleague, Dr. William Felton. And, you know, his enthusiasm for education, youth has spanned decades, decades, and he's an advocate and a change agent in programing for marginalized communities. His leadership has been recognized on a national level, earning him the national highest honor as an urban educator of the year. Great job, Dr. Felten, and I want you to keep the work. And so after this, I would like to I'd like to bring this ad, my colleagues, you know, help me pass this. And I have I know I have some other people want to speak on this item. So, you know, we'll wait until after this and I'll have a certificate I'd like to give. Absolutely. Councilmember. Councilman Gonzalez. Yes. So I have a few things to say. So thank you so much for being patient, everyone with us. This is definitely something that deserves a lot of time. So a bit about our distinguished, honorable Dr. Felton Williams. He worked in education spanning about 45 years. From 1972 to 79, Dr. Williams held several administrative positions at Cal State Long Beach, which include administrative analyst, instructional services, administrative assistant to the Director of Public Policy, Administration, and Supervisor of the Learning Assistance Center. During this time, he helped develop computer assisted registration and the Public Policy Administration Graduate Program. Dr. Williams also served as the Director of Affirmative Action and Assistant to the President from 1979 to 1994 at Cal State Dominguez Hills, when Dr. Williams was dean of the School of Business and Social Science at Long Beach City College. He was elected onto the school board. Since then, he has been a proponent of the academic and career Success for All Students initiative that recently established Ethnic Studies program with Cal State, Long Beach and Long Beach City College Promise. Dr. Williams was recently awarded the 2017 Urban Educator of the Year from the Council of the Great City Schools. This award was named after Richard Green, first African-American chancellor in New York City, and Edward Gardner, former Denver school board member. And it comes with a $10,000 scholarship to a student in the winner's district. We're looking forward to who you select. And it is no secret that his passion in ensuring that every student in Long Beach succeeds definitely matters to him. And Dr. Williams, we thank you for your service to students in our city and we congratulate you. Thank you so much for being a friend. He and I share a family hometown. I grew up in a few different places, but San Pedro is where we call home to many of our family members. And so we have that bond and connection. And I really appreciate you being here and thank you for your work. I think now, Councilmember Andrews, there's a video that will play on behalf of Dr. Williams. Congratulations, Dr. Williams, on the 2017 Green Garner Award. We can't thank you enough from the Lumbee Unified School District for everything that you've done for our young people from the day that you stepped on as a board member. You've been a huge advocate for equity and access for all of our kids. And because of your efforts to lead our initiatives, our district is recognized as one of the best in the nation. You truly have transformed the lives of thousands of young people and our entire community. So on behalf of all the children, their parents, our teachers, our community stakeholders, and the Board of Education and myself, thank you for a job well done. Williams has the wherewithal to. Reach back on life experiences that none of us on the board. He brings those and the most meaningful way to policy, to discussions. To better the future of our kids in business schools. He advocates for programs that benefit students. He's an articulate voice on the in their defense and on their behalf, as well as for the teachers. He understands that the teachers and the classified staff, the community as a whole is all part of this effort. We also saw some great injustices in this community and actually. And so he dedicated his life to be the change process and to. Part of the process. You know, one says you can't bring the change process unless you have a seat at the table. I think Dr. Will and Sara, he knew that education was the key. So we went into the military. Came back through the GI Bill, got his education, gets his Ph.D. from Claremont. So he not only is a great role model for other African-Americans and for all students, he is one who models on a daily basis what one should do if they want to bring about change. I think for his own upbringing and maybe some of the challenges or the injustices that he's seen in his own life has helped him to perhaps see that in. Others and. Want to create a way in which people can excel, be able to move forward. His work in the NAACP, I think, has a lot in terms of building his character and his passion for education and just. We were wanting to create a around that because we know the drive system. Is seeing students succeed. He wants to close that achievement gap. He wants to see students graduate from high school. He wants to see those students go on to college, enjoy successful careers, and have successful lives. He knows the risks. We're done. So for him, it really is about getting as close to the end zone as possible so that we can share the rest of the nation. How this can be done in the general with the Legion of Ideas has been growing nationwide, but I think Dr. Ruth. It gives it further emphasis. It's nice to read about a district in its successes. When you have an individual as articulate and well-informed as Dr. Williams. In that message forward. Personally, it makes a tremendous impact. I think what gives them the greatest satisfaction is knowing he's made some contribution to the welfare of others. And that's what motivates. Now. Karen. I'd say equity. Charismatic integrity and I would say commitment. A great board member should be. You're going to speak for the city, which is. Great. And we do have a couple. Let me get to a couple of the council members and then I'll have Dr. Williams come up. Councilman Price. Thank you. Well, Dr. Williams, congratulations. I'm so proud to know you and to hear about your accomplishments. That video was beautifully done. As a council member, I'm very proud to have you here with us today so that we could recognize you for this. But more importantly, I'm really proud as a Long Beach Unified School District parent. I started my political career by being active on my PTA, and so I am very much in tune with the needs of our students and the expectations of the parents in terms of what the. School board does. And the satisfaction that parents in my circle have with the way that Long Beach Unified is run. And that has a lot to do with you and your leadership and that of your colleagues. So I congratulate you not as a council member tonight, but as a as a parent of two children in the very district that you have worked hard to build and strengthen. The only thing I will say is I was very disappointed that there was not a Wilson cheerleading squad in the final shot. But Councilman Andrews and I have an ongoing rivalry as I'm about to become a Bruin family member. But one of the things that I love about our school board is that you understand, celebrate, appreciate that diversity and that that level of levity that we have when we have the banter back and forth about our schools. Because really, at the end of the day, it's every single one of these schools that's fantastic and offering our kids opportunities every day. Thank you for being a role model to them and inspiring all of us in terms of your leadership. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Austin. Thank you. And I'd like to just. Also take this opportunity to congrats, congratulations. And I say congratulations to Dr. Williams for the honor. I'm glad that you're here. And I'm glad my colleagues brought this item forward to give you your due respect as an education leader, as a champion for mentoring in our city, young men and boys of color an example and as a class example of an elected official who carries himself with great integrity. I've watched you've been involved for many, many years. He is always been a voice for equity and of course, quality education and a steady force for poor in our city. He's everywhere. And all the events, he's he's popping up and making sure that he's representing the school district to the fullest. I want to also thank you as a parent in our schools. I want to thank you for the work that you do to impact the lives of students and parents along with unified and throughout our state . You are certainly known and have helped put Long Beach on the map as a as a league leading and distinguished district. And on a personal level, you have been a friend and a confidant and a mentor on so many levels. Again, it's my honor here. And thank you for all you do. Thank you. Councilman Ringo. Thank you, Mayor. I've had the privilege of working with Dr. Williams for many, many, many years. We worked together one at one time, Islamic State, when he was there at the Learning Assistance Center, and I was across the hall at a tutoring center, and we were both worked together for a while. And then we saw when our different ways and we came back together again when I was a member of the Board of Trustees at Army City College, and he became a board member at the at the Board of Education. And we worked together to help put to to craft what is now known as the College Promise, which is a nationally recognized program that puts brings together community colleges and school districts to create student success, not only locally, but nationally. And so I want to congratulate you on that as well and congratulate you on your award. Well-deserved. Thank you very much, Councilman Mongo. I was an echo the comments of my colleagues. You're such a role model to so many. And you do so much for the community, not just what you do on the board, but what you also do for the community and the nonprofits and the churches and every other group that you touch. And so thank you and thank you for being there to take coffee on a Saturday to be a mentor, because that's really important to the future of of Long Beach. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Supernormal. Congratulations, Dr. Williams. I just have a very quick anecdote. If you want to know where Dr. Williams priorities lie. Last week, we were all set to celebrate this night here in council chambers, and there was a conflict. So rather than come here and get all this praise, he went to a ribbon cutting at Browning High School. So that tells you what he's all about. Thank you. Thank you. And Dr. Williams Felton, obviously a huge congrats. We're so proud of our school system. We're so proud of your leadership locally and across the country. And I want to invite you to come up and say a few words. And as Dr. William is coming down, I just want to let you guys know, if you decide to change this profession, Dr. Williams can say, yeah, yeah . Thank you all so very much. Good evening. Good evening. Honorable Mayor Garcia, members of the city council. Thank you all so very much for your wonderful comments. Let me just take a quick second to introduce two of my colleagues that are here tonight, our board president, Megan Kerr. She's here and my fellow board member, John McGinnis, which you both stand, please. Thank you so much. And to Councilman Andrews and to Councilwoman Gonzalez, thank you so much for this opportunity for my hometown girl from San Pedro. And if you don't see it right, we know you're not from San Pedro. Some people try to pretend that they're from San Pedro, but they just don't get it right. But a home grilling for Councilman D Andrews who spent so much time over there, you may as well have been from San Pedro. So the I really want to basically just say that, you know, even though I was a recipient of the award, the award is about much more than me. And if I can just quickly just highlight some of the notes at the event in reference to that award. And so I want to just take a moment to read that information. It's about my appreciation to Aramark and Scholastic for their continued sponsorship of this award. More importantly, I deeply appreciate the continued efforts to add value to the lives and aspirations of urban schoolchildren throughout America. And in today's climate, this support is more crucial than ever. I want to extend my appreciation to the men and women and students of the Long Beach Unified School District for adding meaning to my life. They take their responsibility seriously in the worst of times, in the best of times. They are committed and resilient and work diligently to provide challenge and opportunity to each and every student. Added to that, as a city government under the leadership of our current mayor, Robert Garcia. That, along with the other district partners, do not hesitate to serve as a crucial link to the success of our students. Recently, the Long Beach Police Department sponsored a shopping outing with students from Washington Middle School shot with the Cup. Other partners have stepped forward to provide free eye examinations and glasses to every student in the district who needed them. Similarly, the city prosecutor, Doug Halbert, has worked with the district on a consistent basis to fashion programs for our students and their families that are fair and compassionate. Other activities, such as free school uniforms, are provided to students who are unable to afford them. Just to cite a few examples of the individuals and organizations that make Long Beach what it is. We had approximately 500 business partners when I first joined the board in 2004. Thanks to the great work of our staff, we now have over 1500 business partners who provide every conceivable form of support imaginable. This was the climate in Long Beach and it is an enduring one. It is a testament to the broad level of community and business support in the city. I want to thank our superintendent, Chris Steinhauser, who does not waver in the face of challenge, particularly when it comes to ensuring equity and opportunity for each and every student in the district, as evidenced by providing district supported PSAT and SAT exams. Khan Academy Pairing University have some ethnic studies classes just to name a few. His support has been unwavering in responding to the challenges and academic success of students across the board. And it has been my sincere pleasure to work with him. He is not only the superintendent of one of the nation's most effective and nationally recognized urban school districts that is recognized for its efforts in closing the achievement and opportunity gap. But he is also my friend. During my 13 year tenure as a member of the Council Great City Schools to include serving as its chair, I've come to truly appreciate the important work of the Council on behalf of the nation's urban school districts. That work is and remains first class. My thanks to the men and women of the Council who continue to endure and claim the moral high ground on behalf of our students. They are indeed blessed with excellent leadership and the person of the Executive Director, Michael Casserly. And finally, to be the recipient of the Green Gardiner Award is a testament to the many people who work day in and day out. None of us make such opportunities on our own. And again, I want to thank Councilman De Andrews and Councilwoman Linda Gonzalez for this opportunity to be with you this evening and to take people who are here tonight who came to support me. And I would like to ask them to stand, please. And again, thank you all so very much. BOLTON We're going to come up there real quick. Why don't we all go up and take a photo with better. Be. You might want to put that back to Susie. What is this place? I told you. You like to speak? When the doctor speaks for me, I have to tell him time is up. This guy is a great archer. I can say. Thank you. Okay. Here we are. You go down there. Okay. We're going to look over here real quick. All right. Okay. Yeah. Doug. You guys very good. John McGinnis. Everybody. Everybody. It's all right. No, no. Come on. Let me go. Come on, you guys. We're trying to get everybody to squeeze in. Please. She's coming. Come up. She's coming. Yeah. You stand right here. Don't worry. Yeah. Yeah. There we go. Okay. All see it? All right, everybody, that's easier to do. One more. Awesome. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for waiting. Okay is a public comment. Dr. FELTEN Before we see none. Dr. Williams, congratulations again, and let's give him another round of applause. Okay. I apologize. So it's just the the the second the second agenda item that was asked to move up and that was some. We'll do that one. That's the last one. I'm sorry. Please vote. Cast your vote out, please. 25 married into public comment. And that would it be a public comment? Motion carries. Okay. So it'll be, it'll be item 20 then public comment and consent. I don't know, item 20. That's not the item. You wanted to name Mr. Aston, because it's not quite 19.
Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending and restating in its entirety Chapter 9.66 regarding residency restrictions for sex offenders, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
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Communication from City Attorney Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code regarding residency restrictions for sex offenders read and adopted as read Citywide. City Attorney. But it is not his district. City City Attorney parking. It is his district. As mayor and member of the council. This is a second reading coming back to you for the amending of the ordinance in its entirety regarding the residency restrictions. We sent a two from four out this morning which addressed some of the questions raised by the Council at the first reading. I'm available for questions. Okay. And who was the mover and seconder. You have a lot of friends. Mr. Parkin, no one's making emotion. Okay. Councilman Andrews made the motion and Councilmember Richardson seconded it. Okay. Is that okay? Is there any member of the public that wish to address the Council on item 35? Seeing none. All those in favor. Any opposed motion carries. You actually have to hear voices, you know, that came. Otherwise they'll think we imagined it. Item 36. Report from Development Services recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code relating to transitional and supportive housing. Read an adopted as read citywide.
A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 2929 W. 10th Ave. in Sun Valley. Approves an official map amendment to rezone property located at 2929 West 10th Avenue from PUD #487 to C-MX-5 (planned development to commercial, mixed-use) in Council District 3. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 10-2-18.
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And Councilwoman Black has called out Council Bill 1006, which was also scheduled for a public hearing later this evening. Under pending, no items have been called out. Did I miss anything? Does it look like it? All right. Madam Secretary, if you please put the first item on our screens. Councilman Black, could you please vote council bill 1013 on the floor for passage. I move that council bill 18 1013 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. It has been moved. Can I get a second? Looks like we got a second. Councilman Lopez, your motion to postpone. Yes, Mr. President. Thank you. I move that that council bill 1013 series of 2018 be postponed to a date certain on December 10th, 2018, with its public hearing. Correct. With this public hearing. Yes. Thank you very much. And your motion to postpone looks like it has been moved and seconded questions or comments by members of Council Councilman Lopez. Yeah. You know, this has been a process in place for quite a while. I wanted to make sure that we are honoring the community's request to give more time for the community input process. And I just wanted to just let people know that, you know, requesting the postponement does not indicate any decision on the rezoning. We don't make our decision until after all the public hearing testimony is is heard on December ten. Thank you. Seeing no other questions or comments, Madam Secretary, roll call. Hi. Black Ice. Espinosa. Hi, Flynn. Hi. Cashman. Hi. Lopez. Sorry. New again? Ortega. Mr. President. I am secretary. Please close the voting and announce the results. It is eight is final consideration of Council Bill 1013 with its public hearing has been postponed until Monday, December 10th. Madam Secretary, if you please put the next item up on our screens and Councilwoman Black, will you please be accountable?
A proclamation recognizing November as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Caregiver Month.
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If someone in your own family suffers from Alzheimer's, please use the resources of the Alzheimer's Association and other groups for support. No one person or family should have to go through this alone. There is no cure and you can help find one by supporting the Alzheimer's Association and other groups. Thank you, Councilwoman Black. Councilwoman Ortega. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to ask first that my name be added to the proclamation. I want to thank Councilwoman Black for bringing this forward. My mother also suffers with Alzheimer's, and I actually served on the board of the Alzheimer's Association. And it was during that time that we noticed some of my mother's behaviors that were just not quite right. And I remember she took a trip. She lives in Grand Junction, and she had taken a trip down here to Denver. And she was driving back with my stepdad. And she had left my sister's home and my stepdad was waiting for her to come to pick him up. And my sister called and she said, I just got a phone call from Dad. Where is Mom? She'd been missing for 2 hours. She got in her car and thought she was driving over to pick up my stepdad and she drove to Colorado Springs. So that was kind of the first real clue that something, something more serious was going on. And in the time that I was on the board, I was like totally in denial that this is what my mother was experiencing. And since then, she was absolutely diagnosed and takes the the medication. She's now living in a nursing home in Grand Junction. And so I know all too well the the trials and tribulations that families have to go through. So I think this is really important to continue to draw awareness to this serious and costly disease. Linda, I hope you'll tell us whether Alzheimer's is whether. Medicine and science is any closer to finding any cures to this horrific disease. But it is, as the proclamation indicated, very, very costly to our our systems and to the lives of the people that it affects. And so I again, just want to say thank you for bringing this forward. And my hope is that one day we can see a cure, too, where we no longer have to keep drawing attention to this issue. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Ortega. Councilwoman Canete. Thank you. Mr. President, I would just wanted to share. I, too, have a loved one suffering from dementia and unsure yet if it's exactly Alzheimer's or never form. But I appreciate you bringing this forward and I'd like to add my name as a co-sponsor. Thank you for raising this awareness. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman Espinosa. Yeah, I would like to also add my name. Sorry I didn't do it earlier. And because my family is also one that's not immune to Alzheimer's affliction. Thank you. Thank you. Any other comments? Proclamation 826. Seen Unmanned Secretary Roll Call. Black Eye Brooks. Hi, Claire. Hi, Espinosa. Hi, Flynn. I gillmor. I Cashman. I can eat Lopez. I knew Ortega. Hi, Mr. President. Hi. Brooks. I. Please cast a vote in the results. 1212 I's Proclamation 826 has been adopted. Councilwoman Black, there's someone you'd like to bring to the podium to receive the proclamation. Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to introduce President and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association of Colorado, Linda mitchell. Thank you so much, Mr. President, and thank you for bringing this proclamation forward. The awareness that you're creating tonight is extremely important to the Alzheimer's cause and the Alzheimer's Association. There's probably very few people in this room who have not been touched by Alzheimer's disease. And for those of you who haven't, it will definitely impact your family at some point in the future. There's no question about that. With the aging of the baby boomers, one in three families is already impacted. You've heard the numbers, the cost of Alzheimer's disease and some of the human toll that this disease takes on our families throughout Colorado and throughout the country. In fact, globally, there is probably more than 30,000 individuals living with Alzheimer's disease in the Denver metro area today. And for every one of them, there's at least three families members whose lives have been impacted forever. They're the caregivers, the unpaid caregivers, for the most part that you heard about 234,000 in Colorado already today. So we have a huge public health condition here. We have an enormously burdensome disease on families. This disease has no cure at this point. It's the only one in the top ten causes of death that can't be effectively treated, slowed or certainly cured at this point. But there is good news. Research is moving very rapidly right now. There's a new focus globally on Alzheimer's disease prevention research. And I think some of the most promising research that we are supporting is the identification of biomarkers to identify people who are at the greatest risk for developing this disease and targeting treatments at them at the very earliest stages or even before symptoms occur. So that one day, hopefully not too far in the future, Alzheimer's disease will be like cancer. If you get a diagnosis of a stage one cancer, for the most part, that's quite treatable. Well, we want stage one Alzheimer's disease versus it being diagnosed when it's progressed for ten, 15 years or more and the symptoms are quite prominent . So that's some of the most encouraging research right now. We do have medications that are available if the disease is diagnosed early. And that's another one of our challenges is that raising the awareness in the community, that early diagnosis does make a difference. Medications can be tried. Families can come in to the Alzheimer's Association for services at a very early stage in the disease so that we can help them plan and gather their resources for the years ahead. For the most part, this disease will last 8 to 12 years. And again, that toll on the family increases year by year. The Alzheimer's Association is here in Denver and throughout Colorado to provide services for families at every point in the disease from very early stage through the end of life. We offer a helpline, support groups, family counseling, care planning, education classes, art and music, opportunities for individuals living with the disease and a host of other services. And what's really important for the community to know is that those services are offered at no charge to families. And all of the crazy fundraising that we do year around is to be able to provide those services to all of our citizens in Colorado at no charge. So you can all help us spread that word to. So if you know someone that's in your circle of friends, your neighbors, your church, your community, who is struggling with this disease in the in their family today, please make them aware that the Alzheimer's Association of Colorado is here to serve them, and we want them to come and contact us. We have our headquarters here in Denver near Fifth and Sherman, and then we have six other regional offices across the state. So thank you again for the awareness tonight and the opportunity to speak with all of you. It helps our cause enormously, and we have a very special reason for being proud of the Broncos great football, but also a great organization that is now standing behind the Alzheimer's Association. The Denver Broncos have made the Alzheimer's Association of Colorado one of their community partners, and the ball and family has stepped forward to help increase awareness. And bring attention to this disease. So we're very grateful for that as well. So thank you very much. Thank you. And thank you, Councilwoman Black. All right. That is all for the proclamation. So next we have the mayor's proposed 2016 budget. Councilmembers this year last night to offer any amendment to the mayor's proposed 2016 budget. Do any council members have any amendments to offer?
Recommendation to request City Manager to work with Development Services Department as well as our legislative delegations in Washington and Sacramento to report back to the City Council on the status of tenant rental assistance payments, and the feasibility of opportunities to expedite payments, and advocate to expand those eligible to receive rental assistance.
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Kerry. Thank you. Number 28. Number 19, please. I'm 19. Communication from Councilwoman Price, Councilwoman Mango and Councilman Austin. Recommendation to require city manager to work with Development Services Department, as well as a legislative delegation to report back on the status of tenant rental assistance payments. Thank you, Councilmember Price. So I'm wondering if city staff is here and can give us an update on the tenant repayment program and where the bottleneck seems to be, and if there's anything we as a council can do to move that along, because there's a lot of people who are still waiting on money. Yes. Thank you, mayor and council members. We've been actually moving forward and making progress with our rental program at this point in time. We as you know, we had $64 million. Most of those funds have been either distributed or committed. We have about 14% of those funds remain that have not been committed. And we are working with the more challenging cases at this time, what we call the red flag cases, to be able to assist with the the tenants and the landlords. Right now, we've assisted approximately 4000 households, including over 38 households with utility arrears. So that's the current status and we'll be happy to answer any questions, additional questions that you may have. Sure. Are we on track to be able to allocate all the funds before the end of the month? And what is the consequence? If we don't meet that timeline? The requirement is to be able to disperse at least 50% of the funding by the end of the month. And we are on target to to exceed that at this point. And what does that mean? If we if we meet that requirement, then we don't lose the funds? That is correct. We were able to continue with program disbursement and keep. Please note that the state we've been asking the state to allow us to sunset the program and not receive additional applications. As and as of this date, we have not been directed to to to close the program, because we still have quite a few requests for assistance that far exceed our remaining funds. Okay. So explain tell me a little bit more about that because I don't think I understand that. So for this phase, we have already received more applications than we have money, but we're still continuing to get applications. That is correct. Our program. Okay. Go ahead. Now, so the sunset request would be for this phase. That that both the ERA1 funds have been fully expended. We're talking about the second phase or ERA two funds, and we are oversubscribed with the request for assistance beyond what our funding would allow us to to provide. So we're still taking the applications in, but are we letting people know that it's unlikely they're going to get funds so that they're not waiting on it? We put messaging both in our response emails as well as on our website, letting folks know. Letting them know what? That we currently don't have the funding opportunities to to be able to fund our programs and we encourage them to, especially for those tenants and landlords that don't have completed applications to complete them and submit this to us so we can process their requests and essentially a first come, first serve. Okay. So, so have we notified the people that are likely to get funds, that they're likely to get funds and they're just waiting for processing? Yes. It's it's also communicated to them that some of those requests are in process. So like I said, a lot of these requests are our red flags, meaning that we have to get more detailed information from the tenants and landlords to be able to address their particular situations. In some cases, for example, the request does not meet the lease contract amount, so we have to sort those out. In some cases we have multiple tenants and we're only receiving information from one tenant. So we have to sort those out. And again, we're assisting as many people as we can to get those issues resolved. So when we have the red flag situations where there's either missing information or a question about eligibility, do we say and but it's first come, first serve, do we save the money that they're requesting in a pot until those questions are resolved and then fund them? Or do we just move on to the next step? We we move on to the next applicant in hopes that we can help them. There's a priority requirement by the state that requires us to to do take certain actions for those lower income and those with higher incomes. So we try to process those that have lower income needs or where we have future arrears. As Council had asked us to do, we were also working with landlords that have multiple tenants that are in need of rental assistance to be able to effectuate payment in a timely or faster manner. And we're doing a few other things just to make sure that we can get to those cases. But we do notify them and we also have information on our web or when the when they receive information that they can check their progress. Okay. So you're in the best position to know this. We're not. But do you have sufficient staffing to get done what needs to be done by the end of the month? Because there's so many people who who think it's a staffing issue on our end. Yes. We've been we've been as you may be aware, we reached out. We are contracted our services to Yardi Consultants. They're helping us with processing applications. They've recently in the council approved a contract amendment to increase their staffing levels, number one. Number two, we've recently let them know that we need to make more payments before the end of the of the month. And they have switched staff and added more staff without charging us in order to be able to process these requests in a timely manner. Okay. So I just want to I know this is a request for report back, but I just want to make sure that I'm clear that we are on track to not have to give any money back from this phase of the program, because we've met the threshold requirement to be able to keep those funds in the city to help the tenants and the housing providers in the city. That is correct. To the best of our ability. That is correct. Okay. And then are we expecting any additional phases? There are several legislative bills, one that was approved and ones that is pending where we will be able to request and that'll be coming to you in the future. Meeting additional funding to fund our program. We're asking for more funding. Council will need to approve that request and that program will allow us to get loans from the state. And if the Treasury for some reason does not cover those loan amounts, they will be forgiven. So we're we're bringing that that request back to you and next month, early next month. Okay. And so on. The applications that we're receiving right now. But we're letting them know we've received your application, but it doesn't look like we're going to have the funds to be able to fulfill this application or reimburse this application. Can we save those for the next phase if we should get that funding? Or is it a whole new application? No, no. We are going to use the same process, the same documentation, and we will be working with those individuals to make sure that their applications get completed and with the hopes of getting that additional funds to be able to assist them. Okay. Okay. So I'm grateful that the report back is coming. And I would love to see the specific language embedded in the report that we give to people who are applying. We don't think we have money for them yet, but we expect that we might have money in the future. I would love to see what that language looks like, if possible. If you could just embedded into the TFF on that, that would be really great. Will do. Thank you. Councilwoman Austin. Thank you so much. And I appreciate the the item and the clarification. Thank you. Councilmember Price and staff for clarification on this matter. Looking at the item, are we still looking at the feasibility of expanding eligibility based on the staff report that we've just heard? I mean, that could be, I guess, in the TFF. I just I know this question is on the spot, but do we have an estimate in terms of how many households have been, I guess, service through this this. Yes. 64,000 households have been assisted by this program. 4000. 4000. Right. Thank you so much. Council members who were not. Thank you. And I'd also like to thank Councilman Price for bringing this very important item forward. I have a question. It's completely anecdotal. It's happened today. So we had a 4 to 6 resident who applied in October. So almost six months supposedly in the queue. But we learned today that the landlord had not filled out his part of the application. I'm sure. Maybe. Well, I shouldn't say I'm sure. Possibly there's a way to check that online for the applicant. But if not, how do we get the word out that, you know, don't waste time in the queue if your landlord signed on board? Thank you. And Councilmember, that can get a little bit more complicated. We have case managers, both internal staff, as well as our consultant that they can reach out to. If you can provide the information to us, we can certainly find out the status. And there are some landlords that do not want to participate in the program, in which case there is a different option that we can afford to the tenants to pay them directly, but they have to then show us proof that they've actually paid their landlord. And that's been very challenging to to do that process. So it's not necessarily one that we favor, but it does help them. But again, it's there's been some challenges with that effort. Okay. Thank you for that response. But I'm just thinking, if there's a way we can get the word out or somehow that you have to have your landlord on board, I mean, maybe it seems obvious in the application, but here's one person who didn't know that. So that looks like a pretty logical improvement. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Pryce. Councilman Superhot spurred the opposite question for me, which is can the housing provider or the landlord? I know currently it's the tenant that has to apply. Right. Is there any scenario where the tenant with a housing provider or landlord can apply? And is that something that might be an alternative for the next round of funding? Councilmember Right now, and I think that council had previously asked us to look into potential tenant landlord and potential landlord requests based upon previous conversations with the state. They would not allow us to do that. The program is established for the tenant and the tenant alone, and with that the landlord has to participate. So that's certainly something that we could explore in the. Yeah, that'd be great. And I appreciate, I know we've talked about this issue, but this is not one of those situations that's like a point in time and it stays static. There's been a lot of changes. And and the fact that we get so many questions shows that there's a lot of movement, especially in things that we've asked you to look into that maybe haven't come to fruition. So I really appreciate the update. It helps provide information and I think the report back will be instrumental for us in terms of communicating what the city is doing. And I look forward to that. I just I know the staff is working on this, but I think to the extent that we can help be a part of the solution in terms of eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic processes not placed by us. Right. But kind of, you know, dictated to us that we have to comply with. So to the extent that we can streamline, because there are people who have, you know, the money that's owed to them, that's like in the six figures. And for people that have a mortgage to pay on properties that they're renting out, that's our incredible burden. And so what we don't want is a lot of small housing providers to have to default and get taken over by larger conglomerates that maybe don't have as big of a footprint or personal interest in the city. So thank you. Thank you. I'll just add a couple of thoughts. Thank you for bringing this up. And Oscar, I'm just. So the last report, January 28th, it was a lot of good information here. The response to keep might be Charles presentation. A few things to note in this report. It says all funds are expected to be dispersed by April 20, 22, so that's still on track. It was, again, we've experienced the red flag cases that are taking a little bit more time to spend. So that actually has slowed us down more than we anticipated. Okay. Well, you think you'll meet? You think you'll meet your goal? Yes. We like I said, we're devoting additional resources to be able to disperse the funds. Certainly. I also know we requested an online dashboard. Where are we? The report says it was recommended. I checked online when it was originally last, but I check. Right now. I don't see it. I it should be on there. I'll. I'll take a look for you, and I'll send that your way. I saw it when it originally came up and I was happy with a lot of the questions we got tonight were the types of answers we saw exactly where we were in terms of disbursement. Let's make sure that that dashboard is circulated widely so people can get that information. I know one of the recommendations was also some of the things brought up tonight around can the landlord or can the tenant initiate? And you explore that. And we talked about there are some, you know, some restrictions in the state with the state funding less or less so than the federal funding. And so I think, you know, continuing, if we get additional tranche to get feedback like we discussed before, that flexibility is important. I also think the five CEOs I want to thank, the five community based organizations, part of IDA Housing, Long Beach Point, Latino Association, UCC and YMCA of Greater Long Beach. They helped with some of those out, you know, hard to reach buildings and tenants. And so all of those we've learned as we move along with this program and I know it's going to be you have some very, very difficult ones. And I know I know that, you know, some folks may think that it's the fault of the city, but I actually have seen you do some incredible work. And my hope is that we get additional funds to help more people. But I think this was a great discussion to continue to have and I look forward to the report back. Members, please cast your vote. That was any public comment. I think we were withdrew public comment, right? There's no public comment. Okay, members, please cast your vote. Casual events are. The motion is. Carried.
Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, find that the area to be vacated is not needed for present or prospective public use; and, adopt resolution ordering the vacation of the alley west of Cedar Avenue between La Reina Way and 7th Street. (District 1)
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Report from Public. Works recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record. Conclude the public hearing. Find that the area to be vacated is not needed for present or prospective use public use and adopt resolution ordering the vacation of the alley west of Cedar Avenue between Lorraine Away and Seventh Street, District one. Mr. Modica staff report was given by Sean Crumby, our Deputy Director of Public Works. Good evening, our mayor and council. The hearing. Number one on the agenda speaks to or seeks to move forward a vacation of the alley west of Cedar between Lorain away and Seventh Street. The recommended action is to conduct and close a public hearing, make a finding that the alley is not needed for public use and adopt the resolution for vacation of said alley. A summary of the actions up to this point for this vacation include general plan consistency finding on December 1st of 2016 and a notice of intent by the City Council on February 7th of 2017. This morning, staff received objections from surrounding property owners against objecting to the vacation. This alley vacations are applied for and supported by those surrounding typically by those surrounding properties. And so that's a little bit unusual and directly relevant to this situation. It is a significant change to the situation, and as such, the council can consider stopping the vacation from moving forward. With that, I'm available to answer any questions that you have. Okay. Okay. There's only any public comment on this saying none. We're going to go ahead. And because there's no public comment, will we have a motion in a second? And Councilman Gonzalez. Now, I just want to thank you, Sean. I know this was kind of a long process, but, you know, we'll we'll support your recommendation. Thank you. Okay, members, please cast your votes. I can't go to anyone. You heard me right down there. I don't have to move away. Do you have any staff here? No. No. You mean the mayor? Yes. Just some. I'm not sure if we took a vote on this, but I just want to make sure. The recommended action is to approve the vacation, and I'm not sure if that is what the intended motion is. I thought he. Said I think I would think what. Mr. Crumby said was basically council could consider not moving forward with the vacation, but the recommended action before the council is actually to approve it. So we would need a recommendation to receive and file for instance, would put it to bed and there would be no early vacation. So there was a travel up to Councilwoman Gonzales to want to make a motion. Yes, we'll make the motion to receive and filed the lawsuit. This item that Mr. Mays. Okay. Motions to receive and follow the item. Members, please. Gordon And there is no public comment on this. Okay, we're going to close the hearing. Members, please cast your votes. Thank you. My. He didn't go that. Motion. Because. Motion carries. And we're going to go ahead and move on to there still. Now the agenda meeting is can reset here. No play good here to have a comment. Yes, Larry. Good. You clear as the address and turning to something that's not too controversial, i.e., those things are going to what are going down in Washington, D.C. this week and well, for the next couple of weeks. But there is some good news.
Continued Public Hearing (of Item 6-E on the March 19, 2019 City Council Agenda) to Consider Adoption of Resolution Denying the Appeal and Remanding the Design Review for a 96-Room Hotel with 62 Parking Spaces at 1825 Park Street (PLN17-0538) for Further Consideration by the Planning Board (for Reasons Independently Considered by the City Council that Were Not Raised in the Appeal). (Planning, Building & Transportation 481005) [Please note: Public Comment was closed on March 19, 2019]
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Owe you an I. Okay. All right. It is unanimous as items continued to move to me. Seven. Let's give me a yes. Okay. We then move to item. Thank you, everybody. Okay, we're then going to move to item five G. And that this is the resolution that's coming back from the continued public hearing. That was item five on the March 19th meeting. So basically staff just prepared the resolution to bring back for council to take action. There's no speaker's correct. No. You close the public hearing at that meeting. Okay. Okay. So I'm going to move approval of item five G. All right. I can do I have their promotion a second on favor, question and discussion, Mr. Councilmember Desai. So I voted to deny the appeal vote again. That's still my concern. So you vote against the case and I would vote against this, correct? Correct. That's correct. All right. All right. Okay. All right. It's been moved in, seconded. All in favor. I opposed. Nay. Oh. Okay. So it's a 3 to 2. Okay. Is this a motion approved passes 3 to 2. But the the project goes forward with the instructions back to the planning board to improve the design. And speaking of improved design, I did attend the grand opening this week of an affordable housing complex, and that's just off of Park Street in a lovely example of design that fits well with the neighborhood. Okay. So now we are on to the let's see. We're going to continue. Madam Clerk, help me out. What are we going to do here? So I think you're reconvening to a on that you need to finish deliberation on a decision about taking action on that policy. And then you also want to consider the ordinance, enacting the process. And we do have a speaker on 68. Now. I'm 60, but we're not on six right now. We're this is a continuation of to a. Right. Okay. And in fairness to Councilmember De Saag, I think he had maybe one minute left, 35, 35 seconds. Okay. But he's counting and he. Good. Okay. Actually, yeah. Some every day. Here, go. I would like for staff to work with a technical working group consisting of property, landlord and renters, particularly to deal with exhibit two b2 d one eye to eye for i5i9i 1516, 17. Exhibit three, one, two and five.
On message and order, referred on February 2, 2022, Docket #0223, authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) in the form of a grant for the FY22 Municipal ADA Improvement Grant Program, awarded by the Massachusetts Office on Disability to be administered by the Commission for Persons with Disabilities, the Committee submitted a report recommending that the order ought to pass.
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Docket 0 to 4 zero has passed in an amended draft. Mr. Clarke, please read docket 0 to 3, please. Lucky number zero 2 to 3. The Committee on City Services and Innovation Technology, to which was referred on February 2nd, 2020 to talk number 0223. Message In order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expand the amount of $250,000 in the form of a grant for fiscal year 22. Municipal Aid Improvement Grant program awarded by the Massachusetts Office of Disability to be administered by the Commission for Persons with Disabilities, submits a report recommending that the order ought to pass. Thank you. The Chair recognizes Council Board Chair of the Committee on City Services, Innovation Technology Council, Bach U of the Floor. Thank you so much, President Flynn. And we had a productive hearing. I want to thank my colleagues, councilors Murphy, Braden Lujan, Glenn Fernandez Anderson, and we're all for attending. We were joined by Commissioner Christian Mccosh of the City of Boston's Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Carey Griffin from Public Facilities, and Joe CORNISH from Design Review at the Boston Landmarks Commission, who all testified as part of the administration. This is a much needed feature in City Hall. Currently, the mezzanine, while technically accessible by a lift, is only the lift that we have. It only works if you're in a wheelchair. So if you have other mobility challenges but you don't have a wheelchair, it doesn't work. It's very loud, it's scary, it attracts a lot of attention. And so the goal here is within the context of this landmarked building to build a new vertical lift that will both fit and visually. And that's why Landmarks was in the mix. But we'll just will serve folks with any number of mobility challenges as well and really add to the utilization of that space by all folks. And so we were excited to hear about that happening, excited that the city has access to this grant at a maximum award of $250,000 and which will not pay for the whole project, the rest of the projects being paid for by city dollars. But it is a significant chunk and it does need to all be expended. The materials and such that we're using the 250 to pay for have to be expended by June 30th of this year. So there is some urgency to this docket. And I want to stress that we talked not only about this item, but also about the larger challenges of how to make city hall and then city buildings in general more accessible and and really take a broad view of accessibility and make sure that it's not just about a path and kind of technical access to programs, but people really feeling welcome in our buildings. So I think it was a good conversation and it seemed like a conversation that will launch further conversations between councilors and the disability commission. But for now, Mr. Chairman, I would just like to recommend the passage of docket zero 2 to 3. Thank you. Thank you. Council BLOCK The Chair and the Committee on City Services Innovation Technology Council BLOCK six Acceptance of the Committee Report and Passage of Docket 0223. All those in favor say I oppose any. The ayes have it. Docket 0223 has passed.
A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 2929 W. 10th Ave. in Sun Valley. Approves an official map amendment to rezone property located at 2929 West 10th Avenue from PUD #487 to C-MX-5 (planned development to commercial, mixed-use) in Council District 3. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 10-2-18.
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Please refrain from profane or obscene speech. Direct your comments to the Council as a whole and please refrain from individual or personal attacks council members. All right. We will move on to our first public hearing in Kathmandu. Will you please be accountable? 1013 on the floor. But to move the council bill 18 1013 be placed upon final consideration to pass. It has been moved and seconded. The public hearing for Council Bill 1013 is open. May we have the staff report? Thank you. Good evening. Members of the council Andrew Webb here from Community Planning and Development to present on this proposed rezoning of property at 2929 West 10th Avenue from pad 487 to see Annex five. This proposed rezoning is in Council District three. It's in the Sun Valley neighborhood along federal between 10th Avenue and Halden place. This rezoning includes several other properties within the boundary of PWD for 87, in total about 12 acres, comprising a campus of health care and social service facilities and parking known as the Castro campus. A key reason behind this proposed zoning is are the limitations imposed by the existing former Chapter 59 PDP 47 that that put limits residential care uses on the site to use 0 to 12 years of age. The city does own a 43,000 square foot building at 2929 West 10th that it would like to repurpose for a solution center that would provide emergency mental health care and transitional housing to people experiencing homelessness. The structure was previously used as a family crisis center, which provided temporary housing to youth during family displacement and emergencies. That facility closed in 2016 as part of a reorganization of those services, and Department of Human Services would like to reestablish a new adult residential care use at this location. As I mentioned, the current zoning is pegged for 87. About a quarter of the site was zoned out of beauty for 87 to see Annex five in 2017, the PWD had two sub areas, so this proposed rezoning would be to the other sub area of this former Chapter 59 PD. Surrounding zoning includes quite a bit of CSX five directly to the east and then CMCs eight as you get further east and north of the site OSA at at Rudy Park to the north of the site IMAX and XY. So commercial corridor and mixed use zoning along federal boulevard to the west and south of the site, S.R. eight and to the southeast of the site and Annex three to the direct south of the site where there are quite a few established industrial uses. Land use includes the on site, includes the Richard T Castro Human Services Center and health clinic and parking uses surrounding uses include Fairview Elementary directly to the west of the site across or east of the site across Decatur. Recreational use is to the north, multi-unit residential in the Sun Valley, housing to the south and east and commercial and industrial uses. This 45 degree aerial gives some perspective on kind of lot layout and scale of development in the area. These photos show development on and proximity to the site, including commercial development along federal directly to the west of the site. A view of the site from the corner of Federal and Holden Place. A view of the site from 10th Avenue showing the structure at 2929 West 10th that the city would like to repurpose image of the recreation center and park to the north. The middle photo there on the right side of the screen is development to the east of the site, across to Carter Street. And then finally. Bottom right there is some of the an example of the DHB housing in Sun Valley. And I should note that this may be somewhat out of date as I believe that redevelopment of that area into a kind of more of a mixed use development has recently begun, and some of those structures have been demolished. Again, this proposal is for C-Max five. That stands for Urban Center Neighborhood Context Mixed Use. With a maximum height of five storeys, the zone district promotes mixed use centers with moderate to high building heights, prioritizes an active pedestrian realm with high build to requirements and shallow setbacks, and is intended for redeveloping areas around transit stations. In terms of the process for this proposed rezoning, we received, we sent out the informational notice of receipt in April of last year. There have been multiple community meetings to present and discuss the project starting in June of 2017. The planning board hearing was held on in September. The planning board did recommend approval. The Land Use Transportation and Infrastructure Committee considered this rezoning on October in early October and the first reading at City Council was in mid-October. The final public hearing has been postponed a couple of times in order to provide time for the neighborhood association, the Sun Valley Community Coalition, to work with the the applicant and the proposed operator of the site on a good neighbor agreement addressing some neighbor concerns. The registered neighborhood organizations listed here consider the site to be within their boundary and all have been notified at multiple points throughout this rezoning. We have received several instances of written comment from the Sun Valley Community Coalition, which has voted to oppose this rezoning. The their full text of their of their comments is included in detail on the staff report. But to summarize, the neighborhood has indicated a desire that the crisis center be used for a youth facility. Among other things, to approve a rezoning. The as you know, the council must find that it is consistent with these five criteria from the Denver zoning code. With regard to the first criteria and consistency with adopted plans, there are three plans that affect the site, including that comprehensive plan and blueprint Denver and then the Decatur Federal Station Area Plan, which was adopted in 2013 with regard to the comprehensive plan. This proposed rezoning would forward advance several policies and strategies in a comprehensive plan aimed at encouraging mixed use higher density development where people can live and work near high quality transit. The nearby Decatur Federal Station is a major rail and bus transit node. Blueprint identifies the majority of the site for transit oriented development and identifies the southern third of the site for employment uses and indicates that it are designated as an area of change. The site is served by a commercial arterial and enhanced transit corridor along federal and then a mixed use collector along the east side along Decatur and a residential collector to the south along 10th. All of these streets are consistent with recommendations for appropriate street types for the CMC's five zone district. The Decatur Federal Station area plan identifies the northern part of the site for transit oriented development and then identified the southern part of the site as employment transit oriented development, recognizing some of the existing industrial uses, especially south of 10th Avenue here. The plan also recommended a building height of five stories for the site. The kind of gray box you see in this map is actually the the Richard Castro Family Services Center. The map highlights some major public buildings in the area. With regard to the other criteria, this request will result in the uniform application of the CMC's, his own district's building form, use and design regulations. It will further the public health, safety and welfare by implementing adopted plans and policies for walkable development to support transit oriented redevelopment. And with regard to justifying circumstances. The applicant cited a change community change in the area, including the opening of the Decatur Federal RTD station and a major Denver Housing Authority redevelopment underway of the Sun Valley Homes to the Eco Village. Mixed use mixed income development. Finally, with regard to the final criteria, the urban center and neighborhood context is intended to promote pedestrian scaled areas that enhance the convenience and enjoyment of transit and walking. And the C-Max five zone district is appropriate for this location. Based on the criteria in the zoning code. So with that, CPD recommends approval based on a finding that all review criteria have been met. And I'm happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you very much. There are 12 individuals signed up to speak this evening, so I'm going to call the first five up to this front bench so that we can get through everybody. The timer will start as soon as I call your name, so step right up to the microphone and start your remarks. First five, we have Jay Flynn, David Roybal, Kathleen Cronin, Jeannie Granville and Jerry Burton. So if you could come up to the first bench and J. Flynn your first. Good evening. My name is Jay Flynn, and I work at the Mental Health Center of Denver. I am also a citizen of the city and county of Denver. I wanted to share how important the services that will result in this zoning change are. I feel like they're essential to the well-being of the citizens of the city and county of Denver. I've been honored to work with the Neighborhood Degree Association on a Good Neighbor Agreement, which we have signed in which the neighborhood is assigned. And I believe in my heart that we will do a great job being a good part of the neighbor, could be a good neighbor and developing a program that will move Denver forward in its wellness and help citizens recover from their mental illness and help people in crisis early in their crisis, before their crisis reaches a proportion where they end up in jail or they end up a danger to themselves or in hospitalizations. I think this would be a really valuable service and we need this zoning change to make that happen. I appreciate the neighbors concerned. I understand that we've been in many meetings with them and I feel for them in my heart. I'm committed to making this an addition to the neighborhood that will make the neighborhood a safer place and not a more difficult place. Thank you so much and have a wonderful evening. Thank you. Next up, David Roybal. They Roy Barnes have a 42 West Ninth. Next representative for City Council District three. Born and raised in this area since 1987. Dealt with some very hard things in my life coming up. Nobody would have survived it, either be dead or in jail or prison. And here I am running for public office. And that's what the city deserves. Somebody that came from the bottom, from the ghetto that's been there, that when there's violence at the age of seven, you know, being hurt. Mr. Lane Could you could you speak to the issue at hand? Well, there's a lot of history to this place, you know, being there in 2003, me and my sister being there. In the Denver Crisis Center. So much hurt and pain from kids being removed out of homes in there and a lot of corruption, you know, teenage girls getting knocked up by staff there. You know, it's in the newspapers. I seen it. Witnessed it. And having to nonprofits, you know, close with in the last ten years within the Sun Valley a church a battered women's shelter. You know, I hope to see this get used for the community and not have not have this place open to outsiders to come use drugs. And with the high crime and 14th and federal, you know, that needs to be mentioned, me being there firsthand, dealing with it. You know, I hope this this helps the community better as a community and just not put more money to make. Because if it's a nonprofit was the highest paid nonprofit already working with the Denver Police Department. So, you know, they're going to get this contract. And then same with the building, with the human service rezoning that's going to be coming up. And the stadium, the new stadium redevelopment, it's a lot of a lot of building going on. And I think we're getting too head of. Ourselves because the city's already going to get it. When when the Castro building gets in the air, the Sun Valley is not for sale. We do not want it to be yuppie washed, like to five points. We don't want it to come turn it to some rich neighborhood that does not cherish the culture and history. And we hope that the culture and history and the new redevelopment of the Sun Valley makes makes a better neighborhood. So nobody have to go through what I've been through or my sister or other people been through. And I'm here and I'm a survivor. And if I get elected, I'm going to be right there in the front lines, pushing this this forward and making sure that that the power belongs to the people in the community and not know corruption, as I read developers, corporations, all that. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Kathleen Cronin. Thank you. Members of the council. I'm Kathleen Cronin. I'm the director of Earthlings. Earthlings works with the homeless population in Sun Valley. We're located at 2746 West 13th Avenue. We've been there in a home on a property owner, not a homeowner property owner there since 2013. I'm speaking in favor of the rezoning. I believe it is in keeping with the plans, as the PD folks. Have spoken about. I believe that the only objections that would be raised. To this is because of the planned use, which is to provide for mental health. Services for those folks that are experiencing homelessness. It would be our position. As Earthlings. That we would be in favor of this use and also in favor of the. Rezoning. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Jeannie Granville. Good evening. My name is Jean Granville and I am here as president of the Sun Valley Community Coalition, which is the registered neighborhood organization. We have supported most recently several rezoning efforts that would allow for increased density of affordable housing. And we are currently have debated quite a bit and our initial vote for this particular rezoning was negative or not in support. And our update after we had worked extensively on a Gina continues to be not in support and that is for a couple of different reasons, one of which is that after an extensive period, six years since the Decatur Federal Station area plan, there has been a regular and, as I said, extensive zoning planning process that the city has chosen not to be involved in. I think that you saw the map which showed a lot of the housing density that would be in the upper half of the neighborhood and that the southern half would be more of an employment use. Since that plan was first developed, some of that housing has changed to now where we will have 2000 plus children living in DHP housing. That's not including some of the other housing that could also be built because DHS will be building density on a smaller print footprint, which will allow for even more housing. But 2000 children that will be literally right next door living and playing. And the concern is that with 2000 children, we already have vulnerable families living there that have experienced trauma for a wide variety of things, including domestic violence and issues related to mental health. As a vulnerable population. I think there is some concern that even with the Good Neighbor Agreement, which I do have to commend Mental Health Center and the Office of Behavioral Health Strategies for sitting with us that that that does not negate that there will continue to be those children right there at the doorstep. The other thing is, is that so and with that there was also a preference that the and had been talked really quite extensively since the FCC, the Family Crisis Center, had closed quite a bit of conversation about keeping that as a mental health service center. I'm sorry about your time as possible day treatment. Thank you. All right. Next up is Jerry Burton. And I'm going to invite Phil Kasper, Brian McCann, Chris Rolston to Poorer Towers and Jesse Paris to the front row. You will be next. Go ahead. Oh, thank you. My name is Jerry Burden. I'm a veteran. I'm homeless right now. But at the same time, I used to live over there at Decatur. Place apartment, me and my daughter. It's a good area. I mean, change is good, but at the same time, it isn't good if we use it for what we really need it to be used for. And I think I get doesn't want to see it become like five points. I can no longer move over. I can't Fivepoint used to be an area that was of people of color and I can move in over there no more. And I just don't want this area over here to be the same. It'll be good if you put more 0 to 30% apartments or whatever that people are that are experiencing or are unhoused right now that can be able to move into. And that's all I got to say on that matter. But as far as everything else, I'm down, but I'm not down because I know how things go. I it's funny, too, how every time we we make a decision, it's convenient for the councilman to make the decision and not and not put us first. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Phil Kasper. My name is Phil Kasper. I'm a 32 year resident of Denver. Dropped in the dirt here 60 years ago and I live at 2516 west holding 2516 West 13th Avenue. Most of the residents in Sun Valley have experienced homelessness and understand its stresses, challenges and tragedies. So it's not that we don't understand the needs of homelessness in our community. The fact is that our community is extremely stressed and we need to preserve a safe environment for the children that are there. We've worked 30 years to counter the negative aspects of 50 years of of being ignored by the city of Denver. So this community has the highest percentage of children in the state, and no other community in the country has been identified as having a higher percentage at 66% ten years ago. And the zoning change allows the city to impose uses that are not yet revealed to our community. Our objections revolve around the risk that the city will use the zoned campus for purposes that will injure the children and families and undo the work that's been done there. The city will place we are worried that the city will place a shooting gallery in the neighborhood. The prospects of having higher homeless population on the river. Mentally challenged individuals wandering through the neighborhood with 2000 children. The city now is not participating in the redevelopment of the Sun Valley Eco District to the extent that would inform us about the uses that are proposed for that property. We believe that those there are uses already identified. However, we have not been informed of them. There is a plan and it has not been revealed to us. Is there a plan to allow people to use Schedule one narcotics in any part of that site? Is there a conspiracy to circumvent federal drug laws? Will our taxes be used to defend in court challenges from the federal government? If council approves a drug shooting gallery for the zoned site that is 29, 29 or any other location in Denver. That's my biggest fear. Thank you. Next up, Brian McCann. Brian McCann. I live at 27, 27 West holding place, and I'm against the rezoning because I don't know what's going to be coming into the community. I'm a new face in the community, but still live there and it's getting better over the years that I've been there. But. I don't see the benefit of not telling us what the reasonings for. I do believe that most of my points have been spoken already and more will be coming up. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next up, Chris Richardson. Good evening, everyone. Chris Larson. I run the Sun Valley Youth Center. My goal today was a filibuster and have a whole bunch of kids sitting here. And we decided not to do that. And here's why. Our families are afraid. They're afraid to come to the government right now and complain about anything. We're working with refugees and little kids. So I've been in Sun Valley 20 years. This is my 21st year. I don't age, though, guys, so it's okay. And I think the thing is, for years and years and years, we've been planning Sun Valley and now it's starting to come to the full development. There's actually cranes that have knocked down community housing. 58 families have now been displaced. People are afraid. They're afraid of what's coming in and they're afraid that we're not going to be good on all this planning for them and for the community. We've been talking about having spaces and places for kids like some of our kids have to go to the east side to receive mental health services. The building is no longer a crisis center. We're all in agreement that that was not a good place to have an orphanage where kids were emancipating. We're all about that. But we've been asking and advocating in 20 years of planning for a mental health middle school, for a mental health high school. We love mental health center of Denver for the purposes of youth and families. And so the concern for myself and for the youth in the community that I serve is how can we for a zoning use? And this is what's hard is that the zoning came to us with a youth attached to it. So that's why we're speaking to the youth so strongly. We don't know what's going on between that what's going to happen with the West Side Health Clinic. We've heard they're staying. We've heard they're going. That's really convenient for a family that doesn't have vehicles for single moms with lots of kids. We want to continue to keep some of those services there. So our biggest complaint is that this use does not meet any of the planning where we were talking about furthering and bettering our community. This isn't being designed for families to come. It's not being designed for single moms to go and get some parenting assistance and help and things like that. I think to Jean's point, when we were talking about the planning and all the housing going closer around the stadium, that's not the case anymore. All of the plans keep changing. So now all of the first phase of housing is going to be built correct directly right in the backyard. So when we took the kids up to the crisis center to go visit and see what this thing could look like, we're talking about people that are going through rehab and people that are going through treatment. I'm sure there's going to be drug use. I'm sure there's going to be smoking going right up into the kids balcony. We have kids with asthma. We have kids with all kinds of issues. So our biggest concern is that is now going to back right up into the community where there's already going to be 5000 kids coming in or 2000 or it doesn't even matter. 300 kids like we need to advocate for them because they aren't able to come and speak for themselves. And in a community where kids outnumber adults and it will continue to be that way as long as there's public housing going in which it is. We want to make sure that this space can be used for the betterment of their lives and in the betterment of their. Mental health as well. Thank you. Next up, tips for a tower. I'm going to stand next to her. Okay. My name's Zipporah and I've been going to this only church for a while. Okay. Sorry she was going to try and speak and she will not. Well, thank you for coming down. And thank you. Thank you very much. Next up, Jesse Paris. Good evening, members of council. My name is Jesse Paris. I'm representing for Denver Homicide Lao Black Star Action Movement for Self-defense and Positive Action Commitment for Change. And I'm also an at large candidate for 2019. We are definitely against this, especially after hearing all the testimony from the community. We do not have any kind of guarantee that this justice is going to be for what you say it is going to be for. The community has come out and let you know this straight up. So I would ask that you honor the wishes of the community and vote no on this proposed rezoning, because we don't need any more unintended consequences from these redevelopments, these rezonings, and these other things that you guys do. The community is fed up. This community has been ostracized. It's been neglected. And this is where the majority of children reside and live and play. And to see that you are not taking all of that into account. What this reasoning is a shame for this council. So with that being said, I urge you strongly urge you to vote no on this rezoning. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Chairman Sekou. Yes. My name is Chairman Sekou. Up next, Mayor City County of Denver, 2019, founder, organizer of Black Star Action Movement for Self-defense Defense. I'm going to speak from personal experience. I'm appliance. Image City. Me tell you what I went through with them. To court cases. Gentrification related because I refuse to use my Section eight to go outside the city. Four years. It took me to going to over 700 places in four years looking for a place in the city, countered Denver. They couldn't direct me to one. And when they couldn't do that, they moved to take the Section eight away from me. I had to go to court twice on the same day. Finally, Susan Fine, who's the Section eight federal representative, found me a place on the east side where I reside now 3421 Elm Street and 15 minutes . The stuff in there is racist. As for the statistics as to how many black people do you have working in all of your sites? Ask not how many minorities. Oh, no, don't play that one, because you're going to find brown people. You're going to find women who qualify for minorities. I couldn't even get a black counselor. And when I asked for one, I demanded one. I had to go to court to get my ID. So they found me a student who just got out of college. No senior staff whatsoever. And then for the facility that's right behind me where I live on 34th, then Elm Street, the one that's located on your door, your diet, you check out the staff in there. They had four black people in their number now and they quit on the job because of racism, employment, bouncing Germans. Could you please speak to this zone. We're talking about? Did you get ready to do this whip? So this is apropos because you're asking me to support a corporation. That's racist. That's twice the premise. And they look for nothing but the gentrification of our neighborhood to establish white rule, including to step in. You better check out who you dealing with, because I'm coming up for certification and I have the strength and the courage to tell the truth about what you do to me. Yeah. And you say to people that Skip. Scared so they could lose their right to mental health and then boxes in the business of driving folks crazy. Were you in the mental health business to fix both? You be out of business. Think about it. And now they're increasing their services because they are in the process of not mental health, but mental. I'm sorry. Your time is up. Your time is up. Next up, we have Barry and Thompson. And that puts a lot. Good evening, counsel. People short and sweet. Just like I said before, gentrification. So you want Sun Valley to be another five point? Is that what you all want to do? What you say on paper and what you do are two different things. And for that I say nay. People in this in Sun Valley have gone through a lot of trauma. I grew up in a city in a barrio in Tucson, Arizona, with the same exact problems, with the exact same gentrification that went out. What happened? All white. Where would. Where were the minorities? Poor get poorer at the expense of rich people raping them. Nay, thank you. Thank you. That concludes our speakers. Are there questions from members of council? Councilman Brooks? Yes. Whoever put together the neighborhood agreement or the neighborhood who drafted that, worked on it over that is. Just come to the mike. So this this bill was postponed because the neighborhood agreement was not yet executed and fulfilled. And now are we to understand that it's been fulfilled now? Yes, that's correct. It's been finished and signed on both parties. Okay. So their comment saying that the execution of this actual facility may not be for those who are experiencing homelessness. Is that fulfilled in the neighborhood agreement? Is that spelled out? How many people will you be serving? Yes, that I believe is really clear in terms of who will serve. How many people we serve, how many people we serve at a time. And what the service was will look like. And it will be for people experiencing a mental health crisis and. How many formerly homeless. We don't know how many will be technically homeless. We won't discriminate based on whether somebody's homeless or has a house. If they're in a mental health crisis, they can be served. They're okay. We expect that a number of them will indeed be homeless or a larger percent will be homeless. How many will you be serving? I guess our crisis unit will have 16 people and our we'll have 30 transition beds where people can stay 30 days so that we're not releasing people straight out into the street but have time to find them. Longer term housing. Okay, great. And for the neighborhood that signed on, you didn't have any disagreement with signing on? Is that what I'm hearing? I think that if you read the comments in my update, we felt that it was in the best. We were involved in discussions on this. After the fact, the city went ahead and filed. We reached out to invite them to come talk about the zoning. And at that time, it was disclosed that the reason for the rezoning was to allow for the because the the the crisis center building had to be re zoned in order to allow for its use as a as an adult facility. Our first after several conversations, our first vote was no, but we did get a very strong impression that the city was determined. And we looked at other we offered other kinds of alternative plans and uses and even saying, could it be for women and and children? You know, women primarily because that's more reflective of our current population. Those were all kind of rejected. And so it was felt that in the best interest of the neighborhood that we frankly enter into our start the process of working on a good neighbor agreement to really try and get some accountability and oversight and potential protection for some of the concerns and get getting some of the concerns addressed even with that. Then after we looked at to sign the GINA and the reason for signing the Gina was because we were told really clearly that frankly, there wouldn't be a lot of incentive to accept that. Gina if it passed and we hadn't signed it. We went ahead and did it. There were still people who felt that they were doing it reluctantly and had no choice. Thank you. Okay, ma'am, did you did you have some. No, I'm sorry. We just you asked for everybody. That was a part of it. So I was. Like, yes. If you're going to could you come up to the microphone, answer that question so that everybody watching on can hear you, too? Yeah. So to Jean's point, yeah, I think we signed it, because if there's a use coming that we really can't stop, we want to make sure that we have some power in that agreement, if that makes any sense. So we did end up having to have a mediator help us do that good neighbor agreement. So it was not a simple process, took lots and lots and lots of writing, but we got to the point where we all feel comfortable with 90% of it. There's still a lot of it that we don't feel comfortable because part of it is with the city and the city doesn't do a good neighbor agreement. Okay. Thank you. And I can say for mental health Senator Denver and I can just say it, but we we really would have been happy to sign a good neighbor agreement. In any case, we have good neighbor agreements with pretty much all the neighbors, many of the neighborhoods, most of the neighborhoods we're in already. And our anticipation was whether there was a conflict in zoning or not. We would have signed a good neighbor agreement. And tell me your name, sir. I'm Jake Flynn. I'm the vice president for adult services with Mental Health Center of Denver. Mr. Flynn well, one last question here for you, sir. You can still sign a good neighbor agreement that does not have to be tied to the zoning. So would you be willing to enter into kind of an hours of operation agreement, how the facility would be run when a facility is shut down from the hours of operation , things like that? Yeah. Yes. And we have indeed signed this good neighbor agreement already. And I think we would have been happy to sign one very similar to the one we came out with. My biggest our biggest conversation points were about making sure that the Good Neighborhood Agreement respected sort of the rights and dignity of the people we would serve in treating them like people and not like possessions. Thank you, Mr. Flynn. Andrew, one quick question. I don't know if you can pull up the surrounding. I just want to get to the context, the question before. For us is not the use, but it's actually the rezoning. But. You know, city council. One of our criteria is health, safety and welfare. So I want to make sure I ask that question about the use. This currently is. It's a PD. That's correct. And under the PD, what's the height limit? The party does not actually stipulate height limits. I don't believe it just lists, uses and floor area ratio of the. Hot talking ability be built on this from the floor area. Depend on on the on how much parking was needed to be provided. So it would vary but probably similar to what is allowed now or similar to what is proposed by the the the proposed new zone district. Could you get something over 60 feet? 56 feet? From our standpoint. It would depend, you know, if if a large amount of the site was left empty. Yep. You could possibly. Yes. Okay. And so looking looking around the area, it looks like there is some same x five. There is a max eight. Is that in the orange? In the orange is S.R. X eight, which is the residential mixed use district. And then there is CMCs eight and red up to the north and east of the site. Okay. So you concur this plan, support to support the Arizona. Absolutely. The plan support from Blueprint and the Decatur federal plan are very clear. Okay. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. Councilman Brooks, Councilman Espinosa. Can you stick around? So help me out here. You know, a lot of the conversation has been centered on on 29, 28. West was 10th. But were the rezonings for the entire Peddie area? Is that correct? That's right. That is correct. The PD, when it was originally adopted in 1999, had two sub areas. One of them is the one that we're considering that you're considering this evening. And the other one is the site that is essentially to the north, the northeast corner of the site, so framed by Decatur and Holden place. It's now CM five and is shown on this map is kind of just mixed in with additional CM X five to the east but it was zoned in 2017. So so 19 do you know. So in 1999 the LPA for the for the West Line was established. Do you know if this PD predated or postdated that? I do not. Because one of the things I'm struggling with is it would be one thing if we were talking about a rezoning of the of the the zone lot that sort of well, we are talking about the entire zone lot. But if we were talking about the parcel that captures the the subject property, because this is this an area that is six times over six times bigger than just where 2929 is. And and, you know, APD is is got a lot of a lot of constraints to it by design. So that was a negotiated outcome sort of well was well aware of where we were going and where we were headed. I think the only sort of new thing over there is the Lakewood Gulch, you know, the widening that sort of got expedited by the tragedy. But I don't know, maybe urban drainage probably had plans for that. Even that predated 99. I don't know. So I'm I'm struggling with the area did what was this the planning board's recommendation by. The planning board recommended to approve the rezoning. And I think the main reason for the proposing to amend the whole thing is several fold. One is that it is a former Chapter 59 PD with for a ratio and other calculations that are essentially based on the the area of of what is we're currently talking about tonight which was technically called sub area two in the original PD. So amending out just a section of it. The code doesn't provide really for amending out just a section of of an old code PD unless it has already identified that area in some way. So you'd almost have to amend the PD first before then rezoning. That's right. Just a. Partial. So too. Then this gets to the slide about future street types. You're you're referencing future city types in the zoning district standards don't make any reference to commercial arterial or enhance transit corridors. So what are the street types using the existing designations? I want to make sure I understand the question. The existing the existing street designations. So. So if I look at the district standards and I've got them here. If I can call them up. Oops, the you know, it references arterials and collectors. Right. And so not commercial arterials and enhance transit corridor. So is that a collector? I mean I mean, is that an arterial. That federal is an arterial? And is it designated specifically as a commercial arterial and separately as an enhanced transit corridor? The reason why I'm asking is that we actually in the zoning code, we actually designate arterial and then we make a distinction called major arterial. Is federal considered a major arterial? I would have to look at how how public works designates them. As you may know, public works has a slightly different map. Most recently published, I believe in 2017 that that does have some current street designations. I would have to look at that and confirm. I would be surprised, however, if Federal was not considered a major arterial. Because it specifically says CMC's five applies to areas or intersections that are primarily by collector or arterial streets. Right. And that's true for the eight story category. But then for for trawl at 12, 16 and 18, it's primarily served by major arterial streets. It doesn't even mention collectors. And so this is what is giving me pause is we're talking about a sixth of a property that is on what I would probably suspect that Public Works considers a major arterial. We are definitely within a half a quarter mile of of of a major trans high frequency transit corridor. It's it's an enhanced transit corridor. It's a commercial arterial. We're definitely within a quarter mile of the light rail station, definitely within a quarter mile of a major park and system. And so. I am I am struggling here. So the last. So I'm curious, did any of that come up in a planning board? It did not. Are you thinking about the is it is it the the designation of the of the five storey height limit? Or are you thinking that maybe perhaps I should be. Looking at the Decatur Federal Station area, I mean, station area plan language that's cited in the staff report and it says encouraging mixed in the character area that this is part of it says that the encouraging mix of building heights and variations formed respect maximum of building heights of 5 to 12. This plan, this map seems to suggest it's five only. But the language actually shows that variety in this particular area. And so I'm just going and looking at the level of investment that we are making today in federal we have historically made in the East West connections and wondering why why were if there's any other dialog or just simply because, again, I'm not struggling with this. If we're only talking about the piece that's on the collector street but the six times folded this it's placement, it's proximity to this level investment. I have to contemplate the balance of this property with respect to everything else. So that's why Mike and my questions. Thanks. Thanks. Thank you. Councilman Espinosa. Councilman Lopez. Thank you, Mr. President. I wanted to ask Jeff Holliday if you can come up somebody from Denver Human Services or Office of Behavioral Health. I'm going to ask some questions about the Good Neighbor agreement. Where does the Good Neighbor agreement live in? How is it. Enforced? I'm sorry, Councilman Lopez. I couldn't hear the last part of your your comment. Good neighborhood agreement that was signed. Where does that live? Where does that live long term? How is it enforced? And I saw provisions on it on reporting out. So walk walk that through for us and for the folks here in this room just to understand what this is, what the agreements are, and how is this a document that's going to see life? Thank you for the question. So ostensibly, the Good Neighbor Agreement lives between both parties. Mental Health Center of Denver and the Sun Valley Community Coalition as a as a third party Office of Behavioral Health Strategies will monitor when services are stood up in the building the the services that are being rendered. You'll notice in the Good Neighbor Agreement that it references a community advisory committee. Neighbor advisory committee, I think is is how it's it's framed in the good neighbor agreement. You'll also notice that my office is a party to that neighborhood advisory committee. And so my role in part is to ensure that the provisions of the Good Neighbor Agreement, as they're agreed upon between the parties, is appropriately addressed as a function of that meeting. Why doesn't the. The. The neighborhood advisory committee a party here on page seven. Number three. Is there is is there any reason why it's not specifically mentioned. Say the first part again. Councilman Lopez, I'm having a hard time hearing what you're what you're saying. Sorry. It's just my is my bad ears. No, no, no. It's okay. Good neighborhood agreement. Page seven says a specific information to be contained in these reports will be agreed upon between the Office of Behavioral Health Strategies, Sun Valley Community Coalition and MHC d. Why didn't we include a neighborhood advisory committee in their. I'm not sure I understand your question, but the good neighbor agreement. I could grab my copy and take a look at this specific reference. Oh, let me let me just repeat this. So the office so the specific information to be contained in these reports, this is the Good Neighbor Agreement. Page seven will be agreed agreed upon between Office of Behavioral Health Strategies, Sun Valley Community Coalition and Mental Health Centers of Denver. My question is, is why wasn't why isn't the NPC, the Neighborhood Advisory Committee included in there? Is it? I see that there's the Sun Valley Community Coalition. Is it because they're parties of that? They make up the NCC? I was wondering why the NAACP was not just. Put out in here in terms of reporting? Well, I can't presume to know how each party was thinking, except what I would say in my involvement is, at least from my perspective, where we addressed the Neighborhood Advisory Committee and the work that that committee would do on an ongoing basis satisfied the concerns that were raised as a part of the of the mediation. Okay. Who's enforcing the genny? If something if there is a complaint, let's say, if there is an issue that arises that purports to violate the agreement. How is that enforced? What happens? So the parties that are named as as participants in the Neighborhood Advisory Committee as as a as a starting point, would engage in a and a consensus building activity where there are points of disagreement. If the dispute if that doesn't resolve it, then they would bring the matter to myself and whomever is the expanding authority of the services contract once that is left. One more question on on this particular let me just go forward that MHC is the provider in the Good Neighborhood Agreement. The city can switch providers, right. We have to still do we have to have an agreement with them to provide services, a service agreement that that. That's correct. Councilman Lopez. If the city were not happy with the services that were being provided by MHC, they could certainly seek a different vendor for those services. What happens to the Good Neighbor Agreement if we seek another vendor? The Good Neighbor agreement would presumably. It's a good question. Currently, the good neighbor agreement is is a requirement for for the vendor, I presume that that would carry over. Certainly that would be my my perspective, that I would want to see any vendor that goes into that space. If it weren't MH CD enter into a good neighbor agreement with the community on record. Could you make a commitment and can the city make a commitment on making sure that any subsequent vendor that the Good Neighborhood Agreement could live, that it would be required that they enter into that at least be as a signatory to this good neighborhood agreement? Well, I would make a commitment on behalf of my office as somebody who oversees the the service contract, that if if an occasion arose where we had a different vendor, that I would require that they enter into a good neighbor agreement with the community. Is that in jeopardy? Mr.. HALL. Let me ask I'm looking to the administration. Is this something that. Is this is this good neighborhood agreement, good for any other vendor? Is this a requirement for end? Are we willing as a city if, let's say that another vendor comes in or bids in the future, does this good neighbor agreement , are we going to require that they be a signatory to that? Councilman. I'm going to jump in here. Sky Stuart mayor's office. It was a requirement. In the RFP. We issued that any provider have a. Good neighbor agreement, so we're going to continue to have that requirement in place. Okay. Thank you. The current site and I'm going to look at CPD the uses are there and what we're understand is that there has been a use that has been defined. Have I heard testimony that people are not aware of what the use will be? What are the current uses of the PD and explained to me is my understanding that in order for the Family Crisis Center to be utilized in a way that would help homeless individuals and provide these services, that's not allowed in the current PD, that you'd have to change the whole rezoning to allow that. PD What's allowed now? Like what are the uses now? From what I understand, because I only all disclosure, I live about five, five and a half blocks from the site. Sure. So I know it is the Castro building and the Sam Sound website health clinic and the Family Crisis Center, which is now empty. That's correct. So those three uses that you just mentioned are permitted uses. The PD allows for an office use that covers the the the Castro Center, a health care facility use with overnight stays for the for the clinic and then for for this component of the site. It allows and I have the language here up on screen. I'm not sure if you if you're able to see it, it allows day and night care facilities for youth 0 to 12 years of age. And then finally the PD allows parking. Okay. And my last question is I I'll just if I may, Mr. President, just one one more is if I can ask Lisa Lumley, the division of Real Estate. There are fears that we heard in this hearing tonight that there's going to be gentrification and redevelopment and that the city can do something with this site, that we would sell it, that there are other uses. You are the division or you represent the division of real estate in the city. Is there any offer on these sites? Is there any intent to sell any of these properties that are under question to any kind of third party? Or are we going to develop it into anything aside from what's there? Good evening, Lisa. Lovely division of real estate. No, actually, I can let you know that Human Service has approval to move forward to invest significant amount of money in the building to retrofit an upgraded. In the Castro building. Yes, in the Castro building. I'm sorry. And so the plans are to stay put. We are not looking to redevelop the site. It is a full investment from human service that they intend to be in that community and continue to serve it. This is just about trying to address the use the the existing produce for the Family Crisis Center, knowing it's a city owned building that for the majority of it has to sit empty because it's non-compliant in its current state. What about Denver health in particular? Sam Sanders, The Westside Health Clinic? Is there any intent on them or interest on them in leaving? Not that I'm aware of. I can't speak on behalf of Denver Health, but not that I've had any conversations with. Okay, all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Lopez. Councilman Black. Thank you, Mr. President. Most of my questions have been answered. I just had. One question. For you, Andrew. I noticed there was just one no vote from the planning board. Did that person explain why they voted no? Yes. There was one no vote from from someone who works in that area of the city. And I believe her explanation was that she wanted to to indicate her support for community members that were in opposition. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Councilwoman Black. Councilman Flynn. Mr. President, I'm sure that under the I was looking through the staff report and the all the various the the original pad in 99 and because we're rezoning the entire pad, not just 29, 29. I'm curious what other restrictions and stipulations were made in that that are going to expire by virtue of approving this over the entire site rather than just the old family crisis center? What what else? What other protections and stipulations is the neighborhood losing by by eliminating the PD? The the regulation that you see on screen here about the day and night care and therapy facility for youth is probably the most the most limited requirement or allowance use allowance in the current. But I think some of the other restrictions had to do with parking, mostly parking. Exactly. That's requirements, etc., setbacks. That's correct. And and so the new the new zoning, the CMC's zoning allows for a more pedestrian oriented built environment and potentially less parking than would be off street parking would be required by this this older PD. Mm hmm. Councilman Espinosa, right out of the box, asked most of the questions that were also on my mind. But one other. Since you have that up on the screen, would it have been possible to amend the PD simply to take that out and just leave it as a PD, but replace that one phrase to take out the 0 to 12 year old clients and allow 18 and above. We we don't really have a pathway currently that is in use to amend old code PDS and the policy has been to find appropriate new code zone districts to replace those PDS. To your knowledge, is this the first PD that at least since since in this term of the council that where we are rezoning the entire PD to something else but only because of a one of the parcels in it if you can. You understand the. Question? I do. I do understand. It seems to me the other times we've eliminated PDS and replaced it with 2010 zoning. The reason was the entire. That's right. Acreage of that had to be defended, too. Right. But here we're only looking at the Family Crisis Center. And can you think of another PD that we've eliminated that dealt only with a small parcel? I can't think of one specifically a rezoning that was specifically because of a small parcel. But some of the some of your colleagues in the council may recall a rezoning like that. Okay. Thank you. Councilman connected. You want to help answer that? We did a rezoning of a pad because of a walkway limitation, because the walkway violated the PD. So we did an entire PD rezoning because a walkway didn't fit the criteria. For the entire site. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Flynn and Councilwoman Kennedy. Next up, Councilwoman Ortega. That's one point. I'm doing okay. Thank you, Mr. President. I also have a couple of questions. Mr. Holiday, would you mind coming forward? What are the current, I don't know, uses or operations that are occurring in that building today? Councilwoman Ortega I would have to defer to our DHS colleagues that own services that are going on in that building today. What do you hear from DHS? Would you mind coming forward, whoever the. Good evening, counsel. Bettina Schneider. I'm the chief financial officer at Denver Human Services. Currently, we operate the ordering process with our child welfare division, child protection division. There is a Denver Police Department presence there that interviews the kids. There is a pediatric clinic from Denver Health. It is a closed network, so we don't have kids. Just walk in and say, hey, I want to see a doctor. We would send them to. West Side across the parking lot. So we do have a current operation in that building. So how does this change? Assuming this zoning passes tonight and MHC is able to put their clients into the building. We are looking to relocate the order in process to a different city building. I'm the one we're looking at right now is at 405 South Platte. And what's the timing of that? We've actually already hired an architect. So looking at converting basically like a warehouse office building into a medical clinic, a space for the district attorney's office and the city attorney's office. They actually have a presence at the FCC building now as well. And for our staff and child protection. So I'm sorry, the timing of it, we were hoping to have it completed by May or June, but it's construction takes a remodeling. So will that take up that entire property at 405 South Platte? We will use the first and second floors. It's a three story building. The first and second floors would take care of the ordering process. And we're looking to relocate some administrative staff to the third floor of that building. Okay. And will any of that include beds? Bed space. Yeah, we are looking at it so that we need a washer and dryer and there would be like a sleeping area and it would be an emergency type situation if kids had to spend the night because we couldn't find a placement for them. Similar to the way that the current location operated? Yes, absolutely. Yeah. We're not looking to change the current operation. Just move it to a new location. Right, right, right. So you're not going to have classrooms in some of these. Kids will not take it. Sorry to jump in. If there are questions about what's going to happen at 405. This is directly related. This is directly related. And it's important to know and understand, you know, the sequencing of what's happening here. So that's helpful. Thank you. I have no no further questions. So how soon would it mean planned to be in this building, assuming this passes tonight, Mr. Flynn? My understanding is that given the scheduling of moving some of the present folks that are working there out to the South Platte building, that we would at the earliest start operation in March of 2020 and somewhat more likely June of 2020. So so this move would require it made CD to do some major renovation of the building. Yeah, we're planning it with the city, and the city's actually doing the renovation. Okay. Can somebody speak to what that cost is? Lisa, I'm looking at you, but I don't know if there's somebody else that could speak to what it will cost to do the renovation of this building. Councilwoman. I don't know that I have an exact number today. I know that they've been trying to work on it and work on the timing as certain things have been delayed, they've had to adjust. That's something that we can get back to you on. Okay. So I guess I'm trying to understand because the building we're moving the kids to is the very building that MHC was originally going to go into for this very purpose for the solution center. And I'm trying to understand if there's a huge cost difference between what they would have spent there. I know it's a much more it's a whole different building. It's more of a commercial building. What I would say is that the the reason the Family Crisis Center was considered after four or five was given, it's build out and it's residential the way it had been originally built, residential, even though it was for youth versus adults. I don't know that. I don't know how how huge the cost differences. And like I said, we can get back to you on that. I know the part of that cost difference is going to Albertina Luft play into human services. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It part of that will play into those some of what she mentioned the administration for moving some people from Castro down that will help their overcrowding as well. So there'll be a blending of that at the four or five building. All right. And someone that can speak to the agreement, will sex offenders be allowed at the site? No, we are not allowing any registered sex offenders at the site. Who's going to do the screening? We're asking the police to do the initial screening. And when people get to the site, we'll also run a callback, a CBI background check. But we'll ask the police first because most folks will be coming to the site via first responders. The concept is first responders bring people to the site, then there are no walk ins, so nobody can just simply walk in and present for services. It's really geared to help first responders who are in the field working with people who should not be arrested. There's no reason to arrest them, but they are in a crisis. So, Jay, I just want to ask Mr. Flynn, I should say sorry, how what's the difference between how many people were going to be served at the solution center, at the old location versus this location? The plan is the same. Exactly the same. Can you just tell us why that was? That site was rejected over this one. I mean, this one wasn't even on the table. But I'm you know, I would have to defer to the city in terms of why they changed the plan for the building. My understanding was that the first building is much more expensive to renovate. Okay, I thought it was an MHC decision, but I could be wrong about that. So there's someone that can just speak to that that would be helpful. Tyler Jacko at the Department of Finance. So the main reason why four. Or five was not an. Appropriate use was because after further discussion about both programing for the site. As well as renovation. The best case scenario for the site was actually demolish. The building. And rebuild. And on that particular site there was actual when you go through that process, there'd be a lot of environmental remediation driving up the costs of trying to do the same services on that particular site to an enormous degree. I think we're talking almost five years ago, close to $7 million to do that entire process, which. We're just estimates. And given all estimates and construction. Over the years, those have come up woefully short. So imagining that costs would go up over. Time, did we not do a Phase one environmental when we purchased that? It was a part. Of the process, so we were actually having to go through the. Purchase of the building at the same time of kind of looking for a particular user. So it was done, so was. Known of those particular pieces, but that wouldn't be affected if you're renovating the building versus actually demolishing and rebuilding. I have two other very brief questions, but if you want to defer to others and put me in the back of the queue, I'm okay with that. Okay. Thank you, Councilwoman. Naughty Councilman. Yes, Mr. Flynn. Mr. Flynn, can I ask a question? Of course. Sir. Just on the Good Neighbor Agreement, do you have a copy of. I think the city council has a copy and Jeff has a copy. I know, but you can certainly ask me a question. I'm very familiar with the. Okay. Again, on page three, I like you mentioned about sex offenders. I guess there's about five other categories of individuals that would not be admitted to to the service right. Persons in need of a 72 hour hold. That's correct. Under arrest, medical crisis, chemical dependency, alcohol plants, not appropriate for a shelter is wrong. And will the police be triaging all those? Categories of anyone they bring over to the solution center. Yeah, they will triage as well as they're able. And then we will have nurses at the solution center. So they will do another triage. Just some somebody gets there and we find out, for instance, they have a bad head wound and we would call an ambulance and move them to a hospital like Denver Health where they could get the medical care they need. So the police missed one of these categories. Then your staff, when they do their triage, they pick up on it. What happens then is then in there, in the section you goes about unplanned discharges. It talks about security officers, where they're going to be held there until they find transportation or they're going to be escorted to federal . What's going to happen with that, that patient? So, for instance, if somebody comes and the police thought they did not need to be placed on a 72 hour hold, but we find they are an imminent danger to themselves and they're likely to hurt themselves quickly or soon and need to hold. We'll place them on a hold there, call an ambulance and get them to go and move them, transport them to a higher level of service. So if somebody most of these categories are for folks who need a higher level of service, so instead of turning them loose in the street, we're going to get them to that higher level of service. And will a police officer stay there until you do that triage? Yeah, they'll stay there. The plan is. They'll stay there, too. We do, too. Indeed. Until we do that initial triage. Okay. And so that any in any other unplanned discharge like that, the security officer will escort that that that patient, their client to the bus driver to. Yeah, that's correct. And that would only be for unplanned discharges or for people who did not need to be placed on a hold, weren't dangerous, but still wanted to leave. We'd make sure they got out of the neighborhood with the safety officer. Well, safety and security has been, you know, a big issue. And you've heard it tonight. It's been a big concern of mine. And so I just want to make sure you've tightened up all that security so there won't be any patients released to go into the community that's not unescorted or you'll be able to manage that. Yes. For people for unplanned discharges. We know that in the 30 day program, we'll have lots of people that we want to leave the program to go look for housing. Part of our plan, for instance, in the morning when kids are at bus stops, we're going to have staff go over there with them to make sure everything's calm. At the bus stop on federal, we're going to have two safety officers on staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That's good. At 30 days, I should be more stabilized than obviously when they first come to you. So that's certainly our hope. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you, Councilman new Councilwoman Cannick. Thank you very much. My first question I think is from you, Mr. Flynn, which is, is there any plan to use this site for supervised injection? Not in the part of MGD and not in part of the city that I know of. And I have not heard anybody say anything to that effect, certainly not on the first floor and third floor that we'll be using. Absolutely no planning for any such thing. And Councilman Brooks, as someone who's been involved in this conversation, have you seen any proposal to use any site in this site that's being zoned today for that use? Councilman, thank you for the question. We have not even begin to look at location for sites. So it's absolutely ridiculous for us to even think about this being one of the sites that once it passes the state, we'll start a location conversation around May or June. Thank you. My other questions are for our city attorney, Kirsten Crawford. It's very tempting to want to have a conversation about the folks who will be staying in a portion of this site, because that's what many of the speakers have raised. And I guess I want to ask you, you've recently admonished us or warned us that we need to be talking about the criteria. So I just want to ask, are we allowed to base any form of the zoning decision on who will be occupying a portion of the site after it's owned? The short answer is no, and especially in the context of tonight's staff report, the criteria is in the staff report. The criteria depends on meeting whether there's plan support. What is actually going to happen on the site is not part of the criteria. And, you know, there's also the Federal Fair Housing Act, which would, you know, suggest that council ought to consider whether any of these comments would, you know, be discriminatory or appear discriminatory based on what the uses are. So I appreciate the question. It is a good one and I would encourage council members to tailor their questions to what is contained in the staff. Can you just clarify briefly, you mentioned the fair housing. What's the status that could be, you know, implicated in the conversation that's been happening tonight or the testimony we've been hearing about who the who will be on the site? Well, the the Fair Housing Act protects disabilities, mental health disabilities, mentally disabled, recovering alcoholics, drug addicts. So any status that would fit within one of those classes is protected by the Fair Housing Act. So it would be prohibited to make a decision about the zoning based on someone with one of those disabilities being a future resident. That's right. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you, Councilwoman. Can each. All right. We have a few people who are back in the queue. Councilman Lopez? Yeah. May I speak? Jean Granville, if you can come up. Hmm. As you know, I was not part of the good neighborhood agreement processes, kind of. I respect your space and your bargaining space there. Can you talk a little bit about the so you had you would sent an email to me asking me for a delay? Yes. Yes. What was the reason for the delay? To delay the rezoning? Because it was happening supposed to happen last month. Right. Are you talking about the first request? The first request? Yes. The first one was because we had not we did not have a Jeannie at that time on at our August 7th meeting after the city had delayed. I think the neighborhood to give the neighborhood time to kind of get used to the idea to find out more about and get some of the questions asked about the use. And I understand, you know, the Fair Housing Act, but just to understand it better, we had we had the vote and it was pretty clear to us that the city was determined to move forward despite some of our alternative uses. And it was really felt that it was in the best interest. And so in my conversation with the city and I'm using that collectively with with the team, you know, I said, why don't we at least start looking at a good neighbor agreement? Because people were very concerned. It was you know, people were very clear they were against it. And if we were going to move it at all, perhaps a good neighbor agreement might make a difference, too, to start addressing some of those concerns. Plus even give us a better idea of what was really planned in there. We had had a lot of reiterations at first. It was a lot of bad a homelessness. It really ended up to be a lot more about mental health crises. So our, our, our, our, our, our request was really because at the time we were scheduled in, I guess it was September, I think September 13th, we were scheduled to have the final hearing. We had just not even gotten back a response to our changes. We had gotten an offer from the agency, which is about three pages. We were pretty disappointed because there was a 27 page good neighbor agreement that had been done in Seattle for the model that this is based on. And we were kind of disappointed because there really wasn't very much substance in it. And so we were in the process of responding and we had not heard back except to hear that it would be another ten days beyond the 13th before they could even respond to us. So so we were we were just getting started really on the whole good neighbor agreement process. So we got that request. I was right on the reasons why. I mean, I think it was important to make sure that we had enough process. A lot of people come to these chambers and say, well, we don't. There was the process was flawed. Is not enough process. Do you feel that we've had enough process to this point to get to this point and enough community input, enough process? I think that we've done as good a job as we can do right now. I understand there's a few errors that you know will have to be rectified. On point those. Right. And even to the standpoint of including the Community Advisory Committee, in terms of determining the reporting, I don't think it was really an intent to exclude them. It was just that the Sun Valley Community Coalition had very specific concerns about that, that the reporting would be substantive. I think that we've done as good a job for right now as we can. I'm sure it's going to be a work in progress that hopefully with the community advisory group in place, we can further sift that out as we go. The Community Advisory Group, who all was that? I mean, you don't need any mentioned names, but was there enough community on the community advisory group? It was it was representative of really all segments of the community. We never have as many residents who are actually living. I think it was mentioned that there is a lot of fear, there's a lot of concern that, you know, if. They are anything other than, you know, grateful for the housing, which many of them are, that that might be held against them. But we did have involved in the process and beyond just the working group, also an executive committee that had residents on it, not nearly as many. We I have to say, we made an executive decision not to put this out in the community and raise the alarm because and try to get as many people down here to really voice their concerns, because we don't want to retraumatize people, many of whom have suffered some of these same instances. We also don't want to be defined, you know, as as a neighborhood in it, you know, one way or the other. We just want to become the neighborhood that we outlined, you know, in the Decatur federal plan that is really going to create additional affordable housing and opportunity for people who have not had that opportunity in the past. Okay. I appreciate that. So and you signed it. I saw Lisa saying I did. Yes. And she she's a resident as well. And she's also the vice president of the Sun Valley Community Coalition who had intended to be here to speak tonight but had an emergency at Denver Health with her daughter. The two errors, if I may ask questions about that, Mr. President. Again, I just ask that you keep it to the rezoning and identify how that is relevant to the criteria. If we're going to dig into questions, if there are things about the good neighbor agreement that can be handled outside of our hearing here is really about the zoning criteria. Mr. President, this is a rezoning in my district, so I would like the opportunity to ask those questions. One, because in the Good Neighbor Agreement, the rezoning says 2929, West 10th Avenue, the good neighbor agreement says 2727. Right. How do we go about fixing that? What's what's the correct one? And I think for the purpose of the rezoning, I think this is very important. Now, I know. And that was not I'm sorry. I apologize. The it it came to us as a PDF, the final copy, and it rests with the mediator at this point. So we'll get back with him to get that changed. I guess we could either initial it or just sign it if if mental health center is willing to reassign it again, as is with the changes. Thank you. I'll bring the other one up. Thank you. Councilman Lopez, Councilman Espinosa. Had two questions for council. So, Councilwoman Kennedy, you brought up the prior rezoning where we were the we re zoned to a base zone district from a pad on a walkway. But one of the comments I made at that point in time was that, you know, that could have been resolved by a variance rather than a wholesale rezoning. But can you can you can you that can you do that with uses? Can you get a variance on uses? That's a legal question, but I'll defer to Nate Lucero. Okay. Good evening, Members Council Services and city attorney. Councilman Espinosa, can you ask the question? I'm wondering if this party could have simply gone through the Board of Adjustments and requested a variance on on a use to allow this use on this in this beauty. You cannot request a variance in a pud. It would have to go through a rezoning process or a PD amendment. Okay. So. Right, it's a great. So the only way to amend the PD is through the redo the rezoning process. Correct. And then but then confirm that because this is going to to a cmcs five zoned district, the applicant, if it were to be denied today, the applicant could go in tomorrow and apply for a PUD. Correct? That's correct. Thank you. A different zone district would not be barred by the blackout period in the charter. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Espinosa. Councilwoman Ortega. Thank you, Mr. President. Let me just continue with a couple more questions that I had. And, Lisa, you won't be the one to help answer this. In the agreement that we have with them said, will they be a tenant or will they be an owner of the building? We're not selling the building. Correct. Okay. You could just say that on record. That would be helpful. And how long is that agreement in place? Oh, then I may ask Tyler to come up as well. So we haven't fully executed it yet because we needed this to move forward. But they would not be owners of the building. They would be it would be a service agreement. Like we have a number of our agreements in the city where the building is a part of that service agreement. Okay. And then I just wanted to ask Skye a question about how the mayor's executive order comes into play. I know with some contracts, we have put them out to bid after a certain period of time. How would this be looked at? And is there sort of a a designated length of time before the XO goes into effect? So, yes, the. Competitive selection policy that's incorporated into XO eight calls for contracts to be rebid every 3 to 5 years. So this contract has not been executed yet. I believe it will be coming to council as soon as that happens. So you will see that at that time. But I anticipate. It being in that 3 to 5 year time. Frame that's called for in the competitive selection policy. And that contract will be for renovation as well as operations. Or will those be separate? They'll be separate contracts. The contract with MH KD will just be to provide services. Okay. And I'm assuming that comes out of the Office of Behavioral Health Budget, correct? I believe so. We've moved those dollars around a couple of times, but Tyler's nodding at me. So, yes. Okay. Which is now housed at the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment. Okay, great. Um, let's see. I think I just have one last question, and that was tied into this question about the cost. So I think I'm done. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilwoman Ortega. Councilman. Real quick question, Kirsten, just a question about the public safety and public health, safety and welfare criteria. I was asking a lot of questions about the safe management of clients and the triaging of that facility. And I was thinking that that fit into that category as a criteria for a safe. I'm worried about the safety of what's going to happen with the facility. And so and I see that in the criteria. Is that not correct? And that was my question. Was that in line with that? So Kirsten, cover Legislative Council. The Public Health, Safety and welfare criteria is a very broad criteria and a lot of things do arguably fit within that criteria. But the problem with that being raised with respect to the uses on the site is that you're you're approving the rezoning of a use, but not the exact thing that will go into the building, although we are talking about that tonight. So while there's plans for something that's not absolutely 100% definitive at this point in time, so in my opinion, it's while I think it's okay to ask the question, I don't think it should be the basis of, you know, the approval or the not approval of the rezoning. It seems like public welfare is a very concern for that neighborhood, you know, with those type of patients being treated there. So it seemed like it fit very much in line with with the criteria to me. I can understand the difference. But but, you know, I'll just let it go. That. All right. Thank you, councilman. New seeing no other questions. The public hearing for council bill 1013 is closed. Comments by members of council. Councilman Lopez. Thank you, Mr. President. First of all, I want to thank everybody for coming tonight to the hearing and also thank you to the community and all parties that are part of this rezoning. Thank you for your work. Thank you for your due diligence. Thank you for the questions. And thank you for your participation. I think, you know, when I was first contacted about this zoning application, I thought to myself, I thought one the Sun Valley Neighborhood Plan, the vision for Sun Valley and how this fits in. And a lot of that was the question of, well, this is a historically a very disenfranchized community from design. Two, two now. And here's another use like this in the West Side. And I think to myself, how why aren't we doing this more in other areas, right? Why aren't these uses existing in other areas? Why is it just downtown District nine, District three, in some of these areas? And I have to think about this. Right. And I have to think about the uses and how they you know, we can't just look at the city in terms of these boundaries within our own council districts , but our how are we making sure that we are doing our part no matter what zip code we live in? And how does it make how do we make sure that the city understands that that's also important to. That it's not just in certain corners of the city. However, I'm very familiar with the Family Crisis Center because it has been empty for quite a while, has been underutilized for quite a while. When we started taking in when, when, when, when we had the refugee crisis, a lot of the young people that are unaccompanied coming to this country, one of the first things we did was ask at the Family Crisis Center, be considered for federal dollars to be able to do that much to so many people's disdain and controversy. Oh, my God. They were empty. We pushed for that. We didn't get those dollars from the federal government. It wasn't chose as a site. Yeah. So it remained empty. It's one thing to have. To just have units that are not connected to supportive services, that are not going to help somebody get out of poverty, that are not going to help treat them, treat some of the trauma that they've experienced. That's not the solution center. The solution center is going to be doing that. It's going to be focused on making sure that folks who have expected that are experiencing homelessness or have experienced homelessness combined with the trauma that that only services, the mental health services can help with. As provided. I think about the rezoning. You have two major or three major uses there. And what's being asked of us is to consider in this pardon every time. For those of you who are running for city council or have an interest in city council and what we do, rezoning is a huge part of it. And if you intend to occupy one of these seats, you got to understand Pewds and how detrimental they have been to the city and how restrictive they are and how it's the opposite of what we want to be able to see. If you want a planned zoned district, right? If you want a zone district that that's modern and that fulfills the vision of Sun Valley. It's not a pudi. The West Side. And this area has a lot of need for health services, even though we built a brand new Denver health clinic. Federico Pena Southwest Denver Health Clinic. It is still one of the top needs in the area. I doubt that the Sam Sandoz West Side Health Clinic is going to go anywhere. I doubt that Denver Health is going to hightail it out. There are a lot of people who are still uninsured and still struggling and that and have that need. Denver Health is one of those and key parts to it. The Rich Castro building was a project of the city's and the bond a long time ago and a need and it's still there. That need is still there. Those are employees we are talking about. That's a human services center, though, one one of the most requested things of the city and the needs demonstrated needs in that part in our part of the city is for human services. I doubt highly that the city would hightail the rich Castro building out. But the one thing that remains empty is the Family Crisis Center. Right. So the PD is the one thing that's prohibiting us as a neighborhood and as a city from even doing anything in the future on. Any other future use. However ridiculous or sublime it could be, would be restricted by the PD. We'd have to come in these chambers and fix the beauty for all the other services and all the other suggestions that I think are awesome that can be used at a campus like this. Guess what you have to do. PWD won't let you do it. You have to come back in here and reason it and guess what you would have to rezone it to. This is the rezoning that is envisioned in the Sun Valley Neighborhood Plan. The same plan that I was asked by Mr. Casper and the Sun Valley Coalition to implement. I did a legislative rezoning to implement that. So the zone districts are what match in the plan? Way before Denver got hot again. So I want to make sure people understand the history there. Right. Safety is a big issue. And I want to go on record. This is a big issue. And as a young woman who was in this room, who I understand what her concerns are, even though there was only a few words at the microphone. You heard tonight in these chambers what the protocol is? Who's going to be here and who isn't? And even I have some thoughts about that. I may not agree with that. Addictions are hard. But you know what? In concerns for and out of respect for what's being discussed in the community and what they want to see to make sure that that those safety that that those safety boundaries are there. They're there. But we also have to remember that this this good neighbor agreement, that's why it was important for me to see this process is because that's the commitment you heard tonight, the commitment from the city, commitment from behavioral health for a mile from mh CDD on what the protocols are going to be sex offenders here. That's a big that was a big worry nobody's shooting up Phil Casper we're not sponsoring anything like that on site. That's a worry, right? People who are intoxicated or anything else that was right here that was just said on page three of the good neighbor agreement is that's not there. Right. So you can rest assured of those issues. But understand at the same time that these are also human beings that want to also lift themselves out of poverty. There are people who who have homes. And there are people who don't. You don't have to go far away. But across Federal Boulevard in my neighborhood, I know where there's some folks who are homeless previously and they're living out of a garage. Or the living. They're renting a room. They know pod or good neighbor. Agreement for that on my block. It's none of my business. As long as they have a roof over their head. We cannot follow somebody because they're homeless. They don't have to be escorted to a bus stop because they're homeless. They're not in jail. They're not on probation. They're just being they need help. And as a community, I understand I understand the worries. That's the stereotype that we've been programed in thinking. But that's not fair. So when I hear testimony, I want you to understand that the use is a valid use. The rezoning under the conditions that we are allowed are valid conditions. Because the good neighbor agreement and because of the process, I think that helps address those issues. Not every rezoning has one. And I also want to make sure that the city understands that this is something that we expect. You don't short change a zip code or neighborhood or the process. That's why on council I asked when Steve Charbonneau asked, Hey, no, we're almost there. Please consider the delay, even though it was unpopular here on this dais. That's why. Because whether you have a good neighbor agreement on the east side of Denver or whatever neighborhood it is, it should have the same weight and the same respect on our end. Right. So and so I want to I want to just put that out there. The neighborhood plan. Right. Was only adopted five years ago. It calls for the zoning type of cause with the higher density. I hope that people see this and the city look at this as an opportunity to modernize the campus, to make this a campus, a real campus that addresses that. That helps whether you're looking for health care, you're looking for housing or you're looking for help. Right. That this campus addressed that and becomes a modernized campus, that it connects to the rest of the neighborhood and not turn its back on the neighborhood. Right. Physically and figuratively. I want to thank you, mental health center of Denver, for coming to the table and making sure that their space for this, for listening to this and for signing on to a good neighbor agreement with these residents. The Sun Valley Community Coalition, y'all are one of the most organized group of folks in the community in this city. And I appreciate that energy. So so knowing that you are still part of this, you are part of the agreement, DACA, for being at the table and giving us the information we need and then finding a solution to help mediate the process. Steve Charbonneau is a good facilitator, from what I hear. So I wanted to put that out there. The Sun Valley Youth Coalition, you are the youth center. I think it's absolutely awesome that the youth are involved. However, I want to make sure that they understand the provisions of these good this good neighbor agreement and they understand there's nothing to be afraid of. But we respect on a HD CD so that you all make sure that that's the case. The last thing I want to say. Well, I just want I want to leave this I want to leave this these these comments. And I do see this as something that that should not just move forward, but be approved tonight. I heard the testimony here after I got written testimony. Not in this zip code. Not too many people are far away from actually being considered clients of these services. Let's just be honest. There are a lot of people who are just a breath away from being homeless. And this is something that I believe in our district and our neighborhood very, very compassionate. Whether it was Barnum, whether it was the West End Flats, which are throughout our neighborhood or even this or even in southwest Denver. The issue is never whether this is a youth that we support or not. The issue is never whether this is services that we support or not, it's doing it the right way. So I want to thank you, thank the city, the administration and my city for helping for committing to doing this the right way. So with that, I do support this moving forward. Yeah. That's all. Oh, yeah. The one little quip I had was that I think people in this neighborhood are much more danger crossing and federal than any kind of use like this. But thank you, Councilman Lopez. Councilman Espinosa. First off, I want to apologize to my colleague for disagreeing with him again in this area. But I'll explain why. And but before I even get into my explanation, I do want to make it very clear that I don't take any issue with the center and what it does and what it's intended to provide and what it's aspiring for. But I want them to get to. Yes, in an appropriate way. So I don't fear so. First Deputy. Well, you know, pwds are constrained by design while they are annoying to administer by staff. They provide certainty and predictability, usually wrought by a collaboration of landowners working with community. And we need to understand that that their that they have their usefulness. You know, they don't need to only be gone to on a regular basis, but there are times when it becomes appropriate. So I'm going to cite our own zoning code here. This is section 90 611, item B, that section 96 one is planned unit development district D B is unique in extraordinary circumstances that justify the use of a D district include but are not limited to the following. And then there are four situations, but they're not limited to those four. But let's go to item three, which is where a development site is subject to an existing PD, which this is, and rezoning to a new PD district will bring the site closer to conformance with current zoning regulations and adopted plans. That's when it's appropriate to use a PWD or in so. So if we're changing a use that would that is allowed in a a in a current zone district. I would say that making an amendment via PD is getting us closer to conformance with current zoning regulations and adopted plans. So I do think that whether we use the specific mention of PD of that of that rule, which is 9611, B three, or we use the broader thing which is but are not limited to I do think that we could have used a PD to sort of address what are my actual concerns with this zoned district. I mean, as with this MAP amendment, the existing FAA are on the on the agenda is consistent with adopted plans unless it goes north of 12. With no one said we want to curtail development height here to be consistent with adopted plans. But there are a whole bunch of district standards in the CMCs five that radically alter that radically alter what can be done on this site today that are restricted by the PD. And I don't think it would have been appropriate to I mean, I do think it would have been appropriate to amend the PD areas concurrent with a C know and do a concurrent rezoning application for a CM five for the parcel that is adjacent to the collector street. You know, because that zone district, the CM x five is appropriate for the collector street and it is consistent with these maps but not consistent, I mean, but not appropriate for a major arterial such as federal. And so, you know, the the real, you know, going that approach, doing an amended PD and either just adding this use to that portion of the site or going with a concurrent rezoning and parcel out. I mean, porting, you know, amend the map, the PD area so that you can create this rezoning opportunity. The zone lot would preserve the negotiated outcomes and the other 83% of the PD area. That is significant. One, we're rezoning 16 to 18% of the land area. I mean, we're rezoning the entirety of the area. Would I in a way that I I'd you know I see based on the criteria is being inappropriate to address a concern that involves one building on a portion of a 16% of the site area itself. So granted, doing so wouldn't address some of the youth concerns presented here tonight, but it would address the failures to meet the rezoning criteria. Among them are the justifying circumstances and consistency with district purpose and intent. Rezoning of the entire PD to address a use issue on a portion is creating more problems than it solves and a lot of potential unintended consequences. So I do think that there is a way forward. I asked that question specifically on whether an applicant could immediately turn around and go to a party. Because I do think that we can address this without essentially creating a potential long term unintended consequence on the balance of the property there. And you don't have to look very far. I get to go by 44th and Tennyson in my neighborhood. And what a base zone, district C, you know, CMS five or in that situation can do once you open up the entirety of our form. It can be anything. But with this put in place that was negotiated. We have predictability and there's nothing wrong with predictability. This community is probably reeling by the fact that it has been an unpredictable place for a long period of time. That is why it has welcomed so much intervention by CPD with multiple plans. And while it's welcoming the Eco District and there are many, many things that are intended to capture a very vibrant and holistic community. And I think this piece actually can and should be part of it. But rezoning in this way, that parcel for this reason, is, is to overlook the a whole lot of the criteria I named, too, I actually could touch on for. Fairly easily. Thanks. I think Councilman Espinosa. Councilman Flynn. Thank you, Mr. President. I while I am concerned about the circumstances here, where we are rezoning the entire area because of a desire to change the use on a smaller portion of it that doesn't conform to the PD. I think it has been demonstrated that the application does meet all five criteria. I want to I just want to remind people, including my my neighbor to the north, Councilman Lopez, that we do have facilities all around the city in Council District two. In fact, we have we are the home of the single largest substance abuse treatment center and the largest mental health facility in the city in county of Denver, both of them on the Fort Logan campus, both of which routinely accept criminal referrals from the Department of Corrections, from probation, from community corrections, and especially at Fort Logan Mental Health Institute. The state may soon restricted and not allow civil referrals because of the backlog in state courts that have a need for access for quicker determinations of of competency. We also in Council District two, we are the home to at least that I can think of three long term residential facilities operated by M.H. CD and we are in the happy to see the Good Neighbor agreement negotiated here because we are in the midst of renegotiating the Good Neighbor Agreement on the Sanderson Apartments to address some of the issues that have occurred there. So I'm very happy to see the framework that Sun Valley has set up, and maybe that will help us serve as help serve as a model for us to to finalize our agreement, I believe, next month. So I just wanted to point out that we do have, I think, at Fort Logan alone between the arts program run by SIU School of Psychiatry and the State Mental Health Institute, at least six times the number of long term residential beds that this solution center will have at your site. So I am supportive of this rezoning, and I think that the criteria have been met. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Flynn, Councilman Lopez. Oh, Councilman or take up. I'm going to go to you first since you haven't had a chance to present Councilman Woman Ortega. Thank you, Mr. President. I've sort of vacillated back and forth on on where I'm going to land on this issue just because of some of the history of kind of where we've gone with where we're going to serve folks in our city. And this is a process led by the city, not a process led by a developer, which is normally the case. And there should be extra over communication as well as extra work that we as a city do when we're going in the community. And we should not be treating low income communities any different than we would any other part of the city in terms of approach expectations around, you know, early notification around how we engage community. I am a little concerned about and I didn't ask the question about whether or not Sun Valley Community Coalition is in fact a legal entity. I don't know that that matters or not. I think the commitment is there from limited to to do what is being what has been sort of agreed upon between the community and image CD. I am happy that we will look at the opportunity in the future for the executive order to be implemented and that we're not trying to sell the property. The city will continue to own that. I think all of that just ensures that we continue to have community engagement in that part of the process so that as the project would move forward, that is an expectation of the community that it it's not just going to operate in perpetuity. We saw this with a whole different operator in our city that I won't get into the details of, but there is some importance in in just continuing to function in that way. I currently serve on the Crime Prevention and Control Commission, and I'm serving on a body that's looking at a a rewrite of our group living ordinance . And there is absolutely a need and a. And four different housing models that serve the group housing needs of people that cover a variety of categories. So there's absolutely a need. I'm not happy that we have said we're going to no longer look at the site that we were going to put homeless men in. Folks that are chronically mentally ill. But now we're going to take kids who come in in the evenings or, you know, UN emergencies, and we're going to put them at that building. So how is it not good for men, but yet it's going to be good for children. I'm assuming we're going to spend the money that is needed to do the environmental abatement on that building. I don't know what those costs are yet. I'm sure we'll see that one brought before us at some point in time. But again, this is where the details matter and how we look at these things and how we make decisions around, you know, what we're being asked to do. We're being asked to rezone this. But for me, all those details matter. Because there is such a great need for this type of housing. I'm leaning towards supporting this, but I'm not happy with the fact that we could have used that in a way that building in a way to better serve the community. And I am concerned about the gap period about where children will go while this building is being renovated, while the other building is being renovated, so that we, in fact, have a place that that screening can be done if we have to keep a kid overnight because they're brought in three in the morning because of whatever situation . I worked at Human Services, got a chance to see, you know, some of the situations that our caseworkers have to deal with on on a regular basis. And we need to make sure that gap is closed so that there is a place for our children that are picked up in the city of Denver, can go and be safe while we're working towards getting them connected to, you know, whatever services might be available. I know we have a lot of forgetting the right word, families that take these children in because we no longer have the crisis center playing that role in our city. So I'm going to just stop at that. But I think in the future, as a city, we can do and should be doing a better job in how we get out front and communicating with our with our neighbors about the details and not have people having to. To call and ask questions because they're hearing rumors about something going on in a building in their neighborhood that wasn't completely shared upfront with with the neighbors about how this was coming about. So. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilwoman Ortega. Councilman Lopez, you have already been up to express your thoughts on where you are on this. I see you back in the queue. I will ask you to keep it as short and concise as possible to add to what you've already said. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. Mr. President, let me remind the council. That in 2017 we did rezoning this party. And as for the Denver health or the Denver Denver Indian Health Services, they could not deliver services. They could not even operate the Denver Indian Health Family Health Services, including dental, health care for folks, especially for native folks in this city. They could not open up or operate because of the Pudi. We reasoned it. It was unanimous. And I went through. So it's all about the youth on this one. Thank you very much, Councilman Lopez. Seeing no other comments, I will just add my thanks to everyone for being here, for sticking it out, for coming down and sharing your opinion to all the work that you did with the Good Neighbor Agreement to staff for putting together all of this work. You know, there are a lot of things that we talk about and a lot more that this council would love to talk more about that unfortunately, don't fall under the charge that we have on the criteria. And I just wanted to point to the staff report, and I think you did a great job articulating how this met the legal criteria. And for that reason, I will be voting yes tonight. Madam Secretary, roll call on Council Bill 1013. LOPEZ All right. BLACK Hi. Brooks, I. ESPINOSA No. No. Flynn, I. Herndon High Cashman can reach Lopez. I started with. I'm going to do it again. Ortega. A reluctant tie. Assessment. Hi, Mr. President. Hi. I'm secretary. Please close voting. Announce the results. 11 times when they. Will have a noise when they come to Bill 1013 has passed. Councilman. Will you please put Council Bill 1381 on the floor?
AN ORDINANCE relating to residential rental properties; amending Sections 7.24.020, 7.24.030, 7.24.040, 7.24.050, 7.24.060, 7.24.070, and 7.24.080 of the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC); adding new Sections 7.24.035, 7.24.036, 7.24.038, 7.24.110, 7.24.120, 7.24.130, 7.24.140, 7.24.150, 7.24.160, 7.24.170, 7.24.180, 7.24.190, 7.24.200, and 7.24.210 to the SMC; and repealing Section 7.24.090 of the SMC; all to limit the amount of security deposits and non-refundable move-in fees, to allow residential tenants to pay security deposits, non-refundable move-in fees, and last month’s rent in installments, and to establish enforcement provisions for Chapter 7.24.
SeattleCityCouncil_10172016_CB 118817
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Please read the report of the Energy and Environment Committee. The report at the Energy and Environment Committee Agenda Item four Constable 118817 relating to residential rental properties amending section 7.20 4.0, 20.0, 30.0, 4.0 50.0 60. And you can read a short version. Of the committee recommends the bill passes amended. Council member. So what? Councilor O'Brien wants. To. Councilmember for. Brian would like to speak. I just need to disclose publicly that I am a landlord. I'll be voting on this, but I wanted to make sure I'm transparent with the public. Thank you for that disclosure. Thank you, President Hill. I'm excited to introduce this ordinance that would limit the exorbitant move in fees tenants are expected to pay in the city of extremely high rents. The laws in the state overwhelmingly are stacked against tenants, particularly the arbitrary and draconian state ban on rent control. However, as tenants get more organized locally, we are starting the process of winning individual tenant rights that will add up to a significant tenant bill of rights for the city. This Council bill limits nonrefundable fees to only those explicitly mentioned under state law limits, security deposits and nonrefundable fees to no more than one month's rent, which is pretty standard anyway, and most importantly, allows tenants to pay the security deposit and last month's rent on a payment plan. That final aspect of the bill will allow many tenants to overcome a substantial hurdle to finding housing. As you have heard from public comment and this public testimony today shows how significant it is for tenants that they have this legislation for those who who would like their decisions to be based on the data. Washington Community Action Network survey of tenants found the move in fees to be the biggest obstacle to finding rental housing nationwide. According to recent studies, over 50% of Americans have less than $1,000 in checking and savings accounts. So coming up with 4000, 5000, $8,000 is really an impossible hurdle. I want to give a little bit of the history of this bill because it has come up in council briefing and it will come up today in this item. This past December, actually, December last year, council central staff started writing this bill at my behest. And and that was in combination with other tenant rights legislation that my office had also asked for. Around the same time, Washington can survey tenants to find out what issues are the most important for renters. And as our survey progressed, it became increasingly, increasingly clear that the issue that my office was already raising was a very important one for renters. And in fact, the most important can organize an amazing press conference at the end of July this year to publicly unveil our legislation. And I formally introduced it to the council almost three months ago. And if you will recall, at that press conference where we unveiled it, we not only had renters and renters advocates there, we had labor unions and small businesses supporting this legislation. It was first discussed in committee on September 13th, over a month ago. But Councilmember Gonzalez, who is also a member of the committee and myself participating in the conversation. At that meeting, several amendments were discussed and incorporated, and a new version of the bill, including those changes, was vigorously discussed and voted on at the next meeting of the committee on September 27th. At that meeting, six council members participated and amendments were brought forward by councilmembers Suarez, Gonzalez and Herbold and perhaps others. Which were incorporated. Councilmember Johnson also moved an amendment that did not get the votes to be incorporated in the final vote out of committee was 5 to 0 recommendation for the Council to pass this ordinance either on October ten or on October 17th. Accommodating the request of Councilmember Suarez. We agreed to bring this to a vote on the 17th today, two and a half weeks after it was passed out of committee in case council members needed extra time to put together last minute amendments. It is worth, in my view, comparing the rigor of this process to that used for the resolution some council members rushed through to endorse building the North Precinct. That resolution was introduced and voted on on the same day. This bill has been discussed and has been given more time than most ordinances and tenants who are also working people who have to take time off work. They have come to council again and again to ask that we pass these basic protections. In reality, the tenant protections in this bill are extremely reasonable. Landlords or property owners will still collect the same money. They will just have to wait a little longer for the payment of the money that they are supposed to hold in escrow anyway until the end of tenancy. Everything else in the bill is normal behavior for most landlords anyway, or according to state law should be, for example, when the city enforces procedures for security deposits. That means the city will now have the ability to enforce some of the already existing state laws regarding how tenants get security deposits back. Landlords have to do a walkthrough with the tenant to establish a checklist of the condition of the apartment so that the tenant cannot be charged for a preexisting condition. This is already state law, but tenants will tell you how hard it is to get some landlords to follow this law. And the Seattle city's Department of Construction and Inspections expects this to be the biggest challenge to enforce. But the alternative is to just let tenants have their security deposit stolen. We have to be clear that the lobbyists on the ultra conservative Washington multi-family housing association who have opposed almost every tenant right bill passing passed by both the city and the state are putting real resources into derailing this bill despite how reasonable it is. They sent a letter to council asking and I quote, We ask that you send this bill to an appropriate committee and engage a stakeholder group to properly analyze this ordinance and its negative long term effects before it becomes law, unquote. We should be clear this is not a benign or innocent request for more time to improve the law. In that same letter, powerful landlords advocate for 50% upfront payments, defeating the most meaningful part of the bill, and request that the quote unquote negative effects be analyzed. In other words, they hope the council will send this back to committee in order to either kill the bill or to pass loopholes that will render the legislation ineffective. No one should be confused about what an action like that would be. I want to thank all the tenants who have sacrificed so much to come to testify to three council meetings on this topic. I also thank labor unions like your CW. Local 21 UAW Local 4121 two for coming and talking about housing rights. I also want to thank socialist, alternative and socialist students for being here, and I particularly want to thank the fantastic organizers from the Washington Community Action Network and the Seattle Education Association, and particularly Sochi. Michael, which for showing such incredible leadership. If we if we succeed in passing this today, it will be because of your our activism. And if we are delayed today, it will be because the senior council members who say that they are on the side of the tenants are actually on the side of the landlord lobby. But we will continue to fight until this council bill becomes law. I also particularly want to thank all the property owners and property managers who came to speak today in favor of moving fees. They are testament to the fact that there are landlords who are doing the right thing and that this law will not impact them negatively at all. This law, like every other tenants rights bill, is to make sure that renters do not have to depend on joining the landlord lottery in order to have fair renting conditions. We want all renters to be protected by the city law, and that is why the good property owners are also here speaking in favor of it . I also want to thank council members Herbold O'Brien, Suarez Gonzalez and Johnson for engaging with this bill thoroughly in committee. And I look forward to my colleagues support for this tenant rights bill. I would also urge Council members to remember that the burden of activism falls on ordinary working people, and the more we delay it, the more they will have to take time off work in order to fight for their basic rights. So I urge voting on this and passing this on a full council today. As I said before, the Energy and Environment Committee unanimously recommends five votes to nothing that the full council pass this ordinance. And lastly, I will say this council has just voted unanimously to support Initiative 75 against Citizens United, which means that the Council has taken a formal position that corporations should not be treated as people and that elected officials have to represent people. Let's vote yes on this bill to show that we truly stand with ordinary working people, not with corporate interests. Thank you, Councilmember. So once we have an open discussion on the bill on the floor and I know I am also aware there are some potential amendments as well. Councilmember Worse. Thank you. First of all, I want to thank all of you that are here today that provided public comment about this very important piece of legislation. I also want to thank my chair of my committee or her committee councilors who want in Herbert for all their work, as well as Ali from central staff. Before I go any further, I just want make one comment that discussing a potential bill is different than passing a law and then changing your mind a year later. So let me start with the facts and where we're at. On a personal note, I know what it's like not to be popular being a caseworker at the Saladin Center. To being a public defender. Legal services. To being a judge. And to representing tribes in underrepresented communities. But let me just say this. I believe in this proposed legislation. I believe in its intent. Its goals is protection of renters, particularly low income renters, and today's housing crisis and rising rents. My sole purpose in requesting that this very important piece of legislation be referred back to committee now allows. Back to Council member Sawant, in which I am also the vice chair, is to answer some very critical questions that I believe need to be addressed. What I want. Is I'm going to ask people refrain. I know it's tempting to just shout, but please let her speak. Thank you. I want this legislation to be able to withstand any legal challenges or concerns from the people it will affect. I want it to be able to be able to withstand any type of scrutiny and to ensure it is implemented, executed and applied with rigorous enforcement and cooperation. I want the transparency and public comment necessary to address outstanding issues from the public and those that provide housing, including the education, a real education piece. I'm committed to working with all stakeholders and as the Vice Chair of this particular committee, I look forward to working with council members who want Gonzalez, Herbold and Johnson to make sure that we do this right. I also want to see the Department of Construction and Inspection Inspection to work with our committee to make this legislation a model and a successful law. Hopefully, we can build a strong foundation and we can build upon this proposed law. As some people stated today, this law doesn't go far enough. And I agree. Furthermore, I want to incentivize landlords to lower moving costs. I don't want the unintended consequences of landlords raising rents. And also, more importantly, I would like this legislation after more consideration, to become the law of the city and applied with all deliberate speed. What I don't want I don't want this to make this a us versus them issue. I don't want to kill this bill. I don't want it to divide us as a city where it's clear we all want the same thing. We want to make it easier for renters to move in. We want to remove barriers, and we want to allow installment payments for moving fees. I don't want to see or create loopholes. I don't want this to become a wedge issue where we get bogged down in unrealistic objectives and expectations or have it stalled because some stakeholders believe they were not part of the process. I don't want this proposed legislation to pass and then sit on a shelf somewhere because like a lot of laws that I've seen since I've gotten this job, we did not do our due diligence. We weren't pragmatic on how we actually implement and enforce the law. As it stands, the proposed legislation would go into effect January 2017. That is true on September 27th. There are many issues we looked at and that was 20 days ago and now we're in the middle of a budget. So why my position is this and have some more to add. The benefits of referring this legislation back to committee far outweigh the burden of fixing things way after the fact, as I have witnessed in my short time here on city council. I don't want to see us set up for failure, but success. During this morning's hearing, you heard comment from all of us about how we felt about what we wanted to do with this legislation. This morning, I received a statement from CCI. They expressed support for having this legislation get more committee time. Stsci has been charged with implementing several new landlord tenant laws, including the Rental Registration Inspection Ordinance Real and the new source of income discrimination law. Given these changes, Stsci would like more time with with council members to ensure there's a coordinated effort for implementation and enforcement of all landlord tenant laws. I would like this work to be done at this table, not staff to staff. Again, I'm very supportive of the intent of this bill, and I believe I helped draft it. I met with many people from Kan. My staff and I looked at other states, the other 49 states to see what kind of legislation was out there and in fact, gave them ideas about how they could make this this piece of legislation stronger. The need for better access to housing continues to be a struggle in our current housing market. I also recognize that landlords have to take up the responsibility for providing housing to people. And just like we expect every other business to follow certain rules to ensure health, safety and access, we are asking this sector to do the same. I just want it done right. I voted this bill out of committee and when I did, I asked for more time for council members to deal with some outstanding issues and concerns from the last meeting from September 27th. Like I said, that was 20 days ago. During that meeting, council members had limited time to address seven new concerns with the language of the bill, its potential effectiveness, its ability to hold all parties accountable. One of those seven issues regarding enforcement had ample discussion, but it came to no resolution at that time, and the other six issues got very little time for discussion. In the interim, the enforcement issue was resolved at a staff level staff, not council members. This legislation has only had only two meetings in committee. The CCI inspection. The department tasked with enforcing and monitoring this legislation never got a seat at the table to discuss the bill. Implementation, enforcement and costs since September 27th me here. There have been several meetings with staff and council members all behind closed doors without the input of the public attempting to clarify the outstanding issues. I'm not suggesting anything nefarious was going on, but my concern was that these additional issues were not is resolved and done transparently at that table, not appear. Is the city going to require that tenants have a lawyer before changing the terms of their own lease with their landlord? What is the effect of holding fees that are typically collected the time of application before a lease agreement is written? Is there a way to use this legislation to incentivize lower moving costs? We haven't had a chance to share with the public what enforcement mechanism or outreach mechanisms have been put in place. Should we take the time to do that? We also have landlords in the city with experience doing payment plans with their tenants, specifically nonprofit housing providers and landlords that participate in the multi-family tax exemption programs. We should have them at the table and talk to them about their experiences or successes and learn from them how we're going to set up our law for success. And yes, I could do all of this in my office behind closed doors, but in my but it's my job to make sure legislation holds up to public scrutiny in the public interest. That's my job. Not to be popular, not to be right, but to do it right. And I we I believe we need transparency and that work should happen at the committee table. Given the potentially significant changes happening today and the questions still left to discuss, I motion that Council Bill 118817 be referred back to the energy environment committee for additional committee work. So why are you serious? This was not an easy decision. Excuse me, sir. If I can continue. This was not an easy decision for me. I have to admit, I have tremendous respect for my colleagues and the dedicated staff working on this very important issue. It's not important for me to be right. It's not important for me to be popular. I just want to get this done right. And I want this law to withstand and hold up time. And I want to make sure that Seattle remains a progressive city and working with our landlords and our renters. Thank you. So what's on the table is a motion to refer back to the committee for the Bill Back to Customers Wants Committee. That discussion will take precedence over the amendment, so we have to hold off on the amendments to resolve this issue. I do want to remind both the audience, all my colleagues, that the bill in front of us is not effective until January one, 2017, even if passed. So if the work is done, it could still be done before the effective date. But right now we have a motion to refer back to the same Energy and Environment Committee. We can have more discussion, but before we do that, I'll ask if there's a second that's been moved in second. And so it's been moved to second to refer back to the committee. And I remind again my colleagues before the effective date, we would like more discussion from any of my colleagues and at the end of discussion we will have a vote since has been moved in a second councilmember back. Shall I just thank you. I just want to assure all my colleagues that I support this bill. I would vote for it today and I will vote for it if there are amendments. I just want to make sure that those who have asked for more time get the respect of having more time. Very good. Any further comments from any of my colleagues, Councilmember O'Brien and Councilmember Sharma. And I will I will not be voting for the motion to refer. I support the bill. I understand the questions and concerns. But I having been through the committee meeting and had a chance to review this, I believe the legislation is sound legislation as it is today. I think that if there are things that continue to come up between now and January 1st or even in the future that we feel like we need to address, there's always the opportunity to do that as we are in the middle of our budget session. I don't know that there's a lot of opportunity for a while to get back into it, and my strong preference is to move forward today on this legislation, the sound piece of legislation that I think could have an immediate impact or a January one impact on a lot of folks that are struggling today. Thank you. Because it's. Cancer. I'm going back for the hearings, Councilmember Herbold. Thank you. My preference is as well to vote on it today. Last week on on Friday, I was asked whether or not I would actually support referring this bill back to my own committee, my own civil rights committee after the completion of the budget process at the end of November. I said at that time I wouldn't. I was asked to support re referring the bill to Councilmember Johnson's Planning and Land Use Committee again after the completion of the budget process at the end of November. Again, I said I couldn't. As has been said, the drafting for this bill began in February this year. It was sent to the Council President's office on July 13th, and this council voted to refer it to the Energy and Environment Committee on August 1st. On September 13th, the bill was discussed in committee. Several amendments were made. On September 27th, the bill was again discussed in committee with more amendments being made and the committee voting 5 to 0 in favor of the bill. Two council members at that time requested additional time before a full council vote. That time was granted and the commitment fulfilled. I do believe there's a great deal of urgency around this issue. Upfront housing costs are a major barrier to accessing housing, making more and more people unsheltered. Seattleites, including homeowners who have major concerns regarding our homelessness crisis, expect us to take concrete legislative steps now to get people into housing. Building more housing and shelters takes time, but reducing barriers to housing is something that we can do now and will work in the long term. For this reason, I told Councilmember so on last Friday that the only way I would support a re referral of this bill is on two conditions. One that it be referred to Councilmember Sawant's committee, not some other committee. And two, if the Arts Council Budget Chair, Councilmember Burgess, agreed to allowing Council members to want to schedule a committee meeting during our budget process, waiting until after the completion of the budget process would mean the very earliest the committee could meet would be on December 13th. I could not and cannot support that. So all eyes are on me at this point. That's all customers want. Appreciate the comments by councilmembers O'Brien and Herbold. For those of the members of the public who might be tempted to buy into this argument that has been made by some council members that there was an adequate discussion. I would urge you all to watch the Seattle Channel recording of this morning's briefing. You know, the council meets for a briefing at that table every Monday morning. And at that meeting, I thought Councilmember Horrible laid out a very good summary of how much detail had been discussed at the committee meetings. So there's not been any shortage of discussion on the details of the bill. And I think if you watch that video, you will know that every single aspect that that has come up was discussed thoroughly. Councilmember Juarez, who is a member of the energy committee, missed the first meeting when we discussed this on nine September 13. Now, sometimes council members have to miss meetings. I have that same experience, and that's fair enough. But if as an elected official, you miss a meeting, you cannot tell struggling renters that they have to wait for their rights to be upheld because you need more meetings. But more importantly, more importantly, there have been two and a half weeks between the committee vote and today. I have not seen Councilmember Juarez do anything with that time. It's not like she approached me for discussions about this. It's not like she has brought up new amendments. So I'm not clear at all that if I am to take this request for more time at face value, then what exactly is going to be accomplished by this further delay? That's not clear to me at all. As far as the claims that this needs to be legally sound. I want members of the public to know the city's law department and the city. Seattle Department, Department of Construction and inspections have thoroughly vetted this legislation. And at this point, all the departments that are relevant for this legislation have given us the go ahead. So there is no honesty in this claim that we haven't included the departments. As Councilmember Herbold said, we we've discussed this for months, and the first people we interacted with my office interacted with was the department because we wanted to make sure that this law was legally sound and all of that has been addressed. I also want to make it clear that when councilmembers say that they want transparency, the public please know that this process of moving this motion to delay was so transparent that I was not approached at any point about this. I knew about these plans to delay it and any attempt to send it to another committee, only because Councilmember Herbold share that with me, as she mentioned. So that's the transparency that they are talking about. And as far as their transparency that we have engaged in, we have brought these discussions out into the open. For months we have been discussing this out into the open for months. Landlords have been able to weigh on this. As I said before, they've spent 18 to over $18,000 in the last three months, which is more than the average Social Security recipient makes in a year. So they've had ample opportunity. And yet this bill passed out of Committee five to nothing. And I'm not sure that the council members who already voted yes on it, I'm not sure why they are now voting to delay it. If you're voted yes on committee, that vote has to count for something. So I'm I'm still unclear. I would prefer it if council members came out in the open and said they've had phone calls from landlords and they're trying to delay it at their behest. And the last point I'll make is this my sisters and brothers, this is what the corporate politicians mean when they talk about the Seattle process. It means, Jane, make up as much as possible, manage the rights of ordinary working people. And when it's for the police department that is cited by the Department of Justice and for corporations, then ram the process through to make it happen. And we will keep fighting. We will keep fighting to make sure not only this law is passed, but also that every tenant's right is upheld. And I will I will request all my colleagues who are going to vote yes on this motion to actually speak openly about why you're doing so and not just vote for it. I see a few folks. Few hands up, but I missed the order, so. Councilmember Herbold, did you want to clarify something after you saw your hand go up right after you spoke? I didn't need to clarify anything, but I was signaling for one of my two conditions potentially to be responsibly spoken. Okay. Yes. So in that condition, being the meeting in after budget or before budget or during budget? During budget? During the budget. Okay. So we have Councilmember. Burgess. Along with someone else in. Q after Councilmember Burgess. Okay, everyone. Okay. You get you'll get what you want. Everyone. Everyone. Put some skin in the game. Remember, I'm. Responding to Councilmember Herbold request. And so I have checked with council's central staff, which more than maybe any of us up here controls the schedule for the budget. And yes, we can accommodate. An additional meeting of council members who wants committee in November. Okay. So that clarifies that matter and consumer concerns. Did you want to respond back? Councilmember Herbold, so sorry. I'm making faces here. Okay. Like I do. Okay. Thank you. Councilmember Gonzalez. Okay. Thank you. So I am very aware that this bill doesn't actually go into effect until January 1st of 2017. And I guess from my perspective, there are there are three things that would be nice to see added into the bill. And if we had an opportunity to have another hearing in November in councilmembers, the wants committee, which I sit on, I, I think it would be helpful. The three things that I'd like to see substantively changed is I'd like to see an anti retaliation provision added to the ordinance. I'd like to make sure that there is a reconciliation between this proposed ordinance and the city's just cause ordinance, which prevents tenants from being unjustly evicted from their homes when they're on a month to month tenant agreement. And the last thing that I had brought up in the committee hearing, I think in early September or maybe late August, was related to what to do about landlords obligations to put money into an escrow account, that that would be an interest bearing account where that interest would go back to to tenants at the time that the tenancy relationship ends. And so if there is an opportunity to to go back to committee and develop those three things, which I don't think are loopholes, I think those are actually pro tenants and would be helpful to two tenants in this endeavor to make sure that we are shifting power from the landlord over to the tenant. I would really appreciate the opportunity to be able to develop those three additional policy proposals as part of this bill. The other thing that I would mention that, you know, one of the amendments that I had made early on is reflected in Section 12 of the existing bill, which creates an explicit requirement by the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspection to engage in community outreach and education that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for communities. And it instructs the department to work both with the Office for Civil Rights and with the Office of Immigrant Refugee Affairs to make sure that we are setting up the appropriate language access provisions that are going to be necessary to educate, particularly tenants who may not speak English or understand the system that we have here in terms of how the landlord tenancy relationship exists. And during this budget process, I am seeking an additional $50,000 of funding to support that particular out outreach work. So I am committed to this this policy. If there's an opportunity to continue to work on it, I would I would support that to the extent that I'm allowed to propose these three additional policies as part of this of this council bill. And so long as it goes back to the Energy and Environment Committee, so that councilmember can continue to lead on this work. Thank you. Councilmember Johnson. So I concur with what I've heard from several of my colleagues related to not wanting to change at all the effective date of this legislation. I think the fact that we've got January 1st effective date doesn't preclude us from spending a little more time to make sure that we do get the legislation right. From my perspective, as the person who as committee oversees the Seattle Department of Construction and inspections, I've had a chance to talk with them a little bit about just sort of the implementation of this as it relates to other critical pieces of legislation that we've adopted this year and that I've been supportive of, including the first in time legislation as well as several of the other prohibitions on rent increases when unions don't make basic standards, basic maintenance standards provisions. I think that there's also a direct correlation here between the work that we're doing and the budget process. And I believe that there's a strong responsibility for me as the person who oversees the Department of Construction inspections to make sure that they've got adequate resources to do outreach to tenants and landlords, to make sure that everybody does understand the effectiveness of this law and its implementation. So, again, I concur with colleagues who have said that January 1st is still my intention. My intention isn't to delay this process in any way, shape or form. The fact that we have a little more time to bring this back to Councilmember Science Committee is something that I support without delaying the actual implementation, but making sure that we've got the. Funding in the Department of Construction inspections to really do the work. Thanks. Thank you. May I? Sure. COUNCILMEMBER Worse. I just want to address it. Something that. It's kind of the elephant in the room. I don't believe any of us here who want to work on this bill want to kill it. I don't. I don't want to create a landlord loophole. I'm not. I don't know where this landlord conspiracy and we're against tenants and renters come from that certainly it. It certainly doesn't come from. So when we talk about things, I think it's important for people to know that when I do hear from the CDC, who will be in charge is us. And they are telling me, telling us, told me today that they would like more time on this in light of what Councilmember Johnson just shared. And I want to add that I did speak to Councilmember Herbold and Councilmember Herbert told me, and I concurred, and I could have done the same thing. And she said, Well, I'm going to let Councilmember Silent know what's going on. And I said, okay, great. I didn't think it was a big secret. I wasn't trying to hide anything. I think that when people make this personal, I think people need to know in this room that I actually work really well with council members who want. I consider her a friend and I actually enjoy. Work my whole life. Okay. Well, I hope so much. Was will find it. Well, my wife kicked me out now. Oh. So with that, my hope is that we can create this and make it a incredible law that we can be proud of, that we can implement, that doesn't sit on the shelf somewhere, and that a year from now we're not fighting about definitions, enforcement, education, how do we implement it and who does it? This isn't about not passing this law. It's just asking for the right and some more time for it. Thank you. So so I'm going to call for the question and I'm going to ask people vote by show of hands. And before I do that, I want to make a few statements. There's been a few very negative, I think perhaps allegations or accusations that were made. And I first heard as an example about a motion for a delay this afternoon. And when I first heard it, I grabbed my colleagues and said, How do you want to handle this? I pointed out quickly that the effective date is January, because if it did get referred, we all wanted to go back to Customer Response Committee in July. We had to make a decision as a council as to what committee this would even go to, because one could argue it was a housing issue, one could argue was a planning land use issue. But we know Councilmember Want is probably been the strongest advocate for tenants and a leader in that regard, probably nationally known for that. So very appropriate for her to shepherd this through. When this does pass, this is going to be a glorious day. It's going to be nine in and. Oh, and whether it passes today or not to me is, I think, gives some closure. But I don't think we're going to open up in the middle of a budget. We're right in the middle of the budget. So I want it to be a glorious day to speak volumes to this country about what we're trying to do for renters. And I just don't like, quite frankly, the personal attacks, because I assume everyone up here are trying to trying to good do good by the city. So having said that, this motion is on the table to refer Council Bill 118817 back to the Energy and Environment Committee. There was some discussion, by the way, about there could be a meeting during November. So all those in favor. Can ask for a clarification. Yes. You mean do we need to include in the motion that it will be during the budget process that we will have a special meeting? So I don't. I'll put it this way. I don't think it has been a motion, but I'm just stating on the record that everyone here has full intentions to have a meeting for you to have a meeting during the budget so it won't be a substantive part. You see this heads nodding with the TV going that that means, yes, we're going to have a meeting in November. And so we'd be castigated if we didn't. So not part of the motion, but part of the understanding on the record. Yes. So what was that date in November you back to. Know how did you. By December 13th. By December 13th. Okay. So what we're going to do comes from Swan is I'll make it in the motion that will have a report back date by your committee on December 13th, said on Monday I hope that Sunday what I know can we we by December 12th so I'll start over and said cleaner but Councilmember Gonzales yeah . My preference would be if there's no objection by councilmembers the want is that the motion be couched in a way where it would be by December 13th. So it's the latest, but it could come back sooner if if it's ready. I would prefer that, actually. And also. Just I'll say on this for. Just to remind the council, several councilmembers have already taken official leave for for many of the weeks in December, starting late November. So it's better we do it before late November, actually, because we want the council to be present. Correct. But the report back will be on or before December. We said 712 or 1312. Okay. So. So we'll schedule the meeting when we get a good turnout. So let me clean my motion up a little bit or clean. Councilmember This motion up. Council Member No, I'm not, sir. Not in Seattle. Councilmember Suarez's motion is to refer the Council Bill 118817 to the Energy Environment Committee and a report and with the understanding that there'll be a report on or before December 12th. That's the motion. Is there a second? All those of favor? Vote I in. Raise your hands by all the polls. Vote no and raise your hands. No, sir. The vote, the motion refer pass 72 and we will move to the next. We'll move to the next agenda item. On the report of the Planning Land Use and Zoning Committee. Agenda Item five Council 118 683 Amending the Seattle Comprehensive Plan to incorporate changes responding to the Resolution 315 77 to increase the plan's emphasis on race and social justice equity and improve its reliability, modifying and adding new goals and policies in several elements of the plan that
Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Chapter 9.61, relating to Social Hosting Responsibility, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
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Item six is a communication from the city attorney's office. Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Malaysia Code by adding Chapter 9.61 relating to social hosting responsibility read and adapted as read. So moved. Second. Moved in second. Any public comment on item number six? Seeing a public comment urge. Cast your votes only yes or no. Council member, Neil. Leo he's got. Motion carry. Motion carries. Now at your favorite time members, it's a new business and I'm going to do we have a do we have an item number seven? I'm sorry, we do have an item number seven, new business. I apologize for missing that, Madam Clerk.
Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Chapter 5.77, related to short-term rentals, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
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Right. And next one, I'm 24, please. Communication from City Attorney Recommendation to Declare Ordinance Amending the Long Beach Municipal Code related to short term rentals. Read and adopted as read citywide. Okay. Okay. Councilmember Pearce, is there a second? Second. Back to the second. Oh. Okay. Can I get any public comment, please? There is no public comment on this item. Okay. Then we'll we're going to go to a roll call vote. Unless anybody wants to add anything else. Councilman Pearce. No, thank you. Roll call. Vote. District one I. District two i. District three, i. District four. I. I. District six. District seven. I. District eight. II. District nine. All right. Motion carries.
Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, and adopt resolution continuing the Belmont Shore Parking and Business Improvement Area assessment for the period of October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to extend the agreement with the Belmont Shore Business Association for a one-year term. (District 3)
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Pearce motion carries next hearing. Report from economic and property development. Recommendation to conclude the public hearing and adopt a resolution continuing the Belmont Shore Parking and Business Improvement Area Assessment for the period of October one, 2017 through September 30th, 2018, and extend the agreement with the Belmont Shore Business Association for a one year term. Mr. MODICA. Mr. Romero will give us our report. On August eight, 2017, the City Council. Approved a resolution. Granting. Approval of the. Annual report and today's. Date for the public hearing. The recommended. Action on this item continues the assessment for another. Year. There are no proposed changes to the basis of assessment nor significant changes in proposed activity. Therefore, staff requests that the City Council receive the supporting documentation into the record, approve the resolution and continue the levy. Assessment and authorize. The city manager to extend the agreement for one additional year. That concludes my report. People comment on this item saying not Councilwoman Price. I just want to congratulate Eric. And is this the first time you're presenting this item? Yes, it is. It was beautifully done. So welcome to the Belmont Shore Business Association bid. Thank you. Thank you. There's a motion, Councilwoman Pierce. No, I guess you have no comments. Castro votes. Motion carries Kinect that I think is 2626.
Adopts the Elyria and Swansea Neighborhoods Plan as a part of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. (NEIGHBORHOODS AND PLANNING) Adopts the Elyria and Swansea Neighborhoods Plan as a part of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The Committee approved filing this bill at its meeting on 2-4-15.
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We have 11 eyes council bill 57 has been amended. The winner. A courtesy public hearing for counsel. Bill 57 is open. Maybe we have a staff report. Good evening, Madam President. Members of city council. I'm Brad Buchanan. I'm the director executive director in community planning and development. I'm just going to make a couple of introductory comments to our are courtesy public hearing this evening about the various one see a plan and I really by by way of background and sort of perspective about what we're doing tonight. You know, every neighborhood plan that we work on is so critically important to our city and they are all transformational. And in some ways they're all the same. They have very much similar pieces and parts to them, but they're all radically different from each other, as different as each of those neighborhoods that those plans seek to represent and envision their future. And as we were talking about this particular plan, I really I felt that I wanted to give a couple of shout outs to the process and to some folks who have had some really important roles in this process. And I'll start with a letter that is was written by Councilwoman Monteiro in November of 2012 to Mayor Hancock calling out the the number of important planning efforts that were going on in and around. Gloria Swanson. I'll just quickly read through them. The Globeville Neighborhood Plan. There is Swansea, a neighborhood plan, the river North Plan River, North Greenway Master Plan 41st and Fox Stationary Plan, a national Western Stock Show Stationary Plan, The Brighton Boulevard Core Study 38th and Blake Station plan and the Heron Pond Natural Area Plan. There was a huge amount of planning going on in an area that had been underserved for so long, and Councilman Monteiro called that to all of our attention, our city's attention, and out of that vision and her stewardship to the area, a whole bunch of amazing things came out of that. And, and we truly have a whole greater than the sum of its parts. And that's what's so amazing and fantastic about this planning effort is the result is a place and a vision, a vision, excuse me, greater than the sum of its parts. Some of the innovations that came out of this process that I think have been so important, the North Denver Cornerstone Collaborative, which directly came from Councilman Monteiro, is pointing out that we had a lot of cat herding in the planning perspective to get done. And in our real our first significant health impact assessment that was done as part of our planning process and considered through how we really could answer the question How do we create a healthy community? In Elyria, Swansea Council, Monteiro brought forward a focus and a perspective and a prioritization around the history and the culture of the neighborhood that really has been. She has been the steadfast holder of that space through our entire planning process. And I think we it's it our planners have been made better for our planning process has been made better for it. She also led the global area Swansea, a housing advisory council which led to Urban Land Conservancy purchasing 4800 Race Street, which is going to be a significantly transformational site for the neighborhood and and a number of projects through sort of neighborhood revitalization projects, bike lanes on 45th and 47th walking path in Argo Park that's just under construction now, just broke ground recently and is under construction now. We're just getting started and there is a ton of work to get done and the visioning part is just the first important but first part. Now we move towards implementation in the years of implementation that we're going to need to to make this vision a reality. But I know that we we know that we came into this process with the right vision, with commitment. And I believe this the plan is of, by and for the neighborhood, truly a vision of the neighborhood that that our planners have had the privilege of helping to document and facilitate. But again, there is much, much work to be done. And we'll be talking about some of that tonight as well. I'm now going to introduce Tim Watkins and Steve Nally, our planners who have been who have been working on the plan for quite some time now. Thanks. Good evening and thank you, Brad, for the introduction. Steve Now I know we've had the opportunity to represent community planning and development as project managers of the Illyria and Swansea Neighborhoods Planning Process over the past two years. The opportunity to work with community members in a very collaborative process, and we're pleased to present to you this evening the results of that process in the plan for your consideration this evening. The O'Leary and Swansea neighborhoods are located in North Denver, just a few miles from downtown Denver, along what Mayor Hancock has identified as a corridor of opportunity between downtown and Denver International Airport. The planning study area is bounded by the South Platte River to the west, where Illyria and Globeville. Neighborhoods. Me to the north is 54th Avenue, the shared county boundary of the Adams County. To the east is Colorado Boulevard. South is 40th Avenue, and there are three planned commuter rail stations that will serve the neighborhoods in the next few years, including the National Western Center Station area, the 40th and Colorado station area, which includes portions of the Northeast, Park Hill and Clayton neighborhoods and southwest Elyria, extends into the area covered by the adopted 38th and Blake Station area plan. Recognizing significant public investments coming to Elyria, Swansea, Globeville and the River North neighborhoods. The North Denver Cornerstone Collaborative was established to coordinate six major projects. These projects have been carefully considered and coordinated with the neighborhood planning process, including for commuter rail stations along three corridors that extend from downtown Seattle's I-70 reconstruction project. The city's redesign and reconstruction of Brighton Boulevard improvements to the River North Area, National Western Center Master Planning and Redevelopment and the Globeville and Elyria Swansea plans. At key points during the concurrent planning efforts, joint meetings were held between the Illyria, Swansea and Globeville neighborhoods. This led to a lined neighborhood vision's at the river boundary and served to inform the National Western Center planning process, which provides greater detail for a year round entertainment, cultural and educational complex. The Globeville Plan was adopted in December 2014. Gloria Swanson Neighborhood Plans is presented to you for consider for potential adoption this evening, and the National Western Center Master Plan will be presented for potential adoption on March 9th. This neighborhood planning process is built on community input collected through numerous public meetings and through extended public outreach. We are grateful to residents and business representatives that served on a neighborhood steering committee and for the collaboration with Council District nine, North Denver, Cornerstone Collaborative and other partner agencies and community organizations that helped us to engage numerous English and Spanish speaking resident participants. When asked what they like about living in Illyria. In Swansea, residents highlighted schools, parks, recreation centers. The library and churches as places to gather. To recreate. Socialize and learn. They also like the. Lower cost of housing in the area and appreciate unique historic sites such as the National Western Center and the Riverside. Cemetery. When asked what would make the neighborhoods a better place to live and work, we heard concerns related to crossing conflicts along active railways that extend throughout the neighborhoods. Air quality and noise impacts from major highways, including I-70, Vasquez and Colorado boulevards. And impacts such as odors, noise and wayward truck traffic to the core residential area from surrounding industrial uses. Most of the desired improvements that we heard relate to connectivity, including safety concerns and the lack of convenience in getting around. There have also been repeated concerns or fears that displacement will result from raising property taxes and rents. Other issues identified include missing or aging infrastructure such as sidewalks, unpaved alleys, dimly lit streets, unimproved bus stops and stormwater that pulls along streets and alleys. There is also a desire to see vacant and underutilized property converted to desired services such as groceries, banking and health clinics. This could help to add safety to areas where unsupervised, underutilized properties can attract illicit activity and even crime and property vandalism. However, such services require a neighborhood population greater than the current population of 6500 residents. Community input has been categorized under four guiding principles as the organizing structure for this plan. They include a unique, strong, connected and healthy Illyria in Swansea. These sections describe issues and opportunities and provide recommendations and strategies that imply throughout the study area. There are also six character area sections that provide more area specific recommendations, including transformative projects. Transformative projects are necessary to implement to achieve the full vision spelled out in this plan. The unique section of the plan looks at building on the history, defining culture and social structure, and embracing an enterprising economy by attracting cleaner and more job rich industries. It also explores placemaking opportunities as new and public private investments are made in the community. In the strong section, the Future Land Use Map encourages a well organized relationship of diverse land uses for improved quality of life and economic vitality. Key land use concepts include transit oriented development near three rail stations. Industrial mixed use areas that encourage lighter and cleaner employment. Uses that could create a buffer between residential areas and surrounding heavy, heavier industrial uses. The Single-Family duplex area is intended to preserve the existing character and scale of the residential area while allowing for modest infill and redevelopment or excuse me, modest infill and reinvestment. Make that correction mixed uses at key locations. Could accommodate neighborhood services and additional residents, and a town center could be oriented around a potential second cover over I-70 closed still Vasquez Interchange. The plan also provides urban design strategies, including a building heights map that recommends appropriate transitions from lower scale residential to higher density uses near the rail stations. The established single family duplex areas are limited to two and a half stories, with adjacent mixed use and employment areas stepping up to three stories closer to the rail stations. The recommended heights transition from 3 to 5 and eight stories to encourage transit oriented development. The area in southwest, O'Leary is shown at eight stories with an asterisks which suggests that up to 12 stories could be explored in strategic location locations throughout excuse me, exploring strategic locations through discussion and collaboration with the community and applicable neighborhood organizations. Building heights in this location and at the location near the National Western Center were the topic of a supplemental public meeting. Held is one of the conditions for planning board. Approval of this plan. The strong section also provides storm drainage and water quality strategies, such as intercepting regional stormwater flows to protect the neighborhood from urban flooding. This would also protect future investments, such as a lowered I-70 freeway and the National Western Center complex. Additionally, new development could introduce green streets that filter pollutants from storm runoff and create an attractive and attractive amenity as part of a. Walkable urban. Environment. The community would like to see improvements to existing parks and recreation facilities and to safely access them with enhanced sidewalks and bicycle routes. New open space areas are also recommended along the South Platte River. And clauses throughout the future. National Western Center Complex. Other opportunities include the proposed cover. Over 70 next to this. Once here, there's the Arrow's Swansea Elementary School and shared use of the open space of Bruce Randolph School near 40th and Colorado. To address the concern of displacement. The strong section refers to the Denver housing plan and encourages partnership partnerships to create affordable and mixed use housing, especially near transit. There's also an opportunity to explore replacement of housing that is being acquired for the I-70 reconstruction project. Housing strategies also refer to rehabilitation and energy saving programs that could benefit residents. Another strategy focused on focuses on local job training that could be coordinated and aligned between residents and businesses to be recruited in the neighborhood. And Education Strategies Encourage Coordination with Denver Public Schools. School readiness programs for children and adults. Training programs including food growing and health and wellness training opportunities. There is a potential synergy to be achieved with current programs offered by Focus Points Resource Center in the neighborhood, the Grow House and the emerging partnership between the National Western Center. Colorado State University. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science and History, Colorado. Thanks Tim. Good evening. I am Steve Nally with Community Planning and Development Co Project Manager with him on the O'Leary's. What's your plan? And I'm going to cover the Connected chapter, which is the next guiding principle. The plan recommends improvements for several rail and street crossing conflicts, including an outdated York Brighton Boulevard underpass that prohibits trucks from passing north into Adams County. You can see it's pictured in the top right and it seems that it has been struck a few times by trucks. It is it is getting bigger over time, but it does need to be expanded in the future. 47th in York, where pedestrians, cars and trucks are held up multiple times each day due to train stacking and loading operations. And then the inactive market rail underpass, which creates a 25 foot deep channel that impedes access to future 40th and Colorado stations pictured in the bottom right. This is the multi-modal connectivity map, which provides multiple recommendations for improved neighborhood connectivity, including new streets and pedestrian connections to the river and to Globeville through and along the future. National Western Center redevelopment area. Also North-South connections over the future. I-70 Partial cover lowered alternative to make multimodal connections more convenient a frontage road system along 46th Avenue and I-70 that balances vehicular traffic with surrounding land uses and then last zero potential for new streets to be built into d redevelopment areas for improved connectivity. The plan also recommended recommends improving truck route system to better serve industrial areas and keep trucks out of residential areas. One example is an extension of 52nd Avenue from Colorado Boulevard to Brighton and York Street, which could provide truck access. 825 Adams County to the Northwest and Colorado to the east. This could help to reduce the truck demand onto Brighton and York Street to the south. This is the missing sidewalks map. You can see the the red on the map indicates the sidewalk is missing. One of the greatest needs identified by the community was to improve neighborhood walkability by adding more sidewalks. Missing sidewalks, again shown in red. And some of the key areas are along 40th Avenue, near Bruce Randolph School and around Dunham Park indicated by the Arrows. The plan does prioritize sidewalk improvements near the rail stations along 40th Avenue, around Dunton Park and Brighton Boulevard. Also, the plan recommends pedestrian priority intersections identified for potential crosswalks and pedestrian activated signals. More arrows. All right. The bike network there today. There are only sound bike routes in the neighborhood. There are no actual facilities in the street. So a number of of bike facilities are recommended to connect residents to the neighborhood amenities such as parks and schools. Some streets, such as Clayton and Cook Street, require further study and neighborhood input. Bike route recommendations in this plan fit within the greater bike route system and do tie in to the citywide team. Removed bike and pedestrian plan. This map highlights today's ten minute walk around three future rail stations in the neighborhood based on the existing street network doesn't necessarily mean there are sidewalks on these streets to get to the station, but just there. But there are streets in place. With all of the recommendations recommended in the plan and strategies recommended in the plan, the potential expanded ten minute walk highlighted in red could result from from building these new streets. As you can see, a lot more area in close proximity to the station stations. The next guiding principle is the healthy chapter. The healthy guiding principle, as Brad mentioned, health impact assessment, or HIPAA was completed for Globeville, Illyria and Swansea. It was conducted by the Department of Environmental Health as part of the neighborhood planning process. The recommendations are summarized in a healthy section and cross-referenced throughout the plan to highlight the relationship between the built environment, physical activity and health. Some of the recommendations within that section two examples here are breaking up the large blocks with new connections to create shorter trips and more walkable urban environment, and also to increase tree canopy cover and open space areas with new development. These maps show that Illyria in Swansea has larger than average block sizes surrounding the residential area due to large industrial uses of railways and highways and that less than average tree canopy cover compared to the other neighborhoods in the city, as indicated on the map below. All right. So those are the guiding principles moving into the six character areas. There are six in the plan, starting with the National Western Center and station area. There's also the 30th and Blake Station area, the 40th and Colorado station area as the traditional residential area, kind of reflecting where most of the homes are today. And then the industrial area, the sixth is the I-70 reconstruction area that kind of spans across multiple character areas within the plan. So starting with the residential character area, the the plan details how residents could benefit economically from modest infill development next to existing single family homes and duplexes. Tandem houses, for example. And the ones pictured in the graphics could be built behind a street fronting residents and either sold or rented out ten of houses and other building forms. Under two and a half. Stories could help to bring investment and stability to residential areas and help to bring more residents and increase the demand for neighborhood services. The transformative project within the traditional residential area is to study east west connectivity north of I-70 up to 49th, including the 47th and York interchange. You can see there's a resident waiting to continue with her evening, but there's a train in the way and she has no other option of getting east or west. Also, key recommendations from this within the traditional residential area and then also in the industrial area is to improve the relationship between industrial and residential uses. The graphic on top kind of transitions from residential to light industrial flex to heavy industrial. Also on the bottom of this slide, there are recommendations in the plan to show possible landscaping and streetscape improvements that could soften the abrupt transition where residential and industrial uses are likely to remain in place. Moving to the I-70 reconstruction character area, the plan provides detailed recommendations for see, that's I-70, a partial cover lowered alternative. There have been a number of a lot of discussion about I-70, as it is a very major project taking place in the neighborhood through multiple meetings. One example of something beneficial that came out of the meeting was, as you can see, the image on the left of the slide is the proposed cover at Swansea Elementary School and the initial. There was a there's a street or frontage road in between Swansea Elementary and the cover through. A lot of discussion. The frontage road was removed in a later alternative, creating a combined facility for Swansea Elementary School. And that and that cover. Also, here's an image of our view of the Swansea cover looking south along the frontage road where mixed use redevelopment could bring housing a neighborhood around around the cover to create a neighborhood center with increased activity and extra eyes on the cover for added safety. Here's an example of an another strategy for improving the PCL to encourage creativity and in the freeway sound walls. And the plan really tries to inspire thought and creativity and not just thinking of our typical concrete walls, but getting creative and mitigating noise. The plan also recommends a second cover at Steel Vasquez. This cover is different than the cover proposed at Swansea Elementary School. The Swansea Elementary School cover is intended to be an asset for recreation, a playground for the school and more of a park Parklife Park like feature. The second cover is quite visionary and is a long term idea where the cover itself will, where it's adjacent to fairly large parcels, could be a catalyst for redevelopment around the Steel and Vasquez interchange on large parcels of land. This cover needs a lot more discussion with the community and and how it could be implemented. It's currently not funded as part of the set out project. The next character area is the National Western Center and Station area. You all have been briefed many times on the the pending National Western Center masterplan. This plan recommends land use for the entire station area and focuses more on the station area part of National Western. In addition to the new street connections, the three National Western, there are also a number of new connections, such as 49th Avenue at the DPS site and then future Brighton Boulevard, north of I-70. Here is a glimpse of the masterplan. The response to your plan recommendations are reflected in this detailed National Western Center masterplan. There are new streets and pedestrian connections between Elyria and Globeville, including a new national western drive, a street that was named Betty Kram. Drive through that process, Betty Graham is here tonight. The concept shows over 46 acres of open space and public plaza that could be used by visitors and by the community. The next character area is the 40th in Colorado station area coming in 2016. All right. Got to the ready, Grant. The 49 Colorado station is the second stop along the east corridor between downtown Indiana and is due to open again in next year. This time next year, potentially planning recommendations for improved connectivity. Connectivity are a priority in 2015, and funding is being identified to make sidewalk improvements to the station platform by opening day. The vision for this station area is to provide workforce housing and lighter, cleaner mixed use industrial jobs to complement the varied stations between downtown Indiana. The station area planning also looks south of 40th Avenue, where possible new 39th Avenue Green Street is recommended. And that's picture on the slide to improve storm drainage and connectivity along an unused rail line. Here's a graphic of the existing condition for the unused rail line known as the market lead. It does create a 25 foot deep underpass or channel that prevents access to access for residents to the west to get east to the future rail station. The plan recommends acquiring the market lead, filling the underpass channel, potentially using the dirt from I-70, heading workforce housing and a pocket park to create a successful transition from the lower scale residential to the west to the hired inner city transit oriented development area to the east and closer to the station. The final character area is the 38th and Blake Station, the Elyria. In Swansea, a Plan City area extends into the adopted 38th and Blake Station area plan so that the 38th Blake Plan was adopted in 2009. Delirious wants to plan updates, future land use and building height recommendations of that plan, but only within a year in Swansea . A. All other recommendations in the 30th and Blake Stationery plan are reinforced by the Illyria and Swansea a plan. So the moving forward sections broken down into implementation priorities. The first is related to regulatory and policy, which encourages a focus on rezoning of land to improve residential and industrial edges and to focus on improving connectivity and safety . Public investment is the next category of priorities, which focuses on leveraging major projects as well as street, alley, sidewalk and lighting improvements and pursuing the acquisition of the BNSF market lead for connectivity and redevelopment. The last implementation priority or partnerships? The plan does encourage residents to form a one or many registered neighborhood organizations and to work with partners such as in DCC, DMR Police Neighborhood Inspection Services for improved neighborhood conditions. It also recommends working with affordable and mixed income housing to developers, focusing on economic development initiatives and coordinating job training opportunities. I went to a planning board on January 7th where we had our public meeting. The public at that meeting requested more time to review the plan following the holiday season. So the hearing was continued to January 21st. Prior to the 21st meeting, we had an additional public meeting to work through. Comments and questions on the plan. We held that meeting on the 12th will an additional meeting on the 16th to discuss the plan with Swansea School parents at the January 21st meeting. The plan edits were proposed based on the public meetings we held. Prior public testimony was generally supportive. There was one unresolved issue and that was building heights near to rail stations. So the planning board voted to approve by unanimous vote based on their criteria, which is to find that the plan is consistent with other plans, that it was an inclusive public process and takes a long term view. And then the conditions were to incorporate the edits that were presented to them that day, to add edited for clarity and correctness, and then also to incorporate the groups, incorporate the changes from the public meetings that were the public meeting that was held to discuss building heights. So with that stuff recommends adoption of the Elyria and Swansea Neighborhoods Plan as a supplement to the Denver plan. There's one more thing I'd like to add. Just after the close of recess, two additional members of the community arrived and would like to speak. One of them was in Elizabeth, one of the most devoted members of all of the planning efforts and globally responsive. The other is at Bell so property owner and 40th in Colorado station area. If you see fit to allow them to speak they would greatly appreciate that opportunity. Madam Secretary, how do we handle that? I guess that your your your call. But you have 19 speakers so far so and if you limit it to our you. I don't. They may or may not. Okay. So this is in our courtesy public hearing. And I'll I'll take comments from other members of council if you want to weigh in on this. Oh, okay. So what I what I propose is that the other 19 speakers are allowed to go ahead of you. And depending on how much time we have within the hour, we can certainly try to fit the two speakers and I'll keep that fine with everybody. Yes, right. All right. As we said earlier, we have 19 speakers, possibly 19, 20, 21 speakers. So what I would like to do at this point is invite the first five speakers up to the front and they are as follows. Jude, Dr. Thomas Anthony. Chad Ramirez. Brenda Vasquez and and Hayes. Through Dutcher. Welcome. Good evening. My name is Drew Dutcher. I have lived. At 4653 High Street in Elyria since buying a home there in 2007, about going on eight years. I have actively participated in this planning process, and I'm also a member of. The National Western Citizens Advisory Committee, and I was the Elyria. Representative on the I-70 East Pact between 2010 and 2012. Without going into a lot of details, I very enthusiastically support this plan. I think it's long overdue, but I feel that this this at last. This area, this city is finally getting the attention it deserves. I thank the planning department and Tim and Steve. They've done a fantastic job on this plan. I think it points positively into the future and it shows great promise. The plan. Embeds various public works projects that are sorely needed but are. Not yet funded. I feel that whenever we talk about Clarion Swansea though. We have to talk about the elephant in the room and that elephant is the planned widening of Interstate 70 through these neighborhoods. While the partially covered, lowered alternative. Is infinitely better than widening. The existing elevated viaduct, there's still too many unanswered questions to really for these residents, most of my neighbors to really support the I-70 plan. Just quickly, there's not evidence really that this widening is justified to ten lanes. It's based on a ten year old study. We still have not really gotten a health study performed that's required under NEPA. Many residents have expressed concern that this may possibly violate the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Would this project be forced on wealthier, nonwhite communities? Last Thursday, the Transportation Commission endorsed the design build, finance, operate, maintain mechanism. This basically turns the project over to a private consortium. What we are concerned about is that how will any of the promises made to Elyria, Swansea residents regarding mitigation ever be kept under this financing mechanism? Do these neighborhoods assume all the risks and all the downsides. In this. Venture? All other parties profit from widening I-70. The local businesses, the National Western Rhino Taxi. The city and county of Denver. The airport and the region as a whole. How will residents of Elyria, Swansea endure this construction? Are we displaced? For how long? What about the contamination and pollution during construction? DUTCHER Here, 3 minutes is up. Okay. There are many questions that need to be answered before we can. We can back this. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Mr. Anthony. Madam Chairwoman and members of the council. I'm Tom Anthony. I had some written testimony I was going to hand in and jotted down some thoughts during the previous presentation. I've lived in 5001 National Western Drive for 17 years with my two little youngest boys, were born there in home births, and I won the Neighborhood Star Award in 2010 for my auntie and was honored with my for forming my group clean it that got the the Shattuck chemical site cleaned up down in 1805 South Beneke from Overland and West University neighborhoods back in 2004. I am. Helped finance and develop the Illyria Neighborhood Vision Plan in 2006 that showed I-70 below grade for the first time, identified the site at 28th and Brighton for the art to the North Metro line and put in a bridge across the globe below 50th and Emerson how elements that have been adopted in the city's planning process. But the city's planning process has also been flawed. I'm currently exchanging motions with young Nathan Lucero, who was testifying earlier as to whether or not I wind up getting to stay in my house or not. Mr. Anthony, can you please stick to the. Yes. Well, our neighborhood doesn't have a neighborhood group because our neighborhood leaders get targeted by the city and retaliated against for bringing up things and issues that. They happen to disagree with. Have a seat or not. Mr. Anthony, please have a seat. Thank you. Our next speaker is Chad Ramirez. But typically at Swansea. Harris. You can start again. Thank you. So I was going to say that I'm really not for that I 70 deal at all but so on then the other thing is that connector the gentleman was talking about sending 52nd Avenue westbound from Vasquez. I don't know. You guys are probably had your mom tell you to stay on the block when you're riding your bike. So a lot of kids right in that area over there. And there's a lot of kids. There's a park on 52nd Avenue. Years ago, we fought long and hard to keep the trucks out of the neighborhood. And this would just be a thoroughfare for the trucks to go. So I don't think that's a good idea in the plan. I think a lot of it is all right. But I also think in that closing, Josephine, that's another thing that they're talking about. And we really don't think that closing General Josephine Street would be very good. They'd rather be counterproductive. And it actually would probably close a corridor of opportunity for locals. And then the bikeable and walkable area is a good idea. You know, if because right now we don't really have access to the light rail station, there are quite a ways, quite a ways away. And so what I'd like to see in the plan is some of this ground work take off for the area. Residents. As far as the sidewalks and the bikeable ways to get to the light rail stations as far as a RTD just really blew by us, you know, closed off. And the opportunity, our corridor of opportunity by not putting a light rail station at Clayton or Steel Street. So it's going to be tough to get over to those stations. So and then the other thing is when we're still somewhat of a rural area in the neighborhood and you guys have made a distinction between the neighborhoods and the commerce, the areas of commerce. So I want you to remember that. And everybody remember that that we are a neighborhood, we're a residential area. There were our homes are and yeah, we're still kind of in a rural area and we kind of like that. Our lots might be big and we like that. We appreciate our property rights and we hope everybody will respect that. And let me see the town central that they're talking about over the second the second cover. You know, I've seen town centers around the country and they're usually dominated by the multinational and the national corporations. Time's up. Yes. Okay. All right. Thank you. So thank you, Miss Vasquez. Followed by in Hays. Good evening. Thank you for this opportunity to speak. My name. Is Brenda Vasquez and we are property owners on. 46th and Josephine. We have on. The property for over ten years and we've been attending meetings for ten years as well. We own a strip mall and in that strip mall. We have several businesses. These businesses are. Owned by self-employed. Individuals. So they're locals. They are the old neighborhood businesses. So there's no chains involved. And they they have built relationships with the. Individuals in the area. Swansea, a. Neighborhood. The success of the businesses and by the way, we have very low turnover in our retail areas. The businesses include a restaurant, a cell phone store. We have an ice cream store, also a gym that supports the students at Swans here. And another business that is similar to. AA and they work primarily with Spanish. Speaking clients. So the success of the business is primarily supported by accessibility. So with the closing of Josephine and some other recommendations, those would severely impact these individuals who have been in business with us for 13 to 15 years. So what I would encourage the Council to remember these individuals and I would encourage you to go and visit the businesses and talk to those owners. Without the accessibility, they will not be successful in their businesses. They as I said, it's a lot of relationship building that has allowed them to be successful in their business and that can only be strengthened with accessibility walkability. To those individuals. We understand that the need for eastbound I-70. But I think we need to continue to to honor the individuals and the businesses that have been created over the last decades. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Vasquez and Hayes. Good evening, Madam President. Members of the Council. My name is Ann Hayes, and I am a citizen of Denver. But more importantly, for this moment, I am. I'm with Westfield Company. And we are owners as of July of this past year of a 14 acre property on Upper Brighton Boulevard between 40th and 43rd. On the East. Side. So basically across from the Coliseum, it is within the the neighborhood of Elyria, Swansea. And that is why I'm here, is to express my support for this neighborhood plan. Since our purchase of the property, I have gotten very involved in many of the neighborhood efforts. Including. The tail end of this planning process, but also have joined the National Western Advisory Committee, the Brighton Boulevard Working Group, the Brighton Boulevard, or Reno Art District, Business Improvement District Working Group. So I have gotten to know many of the people. In the neighborhoods nearby. Our property and I do want to express that the there seems to be a lot of outreach that is still would be desired by the neighbors and express our desire to continue with the outreach to the neighbors and hoping to bring a really quality redevelopment project at this location, which is right next to 38th and Blake Transit Station. So again, I just want to express our support for this plan and hopefully it will pass. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Hayes. Our next group is Steve Kenny, Betty Cram, Jimmy Bacon, Thad Tasker and Gilbert Vasquez. If you could please come up to the front. Welcome. Thank you very much for this opportunity. To be here and. Talk with you. My name is Steve Kenny. I'm a resident of. The Berkeley neighborhood. My home is 4876 Tennyson Street. It is my opinion that Elyria and Swansea. Deserve every bit of. Attention. Dedication of resources and funding for these programs, probably more so than any other neighborhoods or communities in this city. They've been neglected in a really, really bad way for many, many decades. I've attended meetings about the neighborhood plan. I've read much of the neighborhood plan, and there's. Much of it that impresses me very, very much. There's a lot of very good work in here. However, I am very. Very concerned and in some ways appalled that the city and Denver could be in any way supporting anything that is related to see. That's plan to make the freeway 3.2 times wider. Literally right. Through the middle. Of these communities. The the goals of this program. Are. Disjointed connectivity. I don't see how tripling the width of I-70 can possibly help with the connectivity of these communities and tearing out neighborhood shopping centers. Tearing out places where people gather. Reducing the number of options that kids from the from Swansea Elementary School have to cross the freeway. A next goal is missing missing services. Expanding the freeway is not going to help that. There's no possible way. Can you can you loop your comments back to the earlier response here? I sure will. Thank you. So I think that especially for environmental issues, nuisances, crime, property neglect, it's imperative that the city support things that will help the neighborhood and that absolutely, positively has nothing to do with tripling the width of I-70 until we have a plan. And that would include CDOT doing SDI, SDI, a supplemental draft environmental impact study of the I-270 and I-76. Reroute and conversion of. The current I-70. Through Globeville. Elyria and Swansea. We cannot be supporting a plan that supports the tripling of the width of I-70. Thank you. Let's see. Our next speaker is Betty Cram, followed by Jimmy Bacon Fantastica and Gilbert Vasquez. Hmm. Thank you very much and thank you for letting me talk. It all sounds so grandiose. Everything they've done. Beautiful, beautiful. But it isn't. That's where we're Elyria Swansea. And we're Elyria Swansea. And that's what we are. And we don't care for all of this. Others, please take a tour with me as we take a little ride with me from 47th Avenue to 40th Avenue. And it's going to be kind of a road bike path because we do need a bike. We need a bike path for some people, especially for a for Adam, who works there at the girl horse. He rides a bike all the time. So he needs the bike path they took. They wanted to build a street past the school, but I said, no, we need we they Josefine we don't need a Columbine street. I think it would be too close to the school as we go south, cross over I-70 and we go into 40th into 46 right there at a little shopping mall, and we stop and we have a donut, chocolate donut, and we have a cup of coffee at our favorite spot. And he does want to buy more land. He wants to build up his mall more. He wants to make it bigger, which we need. And he has beautiful people working with him and he can't seem to get it bought, which is a shame I always seem to hear about when they say building, we're building maybe low income housing or things like that. And we have we have so much. Of that right. Now in our area. As we go on down the street, there's many houses that are over 100 years old. On Josephine Street itself, we get to 43rd. And this is where they want to cut me off at 43rd and just I don't know why, but they don't want me going further south. And we have sunshine liquor right there. I don't think he's here tonight. He was going to try to get here tonight, but he had to go to Utah. But he was very. Happy about it. They're going to cut this business completely off if he gets cut off. It used to be sunshine, a drugstore and a barbershop. And it's it's probably over 100 years old. And this fellow, Ron Nelson, has owned it, run it for over 50 years. So he's been. There for a long time. As we go on. Down through. Past 43rd, we cross over to railroad one railroad track and then the Fastpass track, and we see this beautiful, expansive property. I don't know who is bought it. It must be bought. I see no signs on it. It would make. We. Absolutely need a beautiful restaurant. We need a bunch of our artisan houses, we need a bunch of little boutiques. And they would all fit in perfectly as you go down 40th Avenue and end up with the glassblowing plates right there on 41st Avenue, well, you end at least 40% with you, Josephine. This Christmas, you can include your comments. Your time is up. I got to be down one more time. The time is up. Oh, it is up. Yeah. Okay, so used Josephine Street. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Jimmy Bacon. Okay. And then sad. And Gilbert. Hmm. I guess. Well, I guess first thing, if some day if you if you could pass an ordinance to get a burrito vendor up here on this floor, I think that would be great. Um, but let's see. Okay. But. All right. Well, my name is Jimmie Bacon, and I have lived. I live at 40, 46, 18 High Street. So if anybody ever wants to send me chocolates or be pen pals, you know, feel free. But I've looked in a lot of neighborhoods in Denver, and I will say that Olivia Swanson neighborhood is inundated with kids. Gloria Swanson is full of kids. And as much as I hate kids, there is a substantial air quality related. Issue with respiratory issue. And I believe any physiologists will tell you that the respiratory system is the gateway into the body and breathing in exhaust pollutes the blood and that pollutes the body and that affects health and normal development. So now I wasn't consulting my crystal ball before I came here, but I got to say that I think widening the interstate somewhere as near as wide as a football field is long is going to be a mistake. I mean, do you have comments related to the neighborhood plan? Yes, I do. Think sorry. I thought that this amount of time, too, like before I got here, would, like, slow my heart down and but. And get me more prepared. But it hasn't. Okay, so here we go. The points of the plan above with the disjointed community, the missing services, the environmental issues, the nuances in crime, the property neglect of parks and recreation. I believe all of those points can be addressed with a reroute and a a martin Luther King Style Boulevard along 46th Street. I believe that there can be no more stupid kids running around in the neighborhood and also different kind of things for economic benefits like home grown flower stands and cottage food style stuff stands around that boulevard. But what I guess I'm saying here is that we open to the possibility that I-70 expansion is truly a bad idea. Creating new taxes, fees, and hope that the private sector will handle this is fine if there were no other options. But I think in this case but in this case, there is another option, a cheaper one to reroute I-70. And I guess finally, to be extra corny here, Stevie Wonder is coming into town in a few days. And I have been thinking, what would Stevie Wonder say about this interstate not making you drive interstate and. Okay. All right. Thank you. Thank you. All right. The. Fat tax of 4535 Julian Street Members of council. The plan you're considering tonight reflects a good deal of effort by both the community and the planning department. Like most such plans, it reflects a sincere effort to improve the neighborhood. Unfortunately, it's doomed to failure first because there's insufficient funds assigned to implement it. And second, because of the plans that are currently being proposed by the Colorado Department of Transportation for East I-70, as has been recognized in a proclamation by this council. When I-70 was first ripped through Elyria and Swansea, it devastated these communities. Homes and businesses were removed. The northern part of the neighborhoods was isolated from the rest of the city, and parishes were destroyed. Long time residents left and were replaced by the people who currently reside there. Now an attempt is being made to convince these residents that the connectedness that is espoused is one of the goals of the neighborhood plan will be achieved by tripling the footprint of the highway and building 8 to 14 foot sound barrier walls along almost all the length of the trench. The healthy community that is another goal supposedly will be achieved by subjecting the neighborhoods to pollution from an additional 40,000 cars and trucks per day, increasing truck traffic through the neighborhood by removing interchanges and encouraging children to play on an unventilated cover over a polluting highway. Making these matters worse is that despite the fact that the constructing the highway is a state and not a city function, the city of Denver is considering contributing millions of dollars to the construction of this monument to the hubris of our traffic engineers. However, those dollars are exactly the type of financial resources that otherwise could be used to implement the many positive aspects of this plan. Indeed, the dollars that would be given to the state to once again devastate North Denver through the I-70 East Project could be used for meaningful, positive projects in all of Denver's council districts. Given these facts, I urge you to support the Elyria, Swansea and Neighborhood Plan. However, I urge you to do so only if you are prepared by me to move beyond the plan as an empty statement of unreliable goals intended to pacify the members of the community and to give Elyria resiliency of the resources required to implement the plan by refusing to transfer city funds to the I-70 East Project. Thank you. Our next speaker is Gilbert Vasquez. Hello? Yeah, I'm not really opposed by 70 so much. I know the bridge is in a rough shape, but what they need to do is respect the business people over there and the boulevard. What they're doing with the school that tops what's going on with the people when what they're doing is with the top on one side with the kids. That's great. The other side too. I'm go to the little center but doesn't hurt to let people and businesses there talked about close ah Josephine and make that just a three way two three block area which people are used to driving always through it from downtown through what they're going to do they turn into Clayton make that the way to go through that two neighborhood street which will that become a more of a hazard for the kids are around the school that lives in that block up and down from 45 to 46. That's where everyone we be driving through where it should be seen the way it is now. If they want to send Josephine through the truck route, fine. But let Joseph Josephine be regular car. New York is fine because the criminals there got me through four. But let the other part be, as you know, look for the locals go in there because we are all these business people are in there doing thing set business, help the neighborhood get along every neighborhood. They can't forget about the neighborhood. They can't forget to hit the neighbors. They all like all the stuff they're. And that's why I believe they should do at least respect the neighbors. They don't have a lot of money. But listen to them. Thank you, Mr. Vasquez. Okay. Our next group is one Esteban Bello's. Abel Bustillo. Nancy Palacios. Ruby Venegas. And Victor and Victoria Venegas. The Senate. And you have 6 minutes. One unnoticed singer is going Scarlet's Singer President Jerry Monteiro. Evening, members of the board. And Madam President, during winter. We are celebrating in me this. So I am going to be brief tonight. But I know she has me number one bellows so resident Olivia Beaven couldn't they said this isn't they think of Williams Denver Colorado or Chantal this disease. Good evening my name is One Willows. I am a resident of Illyria and I live on 4765 William Street in Denver, Colorado. A year participle and and in committee so the committee report is similar to that Randall participated in in Proyecto Al Foxtrot Cavaleiro Puerto. I am in the Parent-Teacher Association at Bruce Randolph and have been also part of the Festac project. Is taking over. And that tells you that the the either national works that. I've been also involved in the process for the neighborhood plan and I'm also part of the working group that is dealing with the National Western Center. Item in our historical, our own local departamento. But as soon as we transport. I am also. Working with the Department of. Transportation. Eleanor Nico Cukier Police. It's killers. This is serious because it. Tom and then go on and go into the protection. Then those three recruits en masse, Bradley, also known as Ninos Compreso El Numero Uno. And the only request that I have for you is that the decisions that are made are done keeping in mind as a priority, the protection of our most valuable asset that our children. Gracious. Thank you. That's just what we need. A girl who steals. In this case. I don't necessarily know what Assad was to use and it doesn't mean I strictly controls tennis. Good evening. My name is Sears and thank you for the opportunity of talking to you today. Just really into the Swansea and beyond as in Kentucky Fillmore District. I am a resident of Swansea. I live on 5055015 Fillmore Street. And as hello as General Allen's meetings can arrive in Swansea at least once a year. I've been attending to the different meetings that have been part of the process of the neighborhood planning for Olivia Swansea. Uh, just like I said. Then we should get in a step process. So join ENDA Kenny free way to peace. Pistorius more importantly, yes, went up at L'économie and a de la Ciudad. Then we start. And then Mr. Stadler. I understand that the highway is very important to the city and has a high importance for the economy of the state. Pedro Solana, steady the gate. No retreating they luminous passively better clear cut monstrous nice tried communi that. But I would ask that you please try to decrease the negative impact for our community. Part II i muchas familias. I'm puzzled. I thought that's who either he. Said My future state senator, they has to suspend us. There are many families there that have been in that area forever, and it would be extremely hard for them to be displaced. Uh. SEC is important paper, but I thought was better. Now I'll be the investor company that put them on us. I trust the Agonist Algo Gazette better. But at the told us. I know that the top the highway topic is very important for everybody. But let's please don't forget our community and do something that is respectful for all the parties. Is to look at the nearby traffic. Thank you. That's all I had to say. Thank you. Okay. Our next speaker is Nancy Palacios. You have. Good evening, city council members. My name is Nancy Palacios. I am a student at East High School and resident of Swansea, a community. I am a part of a leadership program at Swansea Rec Center. We took a survey of our community and there were top four issues in Swansea neighborhood. Our main concerns were safety, health, violence and vandalism. Our leadership group will be presenting on these four concerns. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Our next two speakers are Ruby Venegas and Victoria Venegas. Good evening, city council members. My name is Ruby Venegas. I'm a student at STRIVE Prep Sunnyside, and I'm a member of the leadership program. I live in the Swanson community and our program did the survey. And one of the topics was safety. There is it's really hard because there's no lights in our streets and there's no there is no there's no separation between alleys and parks. And this is hard because kids can get lost in the motor. Exactly. One expense I expected was last summer. I was taking out the trash in our street. To have a light was pretty dark and I didn't see anything. And a lot of kids were afraid to go outside because there was the crime scene. They were afraid of getting kidnaped. All I'm asking is for when you do this project to think about how it's affecting kids and like the safety. And that's all. Thank you. Is Victoria here? Good evening. My name is Victoria. I live in the Swansea community. I am also with the leadership program as well. And. One of the other problems is health. First, there are no smoke free zones. People in kids can get second hand smoking because lots of people in the park smoke also. Also, there are people there. There also there is lots of littering. There is also a Sara house right behind the rec center. Many people don't like the smoke. They don't go to the the rec centers park because of the smell. This has caused people not to go to the rec center and get movie. Their health can get them impacted by these barriers because they aren't exercising. By making smoke free zones. Kids cannot catch secondhand smoking. And by providing only smoke for smoke zones. People know where to smoke and the other people won't get affected. We appreciate your time. Thank you. Thank you for coming, especially since you have school tomorrow. So thank you very much. Okay. Our next speaker is. Fabolous Marotta. The. Repeat your name because I didn't say it right. What's that? Fabulous microphone. Good evening, city council members. My name is Fabio that I live in this one two year community and I'm also part of the leadership program. Another issue in our community is violence. There's a lot of violence, for example, a lot of gang affiliation. People have witness shooting. There is animal abuse at the Slater house. But don't forget about checks getting introduced to minors. In our whole experience I've had was when I was at school field and all of a sudden the ambulance as well as the police showed up in front of this one seriously. There was a person getting stabbed and the children there seen it made them feel really unwelcome. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Brian and I do not have a last name. Do we have one? He didn't write it. Okay. Hey, Brian, introduce yourself to us. My name is Brian Lobato and. I am also. Part of the leadership program. And the fourth issue was that there was too much vandalism. There's a lot of graffiti. The alleys. Have. A lot of graffiti. People's homes were being broken into, which goes back to the topic of safety, which was number one, trespassing was also an issue, but not as common. My personal experience with vandalism was that the elementary school got tagged. Also, someone broke the back windows of everybody's car and truck and caused a lot of damage. And it was dangerous because glass shards were in the. Truck and you could hurt yourself. Thank you for your time. O'BRIEN Thank. I appreciate you coming. Our next speaker is Jasmine Ramirez, followed by Carla Lopez. Amy and then, Madam Secretary, I didn't catch the name of the last person after AEI. Sorry, which one? So person Steve had mentioned or you looked at up. Hi. Hello. My name is Jasmine Ramirez. I am a student at Bruce Randolph and High School in the community of Swansea. What I will be talking about this evening is one of my personal experiences which contains by, I mean, yeah, violence. I have experienced a robbery not so long ago my house was robbed and I really don't feel safe living in a community like this. And I know actually I'm positive that everyone in my community believes that there should be a change. And so. Thank you. Thank you very much, Carla Lopez. That evening. See Council. Oh, my name is Carter Lopez and I'm also member at the Leadership Program and the song's lyrics and I live in the Santa community. Something I have personally experienced is vandalism in our community. People are trespassing in other people's property. For example, in my house there is graffiti and gang signs all over my fence and garage door. And I many people have around the community have. Um, graffiti and gang signs all over their property and. Well, I hope you consider our request and make this project happen. Thank you. Thank you. Miss Locus and Elizabeth and Ed Bill. And Elizabeth Globeville, thank you for the opportunity to talk. I'm part of the National Western Center Advisory Committee, have participated participated as sort of an adjunct neighbor. With this planning process, please hold in greater weight than mine the comments of those that live on property and have businesses in the neighborhood. I want to just say a few things quickly, and it's going to probably seemed disjointed, but I'm in a framework and a little bit as a response to the Grow House letter that you've received, because I feel like I'm in contention and would like to point out some contrast to thinking relative to this plan, which I generally support and I think is very exciting probably can that the the comment in there that the process of arriving at this draft was not always smoothly orchestrated, largely due to the cultural disconnect between the planning team and the majority of residents. This is a group that's worked with hundreds of residents, and I'm very concerned that non-profits aren't driving. So as residents into the planning process and building that trust even as they accomplish good things. So as we go forward with the implementation of this plan, please understand that it very much supports the engagement of the city council planners , etc., directly with the neighbors. And please understand that the marquee engagements with nonprofits isn't necessarily as participatory as it can be directly with with the neighbors. Because this plan is beautiful, partly because it leaves open engagement for more development of more details. I also want to say that the I disagree with saying that the affordable housing is nonspecific. I think that in section B 24, in the plan, page 46, there's a tremendous amount of detail about how to coordinate that with resources, infrastructure of the city to make it a priority. And followed by that is Section B 25, which I want to point out has to do with improved access to jobs and services because of the high level of lack of education, lack of college degrees and high school education. These neighborhoods, it's necessary to increase the skills, the employability and job connections. So if you're truly supporting people, having the stability to stay in their property and this is among the highest owner occupied neighborhoods in in Denver. So I disagree that the that that isn't something that this plan responds to. I think that going forward, it's incumbent upon us to strongly support the integration of the populations, to be able to afford the increased taxes on their houses and their properties going up in value by helping people increase their ability to earn money. And then finally, I just want to say that that I don't I want to go further than the development without displacement, development and economic visualization, revitalization with enhanced quality of life, supporting the stability of the neighborhood residents is a way to truly revitalize a neighborhood. And even if they hit the reset button and I 70 took it out of the neighborhood or did something entirely different, this plan will work. It is not doomed to failure. It's got fantastic abilities. We do have to develop the money and I think that we could reset some of the I-70 stuff and we do need to look at narrowing it and that is mentioned in the plan. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you for coming out tonight and being patient with us. Mr. Ed Bell. Thank you and thank you, counsel, for letting us let me speak tonight again. My name is Ed Bell. I'm a resident of Rapport County, but I'm in the process of purchasing two and a half acres due west of the 40th and Colorado commuter rail station. It is my goal down the road to develop the property into a mix of light industrial, mixed income, housing and retail. Last year I had the opportunity to meet with Tim and Tim Watkins and Steve Nally of the Denver Planning Department to discuss the potential future development of the properties in the area. They took time out of their busy day to spend almost an hour with me going over the area of shared with me the work they were doing on the Galleria Swansea neighborhood plan. As a result, I became more involved in the public process that designed to include all the stakeholders in the neighborhood. I found the process that was employed to be very inclusive of genuine effort was made by the Denver Planning Department, including to include all the members of the neighborhood residents and property owners alike. I don't know exactly how many meetings were held, but I imagine that not many other neighborhood plans have seen such an outreach to the community. The Denver Planning Department should be applauded for creating such an inclusive and educational process. Valerie and Swansea neighborhoods should be also recognized for the amount of constructive input they provided. It's unusual for communities to get involved over something that's such a positive change. Does the plan make everyone happy? We've heard a lot of talk about I-70 tonight. Probably not. But the plan does not shut out those who have. Concern. In fact, they specifically call out those concerns and recommend more study. The biggest area that I'd like to talk about is the area around 40th and Colorado commuter rail station. Starting on page 108 of the neighborhood plan is the description of the recommendations, the area around the 40th and Colorado commuter rail station. These recommendations are and are transformative and apply upon a partnership between the public and private sector. One of the most important factors limiting private. Development and development of any kind in the area is the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Rail Spur that bisects the surrounding neighborhood, creating pedestrian and automotive traffic disruption. It is my understanding that the city and county of Denver is leading efforts to acquire the tract referred to in the plan as the market lead. On page 115 of the plan. Two pages are. Dedicated. The importance of this parcel. Given the powers the railroad companies hold, the city and county of Denver needs to lead the way by purchasing the property from Burlington Northern Santa Fe and partnering with the private sector for the implementation of the recommendations detailed in the plan. The 40th and Colorado Rail Stations. Long term success requires the market lead be developed and the recommended connectivity be created. I'd like to take this time to thank the Planning Department, especially Tim Watkins and Steve Nally, for their efforts. The plan is very well thought out. Mr. Bell, your time is up. Thank you very. Much. Thank you. Okay. That concludes our speakers. And the first question I see from members of council is from Councilwoman Kennish. Thank you. Madam President, I was wondering if one of the planners could pull up a map and just talk to us about what we've been hearing about the Josephine Street? Because I'm not sure I caught it in the presentation, and it was clearly a theme. So if you could walk through what specifically the plan is proposing, how firm that is, and that would be helpful for me, please. All right. So this is the multi-modal connectivity map. I don't know if you can see my cursor, but that would be good if you could. Can you see my cursor on your screen? Yeah. Yes. Okay. Thank you. So this is Josephine. It is a one way couplet. One way north and York is one way south. Right now, with I 70, you can get off of the interstate at York. If you're heading east, you can get on to the interstate at through Josephine and along Stevenson place. If you're heading west, the the proposed project eliminates access at York and Josephine. So the plan is recommending to weighing both Josephine and York because it no long there's no longer an access or off ramp off of I-70. York is two way to the north of 47th. York is two way to the south of 40th to have a 4 to 5 block one way, couple of without the off ramp. Didn't make a whole lot of sense. And so that's that's the recommendation in the plan. This map shows a pedestrian bridge at Josephine because that is what is proposed by the current set up project. The thinking was Josephine ends at just north of 47th and it was an opportunity to save cost in the project. The interim condition between a new highway without access at York and Josephine prior to the two wing of all of York. Because this at York and Josephine and the East Rail, a new intersection was just built to accommodate that northern movement, to head up Josephine. So there there would be an interim condition of one way couplet without an off ramp, in all likelihood. So a lot more study needs to take place. What does it mean to eliminate this access here, and what does it mean to have a one way couplet for four blocks? And what are the impacts to actually move traffic back over to York if there is a PED bridge at Josephine? So the plan is just reflecting kind of what Seerat is showing as far as the PED Bridge plan is recommending to Wayne York. And there are a number of reasons for that. It's to get the trucks off of Josephine, get the trucks over to York, which is the arterial street. As far as the actual connection at Josephine over I-70, that needs to be studied further. As part of that, as we gather more information of what it means for traffic patterns without an interchange there. And just Madam President, if I may just clarify. So for those residents who raised questions, there's two issues, which is, one, what is I-70 proposal due to York and Josephine? And then the second is, how does this plan propose reacting? I heard a lot of residents say that Josephine would be closed. I'm assuming that those of you made that comment were referring to the see that exit being closed? Not so much how the plan responds. Am I. Right. Or do you not? I think the closing is the PED Bridge that's proposed. I think a lot of residents want that to be a vehicular connection over I-70. I see. I think that is the concern. Okay. So say to me again, so I even though you just went through it, then I missed something. I thought I heard you say you're going to make Josephine two way, but is there a place at which Josephine is to a and then close to vehicles. Is that. I missed that again. I'm sorry. So then so the long night. But yes there are kind of two things going on here. One is a pet bridge over I-70 or vehicular bridge over I-70. It's an either or. That's that's not currently in the plan, but that's the first issue. Okay. The other thing is to wing of those streets. So if we can separate those for a bit, this map reflects the proposed I-70 project, which is a PED bridge at Josephine. But the plan also recommends studying traffic patterns along York Street and Josephine Street. And I can actually read the recommendation. You work in Josephine function today as a one way couplet, a condition which creates significant truck and traffic impacts along Josephine residences, predominantly front Josephine north of 43rd Avenue with mixed use industrial uses that predominately from 40th Avenue and 43rd Avenue. As part of a travel shut analysis, conduct additional travel pattern studies and conduct neighborhood outreach to explore the desire for and trade offs associated with canceled consolidation of York and Josephine into a streets. Also explore opportunities to keep trucks on York Street to minimize negative impacts of residents along Josephine Street. So that's. The key recommendation of the plan. The map is reflecting the proposed project for I-70. Should the proposed project for I-70 change and there is actually a vehicular connection, I think it would still meet the goals of the plan of greater North-South connectivity and a number of other recommendations in the plan. Okay. Thank you so much. So I just I'll say it back real quick. Make sure I heard it right the final time. So. So the plan does not decide the outcome of Josephine. The plan describes exploring. And so those who have concerns can rest assured that this plan doesn't assume the answer. It simply says this has to be studied. Is that. Yes. That's correct. It's a it's complicated and sorry for the complicated explanation. All right. Thank you very much. Thank you, madam. Thank you, Councilor McKinney. Councilman Brooks. Thank you, Madam President. Maybe let's go with Tim, because I've had some conversations with Tim around this issue a lot. So, Tim, just on record, I just want you to say what's in the plan for height limits on 40th, the two stations, 40th in Colorado and 38th. And Blake. And I'm just going to say and you tell me if I'm right. So for for both of those stations, we are at CMA six eight. The recommended the recommended height limits a C max eight with an ash tricts on the 30th and Blake Station that I can go up to 12 stories if approval from the coal neighborhood in Elyria, Swansea neighborhoods. That's very close. And I would first describe the 40th and Colorado station area as transitioning from two and a half to three, then stepping up to five with a maximum height of eight closest to the station. And I do have the map up on the screen showing the darkest orange color as eight storey maximum at that station location is very much a intentional effort to create that terracing from established residential up to the taller building heights. Same with the National Western Center stationary as you can see those terracing heights but specific to 38th and Blake Station area as well as along Brighton Boulevard up to south of I-70 and also west of the Union Pacific Rail Yards. The eight stories with an asterix links. Well, it calls out this this language that says up to 12 stories could be explored in strategic locations through discussion and collaboration with community, with the community and applicable neighborhood organizations. Okay. So additional conversation to take place. You know, and I agree with that in you know, the struggle here is well, first of all, it's it's not near applicable neighborhoods, especially at 30th and Blake especially 40th and Colorado 30th. And Blake is is near the Cole neighborhood and in Reno kind of. Yeah, it's it's it's it's tucked in that way. So I just I want to make sure that the whole neighborhood is specifically called out in in that in the 30th and Blake Station and it is not. It kind of is because you have the applicable neighborhoods, but it's not specifically called out. But if I may. Whenever we receive a rezoning application, we notify all registered neighborhood organizations within 200 feet of a subject rezoning. So if it is if it is technically that portion that is to the east of the tracks that falls within this planning area code would be notified. And that language is intended to be I'm. Sure of it. But you see, the issue that we that we have here is that even though neighborhoods may be notified, kind of, you know, the whole neighborhood wasn't a part of. There are some members that came out and Tim did a actually a great job trying to reach out to the whole neighborhood. But folks get lost in the shuffle and at the end of the day, you don't hear about it. We do. And so I just wanted to I just want to say that publicly, that call will be notified. You listed every neighborhood organization's going to be notified of of this issue. The reason I say this is because right now, all the land right there on 30th and Blake, most of it is empty and there are planned developed site plan developments already talking about this. And so neighbors need to be ready for, you know, whatever, whatever comes. But we need to be very, very clear in the neighborhood plan about those issues. And as for the for 40th and Colorado, the two applicable neighborhoods would be Swansea and Clayton. Is that correct? Northeast Park Hill, Clayton and Swansea. Okay. Northeast Park. Okay. Thank you. I might just add to that. Briefly that the River. North registered neighborhood organization Boundaries. I believe, go up to. South of I-70 or at least along Brighton Boulevard and overlap into the statistical. Area of Elyria and Swansea. So there are registered neighborhood boundaries that overlap with artistically neighborhood boundaries and it does become very much about proximity. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Brooks. Councilwoman Ortega. Thank you, Madam President. My first question was for Brad Buchanan, but I saw that he left. So let me ask either Steve or Tim. Tell us what the benefit is of any neighborhood having a neighborhood plan. But you know, the shorter the long answer. Well, this this plan is the guide for the future of the neighborhood. It is for the neighborhood to hold up and say, this is what we want in our neighborhood. It is for city planners to hold up in front of our city council and decision makers and say, this is what the neighborhood wants for the future of their neighborhood. It's it's a vision. It's a it's kind of a playbook of how the future should play out and for the neighborhood. Tim, help me out here. So let me just say, historically, neighborhoods that have neighborhood plans get to use those as a priority for insisting that issues in those communities get funded that historically have have sort of been overlooked in the neighborhood plan elevates those improvements or those issues that the neighborhoods identify. Can you just clarify if that's still accurate? Sure. But it's the neighborhood plan identifies the projects to fund. Right. If a neighborhood doesn't have a plan and a list of projects to fund, then those projects won't be funded. Okay. So along those lines, because there are major projects that are going on in this area, I-70 and the National Western Project, if some of these improvements are not part of those two big projects. I'm not sure I see the light at the end of the tunnel that there will be funding available for some of the priorities that the neighborhoods want in these communities because so much city and other dollars will be. Basically targeted for those large projects. And so can you tell me whether or not anything that's been identified in the plan is already funded? I know that our 2015 budget included, I believe it was $46 million for this area of the city. Are any of the projects in this plan being funded by those dollars? Yeah. So rebuilding Brighton Boulevard is one of them. The majority of the I believe that 46 million for this area went to Brighton Boulevard and that is within this planning area and is recommended by the plan. Okay. But but other benefits are improvements to the residential neighborhood. And I'm not discounting the importance of what needs to happen on Brighton Boulevard because there is so much development activity happening there today. Right. So whether it's 50 seconds or addressing the railroad crossing at York and 47th or some of these other priorities that have been identified in the plan, can you. Speak? I don't have a list of all of the funded projects, but there is a sidewalk project funded for 48. Money has been identified for a sidewalk along a 40th Avenue. Both of those are identified as priority projects in the plan. So money has been identified in the 2015 budget for studying East-West connectivity, specifically at 47th and York. So it's not a capital or a physical improvement, but it's studying what that improvement could be in further detail. There's also we're also working very hard. Where does that go from? East. West. You said it's an east west connectivity from York to. So it's. Basquiat's. So it's east west connectivity basically along the upper tracks. So it's between 970 up to 49th. Pull up a map. That these are the the general is the general study area for that east west connectivity study. So it's not clearly defined as the east sorry, the north south streets on either side. It's more about traveling east and west between I-70 up to 49th Street as it relates to the up tracks. And is that because part of the connectivity for the neighborhood ends up being compromised as a result of the I-70 project coming in? Because as I looked at the map, it's very evident that the current, both east, west and north south connectivity, particularly for Elyria, almost disappears. In Swansea, it looks like some of that connectivity happens north and south because of the the lid that is put over I-70. And then it looks like there are some additional bridges over I-70. I'm not sure that they're all connected to the to the lid or not. So can you address that? Yeah. So the the highway is is proposed to widen, as you've heard tonight. But for Elyria, there is little change in the Street Network. This study is intended to improve that street network for Elyria and Swansea. It's intended to improve connecting to each other. That is a condition of the 47th in York intersection, not a condition of existing I-70 or proposed I-70. Okay. But it is a fact that the connectivity that they currently have that's under I-70, which is 46th Avenue, disappears as a result of the widening of I-70. It's just to the north of I 70. So 46 is still there. It's just instead of instead of being underneath I-70, it's next to I-70. So it's I think it's a wash as comparing what's there today versus what would what is proposed to be there in the future. Unless I'm not understanding your question. Yeah. And I guess part of it is that it's the the connectivity that exists today in the way that people can get from Globeville to Elyria to Swansea, which, you know, is a pretty direct and easy flow, except where you got to kind of jog around from Washington Street. So part of that really gets kind of chopped up as a result of the I-70 project being widened. And by putting 46th Avenue beside I-70, it further widens the footprint of the overall project. That's correct. Okay. Can you tell me when the decision was made that the playground on the lid is actually a. You mentioned that it's it's the it will be the school playground. And it's my recollection from a number of the meetings that either I or my staff attended that the neighborhood would have input into what would go on to that lid. And I know that Saeeda and Denver Public Schools will be having a meeting. I don't have the date where they will be talking about that now being the school playground. And so I'm a little concerned that the residents of the neighborhood have not necessarily had a lot of input into that. So what can you tell me about that? Well, so actually, last Friday, DPS and parents from Swansea Elementary School met with members of the community and residents of the neighborhood. The city was there and she was there to kick off a process to figure out what this covers should be in the future. The neighborhood plan kind of sets out some goals of what should be there, but also recommends that the community see the DPS parents of students as well as elementary school, the city and other potential partners to collaborate on the design and long term management of this cover, considering a few things so that a decision hasn't been made . Discussion is taking place currently is how this can be a community asset, not just an asset for the residents, also an asset for the students and a combined facility and a collaborative effort. I'm I'm glad to hear they've taken a step back because I had learned from both see that in DPS they were moving forward until they realized that residents had not really had an opportunity to weigh in on that. So I'm pleased to hear that they are ensuring that there is a more inclusive process here. The last question I have is when you showed the picture of the open channel and yet it then had a picture of housing over that has has there been the drainage ditch or the where it would be? Where the drainage ditch, I believe, is proposed to go toward the railroad tracks are okay. Okay. So it's my understanding that's where the open channel was going to be for the drainage. Correct. But then I saw some housing over that so well. So it's it's a little complicated is a lot of water flowing to the north, but not so much in this particular area. So the combined drainage concept is a combination of pipes, green streets and open channels. For this particular portion. That ditch isn't actually the open channel. There is a proposal to do to actually convey water through Monroe Street. And then as the market lead turns basically into 39th and there's an opportunity to open that up as an open channel. So this graphic that you're seeing with potential development and a pocket park on top of that bridge is is that is consistent with and the Green Street is consistent with the concept that's being proposed. Okay. That was something new to me. So that's why I had to ask about that, because I wasn't. It wasn't clear what was happening with that drainage. Okay. Just want to follow up. Go ahead. If I could just quickly respond to your first question regarding purpose of a plan and the influence that a plan can have on funding, helping make the case to fund a project. River North Plan was adopted several years ago. It made the case for improving Brighton Boulevard, which then has led to its current redesign and reconstruction. Okay, thank you. I have no further questions. Thank you, Councilwoman Ortega. Can I ask Drew, can I ask you to come up just a second? Okay. Thank you so much for hanging in there. No problem. So along the lines of Councilwoman Ortega's question as a member of the neighborhood and all of the involvement that you've had, this is it related to the digits, related to what is your opinion on the merits of having a neighborhood plan in your in your area? Well, I think without a plan, there's not really any vision. And there's it's also nothing. There's no direction that the city would have to fund projects or to improve improve the neighborhoods. And I think the lack of a plan. In these neighborhoods has. Been very detrimental and, you know, caused, you know, some neglect, sometimes outright harm. So the plan, I think, is a positive step forward. Okay. Thank you. And are there can you share with us the things that you imagine going forward? Should this plan be adopted tonight? Well, I think that as. If it's really integrated into. The other huge projects, you know, that the National. Western and Brighton. Boulevard, that it could be very, very positive that there's some. That those might catalyze a. Regeneration of malaria in Swansea. I think that regarding I-70 we have to be really very careful and it's still very undetermined what's going on there. The drafts, the supplemental. Draft, this was just it left so many questions. Unanswered. That I'm really worried. How how we how that goes forward. I really in some ways, I wonder with the I-70 project, what will be left of our neighborhood. I mean, we can't get any answers about the construction of this. How are they going to do that? You know, are we displaced? We have to leave our homes. For how long? You know, so that's the big unknown. Well, thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Are there other comments from members of council? QUESTION Let's see, where am I? All right. Seeing none. The public hearing is closed. Comments by members of Council. Councilman Brooks. Madam President, I was deferring to you as a sitting council on this. I I'll go last. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. So we have talked so long, we didn't scared the kids out of here who deserve the most credit for being in here from 530 until 930. And so and I don't know if they'll never watch Channel eight, but unfortunately, I just want to say I am I was moved beyond words to see six, six kids speak into our plan in a in a very passionate and incredible way. So I want to thank those kids for being here. Leaders, really. You know, I'll just say this without a plan, people perish. And and so I'm I'm quoting a little a little scripture there. But I think all the folks who say that this plan will not do anything. Literally have not seen what plans have done in this city. Plans. Things get funded if they're measured and plan for it. It's very clear. And so I'm not worried about that, that that's not what I'm worried about at all. Matter of fact, every I think every little issue in this plan is going to get funded and this city is going to be I think I think Drew said, regenerate it. But the other word that I would say is gentrify that. That's what my fear is, is gentrification in this piece. 80205 The neighboring zip code you guys have heard me say it a million times is number one, gentrified zip code in the city, state and 12th in the United States. And now it's coming to a la Swansea, a Anglophile. And so what are what is community sustainability look like? And that's that's what I'm concerned about in these neighborhoods. And so Councilwoman Monteiro has been working hard to make sure that there are some affordable housing options to. Make sure that the community has places in the community where they can stay. Be a part of the community. And making sure that those investments in I-70 in the stock show realize that they need to understand that community sustainability is the number one goal. And I think people have been hearing that loud and clear. And I've been in meetings where it's been awkward because Councilwoman Monteiro has called people out to make sure that they understand that that's a priority. And so that's the kind of leadership that you need. And, you know, I just Councilwoman Teri has been doing a great job and and it's been a great example for me. So I think going forward, seeing the Urban Land Conservancy in some of their plans on affordable housing and the things that they want to do in in this area is going to be really important supporting local businesses, but supporting the nonprofits that are already doing great work. And Glover earlier. Swanson And making sure that they have long term leases, making sure that they have a vision for the neighborhood, making sure that they are funded. It's going to be really important so that community support is incredibly important. Any time I know there's a lot of concern over the highway and any time you invest $1,000,000,000 into a neighborhood in an area, it changes things radically. So I think it's it's right for Drew and others to to be concerned. And by the way, I live in Cole, so I live six blocks away from this neighborhood. And so my kids, my neighbors are concerned as well. And so but I think I think what you see up here and you all aren't a part of the meetings, but is a deep concern about pollution, about, you know, drainage issues, about connectivity within the neighborhood. Many council folks who have been in these I-70 meetings are working hard to make sure that that gets done. And so I just want to thank everybody for being here late, and I want to thank Councilwoman Monteiro for leading the charge on this. And getting this done is the first time in this city's history that this gets done. And by the way, that's a big deal because Cole Clayton, North City Park, do not have city plans at all. This is a big deal. Realize it. Thank you. Councilman Brooks. Councilwoman Ortega. Thank you, Madam President. First, I want to thank all the residents and business folks who came out tonight and for your patience in waiting through the previous zoning that we had. I want to thank Councilwoman Monteiro for her leadership in working to bring forward a neighborhood plan. It really takes a push from your councilperson to get the city staff to say thank you to Steve and Tim to work with the neighborhoods, to put these plans together and make sure that the priorities, as they are identified by the neighborhood, are incorporated into these plans. I think it's important to say that the I-70 project does have direct. Impact on these neighborhoods. And, you know, I've sat through many, many meetings, as well as my staff, along with Councilwoman Monteiro and her staff. And one of my frustrations is that we have had ongoing weekly meetings with the city, and we're beginning to sit in on some meetings between the city and CDOT. And in the last meeting that I sat in on, we were told the issue of reducing the footprint other than just addressing the width of the lanes where the shoulders, for example, could could meet a different standard that we're we're really not going to be talking about reducing the footprint of this corridor through these neighborhoods. And that's very disturbing to me, because the impact to these neighborhoods is going to be significant, more so than any other neighborhood in this city that I'm aware of. You know, if you look at the map and literally count all of the lanes, including 46th and and 47th, 46th, and the on and off ramps. It's it's it's a huge impact to these neighborhoods. And so, you know, this plan, I think, plays a huge role in trying to address many of those issues and those impacts. But just having participated in that process, I have to say it's it's frustrating. There is a meeting that is being held tomorrow evening at 530 at Bruce Randolph Middle School. There have been a series of smaller meetings that were taking place in the neighborhood where the city of Denver was talking to groups in the neighborhood of the parents who meet with the principal, some of the nonprofits, other folks in the community to hear concerns and try to incorporate those into the recommendations that are moving forward or the negotiations that are moving forward with CDOT. So this meeting tomorrow will be to, you know, share back with the community that we've heard. You hear the things that Denver is working to address and incorporate as part of the concerns that we'll be fighting for as part of the second I-70 project. So that will be again 530 tomorrow evening at Bruce Randolph Middle School. For those of you in the neighborhood who can attend and pass on and share the information with your neighbors. Lastly, I think just the whole issue of the playground, I'm really pleased to hear that they've taken a step back to include the neighborhood folks in deciding what that lead should look like. And, you know, obviously, because that is calling that mitigation, they're going to have to not only fund the improvements, but fund the ongoing maintenance of the improvements that go in there. So I know there's a lot of intertwining, but again, I think I-70 is the £100 gorilla in this conversation. And it was important to have the neighborhood plans move ahead of some of these bigger projects to ensure that the issues that the neighbors have identified, connectivity, open space, just all of the issues that are in the plan. The air quality issue is huge because of the health impacts that people in these neighborhoods have been impacted by for the many years that I-70 has been through the middle of these neighborhoods. But again, I just want to commend everybody who's been involved in shaping the priorities in this plan and look forward to seeing more funding to address the implementation of it. Thank you. Councilman Ortega. Councilman Lopez. Thank you, Madam President. I am very happy to see this neighborhood plan in front of us finally and ready for a vote. I know that. Councilman Monteiro, thank you for your work and thank you to the community and the folks that are here. I, too, wish that the the young ones were here, but there's nothing better than no better way to implement a neighborhood plan and to get an education in the community. And I think, you know, at the end of the day, that's what the neighborhood plans are designed to do. They're much more about much less about zoning and about how high you can build and where you can build it. It's about neighborhoods and neighborhoods depend on. People depend on neighborhoods to thrive in order for them to thrive. And if at the end of the day, in Elyria and Swansea and other neighborhoods, they still have not had another neighborhood plan or have an updated neighborhood plan in a day. I think you you want to improve the neighborhoods in such a way that you put capital into the hands of those people that are there. And you do that by improving everything that the city can touch and has authority to improve sidewalks, streets, parks, amenities, crossing zones, safety, lighting, a neighborhood plan addresses all of these things. And I know that there's a lot more people who probably could be here were it not for a monday night and snowy and probably for their work schedules. And I know these neighborhoods very well. I worked as a community organizer, the, you know, train with the cross-community coalition and some good people in that community. And I came out of there learning how to organize. And these were the neighborhoods that that I that I first organized in. I met so many of the people like great people, great neighborhoods. Lorraine Granado used to take me to teach me how to do house visits. Right. And there's a lot of leaders that have contributed to this that have, you know, built it up. It's good to see one councilman that has office to take it to the next level with the neighborhood. My mother was a elementary school teacher at Swansea Elementary for a number of years in DPS, and she was still a teacher . So I know the neighborhood very well. I'm glad to see the plan. Very proud to see the folks here tonight. And today is a victory for the neighborhood and for the district. So 1017, you will be victorious. Thank you. I'm glad to vote to support it. Thank you. Thank you so much, Councilman Nevitt. Thank you, Madam President. I'll be brief. This is, I think, an absolutely stellar neighborhood plan. But as Mike Tyson famously said, everybody's got a plan until they get. Punched in the face. This is a community that is no stranger to getting punched in the face and they've been punched in the face over the last 50 years. But it's a community that's resilient and tenacious and given half a chance, will be able to implement this plan. And so I want to congratulate the community for being that resilient, tenacious community that wants to have a chance. I want to thank the planning for putting so much time and energy into working with the community and coming up with this plan. And finally, I just want to congratulate I've said this before several times in committee, but I just want to congratulate and express my appreciation to Councilwoman Monteiro. You have fought like a tiger for this community, and you have been tenacious and relentless and haven't let anybody forget this place and its importance and that it needs to be given that half a chance. And so this is a proud day for you as well. So let's get this sucker passed. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Nevitt, other comments from members of council. I want to I just wanted to go last so I could get my thoughts together. And what I want to do is thank planning, community planning and development and city of Denver and all the other agencies that have worked along the way with us, the NTC , the North Denver Cornerstone Collaborative. I want to thank my council aide, Nola McGill, who is so loyal and so dedicated to this neighborhood that she deserves an applause. I also want to thank the Swansea Recreation Center Leadership Group who were just amazing. I was sitting there trying to visualize my daughter being up there talking and you know, it's quite a feat. And I want to tell the community members that this process has been helpful. It's been concerning and it's been inspiring. I've learned so much from working with everyone, and I, I hope that everyone has learned a lot listening to each other. We when we first started on this first step, I remember Nolan and I sitting in a conversation at our office saying, this can't be this can't be like any other plan that's ever been done. This is this is all areas once a year. And what is at the heart of it and the heart at the heart of what happened here is that. Decades of the neighborhood being traumatized by poor policy choices. There was a big, big element of distrust, though, from the beginning. We tried to work with that and figure out what we could do. And we started by doing an asset, a resource planning session with all of the people that with within the city, different agencies that made decisions about where money goes, you know, what's being done in the neighborhood. And we asked them, you know, what have you done for with what we we're doing? We were including Globeville. What have you done for Globeville? Various wants it. And what do you plan to do in the future? And that's when we were done with that exercise, with the blessing of the mayor. That seemed to be a pebble that was thrown in the water. And it started and it started rippling. We were able to bring, you know, the snap truck that was right in front of Swansea Element at Swansea Recreation Center. We're able to do bike lanes and finish lots of other little projects, were able to look at street signs and look at truck routes and get funding to do a health impact assessment. There is still lots of work to do and at the heart, as was mentioned, is, you know, some of these other catalytic projects that have divided the neighborhood in the past that probably did not have the best relationship with neighborhood people. And my hope is that and I know that people of Globeville, Elyria, Swansea will advocate for themselves with this plan that you have with you. And I take heart that I know that you will do that and that you have representatives here at City Council. Now that we have a plan that you can show to them and say, you know, this is our vision and help us find funding to continue to have these things go forward. The other thing that was different in this particular group was in this particular beginning process is we actually sat with community planning and developed community planning and development and said there the plan in these neighborhoods they need to have cultural relevancy. The heart of what these communities are, the way that they're threaded together, has everything to do with who they are culturally. And I'm very proud that after lots and lots of meetings that we conducted meetings in Spanish, we conducted everything that we could possibly think of to embrace the culture and the people that live in this neighborhood . And for that, I am very, very proud. And I hope that you are, too. We can't make any of these changes overnight, but I hope now that with this tool and that's what it is, it's a tool, and it's only going to be as good as the neighborhood people that use it. The representatives that will in the future be elected to represent Elyria, Swansea. It's only going to be that good. But even in our health impact assessment, we identified everything we could truck routes and where they should go, where there shouldn't be truck routes, signs, sidewalks, cracks in the sidewalks, railroad noise, other kinds of pollution. And so it's all there. I can't think of anything else that we could have done. I can't during this particular period of time. And so now is your plan and the future plan for your representatives. And so now you just got to work hard and go get it. And just so that you'll know part of what we've done along the way to, as I mentioned, the health impact assessment. So that's there as you're looking for funding, you can relate it to a specific thing in the health impact assessment, for example, a regional recreation center in the future for this area. We also have created an affordable housing committee that's already looking at land banking and looking at it was mentioned looking at purchasing 4800 race to do future housing, but that's just one project. There needs to be more. We also have another group that is looking at creating pathways for people that live in these neighborhoods, creating pathways from all the way, getting coaching to get your GED to be able to continue on and look at mentorships or stewardship or apprenticeships with future jobs that come in the future. So it's all there. It's going to be a lot of work, but I can't think of any stone that we didn't turn over and look at. And so it's there. And so I wholeheartedly support this project and and it's yours. And I would encourage my colleagues to do the same. Thank you. Councilman Brooks, we need. Oh, let's see. Where are we? I lost my place. Okay. Madam Secretary, roll call in 57. We need a motion to pass as amended. Okay. Councilman Brooks, we need a motion to pass as amended. So moved. No second can I say so moved. Madam Secretary, do I need to? Probably. For the record, you should probably state it. Okay. I move counts 12 5657 be order published now. As amended. As amended? Yes, that's right. As amended. Thank you. Been moved and seconded. Madam Secretary, roll call on Council Bill 57. Brooks Brown. Can each i Liman i Lopez I Nevitt. I. Ortega, I Rob Shepherd i Susman. Madam President. I Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. Councilwoman Lehman Oh, Councilwoman. Woman Oh, sorry. Okay. Hmm. You know, two votes, Madam Secretary. Nine. Nice. We have nine. A nine eyes council bill 57 has passed as amended. All right. See no other business before this? This meeting is adjourned. Denver eight TV. Your city. Your Source. Denver. Eight on TV and online. To stay connected to your community. Your city. Your source. You are watching Denver. Eight TV's Your City, your source.
A proclamation in support of National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day & National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
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Thank you. All right. Our third proclamation tonight is. Councilman Espinosa, will you read Proclamation 304? Yes, Mr. President. Thank you. Proclamation number 17 0304 in support of national native HIV AIDS Awareness Day and National Women and Girls HIV Awareness AIDS Awareness Day. Whereas, more than 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV and more than 50,000 become infected with HIV every year, one in four between the ages of 13 and 24. Whereas, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment at the end of 2015, more than 13,000 people were reported to be living with HIV in the state of Colorado. And. WHEREAS, HIV and AIDS has affected Denver more than any other county in the state of Colorado, reporting the most persons living with the disease. Most HIV or AIDS related deaths. And 36% of new HIV infections in 2015. And. WHEREAS, the continued spread of HIV in the American Indian and native Alaska, mainly Alaskan native communities, poses a significant risk to the health and well-being of these communities. They have the third, third highest rate of new HIV infections in Colorado from 2011 to 2015. And. WHEREAS, when compared with other ethnic ethnic groups, American Indians in Alaska Natives are ranked fifth in estimated estimated return, mean an estimated rates of HIV diagnosis and have poorer survival rates after an HIV diagnosis. HIV infection was the ninth leading cause of death among American Indians and Alaska Native youth, aged 25 to 34 in 2014. And. WHEREAS, approximately one in four people living with HIV in the U.S. are women. Cases, despite cases, disproportionately affect African-American and Latino women who represent 29% of all women in the United States, but account for 78% of HIV cases among women. And. WHEREAS, the city and county of Denver recognizes the continued work to bring HIV and AIDS awareness by groups such as Cafe Cultura Children's Hospital Immune Immunodeficiency Program, Denver Indian Family in Resource Center, Servicios de la Raza, Sisters of Color, United for Education, the Empowerment Program and the GLB Community Center of Colorado . Whereas HIV it and now therefore it be complaints are therefore be proclaimed by the city and county, the Council, the city and county of Denver, Section one. The Denver City Council proclaims March 10th, 2017, to be known as the National Women and Girls HIV AIDS Awareness Day and March 20, 2017 as National Native HIV AIDS Awareness Day . Section two that the Clerk of the city and County of Denver shall test and affix the seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation, and that copies be transmitted to Café Cultura, the Denver Indian Family and Resource Center, and the Sisters of Color. United for Education. Thank you, Councilman Espinosa. Your motion to adopt so moved. It has been moved and seconded comments by members of Council Councilmen Espinosa. I just was I was honored that Councilman Lopez asked me to read this. I was shocked and stunned when I did those statistics about the African-American and Latino women who represent 29% of all women in the United States. They account for 78% of HIV cases among women. I'm not one to sort of go too much into national politics, but I did last year. And, you know, we just had the the proclamation honoring Saint Patty's Day parade. And last year I did mention how the Irish were persecuted people. And then I sort of warned about what was looking like a trend in the United States at that time that is sort of come to fruition to some degree on discrimination. And so I hope that we see we work to see these statistics reduced, but at a time when groups such as Planned Parenthood and funding for women's health is targeted and we've already seen these these numbers disproportionately affect minority women. I'm worried that this is going to go the opposite direction. So with that, I'm just I'm glad that this this the reading of this proclamation fell into my hands. So. Thank you, Councilman. Seeing no other comments, Madam Secretary. Rocco Espinosa. Hi, Flynn. I Herndon. Hi. Cashman. Hi. Can each new assessment? I black. I. Mr. President, i. Madam Secretary, please. Because the voting announced the results. Nine Eyes. Nine eyes. Proclamation 304 has been adopted. Councilman Espinosa, is there someone you'd like to invite up to receive the proclamation? Yes, Mr. President. I'd like to invite on a cruise in Alvin, Chile to receive the proclamation. And family. Yeah. Take advantage. Yeah. Look, until I shot someone dosage. I surely don't Oliver. She will you. Subject cannon slander teaching position hunting nationality audition injustice che Qatar aid peninsula. Hello, councilmembers. My name is Alvin Chee. I am the mayor or Navajo from Arizona. I am born to the bitter water, the honeycombed rock people, and born to the bitter water clan people of my tribe. I am a health care program manager with the JLP Community Center here in Denver, and I want to give my gratitude to Councilmember Espinosa and Councilmember Lopez and the council itself for passing this proclamation today. The stats you've read is, although profound, is becoming more manageable these days. However, our goal as a community is to bring that number down to zero. And with your help today, you brought that to light. Bringing this problem to the council to light. And with your help, we're able to reach out to the community at large to help in this awareness. Thank you so much, council members. And again. Good evening. I'd like to thank the Council for considering this proclamation. I think we were talking about it. I think this might be the fifth year that the Council has passed this proclamation as part of a community effort to bring greater awareness around HIV and AIDS to to the native community here in Denver, as well as women and girls. And is part of a larger program that we've been organizing called Rise Up the second Friday of March every year. And we collaborate with a lot of different organizations that are listed in the proclamation to provide free HIV and gonorrhea and chlamydia testing and as part of a community celebration, to be able to recognize, obviously, ways that we can protect our community from from these illnesses, from these infections, but also to be able to celebrate those people who are who are continuing to live and thrive with these these these illnesses. And so we really want to welcome you all if you have the time this coming Friday from 630 to 930 over half of ninth and Lopez go at the space of the Denver inner parish LA academia. Our home Catholic will do the so. We have free food, free HIV testing and we definitely welcome the community to attend. And it's something that I think is continuing with the energy that has built the last couple of years, including recently with Native people being more present in the national conversation and you know, example being the struggle at Standing Rock and the fight against the Dakota Access pipeline and to divest from those banks that are funding it. And so I think it's definitely a representation of people, Native people, being present and visible in the public eye. So I just wanted to say that much and thank you for for passing this proclamation. Thank you. All right. That brings us to our resolutions. Madam Secretary, will you please read the resolutions.
A resolution approving a proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City and County of Denver and the Denver Police Protective Association, for the years 2021-2022. Approves a collective bargaining agreement with the Denver Police Protective Association for 2021 and 2022 including: a 0% salary increase in 2021; suspending the holiday pay provisions for 10 holidays in 2021; reducing the City’s contribution to the Denver Police Retiree Health Fund by $360,000 in 2021; creation of a one-time 100-hour time bank in 2022 to be used in the future like vacation leave; a 2.77% salary increase for 2022; and expressing hazard/specialty pay in terms of a percentage of salary effective January 1, 2022. The agreement results in $4.9 million in city budget savings in 2021. The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 10-5-20. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 9-2-20.
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Thank you. Has been moved. Thank you for the second comments by members of Council on Bill 895. Council Member CdeBaca. Thank you, Madam President. This is one we've had extensive conversation about in committee last week and wanted to make sure that we get a separate vote on this one, because I personally do not think that the targeting happens in the States and I do not support advancing this contract. Neither the portion length of time nor the salary increase. Okay. Thank you, Councilwoman and I, we're having quite a bit of feedback from the from the chamber, so I'm not sure if we can fix that on on your end or our end. Up next, we have Council Member Flynn. Thank you, Madam President. There's been a lot of talk about this contract with the Police Protective Association, and I wanted to make sure that our folks in the public understood some things that aren't really being talked about that have to be dealt with. Number one, the contract is not just no raise for police officers next year with a raise in the year 2022. The fact is that this contract is a pay cut for police officers next year. It is a 3% pay cut for next year because of the elimination of the premium pay for holidays that officers must work. We have to have 24 seven police officer coverage in the city. So it is a 3% pay cut. It was designed to save us next year, $5 million. That was the target set by the administration for the negotiations. And we met that target with this pay cut for police officers. So it's not just no raise. It is a pay cut. It's the financial the financial equivalent of an eight day furlough without pay, equivalent to what the career service employees are taking here in the city. Eight days without pay. And what and frankly, what members of council are just with one exception, are taking as a as a furlough this year to help with the budget. So that's the driving reason, among other reasons, for the people wanting a two year contract. Because if we're asking officers to take a pay cut next year, they wanted something at the back end of the contract. And so, yeah, we wanted a one year contract, but we weren't able to get that at the table. So nobody gets everything they want in any negotiation. But even so, the pay is put in writing. It's willingness to open up the contract next year. Depending on what our budget outlook is for 2022. We are in similar negotiations with the firefighters union right now and we've set a similar target for them that may result in a pay reduction for firefighters next year as well. I just want people to understand that this is a pay cut for police officers. It's also important to realize that city council must accept our own responsibility for what we've heard a lot of complain about the lack of transparency, the lack of our involvement. The PPA fulfilled its obligation. Contrary to some of the emails we've been getting, they fulfilled their charter obligation to notify us of their intent to open these negotiations. They sent us a letter on March 9th and we failed to respond to it. So City Council has to accept our own responsibility for the fact that we missed the first couple of bargaining sessions. Yes, the administration should have reached out and said, Hey, do you have someone you want to send here? But we did receive the notification. We failed to follow through. So this lack of transparency and the lack of us being at the table for the first session lays partly at our door as well as the administration. So considering all these things, I'm persuaded that that this contract gives us the certainty we need going into budget talks tomorrow, starting tomorrow, we need to nail down these savings, going to arbitration. We'll put this up in the air and will and will make those budget talks a little more difficult. So I intend to vote in favor of this to secure the certainty for the budget for next year. And with the eye toward if we are in the situation a year from now that PPA will come to the table as the other unions have done and that the PPA has done on four other occasions back when the city was in a in a budget crisis. So having having thought of all those considerations and on balance, I think approving this contract is the best way to go. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Hines. Thank you, Madam President, I. So three things I want to say. First, I want to thank Director Hanlon for reminding council last week that sometimes we could believe what council thinks is an agreement with the executive branch. But unless we have a seat at the table, those understandings may or may not actually make it into a binding proposal. So I would say to my colleague, Council member Flynn, thank you. I totally agree that we have a shared responsibility. I know that when we have meetings that include elected officials, if that elected official or body continues to not show, I think I would maybe reach out again. So I just want to make sure that when we're having important discussions like things that materially affect the budget that that we do, certainly we share some of the responsibility. But but if we keep taking attendance and city council keeps not being there, I think that if I were in that bargaining process, I would reach out and say, hey, where are you? Second, we've received mail from, you know, outreach from constituents who appear to be pro-police, who also want us to vote against this agreement. A quote, It doesn't look like to me the police get anything out of it. Remember, they do protect us, unquote. Point three about unions. So I'm very interested in collective bargaining agreements for more people. I think working families need more protections. And so I'm conflicted about considering a vote against CVA for DPA. A union representing workers in Denver just happened to wear a badge and a gun. To help get more context, I reached out to multiple people in Denver's organized labor community. I received no organized response that affirmed DPA as a part of the collective fighting for increased worker rights for all. I did receive response from some expressing concern, including DPS, previous endorsements of anti-labor candidates and related political parties. So certainly I want our Labor communities to know that I did think and concern are consider the idea of increased worker protections. And. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilmember Hines. Councilman CdeBaca, since we had you already up, is it okay if I go to. Okay. All right, great. Councilmember Sawyer. Thank you, Madam President. I looked into this a lot and even pulled the 28 contract because I think that's, you know, the most historically equivalent in terms of time frame rate and financial kind of stresses that are very similar to what we looked at, what we're looking at right now. I really wanted to see kind of what what the agreement look like that and what the agreement looks like now and whether those two things were sort of our sort of equivalent. And they are. So I think that that's a really good and interesting thing to know. Right. That that in in a previous financial time like 2008, you know, these these agreements are very similar. And it should be noted that in in that 2008 agreement in 2009, there was an MOU you that was signed that changed the agreement around when it became clear that that the city was in a financial continued to be in a financial crisis. So I think that that's just important to note. That said, you know, what we're looking at here is a situation where that the 2021 police changes would essentially be the equivalent of what our career service employees took in 2020 with the eight day furlough, like Councilman Flynn said, and that 12 of us took in 2020. Right. So what we're looking at in 2021 would be what? So that the police would take what the rest of our employees took in 2020. What we don't know, because we haven't seen the budget yet for 2021. Is whether our career service employees. Are going to be required to take anything else in 2021. Are there going to be more furloughed? Is is there going to be a cost of living accrual next year for our employees? We don't know. We haven't seen the budget. It comes out tomorrow. We're being asked today to vote on something without all of the information in front of us, because if. We. Are asked to do this and in our employees are asked to take furlough days or are not going to receive a cost of living adjustments, then it's not fair. That we're going to approve something tonight for those officers in 2022 that the rest of our employees aren't getting. We are not dealing with a full deck of cards. Here we are. We don't have all of the information in front of us, and that's not okay. So frankly, I think that we should delay this week until we have the budget in front of us so that we have all of the information in front of us. I don't know why it is that we are being asked to do this tonight when we haven't seen the budget yet. It's my opinion that we should push this back a week. I'll wait to hear what my other council members think of that plan. But if, you know, if we don't if we aren't going to do that, then I think I'm going to have to be a no vote because I can't make a decision without all of the information in front of me. So. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman Torres. Thank you, Madam President. I've just. I've heard the practical arguments in voting in favor of the agreement and understand the rationales. I can't vote for this particular agreement. Tonight, whether Councilman Sawyer intends to delay it or not. I'll still be a no on. It later on. I don't see. The sea of being very realistic or equitable for us to have a proposal in front of us to save 5 million in one year and then be on the hook for 9 million the following year. This is this would be too difficult an issue to to also explain even to my own staff who are taking furloughs that officers aren't this year. And I don't. Think it looks so rosy next year. So I'm going to be a no. If we had up voting on it tonight. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Cashman. Thank you, Madam President. As I've said before, there are many fine men and women in the Denver Police Department. They work hard every day to keep our communities safe. They deserve to be paid well. Just as there are many fine women and men working for Parks and Rec. Our Department of Transportation, Infrastructure, Department of Finance, Community Planning and Development, etc. who also work hard every day to deliver a great city for people to enjoy. And they also deserve to be paid well. This is a once in a century, we hope. Point in time as we look into the future. It's a pipe dream to think that revenue will miraculously, miraculously jump back to pre-pandemic proportions where money is flowing. And we can be assured we can properly honor our workforce with the salary increases they need and deserve to assure DPD erased without the same assurance being given. All city and city employees is simply not fair. I would be far more inclined to look at a contract that says DPD salaries are increased as soon as our career service employees get the same benefit. Instead of relying on a letter from the PPA, which I do appreciate that they will come back to the table if budget tightness requires. I believe more appropriate would be a letter from the city assuring the PPA that we will come back to the table when budget allows. So I'm asking both sides to return to the table and work towards an agreement that is more equitable across the board. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilman. Councilwoman Sandoval. Thank you, Madam President. So I'll be brief to my colleagues. Point to Councilman Cashman website. Thank you for saying that. I agree that everybody in this city plays a very important role. And to my colleague, Councilman Torres, it I do not see a future. That's right. And given that we are going into the winter and we do not know what the impact of this pandemic will look like in our future. It's hard for me to sit here and say, approve a contract that would make whole $9 million in year 2020. And also, I just do not feel comfortable with the fact that although to my colleague Kevin Flynn, I agree that we have to take this responsibility. I also think that given that our chief negotiator has been doing this for the city and county of Denver for a long time, and city council has never been left out from the process. And this is the year that they chose to be this out. I just don't feel good, and I feel that we have to approve this contract in good faith. And I cannot approve this contract in good faith, although I do very appreciate all the men and women in uniform, especially in the police department, who have been really helping the communities who have been impacted along south, central and north federal with the multiple shootings that have happened in our communities this summer. I wish we were not put in this position, but we are. And so therefore, I will not be supporting this contract either. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Clark. Thank you, Madam President. I'll just say that I really respect the issues and the points that my colleagues have brought up on both sides of this issue. All echo what Councilwoman Sandoval just said, and I wish that we were not in this position right here. I you know, I think that. Everybody has brought up. The complexity of this. And on top of that, we're in the middle of a. Community conversation about. What policing should look like in our city and across our nation, and that complicates things. On top of that, we, as Councilwoman Sawyer mentioned, haven't. Seen the budget for 2021 yet, and things are not good. And so I will I won't get too deep into it, other than to say. That it is based on the information. That I have. I believe that if we turn this back financially, this will likely get worse for the city. Those cuts will have to come from somewhere else. Our career service employees do not have the right to bargain and sit at a table like this, and there is a high likelihood that extra money that we will have to come up with. If this goes to. Arbitration and comes back worse and doesn't save that $5 million will be on the backs of extra. Furlough days for our. Those very employees who don't have the right to bargain. It is not a perfect situation or one that I think any of us want to. Be in, where we're weighing unknowns. Of the future and knowns of really hard budget times. But it is my belief, based on what I have seen, that turning this back will lead to further cuts, which will further impact furlough days for the rest of the employees in the city. And for that reason. I will be. Supporting this and I sincerely hope that. If it does not go through. As it looks like it may not, that everyone worked really hard to make sure that that is not. That I was wrong and that in fact, we don't end up in a worse financial position for our career service employees by turning this back. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilman. Councilwoman Black. Thank you, Madam President. And thank you to all my fellow council members for your very, very thoughtful remarks. And I'd also like to thank all. Of the hundreds of community members that I have heard from people who have a lot of different opinions, ranging from Abolish the Police to please give us more police. And I've really. Tried to listen to. Everyone's feedback and I agree. With. Really everything that my fellow council members. Have said here tonight. It's unfortunate the. Way this played out this year. I share your same concerns about other city employees and furlough days. But for practical reasons that Councilman Clark just brought up and that Councilman Flynn mentioned earlier, I'm concerned that we could be in a. Worse budgetary. Situation if we don't approve this, and it does go to arbitration. So I will be supporting it. But I do want to reiterate that the officers will receive. As Councilman Flynn pointed out, what is essentially a pay cut for 2021 and that they have agreed, and I trust them, that they will renegotiate for 2022 if necessary. And I believe them when they made that commitment in writing. And I do want to point out a couple of other things that I think there's been some misinformation about. The police. Did. As requested, cut over $10 million from their 2020 budget. And I believe their 2021 budget request is also going to be less. And the final. Point I want to make is that I've heard from people who are concerned that this agreement doesn't address. Discipline. And investigations of police officers. And the reason it doesn't is because those are prohibited top topics in the bargaining. And so by delaying it, it's not as if those would come back. In to the. Discussions. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman, can each. Thank you, Madam President. I appreciate the comments of particularly Councilwoman Torres and Councilman Cashman. I previewed at committee some of my concerns with the financial risk taking. I think that I described this less about a philosophical position about police and more about your budgeting approach. One thing that I've heard both from folks testifying and public comment tonight and from some colleagues who are planning to vote for it. So folks on both sides of the issue that I do just want to disagree with this contract doesn't guarantee or require any particular level of overall funding for an overall department. The only single line item it actually freezes in is retiree health that's paid in lump sum. Everything else is about this is what an individual officer is owed for their, you know, uniform upkeep or not for their pay or not their vacation or not. And so, you know, obviously, personnel is a significant portion of the department's budget, but it is nothing in this guarantees how many officers will be in patrol division or in traffic division or in any division. And so I will just say that I don't think it serves as well to describe this as a false choice between taking funding from police and then having if it if it were to be required per officer in a bargaining session, in an arbitration decision, that then those dollars would have to get made up by career service employees. That's simply not the case. We as a city could take that from administrative overhead in the Safety Department. We as a city could reduce personnel. We could, you know, as retirements happen, we could not replace those folks. There are numerous ways that we could make up any cost risk to us if arbitration didn't go well within the Department of Safety budget. And in fact, I would suggest it would be our obligation morally to do so. So I just, you know, so for those who think if we don't approve, you know, there are those who might want us never to approve a pay contract. You might think, oh, if you don't approve the contract, somehow that's defunding police. That's not how it works. This is simply what individuals are owed. We I you know, if this were a better contract, I would be advancing it. And then we would have a separate conversation about how many officers and how much administration and how much budget goes to the department. Right. This does not determine those numbers. And I know it's kind of complicated. So I you know, I have a lot of empathy for constituents trying to understand the difference between this contract. But this contract doesn't give any dollar amount to DPD. So so I want to be clear that I'm not going to vote no tonight because I think somehow by voting no, I'm going to keep dollars out of the department. That's not what this is. This is about saying, I believe we need to try again for a better deal that has less risk in the later year. So I am you know, the administration made its prioritization on cuts in 2021. I believe we need to prioritize higher the risk in 2022. Right. Maybe we still have some priority in 2021, but they put no prioritization in 2022. Right. So we just disagreed about which budget year to prioritize the most. And so that is the reason I'll be voting no tonight. And I believe that I believe that we can mitigate our risks by going back to the table and trying again to find some common ground that balances the risk of 2021 better with the risks of 2022. And number two, should we fail at that and we have an arbitration decision that's concerning, we can mitigate the risk to other departments by ensuring these cuts occur within DPD. So we have two paths, in my opinion, to mitigate the risks. There are risks and I acknowledge them. And for that reason, you know, again, I share my respect with those who analyzed the same situation and came out slightly differently. You know, for me, I can't support this tonight and I'll be a no vote. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Ortega, did you want to get up into the queue? Thank you. It's very clear the votes are not here for this to move forward. So I won't belabor my comments, but I just think that it is important that if we are talking about significantly impacting this budget, that we need to have a plan and we don't have a plan. Many of us are involved in this conversation with Dr. Robert Davis and many other players from our community that are working to ensure that we do have a plan that looks at how we do policing differently. And Councilman Cashman and I and Councilman CdeBaca are on the Crime Prevention Control, CPIC, Crime Prevention and Control Commission. Hate acronyms, anyway, where, you know, we're involved in looking at how we do things differently with our judicial system, you know, with our jail system, with with discipline issues, lots of different things. And. In terms of the plan that that will guide how we move forward. And I think that it's critical to just, you know, ensure that we've got that in place. Secondly, I want to say that we city council members had three different occasions that I participated in. I believe there was a fourth where we talked about this particular contract at Mayor Council in Executive Session, and we had a chance to move it forward sooner if we felt like we didn't like it. And the, you know, decision was you send it to the floor and let it go down there as opposed to fail in committee. They were looking for clear direction from us to say, you know, yes or no. And we were sort of all over the map. And so that's why we're here tonight dealing with this. We're going to go down on the floor further delaying the time frame in which we'll have the details of what then gets folded into the 2021 budget. I believe they're good for their word and they put it in writing. They would come back and negotiate, just like the firefighters are doing now, even though their contract wouldn't expire till the end of next year. They're going to negotiate sooner and I believe that the PPA will do the same thing. So I believe we should move forward. You know, there are no guarantees of of what that outcome is going to be. We we were the ones asking them to, you know, put everything on the table that that was asked of them. We didn't put anything new on the table from the city side. And they they agreed to all those things that we asked them to give up. Yes. This is part of the collective bargaining process. And I said in committee, if we want collective bargaining for city employees, then we should put this issue on the ballot and try to get collective bargaining for our city employees so they have the same fair process for how their wages are set rather than it being done through the mechanism that we currently use. So I'll I'll be supporting this forward moving forward tonight, although it looks like the votes are here for it to be sent back to the bargaining table, which will more than likely end up in arbitration. And the arbitrator decides on one side or the other. The last, best deal and it may or may not be in the city's favor. So we'll just have to wait and see where the chips fall on this one. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilwoman Ortega. Councilwoman CdeBaca. Thank you, Madam President. And thank you to all of my colleagues for clarifying and asking and making the right statements tonight. I do want to just add to that last comment about arbitration that our charter clearly outlines a process for us to come to a better agreement if nobody feels like they've gotten the agreement they wanted within the 15 days after the arbitrator provides a decision. And so that is very clear in our charter. And I think something that if we trust DPD to come back to the table in a year, we should probably also trust that if nobody feels like they're winning after an arbitrator's decision, that we will come up with an even better agreement within those 15 days. And that's it for my comments. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman Herndon. Thank you, Madam President. I will I will be brief. I appreciate everyone's comments and this in mind. So I will be supporting this. The right decision may not always be the most pleasant, particularly when you are in a Soviet state where we are going to have to make the most difficult decisions of any time. Because even when I came in in 2011, as we were ending the recession, that one even compared to what we're having to do. So we're in a position now where we know we have a guaranteed $5 million in savings coming from the coming from the PPA for 2021, which is a fair, fair comment to say what is the right you to prioritize. But by sending this back to the table, I don't see a way where we as a city can be coming to be a stronger financial position. So where will those dollars have to come? And we can have the debate about where is should become. I'm not sure if we should. Necessarily go directly. To safety if we have the opportunity to take it right now. But we'll see how the budget lines up in the council. And so here we control the purse strings. So if we felt as if there wasn't equity, we can adjust the budget anyway we see fit. So I believe going with the decision of the strongest financial position that we're in right now and then moving forward that budget conversation. So if this does seem to go down, I hope that we as a body are specific to the negotiating team to say what we want as a legislative body, that they can try to move forward with that. And if not, then I hope we're ready to bear the responsibility. Should we be in a worse financial position? Thank you, Madam President. Thank you. Councilman Herndon, seen no other hands raised. I'll go ahead and add my comments as well. We had a very dynamic, deep conversation at committee last, the week before last. And it I want to clarify and have on the record that the postal mail letter that was sent by the union on March 9th was never received . I never saw a copy of it. Our former legislative director never saw a copy of it there. And we delved into what is your intake mechanism for city council? Who opens the mail? Who logs the mail? Who lets people know when there's something pertinent coming up? And so as far as we know, we never received it. I've seen a copy of it, but we've never received it. And so that does then beg the question why wasn't a copy of that sent over? If there was no response by city council, that would be a quick email to send on March 10th or any time in March, any time in April, any time in May to let us know what was happening and to be there at the table. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. And going back and looking at committee, something that really struck me was that we're talking about 5 million worth of cuts in 2021, but then making the police totally whole in 2022, plus a 2.7% raise possibly. I mean, that that is unheard of in these sort of economic times. And I have to also look at it that we have no assurances for the rest of the city's workforce, and we weren't represented in good faith at the table. If I felt like there was anything that city council could have done differently, I would be the first one to step forward and say, I own that mistake. Leadership owns that mistake. But that didn't happen. There were no opportunities to pretty much stop this train once it had left the station. And when I was briefed personally as the president of council, the two year duration had already been sent over to the union. We tried to pull it back and to ask them to stop the process and not ratify it and not move forward. And we were told that their bylaws outline that that's what they have to do. And so there were plenty of points, I believe, that we could have pulled back and had a deeper conversation. But unfortunately, that didn't happen. And to the final point, whenever we were briefed in executive session in May or council, it was only a briefing. There were never decision points for us beyond. If this isn't going to make it through council, what are the steps? But then I felt like we belabored it as far as we could at committee and that we were told we couldn't keep it in committee. We couldn't continue doing this work. It had to go to the floor of council for a vote. And so with that being said, I am not in. Support of this because I don't feel like council was represented in good faith at the table. There were plenty of folks that we work with day in and day out that nobody thought it was important enough in 2020. With everything that's happening in the world and in our community to ping city council and say, Hey, you're going to have to vote on this, ultimately you probably better be at the table. So you feel like you were part of this process that that unfortunately never happened. And so I am not supportive of this tonight. And with me having the final comments, I want to just go back to you, Councilwoman Sawyer. You had mentioned to to hold this over in, delay it one week. We do have budget hearings. Are you wanting to delay it one week, or would you be amenable to us going ahead and doing the roll call vote that you do? Any member has the ability to delay it by one week with no vote. Thank you. I appreciate you talking, President Gilmore. I wanted to hear the thoughts of the rest of my council members to see kind of where everyone else was at. But it doesn't seem like any holding it over a week until we see the budget would really change anyone else's opinion. So I'm happy to go ahead and vote tonight. Thanks. All right. Thank you, Councilwoman. Just wanted to check check in with you on that. Madam Secretary, roll call on Bill 895, please. No backup? No, Clark. I. Flynn. I. Herndon. I. And I think you. Cashman No. Can each. No. Ortega. I. Sandoval No. Sawyer. No. For us? No. Black. I. Madam President. No. Madam Secretary, please close the voting and announce the results. Eight names, five eyes. Eight NES Council Bill 895 has failed. The next items up are multiple resolutions. Council member Hines has called out for a vote. We will put these items in a block and take one vote. Councilmember Flynn, will you please put these items on the floor for adoption? Madam President, I move that council resolutions all series of 2020 be adopted in a block. 728 729 seven 3731 732 733 734 735 741 742 743 838 839 853 864 865 866 860 7868 869 eight, 78, 71, eight, 72 and 873. Thank you. Council member. It has been moved. Can I get a second?
A bill for an ordinance approving and accepting the Far Northeast Area Plan, which plan shall become a part of the Comprehensive Plan 2040 for the City and County of Denver pursuant to the provisions of Section 12-61 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code. Adopts the Far Northeast Area Plan, as part of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 5-21-19.
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Eight eyes. Council for three has passed. Councilman Herndon, will you please put Council Bill 477 on the floor? Yes, Madam President, I move that council bill 2019 0477 to be placed upon final consideration and do pass. Has been moved and seconded. The courtesy public hearing for Council Bill 477 is open. May we have the staff report? Cortland Heiser with community planning and Development. Good evening. Members of Council Cortland Heiser with Community Planning Development. Sharing the presentation duties with me tonight will be Eugene Howard, also with community planning and development. And we're really pleased to bring the far northeast area plan forward for your consideration tonight. So just as a reminder, we have the Neighborhood Planning Initiative as our broader neighborhood planning program within the city. This was launched a couple of years ago with the development of the NPI strategic plan. And far northeast was the first area out the gate. Under the new NPI program. It's in phase one of NPI, along with two other areas currently in process to east, central and east that are highlighted in red here in this graphic. As we finish up these plans this year, and we do intend to complete all three of them before the end of the year. We'll be moving on to phase two of the Neighborhood Planning Initiative. Those areas highlighted in blue, and we were recently at Luti, this past fall to discuss and announce the selection of the phase three areas that will happen after that. So the far northeast plan area includes the neighborhood, statistical areas of Monticello, Gateway, Green Valley Ranch, the DIA statistical neighborhood. That's something that's confusing to a lot of people because we do have a neighborhood that's named after Diane. People think we're talking about the airport, but in the plan document, we refer to the airport as done to help distinguish it from the neighborhood. This is what we refer to as our plan on a page. It's sort of like a visual table of contents of the structure of the document. Over here on the left hand side, highlighted in the orange box are the six vision elements from Comprehensive Plan 2014. We started with with those vision elements as a starting point in our work in far northeast and worked with the community and our steering committee to develop specific vision statements within each of the six states to ensure a high level of consistency between citywide guidance and the more specific guidance that was being developed for the far northeast area. So that's the first section of the plan contains the vision for the far northeast area as a whole. The next section of the plan we refer to as our framework plan. The three main sections in there are land use and built form, mobility and quality of life infrastructure. Those will sound familiar because they're also the elements of a complete neighborhood as identified by blueprint Denver land use in built form, quality life, infrastructure and mobility coming together to form complete neighborhoods. It's one of the main objectives of the Neighborhood Planning Initiative to figure out how to create more complete neighborhoods all throughout the city. That ends up being an organizing element for the main body of the plan. Each of those areas or topics end up being a chapter in the plan. And then there's a lot more detail listed here in each of the sections on this slide. We we go topic by topic within these larger and broader themes, addressing each specific one as it applies to the far northeast neighborhoods. The next section of the plan is the neighborhood chapters themselves. Each neighborhood statistical area within the broader study area gets its own chapter within the plan. And then we follow a similar structure for each providing an introduction to that neighborhood, some demographic information for the neighborhood, identifying trends and issues, identifying opportunity areas within each neighborhood that we then focus on with more specific recommendations as well as transformative projects. We do have six transformative projects identified in this plan for far northeast spread across the three neighborhood statistical areas. And then finally, the plan wraps up with the implementation chapter where we restate each recommendation that's within the plan and identify more detailed information for each, including which vision elements it helps to support responsible parties, timelines for implementation, that sort of thing, as well as a page of metrics to help track plan progress over time. So that's my very quick overview of the document. I'll hand it over now to Eugene, who will present the information specific to the staff report. Great. Thank you, Cortland, and thank you City Council and it's a pleasure to be here with you this evening to talk about the far northeast area plan. So I'm going to review the review criteria that is to be considered when making supplements or updating our comprehensive plan 2040, as well as making updates to Blueprint. Denver As it relates to the Neighborhood Planning Initiative, the three criteria that we ask you to consider, number one, that the planning process was inclusive in developing the plan. That the plan is consistent with the vision and goals and strategies outlined in comprehensive plan 2040. And then finally, the third criterion the plan demonstrates a long term view for the residents. So starting first with the inclusive community process, this plan being the first of 19, we did utilize the full 24 month time frame outlined by the Neighborhood Planning Initiative Strategic Plan. In this process, we were able to engage with citizens, residents of the far northeast, really from the very beginning of this planning effort, including the months leading up to officially launching this project. We had great response and communication and participation by the members of the community, which I'll go over here in just a second. So first we convened a 20 person stakeholder committee. This committee was made up of members from the far northeast area, presidents of the registered neighborhood organizations, nonprofit organizations, long term residents from the community and our city council representatives also participated in this process with us. We held monthly meetings. We conducted 20 of these monthly meetings to make sure that the community was engaged and guiding this process. We held five public meetings throughout the duration of this planning effort, with well over 500 participants from the community coming to provide their input and feedback. We tracked demographics by asking a few simple questions at the beginning of each meeting. So we feel confident that this plan reflects those that live in the community and who are from the community. A diversity of backgrounds, ages, races, ethnicities participated in the development of this part of this plan. We provided interpretation. We had all of our materials translated into Spanish. We had child care. We provided food at our meetings to really make them fun and and make it so that folks could participate in-person if they could. We were fortunate to leverage the support of the American Institute of Architects Colorado chapter, who worked with the community members in helping bring their ideas and their thoughts to life on paper. Those design concepts helped inform the plan and helped us throughout the planning process. And in addition to all of the project related meetings, staff participated in well over 50 community events in separate meetings to make sure that we were present and that we were hearing firsthand from the community what their issues and challenges and what the opportunities were to help inform this planning effort. This is just a small sample of the type of events that we attended. We went to back to school events to engage with parents and children. We engaged in culturally relevant celebrations like The Taste of Ethiopia. We were there during the summer to make sure that we were hearing from youth and getting the youth perspective in our planning effort. We attended Council District Eleven's Day of Beauty, I think, to really engage with the volunteers that came out for that event. We also and this is one that's kind of personally a little exciting for me, and that is working on the walking audits. One of the key members of the Belo community is Pam Joyner. I believe she's here tonight. And she at the very first meeting that she saw me at said, Eugene, you're going on a walk with me. And she just she was great. I learned so much not only from all of our interactions with the public, but from really, truly walking in their footsteps. Seeing what they experience every single day firsthand was just crucial to this effort. And I really appreciate the effort of Girl Trek Montebello 2020 and all of the organizations that we had the privilege of working with . They just were were great. So, you know, for that, thinking about the public process and our online engagement, we wanted to make sure that we had an opportunity for people to engage with us virtually if they could not be there in person. We created our materials in a way so that they translated one for one online so that we could continue to collect, like for like information. One of the key things with the slide is it's really demonstrating the involvement, even virtually, of this community. The the open rates of newsletters, the click through rates are double what we normally see and what our communication staff tells us that they typically see through those types of communication tools. We had five online surveys that replicated those in-person meetings. We had over 500 downloads of our draft plan, which again illustrates the level of involvement from this community about the work that they helped us create. We had social media touchpoints over 91 different posts related to this planning effort, and without fail, the council officers and their staff really, truly were crucial in getting the word out and helping communicate that this plan was out, that it was for the community. And they really encouraged the community to come out and to participate. So with all of that involvement from the community staff signs at the far northeast area plan was developed through an inclusive public process. Planned consistency. One of the criteria is to make sure that this plan is consistent with the goals and objectives of comprehensive plan 2040 and the Far Northeast Plan addresses or touches 29 individual goals found in Plan 2040, as well as 63 individual strategies found in that plan. They touch on the topics of affordable housing, intentional growth and development, complete, vibrant, culturally rich and inclusive communities, multi-modal connectivity parks and open space, health, safety, and economic vitality of the people and the residents in the far northeast. Thinking of consistency with Blueprint. Denver The Far North East plan is consistent with 21 individual policies found in Blueprint Denver as well as 51 individual strategies found in the document covering the topics of zoning and land use, form and function of the built environment, transportation and mobility and overall quality of life. Because the Neighborhood Planning Initiative is meant to be a tool to further calibrate and make updates to blueprint Denver. There are a few updates that if you adopt this plan this evening, will go to Update Blueprint. They touch on neighborhood contexts through our interactions with the community, we heard that we could tweak the context in a few places. They helped us calibrate the future places that will help guide growth and development. The overall growth strategy. When new streets are created, what types of streets they should be, what their priorities should be, as well as equitable planning throughout the far northeast area. So with regard to criteria and number to plan consistency, staff finds that the far north east area plan is consistent with comprehensive plan 2040 as well as Blueprint Denver. And then finally, looking at the long term view, given the amount of input and feedback and work and collaboration with the community, staff has found that we believe the Far Northeast Area Plan does establish a long term vision that helps maintain the character and the development patterns established in the residential areas of the far northeast helps support the industrial areas in the far northeast while directing the majority of growth to new centers and corridors in the area and particularly in the undeveloped portions of the plan area. This vision will take many years to achieve, but we do believe that does contain the long term view of the residents. Therefore, staff finds that the far northeast area plan has an appropriate long term view and perspective. Following through with the adoption process, we did go before a planning board on May 15th where we did receive a unanimous vote to proceed this plan to you for consideration. We went to the Land Use Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on May 21st, who felt that this plan was ready to be heard by you. Last week was the first reading and tonight we are before you for the public hearing. So with all of that, the staff asks that you consider adopting the far northeast area plan as a supplement to comprehensive plan 2040 and as an update tool for Blueprint Denver. Thank you. All right. Thank you both. We have nine individuals signed up to speak tonight. I'm going to call the first five. If you could come up to the first row. Here we have William Thomas Rose, Thomas, Jessie Parrish, Megan L'anse and Vernon York. And first up, we have. Will you to take your calls? Oh, okay. We'll go with Rose Thomas then. Thank you. Rose Thomas. Green Valley Ranch, 1919 zero, East 43rd Avenue. I just wanted to say kudos to the community involvement engaged in this effort. It was a two year effort and meeting after meeting. There never was a shortage of participation and there was a great cross section from the community. We had a lot of lively discussions and I also want to say kudos to the planning committee because they helped keep everything structured and organized so that we made progress but allowed enough open space and area so that true, authentic feedback and concerns could be heard and incorporated to truly make this plan. Be real to the. Community in terms of what they really want and need and what can help it thrive for the next 10 to 20 years. So I just want to say thank you to everyone involved. Jesse Parrish. Jesse Paris, represented for Denver, home of Salau Black starts a movement for self-defense and positive action, commitment for social change. And I was on top of the ballot for a large I got almost 15,000 votes with no money. I was speaking I'm speaking against this just like I spoke against the comprehensive plan 2040. I don't think we really gave them enough time to people to actually read this. It's actually 228 pages. How many people have actually read all? 228 pages of that? Oh, that's a shock. Okay. Well, most people that are not in this room have not read this and have no clue what this all entails. Honestly, nothing in here about affordable housing, honestly, nothing in here about am I levels for Montebello, Green Valley Ranch or Gateway? I don't see anything about that. So if somebody could put further consider not consideration, further detail on what that all entails. If you are actually looking at that or if this is just where you're pushing us to because northeast all parts of this town are being gentrified and we're being moved along displace. So pretty soon we'll be living past the airport, probably near Byers. Thank you. Next up, we have Megan Allen's. Good evening. Council members Megan Allen's and unfortunately a constituent couldn't be here tonight, so I'm going to read their comments. Tom Carlin of Green Valley Ranch. Nowhere in the far north east neighborhood plan is there a reference to oil and gas development. There should be. Newly signed legislation by Governor Polis puts environmental and health considerations before fostering oil development. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been clear about the calamitous effects of pumping carbon dioxide into the Earth's atmosphere. Yet the oil and gas industry continues its relentless advance to horizontally drill under my Green Valley Ranch neighborhood lands. The latest assault is from Access Exploration LLC. Access wants to horizontally drill and frack under Denver properties of the high point and wild horse condominium neighborhoods, which are few which within a few hundred feet of Green Valley Ranch where I live. See Docket number 190600442 before the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Also in the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood of Denver, where I live, we've got a plan in 2017 that would have possibly allowed drilling or development of mineral rights west of Tower Road by the Ivy Garrett, Dennis and Regis Groff DPS campuses and as close to my home as allowed by regulations. We won. But the threat remains with the state land board retaining mineral rights after sale to commercial interests of the surface rights. The far northeast neighbor neighborhood plan should not be approved with in recognition of the role that Denver needs to play in mitigating climate change. Our neighborhood plan must recognize its role in protecting the environment and health of not only Denver, but all people of Colorado and and the nation. My neighborhood plan must be bold, not timid in addressing climate change. Denver has the opportunity to play a leading role in addressing climate change. The neighborhood plan needs to be greatly strengthened. Each well site and far northeast member should be noted for potential development and neighborhood neighbors quickly notified of oil and gas industry plans. Likewise, Denver officials must be vigilant in monitoring activities of our neighbors in the East, Adams County in Aurora, and that may affect Denver by horizontal drilling and fracking efforts. Respectfully submitted. Tom Carlin, thanks. Thank you, Mr. Vernon York. To the council. Vernon, York. I live with my bill, and I'm for the plan. All right. Thank you, sir. Next up, we'll call the next. I think we have for folks, we have Mr. Lawrence Murray, Pam Joyner, Donna Garnett and Myra Gonzalez. So Mr. Murray. And we can go ahead and have you come up to the front and it'll speed things up a little bit. Mr. Murray Then we have Pam Joyner, Donna Garnett and Myra Gonzales. So, Mr. Murray, you're up. Good evening. My name is Lawrence Murray. I'm a resident of Montebello and have been since 1982. My my main issue about this proposal and it's a huge one, I would like to make sure that the residents are made aware of all the changes as the project proceeds. We should be informed. It shouldn't be something that's a little off to the side. The project is very important to us in knowing what's happening when it happens and keeping to the keystone marks that you said. We're going to do it at this time. We'll be finishing at that time. I think that's very, very important for the residents to know. Thank you. Next up, we have Pam Joyner. Hello, counsel. My name is Pam Jane. Or one, two, two, one, one is 52nd, placed in my Belo, a 45 year resident of Montello. And I'm very, very concerned about my community's health. I represent Girl Trek, which is a national health movement for women of color. I represent my Bel-Air Walks, which is a community initiative to encourage my entire community to be more active and to get outside and live healthier lives. I also am co-chair of my fellow 2020, the registered neighborhood organization, and I have been very, very, very, very happy with all of the opportunities that the planning and Planning Department has allowed our community to participate and to add our input and help us develop our visions. I believe that the last two years we have all worked very, very hard. And yes, I have encouraged a lot of the members to take walks with me only because, you know, I think they need a break from behind those computers and the developments and the office stuff, but they also need to feel what they're creating. I am very concerned that all the developments are pedestrian friendly, developing bigger areas, busy areas. If they're not pedestrian friendly, it's not going to be a benefit to our community. It's good for business, but it's not good for the health of our community. And I'd just like to reiterate that these developments must have access for pedestrians that are not along automobile lines. We shouldn't have to walk a mile to turn into a shopping center when there are multiple areas where pedestrians could have access. So I will be watching for that. City planners and I am for the plan. Thank you very much. Next up, we have Donna Garnett. Thank you, Madam President. And thank you to the body of all the council members. My name is Donna Garnett. I have lived in far northeast for 26 years. I am the executive director of the Mont Organizing Committee and the editor of the Montebello Urban Spectrum Edition. It has really been my privilege to be a part of this process that has gone lasted for almost two years or maybe even over two years . I was pleased to serve on the steering committee for the planning process, and I have to say that I participated in every single community meeting and read every page of the plan at every draft. Level and read. It multiple times. What I really want to say, because I do a lot of work in the community, that this process really exemplifies what it means to have community informed and community led initiatives at the at the neighborhood level. I did a story in the Muse a few months ago that showed that there were 12 planning efforts going on at the same time that this process was going on. And the thing that makes this process so unique is that the amazing people in the Planning Department somehow managed to fold all of those things together and heard everybody mock my organization at the same time was hosting. A. Process that involved over 2000 people. And I'm happy to say that the work from that is included in this plan and this neighborhood plan puts in place policies and and recommendations that will enable Marc and the partners in the community to bring to life the transformative initiative that one of them in the plan. Called the fresh love. Fresh and local. And it will bring a grocery anchored cultural hub with 120 units of affordable housing that does address AMI at 30% to 80%. Am I? So we really hope that you're going to pass this plan so we can get on with the work because we plan to break ground in January 2020. So I hope you pass it and I hope you pass it unanimously. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, we have Mayra Gonzalez and then we have William Thomas. Good evening. Members of city council, staff of the Community Planning and Development Department. My name is Myra Gonzalez. I am a lifelong resident of the Marbella neighborhood and project manager of the Mahalo, Fresh, Low, Walkable Loop and Hub. And I am proud to testify in favor of the far northeast area plan. I would like to share a fun fact before proceeding. The current mom Barlow neighborhood plan is as old as I am and I'm 27 years old and so this is really needed. But I would like to thank CPD for their extensive neighborhood planning process and the far northeast neighborhoods. They began working with us two years ago, and as Eugene mentioned, 550 residents were able to attend the five community planning meetings and provide feedback online. What I am the most proud of was the staff's efforts to make this a truly equitable process. They provided Spanish language interpretation and made sure that all of their materials were translated for us. In Marbella, this is particularly important because 67% of our residents are Latino and monolingual Spanish speakers. And so this ensured that our residents were able to fully engage and be part of the process and give their feedback. I am particularly proud of the inclusion of the Monticello Fresh, Low Cultural Hub, which is the community's response to our food desert designation. And so this plan is truly representative of community voices. And with that, I urge you all, as everybody has mentioned, to please pass this unanimously so that we can get on going. Thank you. And last up, we have William Thomas. Good evening. William Thomas 19190, East 43rd Avenue, Denver, Colorado. I participated in just a few of the meetings for this planning committee, but I will say I am impressed. I'm very proud as a long time resident of Green Valley Ranch to have been able to, even for a small time, participate in some of these planning meetings. I really enjoy and very again, very proud of the fact that the city and the communities have come together to actually look and work together to make an area that had been underserved for quite a long time and ignored bring to the top of list and bring the importance of it. I don't think I need to repeat probably what everyone else has said. Please pass it unanimously and we can move on with the next phase of it. Thank you very much. All right. Thank you. That concludes our speakers questions from members of council. Councilman Flynn. Uh, thank you, Madam Pro-Tem. Eugene, I had a question. If I can pull this up again on your on the PowerPoint on slide 28, where reference the planning board adoption and the two notes in red. Can you tell me how they were addressed? Sure. So a general statement for clarity and correctness is that I understand. I'm sorry. I'm more interested in the second one. Sure I did. Did you clarify the community interest in the general development plan and large development review? Yes. There were some questions about the the amount of undeveloped land in the far northeast and what tools are at our disposal here at the city and before you all to to help guide development on such large parcels. Currently, we have a general development plan process in place. There's some conversations that you might all either know about or that is coming before you soon to calibrate that tool to be more of a large development review, a process. And there was a request to have some additional clarity around the use of that large development review tool should it become a part of our toolkit. Okay. And so that was was that added or was it augmented or how was it it was a modification to the language to further clarify how that tool might be used and to what degree Cortland is or anything you'd like to add to that? Sure. I just can give you the specific location of the new content. It's on page 57. Great. We added a new sidebar. It's titled Regulatory and Policy Tools for Large Scale Development. Great. I'll pull that up here. Okay. I see it here. Well, thank you very much. That's all. Okay. Thank you, Councilman Cashman. Yeah, thank you, Madam President. Pro tem either Cortland or Eugene. So I'm my understanding is this process went a bit longer than it might have been envisioned at the beginning. I'm just wondering what what you had learned about the process. I mean, 20 monthly meetings is fantastic. It seems like a tremendous amount of engagement. So I compliment the city on that. I compliment the neighbors for showing up and participating if there's anything a neighborhood should show up for. It's this particular process that really gives you the chance to sculpt the future of your community. And I would just before I let your answer, say that I miss Consigliere so that my neighborhood of Virginia Village is one of the neighborhoods in the next planning process. And our plan was written 46 years ago in 19 and 1973. So I hate to one better you, but I think think we've got that done. Please. Sure. Okay. We got we got a similar question when we went to a planning board about what we had learned. And I think the short version of my answer is that the the planning process does work. I think that this one is the first out of the gate. This is a new planning model for the city. The most typical plans that we'd produce previously would do one neighborhood at a time. And part of the justification for changing that model was that over a 15, 20 year period, we only covered about 20% of the city with those plans. And this allows us to cover the entire city because we're doing groupings of larger areas there. There are a few other examples nationwide. Philadelphia is one of them. San Antonio is another of other large cities that are doing a similar approach of large areas bigger than a single neighborhood. You know, we've got our own version of it here under NPI and it works. We've produced a plan that's supported by many members in the community, and we're able to not lose anything in terms of level of detail by having those specific neighborhood chapters as well as material that applies to the whole area. And with regard to the timeline for this first plan, because it is meant to help understand and calibrate Blueprint Denver We wanted to make sure that blueprint Denver went through that adoption process and since it came before you approximately six weeks ago, that meant that we could not come any earlier than that. So that did add additional time to our original timeline, and it really helped us hit that 24 month mark. Great. Well, I can congratulate the planning staff, but mainly want to thank the community for getting these guys warmed up. So when they hit near southeast Denver, they're working at full capacity. Thank you. Thank you, councilman. Councilwoman are. HAGER Thank you. Pro Tem. I wanted to follow up on the statement that was read by Megan from Tom Carlin regarding the issue of fracking and how that was addressed in the plan. I can remember when I first got elected back to the Council in 2011, there were concerns from the Green Valley Ranch community about fracking that was happening in Adams County, but could be impacting some of the homes in Denver County. And so I think it's a real concern. I mean, I think the changes that happened at the state are good. It makes the situation much better than it was before. But it doesn't mean that we're completely immune. And, you know, right now, the only place we have drilling or fracking is at the airport. But it doesn't mean that it couldn't impact some of these neighborhoods. I know. Sometime last year, I believe it was, there was an application from someone that wanted to drill on land just north of 56th Avenue. There were three sites, I believe, that they had applied for, and the Stapleton community came out of the woodworks and wrote letters. They learned about it on the day before it was supposed to go before the land board, but they were able to mobilize a lot of opposition, and the land board ended up not moving forward with that particular request. So how was that addressed in the in the plan? And so say it's a valid criticism to say that the plan doesn't, you know, directly address the fracking issue. You know, that's true. There isn't material or specific recommendations in the plan on that topic. The MPA planning model is that we have a list of always topics, things that are at the core that plans address, that you can reliably expect every NPI plan to hit. That's to provide consistency, you know, from one planning area to the next, a consistent level of guidance. And then there's also focus topics, which are things that you address if you need to. And if raised by the community is a high priority. And so what we heard a lot more about in this area was access to retail food, access walkability. Those are the things that we focused on, as, you know, focused topics in this community. So it's not entirely comprehensive in that, you know, we don't touch on every every single issue that affects the community. And so it is it's valid to say that the plan doesn't do enough on that topic. The one thing I do want to add is that that particular incident with that application that came to Stapleton drew attention to the fact that any application that would come to the city was going to delay and the process changed. Now, so if there is an application for anything, any place other than DIA, the notices will go to the mayor's office and then they'll make sure the neighborhoods are notified so that we don't have this last minute situation that occurred in the Stapleton neighborhood. So thank you for addressing that question. Thank you. The public hearing for Council Bill 477 is closed. Do we have comments by members of council? Councilman herndon thinking i'm president? Well, we are. We are finally here. I remember I remember when this started. Let me let me first say, I believe the criteria have been met. And I'm excited about the progress of reform because. But the work is not yet done. I mean, this is actually where people can say the hard work begins. And now that the vision is place, the vision is in place. It's about making sure we execute properly. But you have to take a moment to acknowledge the people that made this possible because it's really hard being first . But let me say, the bar is very high. You can say several things about this plan, but you cannot say that the community wasn't involved. Because I remember the meetings at the evidence campus where that place was packed. We're making sure that everyone has opportunities to come to the table no matter what language you were speaking. We had monolingual on our steering committee, Spanish speakers, who can make sure that their voices were heard as a part of that. So to say that this was not a community driven effort is just just unequivocally false. And to the team that was in place because we disagreed on things, but we weren't disagreeable. Because when you have people that have diverse opinions about moving forward, we created a space where you could give your opinion if it was differing and we just had a conversation about it. And that model, I hope, will carry forward for the remainder of the neighborhood plans. And everyone wants their plan to go first. But you recognize as this growth and change is coming, the communities that are going to be impacted before others is the far northeast is the east area, which is why those are the ones that were the first two that we're doing because that's where the change is coming. So applauding everyone that has been a part of it. Yes. We didn't get into the nuances of environmental resilience. But if you look at plan 2040, that is one of our six pillars that talks about being environmentally resilient. So we are making sure that we're taking care of that for our city. So I think that is fair. But recognize, this is one of many plans that we have now that are we are now moving forward through this council process. So I think we're checking all the bases to make sure that we're touching the things that are very important. So and I want to acknowledge, Councilwoman Gilmore, because a huge part of this is in District 11. I had a small part in District eight. So her leadership and this as well cannot be understated. So thank you, Councilwoman Gilmore, for this. And I urge my colleagues to support this. And I look forward to making this vision become a reality. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilman Herndon, and see no other council members chiming in. I will go ahead and speak as well. And it's been a great partnership, Councilman Herndon and all of the community meetings that that we turned out, you know, Eugene Courtland, Lily, Val, you really are part of the far northeast family and you'll continue getting invites to everything because it's important we keep you involved. And, you know, this was a crucial time for us as a community because with the changes that we have throughout the city and folks really being concerned about gentrification and involuntary displacement, but that we didn't want to have to make that hard decision, that we weren't going to get the grocery stores that we wanted or the entertainment or retail options that we need and deserve in our neighborhood. And so it was the perfect time for this plan. And, you know, Senate Bill 181 did open up a lot of different conversations for us as a neighborhood. And so, you know, there is not any fracking happening in our residential areas in Denver. I want to be very clear about that. It the only wells that exist are at the airport at Denver International Airport, and they have not been active since May of 2018 because Anadarko shut down their pipeline. And so currently there is no activity. But we know that our surrounding municipalities and counties are very active and we want to be aware if there is any sort of horizontal drilling or any environmental concerns or health and safety. We now within our community, I believe, have organized ourselves in a really, really strong way. And so when there are opportunities through the rulemaking at the state, we are going to be present and be part of those conversations. And so I'm glad that that was read into the record, but that, you know, more work to be done. And we've got grocery stores, we've got different amenities that are now very interested in our neighborhood, you know, May eight, the day after. Our election, we had an announcement that Natural Grocers is locating at the corner of Green Valley Ranch Boulevard and Tower Road. And so things are happening, and we've now created that framework to make sure that we have the most comprehensive and complete neighborhood that we possibly can have. So thank you so much for for your work on this, the CPD staff and to my community, to my neighbors and folks in the far northeast. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for always being there, showing up and being part of the conversation because that's really what makes our neighborhoods so great. And so thank you again, seeing no other comments. Madam Secretary, roll call. Black Eye Flynn. I. Herndon I. Cashman. I. Kenny. Ortega I assessment i Madam President, I Madam Secretary, please close the voting and announce the results. Eight Guys eight Eyes Council Bill 477 has passed. All right, wonderful. We have one pre adjournment announcement on Monday, June 17th, 2019.
A bill for an ordinance renaming a portion of Havana Way as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Renames a portion of Havana Way to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard located on Havana Way between Havana Street and Moline Street in Council District 8. The Committee approved filing this bill by consent on 4-17-18.
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I just wanted to call out on Final Consideration Council Bill 347 for a quick question. 347 Madam Secretary. 748 347 348. Can we get those up on the screen? And you just had a question you don't want anybody from public works if there. Yes. Please come up. Just my my quick question is my quick question, because we're renaming a portion of Havana away as MLK Junior Boulevard and Moline Street. What process? I'm curious, what what process was done? What has to be done to rename it? Is it? I believe this is in conjunction with the restructuring along MLK Boulevard. The realignment of this two of the streets at this intersection is simply to clarify the travel patterns of MLK, Havana and Moline after the intersection is reconstructed. Okay, so technically so it's just so technically. Was it Havana? Where are we eliminating? I'm trying to figure that out. Are we eliminating Havana way officially and making it MLK Jr and then Moline respectively. I got the answer right, right now. I do not have notes on that. This is under final consideration. So, Angela, see us, who is previously the public works person is going to fill in for me here. Thank you. Excuse me, ma'am. I don't need an airplane ticket. I'm sorry. I'm just kidding. Came to clarify. So this is part of us. A redevelopment that's happening in this area. Okay. And so this street, Havana, is going to go on and continue as the redevelopment happens. And so they're. Renaming either side of the road to clarify. Like she said, the direction. Thank you, Ms.. Garcia. As you probably understand why I'm asking about the technicalities about this. This wasn't part of any sort of public process. Okay. Just as part of the redevelopment. Thank you very much. Councilman Espinosa, did you also have a question on this? You know. Let's keep you both up here for a second. This is related in since you mentioned the redevelopment of MLK, I know that some some point in the past there was some concern from constituents over there about possible, you know, the level of traffic on MLK reaching levels where Seedat was considering a sound wall. Is that issue put to bed entirely or. Yeah, I believe so. We're not doing a sound wall yet. I'll have Sarah can follow. Up on that. But I know that there they were in the process of making a recommendation, and I'm not sure where it where it went from there. Okay. Yeah, it would be great if I could do a follow up. Thanks. All right. Thank you both. All right. One more time. Last chance to call an item for a separate vote before we do the block vote. All right, look. Good. So, Councilwoman Sussman, where you put the resolutions for adoption and the bills on final consideration for final passage on the floor, please. Yes, Mr. President. 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. Resolutions 353 373 401. 406. Scrolling through these 407. 0408409 396 399 295 308 392 three 9398 but 4410367. These are bills 368369372347348 and 377. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Did we get them all? Yes, Mr.. President. All right. It has been moved. And a second is Madam Secretary. Roll Call. Black Eye Espinosa Flynn I heard in Cashman can eat. Lopez. I knew Ortega. I mean, I. Mr. President. I. Madam Secretary, please close the voting and announce the results. 11 eyes. 11 times the resolutions have been adopted and the bills have been placed upon final consideration and do pass. Tonight, there will be a required public hearing on Council Bill 288, changing the zoning classification for 3649 East 40th Avenue and 3600 East 41st Avenue in Illyria.
A proclamation recognizing Colorado Young Leaders as a champion of youth voice and April 20 - 22, 2018 as Global Youth Service Day.
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Mr. President. How about communications? None. Mr. President. We do have three proclamations and I'm going to have cultural black. Please read Proclamation 415. Thank you, Mr. President. Recognizing Colorado youth leaders as a champion of youth voice and April 20th through 22nd 2018 is a Global Youth Service Day. Whereas Colorado Young Leaders Si y el is a nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping high school students with essential leadership skills and opening the doors to meaningful service opportunities within their community. And. Whereas, Colorado Youth Leaders was founded in 2013 and is growing into its fifth year of service to youth in the Denver metro area and Colorado Springs. And. WHEREAS, now, in its 30th year, Global Youth Service Day is the largest and longest running youth service event in the world, and the only event dedicated to celebrating the contributions that young people make to their communities year round. And. Whereas, Youth Service America designated Colorado Young Leaders as a 2018 Global Youth Service Day lead agency to mobilize Denver area youth youth to lead volunteer service projects that help meet community needs. Serving as a key leader of Global Youth Service Day, an international event that celebrates the power of young people. And. Whereas, on Global Youth Service Day 2018, in partnership with ten other community based organizations and schools, Colorado young leaders engaged approximately 500 volunteers in high impact, high visibility student led service activities and celebration events addressing community needs , including those in the area of teen mental health, hunger and homelessness, environmental stewardship and animal welfare. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the City Council of the City and County of Denver, Section one with the Denver City Council proclaims Colorado leaders I'm sorry, Colorado young leaders as a champion of youth voice and April 20th to 22nd 2018 Global Youth Service Day. Excellent. Your motion to adopt. Thank you, Mr. President. I move that proclamation. Number 18, dash 0415 be adopted. It has been moved and seconded comments by members of Council Council in Black. Well, my comments were on my computer. That won't start, so I'm going to wing it. But this is the 30th anniversary of an event that started in 1988 and. It is not a coincidence that it is the same. Weekend is Earth Day because it's all about sustainability. It's also part of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and it was the largest service event in the world this last weekend. Colorado youth leaders is a partner in it. It's a great organization that is engaging kids in the metro area and in Colorado Springs, and they're doing really great work and creating future leaders among our high school students in Denver. So I was just really pleased to sponsor this. Excellent. Thank you for sponsoring it. Councilman Black. Seeing no other comments by members of Council. Madam Secretary. Raquel Black. Clark. Espinosa. Flynn. Gilmore Cashman. I can each new Ortega assessment. Mr. President. I please Kosovo announce the results. So you were missing one. Espinosa. Okay, we. Oh, that's your job. Sorry. 11. 11. Nice proclamation for 15 has been adopted. Congratulations. Kelso Black, is there anybody you want to bring up? Yes. Jennifer Landers, who's the executive director of Colorado Young Leaders. Thank you, counselor, for having me and for Councilwoman Black for sponsoring this proclamation. As a resident of Southeast Denver, I appreciate all you do for our community and to make our community more vibrant. Colorado Young Leaders is dedicated to engaging youth in volunteerism and empowering them with leadership skills so they become the next generation of heart led leaders. Now, we had a few hiccups with the weather this weekend. We had a couple of projects canceled and a few rescheduled. But we're still really happy that we had over 200 community members, most of them youth, volunteering across the metro area this weekend. We had projects where we packaged care packages for animals in rescue centers. We cleaned community gardens, we fed community members, we cleaned up open spaces. And we had several projects dedicated to teen mental health, which is something that our students felt they were really passionate about. So we're happy to be able to make this impact on the community and appreciate that you have shared this this proclamation and invited us to speak. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you for your work with our young people and tell them that they are always welcome here. If it weren't for that. Yeah. Anytime. Anytime. Just thank you so much. All right. That takes care of proclamation 415. I will read Proclamation 416. Something I'm super excited about thanking MSU Denver Student Volunteers for their service, and I believe they're in the house tonight.
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement, and all necessary documents and any subsequent amendments, including any amendments to extend the contract terms and the contract amount, with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), to accept and expend Measure H funding in an amount up to $3,137,917, for the period of July 1, 2020 through October 31, 2020, to implement Homeless Initiative strategies adopted by the County Board of Commissioners to combat homelessness in Los Angeles County; and Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute any necessary agreements, and any subsequent amendments, with subcontractors, to provide homeless prevention and rapid rehousing services, in an aggregate total amount of $1,567,659, for the approximate period of July 1, 2020 through October 31, 2020, with the option to renew subcontracts to ensure the expenditure of Measure H funding from the LAHSA. (Citywide)
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Okay. There was one more. All right, then let's move on to item 20, please. Actually, item 20, I've drawn item 21. Report from Health and Human Services recommendation to execute an agreement with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to accept and expand Measure H funding and an amount up to 3,137,917 to implement Homeless Initiative Strategies adopted adopted by the County Board of Commissioners Citywide. There's the motion. Can I get a second? And the second most of my concern for Austin. Are you in second place? Andrew Okay, please go to the Q system based on your answers in the second roll call vote. So one mayor, we have a public comment for this item. Um. Okay. It's not on my list, but go ahead. Jordan wins. Your time starts now. Hello there. This is Jordan, when you hear me. Yes. We can hear you. Great. Thank you very much. There's been some difficulties with Zoom today, so I just wanted to make sure I'm just calling in support of this item. I am looking forward to seeing what the new homeless service officer, Paul Duncan, will be accomplishing with the city. I'm excited to hear about the number of sites that will be coming online to help get our unsheltered population, which is 78% of everyone experiencing homelessness into new homes. I just want to remind council that basically what we're looking at right now is the precipice for many people who are without jobs and waiting to try and get rent back and trying to pay for their unit. Once eviction moratoriums and there will be a population of people who desperately need help getting out of those situations. And the last thing we want to do is see those people end up on the streets. So I want to remind council to continue to make these really valuable investments for both the short and the long term. This is about getting people out of homelessness as much as it's about keeping people out of homelessness. So I look forward to seeing how these measures are going to be applied into the future. Thank you very much. Thank you. That concludes public comment for the final. Roll call vote, please. District one. My district, too, was an AI District three. AI District four. AI District five. I. District six. I. District seven. I. District eight. District nine. My motion carries.
A resolution approving a proposed Contract between the City and County of Denver and Sema Construction, Inc. for the design and construction of the 39th Avenue Greenway and Park Hill Detention project. Approves a $78,214,454 three-year contract with Sema Construction, Inc. for the design and construction of the 39th Avenue Greenway and Park Hill Detention project to protect against flooding while improving water quality, multi-modal mobility access opportunities, and creating and enhancing park and public spaces in Council Districts 8 and 9 (201738462). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 1-8-18. The Committee approved filing this resolution by consent on 12-5-17. Pursuant to Council Rule 3.7, Councilman Espinoza called out this resolution at the Monday, December 18, 2017 Council meeting for a postponement to Tuesday, January 2, 2018.
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12 hours, one night, 1341 has been adopted. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Let's bring up 1395. This is for a comment and a vote. And Councilman Cashman, please put this on the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Resolution 1395 be adopted. Madam Secretary. Sorry. Yeah. He's going to. Oh, okay. According to 3.2.6 to the rules of procedure. Okay. So no vote is required. Why don't why don't you. Why don't you hold your hold your movement? Councilman Espinosa, why don't you go ahead and make a comment? Yeah. Yeah. Consistent with 3.2.6. I'd like to postpone this to the next regularly scheduled meeting. In light of the comments that we heard, you know, particularly right before this meeting, I think there is an appetite for a public comment as well. So I'll leave that up to, you know, your discretion on whether we do that or not. But I do think that I would still like to exercise my right to postpone this to the next regularly scheduled meeting. Okay. And accordance with our rules, it is postponed. We do not need a vote for that. Councilman Ortega. So I was going to ask for some information. So between now and next week, when it comes back, I would like to get information on where we are in the spin of the overall plant to park you Twin Basin Drainage Project. I'm not asking for that right at this moment, but we'd like to get the big picture on where we are with our full spend. Are we anticipating we are on budget? Do we think that we will be over budget? I know these are all broken out into different projects. We've got the Globe, the landing outfall, the 39th Avenue Channel, we have the Park Hill Golf Course in the City Park Golf Course, which were all brought forward as one big project. They've all been separated out. But I think it's important to know that with the wastewater fees, that is the primary funding source, whether we're on budget or anticipate and I know some of the construction hasn't started yet, but it would be helpful to know where we are in that big picture. Yeah. So I'm looking for that as well as information on who the BWB is. I saw that we've got a 23% goal, but would like to know who the contractor is. So thank you and. Have somebody get back to me. It looks like everyone on the team is nodding. A lot of team members here working on this. And I would also like to bring up you all. We kind of talked about this in committee, just the standards. This is the this is especially when it comes to the 39th Avenue Greenway. It's the closest to any residential. We had some folks in the neighborhood talking about how close this is to their homes and and that the protections and the standards that we will up in this location from any other location. I know we talked about there's some. Fencing. There are some, you know, mitigation around the dirt that we're going to be doing. There's some air monitor monitoring we're going to be doing. So, I mean, folks are really concerned about the contamination in the ground. And so if we can just have all that ready, that'd be great. All right. Sometimes. That's when I. Yeah. The reason why I was hesitant is I didn't run it by it, didn't check the calendar on on what we have for, for January 2nd and both January 2nd and January 8th fall within the time frame to act . But I would like to request a public comment and if for some reason the second is is too congested, maybe one of my colleagues would offer up another postponement to the eighth, but between either the second or the eighth, have a public comment, if it's possible. One. Okay. So, you know, at some point at some point, we we start to back up on on onto the 30 day shot clock. And I don't think we can only have more than one. But Councilwoman Ortega, are you up on this? Well, I asked my questions, but I think what's important is to. Show you the. Action tonight rather than think that we're going to deal with it when it comes back next week. So we should determine if if it's the second or the eighth is when it should come back with that public comment. Okay. Mr.. Mr. President, you can only postpone it one time, so it would have to be on the second. You can't postpone it again to the eighth. Yeah. I just point out that I thought we had that provision where another council member made sure I would recommend time. You could also postpone it. Okay, well, come on. We got to keep moving. I would like to request a public comment on January 2nd. Okay. And Madam Secretary, do you have have the schedule for January 2nd? There's one required public hearing and it's my understanding, another courtesy, public hearing on January 2nd that will be offered by Councilman Flynn in a few minutes. Okay. So it looks like we'll have this action on January 2nd. Yes. All right. All right. Thank you. Okay. Let's move on to 1396. And Councilman Flynn, I want you to put this on the floor as well. I'm sorry. Councilman Cashman, please put us on the floor.
A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 5101 Leetsdale Drive in Washington Virginia Vale. Approves a map amendment to rezone property from PUD 436 to E-TU-B (planned development to urban edge) located at 5101 Leetsdale Drive in Council District 5. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 6-21-22.
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I. Madam Secretary, closed the voting and announced the results. 13/8 13 ies council 20 20637 has passed. Councilmember Ortega, would you please put Council Bill 20 2-0694 on the floor for final passage? Madam President, I move that council bill 20 2-0694 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. It has been moved and seconded. The required public hearing for Council Bill 20 20694 is open. May we have the staff report? Good afternoon. Members of council. My name is Jump Benefit Senior City Planning Planner with Cabinet Planning and Development. And today I'm going to present your rezoning for 51 to 1 lead. Still drive. The applicant is requesting to resign from duty for 36 to EP to be. The proposed rezoning is located in Council District five, which is some of the district. And it is a vacant lot in the Washington, Virginia built neighborhood. The property owner of Standard Lutheran Church of Denver, Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver, are proposing to rezone part of their property from B2 436 to E2, which would allow for the development of four duplexes that they intend to sell to households making up or below 80% of the area. Median income. The proposals are given it to unit based on district allows for the urban House, detached accessory dwelling units, duplex and tandem housebuilding forms. I would like to quickly note here that while the others for the site is leads still drive, the main access to the property is on Dakota Avenue and in Fairfax Street. The next slides will illustrate better this linear axis on leaves still drag. You can see it there. The current zoning of the subject side is beauty. 436. The beauty was adopted in 1997 and applies to whole parcel as shown on the map. It was intended to allow for the construction of a single building with 66 units for a special care home for senior citizens. It allows a maximum height for a building of up to 35 feet. The facility was supposed to be an extension of the ministry of our Standard Lutheran Church, but financing was not secured and the special care home was never developed. The duty also allows for the development of uses allowed in R-1 district, which is a predominantly single unit district in former Chapter 59. The existing land use on the site is vacant. It's surrounded by mostly public possible uses where the church is to a north west single unit, residential uses to the north, northeast and east, and commercial retail uses doing so while the subject site is currently vacant. The portion of the solar that is not being resolved is currently being used as an informal open space and vegetable garden. This slide shows the existing context surrounding the subject site. With the proposed rezoning site on the top right on the bottom right image. You can see the commercial uses just south of the site on Lidl, on the top right image, the existing informal open space and vegetable garden located just west of the subject site. Throughout the rezoning process, application notifications have been provided according to Code Requirements. Planning Board recommended approval anonymously on May 18. Since the staff report was published, we have received two letters of support one from the preservation of residential South Hilltop Neighborhood Association and one from a community member. Stuff also received one letter in opposition to a rezoning that expresses concerns with increased traffic and density. As you'll know, there's five review criteria when analyzing the appropriateness of the request. The first criterion is consistency with adopted plans. There are two plans applicable to his rezoning. We have comprehensive plan 2040 and we have a blueprint under. The rezoning is consistent with several of the strategies in the comprehensive plan and they can be found on the staff report. Now looking at live in Denver, the future neighborhood context is urban edge. Within this context, we find a range of uses from single unit and multi-unit residential to commercial corridors and centers. As the rezoning would allow a variety of building forms in an urban setting, the proposed district is appropriate and consistent with the blueprint. Denver Context Description. The future place of this area is called Community Corridor, which typically provides some mix of offices, commercial and residential. And heights generally go up to five stories. Dakota Avenue and Fairfax Street are designated as local or un designated streets, and little is classified as a commercial ideal arterial future street type. The proposed E2 district is consistent with this description because it is a residential district that allows for a single unit and two unit uses and is intended to promote existing and future patterns of lower skilled multi-unit building forms. The subject property is located within the community centers and corridor's growth area. These areas are expected to see 20% of new employment growth and 25% of new housing growth by 2040. The proposed rezoning is consistent with the growth strategy map in this area. Blueprint also has policy language around rezoning properties from the former. Chapter 59 Zoning Code and out of customs zoning such as the site plan specific conditions on the subject property. Therefore, it still finds that this proposed rezoning is consistent with urban Denver. Stuff also finds that the requested zoning meets the next two criteria. The rezoning will result in uniformity of district regulations, and it will further the public health, safety and welfare of the city, primarily through its implementation of adopted plans and through improving design standards. Additionally, rezoning out a portion of 5436 will not have a negative impact on the remaining of the site and development under the current, but would still be possible. The rezoning would bring this property from former Chapter 59 Soni into the Denver zoning code. Such a change is listed in the zoning code as an appropriate, justified circumstance. Lastly, staff finds that the proposed rezoning is consistent with the Sound District purpose and intent of the E2 based on district. Based on the review criteria does recommend approval based on finding or review criteria has been met. Thank you. We have six individuals signed up to speak on this this evening. We will begin with Michael Sumwalt. If you can re-introduce yourself when you come up. Thank you. Yes. Hello. My name is Michael Dumont, a resident of Highlands Ranch, Colorado. And my daughter and I have been members of August and a Lutheran church for over five years now. So thank you for this opportunity to appear before you in favor of this of this proposal. For the past two years, I've been serving as the president of the coronation and chairperson of our church as governing body or counsel. It's a privilege to stand here before you as a representative of my church, which is overwhelmingly shown its support for this initiative involving our undeveloped property, to hopefully be used in a very small way to help alleviate the challenges to affordable housing that our city of Denver has been facing for some time now. In our partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver, we feel strongly that we can contribute to making progress in this area of need. And as an added benefit, they have helped us build an even stronger relationship with our community through this initiative that we believe will be a benefit to everyone involved along with our church. This effort is greatly supported by our local councilwoman, Mansoor Sawyer, the South Hilltop Neighborhood Association, which represents the neighborhood just east of our church and several of our closest neighbors. One of them actually has their house backing up to the lot that we are hoping to develop. So as a member and representative of the Augustine Lutheran Church, I ask for your support, this rezoning effort to help alleviate the need for affordable housing. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker in chambers is Scott Kilgore. Hello. My name is Scott Kilgour. I live at 435 South Fourth Street, just around the corner from the subject property. I'm a board member of the Preservation of Residential South Hilltop Neighborhood Association, and I'm here tonight to speak on behalf of the R.A. and reiterate our support of this rezoning request as outlined in our letter of support . We feel that the current party zoning is not compatible with the neighborhood context and that the proposed zoning district will result in a building Forman scale that is much more similar to the surrounding homes. While allowing for a gentle increase in density, the proposed development will add new homes and amenity rich central neighborhood while cleaning up an underused personal property, fixing existing drainage issues at the site. We are excited that these for sale homes will be offered to buyers under 80%. AMI and the applicant team has proven a willingness to collaborate with our neighborhood. We've had multiple points of engagement with them and they've been very responsive to our feedback. We do not have a good neighbor agreement in place with this rezoning, but we feel confident that the applicant team will continue to engage with the neighborhood and be responsive to us. They've already agreed to a number of things in writing, as described in our letter of support. This rezoning request only impacts the 51 to 1 sale parcel that faces Dakota and Fairfax and Augustana Lutheran Church. And the applicant team has reiterated to the neighborhood multiple times that the remaining piece of the parcel will continue to be used as a park and that that will stay. Discussion among our members and board has been overall very positive on the rezoning. We had eight board members vote in favor of supporting this rezoning, a zero voted opposed and one member that abstained due to the lack of response when voting electronically due to COVID. So yes, the preservation of residential South Hilltop Neighborhood Neighborhood Association urges City Council to support this rezoning request. Thank you. Thank you. Ann Hultquist. Hi. I'm in Hillcrest on the senior pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church. I've been there for six years and I'm also a resident of Denver. In 2018, our congregation began to have this dream together, knowing that we own this piece of very vacant, dilapidated property and hearing from the Interfaith Alliance at the time about the ways they were encouraging many different faith communities throughout the metro area to continue to consider building affordable housing. Interfaith Alliance helped us begin to give shape to the dream of serving our community and neighbors in this very concrete way, using our property and our resources. We've been privileged to partner with Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver. As the project has moved from dream to close to reality. We've also been privileged to receive support from the South Hilltop Neighborhood Association, as you hear and from Council Representative Sawyer, Augustine is a congregation that is firmly planted in our Denver area. We've been at our present location in Hilltop since 1958. Our core values are worship, grow and grow, and that last word go means to us that we are not turned in on ourselves, but that the purpose of being a faith community is to turn outward to see what we can do to make the world a better place . We have a number of outreach ministries that connect us to our neighborhood in the metro area, but we're so excited to imagine these townhomes, the neighbors who will live there and the way that we can play a part, a small part of bringing decent, affordable housing to people who will call our neighborhood home or call as a faith community is to love and serve. And this is a wonderful way for us to be able to fulfill that call. I urge the Council to support this rezoning. Thank you. Thank you. Kim. Sarah. Good evening, members of City Council. My name is Sarah and I reside near this location and I'm here tonight to support this zoning. I have been so impressed by the work between the community Habitat and Augustana. It's a great model to see people really welcoming affordable housing in our neighborhood. It's a great neighborhood with wonderful schools, beautiful parks, transit, and it's the perfect place for affordable housing. This also meets the criteria for a rezoning, and I'm hopeful you will support this evening. Thank you. Thank you. Corey Whittaker. Good evening, counsel. My name's Corey Whittaker and I live in Lakewood and I lead the real estate team with Habitat for Humanity, Metro Denver. I'm going to talk a little bit tonight about our application to Arizona. So back in 2009, Habitat from the partnership with Augustine Lutheran Church to execute the vision that you've heard of using some of their property to address that critical need for affordable homeownership in Denver. The rezoning request before you tonight is one step in making that vision a reality. Going to talk a little bit about how we arrived at that zoning designation that we're asking for and how it meets the approval criteria. Habitat approaches all of its developments. Balancing three things. We balance affordability, which is key to what Habitat does, and it's key to our mission livability. This really speaks to creating a functional and successful development for those who are living in it and neighborhood context. We want to respect and we want to respond to the surrounding character habitat in August and are proposing to rezone a portion of the property from PUD to E2 B to develop four duplexes for a total of eight homes that you zoned district are a two unit allowance for that duplex building form, which fits that urban edge context that this area is in and it's a more efficient building type to build. So one step in helping us make these homes more affordable. These homes will be three and four bedrooms in size with one dedicated off street parking space per home, as well as one reserved space and the adjacent Augusta in a parking lot. The additional space per home is being provided by Augusta to help alleviate some of the concerns from the neighborhood, from the neighbors about an increase in street parking along Dakota. The homes will also respond to the surrounding context by being two stories in height with pitched roofs and a mixture of siding materials. As part of our continued dialog with the R.A., Abbott has agreed to bring the building design to the R.A. for comment prior to submitting for permit. The rezoning request also meets all the required criteria, including aligning with the goals of the 2040 comprehensive plan, such as develop housing that is affordable to residents at all income levels. Goals and Blueprint Number 2019, such as expanding family friendly housing throughout the city. And it is consistent with the urban engineering context as outlined in Blueprint Number. I would like to thank Augustana for having this vision. I would like to thank the R.A. for being receptive and supportive of this project, and I would urge you to approve this rezoning. Affordable homeownership is a critical need in Denver, and this development is one small step in addressing many. Thank you. Thank you. We'll move to our Zoom platform for Heather Lafferty. Heather, if you would accept the promotion, we can bring you into the panel. Well, greetings, city council members. Thank you for allowing me to join this evening virtually. My name is Heather Lafferty and I live in Denver's first district. And I'm speaking tonight on behalf of Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver and our project proposal in partnership with Augustana Lutheran Church. I know many of you have worked with Habitat or certainly familiar with our work. We have built and repaired hundreds of homes across the metro Denver area. I should say across Denver. And we continue to seek opportunities to be innovative, to find new ways to find land and to build homes so that more and more people have the opportunity to have a good, safe, decent and affordable place to call home. Habitat supports and advocates for policies that expand our housing affordability. And just want to take a moment to applaud City Council for the work that you have done in this arena. We appreciate that you are trying to find ways to help address the lack of affordable housing and support for this rezoning. Tonight is one step towards that. Not only do we think this is a great project, we think that it is a unique collaboration between a church, a neighborhood, and a nonprofit developer like Habitat to find new ways to create the most needed, much needed affordable housing in our community. So we hope this will serve as a model. And many of the speakers before me have talked about all of the benefits of this. So I won't repeat those, but just want to take the opportunity to say this is exactly what we need in our community. We're grateful for the community support. We're grateful for the the imagination that the congregation at the church has and certainly for our city council's support as we have put this forward. Encouraging quality, infill development that's consistent with neighborhoods like the Hilltop area is a great way to get housing accomplished. So thank you for considering this rezoning tonight. And I do urge you, we always would love a unanimous yes. In support of this project. Thank you so much for your time and for your consideration. Thank you. That concludes our speakers questions for members and from of counsel and council. Bill 20 2-069 for Councilwoman Ortega. Thank you, Madam President. Libby, I wanted to ask you a couple of questions. First. It looks like excess of the lead steel is primarily off of Dakota, is that correct? Yes. Okay. And is there any other access to the remaining part of the land off of lead steel, or will there be access off of Dakota because it looks like only part of the pad is being resolved. Right. Yeah. So the I can show you a slide if it helps. But there is there's a street. It has a lot of it's very steep. And that's the connection that comes from lead steel. So it's like a it's a dirt road right now. So there's going to be no connection there. My instinct is that when the dude like back in 97 when they did that project that was planned to be like the connection to lead still not anymore. Like the access now is going to be. And you can see it here. I have an image that shows where the is. So here you can see the corner. So it's this image on the right. So you can see that it's like direct access to the townhouses is going to be there. Okay. Can I just jump in for a minute to answer that question as well? So the the access from lead steel, it's only about an 11 feet wide. It's a very weird shaped parcel. It looks that way. Right. Exactly. And and it's an incredibly steep hill. So there's and with the drainage challenges and the infrastructure that would have to be built out. There is no way to to make it make an entrance or an exit up that hill. It has a lot to do with like flooding, water flow and stuff like that. I could get really nerdy on you, but I'll spare you. So the back. So the entrance is going to be on Dakota and Fairfax, which right now is just an ELL that ends in this empty parcel. And then the Augusta in a parking lot is right there. So access is then partially on this site or adjacent to it. So we're not just trying to understand that. I see my colleague has a map right now of the of the property looking at it. Corey, I don't know if you have any info on this as well. Because part of the reason for asking the question is it looks like at some point the the remainder of the vacant land can be available for development, but access to it seems very limited from Leeds Steel and then the access from Florida sorry to Florida Dakota. So prior to prior to something for the rezoning we submitted for concept plan and we worked with Daddy specifically on the corner of Dakota and Fairfax. And Daddy approved kind of a T intersection right there for a future entrance onto the property. So if the pad was ever to be developed, there is an entrance from Dakota and Fairfax County that. Okay. I see it on this graphic. Thank you, Libby. And if you get this back, happy to give it back to you. So I want you to just ask a couple of questions about how many units can be on the site. So I think the plan calls for units. And again, we keep it. So it's so duplex. We see it. It's okay. And then. So I think we clarified the questions of Dakota. So I think that's all I have. So I appreciate you helping me understand what that access looks like and the fact that there will continue to be opportunity for development of the remainder of the site. So thank you. Thank you. Councilmember PANITCH. Thank you so much. You probably said this and I missed it, but I didn't see it in the PowerPoint when I went back to look. So I'm really excited about the affordability. Is there agreement with hosts to do this as an alternative or they will just satisfy the ordinance at the time? How are how are we dealing with the current and or future ordinances that will be in effect when they pull the building permit? So there's no agreement. I mean. Habitat is doing 100% affordable housing. That's because they're working with the church and they own it. But there's no good neighbor agreement. There's no. Yeah, yeah. So so 100% affordable homes are exempt from the ordinance. So you're just are you playing do you want to just answer? Are you planning to just state that exemption at the time of building permit? Okay. For the record, there's a nod from the back room. Thank you. That's it. Thank you, Councilman Flynn. Thank you, Madam President. Fran, I'm curious to follow up on Councilwoman Ortega's questions, being a math geek myself. What is the purpose of the remnant that runs along the south side of this parcel rezoning? Because it seems to me it would have no utility at all. As Councilwoman Sawyer pointed out, it's a steep hill, but it's still part of the Peabody, but it looks a dead ends at a private property line, so it looks like it has no independent utility at all. Why would that not be included in the in the rezoning? Honestly, we have the same question. A planning board. So it's good. I'm noticing that it's very steep, as you say, it's very steep. It's not really developable. The applicant proposes an area that they want to develop, and that's the area like when you got we talked about like redeveloping the whole site. We talked about going all the way to south, but it didn't make sense because they just that's the area that they wanted to build the townhouses. And we looked at it and because it's so steep in the south, we figured it doesn't really matter. So the boat on the south is going to stay part of the rest of the beauty. Could would someone from the church be able to answer what future plan for the rest of the PD might incorporate that little strip? Is there? Do we have an outlook for development of the rest of the property because it still is under the old PD that that is very, very highly specific and particular it is. So when we when we looked at the property, there is a very steep slope, I think it's about 20 feet that stretches along the further than the portion that we are rezoning. So when we looked at what we needed to rezone, the parcel of land worked without including that. And since that feature kind of ran along the entire property, we felt like it was best to exclude it from what we were rezoning because at some future time they might be able to to redevelop that entire property. Now, I don't want to speak for behalf of the church, but currently the property is a park. It is a privately owned park, but it is open to the public and the church has no intention of changing that. Use anything. All right. Thank you, gentlemen. Okay. Um. The public hearing is closed. Comments by members of Council. Members of Council and Council Bill 20 20694 Council Member Sawyer. Thanks, Madam President. I just want to thank you guys so much. This is. It's so exciting. I'm so glad we're finally here. The first meeting that we had, or maybe was the second meeting before they filed their application was like three days before the COVID shutdown, and it looked like maybe this wasn't going to be able to happen after all. And there was a lot of challenges. The original hope on the site was to be able to build 20 units. And because of that, because of that crazy slope, it just can't be done. But there would be there would have to be retaining walls built in drainage. And like I said, I can infrastructure nerd out about it for you guys, but you don't need to hear the whole story. It's a shame that it is that it is exactly that way because it is a fantastic plan. It is a fantastic location. And I wish you guys would have mentioned, but you didn't. So the Congregation of Augustana Church actually voted on what to do with the land and what and this is what they voted on. They wanted to develop this parcel to support families of middle income earners in our community. And I don't know how many of you are aware, but others stand to have the most incredible after school program and preschool programs. And so most of the community members around the hilltop and south to help them across more areas have been in and out of Augusta on at least 100 million times with their young kids. And so this is a really exciting opportunity for the community. It is consistent with the adopted plans. Absolutely. And fits all of the criteria. And I just want to acknowledge the the neighborhood association, they have been so wonderful and supportive. Of course, there are residents who had questions and concerns and they were wonderful about going out, setting up Zoom meetings, asking questions and just really getting in back and forth with Habitat and with Augustana to see, you know, where those pain point issues were so that they could be worked out ahead of time. Just really, really excited. I think for those of you who might have missed it, this is it could have been a 63 unit senior development. And so it's a down zoning and that that sort of left hand section on the map that you saw where there is kind of nothing there, it looks like there's nothing there. But what's actually there is the most extraordinary, you know, park and community garden, an area that is open to the public even though it's private land . Augustana has been just extraordinary partners to the community for many, many, many years. And I don't know if you can tell, but I am super excited for this so I can support it strongly enough. I am so grateful for your partnership and for Habitat's partnership and for all that you guys have done. And I just I'm so glad we're here tonight and so thrilled to get started. So let me know when we need some volunteers to get building for Habitat, because I cannot wait. I'm really, really thrilled that this is just going to be such a wonderful thing for our community. Thanks. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Roll Call Council Bill 20 20694. Sawyer. I. Black I CdeBaca I clerk. I. Flynn. I. Gilmore, I Herndon, I Hines. Hi. Cashman. Kenny. I Ortega. I read. Central high. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary closed the voting and announced the results. 3939 Council Bill 20 20694 has passed. Councilmember Ortega, would you please put Council Bill 20 22040804 on the floor for publication.
Recommendation to declare ordinance approving and adopting the official budget of the City of Long Beach for the Fiscal Year 2019-2020, creating and establishing the funds of the Municipal Government of the City of Long Beach and appropriating money to and authorizing expenditures from said funds for said fiscal year; declaring the urgency thereof, and providing that this ordinance shall take effect at 12:01 a.m. on October 1, 2019, read and adopted as read. (Ordinance No. ORD-19-0020). (A-16)
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Motion carries. Item 19, please. Final budget vote. For financial management a recommendation to declare ordinance approving in adopting the official budget of the city of Long Beach for the fiscal year 2019 2020, declaring the urgency thereof and providing that this ordinance shall take effect on October 1st, 2019. Read and adopted as read. Mr. Goodhue and Ms.. Control. Mr. Goodhue, any comments? Mr.. Good to hear any comments. Please come forward. I would hold off approving any any budget factor. Until we decide. Not to try to reconvene the Council of Trent. In approving. A new city manager. The City manager that is in queue and will hopefully be formally confirmed. Is with us now. And hopefully will be in the future. If we have the right people sitting in the right place. Period. It makes no sense to do what is a reference tantamount to reconvening the Council of Trent. Period. It's a waste of time and a waste of money if you can't see that now, again, I would suggest. Particularly those who are criminally complicit in going to jail to resign now. Thank you. Thank you. This mango. I'm sorry, Miss Cantrell. No. Okay. Let me just. Before we vote, I just want to, first of all, just thank the staff for this amazing, amazing work. I know we were pretty late last time when we adopted the budget. And I do want to thank the entire finance team, particularly Mr. GROSS and Ms.. Yoon, for their work. And I want to also thank the work of the council. I want to personally thank the BFC Chair Mango and also Members Pryce and Austin and the entire body for their work in the many meetings that were hosted across the city. I believe there were over ten community meetings that happened and those took a lot of work by both council staff as well as city staff to organize. And I just want to thank everyone that's been involved with those. I also want us to say that, again, the Council is adopting a budget that is responsible. It's balanced. We continue to maintain our Double A credit rating, which is an independent review of how well this body continues to manage its finances. And we continue to, I believe, live within our means while also making important investments as they relate to public safety, our public infrastructure and programs that matter to our community within our parks and our community centers. The budget, also, thanks to the work and creative work of the Council and the BFC, is looking to really bring additional support and needed attention to things that happen in our community that are unexpected, like our firehouse challenge out in Bixby Knolls and in the Crown Heights area, as well as other needs as they relate to policing that happen throughout the year. And so I just want to thank everyone for their hard work, and we look forward to the year ahead. And with that, please, members cast their votes.
AS AMENDED A bill for an ordinance designating the La Alma Lincoln Park Historic Cultural District as a district for preservation. Approves the designation of La Alma Lincoln Park as a district for preservation, roughly bounded by 14th Avenue on the north, Kalamath Street on the west, 10th Avenue on the south, and Mariposa Street and La Alma Lincoln Park on the west in Council District 3. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 7-13-21. Amended 7-26-21 to reduce the size of the proposed historic district by amending its legal description. The new legal description removes 2 noncontributing properties on the edge of the proposed district boundary.
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11 Eyes. Counsel Bill 20 1-577 has passed. Thank you, edson, for the staff reports and for the community members who joined us. We are on to our final hearing this evening. Councilmember Torres, will you please put council bill 758 on the floor for final passage? I move that council bill 20 1-0758 be placed placed upon final consideration and do pass. Thank you. It has been moved and seconded the required public hearing for council bill 758 is open. And we have Karen here. May we please have the staff report? Good evening. I'm Karen with Landmark Preservation in Community Planning and Development. And we are here for the alma Lincoln Park Historic Cultural District. Landmark Preservation was established in 1967, and since that time, we have designated 352 individual landmarks and 56 historic districts. What I primarily wanted to point out is that we have one other historic cultural district, which is the Five Points District. If the properties are designated, all properties would go through Landmark Design Review. All of the individual structures are designated as is, so there is no requirement to make improvements or rehabilitate the property. However, if a property owner chooses to make any changes to the property on the exterior of the building that requires a building or zoning permit. They would go through landmark design review as part of this process as a historic cultural district similar to five points, there will be customized design guidelines. The preservation staff has worked through a yearlong community process in order to update the design guidelines to reflect the character of the neighborhood. We met with community members over the course of 2020 and 2021. These proposed customized design guidelines would provide greater flexibility on materials, cladding, porches and fences, which reflects the character of the neighborhood. LPC would review and approve it if this district is designated. The end point of this is to help preserve the character of the district while also allowing change for community members. So this proposed historic cultural district is located in District three. The map you see here reflects the amended legal description from the Fourth Amendment last week, and here's a list of the applicants for the designation application. Members of the community have been working on this for about four and a half, five years. They started doing preliminary research and outreach to the community. They applied to historic Denver's Action Fund in order to help write a historic context. In addition to that, as they were going through the designation application. They worked with long term community residents to do oral interviews and histories to ensure that they were getting a correct history, particularly for the Chicano movement. Throughout this time, they did a wide variety of community outreach as required in the designation application. They did listening sessions, community meetings, walking tours. Things like ice cream socials and flier the neighborhood multiple times, knocking on doors to reach out to residents. Landmark Preservation in CPD also did a community outreach on this and community engagement, or we set up a website for the proposed historic cultural district. We also knocked on doors and delivered fliers. We mailed fliers out to every resident and owner within the proposed historic district. And then we held two online community meetings, one in April and one in May of this year. After the community meetings, we had an online survey or questionnaire in order for residents and property owners to provide their opinion on the proposed historic district. Staff also held office hours and one on one meetings with anyone who had any questions about what it means to be in a historic district. And this is just a really quick process timeline where this started about four and a half years ago to tonight with a vote at Denver City Council. As you all are aware, in order for a structure or district to be designated, it needs to maintain its integrity. The district needs to be 30 years of age or of exceptional importance, and it needs to meet three out of ten criteria, as well as having the Landmark Preservation Commission consider the district's historic context. The LPC and CPD staff found that it met the following four criteria. First, having direct association with the historical development of the city. This was historically home to the Apache, Ute, Cheyenne, Comanche and Arapaho Peoples. This area was part of their migratory path and states along Cherry Creek were part of the indigenous peoples seasonal encampments. However, by the 1870s, with the arrival of the air of the railroad, this area began to develop. A.C. Hunt, who also served as territorial governor, homesteaded and platted this area. The current park was hot was his homestead, and the surrounding land, including Burnham Yards, was platted for development. The residents who resided there were prominent, primarily working class and immigrant communities made up of German, Irish, Italian, Jewish and Mexican residents. They resided within walking distance of work, which was typically Burnham yards or the other industries related to that. And they were well outside the Denver urban core. However, horse drawn streetcars and then eventually trolleys connected it to the city. But it was established as a community neighborhood with people residing there, churches that were established there, as well as commercial corridors along Hellmouth and then Santa Fe Street. Avenue. Sorry, the district is significant for the development of one of Denver's earliest residential neighborhoods, which was primarily a working class and immigrant community. The district is also significant for embodying vernacular yet distinctive visual characteristics of architectural styles and types. These vernacular buildings are modest, yet identifiable architectural styles of Italianate Victorians, front gable types, terrace for squares and bungalow styles. Vernacular structures typically are not architect designed, but rather are constructed by craftsmen and builders and tend to use common and readily available materials. Architectural historians Thomas Carter and Elizabeth Collins, calmly, in their invitation to vernacular architecture, talk about common or simplified building forms and styles, as well as handmade and industrial produced materials that are seen in vernacular architecture, as you can see here in the images and as well here. These buildings tend to be one or one and a half story simplified versions of architectural styles found in the surrounding areas, such as in Cap Hill or the Potter Highlands. You can see a shift in the popularity among the architectural styles from the late 19th to early 20th century, with the majority of buildings built between the 1880s and 1920s. This district embodies the distinctive, visible characteristics of the architectural styles of the late 19th and early 20th century. The district is also significant under criterion, each representing an era of culture or heritage that allows an understanding of how the site was used by past generations. So all the Lincoln Park architecture, with its layers of history and cultural significance, provides an understanding of how the site was used and changed by past generations. Over the decades, there have been changes to the structures within the district. While the original styles are still readily evident, the alterations occurred during the period of significance and reflect the community of people that altered them. When the area saw a change in population with a in-migration of Latino and Chicano residents, neighborhood began to take on the character, heritage and culture of the community. Community members began adapting the buildings, adding stucco or other siding, and including fences to extend living spaces. The layers of change reflect how new generations of residents, creatively and adaptively used the buildings and how the cultural history of the neighborhood is reflected in the built environment. The changes made by the people that inhabited the neighborhood became intertwined with the physical characteristics of the houses and illustrates how the district was used and changed by past generations. And finally, the district is significant under Criterion J. The historic cultural district is strongly associated with social movements and institutions that contributed significantly to the culture of the community, the city and the state due to its central role in the Chicano movement. In addition to the diversity among the neighborhood's earliest residents, many residents of the neighborhood Hispanic, Mexican-American, Mexican and Latino descent moved to La alma Lincoln Park during the mid-twentieth century. The Chicano movement represented the convergence of independent issues land rights and labor rights, opposition to the Vietnam War, and the fight for civil rights. As long as as well as fights for against long term discrimination, backward lack of equity in education, and the inadequacy of the political and governmental institutions to address these issues. In time, the neighborhood and the park than just called the Lincoln Park became the incubator for Denver's Chicano movement. As residents came to identify as Chicano or Chicano and advocate for social justice. Denver served as the forefront as one of the members of the forefront of the National Chicano movement. Residents of the district participated in the movement, and leaders of the movement resided in the district, including important organizers and early political leaders, as well as organizations within the district. One of the primary areas Chicanos fought for nationwide was education. The community fought ongoing unequal access to facilities. The lack of bilingual programs and an overall disrespect of the cultural heritage in many of the education programs. This led to high school walkouts that began in L.A. in late 1968. As we have recently seen in civil rights movements today, movements that begin in one part of the country quickly spread. The walkouts in L.A. helped spark the blowouts in Denver's West High School in the spring of 1969, with marches from West High School to Lincoln Park throughout the neighborhood. The walkout spawned a blowout among hundreds of students from other Denver junior high and high schools over several days in March of 1969. These marches, along with other events and activities, made the park historically important ground for Chicano rights in Denver and made the Alamo Lincoln Park neighborhood an incubator for the Chicano movement. Another significant part of the movement's connection to the neighborhood is through the murals that are in both public and private buildings. Artist Emmanuel Martinez, who lived in the neighborhood, is a key figure in the creation of these murals and in in developing the Chicano mural movement in Denver. Denver was one of a handful of cities in the US that simultaneously began to paint community murals in the late 1960s. Many times, Chicano artists drew inspiration from traveling to these other locations. Several murals in the OMA Lincoln Park remain, including two in the proposed district's boundaries and they are character defining features of the area. The movement grew out of a number of inequitable circumstances that pushed Latinos, Hispanics and Mexican-American communities across the country to push for change in government and systems. It was fostered in part through voluntary social service groups that helped organize individuals and groups in the movement, many of which were located in the district. The alma Lincoln Park neighborhood was central to the movement and provided safe places where Chicano movement organizers and supporters lived, worked and gathered. The Landmark Preservation and CPD staff found that the district met all of the criteria. The LPC also found that the district retained all seven aspects of integrity, as are seen here on the screen. They also discussed the historic context and found that it reflects the layered nature of the neighborhood from the permanent structures in the 1870s through the 1960s and seventies Chicano movement. They found that the historic, strong context is strongly associated with the criteria and is well documented in the designation application. Because this is also a historic district. Denver Planning Board reviews historic districts with respect to its relationship to the Denver Concern Comprehensive Plan. The effect of the designation upon the surrounding neighborhood and such other considerations as may be relevant. Just wanted to provide a little bit of context for the zoning here. The Blue Line represents the proposed historic district. It's primarily a two unit with a few other zone districts in there as well. And then 100 also provide you with existing land use. The yellow color is single family, so it's primarily used for single family with a little bit of multi-unit and two unit, as are noted in the peach in orange colors. Within that context, we can look at the proposed district's relationship to the comprehensive plan. The proposed historic district reinforces the visions of the Comprehensive Plan through the preservation of community cultural assets in the LA Elmo Lincoln Park neighborhood, as seen in the three goals under a strong and authentic neighborhoods, as are seen here on this slide. It preserves the city's authentic, historic character, enhances design excellence, and contributes to a strong sense of cultural identity. Additionally, it encourages the stewardship of city properties through the continued use of the Alma Lincoln Park and the preservation of the Alma mural on the wall of the Rec Center. Designation of the alma Lincoln Park Historic Cultural District preserves the important character and cultural heritage of the community and advances design quality through design review of new infill while providing flexibility for the proposed cultural historic district with a draft customized design guidelines. The proposed district also meets recommendations of policies and strategies under Blueprint Denver. It meets the recommendations related to equity in diversity in one, A and B, ensuring neighbors have equal access to design quality tools and exploring improvements to make design tools more accessible. This may include additional staff resources to support the neighborhoods and improved process guides to more clearly articulate requirements. And also talks about exploring the feasibility of programs to provide resource resources for design tools in underserved neighborhoods. CPD work to find ways to make the guidelines more accessible through a yearlong process with the community. We have drafted customized design guidelines to better reflect the neighborhood character. If the district is approved, the customized design guidelines will also be translated into Spanish. And it's also relationship to blueprint Denver under strategy to a to continue the city's commitment to existing historic districts and use historic designations to preserve the character of the district. Overall, the proposed designation is consistent with Blueprint Denver recommendations. And reinforces the policy plans. It is consistent with Blueprint's vision to embrace the city's existing character and cultural heritage through customized design guidelines. It would preserve the key historic features, ensure that changes and infill are compatible with the character of the historic district. Denver Planning Board also looked at its effect upon the surrounding neighborhoods because the Landmark Preservation Commission only has purview over what is within the boundaries. It would have little impact on the surrounding neighborhood. Throughout this process, we received public comments, we received nine comments from organizations or Arnaud's, and we received 18 public comments submitted from individuals. The letters from the organizations and Arnaud's. We're all in support. We received letters from 14 individuals in support and four in opposition. At the Landmark Preservation Commission hearing, 12 individuals spoke. Eight were in support. One was undecided, and three individuals were in opposition. The individual who was undecided later wrote and provided public comment that she was in opposition and was counted here in this group of four that are opposed. And then Denver Planning Board, seven individuals spoke at the Landmark Preservation Commission. Kathy Prideaux, who is an applicant, also spoke in support of the designation application. And this is a photo of her in 1869 protesting at the state capitol. And she's there in the center. Public comments were also received by a CPD hosted survey or questionnaire. We received a total of 73 responses. 50 were strongly in support. Four were neutral, six were somewhat against, and 13 were strongly against. And the map here on the right represents those individuals who are either within the historic district or just right outside the historic district. So we wanted to differentiate between the total number that we received and then those that are within the historic district. And then it also notes if the people who are providing the comment or a property owner or a renter. So in summary, the landmark designation application was unanimously recommended for approval by the Landmark Preservation Commission. They found that it was over 30 years of age, that it meant at least three criteria, that it retained its integrity. And the LPC considered the historic context. Denver Planning Board also reviewed it and unanimously recommended approval and CPD staff recommends approval as well. And I'm happy to answer any questions. All right. Thank you, Kara, for the presentation. And this evening, we have 34 individuals signed up to speak and we're going to alternate between in-person and virtual participation for efficiency. So we'll call a segment of the in-person participants first and then we'll alternate to the virtual participants. And our first set of in-person participants that I'd like to invite to come to the front pew is in Tafoya, Felix Herzog, Shannon Stage Tan, Tanya Mote and Cathy Prieto. And so we will go ahead and start with Ian to for you, please. Do you have to push a button? No, you don't. Okay. I counsel you and Thomas Tafoya here. Want to start by in a cruel twist of fate, I somehow got it signed up in opposition. I want to make clear I'm not in opposition to this. I wrote op eds, did do a lot of work on this over five years. I do want to start by saying we're on occupied Arapaho, you and Cheyenne territory. This is how we start our historic tours that we give of the West Side and Chicano West Side that I've been a part of for the last five years . I'm here speaking for a couple groups that I'm a member of Latinos and Heritage and Conservation and National Organization of Historic Preservation Advocates, Green Latinos My Job Who Works in Public Lands and Cultural Respect? The Colorado Latino Forum, which I have the chance to chair. All of these organizations stand in support of this very important moment. You know, the Trust for Historic Preservation took such an interest in this that we had a chance to give them a tour. And it was through that that I was even welcomed to speak and do a land acknowledgment opening up at Red Rocks, which was a once in a lifetime experience. But I think it goes to show you that all eyes are on Denver to create the very first Chicano Heritage Cultural District in the country. You know, I heard Kara talk. About Blueprint Denver and the equity goals. I was a member of the Blueprint Number Task Force. I actually held it up for several months on behalf of RNC over concerns with equity. And so I would drive home what she has to say. You know, my personal connection my grandfather graduated West High School in 1929. My aunts and uncles were part of the West Side blowout, and my grandmother and my aunt also went to. Emily Griffith School. You know, there's so much to say. About how long this took. You know me, I'm an action oriented person. Five years was a long time in the making for me. I was hoping it would go faster, but I can say considerably. There was so much work done that I made friends in the community that I didn't know before. Some who had lived there their entire lives, some who are. Newcomers to the community. But I know those murals and Emmanuel Martinez and Veronica Barela. And Betty Benavides, these are people. Who I look up to for their fight for our community and for our culture. Again, I just want to say all eyes are on you and you can do the right thing, just like we did with La Raza Park of. Securing our heritage as gentrification and zoning or wiping away our people. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Felix Herzog. On the evening. I'd like to start off with a quick reference to a Bloomberg article that was published on July 19, 2021, and it say that fewer than 8% of designated historic landmarks in this country represent histories of ethnic minorities. Now, I think as a country that usually takes great pride in being a melting pot and really bringing together minorities and bringing people from overseas together. That's a really, really sad statistic. It's just I mean, there's a lot of us here and only 8% represent minorities. I think that's something that today there's a chance to really make a change to that and kind of creating a district that kind of goes against that statistic. When you look at. Groups like Hispanic Access Foundation and particularly the White Progressive Era, he stated that historic sites tell a very wide story, and I think that just shows that there is something that can be done. That being said, I moved to the Lincoln Park about six years ago and when I. Walk to the box of my dog in the morning and met people. Everyone's very welcome. He was very friendly and on one occasion I made the accident of shortening the name of the neighborhood from within contact with just Lincoln Park. And I was informed of the fact that the Amer translates to the soul. And I think that's what we're here to protect today. Over the last 15 years, a lot of things have changed in Denver and a lot of city parts of the city have gotten gentrified and culture has gotten washed away. And much of the minority neighborhoods are no longer what they used to be if they're pleasant at all. I spent a lot of times living up by Sloan's Lake, and Sloan's like, used to be very nice and welcoming. And unfortunately, over the last five or six years, a lot of that welcoming nature has kind of faded away and been replaced with big concrete jungle. So you just kind of walk down the street and there's concrete to the left and concrete to the right in the ongoing compact. That's not the case. We have lots and lots of front porches. You go down the street, people say hello to you, and I think that's worth protecting. That sort of saw that. But with income, parks still has where you can just meet people and everyone is friendly and welcoming. You have a combination of small homes and bigger homes, front porches and changing fences, all sorts of new and old windows. And no one wants to just simplify it and scrape it all the way along with the sad history of redlining from the 1960s. And. The idea being a food desert for many years where there was no access to good produce and just public access for food that was otherwise completely common. So by. Getting this designation. I think we can keep in mind that there's a very important history to that. I'm asking you to support the submission of this today. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Shannon Stage. Good evening, council members. My name is Shannon Stage and I am the manager of Grants and Preservation Services at Historic Denver. It feels so good to see and before you today in person on behalf of our organization to show our support for the law, the Lincoln Park Historic Cultural District. And we hope council sees the value, merit and effort that has gone into this proposal. We have been working with the law, the Lincoln Park Neighborhood Group, on this project for over four years, ever since some of the folks in this room and online apply to our Action Fund program back in 2016. We provided both financial assistance to support, research and inventory work, as well as technical assistance and outreach support. The four, four year long process took time because it was critical to engage both current and former residents in this effort. It was important to identify the right approach to honor and protect the deep layers of history in and Lincoln Park from its earliest years through the Chicano movement of the 1960s and seventies. To identify the right approach, volunteers, our organization and the R.A. hosted meetings to collect stories, oral histories and to discuss ideas how to honor the neighborhood's heritage. There were eight community meetings where some we had or where we had translators available, some professionally facilitated by Bill de la Cruz. Some dedicated to sharing stories and others with breakout sessions to talk about what people wanted to see for the future of this neighborhood. In between meetings, neighbors hosted walking tours, delivered fliers, conducted surveys, and gave updates to the R.A.. All of our communications were also translated. Out of these sessions, the neighborhood group heard, the community wanted to see the homes, spaces and Chicano murals in La alma Lincoln Park honored and preserved in order to avoid the loss of identity or lose places that have angered this neighborhood. The sessions also brought forth ideas on the kind of protections that were appropriate for the neighborhood, given its long and diverse history, along with the desire for flexibility in any proposed design guidelines. City staff agreed this was warranted for this district. So CPD formed the Custom Design Guideline Working Group in 2019, which was open to anyone in the community. Volunteers delivered an update about the potential designation effort and the opportunity to participate in the Custom Design Guideline Working. Group through door to door flowering. From August to September of 2019. The working group, led by the city, met a total of four times to develop the specific ideas for the custom design guidelines. Over the course of this effort, I personally have spoken to preservationists across the country about the code, about cultural districts, and how to increase access to preservation tools for communities currently underrepresented in local and national preservation programs. From this, I know tonight's proposal is special and will be among the first districts nationally to recognize the Chicano movement and seek to safeguard the cultural and physical environments that contributed to this important history. If approved. LAMB Lincoln Park would be the second historic cultural district in Denver, but the first district that honors the Chicano movement. And what better way to honor it? But that's all. We're going to go ahead and move on to our next speaker, ten year Moti. Hi there. I'm Tanya. I'm the associate director at Smooth Theatrical Cultural and Performing Arts Center. I support the La Palma Lincoln Park historic cultural district as an important resource for new residents, for people who have lived in the neighborhood for generations, for the city, and for all of us who care about culture as a source of resistance , hope and joy. Sioux Theater has a deep stake in the West Side, the heart of the city, the tight. Knit community of concerned. Neighbors that made sure all youth were well mentored, protected from police brutality and the racism of the outside world. A place where culture and the sweetness of everyday life was celebrated. A place that produced legions of activists, organizers and artists whose legacy stands and continues to evolve in its interaction with each new generation. When Suits set up shop in the West Side, we viewed it as an important reclamation of territory. The La alma Lincoln Park Historic Cultural District is also a reclamation of territory and an important engine for preservation, meaning making and even transformation. The great civil rights historian Dr. Vincent Harding, taught us that we have yet to achieve democracy, but our dreams of democracy can still be if we want to be a city that represents everyone from every socioeconomic sector, cultural background, sexual orientation and gender identity, then we must know every facet of our history. We must invite cultural exchange and dialog. We cannot erase and make invisible the histories and stories of people who have been too long marginalized. We have to see each other. We have to respect each other. La alma Lincoln Park historic cultural district is important not just because it commemorates what was, but because it acknowledges what is. Culture lives in people who pass it on in their DNA and through their commitment to carry on memory and tradition. We can start to build a better city tomorrow the type of democracy we would like to be by uplifting all histories, heralding all cultures, and being in genuine relationship with each other. Each of us embodies a past, a present, and the future. And each of us deserves access to the life of the city. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, we have Kathy Prieto. Hello. My name is Kathy Seattle and I live in long my area since 1969 and I love it. I wouldn't change my neighborhood for the world. Change has always come to us. In so many ways. We never had a chance to say we want that change or we don't. But I was in a lot of the marches, the movements that were there. The West High School blowout. I was involved and a lot of the homes on in the La Jolla, my area there, their beautiful homes, they've all got history. They have something to say. And each one of those homes, we've had beautiful neighbors that have come and gone. And I wouldn't change it for the world. My kids grew up there. My grandkids come over all the time to grandma's house. And it's a wonderful place to live. The people are beautiful there and I love the way la my is. And if we can make it a lot better, let's do it. Just take this big Band-Aid off and start putting it together the way it was. Thank you. Thank you. All right. We're going to go ahead and transition. I believe if I've got we've got things marked here. All right. We have folks in the virtual platform. And so we have Adrian Prieto, Brook Whyte, Arthur Way and Winter Roy Ball. And we'll start there. And so we'll go ahead and start out with Adrian Prieto. All right. We're going to see. We don't it doesn't seem like we have Adrian in, so we'll go ahead and move on and come back if we need to. Next up, we have Brooke White. Hello. Can you guys hear me? Yes. Hi. I'm so my name is White. And, you know, and I was like, I mean, I don't have anyone. My husband and I were unaware that the historical research was being proposed until we have received via April of this year. And we were really shocked to learn that they had to find out that everything had already been pushed through. And so we were wondering, you know, over the idea war with this very complex and even thing that somebody had said, I've lived in my house since 2018, I've never known it hasn't might have been in 2019 and have been seeing our neighborhood on a Saturday afternoon. We found that about 40% of our neighbors on one street had not been informed of this change prior to 2021. And then that was proceeded with their statement that they had found out about it. And I think it's really unfortunate that that's how the process starts because my husband and I would absolutely love to support that. So we look to the neighborhood houses and heroes. This is the way to have support, but we feel like we've been cheated because we weren't aware that this was happening until the application had already been pushed through. And I know that it said that people were gone for years, that they did a lot of force, but by us and then the evidence that we found, we were out with people with custody of that. And so if this is to get approval, acceptance of what we are asking is that, you know, there's a six month period before those changes that actually go into effect that would allow people within the neighborhood whose houses are going to be directly affected to be able to make any property changes that they would like to know . Even in a meeting at the end, a few people were calling and say, Hey, what does this mean for us? How is this going to change my life? Or, you know, I don't think that my building should be designated as a structure. Look at that. And all those questions are going to be addressed to the neighbors who are going to be living there and that that process will be set, be fulfilled. And a lot of people who are actually going to have to make the changes that they want. Thank you so much for your time. And they say thank you. Next up, we have Arthur Wei. Okay. It looks like we don't have Arthur with us. Next up, we have Winter Roybal. Hi. Can you hear me okay? Yes. Perfect. So, hello, council. My name's Winter. I am speaking today as a constituent of District seven and as a recent graduate of the Historic Preservation Master's program at See You, Denver. I'm urging. You to approve Bill. 758 for an ordinance designating all the Lincoln Park Historic. Cultural District. I believe that this community lot designation effort will provide a benefit to the neighborhood, city and state of Colorado by recognizing the importance of our Chicano history. Denver has experienced exponential growth that has drastically altered the physical and cultural landscape of the city. These changes are most evident in the historically marginalized neighborhoods that have been subject to historic redlining, racially motivated development practices, disproportionate demolitions, and the physical and cultural displacement of residents. The city must do more to protect our historic landscapes and promote the diverse stories of our shared history. Preservation is often blamed as the cause of gentrification and displacement, but in this instance, the preservation. Can be. Used as a tool for the stabilization of the community. One of the things that makes this historic district different than others that we've seen is that the long time Chicano residents of long Lincoln Park have been the leading voices working on this project since 2016. It is your duty as council to help this community that is often underrepresented in our city's. Historic landmarks to preserve their culture. As you are aware, Denver is facing an affordable housing crisis as well, and increasing density is crucial to expanding housing in the city. Although the homes in Lincoln Park are primarily single family homes or duplexes, many are occupied by multi-generational families. This shared living provides density in a unique way. Additionally, most of the neighborhood's homes have garages that can easily be converted to additional dwelling units, ensuring that the city can achieve its density goals while also stabilizing the existing stock of affordable housing and preventing. Gentrification. And displacement. While this. Council cannot undo. Past transgressions, it does have the amazing opportunity to be a national exemplar in its efforts to change the future through an inclusive approach to preservation and development. Very few historic cultural districts exist in the U.S., and yet Denver stands to have two if Laemmle Lincoln Park is approved. Along with five points, which has. Already been approved. Finally, I would like to close by reminding Council of the city's goals for a more diverse and inclusive future. In the most recent version of Blueprint. Denver, the city decided that by 2040, Denver's neighborhoods should be completely unique and reflective of our diverse history. Additionally, the city and county of Denver put out a call for the community to bring forward culturally significant places to better preserve our Chicano and Latino history. This is the time to listen to our long time Chicano residents and preserve their neighborhood. A yes. Vote for. Lincoln Park will be a public display of Council's commitment to this vision and the values that support it. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you. Our next speaker is Pamela Clifton. Okay. Am I on here? Yes. Okay, great. Good evening. My name is Pamela Clifton and I have lived in the. La alma. Lincoln Park neighborhood for a little over 20 years. But my connection to not only the neighborhood, but the West Side in general goes back even farther. When I was growing up in the Arvada suburbs in the sixties, my father, who was a teacher, became active in the Carol movement. I've vivid memories of him taking my little brother and I to marches and hearing speakers the likes of Cesar Chavez, Betty Benevides and Corky Gonzalez. I remember after one rally, he took me to a restaurant on Santa Fe called Joe's Buffet. He told me I was going to take the best Mexican hamburger on the planet. He ordered me an entire portion lathered in green chili. I didn't want to disappoint him because I was so excited about it. But that green chili was so hot. I actually got high. I started to hallucinate. I was only in the fourth grade, but from then on I was hooked. And to this day I have that chili sauce on everything. But later on, in 1985, I got a job working at the Buckhorn Exchange and worked there for about six years. So in the year 2000, when my father worried that as an artist I might end up homeless, decided he wanted to buy a house. It seemed fitting that he would start looking on the West Side, where he had so many memories and such a love for the culture, which is how I ended up here, and why making this sure this neighborhood receives the recognition and the protection it deserves is so important to me. I've lived here for 20 years and it's not only been, it's only been since my neighborhood association got involved with this project that I really became aware of the incredible and important history of this area. The murals, which I have always loved and appreciated, but I had no idea of the history and the importance of keeping them reject the notion that the Cheyenne and the Arapaho look on this land at one time. I've always walk my dog every. Day past that very house that Betty and Margo Benevides lived in. And I had no idea. I don't want other people to live in ignorance the way I have. Everyone in the city should know the importance of this extraordinary neighborhood and the impact it's had on the growth of Denver and all of Colorado. This designation would be a step in that direction. Thank you. Thank you. All right. We're going to go ahead and transition back in person. I'll call out the next five speakers. We have Sara McCarthy, Erin McMillan, Annie Levinsky, Bob Bassett and Desiree Maestros. And so we'll go ahead and start with Sara McCarthy. Good evening. My name's Sara McCarthy. I live in the 300 block of South Clarkson Street, and I'm very honored to be here tonight to support the nomination of Lama Lincoln Park as a historic cultural district for its role in the development of Denver and as a very important ground for Denver's Chicano movement. The cultural roots stretch from the 1820s after Mexico gained its independence and established trade routes along the front range. 11th Street and columns align with one of these early routes the trappers trail that originated in Taos and Santa Fe and followed the west side of Cherry Creek to the confluence. I conducted the project's early research that involved more than two dozen interviews of West Siders, and I'm sure I missed two dozen more who had their own stories to tell of the 1960s and seventies on the West Side. Of course, I talk first to Veronica barela, who was married to Thatcher, infamous as the king of the high boards at the Lincoln Pool. Other West Siders interviewed included current and former city and state elected officials such as Ramona martinez and former state representative Selina Benevides, whose mother in law was a West Sider and Colorado's first Latina in the legislature. I had the privilege to interview the artist, sculptor, muralist Emmanuel Martinez, and I learned that there is an enduring West Side connection to the Sand Creek massacre spanning from Governor Hunt in 1865, who lived in Lincoln Park. That was his homestead. To a man named Jay O'Leary. Who was one of many who said to me. Once on the west side, always from the west side. When you hear the train whistle tonight, you will experience a tangible reminder of the West Side significance to Denver's history from the 1860s through the 1960s and seventies. Please vote yes on this nomination. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, we have Aaron McMillan. All right. Aaron McMillan. All right. We'll go ahead and move on. Annie Lewinsky. Good evening, members of Council. I'm Annie Levinsky, executive director of Historic Denver at 1420 Ogden Street. My colleague Shannon R.E. describe the long and in-depth outreach effort that's going on in Llama Lincoln Park. I was privileged to take the very first phone calls and attend the very first meetings of the group of volunteers working on this effort. And I can attest to their diligence, dedication and patience and their willingness to move slowly in order to build trust and craft something that is not cookie cutter but respects the history lived experience . Public Spaces, Art and culture of llama. Lincoln Park Historic Denver invested in this project through our Action Fund, which was intended to catalyze just this kind of grassroots activity and to support creative preservation efforts that reflect the full depth and breadth of our city's history. There were meetings, tours, news stories, PowerPoint presentations, door knocking and more. And I was privileged to attend many of. Those and learned so much from. The residents and former residents of this neighborhood and their inspiring actions to make our city and our state a better place. The custom design guidelines that Cara mentioned earlier on are important to this proposal as well. The guidelines, honor and respect that the attributes that make this neighborhood special are not only those that were established in the 19th century, but also those that came about in the 20th century. The modifications, creative and economical solutions and cultural preferences that add to the story of this place. The guidelines provide the flexibility and affordability. Community members. Asked for ensuring that. A wide range of materials can be used to renovate and repair the homes in the traditions that have existed here. We appreciate Cbd's willingness to work with the community on these guidelines. I also want to note that this is one of our first or our first cultural historic district proposal that includes public art, like the murals. And while it does not protect them in some of the same ways that buildings are protected, it does open them up for important historic preservation, financial incentive programs like grants from the state historical fund and tax credits for repair, as well as protections through other kinds of tools like preservation easements. So it is an important first step in ensuring that those pieces can remain a part of our city. I also want to note that while Lincoln Park zoning is compatible with this proposal, as you've already heard, ADA use are commonly constructed in historic districts and that can be the case here as well. The zoning in La alma Lincoln Park also allows for duplexes and tandem homes with a front and back unit, making it very possible for existing structures and parcels to accommodate greater density without demolition or loss of cultural fabric. The alma Lincoln Park is a complete neighborhood and many of the ways outlined in Blueprint Denver and, you know, including encouraging missing metal housing, supporting the preservation of smaller and a fair and affordable homes, and ensuring that neighborhoods have equal access to design quality tools. I want to just close by thanking the neighborhood residents that have dedicated hundreds of hours to this, along with the former residents, the key players in the Chicano movement for whom La alma Lincoln Park will always be home, as well as the staff of partners and institutions like Sue Teatro, the Denver Inner-City Parish News ADD and the Chicano Murals of Colorado Project, as well as Ferryhill and Company and Tonya Motel for their research and writing help. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, we have Bob Bassett. Thank you. Thank you, counsel. My name is Bob Bassett. I'm currently a Denver resident of District four. I was the chairman of the board of Historic Denver for two terms during which we founded the Action Fund. So it's very satisfying for me to see the results here tonight of that effort. I'm also a native of Denver. I grew up on the north side. North high graduate in 1968. Long time ago. But I have a deep appreciation of the cultural importance of the West Side as well as the North Side. I've been asked tonight, and it's my pleasure to read a letter that Councilwoman Ramona martinez wrote today and sent to council. I would like to read it into the record. Councilman Martinez says as a person who grew up in Denver and spent a great deal of my youth in Lincoln Park neighborhood, I am compelled to write this letter to you today and ask you for your support in designating Alma Lincoln Park as a historic district. Not many residents of Denver know the history of the west side of Denver. I'll editorialize and say, Order the north side. But the west side of Denver, when I go way back to the 1940s and as a child it was where I met other Spanish speaking families who came to Denver and settled on the west side of town. Descendants of those early settlers chose to raise their families in this part of Denver. Some even still live there and houses that their grandparents purchased or built. She continues. During my time on Denver City Council, there were a few tough choices about historic places. But I believe it is an imperative that we as a city protect the places that matter most to our history of Denver and its cultural heritage. Development cycles go up and go down, but it is what we commit to protecting that will remain at the heart of the city. Counsel, thank you very much. Thank you. Our next speaker is does Ray Masters? Hi. My name is Desiree Masters. Kathy prepares daughters 1015 in the street. My whole life. I for the llama historic society. I think it's great that somebody is finally stepping in to help the people in the community that could really need help instead of trying to push them out of their properties. We have people that are standing up for them, you know, trying to get the. Trying to get their situations right and take care of our people. And I appreciate that. So I hope we win this thing. All right. Thank you. All right. We're going to go ahead and transition to our virtual folks. And so I'll go ahead and call the five names just so you're ready. So Fatuma here. She's Allison Crabtree, Travis Hill. Andrea Barela and Helen Herron misspeak. And so we're going to go ahead and go first to Fatima. Hello. Yes. Hello? Can you hear me? Yes. Okay. I guess you can't see me. That's unfortunate. But my hair today. Let's see. Well, here it is. Start video in the. Here we go. Okay. Hello, everybody. There you go. Name the team. Richie and I am one of the original applicants for the action fund from historic Denver. And. But the fund enabled us to have a deep dove into this history, into the history of this neighborhood that we moved to in the early or mid 2000. And as a as the first of two or three people who started this was beyond the project, as you've heard numerous times for four years now, four plus years now . And during our research and our delving into the history of this area, I was just completely taken aback by all the layers that are part of this community. I think that we are at a unique moment in time. And it's a historical moment and a cultural, cultural moment to give a designation to that speaks to like acknowledging the everyday person who often doesn't have a voice in some of these matters. I think authenticity is hard to come by, particularly when there are a lot of pressures around us. We heard the young lady talk about, you know, affordable housing. We talked, there was a comment about density. And there are many things around this neighborhood that are sort of driving some of the decisions that might be made by people to replace this authenticity and and sort of substitute sort of community and heritage that we've been hearing about. I think that what's interesting for me is that this community is about welcoming. It's about. Stories. A lot of stories. I'm not an original founder, as Kath Creado is, but I came to this neighborhood with a story. It's an immigrant story. We moved here trying to find people who wanted to be out on their porches and wanted to say hello and wanted to talk to each other. And it's at this moment where I met a lady from Chicago who was instrumental in getting, you know, a light fix for the alley so that it would be better lit for the people who walk down it to pick up their kids from school. That might be. So I humbly ask that the council recognize that just because it's a modest place does it at. The time when you have a lot of stories that are triggered and switch to our next speaker? I'm glad you got your camera working so we could see you. Next up, we have Alison Crabtree. Hi. Can you hear me? Yes. Great. So, four years ago. I was also one of the original applicants for the historic Denver Action Fund. As a resident of this neighborhood and also. As the president of the La alma Lincoln Park, R.A.. And the goal was really to document the historic nature of this area of the neighborhood. And I am here speaking in support of this measure. One of the things that is so striking about this area is its sense of place and identity. And this sense of place is really. Reinforced in many ways. Visually in the distinct architecture, the rhythm of the houses. And the. Murals, but more experientially, the relationships and strong sense of community which goes back decades. And I feel very honored to have been folded in to that sense of community having only moved in in 2013. The homes represent a key period in Denver's growth as the railroads. Were being built and. Many workers and immigrants seeking opportunity and a better life. People who had been shut out of other places d boarded at Burnham yards in this neighborhood and stayed on locally to work in the railroads and Denver water to help build out Denver's foundational infrastructure. And more recently. This area was the center of the. Chicano Liberation Movement. This movement occurred at a time that the neighborhood. Had already been redlined, and the Chicano and Latin. People who lived here had very limited. Housing options and options for home ownership. And the residents of our sister neighborhood in our area were also being displaced. This community banded together and created its own social. Institutions. To support each other at a time when the city and the city. Government was not there for. Them. And as a result, it really strong sense of community. Identity and a bond developed. And leaders grew out of. That community and and. Denver has benefited. From that history and they have. Had a significant impact on Denver's history. These are achievements that Denver claims among those. That the. City is proud of. And throughout this process, and with the help of historic Denver. We have documented the history. Of the area lead history. History Walks. Hosted many. Community meetings and given this history and. Info back to the community and ask how they would like. To proceed with it. And the response has. Been what we've bring to you today. And I hope and I ask that you. Honor this legacy with the historic. Cultural designation. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Travis Hill. Good evening. Can you hear me? Yes. All right. Good evening. Council members, friends, neighbors and allies. I have relatively few comments that would not just. Be echoing and mirroring. Many of the things that have already been stated by others in support of this designation. I'll just say for my part, but by the way, Travis Hill, I note a 1219 look at the street, which is within the proposed designated area. I've lived in the neighborhood for about five years now after. Effectively kind of being crowded out of my neighborhood in West. Colfax by aggressive development and infill projects that made the neighborhood rather unappealing. I was lucky enough to land here in my Lincoln Park and find a home that is not only comfortable but due to a visual disability functional for me where I can walk to what I need, I can get around the neighborhood easily and safely. In addition to getting to meet great neighbors and the aforementioned, you know, front porch culture and just getting to know people that have been here for a few years like myself or for generations again, I don't have a whole lot more to state. Other than that, I feel this designation would be a very positive thing for the neighborhood, and I respectfully encourage the council to please support this designation. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Andrea barela. Hello? Can you hear me? Yes. All right. My name is Andrea Barela. I'm the executive director of New Community Development Corporation. I serve on the board of the Art District Office on Santa Fe. I'm the board president for. The Santa. Fe Business Improvement District, and I'm a very proud board member of the Denver Inner City Parish. All of these organizations, our llama, Lincoln Park. Neighborhood. Nonprofit organizations. Just a big thank you to historic Denver for all their hard work and to all those who contributed to this historic effort. As the director of a lot of. Lincoln Park organizations whose sole. Purpose is to create sustainable families and. Communities, we see this project as unified with new sets core organizational values. On a personal note, I. Would very much like to see the neighborhood that my mom and dad grew up when I grew up in, preserved in its original and beautiful form. I would like to. See the neighborhood where I met my. Husband preserved for our grandchildren to see. I would very much not like. To see the displacement. Of our history and culture. Much like we have. Seen. And are still seeing in North. Denver and other historically. Significant parts of Denver. My hope is that this effort is successful and that it could be expanded to other parts of the neighborhood. Including to my grandma and grandpa. Beautiful white stucco house in the 1400. Block of Penn. In the words of my mother, who regrettably could not. Be here in attendance tonight. Long Lincoln. Park is rich with history. And culture, and every effort should be made. To. Preserve its character. Preserving cultural space is. More than a movement. It is creating. Opportunity for housing, business growth and services. That create a. Stable community. A historical cultural district. Will help the preservation of WAMU, Lincoln Park homes in Latino. Culture. I encourage all of you to vote yes. Thank you. Thank you. All right. We've got one speaker left on our virtual platform, and I'll go ahead and call our next three in person so we can go ahead and get you to come up to the front pew. Matt Meldrum, Emmanuel Martinez and Lucia Luna. But first, we'll go ahead and go to Helen Herron music on the virtual platform. Go ahead, please. Helen. Okay. Can you hear me? Yes. Okay. My name. Is Helen. Joan. I am a Denver resident and also the president of La Alma Neighborhood Association in LA. My alma is the soul. And it has deep spiritual meaning. For me. Not only. Is La Alma. The soul of the neighborhood. But it was the soul of. The Chicano and Chicano movement of the sixties and seventies and the struggle for civil rights. I was there during these exciting times, and I'm proud to say today and talk about my participation in this. These historic. Moments bringing about equality for the Chicano and Chicanos in education in which they have today. There are a couple of members of city council who remember these times. Also either because of their. Participation or the participation of their parents. Designating light hearted might as a historical and cultural district will. Cement this. History. In the pages of. Denver, along with the other indigenous history, such as the Northern Cheyenne and the Arapaho. I urge the City Council to approve this. Proposal to designate La Alma as an historical and cultural district honoring the thousands and I mean thousands because I was there of young people who sacrificed so much to bring about justice and equality in education so many years ago. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Matt Meldrum. And after him, we have Emmanuel Martinez and Luca Luna. Go ahead, please. Hi, Council. Good evening. My name is Matt Meldrum and I'm a resident at 13th and Le Pen in the designated area. I'm speaking in support of the Historical District designation as a resident. Property owner and real estate professional. My partner Ashley and I have only lived in the neighborhood for three. Months, but we moved to this neighborhood and love this neighborhood because. It's one of Denver's. Oldest residential neighborhoods rich in history. Culture, architecture. Arts and much more. Having lived in several other. Neighborhoods across Denver, I've seen how quickly. Neighborhoods can lose their. Charm, character and historical sense of community. This this proposal will protect and honor this neighborhood's rich history, architecture and soul. Which is why I'm in support of the historical cultural district designation. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Emmanuel Martinez. Thank you. I'm a former resident of the Lama Park neighborhood. My wife, Soledad, who is also an activist and and my two daughters at the time lived in the housing projects at 13th and Navajo from 1969 to 1972. During this time, I became a community activist and muralist. I was president of the Lincoln Park Tenant Council, member on the West Side Action Council and on the West Side in the West Side Coalition. I was also a lifeguard at the Lincoln Park School and I found a llama recreation center and served as its first director. In 1971 with community volunteers, we painted the first Colorado community murals on a swimming pool. Bathhouses. And the First Loma Recreation Center. Later in 1978, we volunteered to paint the existing mural at the new recreation center. Law firm of Lincoln Park is not only one of Denver's oldest residential neighborhoods. It is the center of how a community came together and took over the park to include community residents to work for Parks and Recreation. The actions we made at home set the example for other parks in Denver to follow, like La Raza in the North Side. Mestizo Curtis Park on the east side. Longmont neighborhood embodies Denver's history of civil rights and was the heart of the Chicano movement of the 1960s and 1970s. For example, the 1969 West High School walkout was inspired by this movement because of my past experiences. I have a very special place in my heart for this neighborhood. So for the last few years, I have been working as an artist with other community members on this project to document the neighborhood's history and buildings. We want to protect and honor the unique historic context and cultural heritage of the neighborhood from its beginning in the 1870s to its role in fostering Denver's Chicano movement. I was very involved in the police confrontation riots that took place in the Lama neighborhood and was arrested at the West High walk out. I support the project team that has worked so hard to develop the current proposal to create the Lama Lincoln Park Historical Cultural District. This designation will include flexible design guidelines to protect the things that make the neighborhood unique with historical significance. This will also send a strong message to the local and national Chicano community, especially to those of us who sacrificed a lot to give the neighborhood pride, dignity and a sense of brotherhood. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Lucha Luna. I thank you. So I'm director of the Chicano Murals of. Colorado Project and. Also associate. Curator of Latino. Heritage at History, Colorado. I'm going to repeat a little bit of what my father just said, but I felt I should tell you a little story. A little. My father and then a man led Martinez and my mother, Soledad, three, whom met. During the early. Years of El Movimiento. They traveled to California in 1966 to support Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez, participated in the L.A. High School walkouts, where my mother was. Brutally beaten. Over the head with a baton by a policeman. My parents made many sacrifices. To fight for a cause. They truly. Believed in social. Justice and equality. They were exposed to many dangers supporting the land rights movement in New Mexico. Supporting the movement in Denver as well. My father created art to support all three movements, but longed to paint murals that told and. Describe. The story of our rich heritage. Of the. Hispano, Chicano and Mexicans. That lived. In Colorado and were. Absent from all historical textbooks in the DPS. Curriculum. In 1969, my parents moved into. The Lincoln Housing. Projects and quickly began an arts youth program that my father. Mentioned earlier. In. Where we lived. In the Lincoln Housing Projects. My parents began with painting. The facade of the. Housing projects. And obviously the city was not very happy with that, but they. Were very determined to paint these murals. They later. Started. An arts and crafts program that my father mentioned, and. With youth. They built and they painted these first. Murals. And began the mural movement. Today, there is a supposed mural movement going on that. Fails to acknowledge this history. And we are also experiencing. In one of the cultural historic. Districts. Five points, the art washing that is currently happening. And I really hope that if this passes that it is not considered a. Target for. Lawma. We need to be responsible. We need to protect. Our murals. And our visual heritage. But we cannot. Allow. This to happen like it did in five points. Thank you. Thank you. All right. We're going to go ahead and transition. I believe the rest of our speakers are on the virtual platform. Next up is Christine Spargo. Hi. Hello. Hi. Go ahead. Hi. My name is Christine. All right. Christine Sprague and I am a resident at 1165 Lappin Street. So I'm house in the designated area. I'm currently serving as the president of the Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association, which acquired the grant back in 2016. And I am here in support of the. Historic cultural designation just in the time I've been involved with the association the entire time, but not in the. Actual cultural. District process. But just in going back on my notes, I counted over 15 in-person meetings. For the community that were held, as well as numerous door knocking and firing opportunities that happened. So I think there's been a lot of opportunity for lots of great feedback and I appreciate the council considering this. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, we have Anthony Garcia. Hello. Recording in Progress. Performing Arts Center on seventh in Santa Fe. I was born in the what is called the agrarian neighborhood on seventh and Tampa, but I lived also at 1111, Santa Fe and on 10th and Kalamazoo as well. I lived in a Denver that was incredibly segregated, north and south somewhat. I remember when I was a kid working out, walking down on first and and Broadway and some kids pulled up, white kids pulled up in a pickup truck and they yelled at me to go back to where I came from, which kind of stumped me because I thought they meant the West Side, because that's the world I knew. That West Side neighborhood that we lived in was actually a place where there was some elements of protection that existed there for us in a very in a racist world. The the neighborhood by the time I got to the seventies, as I was growing up, the the the arts, the cultural movement began to grow should they outgrow, which I'm a part of. We had one of our first spaces was at the Denver inner city parish. And Manuel Martinez, as you heard, he's very modest. He doesn't mention that he studied with the great David Siqueiros, one of the great three great muralists of Mexico, bringing that tradition from its origin point to to Denver. Now we talk, as Lucia was saying, we talk about the great muralist movement here in Colorado, in Denver, and we forget that it actually began in in Denver and it began in Lincoln Park, La Mullica Park. One of these days, we're going to walk by that mural in Longmont, and we're going to say that mural is Emmanuel Martinez. That should be a landmark for our city. I think we have a way. We forget sometimes how important we are in that national movement, that the West type blowouts was not only significant by what it changed here, but it's about how it influenced the national dialog taking place among Chicanos. It was where it began. A spirited stand was developed in order to influence all these other people. So I would offer that this is really a story about community culture and social justice and how those come together. But also it's about a question of place who belongs here and who doesn't. When those murals went up, when the theater performed in the parks, it was a conversation that said We actually belong. This is a ratification of that concept. The video. All right. I think we might have lost Tony and. Oh, there we go. We've got you, Tony. Sorry about that. I think we had something in our. Channel eight that interrupted you. So I'm sorry. Go ahead and finish your comments, please, sir. Can you hear us? Tony. All right. I think we've maybe lost the audio feed for Mr. Garcia, unless. Tony, can you hear us? Okay. We'll go ahead and move to our next speaker and see if we can figure out the audio issue that we're having here. But thank you, Mr. Garcia, for your comments. Our next speaker. We're going to go ahead and try to shift to our next speaker, Jessie Parris. All right. I'm not quite sure we're going to try. We're going to get our. Okay. It's saying that the Zoom feed has been denied for some reason, but I think we've got our next speaker up here, so we'll go ahead and try to continue on here. So go ahead, Jesse. We've got Jesse Paris up next. Go ahead, please. And I know we've I believe we have you unmuted on our side, but we're going to go ahead and just take a quick second. Just hang on for a second, Jesse. We're having a. Oh, there we go. Uh huh. Go ahead. Just recording in progress. I'm represented for Flextronics to move for self defense. Positive action can move for social change as well as the Unity Party of Colorado. Front line Black knows and I will be the next mayor of Denver in 2023. I am in favor of the preservation of Lincoln la la la llama Lincoln Park. So my I am a West High graduate. I graduated from West High in 2005 with two diplomas, one from West High and one from the Denver Center International Center for International Studies. And yeah, I am very familiar with the history and the culture of the West Side of Denver, so I am definitely in favor of this. Please pass this tonight. This is a long time coming. The only thing I'm concerned about is the fact that. This being a cultural district. The second after five points, which is the first culturally black district in Denver. This will be the first culturally Hispanic or Latino district in Denver. The essence of the significance of this would be more rapid gentrification of the area. Five Points is not. Affordable anymore. They're rapidly gentrified out of it. So though it has a cultural significance of historical significance and designation. It does not mean that the neighborhood, the people that made the neighborhood what it is, can still afford to live there. So I would hate to see that happen one week apart in the surrounding area of Lincoln, part of the neighborhood of Lincoln Park. But. That aside, I am in favor of this rezoning for my preservation tonight. Please pass this. This is a long time coming, as heard from the numerous speakers tonight. This will be the first of its kind in Denver or the second of its kind in Denver of this sort. So please pass this. The first vocal minority of people of color communities in Denver. Recording in progress. Fact in history from the history books it needs to be incorporated. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Laura Gomez. All right. It doesn't look like we have Laura there. We're going to go ahead and go to our next speaker, Alexis Prieto. All right. Our next speaker, we don't seem to have Alexis, Aaron or Leo. Okay. It seems like we lost some of our virtual participants. We'll go ahead and go a layup, though. Zachary Lovato. No. Okay. Elvia a regular. All right. Our next speaker is Tess Storti. I thank you, counsel. And I just want to acknowledge that we are on these stolen occupied land of the Arapaho, Ute and Cheyenne and and that we still see the the history of colonization and and extraction capitalism going on in this city today. And I just want to thank all of the organizers and everyone who worked on this. It's a really historic moment. And and it's really beautiful to see in the city that has not historically represented this type of preservation or action for people of the global majority. And so. I. I just am I really I was I've just been thinking about what some of what the other speakers said. The the comments about, you know, who belongs and who is allowed to to hold on to the ties to the land and to the houses that their that their ancestors lived in and helped create in this city. Because we, you know, before long the Lincoln Park. Well, not before, but, you know, alongside the area neighborhood, the oldest neighborhood in Denver existed and through a through federal tax dollars and a bond that Denver voters voted on, that money was used to displace people and build the and build the college campus. And there's a lot of that history that feels very feels very relevant today and looks like it may be repeating itself. So I just encourage us to think about. Making more decisions like this that don't require a historic preservation or five years of plus years of organizing, or that this be the norm, that this become the standard that is used rather than the exception, because that's what we need in the city. And that's what we would like. And. And it doesn't feel like this is the norm at all. So, you know, it shouldn't take this for people to be able to remain in the spaces that they have helped create in the city. So thank you. Thank you. Please pass this. In our last speaker this evening is Rosemary Rodriguez. And it doesn't look like we have her in the Zoom platform either. So that is going to conclude our speakers this evening. Questions from members of Council on Council Bill 758 Council Member Sawyer. Oh, you know what? I know this is in Councilwoman. Torres's district, so if she would like to go first, she's welcome. To. All right, we usually do that for commerce, but we can go ahead and do that on questions as well. Go ahead, Councilor Pro-Tem. Thank you so much. Thank you, Councilman Slater. One, if Tony Garcia is still in the zoom, I wanted to see if we could give him an opportunity to finish his comments. No. He's gone. Okay. Thank you so much. I do have a couple questions. Both probably for Karen, as well as any Levinsky. And I think we've heard quite a bit and some very specific numbers around outreach that was done. So I think my questions were answered throughout the process on what took place there. I am curious, Kara, if you can provide some insight on the custom design guidelines specifically because we got questions over email. How does it provide flexibility? That's been mentioned a couple of times. And affordability. Yes. So the customized design guidelines are currently in draft form when Preservation Commission couldn't prove or adopt design guidelines for a district that was not in existence. So if this is approved tonight, it will go to the Landmark Preservation Commission tomorrow at their meeting for a discussion item. What the customized design guidelines currently in draft form provide flexibility on primarily materials and on fencing, which are two of the things that we found through work with the community, that these are things that are part of the character of Alma Lincoln Park because the proposed historic districts period of significance or the time period that it's important goes into the 1980s. Materials like vinyl siding and vinyl windows, premise stone, those are all things that are part of the historic character of the district as we have walked the neighborhood. We would guesstimate about 80 to 90% of the windows have been replaced with things like vinyl windows. So it's a lot of flexibility with the types of materials that could be used if they were wanting to make changes. So that's primarily where the flexibility lies as currently drafted. Okay. So there's. So the flexibility is what provides for some of the affordability because you have more options to choose from. Yes. Yes. Yes. So it does so so that you don't have to go back and replace vinyl windows with wood windows, which would be a more costly thing. So the flexibility provides a lot more affordability in terms of materials that can be used on both contributing or non contributing houses. Great. Okay. The next question I have is about the impact of designation on property values. Either what you've seen take place in other districts, whether they're and I know property values throughout Denver have just exponentially increased. So if it's hard to tell, I think that's telling as well. But I'm interested in what you've seen with other designations. So there's been studies on both a nationwide level and on the state of Colorado about historic districts. And they've studied three different districts within Denver, and they basically have found that the property values in historic districts are slightly above the property values of those surrounding it, but very slightly so. It's pretty much a stabilizing influence, however, in today's market. The studies have not really looked at something like this that has this amount of exponential growth and rising costs. Okay. Um, and then my last question might be actually for Annie. If you can describe a little bit about what kinds of funds owners can tap into if they're if they live in a historically designated area that they could in before. Sure, yeah. The primary financial program for residential owners is the state preservation tax credit. So it's a state level credit. It can cover 20 to 25% of qualified rehabilitation costs. So the kinds of things you need to keep the building. In good condition roofs. Foundations, windows, heating and cooling systems, you know, the basic things that you need in the house can can be eligible for that credit and owners can spread it over ten years. So if they have a relatively small tax credit or tax burden, it's something they can spread over a longer period of time in order to take advantage . There are other programs that are not tied specifically to the designation, like Debra's Home Homeowner Program, which we did share with owners as we were working on this project to make sure that people knew there were a variety of tools. There are also state historical fund grants. The grants are typically best for nonprofit owners, so some of the institutions in the district like Denver A.C Parrish, would certainly be competitive for those single family homes. Less likely, although if it's a highly significant home, there is always a potential for those grants as well. They're just a competitive program. Great. Thank you. Those are all my questions. Thank you. All right. Thank you, counsel pro tem Torres. All right. We're back up to Councilmember Sawyer. Go ahead, please. Thanks, Madam President. Just had a question for I guess probably this is for Annie around the arts. So we heard a lot of testimony this evening about the murals and how incredibly important they are to the character of the neighborhood. But it doesn't. Seem. Clear that they will be maintained. So how does how does that work? Can you just. Tell me a little bit more about that? Sure. I'll do my best. And certainly you could speak with Luca as well, because we've been working with Lucia on project, on efforts around murals in general. So the the I guess the the catch is that in historic districts, in order for something to be designed, reviewed, it has to require a permit. And painting doesn't require a permit. So there's no sort. Of nexus at the city permitting level to review that. But the designation does make the murals eligible for other programs just by virtue of being on contributing buildings in the district. So I mentioned the grant program, so restoration and repair of the murals would be eligible also by becoming contributing buildings in a district. Private preservation easements could be put on the buildings now, probably not on the public rec center, but potentially on the on the private properties, working with the owners to put in more intensive protections. And then we're working with Lucia's organization on other ways that we can enhance the protections for murals citywide, not just in this area. So it's an evolving conversation, but this is a first step. Got it. Okay. Thanks. Thanks so much, Madam President. All right. Thank you, Councilmember Sophia. Next up, we have Councilmember Flynn. Thank you, Madam President. I care. I have a couple questions I just need some clarification on because some of the. Material is gives us sort of a different type of district than more traditionally, especially in the use of nonstandard materials and their allowance. And so I just want make sure that I understand and that the property owners understand also. So with the houses that have not yet. Had any alterations of any significance from their original state be permitted to use some of the nonstandard materials if they needed to upgrade, say, original windows, would they be permitted to use vinyl windows in? I just want to be really clear on this that I understand it. Right? So what we discussed with a lot of the community members in the working group was that the importance of things like Windows and Doors was that the proportions stayed the same. So you didn't enlarge the windows, you didn't enlarge the doors, but that the materials weren't particularly important. And so that that that's what's currently drafted in the design guidelines. It does, however, call out a few character defining windows that are there are few like leaded glass windows on the front facade. So it's on really readily visible facades, which would be the front or perhaps a little bit corner on the side for those. But the currently as drafted, the design guidelines call for the retention of the the size and the proportion of the window, but not necessarily the materials. Okay. Would they, for instance, would a replacement window work to be vinyl? Would it have to resemble the original window or could it be, you know, double hung, that sort of thing? It currently calls for it to be of a historic operation. So if it was a slider, it could be a slider. If it was a double hung, it should cost for it to be a double home. Is there some concern? Is there an added consideration here? If we were to not permit, for instance, windows that could not be operated, if they were if replacement Windows had the same operation as the original, might not be operable, say, by a person who could not stand up or was in a wheelchair. Would there be accommodation for that? There could be an accommodation. I actually am looking at my manager who does more design review than I do. And so if you can allow Jennifer Capello to answer that question, she might be a little bit better to answer how that would be. Thank you. Hi, Jennifer. The reason I ask is because I know that this was a consideration in the in one of the restorations in my district. Okay. Good evening. I'm Jen Capello. I'm Landmark Preservation Staff Manager. So to answer the question. Is there accommodation for accessibility? Is that okay? We work closely. With the building department on whatever their requirements are. And so our. Requirements. Typically don't override accessibility requirements, but we try to work on. Some common ground so that there can be we. Can achieve compliance with the code as well as compliance with preservation. Requirements. Okay. Flex flexible. Yes. Okay. Kara, thank you. And I'm very happy to hear that. By the way, I think this is this is maybe a little a hole in the hole in the wall that might lead to a little more flexibility elsewhere. Does including the park itself in the district convey any review powers to landmarks, staff over the Parks Department or the Parks Department to want to do some additional work in the park? I know that we have some districts that include parks like, I believe, Alamo Placid. The park is included in that historic district, but I don't think there are any habitable structures there here. We do have one. So is there was there discussion with parks about any potential conflicts or how to resolve those things? Yeah. So there was discussion with parks and within the design guidelines, there's intent linkage at the front of these customized design guidelines with the intent that the continued use of the park is paramount and that it's called out within the designation that there are a few contributing buildings or structures. So the rec center, there's an amphitheater, an a still a stone wall, and then what was historically known as the neighborhood house. So those are called out as contributing structures. And so if parks would pull a zoning R building permit, that would go through landmark review. However, as it's zoned as. OSA. I believe there are not particularly there aren't a lot of zoning permits that are pulled under that zoned district. So Landmark would have review if they made changes to the rec center. But it's really clearly called out in the intent language. That landmark is not going to review vegetation. It's not something we have purview over. We wanted to specifically call it out and that it is important that it retains its use as the nature of a park. And that landmark does not want to review changes to their walkways or changes to, if they want to put some change , a baseball field to a basketball field. That's not something that we want to be reviewing. Okay. Oh, thank you for that. By the way, I've always been intrigued by that. Stonewall talked about the one on Osage. Correct. On the west side of the park. Is that and. How old is that? We know the providence of that structure. I believe it's the 1930s I. It could be related to, you know, a key project or some site of sort of public works. But I believe it dates to a 1930s. Okay. Last question to you. Zoning, would the designation of this as a landmark district have any significant impact or design restrictions or on the potential for a property owner to add on or. I know there was Annie. I believe you talked about a tandem house, for instance, that sort of thing. Could you talk a little more about what you see is the impact on developing a single unit lot under the to use zoning as as a twin unit or a two unit, rather. Yes. So Landmark is supportive of things like to use in tandem houses that provide density to a historic district. It would follow the design guidelines for infill construction, which is not something that's really proposed. There aren't many changes proposed in that for the draft design guidelines, but Landmark would be supportive of take them house or EDU, something like that. That would provide additional density if the primary structure is a contributing structure. It is unlikely that it would be allowed for demolition. It would go to the Landmark Preservation Commission for their review and they very, very rarely approve contributing buildings for demolition. But if they wanted to add a tandem house at the rear, that would be something that would be supported by landmark staff. Right. Certainly not talking about any demolition, but about the potential for within the rules to add on, say, in the rear. And I'm supposing that staff has looked at all of the the setbacks and what percentage and how far back in the lot on a historic designated parcel can be built, etc.. And we're satisfied that tandem house, for example, could be a building for them. I mean, that would probably be more zoning in terms of like where it could be placed in the landmark. All right. Thank you very much. Thank you, Madam President. All right. Thank you, Councilmember Flynn. And seeing no other speakers in the queue. The public hearing is closed. Comments by members of Council on Council Bill 758 Council Pro Tem Tours. Thank you, Madam President. I want to express such sincere thanks to all of the public speakers tonight and the residents and organizations who have worked this effort through for for nearly five years. All anyone had to do was connect with the R.A., with the local organizations, to know that this has been a priority and it's been discussed consistently over that entire time. Historic designation is our human attempt to ensure our roots are forgotten, erased, built over. And every day in Denver, I see our city disappearing. Our roots are in events, they're in buildings, they're in people and arts and murals. All of these are at play in this proposed district. It is a deeply emotional designation and one that I think we all take really seriously. The addition of culture to our landmark criteria opened the door for some long overdue acknowledgment in this case of the birth and impact of Chicano history in Denver. Our effort is supported by multiple neighborhood associations and residents who collaborated and hosted walking tours and community meetings for over five years to shape and support this proposal. We are long overdue for this recognition of llama Lincoln Park. We will collectively, as an entire city, miss these homes if they are raised. I would like to actually see the boundaries expanded over time. I think there's a lot more of the neighborhood that could stand to be preserved. Buildings and property exist in context. And the context here is the history of the neighborhood. They are hand in hand and there are few tools to capture and retain their importance. Zoning alone doesn't protect historic homes. The loan doesn't protect. Murals and it doesn't acknowledge historical roots or culture. Our action here tonight is what protects them. I have heard concern on multiple sides of coins that designation will increase property values or decrease property values. This neighborhood's property values are increasing, which is exactly why this designation is so important because of the funding streams that open up for residents to stay in those homes. There's been a lot of effort to ensure that design standards for community developed and with intentional flexibility to ensure updating remodeling can still be done well into the future while still maintaining the character of housing and identity aimed for preservation. Tonight, my colleague, Councilman Sandoval, pointed me to two builds in the Potter Highlands historic district that look very different from one another, but both of which comply with the district designation rules as well as design overlay. These things are possible. I want to point to a section of Tony Garcia's letters in support tonight, because it was. One of the most compelling things that I read as we seek collectively new solutions for the problems of gentrification, we must also shift our understanding of the people we are displacing and the cultures and histories we are embracing. Communities have long histories and their physical presence and emotional resonance comes from the people who call the community their home. The project provides a crucial understanding of who we are and who we have been. It gives us insight. We need to move forward to create a future that is more just an equitable, rich and evocative and represents the inclusive and dynamic community building that is so important to neighborhoods that thrive. My thanks to soothe the outro to new said to Museo de las Americas to the Casa Maya, Denver, Inner City Parish, Chicano murals of Colorado and Manuel Martinez into for you. And thank you to the applicants Fatima Allison, Felix, Mary and Kathy and everyone who provided support tonight and thrilled to vote yes. And I asked my colleagues to support tonight's cultural historic district in llama Lincoln Park. Thank you. Thank you, counsel pro tem Torres. Next up, we have Councilmember Sandoval. Thank you, Madam President. It is my honor to support this application tonight. I was thinking back to my work in Council District nine in the Lamar Lincoln Park neighborhood, and when I started in there working for Councilman Monteiro, it was just Lincoln Park. The park was not named La Alma. And I remember doing research, reading article after article about the history of the West Side, the marches that happened in the West Side, learning about Emanuel and his mural and La Alma the soul. And I think that that resonates the most with me tonight sitting here. So it is my honor to be up here and be able to vote on this. I was a council aide and we worked on adding the honor to Lincoln Park officially to make it the whole entire neighborhood, LA on the Lincoln Park and make officially the park llama. And it is my great pleasure to support this cultural district. I want to work on one in my neighborhood for the Orthodox Jewish community, and I think this paved the way to how to do it, especially the design standards that are more equitable. And I think of what Ian Tafoya said in his comments about Blueprint Denver and working on equity. And I remember when you held it up to talk about equity, so thank you for doing that because tonight we have outcomes from that work that you're doing. So thank you for all the sponsors and thank you for all being here with us in person and those who are virtual. And you have my support. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Sandoval, Councilmember Flynn. Thank you, Madam President. And thank you, Councilwoman Sandoval, for what you just said, because this city has such a rich history and it's a lot of it is on the west side. And it's just my pleasure to support this tonight. And it's long overdue. The this la alma neighborhood has such is so deep in history from before before the white settlers came along. And it has a rich history that is also very sad. It was this is not in this district boundary, but just to the west of it where Camp Weld was located in the in the Hunter subdivision from where the Colorado volunteers set out for Sand Creek. So there's a lot of a lot of terrible Colorado history associated here as well. When I about 15 years ago, when I was at the newspaper and RTD was starting its West Corridor Light Rail project, I had the opportunity to produce a series on the corn , the history of that west corridor. And it started right where the tracks diverged from the RTD main line, and they went right through the north part of this neighborhood. And one of the most profound experiences I had in learning about the history, the human history of this city and the rich history of LA and the Lincoln Park was when I went down to the Western History Department of Denver Public Library and looked at the criss cross directories. And I remember around the turn of the century being so moved by the diverse population of this neighborhood. And I know that the staff report spoke to this in in in just in general detail. You could you would see Mexican names. You would see Eastern European. You would see a synagogue next to a a a Latino church. And it was just very rich and it's all gone. All of that is gone. Star Bakery is gone. You know, a lot of the foundation of this neighborhood is gone. The the railroad, the Burnham yard is gone. But we can't forget. What they produced here. And this will go a long way to preserving that history. And I think it's long overdue and I'm happy to support it. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilmember Flynn. And I'll go ahead and add a few remarks here. I want to thank the community members and advocates who shared their stories with us tonight. That becomes your history and culture when people are able to share stories and the history of the area. And your love and your passion for your neighborhood came through tonight. And it was hard for me not to too to say, well, you're repeating some things, but really you didn't because you all gave such personal stories about why this area is so important and why we should vote to make it a historic and cultural district. And I'm very, very honored, having been here in person, listening to the stories both in-person and virtual, to support this tonight and want to congratulate Council Pro-Tem Torres, because this is a huge accomplishment and a huge left. And I know exactly how you were able to accomplish it because you had the community walking beside you with you every step of the way. And I'm happy to support this, this evening. All right. We will go ahead, Madam Secretary. Roll call on Council Bill 758, please. Torres. I black. I. CdeBaca. I. Clerk. I. Flynn. I. Hines. I. Cashman. I can. Age. I. Sandoval. I. Sawyer. I. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, please close the voting and announce the results. 11 Eyes. 11 eyes counsel build 20 1-758 has passed there being no further business before this body. This meeting is adjourned.
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute any and all documents necessary or desirable to enter into leases with public or private parties for terms not to exceed six months, with an option for one six-month extension at the sole discretion of the City Manager, to lease or occupy real property in response to the proclaimed emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and Adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents, including subcontracts and any subsequent amendments, to apply for, accept, and expend grant funding for financial assistance to respond to the proclaimed emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Citywide)
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District six. By District seven. So District eight. High District nine, high ocean carries. Thank you. Item 14 Staff. Report from Economic Development. Recommendation to enter into leases with public or private parties to lease or occupy real property in response to the proclaimed emergency due to the COVID 19 pandemic and adopt a resolution authorizing to execute all necessary documents citywide. For the mayor and council. This is the ability for staff related to go go quickly to lease property when we have a need related to COVID response and to also accept grant dollars for groups that want to give us money. And then we would come back at the next available council meeting the next opportunity and get that ratified. So with that, we ask for your support. Okay. Thank you, Vice Mayor Andrews. You know, I just like to come in and and say, I'll be friends on this because I like let's reflect on some of the possibilities into the item. You know, I hate to see I keep bringing this up, but we really need to start looking at the private parking lot and attempted to do a contact with them for temporary parking. So, for instance, you know, I know that the work is in the detail and the liabilities, but looking at this item, I think that this is the kind of work that we are going to be doing anyway. So please that we can allow, you know, the city managers to enter into this contract to facilitate the parking. I would really appreciate it because like I have spoke with some of the few people in my district and they want the kids in a central role. These are three parking lots and only one of them are getting used and they also allow library in the Wrigley that also has two parking lots. I would really like to see that work a little more with the Private Friday during this crisis. And thank you again for this item. Yeah. But the members. And they have. Thank you, Mayor. Was that a motion by mayor? I don't know. Mayor, is that a motion? Yes. I would like to speak in that motion. Big, bad business, very clear. And I really welcome this type of creativity during this crisis. The last thing we know right now, the last thing we need right now is to be caught up in the people know. So I really support this item having the second motion. Thank you, Councilmember Austin. Thank you. I just had a question for staff from the staff. And for the benefit of those, I mean, what type of role on music would we be looking at on all the pieces I've heard properly on the record the multi. Yeah. So I'll give you thank you account number. I give you an example. We needed to bring on a warehouse to be able to accept all of the material that we as a health department get from the seat in order to put out the PPE to our first responders and to our medical providers here locally. Thankfully, we had already been working on that and we were able to have a council meeting and bring that to you. And but we did have to wait until we had a chance to get that signed. It was all paid for. We all had the money coming in from the grant, but we did have to line it up and call a special meeting to have you do that. So that's an example. We could also be looking at things like if we needed to do drive through testing and lease somebody like for a little while to do a huge drive through testing capability, we could do that as well. So those are some certain examples. I think what Mr. Andrews is talking about is parking. You know, that is certainly something that we could look at. We have in the past, you know, we wanted to bring our parking assets on very quickly. And so a lot of times the property owner requires a lot of us in order to do parking. You know, they want us to pay their insurance. They we have to look at A.D.A. responsibilities and those types of things. So we can certainly use this to look at those opportunities further as well. Thank you for that clarification. Or I just think that I'm supportive of this item, but I also support the comment and requests from our Vice mayor regarding parking, because I'm hearing from a lot of our residents who want to do the right thing, particularly when it comes to moving more vehicles to them purposes there, because everybody is home right now working from home on a school home either makes it a lot more challenging, can't get around and we have problems getting up. And so if we can find the creative would be retailers, large retailers and retail groomers, the beacon of light that would be doing that. And someone hit me hard on that. Can someone mute their phone? Thank you. Customer Anger. I just want to let my support to say to them I think it's a very creative way of being able to deal with open spaces. Thank you. Thank you. And that concludes comments for this item. So please do the roll call vote. Council District one. I can't tell district to. I. And so District three. I. Council District four. I cancel District five? I Council District six. Yes. Council District seven. High Council District eight. Oh. Council District nine. My motion carries.
Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the hearing and grant an Entertainment Permit with conditions on the application of Casto Corporation, Inc., dba The Brit, 1744 East Broadway, for Entertainment With Dancing by Patrons. (District 2)
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Would you please stand and raise your right hand if you plan to testify or speak to this hearing? Do each of you solemnly state that that the testimony you may give in the cause now in pending before this body shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help you God? Do. Thank you. With that, I'm going to turn this over to the city staff. Mr. West. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The staff report will be held will be conducted by Jason McDonnell, our purchasing and business services manager. A mayor, council members Jason MacDonald purchasing a business services manager for the Financial Management Department. Tonight you have in front of you the application for entertainment with Dancing for Castille Corporation doing business as the Britt 1744 East Broadway in district to all the necessary departments have reviewed the application. The application and proposed conditions are contained in the packet that was provided. We are prepared to dis address any questions or concerns along with the police department regarding the application or conditions. That concludes my report and were available as needed. Thank you. Thank you very much. Now I'm going to go ahead and do some council deliberation and public comments as well. But I'm going to start this off with Vice Mayor Lowenthal. Thank. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I wanted to ask the staff and the owners that are here, I believe, to indulge me on this. I know we were trying to get to some consensus with residents and we're pretty close. I think there are a couple of items that we need to still work out. And so I'd like to ask that we put this over for two weeks time certain, which I think makes it February 17th. Is that correct? I'm not sure, Mr. City Attorney, is that. Yeah. So that's my motion. I could certainly move it over. To the 17th. Yes. Okay. So the motion is to move this item to the 17th. That the motion. Okay. Is there a second on that motion? Oh, second. Okay, there's a second. Can you get. There's no motion before. Could you get a plug in. Pushed the motion please. Thank you. Any public comment on the motion before us today? Please. My name is Jeff, darling. I represent one of the owners of the Mineshaft Incorporated, one of the seven owners. Holding it over is a little bit inconvenient for us since the owners are in other cities. I came flew down from Northern California in Redding to represent them. Most of them live in several different cities. It's a family trust business. We've operated for 33 years under the current patio situation. The only difference to what we're trying to do is just add entertainment in the changing environment of the bar business. People are more responsible and don't go out right after work and and drink for 2 hours before they go home. We need a business model that can attract business with special events now and this model that we're trying to function under. And it really doesn't it just brings in a deejay. We currently have jukeboxes, so it doesn't really impact the sound level any different than it did before. It just allows us to have special event nights with a, you know, kind of like a Go-Go dancer type person. One of the performers to attract a special event night are hours, a bar hours are affected. You know, if we can't use the patio, if we shut it down at 10:00 per say, that's that's a critical time frame for a bar. That's just how bars work. Bars don't get busy until 10:00. And, you know, they close it, too. So any time we limit the hours, I think it greatly impacts us. I think one of the problems is we want to be good neighbors and being a good neighbor means that the people in close proximity are impacted. But there was an analogy at the last meeting that I watched the video and it said, you know, it's kind of like that when you move next to an airport, you can't expect the planes not to land at an airport. We've been there in operation for many, many years, and when they move there, they are impacted, unfortunately. I think what we need to do as a business is be a good steward and work with the people to add acoustic treatment. One of my proposals, I you know, we can talk about that later if we continue it over that date is not necessarily a great date. That's a very large promotion day. What is that, Fat Tuesday? You know, so it's a drinking holiday. And, you know, so that date in particular might be a difficult one because our managers are needed for operation of a bar. But I am concerned and do want to represent the ownership and Joe has just been put in as a manager and I think under public comment last time they were concerned that, you know, we've made steps to discipline employees that didn't follow the rules. And we've actually had some people have been let go because they weren't applying to the the correct procedures on the patio. Okay. Thank you very much. Time's up. Thank you. Sure. And I also just want to make sure that. And I think the comments are appropriate. But we're obviously speaking to the motion, which is to to move the item forward, which is what the motion is on the floor. And so. Please. Hi. Good evening, Mr. Mayor. Council constituents, I'm not sure I understand what your motion in. The motion on the floor is to take the item, which is the hearing for the for the entertainment, for the licensing over, I believe it was two weeks so that it would be heard continued. And I think that the the motion that you want to clarify was because we're still some items need to be worked out. Vice Mayor. Exactly. There's some conditions that I'd like to have further discussion on. I see. Okay. Well, in reference to that, uh, you know, I would just piggyback off of what the gentleman said. You know, it is there the livelihood of the bar in the community to have the continuous entertainment or to have that move forward. Um, I'm a local resident now. I mean speech, a close neighbor to the Brit and um, I don't find any, any disturbance with them. And I do, I do see if, if you move into an area when you're, when you're around a bar, that's kind of. The. The choice you make. If you want quietness, go to Lakewood. It's a vibrant community we live in and. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Any other public comment? Okay. There's a motion on the floor to move. I'm sorry, sir. Sir. Mr. Mayor, I also have. I'd like to speak again. Absolutely. Do you want to hear the last of the comment first? I do. Was there someone else? I think this gentleman is wants to speak. Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor and City Council, I appreciate your time. My name is Jerry Cochran. I own the property at 1735 Second Street and 1732 through 1738 Broadway. My building is directly adjacent to the Brett. And I really take offense at somebody saying that this is the same as an airport. There was a time when the British did not have a patio. And my tenants had the right for peace and quiet. And as recently as two weeks ago, we had an incident on a weekend where there was noise out there. To the tune of 2:00 in the morning. So I understand. They're making changes and trying to adapt. I appreciate that. But the noise level, particularly of my tenants on the Broadway building, are directly above almost directly above that patio. And my concern is the timeline that they're going to have this going on is going to prevent my tenant from. Getting rest. Which means I'm going to have vacancies and I'm going to lose income. And I think it's important that all of us. Have an opportunity to make income from the businesses that we run in any area. Thank you. Thank you, sir. I no other public comment. Vice Mayor Lowenthal. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Wanted to thank the owners and the resident that came to speak. And I appreciate that the second speaker on behalf of this item were to proceed with the item, indicated that he lived close by, which he didn't quite specifically state how close by. But you don't live right next door, I'm certain. And that notwithstanding. When the writ opened. And for however many years until we got here, you did not have a patio. So your conditions and you've evolved you've evolved to the status that you are now and the community has evolved with you. What the property owner indicates is very true. And so our obligation here as a council is not just to look at the economic interests of business, but also to provide a balance. I represent downtown Long Beach, along with Councilmember Gonzalez, and that's where the dining entertainment district is. This is not our first time at looking at entertainment permits. I have looked at more entertainment permits than any other district because that's where most of them are. And so I'm very familiar with this need to ensure that we are very friendly to those who are operating businesses here. But we're also offering a promise to the residents of Long Beach that their quality of life is just as important. And so there's a balance to strike here. So I am not inviting anyone to move to Lakewood. I think that's personally quite offensive. And any one of our residents that heard that, believe us, that that's not our interest here. Our interest is to ensure that we can all live happily together, balanced and respect one another's right to a quality of life. So that having been said, Mr. Mayor, I am willing to, if you will allow it, sidebar with the owners to see if I can work out a couple of these things through my Chief of Staff. And if you could allow us a few minutes, we can go forward with the agenda and then bring it back. If we come to an agreement. If we don't, then my motion will stand to put it over. Okay? Yeah. No, I would. I would like that. I think that sounds very reasonable. So what we'll do is Vice Mayor Lowenthal will spent some time with you, with the ownership group to see if we can work out these issues. While we're doing that, I'm going to move the agenda forward. Vice Mayor, if you don't mind, we'll continue the agenda. Okay. So with that, the I don't think we need a motion on that. Is that correct? We would need in motion if it's not concluded by the end of the public comment period in order to move on to the next thing, we can table it. I have a lot of public comments, so. We have lots of speakers as you. Do. So let me move on to public comment, general public comment. So thank you for that. So Vice President, I was going to chat with you guys. I'm going to some break up. Okay. There's just a very few specific issues. I'm pretty confident he's okay. So the vice mayor staff is going to chat with you guys. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. So let's go and move on to public comment. So I have a list of speakers beginning with Mr. Goodhue, then Dennis Dunn.
A resolution by the Council of the City and County of Denver, sitting ex officio as the Board of Directors of the Denver 14th Street General Improvement District, approving a Work Plan, adopting a Budget, imposing Capital Charges and Maintenance Charges, and making appropriations for the 2020 Fiscal Year. Approves the 2020 Work Plan and Budget for the 14th Street General Improvement District in Council District 9. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 10-22-19.
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Councilwoman Gilmore. Will you please put Council Resolution 1104 on the floor? Yes, Mr. President. I move that council resolution 19, dash 1104 be adopted. It has been moved and seconded. The public hearing for council resolution 1104 is open. May we have the staff report? Good evening, board members. My name is Michael Carrigan from the Department of Finance, Capital Planning and Programing Division. I'm here to provide to provide the staff report for the 14th Street General Improvement District and request approval for the district's 2020 budget and work plan. The district is 22.66 acres in size and is located along 14th Street from market to Colfax and generally includes all parcels along both sides of 14th Street. It was created by council and approved by electors in response to the 14th Street initiative to create Denver's Ambassador Street. The initiative began in 2005 and visualized 14th Street as a promenade and a major gateway to the downtown area. The plan contemplated streetscape enhancements and related public infrastructure improvements to take. All stakeholders included private property owners, public officials and business organizations who participated to establish the conceptual design for the 14th Street in 2009. City Council approved the formation of the 14th Street Guide and creation of a district advisory board. The district was established to acquire finance, operate and maintain street improvements. The district's creation ordinance calls for the city to at least annually pass a work plan and budget. The District Advisory Board after notice and a hearing recommends to the Board of directors the proposed work plan and budget, including maintenance charges and capital charges before you tonight. The 2020 district plans plans to continue maintaining district amenities including but not limited to tree planter and flower pots, landscape maintenance, signage, repairs, trash removal and sidewalk lighting maintenance . The work planned budget and charges include revenues of $579,201, which is comprised of $268,071 in maintenance charges and banner rental revenue, plus $311,130 in capital charges for the repayment of debt used to fund the capital enhancements along 14th Street. City staff has reviewed the 2020 budget work plan and recommends it for approval. Thank you. Thank you. We have three individuals signed up to speak this evening. First up is Beth Musky. Good evening. I'm Beth Moisi. I'm with I'm the executive director of the 14th Street General Improvement District, and I'm here to answer any questions. Thank you very much. Next up, Jesse Pearce. Good evening. Members of council. Members of the audience. My name is Jesse Paris. I'll represent for Denver homicide allow black socks and woman for self-defense. Positive action commitment for social change as well as universal access to people's organization and moral high notes. And I'll be your next mayor at 2023. My question is, will you still be sweeping people along 14th Street with this no bid proposal? And who is going to be exactly allowed to occupy this space because you are currently sweeping all of up or down town, as it's being called now. So could you please answer that question and I'll greatly appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Joshua Robinson. No. I think Joshua might have been the one who signed up incorrectly. Okay. So we only had two speakers. I apologize for that. That concludes our speakers questions for members of the board. Councilwoman Ortega. Thank you. Member Ortega. I apologize. I have a quick question either for better for Michael. So first, remind us what the the length from what street to what street on 14th does this cover? He goes from Market Street to Colfax. Okay, so how do we treat the DC complex since it's a city owned asset? Do we treat that differently from all the other property owners? We do, and we also treat the web building differently for the same reason. We do provide services when it comes to plant care for the plants that are the planners that are in those streets. But the properties each take care of their own pan and rooming and trash removal along those blocks. The plant care is through a separate agreement that we have with arts and venues and then a separate agreement with the city to take care of the planners in front of the Webb building. So because we do that, are they not contributing financially otherwise to the improvement. District they're paying? We're passing along the cost to do the plant care. We pass along that cost to the city. Okay. All right. That answers my question. I was going to ask something similar along the 15th Street if we do that with the Denver dry building as well. I know that's a different improvement district, but I think, Michael, that would be a question for you. Yeah, probably. And that's that's not relevant to this tonight because it's not in front of us. You can call me later. Yeah, okay. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman Flynn. Thanks, Mr. President. Beth, could you just explain, if you can, this level of detail on the revenues that the difference between the standard zone and the premium zone revenue next year, over this year, there's a there's a additional premium revenue goes away in 2020, and there's standard zone revenue is increased by almost the same amount. What it counts. That's exactly right. That's a that's perfect recognition. What happened it so there's a standard zone which the treatment on the surface of the of the block is sort of minimum and there are trees and street trees and but there are not raised beds or benches, but there is lighting and some other amenities that are in the sidewalks , in the premium zone. There are raised beds, there are benches and much more robust three dimensional treatment. And so it costs more to take care of those properties. And those properties actually are paying 75, roughly 75% of the cost. And then the standard properties are paying roughly roughly 25%. And the exception my point is, though, that the revenue shift is coming from additional premium revenue and shifting into standard zone revenue. That's right. Those are standard properties that elected to upgrade their properties as some degree to premium level, but not to the prime level. But they are paying for that support. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman. So, Councilman Ortega, did you have some. Yes, I forgot to ask one question. And it's about the issue of security. Several of us have been invited a number of years in a row to meet with the people from the spire. And the issue of security is an ongoing part of that conversation that they talk about our security costs built into this budget as well . The 14th Street General Improvement District is only to take care of the maintenance of the amenities that are in the sidewalk from curb to building phase. Those are the amenities that we're the capital investment. The downtown Denver Business Improvement District does take care of security to serve the entire business improvement district, which is a separate district. Yeah, it typically does not cover the first street corridor in the 14th Street. There is some coverage there. Yes. Not just not to the degree that 16th Street rises. Right. And then just very quickly, what is the value of the cost that you talked about earlier that the city is providing as a result of. Their contribution to this improvement district. Uh, I'm going to say that is combined. It's $23,000. Okay. Thank you. Mm hmm. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilwoman. See no other questions. The public hearing for council resolution 11 zero four is closed. Are there any comments from members of the board? All right, CNN, Madam Secretary, roll call. Black Eye. Flynn, I. Gillmor, i. Herndon, i. Hines, i. Cashman, I can eat. I. Ortega, i. Sandoval, i. Sawyer, i. Torres, i. Mr. President. Hi, Madam Secretary. Please close voting. Announce the results. 12 hours. 12 hours. Council Resolution 11 zero four has been adopted. Council is now convened as the Board of Directors of the Gateway Village General Improvement District Council. Can you please vote Council Resolution 11 zero five on the floor?
A resolution approving a proposed Revival and Amendatory Agreement between the City and County of Denver and The Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver for the purpose of extending the duration to complete the GROW Market. Revives and amends a loan agreement with The Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver by adding seven months for a new end date of 10-31-21 for the purpose of extending the duration to complete the GROW Market, which provides grocery accessibility as well as workforce training and development at 2800 West 10th Avenue in Council District 3 (OEDEV 202158449). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 9-20-21. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 8-18-21.
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I certainly will. Madam President, thank you. Thank you. Now, I'll do a recap under resolutions. Council member Flynn has called out Resolution 916 for a vote, and Councilmember Sawyer has called out Resolutions 917, nine, 18, nine, 19 and 924, a vote 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. I see you've already got it up. Councilmember Flynn, will you please put Council Bill 916 on the floor for adoption? Thank you, Madam President. I move that council resolution 21, dash 916 be adopted. Thank you. It has been moved and seconded comments by members of Council on Council Resolution 916. Council Member Flynn. Thank you, Madam President. This actually should have been filed as a council bill. It was filed as a resolution because it's a contract extension, but it's a contract with the Denver Housing Authority, which under our charter would qualify as an intergovernmental agreement. Therefore, it should have been done as a council bill. It had been submitted as a resolution, and therefore it has we have to vote it down because it was filed. And then I will direct file the replacement bill so that it can be considered on introduction at our next meeting on September 13th. The matter that is subject to this contract, the grow market over in Council District three, my understanding is the construction has been completed and that basically in order to pay off the final invoices and and close it out, we need to extend the contract beyond its expiration point so that we can get all that wrap up work done. So it's a very simple matter for such a complicated process that's here on the floor. Thank you. I asked my colleagues to vote no on this. All right. Thank you, Councilmember Flynn. And I appreciate that reminder for folks to vote no this evening. Madam Secretary, roll call on Council Bill 21, Dash 916, please. CdeBaca. No. Ortega. So. Flynn. No. Herndon No. HYNES No. Cashman No. Kimmich No. Sandoval No. Sawyer No. Torres. No. Black? No. Clark. No. Madam President. No. Madam Secretary, please close the vote. Results. 13 Nays. 13 nays. Council Bill 20 1-9 16 has failed. Moving along. Madam Secretary, will you please put the next item up on our screens? See? It's there. Councilmember Flynn, will you please put Council resolutions nine, 17, nine, 18, nine, 19 and 920 on the floor for adoption?
Recommendation to declare ordinance approving and adopting the official budget of the City of Long Beach for the fiscal year 2016-2017, creating and establishing the funds of the municipal government of the City of Long Beach and appropriating money to and authorizing expenditures from said funds for said fiscal year; declaring the urgency thereof, and providing that this ordinance shall take effect at 12:01 a.m. on October 1, 2016, read and adopted as read.
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Motion carries. Thank you. Item number 23 Please. Report from Financial Management Recommendation to declare ordinance approving and adopting the official budget of the City of Long Beach for the fiscal year 2016 2017. Creating and establishing the funds of the municipal government of the City of Long Beach and appropriating money to and authorizing expenditures from said funds for said fiscal year, declaring the urgency thereof and providing that this ordinance shall take effect on October 1st, 2016. Read and adopted as read. There is a motion and a second. Is there any public comment on this item? Seeing none. Please cast your vote. Councilor Pearce. Motion carries. Thank you. We've already handled items 24 and 25 and 26. I understand. So that satisfies the agenda. So we want to open it up now to public comment. This opportunity is given to members of the public who have not addressed the City Council and non agenda items. Each speaker is limited 3 minutes unless extended by the City Council. Is there any public comment? Good evening. My name is Renee Lawler. And I'm actually here to speak about agenda item number 20, which I don't see that you actually addressed. I provided a letter that I submitted to the clerk. So you skipped item number 20. And I wish to read this letter. I'm. Oh, it was withdrawn. It was withdrawn. Okay. And forgive me. When is it going to be reinstated? Miss Clark, do we know? No. No date was given. Okay, it'll be placed. It'll be agenda and notified publicly. Okay. So then I will provide my comment at that time. Thank you. Thank you. Any. Any further public comment? Seeing none. Let's go ahead to new business. I want to begin just by adjourning in memory of someone very special. I'm sorry. Do we have another? Okay, let's have one more. Is there anybody else? Thank you. Please. Please. Come on down. Now is the time. Thank you. Name for the record, please. Good evening, Mr. Mayor. And City Council. My name is Tanya and I'm the VP Development from the Association of U.S. Army Greater Los Angeles Chapter. I would like to take the opportunity to make that announcement for our upcoming veterans honoree. Is the second annual. And we last year we. The purpose of this event is to honor veterans from all services our branches and also to raise funds to support the Veterans Service Center located at the Joyful Training Base in Los Alamitos. Last year we started the right at the joyful training base. We stop at the VA Long Beach here to honor veterans, and then we end arrive at the American Legion in Los Alamitos. This year, we planned to start the ride to Huntington Beach Pier, and we still cannot stop the rate at the VA Long Beach. We planned to go inside the hospital to visit the wounded and sick veterans on the weekend of the Veterans Day. Actually, the event going to be on Sunday, November six. And and we're going to end right at the American Legion as 716 in Los Alamitos. AM 100% proceeds of this event is again going to support the Veterans Service Center located at the joyful training base. This center opened its doors in 2008 and the nonprofit support and we step. In to. Make this fundraising efforts to and efforts to expand the center with the upgrade and hopefully bring in more service. Providers. To serve our troops veteran and their family. So we we hope to see the community participate. And this will be a great event. Oh. Thank you. You have any questions? No, ma'am. But thank you so much for for that. And so public comment is now closed. We want to adjourn in memory of someone very special we lost ten days ago in a tragic accident. Maria mendoza was the mother of a member of the City Hall family, Isabel Avia, who works in Councilman Andrew's office.
A bill for an ordinance creating and establishing the RiNo Business Improvement District, appointing the initial members of the Board of Directors of the District, and approving the Initial Operating Plan and preliminary 2016 budget therefore. (BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT) Approves the creation and establishment of the RiNo Business Improvement District, appointing the initial members of the Board of Directors of the RiNo Business Improvement District, and approving the initial Operating Plan and preliminary 2016 budget located in Council Districts 8 and 9. The Committee approved filing this bill at its meeting 5-12-15.
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And I want to commend his vision for that, because our hope had always been to have affordable housing and to be able to have a walkable community and for places that if they were in play downtown to be able to walk. So now everybody's going to be coming through Reno, including all the taxi cab drivers, through a very, very beautiful Brighton Boulevard in the surrounding area. So I'm supporting this. It's probably no surprise any of you and I would encourage my colleagues to do the same. Our next person is Jeannie Robb. Well, did you want to go to Councilman Brooks first? I would certainly yield. Oh, I am so sorry. That's okay. I. I didn't. I didn't accidentally erased your name. I'm just kidding. I didn't sign it. I didn't sign in because you gave me the brief. Compton Brooks. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. I guess I just want to open was saying, you know, I'll be supporting this business improvement district. I have. I believe this is our ninth in the city. 11th in the city. While we're growing, we're getting. I'll be supporting this this bit because I've seen firsthand the the return on investment the city gets from from bids from Colfax to downtown and now here. It's really exciting. And to see what you guys are doing, I, I just have kind of two words of encouragement. It's around great work. It's a, you know. You know, encouraging you for what you've done and the growth of what the work that you have in front of you, which would be a lot. One, the great work is somebody mentioned it before. Nowhere in the city do we have business leaders and artists working together and on the same page and coming up with plans. And so this is incredibly it's it's hard to bring two folks of different economic statures together and come up with the plan. And so we I think the city has a lot to learn from you all in that, you know, the other piece is is you make ugly look really cool and and I can I can I can say this because I basically live in Reno. Technically, I live in the whole neighborhood. We are not rhino, we are coal, but we live right next to rhino. And it is just it's amazing. I was on a bike ride on Saturday and I came down and Rhino is a great, beautiful day and everyone was in Rhino at the breweries out and about. And I'm just like, is the streets everything that you all said about the streets not being complete, no sidewalks, nowhere to park, but people are everywhere. And so you guys have done a great job and making it desirable. So good work on that and and working together business owners, property owners coming together and getting an overwhelming support the growth. It's funny that you have keeping while rhino don't because that's going to be the growth that's going to be the hardest thing to do is to keep it affordable for individuals to keep it eclectic enough and cool for the generation you're currently serving. Because there's another thing cool the next time. And so I just want to push you to be thinking out of the box. And because we don't have anything like this in the city and to continue doing that and our our promise on this side is that we will allow rhino to be a canvas and try new things with the city. So we're we're excited. And I'm excited to support this hope the rest of our colleagues do. And I just want to thank Councilwoman Monteiro for her 12 years over this district and her investing in her working with all of these developers and leaders to and not many people get to see their investment come to fruition and and you're getting to see it. So it's pretty cool if. You see keep. Councilman Robb. Thank you, Madam President. The work that you've done is truly remarkable. In fact, even though I didn't attend the committee meeting, I was able to watch part of it and printed out the slide presentation and took it to the Cherry Creek Steering Committee last week to present. Because even though Cherry Creek was one of the first two bids in the city and county of Denver, the business community and the neighbors have great desires to do infrastructure improvements that lie outside of the bid boundaries. In this model for putting a guide and a bid together in the overlapping, it has some potential for the area . Of course, people, like some people in the audience tonight were concerned, well, how will I know that my priorities are met? How do you set priorities? And I pointed out what a fast job you guys did. I said from October 2014 to May of 2015, I've never seen a bid and get it done so fast. It and I'm so glad to hear tonight that it's been a lot of years because I was thinking you were a real miracle workers in terms of accountability. I want to put my $0.02 in. So often when the bid operating plans come to council, they go through on consent. I think I can remember two or three times that they've been at committee. And I even though a bid is a really a creation of this of state of the state, I think we have a responsibility just on the transparency issues that were raised tonight, which, you know, are always a concern. Frankly, I think we have that responsibility to review them nine times out of ten. We won't have any comments. We won't have any changes that help. But it helps us know what we're ultimately accountable for in setting up these operating plans and budgets. Because even though the money doesn't run into the general fund, it is public money. So that would be my my wish for the next council is that people who have the bids in their district ask to have them present at committee periodically. Thank you. Councilman fights. Thank you, Madam President. Because of my concerns that I laid out earlier for financial structures, I want to be sure to address how I see this as entirely different. And I am very much in support of what has been presented here tonight. I had asked the question, what is the responsibility of the taxpayer? This is a 180 degrees on the other side of that. These are individuals who have joined together coming to us, not saying we want something from you, but saying let us tax ourselves so that we can make these improvements and so that we can at a later time. The second item is kind of make even enhanced public improvements. I mean, they are coming to us asking to take the responsibility of doing this for themselves. A fair amount of public money has gone into various aspects of rhino, which makes it even more pleasing to me to see people stepping forward and saying, we want to contribute as well. And we want to have control over that. So I'm just extremely proud of your doing that. Thank you so much. And you're setting a fine example. Councilman Ortega. I'll be brief. In 2003, when I left City Council, we had adopted Blueprint. Denver in this area was defined as one of the new growth areas for the city. And since that time, we have seen almost complete transformation. And I know there's still a lot yet to be done in terms of transforming. But to just see what has happened is is very exciting. And I know for those of you who are the boots on the ground, you're living it day in and day out. And it's it's fascinating to go down to the area, as Councilman Brooks said, and just see the vitality and the the amount of people. I think the challenge is how do we ensure that pedestrian bike safety is number one? Because you have the conflict of industrial vehicles from some of the existing industrial businesses in the area. You know, it's a straight shot without with very few lights, you know. So at least on Brighton corridor, I think you can say the same about Blake Street and what is it, Market Street that are one way corridors as well , that oftentimes people just kind of fly down those streets, they drive them pretty often. And so I look forward to hearing about the progress at the at the end or, you know, at your after your annual meeting and when your your budget request comes before city council. But way to go. I mean, you guys have done an outstanding job and it's exciting to see the progress that continues to be made in this area. So, yes, I will be supporting this tonight as well. Councilman Ortega, other comments by members of council seen none. Madam Secretary, roll call, please on council bill 304. Brown. I. Fats Pi coinage. Layman hi Nevitt hi Ortega. I. Rob I shepherd i. Susman I. Brooks, i. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, closed the voting and announced the results. Oh. Drum roll, please. What happened? We've got it. We're all. In good. Hands. 11 eyes is going too fast. Okay. That was a lot of pent up enthusiasm. David For the next one counter Bill, three of four has passed. Councilman Brown, will you please put council bill three or nine on the floor? Thank you. Madam President, I move the council bill three or nine be placed upon final consideration and do pass.
Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, and grant an Entertainment Permit with conditions on the application of The Modern, LLC, dba The Modern, 2801 East Spring Street, Suite 300, for Entertainment With Dancing. (District 5)
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So let's give her a big round of applause. Thank you. Thank you. We have a full agenda. We have three hearings tonight. So just as a reminder, the hearings go first. And so we'll have three hearings and then two items that have been asked to move up on the agenda. So let's start with the first hearing hearing item number one, which is if I can, please have the clerk read it and I believe an oath is required. Yes. Hearing item one is a report from Financial Management Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing and grant an entertainment permit with conditions on the applications of the modern. Located at 2801 is Spring Street, Suite 300 for Entertainment with Dancing District five. And it does require an oath. Please raise your right hand. You and each of you do solemnly state that the testimony you may give in the court now and pending before this body shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help you God. Thank you. I'll turn this over to Steph. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The presentation tonight will be conducted by Bret Jockey's business services officer and Emily Armstrong, Business Licensing Division Specialist. Good evening, honorable mayor and members of the city council. Tonight you have before you an application. For entertainment with dancing for the Modern LLC. Located at 2801e Spring Street. Suite 300. Operating as a hall rental in Council District five. This application originally came before you on July 24th, 2018, and was continued to allow further discussion on the recommended conditions. Staff has amended the conditions. As included in the hearing packet and has met with the business owner. I, as well as the police department, stand ready to answer any questions council may have. And that concludes staff's report. Okay, thank you. Let me turn this over to Councilman Mongo. We have a motion and a second councilman mango. All the conditions on this property are in alignment with others that are significantly similar. I'm very supportive of the current outcome and I appreciate staff and all the work that they've done to date. Thank you. Councilman Austin. Any any public comment on this hearing seeing an obvious please come forward. Good evening, honorable mayor and city council members. My name is Mary. Leland 296 Granada Avenue. I am the owner. Of the Modern. I'd like to take a moment just to thank City Staff. Councilwoman Mongeau for taking the extra time to meet with us, to go over the conditions. And we look forward. To many fantastic celebrations and events at the modern. Thank you. Thank you. Seeing no other. Public comment. We'll go ahead and have a motion or a second. Members, please cast your vote.
Recommendation to adopt resolution allowing for the initiation of a Consolidated Coastal Development Permit process pursuant to Section 30601.3 of the Public Resources Code (Coastal Act) in connection with the rebuild of the Leeway Sailing Center, Pier and Dock located at 5437 East Ocean Boulevard. (District 3)
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Item nine is a report from Development Services. Recommendation to adopt a resolution allowing the initiation of a consolidated coastal development permit process in connection with the rebuild of the Leeway Sailing Center District three. Nine. Councilmember Price. I'd like to move to table this item until December 16th. I received numerous emails today along with a big report from staff, and I think I need to circle back with the city attorney on this issue before we move forward on this item. Second. There's been emotion in a second. Is there any member of the public that wish to address Council on item nine? Please come forward stating that. Very good you able to support the council and so sage suggestion this is a just to understand this is a very. Very indicative project of some of the problems we face and the dollar amount that's being urinated down the drain by what is being suggested here would go to pay for projects that would benefit the public much better. Leeway Center is an excellent facility. The kids that are the staff that produces the product, i.e. teaching kids how to sell, are second to none. They do a tremendous job. When those kids come out of that program, they can sail better than their parents. But what happened is we got some people involved that hadn't the faintest idea about boating, about sailing, and indeed, the city had to fire the first consultant because he forgot about the fact that sail boats, sailboats move by sails. The sails move by wind. He blocked all the wind so everybody would be sitting there in the bay in that area without any wind. In addition to that, the size of this facility is being almost tripled, which is absolutely useless. It's a pure waste of money. It's indicative of the West, Hollywood, west of bullying damage this city has done. So I think when this comes back next week, you'll see some more details ending and be able to adopt a more intelligent course than it's sitting here in front of you now. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. I am Dennis Trombley. I've lived in the third district for 32 years. Sailor For over 50 years. I currently work for Cal State Long Beach as a volunteer employee for and work at the Sailing Center. I have prepared information that I have forwarded to Councilman Pryce, which I believe is. Why this is part of why this. Has been postponed. And has not been looked at properly from the proper. Perspective. We are. Supporting redoing. The center because it's falling down. It's really bad. It needs to be done. This has been on the books, I think, since 2007, way. Before I was involved. I only became aware of this about two and a half weeks ago, started looking into it, found all kinds of things we were not involved in. We've not been included. We didn't get our input, nor did. Any of the other. Major stakeholders. We're trying to find out how it move for this. Far forward without our involvement. We are one of the major users of this facility. And. You know. Hundreds and hundreds of people have been affected by this. And we'd like to have it studied a little better. And then come back with some. Recommendations. We've supplied drawings and some other. Materials to be reviewed. And we'll supply some more now that we've got a little more time. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Councilmember Mongo. Dennis, I just wanted to thank you for those of you who don't know in the audience today. When people come prepared in advance and submit to us their comments, they're attached to the digital agenda that all of us are reading. So your comments are sent to all council members and they're memorialized for all of us to read both on this item and when it comes back to council. So thank you for being prepared and coming in today. Thank you. And I'm new to the. Process, so I'm learning. Thank you. Seeing no further comment. Members, please cast your vote. I mean, yes. Bush and Kerry eight zero. Thank you. Item 19. Item 19 is a communication from Mayor Robert Garcia. Recommendation to cancel the meeting of December 23rd, 2014 due to the holidays.
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 concerning the “Public Assistance COVID-19 Grant” program and the funding therefor. Approves a grant agreement with the Colorado Department of Public Safety for funding in the amount of $38,609,673.86 for the Public Assistance COVID-19 Grant Program (202054524). Councilmember Black approved filing this item on 4-27-20.
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No, thank you. When I reviewed the document during the recess, it's not. I understood the rule to be all intergovernmental agreement. So for it to read ordinance and it is a narrower list of intergovernmental agreement. So that that is an important clarification. I'm happy to learn and proceed. Thank you. And I do hope we will be forward to filing. Okay. So the point we're at is this is still not the the rules need to be suspended to allow the introduction of this late filing. It is a one reading. Is there anyone else who would like to get in the queue? Check all the different places. Councilmember Sawyer. Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to for the people at home who are not understanding our ins and outs. Can you just clarify exactly what is so kind of explain. Or. Explain why for other one reading? I mean, the rules so we go first to is the rules and then we vote on enforcement and we just clarify for everyone. Exactly. Sure. They can't be easy following along from home to start with or maybe even here when some of this is going on. And so I think always a good chance. So this bill was filed late. We have a motion on the floor to suspend our rules to allow for the introduction of this late filing. That motion requires unanimous approval. So if this is not unanimously approved in order to file it, then this bill cannot be filed and we cannot take action on it. If it is, if we vote unanimously to suspend those rules and allow it to be filed, then we can update an individual council member and jump in. If I'm wrong here, anybody but an individual council member can then delay it one week or cannot. So an individual councilmember, if we vote to suspend the rules and pilot can delay it a week all by themselves. That's right. That is correct. And or then it would go to a vote where council members could vote no or could vote yes. But the first step is for us to suspend the rules to allow for filing. So, Councilman Hines, my hope is that because you also have the option to delay singlehandedly, that you will allow us to take the vote and file the bill. But it looks like you have your hand up. So go ahead. You are muted. We still can't hear you. Hello. Here we go. Now we can hear it. Sorry. Question for legal counsel. Effectively this. It is the same if we allow the bill to be introduced and then a delay of a week. Is that correct? Councilman Hines, can you clarify with the questions? Sure. So thank you for allowing me to clarify that. If if I say no to the suspend suspension of the rules, then we will hear it next week. If I say yes to the suspension of the rules and then take the council person prerogative to delay it a week. We then also see it next week. Right. So they're they're effectively the same, although the procedure is different. I think that's probably correct. It's a distinction without much difference. I think. I think that's right. If I understand you correctly. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. All right. Seeing no other comments. We are councilmembers. This is a reminder that we will need a unanimous approval for this motion to pass, which would allow for the late filing. Oh, sorry. Councilwoman Hodges and mysterious video. Who are. Good. Thank you. Before we proceed, Kirsten, could I ask for clarification on that? Under Rule 3.7, if we can delay resolutions regarding contracts under the charter's contract provision. Yes. Does that apply to this? That's the way you are. I was I had my doubts. But, yes. So this is under the contract exception to 26 hours where one member can delay a contract approval. But Zach and I were just talking and we probably need to sort out is if we should. Probably. It's the best possible path forward right now would be to accept the filing and. Then. The delay, which would get it to be for an action item next Monday. Rather than if you if you do not accept the weight family member will need to be read file and that could lead to further delays. Thank you. I hope if somebody in the future wants to give me $38 million. I don't have this much trouble accepting it. All right. Any other clarifications on this? So, again, we're voting on the suspension of rules to allow for the filing of this. All right, Madam Secretary. Roll call. What I when. I. Heard them. I swear I saw it. I see the broken ass, Gilmore. I know. Ashton I. Ortega I. Samuel, I. See tomorrow? No. Council President. I am secretary. Please post voting. Announce the results. You have a nice two days. 11 hours, two days. The most gym fails and not be interviewed. All right, councilmembers, this is your last opportunity to call out an item. Councilmember Herndon, will you please make motions for us this evening? Thank you. I'll do a quick recap on the resolution.
Review and Discuss Charter Amendment Timeline and Issues Proposed by the Council Subcommittee. [Continued from March 19, 2019 to April 2, 2019]
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As I as I said, there's one or two things on here that Tony was interested in. This includes things that I will say I have heard from the community or Tony and I have heard from the community. But again, most that most of this is mine or from other council members during the election, etc. This is a proposed potential list of things we could say yes or no to. So it isn't we are not necessarily proposing we run forward with all of this. But Tony and I really wanted to come back to this body and say, hey, before we spend any time working on this stuff, what do we want to work on it? So I thought it would be helpful because I think there's only one or maybe two things on here that are my own personal like things that I threw on here of going through and kind of talking about where where these things came from so that there's a little bit more understanding that it's not. John just going completely wild districts and ranked choice voting have come up districts came up at a community meeting that Tony and I attended in I believe it was December the Alameda Citizens Task Force meeting ranked choice voting is something that has come from a variety of Alameda progressives, the element, Green Party, etc. The different groups there have talked about that direct elect the mayor is something I've been talking about for about a year and a half or so, which is the idea that we changed at one point in time from what what some cities have, which is we elect city council and then the city council, like the school board, adopts or appoints a mayor. And oftentimes that mayor rotates once a once a year. So I think that there are some benefits to that, especially with the way we do boards and commissions, etc.. So if there was interest, we could look at that. Term limits, definitely. Something has come up both in the community and I've heard members of this body talk about that with everything that's been going on lately, whether it's Measure K or Measures B or yeah, the Sun Cow Initiative and whatever else, this idea of charter charter ballot initiatives and paid signature gatherers and looking at what we know. First question, is the charter the right place for any of this? But is there something we could do in the charter that might require not just spending a lot of money to tell people something they want to hear, even though they don't understand what they're being asked to sign necessarily. Campaign finance reform is definitely something that came up in it through the campaign for me, but has been coming up for at least ten years in conversations I've had. Removing housing restrictions, measure a and moving that language to the municipal code. That was both a staff recommendation and things. I've heard members of this body say that they were interested in discussing and looking at board and commission appointments. There was discussion at one point in time, actually at the city council about four years ago about possibly changing it. It didn't get three votes to move forward, but I figured I would throw that out there. And then the question is, are all the right boards and commissions in this? Tony is proposed finance commission and whatever else the Open Government Commission is, that's something that should be in the charter. Are these the right ones? I just wanted to, since we're having this conversation, say now would be a great time to consider this. And then lastly, and this is I'm going to say we have we heard slightly two different takes on what this could mean. And that's why it was written the way it was clarifying county council interference. And Tony, I think has some interest in this item, so I'll let you talk about that one. But we also the city received an independent report that suggested that we look at changing the charter language to clarify what interference is as well, looking at the removal of the auditor and treasurer. So we made changes in 2008. We've made some changes through the years of what the auditor and the Treasurer is. You know, I've definitely heard many multiple people suggest that and I have also been one of those people suggest that they don't need to be elected officials. They do very, very little work actually. They spend a lot of time. But the actual their actual jobs are just a few hours a year for the most part. It's not clear why. It's clear why they used to exist, because they used to actually have a whole workload. But we now have a professional staff that does most of the work and they basically just sign off on most of it. So the question is, why are we electing these two positions and what are they bringing? Council pay has definitely been something that's not just me, definitely something that that former council people have talked about for many years. If we want to have a broad breadth of people who run for and tried to be on the city council, we can't assume that everybody can afford to give up 20 hours a week for $100 every two weeks. No, sorry. A month. Sorry. I just almost doubled our hour. And this is in the charter. We have to talk about it. So I think that's one. And then right now the council rules are suggest that if one were to give birth and live in their home in Alameda, they couldn't call into a meeting. And that just beyond that just seems beyond discriminatory. And I think we should ignore that one and let somebody sue us if we have to. But I also think we should change it so that we acknowledge that we live in a modern world where not just men sit on city councils. So that's my list where they came from. No harm, no foul. I'll let Tony the one and. Then let's hear from Councilmember Desai. Oh, great. Well, thank you. I came into this with the opinion that we should, you know, cast the net widely in an effort to get as much input as to what people think they want to have the public further discuss. It didn't necessarily mean that agree with everything, but but I think we should at least have a conversation. And I also, in addition to what I would call cases in that widely in an effort to get, you know, as much ideas to to mull over, I, I also kind of imposed on myself what I think are reasons why certain issues might rise higher than other issues. And it was in an effort to, at least for myself, provide some kind of internal control as to, you know, what constitutes an issue worthy of consideration. For myself, recognizing again, that I said, you know, let's throw out everything that we can. So one of the things I was definitely interested in is there had to be a sense of political legitimacy to to the matter that there was that we are responding to or anticipating a problem that that we all commonly understand to be the case how we approach the problem from what angles. And you know what we come out of it, you know, it, it will be what it is. But we do understand that it is a problem. So one of the areas where I do believe that falls within my kind of the way that I filtered issues is certainly has to do with clarifying the council interference language. I think that's a discussion that we would have with that we should have largely because of the issues that had happened in 2018 and also because of we had the follow up report. Doesn't necessarily mean that I agree with the recommendations from the. From the report. But it is a conversation that we have to have, because my take away was that from the report and from what happened in 2018 was that nothing happened, even though there there there is pretty stark language in terms of council members interference in matters regarding employment that's stipulated in the in the charter. So we have to have that conversation on how to tighten that. Or not. I would I would ere on the side of tightening in the same vein when I talk about clarifying council interference. I'm certainly interested in a porous part of. A part of the charter that has to do with last time I call it to dash for it was actually to dash 11 and two. Dash 11 said that kind of separates the involvement of federal, state and county officials and why they can't participate in legislative bodies within the city council or or appointed by the city council . I would expand that and again, I would expand that in light of what happened in 2000, 2018. Now, another area that I do think falls within what I call, you know, a common problem. But instead of looking back, it's looking forward. I think clearly many cities across California are being forced to go into districts. So rather than being forced through a lawsuit, perhaps we are the city might take this opportunity to to come up with a way to to, you know, place the districts and in the charter as to how we go about, you know, what are the elements as to what's a good district or what's not a good district. So something that we I think we should address proactively because I think it will be a common problem because so many cities are being forced illegally to to go into the districts. There are some issues where I believe that that to me, in my opinion, I don't see it. It doesn't easily go through the filter with which I observe matters. Honestly, I don't look at the removal of the auditor or the Treasurer as something that people suddenly, you know, I don't see that community suddenly clamoring for that. I think there is a role for an independent auditor, independent treasurer or to a voted by the people of Alameda to review the work of of City Hall. I think there are other items also that I don't think they might be issues or interesting issues, but they don't necessarily rise to the level of of significance. For me, that is so I don't want to go into every of the details. But my main thing is certainly very narrow based upon the way in which I filter the issues. And it has to do, for example, with clarifying the council pay. I mean, I cannot council interference language. A district voting and excluding certain items that I believe don't necessarily have. There isn't necessarily a common agreement that this is a problem. On a final note, one of the things that I would encourage is if we are truly interested in changing the charter, and I think we will need to be strategic in how we go about doing it. Frankly speaking, I wouldn't approach undoing Measure eight from the city charter that was put in by the people of Alameda. And if people want to remove Measure eight from the charter, then the people, I believe, have to generate the signatures and remove it. Because I don't think that's a common problem that that that, you know, suddenly a lot of people are clamoring for. But that's my take on it. So I think this was very helpful. And I do think that we do need to improve to modify our charter. But I think we need to be very selective and strategic in how we go about doing it. I mean. For example, if you move forward on something that everyone agrees with, but then you also move forward on something that, you know, there's deep community division over, then I think you risk both of them not going forward because you won't get the votes for it. So. Thank you. And it's been very helpful. I appreciate it. John's assistance through this. It was a very good process. Councilmember Vela So can I just ask a clarifying question, though? So this item is titled Review and Discuss Charter Amendment, Timeline and issues proposed by the Council Subcommittee. I have heard you both describe the issues. What's the timeline? I think we can talk about the timeline separately or we. Can talk about it. You want me to. So that's this the meeting plan? Is that okay? And I think that. Yeah, let's just because everything's on the agenda and then we'll take council communication through the session. There was a little confusion, so we were proposing. But there was. Councilmember de SAC made the very wise and compassionate identification that every two years some of us are running for election. And it would be unfair to put ballot changes on that could that people could feel we're going to impact their race. So I guess the question we would have is I thought that because there was a primary election, we would actually already have covered the cost of having something on the ballot. So there's only about like $20,000 costs, but it turns out we have nothing on the primary ballot at this point in time. So we would have to actually. Make two or. $300,000 to put it on. So that would be a cost question. But we so this is a very tight timeline. If we were going to try to get something to March 2020 and basically ignoring the actual dates, the idea was like this meeting, come to the council, talk to people, what do we want to work on? Go out and have a community meeting, come back to the council and talk about what we got from that community meeting and how to move that forward. And so it'd just be kind of bouncing back and forth with the council basically checking in long before anything is written or direction is given. And have you had any communications with the League of Women Voters because had heard from. Yes, they are very interested in working on some of these issues. If we were to decide to move. Forward, that's what I'd heard. Okay. All right. Did you want to add anything to that timeline process so you could pace? And just to piggyback just on what Vice Mayor Mike was saying is there's also prohibitions that are not allowed as part of the March 2020 and council pay happens to be one of those that would have to go to November and the auditor and treasurer issue. So those. Offices that would be those offices that would be. Up would be going in March. And that makes sense. So yeah, they'd have to go November. Okay. Well, so you but you're working with the city clerk to to I take it to. Yes, yes, yes. And the city attorney. Okay, perfect. So Councilmember Vela. So. I guess I'll respond to kind of substantively and then the the timeline. So section two, Dash nine is the one that says that if if a council member is absent from the city for 30 days or more consecutively without the permission of city council, your office is considered vacant. We can give you permission. So I think this this comes up in two different ways. One is I've known several people who were actually do right around my due date who were put into the hospital on bed rest. We are alameda hospital does not have the capacity. We don't have and have. Labor and. Delivery. We don't have labor and delivery anymore. And so if you are a member of council who happens to be pregnant and you do have an issue relative to your pregnancy, you will be removed from the city of Alameda and that will not be a choice of yours. And it would you know, I think that the process of getting council approval, to be honest with you, is a little bit demeaning in that instance. And so I think that that that language doesn't really contemplate that. It also doesn't subject the the the auditor or treasurer to the exact same standards that we as a councilor are held to. I think that's a little bit concerning. Additionally, if I were to say take maternity leave and not be in the city of Alameda for for 30 consecutive days, I would have to come here and get permission as well, which is currently what I'm going to have to do this summer. So I, I especially where we have an audit in August, break from council where we there's a period of time it's actually closer to six weeks from our second meeting in July until we reconvene in September. I think that that language is a little bit outdated. Again, Section two, Dash 14, why does this not apply to the auditor and treasurer? Again, it concerns me that we're holding the city council as elected officials to one standard and not the auditor and treasurer to the same standard. And again, that has to do with if you missed so many meetings or if you are vacant from the city again for 30 days, it's it doesn't apply to them. There was the mention of of Section seven, Dash three, which was mentioned in the Jenkins report. I certainly think that that's something that we we should be having a community conversation on articles four and five, which deal with the auditor and treasurer. I think whether or not those positions continue to exist is, is certainly one conversation. Also, the benefits that they receive and again, the, the standards that apply to them that that or that apply to the Council rather and don't apply to them are concerning because technically under the Jenkins language, they can have a conversation with the city manager that would be considered interference so they could bribe, let's say, the city manager , or they could do something like that relative to that. But the council is held to a different standard. I think that that's just maybe it was overlooked, but I think that it's bizarre. Section eight, dash one. We recently went through a recruitment for the city attorney. One of the things that I found when I was looking through the charter was that our city attorney, in order for them to get the appointment, must have must have admittance to the California Bar for at least five years preceding their appointment. And that was something that didn't really come up while we were having that conversation. But it's concerning to me because it means that essentially the person must be bar licensed with an active bar license in California for five years preceding what if we had wanted somebody that had been practicing outside of California but had previously been practicing in California, but hadn't practiced here for five consecutive years? It kind of limits the search. I just would want to have a conversation about that. I thought that was kind of interesting and I caught that when we were doing that recruitment. More out of just going through and seeing. Is there something that we're missing? As for the timeline, I don't have a pricing. There has been kind of public conversation. It's been a while since we've done a real charter review, and I think there are a lot of issues that people have been asking questions about. I don't mind having those conversations. I would just ask that we kind of bifurcate things. So there are the kind of substantive things that we've we've been tasked with that deal with specific issues in the charter. And then there seem to be kind of good governance questions about district elections, ranked choice voting, those sorts of questions, campaign finance that seem to be a separate track. It's not that they're not part of the charter conversation, but I think that it's a more robust conversation that's needed where we need to kind of think about the big picture and what we want Alameda elections to look like and what we want the elected body to look like. So I would just ask, because it seems like a lot to tackle in one meeting that we may be bifurcate those two things. And I think the interest is going to be different. The different community groups that are going to want to be involved or have a say might be different. And so perhaps if we bifurcate that with some guidance from the city clerk's office about different campaign requirements, about having it on certain elections, that sort of thing, and what the deadlines are, when when would the charter language have to be put in or when would the proposals have to be submitted? What's the process for notification and transparency on all of those things? And so that we can actually work from that timeline and people can understand is part of the conversation, you know, what that looks like and then what the whole package looks like. Because I think when we talk about district elections or ranked choice voting or the role of different positions, that's really a conversation where I want to have a conversation about what what's the overall package and rather than kind of picking them off one by one. So that's, that's my feedback. And I, I think the subcommittee for their work, I think our charter is a lot there's a lot to it. And, and it is an organic document. It's not a dead document. It's something that has been amended multiple times over the years. We continue to look at it. It's a living document. And I think part of this is it's pretty apt that we're having this conversation and I think timely. So thank you. Councilman Brody. Sure. I don't have too much more to add. That hasn't been said. I mean, I appreciate that the committee is looking at everything in addition to some of the stuff that I thought we were mandated to do. I do agree with customary values comments. Some of these can be compared compartmentalized into like buckets. And, you know, those buckets should kind of be looked at together. But, you know, I'm interested to hear the conversation on all of the ideas that are coming forward. And I'll just wrap up and say thank you very much for your your work on this. And I really do want to encourage you to live up to the League of Women Voters in because we don't need to reinvent the wheel. And they've done a lot of work and their organization, not just, you know, the Almeida League, which is phenomenal, but statewide, Des has done the deep dove into some of these. So, you know, again, no need to reinvent the wheel. I and I would like to know, can we do something about paid signature gatherers? Because I always get a little nervous when you're treading near First Amendment and other. So do you want. To I mean, I think we'd have to look into the specifics of what is requested. But the way that the since we are a charter city, we if we have things in the in our charter that trump the elections code, we follow our charter. Okay. I don't believe. That we council member I mean, first, Mayor Knox. I don't believe we can say that. For me, what I would say is the first question is, is this something that should be in the charter or is that just something we should do by ordinance? I think there are restrictions that we can do, but it we can't stop it. Yeah. So that might even be a step. Okay. That and some cities have gotten into trouble, I believe, too. Yeah. But I think maybe the threshold question is what belongs in a charter revision and what belongs in, you know, the separate, the buckets or whatever we're calling them these days. I think this is good timing on a number of fronts. We are getting a new city manager and a new city attorney, and we're still a relatively new city council. So it's kind of a good time to to tackle all this. And I think we can always learn from other communities and, you know, maybe other experiences they've had, by the way, and the five years of bar membership by membership in California. I could probably argue that one both ways, because I don't really want your experience with Nebraska law, but, you know, it's I think it's something to be something to be looked at. I, I think Councilmember De Sugg raised an interesting point about measure a the density limiting measure A that it was placed on it got into the charter through a citizens petition signature gathering initiative. And that's the way if it's to be amended or removed, it should happen again. But I just might anticipate that there might be organizations who have gotten pretty good at going out and pounding pavement who might be willing to do that. So maybe those are some other side conversations. I think it's a fair point, though, that you raise, because we never want to look like we're usurping the the the actions of the people by a vote of a five person body. So good point. I mean, you're raising good points. The I think that it is worth looking at the removal of the auditor and treasurer, probably not the most significant issue we face. But as we go through our budget and there's never enough money to do what we want to do these I'm not sure the return on the investment is there because I'm not entirely sure what they do that isn't redundant. Does something that an outside professional already does for us. But I, you know, I will contemplate that. But the very at the very. End, they don't have term limits. Councilmember vote. Yes, I was about to say that. I was going to say that at the very least, if if council in it has term limits, shouldn't they as well? But I don't know enough about the history of how those positions even came to be. I had no idea about them being away and remote meeting rules and to accommodate New Parenthood, clearly we need to update the charter there. The only problem is can't do it in time for this baby. But. Well. Well. There you go. I granted it. And then I would just say, I think you probably need to revisit your scheduling because, you know, doing anything by April is just about here. So but yeah, please come back to us with more refinement. But and I do think the point that that was councilmember so well all three of you have read you have made about our accountability to the public. We do need to do something about the issue that was raised in Mr. Jenkins report and at least make sure that the language is unambiguous and in. Some thought and discussion got to do it, but that's part of a public process. So with that, think. More of us agreeing with that. Okay. Thank you all for for your hard work on this. And we look forward to your next report. Thank you. Sorry, I just I heard a few things. Are you here to public comment on this? Do we have a speaker slip? I'm actually I didn't know how to get in line until tonight. All right. Well, tell you what. And I just want to do one or two sentences. Oh, okay. Well, why don't you see the assistant clerk here, and she will help you with the process? Is that about this, what we're talking about right now? Okay, no comment. Great. All right. Mrs. Ms.. Is going to get you a speaker slip that you just fill out, so I just bring it to you. Oh, ouch. Okay, so face to face, Mayor, there's. There's no opportunity left tonight. For no apology. You know, I think we might reopen oral communications because this gentleman has been sitting here and it seems a bit cruel, unusual. And so. Yeah, but he's got it. I just want him to understand something. Okay. If I can just summarize some, because there are a couple of places that I'm not clear on. So it sounds like working with the League of Women Voters, elections districts, ranked choice, voting, direct conversation. See what comes up. Come back with. Okay. Something, even if it's nobody's interested. Right, but. But not you. I guess what I'm saying is nobody's saying don't talk about that. So I would just say, no, I wouldn't tell you not to talk about anything. I will say on the issue of district elections, it's certainly come up at the League of California Cities because that's happened to some cities. Usually it's been in areas where they were a larger cities. There were more distinct neighborhoods like a particular ethnic group, lived in one area and definitely didn't have representation in the councilors. I mean, I, I mean, we certainly can look at it, but doing it to preempt the legal challenge might not be my idea of the best reason to bring it forward. But I think anything's on the table. It's just where in the table you put it. Um. So I guess what I know nobody wants to limit things that people can talk about, but at the end of the hand, it's a big there's a big lift. I did tell you to triage it, remember? Well, yeah, but I guess I'm looking for help. On if there are things where people are like, Yeah, let's not go there right now. We can do that. We can put that in our second bucket. Yeah, I really like the way Councilmember decide. I like the way Councilmember Vela and Councilmember Odie framed it by calling it either bifurcating and or bucket lists. And because that's a framework and how to deal with issues without picking and choosing which issues. So I think as we go to the League of Women Voters or whomever, that we can at least say that that's one of the directions coming out of here. Help us choose what goes into what bucket. Okay. So serious bucket in minor league bucket. Okay. The major issue, because I've actually heard some people say one thing one time and another thing tonight. Are we going to move forward with that? Are we saying that some groups should deal with that and. I would put that at the top of a discussion to be determined, because I think I mean, how can we talk about all the issues we grapple with homelessness, affordable housing availability, the cost of housing? Without looking at this one instrument that has kept us from building anything more dense than a duplex since 1973. It's not to say we haven't done multifamily with, you know, multifamily overlay, zoning districts and density bonus and all that. But, you know, maybe it's time to come in the front door. But who brings that forward? I think that's a fair question. But I I would put that I mean, I just think that housing is so important to us that that should be up near the top. My idea. Of things for us to discuss, we might come back and say we think somebody else should move. Forward. That's my that's my thought, I hear. Okay. Okay. Sorry. We couldn't overrule that. Yeah, we. If we decided to tackle it, it would be putting it on the ballot, letting the voters decide. Correct. Matter of how it gets to just make. Sure people don't understand. Don't misconstrue that. You know, we're plotting to do all this stuff. About boards and commission appointments. I didn't hear one person mention that. I'm going to just strike that on the list of. I didn't hear anybody say that. It could be interesting. Okay. I'm going to strike anything from, you know, just to be clear. But I'm asking for you to. I'm asking for some for some clarity there. Council pay. I saw a lot of nodding heads. I didn't necessarily. But I think I think that stays there. I think it stays. Everything else seemed to well, I think move paid signature gatherers to somewhere else, not the charter. And I didn't hear anybody talk about charter initiatives and, you know, to to your point and to just disagree. Councilmember Thank you. Shaking his head, I'm like, Yeah, I think I can get away. Let's get rid of that one as well. Because, you know, it is the it is the document of the people. So try and just suggest that the people should say and the people can't change that. The charters. A little. I don't think we can. Okay. Okay. Okay. I think. I think, therefore, we got that where we. Go. In terms of the timeline, I guess ignoring the dates, is everybody okay with the general flow whereby we're coming back and checking in and not writing anything? With that, you guys seemed bullet pointed in either direction. And can can we direct you, though, to check in with the League of Women Voters and maybe set up some time between now and next time you report? I already have. I mean, I've already met with them specifically on this. Okay. Councilmember Disorganized. In our first meeting, we were like the League of Women Voters. They already had that meeting. But maybe a framework of what you're going to do with them. Okay. Councilmember has got her hand up and then we'll go to Councilmember Ody. And I would just talk all you want, but it's almost 11:00. Yeah. So regarding the the timeline and the process, one thing that I would I would like is if we could schedule or if there is a joint meeting with the League of Women Voters, perhaps that we agenda set as a work session, a public work session so that the entire council can attend. I think that that would be helpful. In terms of the paid signature gather issue, perhaps we can have a staff presentation at a later meeting about what other cities have done relative to regulating that. It's similar to kind of time, place and manner restrictions because it's a First Amendment right. You essentially can't you can't say no, you can't spend money in elections, but you can regulate how it's sunshine to the public and what the requirements might be. Then the names of the the names of the organizations, what's required, and then in the name of the of the pack or whatever that's behind it, whether or not we have additional disclosures that are required that have to be included in like a petition that they circulate at the bottom of it said that says, you know, paid for by with their top donors or something like that. So I know that there's things like that. And if we could maybe get a staff report back on that, I'm not saying anytime soon I would want to give staff time to put that together. That might be helpful. And then we could report back to the League of Women Voters or to the public who've raised these concerns to say we're at least looking at it . Councilmember Odie thinks that was pretty much what I was going to say. If we do have a meeting with the League of Women Voters, it would be good to be noticed in a way that all of us could participate, not just attend. You okay? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, that's what the vice mayor. Are you okay? Physically okay? Yeah. Sorry. We can. We can be. Yeah. Okay. And then so, you know, because like the subcommittee, we, we wouldn't come to them. We couldn't speak at a meeting of the subcommittee, apparently. And then to your other point, would it be I think that's a good thing for our new city attorney to kind of bring back, you know, what we're allowed to do, what we're not allowed to do. And, you know, if we can regulate how someone is paid, whether it's piecemeal or or hourly, you know, what our options are. In our city. Clerk Okay. Okay. Is that enough on this graph there on this? Okay. So we've got we have ten C, are we doing that today or should we hear a public speaker. Just kind of oh. You sort of said that. Okay. So then we do have a public speaker. You can come on up if and one minute is exactly what I'm offering you. Okay? Yes, I'm okay.
AN ORDINANCE relating to housing and displacement mitigation; expanding the information required for submission under the Rental Registration Inspection Ordinance for rental housing units; requiring submission of rental housing-related information; and amending Chapter 22.214 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
SeattleCityCouncil_05312022_CB 120325
642
Reported the Sustainability and Interest Rates Committee Agenda Ember one Council 120 325 relating to housing and displacement mitigation. Expanding the information required for submission to the Rental Registration Inspection Ordinance for rental housing units required and submission of rental housing related information and amending Chapter 22.2 14 of the Code. The committee recommends that the bill pass with a divided vote, with councilmembers Lewis and Allison Faber and Councilmembers Nelson and Suarez opposed. Before we move on, I need to recognize that Councilmember Lewis has joined us with that council members to want. Thank you. Going to prison warriors. Councilmember Peterson is the prime sponsor of this legislation. I will turn the floor over to him to use it. I do have some comments, but I will wait until he has had a chance to introduce his bill. Let's hear. So what do you want to speak after Councilmember Peterson and then we'll go into. Okay. Okay. Go ahead. Go ahead. Customer Peterson. Thank you. Council President. Thank you. Chair Salon's Council President. May I move the bill? Yes. Okay, colleagues, I'd like to move passage of Council Bill 120325 on our agenda. Second. Thank you, chelsea. President suarez. I'll go ahead and speak to announce that. Thank you again. Thank you. President Juarez. Thank you. Salon two colleagues. Council Bill 120325 will efficiently fill a longstanding gap in data collection and analysis for Seattle's rental housing inventory, which will generate several benefits, including key data needed to measure and prevent economic displacement of existing residents from a dynamic and growing city. Seattle's Rental, Housing, Registration and Inspection Ordinance, our i o adopted several years ago, already requires landlords to submit a list of the rental units, and this bill would simply have property owners include that list along with rental rates, occupancy status and square footage of each unit to a research university to compile and analyze this important data. No personal information of the tenants would be provided. For the past several years, our city government has lacked the level of detail needed to understand many details about Seattle's housing inventory, including the extent of affordable housing that's not subsidized but still housed below market rents. Usually because that housing stock is older, what some refer to as naturally occurring affordable housing. This legislation also follows through on our statement of legislative intent of zero zero for a001 that Council adopted in November 2020. I understand that rental housing providers have had to absorb many changes and requirements over the past few years. Yet for us, time is running out for the simple, yet vital data before we attempt to update the city's comprehensive plan that will serve as a foundation for future housing and land use policies. The July 2019 Report prepared by the city's Office of Prepared for the City's Office of Planning and Community Development States by the Urban Displacement Project. University of California titled Heightened Displacement Risk Indicators for the City of Seattle states that a more granular and localized data set is needed to best meet the city's racial equity goals. The Seattle market rate, housing needs and supply analysis prepared for the city in 2021, stated that displacement can result from demolition of rental housing for redevelopment . As I mentioned before, we adopted a statement of legislative intent in 2018th November 2020 that asked the executive to come back with a plan to address this data gap. Unfortunately, the plan was not effective, merely suggesting that we hire a different private survey firm, which Dupré and Scott went out of business in 2018, demonstrating that we probably should not be relying on a private sector firm to collect data for a large city like Seattle that has dynamic changes going on with its policies. So it's time for us to take additional steps, such as requiring the data we need to mitigate and prevent displacement. So the IRR, the IO database already exists, but received an analysis of the rental housing data will require the contracted research university to set up spreadsheets or a database to enter and sort the rental rates and other information. I'm happy to address questions about cost. I can touch on that briefly here, but I believe the figures in the fiscal note are very high estimates and they lack the cost effective rigor and reality of a competitive request for proposals process that will occur. Also exceeding the budgets of PCD and CCI increased substantially from 2021 to 2022. During as part of the new bill that was introduced a few weeks ago, we did insert a sunset clause. So for landlords concerned about the ongoing burden of providing listing information that they would normally have for their own record keeping and tracking of rental revenues, this bill contains a sunset clause to end this process by December 2025. In other words, for those concerned about the bill, it's already been modified substantially by limiting the amount of time it's in effect. While the first round of data may not be available for the executive departments to complete their initial draft of comprehensive planning materials . The data will be available for for us, for city council members before any final decisions are made on the comp plan. So happy to answer questions or turn it over to others. Before I turn over to Councilor Solon, does anyone have any questions or comments for Councilmember Peterson before we let councilmembers address it and then we'll move to Councilmember Ellis in a moment. Okay. Not seeing any customers. So what do you want to address this? And then I believe Caspar Morales has a few items for us. Thank you. I support this bill and I thank Councilmember Peterson for bringing it forward. It will be good to have more data about the rent landlord's charge. This bill simply requires landlords to disclose the rent that they charge so that policymakers can have accurate, objective data. So it is pretty ironic that in public comment, landlords are simultaneously claiming both today and the committee they claim ultimately claim that they charge low rent and also objected to actually disclosing the rent they charge. I'm not I don't buy the stated reasons by these landlords that they are opposed to collecting the data because it will be some sort of onerous burden. It's not clear at all why it would be a burden to simply report the rent that you're already charging. You're already doing the paperwork. And I think it's it's really telling that the landlord lobby has turned out in opposition to this very straightforward and a bill that simply is about data collection. It is not a commentary on rent in any way. It's certainly not anything like rent control. I think the reason is clear. More accurate and more complete data will help further confirm what every renter in Seattle and every housing advocate in Seattle already knows big landlords. And the predatory real estate markets are gouging renters with totally unconscionable rent hikes. The cost of housing is being set by the greed of speculative banks, private equity funds and rapacious property management corporations rather than what it actually costs to house people. So while the real estate barons make billions, working people and the poor are increasingly price gouged just to have a roof over their heads and both are getting pushed into homelessness, we need to strengthen all the aspects of renters rights. We also need strong citywide rent control and a big increase in taxes on the rich. Like the Amazon backs that our movement won in 2020 to fund and increase expansion of publicly owned social housing. This bill will simply stipulate that landlords have to provide information to the city about the rents that they are charging. So I will vote yes on this legislation and I hope all council members also vote yes. Thank you. First one, does anyone have any questions for Casper Salant before we move on to Councilman Morales? Okay. Not seeing any. Councilmember Ellis. Good afternoon, colleagues. Thank you very much, Council President. I do have a couple of amendments, so I would like to first move Amendment eight to House Bill 120325. These were distributed on Friday the second. I will grant you a second. Councilman Morales, thank you very much. This amendment, colleagues, just adds a recital to state that the council intent with this is that this information would be public. As we know, anything we do is public. And the data itself, as many have said, is already publicly available. I just want to cover our bases that stating that this correlation of publicly available information and its use by the city will ultimately be public, either through public disclosure or via a data source like the Seattle. Services. Portal. So that is what we are trying to do with this. Thank you. 30 Comments for Councilor Morales regarding her Amendment. Not seeing any. Will the clerk please call the roll on Amendment eight? Councilmember Herbold. Yes. Councilmember Lewis. Yes. Thank you. Councilmember Morales. That's. Councilmember Mosquera I. Councilmember Nelson. No. Councilmember Peterson. Oh. Council members want? Yes. Councilmember Strauss. Yes. Council president, whereas. No. Six in favor. Three opposed. That was six in favor, three opposed. The motion carries an amendment, eight is adopted. Let's move on. Councilmember Ellis, I believe you have another amendment for us. Please. I move to amend Council Bill 1 to 0 3 to 5 as presented on Amendment eight, which was also distributed on Friday second. He's been moved and seconded. Go ahead, customer. Q So this amendment reflects some technical changes that we did receive a request for Stsci, and it would do a couple of things. The first is that it would set the start date for the legislation from the contract signing so that Stsci has some time to kind of ramp up. And it would also provide landlords some time to prepare for compliance of the legislation. And then it also sets sunset for all parts of this bill so that there's no ambiguity around enforcement of certain provisions versus others. And that is what we have with this amendment. Thank you, Mr. Morales. Are there any questions or comments? A customer, Peterson. Thank you. Council President I just want to thank the collaboration with council Morales and so odd and this this this amendment does two different things. I definitely support refining it so that the sunset clause is clearly in all the sections. I'm not you know, it will definitely make for a cleaner bill. I am concerned a little bit with giving the department all that time because the first date when the rental information is due is in October, and we really want to get the information as soon as possible for the comprehensive plan. I'll still support the bill if this pass, if this amendment passes, but be voting no on this amendment. Just wanted to explain why, because I'm not sure there's the teeth exists to make sure that that is expeditiously contracted with the research university. Okay. Thank you. Chester Peterson, is there anyone else before we move to a vote on the amendment, Kessler mosqueda. Thank you very much. I appreciate that this amendment is being brought forward so that we could potentially work with the departments on some of the concerns that they have. I will be supporting this amendment. I still have some concerns on the underlying bill, so I'll make sure to chat about those after the vote. But I will be supporting this amendment today. Thank you, sir. Anybody else? Okay. Not. Oh, Caspar Herbold. I'm sorry. Thanks. I just want to flag Peterson, I think addressed it in his comments, but just want to uplift a little bit more detail. You know, in 2015, this was the first major comp plan that included what was called a displacement risk analysis. And we have, since that time used a displacement risk analysis for many of our land use decisions. The displacement risk analysis was instrumental to council's deliberations on the mandatory housing affordability reasons to try to minimize the likelihood of that those those reasons would sort of accelerate displacement. On April 5th, we all received a memo from the Planning Commission on issue specific topics related to our next major comp plan update. And they wrote to us to say that we should make anti displacement policies a focus of the comprehensive plan and and we should do so to disrupt decades of inequitable growth patterns that led to the disproportionate displacement of bipoc and low income communities. And that the major update to the comprehensive plan expected in 2024 needs to include not only anti displacement policies as a central focus of the plan, but we should supplement knowledge shared by communities affected by displacement, with improved data tracking of high displacement risk areas and the outcomes of policy actions. And so I'm just lifting that up to say if we are going to be making a change to the date when this information is due, we we might be depriving ourselves of of useful data that will help us guide us in making some of the decisions around the major update. So I am, for that reason, not inclined to support this amendment. Making calls for her. I have a question because I was looking at I just want to I'm going to address it to you because you brought up the anti displacement risk analysis. That was the that was like the heat map that we got that would say high opportunity or high displacement. Low. Okay, great. I just want to make sure we're on the same page. It was high up to the low access, high displacement. Okay. Got it. They just didn't make it. And so when we did those amendments to FHA, I remember us having to use those maps. Okay, good. Is there anyone else that would like to comment before we go to a vote on Amendment B? All right. Well, I'm sorry. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Yeah, I just want to respond. I appreciate the comments. I don't think anybody is as interested in anti displacement work as I am, given the district that I represent. So I certainly appreciate the comments. This is really about trying to make sure that SDI has the capacity to do the work that we're asking them to do. We know, I'm sure many of us hear about how sort of overtaxed they are and how the challenge that the department has with meeting some of the things that we're asking them to do. So this isn't in any way an attempt to delay us getting access to really important information. It's just a real chance for us to make sure that the department is prepared to do what we're asking them to do. So I urge your support, colleagues. Thank you. Thank you. And because we were also I think Councilmember Herbold wasn't suggesting that you were trying to. I think we're just making the point. So thank you. I'm going to thank everybody because that's what we do here. Okay. So with that, Madam Clerk, can we please call the roll on Councilmember Morales's amendment? Amendment B, Councilmember Herbold? No. Councilmember Lewis. Yes. Councilmember Morales. Councilmember Mosquera i. Councilmember Nelson, you know. Councilmember Peterson. So. Council members want? Yes. Council member Strauss. Yes. Council President. Whereas No. Six in favor. Three opposed. Six in favor. Three Oppose motion carries. Oh, I thought it was five for. That's correct. Council president. It's five in favor. Four opposed. Oh, it's five. Four. I'm sorry. What? Okay. I thought you said six three. Those last time. Okay. So the the motion carries. Correct. Correct. Okay. So the motion carries an amendment. B is adopted in the amended bill. We will move forward to now the amended bill that's in front of us. And so, Councilmember Peterson, our customers want which one of you will be discussing? Have any closing remarks before we go to a vote on that? Or and then after that, my colleagues can also raise their hand if they want to speak to it. I don't have any closing remarks. I don't either. Okay. Council members, let's see. Let's start with Councilmember Nelson, then Councilmember Morales. Well, I support. The stated policy goals. Of preserving affordable. Housing and also. Prioritizing displacement prevention as we deliberate on the plan. But I don't support. Singling out. A group of business owners to generate the data that will be using to make those decisions. And that's what this legislation does to housing providers. So I'll be voting no. Thank you. Casper Morales. Q I just want to ask I've been working with Councilmember Peterson with this on this legislation for some time. So I'd like to ask to be added as a co-sponsor. And want to encourage. Support you very much. You. Thank you, sir. Any other comments? Castro mosquito. Thank you very much. I'm excited about the conversation, about getting ready for the plan. So I'll focus first on where I think that there's a shared common ground, and that's a lot of excitement about the opportunity to address the housing needs in our city, both to develop new affordable housing units and to make sure that we're looking at displacement. I think it's been well articulated already in this meeting and in previous meetings that the plan in front of us of the community engagement this year, the policy development next year and then the drafting of the policy in 2024 is a real it's a huge opportunity to address the growing needs in our community and to also make sure that we're preventing displacement. I think that there is a number of ways that we concurrently get the data that was being sought here. And I really hope that we turn towards some of the data that the director of the University of Washington Center for Real Estate Research has offered to us to offer to help out help a framework and community engagement strategies to work on getting some of the information that we might need on rental data collection and look forward to potentially working with them. I also think that there is a huge opportunity for us to dig into the data that's currently being provided by the city and work with these external partners to really pull out from it additional information that might be needed. My concern is the price tags still associated with this. And thank you, Councilmember Peterson, for speaking to the potential opportunity to drive down some of those costs. And Councilmember Morales, your amendment is trying to extend out the the timeframe I think may help with some of the costs. But given that the departments have indicated via the central staff memo and the cost estimates in the fiscal note, an estimated range of 2 million to $5 million in a year where we have many competing budget priorities and a budget gap, as we've discussed, that we're going to be looking to close not just this year but in the out years. I want to make sure that we have a process to address the department's capacity concerns, to implement a program with our existing staff, including Staffing for Compliance, Review and enforcement, customer support and communications and I.T. upgrades to track the information that's being submitted. I'm also interested in working to see what we can do to support the departments because they've stated a large amount of uncertainty for the amount of funding that will be needed and a hindrance in attracting qualified entry to contracts with entities for the data collection and opacity has also identified that there's issues with the bills specification for the information property owners would provide and suggested various amendments that I don't see in the legislation in front of us. Again, not being on the committee. I appreciate the hard work that went into this, but at this point today, especially focused on the fiscal note and the other available data and the external partners who I think can help us get some of the data that the legislative intent really speaks to. I'm going to be voting no on this today, and I look forward to working with folks on that common ground that I started with. Thank you, sir. Anyone else? So I'm going to share that I will not be supporting this bill today. And I had a really good opportunity to talk to Councilmember Peterson about what some of my concerns were and obviously value the goals of looking at displacement. Councilor Herbert, thank you for bringing up what we were talking about in 252 to 24 with the comp plan and the anti displacement and what tools we've already been using. I guess for me there's a lot of things. I think some of this I spoke to Joint Committee on May 20th. I am concerned about the data. I'm concerned about the third party possession. And so I'm concerned that we have new data points. I'm concerned what customer data brought up about the budget implications and also having a firm number about what the cost would be. And I you know, someone threw out 2 million. We don't that's probably way at the high end as Councilmember Peterson shared with us earlier. But I really am concerned about the city having additional in a burdensome new possession and production responsibilities of raw rent data pursuant to the Public Disclosure Act. I don't know how much more we can place on PCD and CCI twice a year to bring forward this kind of raw data, because at the end of the day, the city will be responsible for the data, for the possession, for maintaining the data, for releasing the data. There are no exceptions, obviously, again, under the Public Disclosure Act. So at this juncture and this form, I'm going to have to unfortunately not be able to be supportive today. So with that, not seen any more. Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll on the passage of the amended bill? Councilmember Herbold? Yes. Councilmember Lewis. Yes. And remember Morales as. Council members must get to know. Councilmember Nelson. They. Councilmember Peterson. Yes. Councilmember. Silent? Yes. Councilmember Strauss. No. Councilmember Morris No. Five in favor for post write the bill passes as amended and the chair will sign it. Will the clerk please fix my signature to the amended legislation on my behalf? Right. Well, we Don, we will go to the Public Safety and Human Services Committee of the mighty Councilmember Herbal. Madam Clerk, can you please read item number two to the record? Well, to the report of the Public Safety and Human Services agenda item to council, but one to 0 to 94 relating to app based worker labor standards, establishing a compensation scheme for app based workers with the minimum requirements and related standards for transparency and flexibility.
On the message and order, referred on January 26, 2022, Docket #0160, authorizing the City of Boston (the “City”) to accept and expend the amount of Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) in the form of a grant ( the “Grant Payment”), awarded by the United States Department of the Treasury, to be administered by the City’s Chief Financial Officer/Collector-Treasurer. The Grant Payment is made from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund in the Treasury of the United States established by Section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Committee submitted a report recommending the order ought to pass.
BostonCC_01262022_2022-0160
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Docket 0160 message in order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and extend an amount of $5 million in the form of a grant. The grant payment awarded by the United States Department of Treasury to be administered by the city's chief financial officer slash collector. Treasurer. The grant payment is made for the coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund in the Treasury of the United States, established by Section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Thank you. Thank you, madam. Court docket docket 0160 will be for it to the Committee on Boston's COVID 19 recovery. Can we take a five minute recess, please? We are back in session. Madam Clerk, please read docket 016120164 together, please. Did you put do I could 0160. In. Connecticut. You did? Yes, we have. To be sure. Thank you, Madam Clerk.
AN ORDINANCE relating to employment in Seattle; amending Sections 100.025 and Section 5 of Ordinance 126274 to establish a new date for ending hazard pay requirements and automatically repealing the ordinance.
SeattleCityCouncil_01252022_CB 120119
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Agenda Item one Constable 120119 relating to employment in Seattle and many sections 100.025 and Section five of Ordinance one two 6 to 74. And to establish a new date for ending hazard pay requirements and automatically repealing the ordinance. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I'm calling up the reconsideration of passage of Council Bill 120119 to consider passage of the Bill and the Mayor's veto. The reconsideration of Council Bill 120119 is now pending before the Council. Before I go to my colleagues for some comments, I want to add I want to add a few. I want to kind of contextualize where we're at with this particular ordinance and what we're doing here today. And then I'll go to my colleagues for some comments. First of all, thank you, Corina Bull, for pulling this together for me and our own surveys. Who put this together for me this morning? So I just want to put how this how we got here today. So for reference, this is a quick hazard pay timeline. So on January 5th, 20/25, 2021, exactly one year ago today, council passed emergency ordinance establishing hazard pay for grocery employees and the vote was 8 to 0. Everyone voted yes and I did not vote because I was not here. So anyway, then on February 3rd, hazard pay for grocery for grocery ordinance for the grocery ordinance went into effect. And then from there, we started with Council Bill 120119, which is what's before us today. And those were the amendments to the hazard pay for the grocery employees. That is, that this would be the bill to end hazard pay requirements upon the effective date of the ordinance. And again, that's what's before us today. So on July 9th, 2021, out of Councilmember Mosquito's Committee, Finance and housing, the bill was voted out of committee vote 2420. And in favor of that vote were Council member Chairman's Data Council President Gonzalez. Councilmember Lewis. And I believe Councilmember Herbold abstained. Then on July 27th and August 9th and September 13th, this Council held the bill on those three dates. On July 27th, Council voted to hold passage of the bill 7 to 0. Not present was Councilmember Morales and mosqueda on August 9th. This council again voted to hold passage of the bill. It was 8 to 0. The only person not present that day was Council President Gonzalez. Then on September 13th, Council voted again to hold passage of the bill. It was a 9 to 0 vote. So everybody voted yes on September 13th to hold passage of this particular bill. This bill then were to the full council again on Monday, December 13th, 2021, and the vote was 8 to 0 to end hazard pay. Everyone was present except for council members to want. So that's why the vote was 8 to 0. So on December 27th, 2021, Mayor Durkan got this piece of legislation and she vetoed it and returned the bill back to council. So here we are today, exactly one year to the day, January 25th, 2022. So Council will have an opportunity to reconsider passage of the bill. So I am going to at this time turn it over to any of my colleagues that may have some comments to say. And then I'm going to give some instruction about how we're going to vote on this. So with that, I'm going to open up the floor. Colleagues. Councilmember Herbold. I see your hand is up. Thank you so much. Madam President, your sharing of the history of Council's decision to not act on the suspension of hazard pay on several occasions over the last last several months. And appreciate that that. That those actions that the council has taken in the past to do not vote on this legislation reflected the uncertainty that many council members had around the timing. When I did vote on the hazard pay, the ending of the hazard pay, the legislation, I did say publicly at that time that I recognize that we may need to revisit it because of the uncertainty. And this was this vote was more than just a little bit more than a week before the surge. So I'm concerned. Hasn't happened yet. Many of us, myself included, said when we voted on the the termination of hazard pay, that that we may need to revisit it and that we recognize that public health is the number one priority as we continue to get it. Advice from public health officials. We must react quickly to protect the health and safety of our constituents. I issued a statement after the mayor's veto of the council's bill saying that I supported it and I'm glad to be here today to affirm my my support of continued hazard pay for these frontline workers at essential businesses. Thank you. Thank you. Councilor Herbold, is anyone else that would like to comment? Councilmember Nelson. Go ahead. Thank you very much. President Suarez. I'm going to vote in favor of the substitute because I think you did the right thing in December in sunsetting the $4 an hour hazard pay increase, which you passed as emergency legislation before the vaccine was widely available. And now 87.5% of residents over 16 are vaccinated in five, five years and 83% are vaccinated. So, you know, there Durkan vetoed Council Bill 120119, which repeals hazard pay shortly after, maybe just days after Obama came on the scene and before we knew anything about its transmissibility or its virulence. And now, according to public health officials, seems to be going in the right direction. It's anticipated that it'll peak in February and locally. The Seattle King County Public Health Dashboard shows today that the number of new cases in Seattle is down 49% from last week. So the point is that conditions have changed. And since your original legislation know Washington in it's official I mean it's it's reopened officially and in June schools are back open for in-person learning. Just today, UW announced that it will go back to in-person and our own libraries are reopened and our librarians aren't getting hazard pay. So here's why this matters. I have spoken with PCC and the independent grocers, and they're really struggling with this with this significant pay increase. I'm concerned about their viability because if they close those jobs go away and the neighborhood loses that asset. And, you know, there was one example, the grocery outlet in District two that did close. So that is why I'm concerned. And we're not talking about Kroger here. We're talking about large the family owns some, many of them family owned. And if they don't raise their if they don't close, they might have to raise their their prices. And we already know what's happening with prices and with all the supply chain problems. They're already going up and working families are hurting. So that is the crux of the matter for me. If we vote no on this legislation, in other words, sustain the mayors, veto this hazard pay increase, will increase indefinitely until the mayor calls an end to the civil emergency. And right now, most of the other jurisdictions have already sunset or repealed their hazard pay. I think that maybe you're in Edmonds are two exceptions, but the vast majority, pretty much all of them have ended this. And the United Food Workers of America Local 21 didn't signal its green light for the repealing of hazard pay, and I believe that they were already negotiating a contract. So that work is ongoing right now. And it was said in committee in December that this legislation was not intended to be a permanent wage replacement. And so let's let wages be dealt with in contract negotiations. So if we pass this proposed substitute, the $4 an hour wage will be in effect for another month to 30 days. We're likely to have more information about it at that point. And I believe that this thing is going to keep changing all the time. We don't know now there's a new unaccompanied. But the point is we have to follow the recommendations of public health officials. And that is and and the mayor's letter in vetoing this said that I'll quote it in the new year, the the incoming administration in the city council will have the benefit of much more information regarding on the front end its impacts. If you work with organized labor other workers in impacted businesses to evaluate the appropriate next steps. And I think that we're at that time for appropriate next steps, and that is why I am going to vote in favor of this legislation. And. Q Councilmember Nelson, is there any one else, Councilmember Peterson. If you council President Juarez colleagues, as you know, I voted for the original bill in January of 2021 to support Seattle grocery workers and require their employers to provide hazard pay. I also supported efforts to keep it in place for a full year due in part to the earlier delta variant of the coronavirus. I have been, however, torn about whether to continue to require those payments into 2022. Just a few weeks ago, on December 13, eight of us voted to sunset this hazard pay. I know several of my colleagues, including Kasper, are making good points about why to support and uphold Mayor Durkin's decision a month ago. Ultimately, however, I have decided to be consistent with my December 2021 vote, and so I'll be voting to override the veto of our former mayor so that the hazard pay requirements could sunset in 30 days. I want to acknowledge that frontline workers in numerous industries that bravely serve Seattle every day should not only be paid well, but also be able to work the quantity of hours they need. And a key question for me is when is it a city government's role to intervene and require business owners to pay above their current compensation? The pandemic has spurred the creation and expansion of many relief programs funded by several different sources. And I have supported nearly all of these interventions because the pandemic is an extraordinary crisis warranting extraordinary responses. In my original vote on January 20, 21, a year ago to support grocery workers. It received criticism from several of my constituents when the Cincinnati based Kroger company announced the closing of a cherished QVC grocery store in the Wedgewood neighborhood. But I stand by my original vote a year ago, but I need to explain why I think we should override the mayor's last minute veto of our sunset legislation. Again, Seattle has imposed this special hazard pay for a year. The supplemental pay would not end immediately, but rather after 30 days. Dr. Satechi recently announced that things look like they're going in the right direction. Today, the University of Washington and Seattle University announced they would be returning to in-person classes next week beyond the government imposed minimum wage. I believe workers and their employers should negotiate compensation and benefits without a local government dictating what they must be. The local union, United Food and Commercial Workers, you have CWA Local 21 is very effective throughout Washington state and beyond and advocating for the grocery workers they represent in organizing those who may want to form a union and influencing policymakers. Temporary hazard pay for grocery workers already ended months ago in all 35 California jurisdictions that originally required it. And it is also ended in about half of the Washington state jurisdictions that required ending the hazard pay in Seattle to make it more financially feasible for other stores to move into the Wedgewood location and open stores throughout Seattle or to to remain in business as we strive to emerge from the COVID pandemic. I believe it may be time to transition away from some of the emergency measures we have put in place over the past two years, unless such measures are required by public health authorities or funded by the federal government. And so I'll be voting to override the mayors veto today. Thank you. Thank you, Councilor Peterson. I see that. Councilmember Swann, you have your hand up. Please. What I am, of course, opposing the legislation originally sponsored by self-described progressive councilmember mosquito that would end the $4 an hour hazard pay that grocery workers depend on during this public health emergency. In other words, I am voting to uphold the veto from the outgoing mayor. We know that 300 over 330 community members have emailed the council, saying that the council cannot dare to repeal the hazard pay. We've seen a petition to the council from Trader Joe's workers over 40. What Trader Joe's workers have signed this petition urging the Council to maintain the hazard pay. In December, this bill came to the Council for a vote on a day that I was out sick and scandalously all of the eight other council members were present. All Democrats voted to end the hazard pay for grocery workers. This is totally unacceptable. As I had explained in council meetings throughout last summer when this bill ending hazard pay almost came to a vote several times when the vote was held, which means that the vote was delayed at the time. Grocery workers have risked their lives on poverty wages to make food available to all of society through throughout this crisis. I have repeatedly argued that the hazard pay should not only be maintained for grocery workers, but should be extended to all frontline workers for as long as this public health emergency lasts. To get a sense of how anti-worker the Democrats ending of the grocery worker hazard pay was, consider the study released by the Economic Roundtable of U.S. workers in Washington, California and Colorado. This survey shows that while Kroger CEO made $22 million last year, most of the company's frontline workers faced homelessness, addiction or hunger. The study surveyed a staggering 10,000 workers and found that more than three quarters of Kroger's workers are food insecure. 14% faced homelessness in the past year. And real wages for Kroger workers have decreased in the past few years, while executive profits have increased. The original hazard pay ordinance said that the hazard pay should last as long as the COVID public health emergency lasted, as long as there is an emergency. Hazard pay is really the least that grocery workers should be getting. Former Mayor Durkan vetoed the end of hazard pay, which was not the right thing to do. And we have to be clear that she had no choice but to veto. She's a she was a corporate politician, but she had no choice to veto because the bill came to her desk right when Omicron started sweeping the city council members and as you've heard today, have attempted to excuse their anti-worker vote in December by saying that they could not have predicted on the crime. While it is true that Omicron could not have been precisely predicted, that is not the question at all. The question is why were councilmembers many of these self-described progressive councilmembers so eager to end the hazard pay for grocery workers, so eager that they could not even wait for the official state of emergency to end in our city? At the same time, the city council itself gets to be safe and work from home. Kroger executives get to be safe and work from home. None of these excuses are acceptable. And councilmembers Nelson and Peterson not only say that they believe that voting to end hazard pay in December was the right thing to do, but also say that they're voting to end hazard pay now in the middle of the deadly Omicron surge is just stunning. My allegiance to the is to the grocery workers, not to the bosses at Kroger. I will, as I said, of course, be voting to maintain the hazard pay. I really urge all council members to reverse the scandalous position you took in December and vote to maintain the hazard pay. Finally, I want to urge all council member working people in Seattle to support grocery workers who are rank and file members of your CWA as they fight this year for a decent contract and to stand with Starbucks workers fighting to unionize and to fight and to push for rank and file driven, democratically organized unions. I also want to be you know, I want to say that last year across the country, inflation far outpaced wages. In other words, the average family took a real pay cut, a pay cut in real terms last year because even earned wages may have gone up. In nominal terms, inflation has outpaced it. As an economist, I want to be clear that Councilmember Nelson's assertion that price increases are somehow caused by the tiny wage increases by the lowest wage workers is completely unfounded. I mean, this has no basis in statistical evidence. Wages are falling behind prices. While stock market speculation runs rampant. Grocery workers need hazard pay, but also need a substantial raise, safe working conditions and decent hours. I stand in solidarity with grocery workers, rank and file members of UFW in their fight to protect hazard pay and also with all grocery workers, whether they are unionized or not, who are fighting for this hazard pay and for all non-unionized grocery workers to get unionized and then fight for a good contract. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Swan, before we. Is there anyone else that would like to say before I say a few closing comments? Thank you. CARLSON Swan, thank you for your comments. But I just want to add that members are reminded it is never in order to attack the integrity of your colleagues for why they are voting the way they are voting. Its every member should be reminded that it's never an order to make personal comments or undermine what party any of us belong to. I think everybody is trying to rely on each other and hold each other accountable to the rules of civility, decorum and kindness. So while you may not agree with the vote of our colleagues, Council Member Nelson and Councilmember Peterson, and you may not agree with what you deem any particular party, it's really it's really just isn't helpful for the debate and the civility and for the city council to move forward and to the discussion, quite frankly, about how we approach not just today's work in front of us, but every day the work in front of us. I will add, Councilmember Nelson, you did refer to the mayor's veto letter, which was dated December 27th. I. Madam Clerk, please correct me. That's in the clerk file. Correct? The actual mayoral veto letter is part of the record and is on the agenda. Today's agenda as well. Okay. And so if somebody who's been listening and wanted to see that letter, they can easily access it. That is correct on today's agenda. Okay. So with that, is there any other comments? Okay. I don't see any. I'm going to give a few more comments about how we're going to move forward on this vote. So here we go. And again, thank you, Madam Clerk, and thank you, Karina Bole, and for assisting us in getting us through this. The procedural the procedural piece of this. The city council will now vote to reconsider passage of Council Bill 120119 and to either override or sustain the mayoral veto. During Roll Call, council members will either vote I to pass the bill an override the mayor's veto or no to not pass the bill and sustain the veto. If the vote on the motion is tied or two thirds, that is six or more votes. No, the bill fails and the veto is sustained. If the vote on the motion is six or more votes in favor, the bill passes, the veto is overridden, and all provisions within the bill go into effect. Are there any questions on the procedural vote? Councilor Peterson. Thank you. Council President. I might have heard it two different ways. So if we're voting to override. Is that a yes or no? I'm just getting to that. So let me get through the rest. All right. I have an A. I'm going to read a little bit more than I'm going to. I'm just going to wrap it up. Okay. As a reminder, council members will either vote yes to pass the bill and override mayor's veto or no to not pass the bill and sustain the veto. Now, let me tell you what this means to me. A vote of yes ends hazard pay. In hazard pay in overrides the veto, and a vote of no would sustain hazard pay. It would not override the veto. So with that, any other questions? Okay. So will the clerk please call the role of on the passage of Council Bill 120119 and the consideration of the mayoral vote. Nelson. I. PETERSON Yes. Sergeant No. HERBOLD No. Lewis No. Morales No. Council President Suarez. No. Two in favor. Five opposed. So that means the motion fails, correct? Madam Clerk. And the bill does not pass and the veto is sustained. Alice. Correct. Council President. Okay. So we are done with that. Okay. Can we read the next week under committee reports? We have another vote here. Madam Clerk, can you please. It looks like we have a something from Councilmember Lewis on public assets and the Homelessness Committee. Can you please read that into the record?
Rezones property located at 99 Quebec Street from O-1 to C-MX-5 in Council District 5. (NEIGHBORHOODS AND PLANNING) zones property located at 99 Quebec Street from O-1 to C-MX-5 in Council District 5. IF ORDERED PUBLISHED, A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON THIS ITEM. REFER TO THE "PENDING" SECTION OF THE FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING AGENDAS FOR THE DATE. The Committee approved filing this bill at its meeting on 5-20-15.
DenverCityCouncil_06292015_15-0345
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Okay. I need a second from a member of council. It's been moved and seconded. The public hearing for Council Bill 345 is open. May we have the staff report? Good evening, Teresa Lucero with community planning and development. I am trying to get a PowerPoint open here, so give me a second. Here we are. So this is a map amendment for a property located at approximately 99 Quebec Street from oh one to C-Max five with waivers. The property is located in Southeast Denver in Council District five, in the Lowry Field statistical neighborhood. This is an illustration and illustrative plan of the Buckley Annex plan. The purple bubble that you see is the area that we're talking about. You may be familiar with Buckley Annex, but I have to remind you every time that this was a former Air Force facility home to the Air Reserve Personnel Center and Defense Finance and Accounting Services with about 3000 employees. In 1993, the Lowry Reuse Plan was created and adopted by the city as city policy. This Air Force facilities were in that plan were shown to continue. In 2000, Denver adopted our comprehensive plan and adopted the Lowry Reuse Plan as a supplement to our plan. And again, the Air Force facilities were shown to continue. Blueprint Denver was adopted by the city in 2002, and then in 2005, the Air Force announced they were closing their facilities. So the Buckley Annex redevelopment plan was completed by the Lowry Redevelopment Authority, and it did provide a land use and transportation framework for redeveloping the annex property . And in 2011, the property was vacated by the Air Force. And 2012, the Air Force completed transfer of the property to the Lowry Redevelopment Authority in 2013. The city adopted a general development plan and a minor amendment to that plan. So the map on your screen is a location of the property. It is at the corner of First Avenue and Quebec Street. Quebec forms the eastern boundary. The western boundary of Buckley Annex is Monaco Street. The southern boundary is roughly Bayard Avenue. Property itself is about 18 acres. It is vacant except for two existing structures, a small maintenance structure of two stories and a two storey office building that houses the Lowry Redevelopment Authority. Currently on the property, utilities are under construction for the redevelopment. Property owner is Lowry Redevelopment Authority. Their proposal is to redevelop into a mixed use development for this property. They are requesting a rezoning from oh 1 to 5 with waivers. This is part of a 70 acre site. To date, about 53% of the site has been resolved. Just a little bit about the current zoning. It is a one this is a former Chapter 59 zone district carried forward as it was in the old code. There is no height limit there except if you were within 175 feet of a protected zone district, in which case the height limit is 75 feet. The allowed uses, the only residential uses allowed are residential care and shelter for the homeless. Civic and public uses are allowed such as elementary schools, libraries, correctional institutions. The only commercial uses allowed are outdoor arts, recreation and entertainment and surface and garage parking and industrial uses are allowed such as telecommunications, oil and gas production and wholesale trade and storage. Light just a little bit about the existing zoning. The gray you see on your screen is former Chapter 59. So the majority of the zoning surrounding our site subject property tonight is Archway with waivers. Archway was a multi-unit zoned district that had a minimum lot. Area of 2000 square feet for each zoned. Each sorry. Each dwelling unit. But if you did it planned building group site plan, you were allowed to go down to 1500 square feet for each dwelling unit and much of Lowry was developed in planned building groups. That's why I mention it. As you see in this slide, the blue areas are the plan building groups. So the urban center mixed use five storeys urban center context is a multi-unit residential zone district with mixed use commercial land uses. Multi-unit residential is located primarily on collectors and arterial streets. Commercial is located on main streets and mixed use arterials. First Avenue in Blueprint Denver's terms is a residential collector and Quebec is a residential arterial. And again, the well, we'll hear hear more about it. But the GDP does support a mixture of uses for this portion of Berkeley annex. It is considered a community wide gathering space and a location for a new park. Parkside Retail multifamily single family uses are envisioned and the Scenic Zone District CRM X5 with its broad land use allowance and building form standards, create that pedestrian friendly place that we're looking for in town center. So again, the proposed zone district urban center and neighborhood context mixed use with a five storey maximum height. And waivers. The waivers reduce the height along First Avenue. And I probably should have gone. Well, I didn't get there yet. Okay. I'm trying to find where I inserted some. No. I'm sorry. I'm going the wrong way. I want to show you the area where the three stories proposed, which I think is back under the proposal. And I should have pointed that out before. So bear with me there. So you see two blue areas. Those are the areas where the waivers would apply to the edges of the property that we're proposing to rezone. And now let me explain what those are. So in those areas on First Avenue in Quebec, the zoning would waive down the heights to 45 feet and three stories within 30 feet of the property edge. And then the other waiver on proposed with this rezoning is to reduce the maximum height of the remainder of the area from 70 feet to 65 feet and keep the five storey limit. And just for information, the C-Max five does have a 70% build to for nonresidential structures within 0 to 10 feet of the property. For residential structures, only that 70% build two is within 0 to 15 feet on primary street phase and requiring primary street facing entrances and some transparency requirements as well. So we've kind of got dry throat. Which. It happens a lot. We've kind of already talked about the existing zoning. It is a mixture of that multi-unit ah to ar1 to the south B three with waivers in the, in the Lowry Town Center and then some single unit to the northeast and south of the property. And then of course, Chris Moore Park to the west. The majority of the area is vacant. As I said before, there are two small buildings on the property, a maintenance building and a two storey office building and utilities and roads under construction. So a little bit of the surrounding uses are shown on this side. The red is an office use four storey office use. The sort of orange is multi-unit, mid-rise, multi-unit, and then a lower density, low rise multi-unit is sort of the lighter orange. And then the yellow, of course, is single family land uses. And this gives you a little bit of an idea of the flavor of the surrounding land uses. The upper right is the four storey office building directly across Quebec Street. The Red Arrow shows the existing two storey office building at first in Quebec. The lower right is across Quebec, single family across Quebec. The lower left is the area that is proposed south. While not proposed, it's been approved single family zoning approved on the southern edge of Barclay Annex and then just shot in the middle. On the left is some of the roads already being built in the upper left, some of the houses already being built at near first in Quebec. So this proposal was sent to city agencies for their review, and these are the comments provided by them on approval from our asset management. Our Surveyor. No comments from Parks and Recreation. No comments from Project Coordination. Transportation reviewed and had. No comments. And wastewater approved the rezoning. So this is the public notice that we sent out for this proposal. March 16th was the first notice of a complete application sent to registered neighborhood organizations. You see the list here on the slide Denver Neighborhood Association in her neighborhood cooperation. Lowry Community Master Association. Lowry United Neighbors, Mayfair Park Neighborhood Association and Mayfair Residents Condominium Association. And then 15 days prior to the May 6th Planning Board hearing, there was a sign posted on the property and electronic notice sent to all of the affected RINO's. There was a public hearing at that May 6th meeting and planning board did recommend unanimously that City Council approve this rezoning. NAP Committee meeting was held May 20th. Ten days prior to that meeting was electronic notice to registered neighborhood organizations as well. And then for this city council, a public hearing notice was sent out on June 5th and signs were posted on the property to these same groups. So at the bottom of the slide, you see the number of letters that we've received or individual responses. They were 331 116 in favor of the proposed rezoning and 215 opposed. You know well the criteria for rezoning. Consistency with adopted plans. Uniformity of district regulations. Furthering public health. Safety and welfare. Justifying circumstances. And consistency with neighborhood context and zone. District purpose and intent. Well, here's telling you again that planning board unanimously recommended approval. So the pertinent plans for this proposal are Denver Plan 2000, the Lowery Reuse Plan Blueprint, Denver and the Buckley Annex General Development Plan. So comp plan 2000 in the in the Environmental Sustainability Chapter tells us to promote the development of sustainable communities and centers of activity where shopping, jobs, recreation and schools are accessible by multiple forms of transportation. The Land Use Chapter tells us to encourage quality infill development that is consistent with the character of the surrounding neighborhood and offers opportunities for increased density and more amenities. That Denver Legacy's chapter tells us to identify areas in which increased density and new uses are desirable and can be accommodated. And the neighborhood chapters tell us to modify land use regulations to ensure flexibility to accommodate changing demographics and lifestyles, and to encourage a diverse mix of housing types, affordable units, essential services, recreation, business and employment. Home based business schools, transportation and open space networks. Blueprint Denver Adopted in 2002 The land use concept in Blueprint Denver is employment, and again, this was designated prior to the Air Force closing their offices. And the area is an area of change. These are the areas that Blueprint says are large vacant development sites which offer the potential to create new neighborhoods that embody the best characteristics of Denver's traditional residential neighborhoods. And I guess I want to emphasize that this is a key concept of blueprint. Denver Directing our growth to areas of change and protecting are areas of stability where we want to have some reinvestment but protect the character of those areas. And so the Street Classification and blueprint Denver for First Avenue is residential collector, which provide a balance between mobility and land access and then residential arterial for Quebec Street. First Avenue is 60 feet wide. Quebec Street 110 feet wide. Just like you'd like to know that Lowry reuse plan. As I stated earlier, they didn't anticipate the change in use of the property in 1993 when the plan was written. So in 2005, when the Air Force announced they'd be closing the plan, didn't address that. So there is little guidance from the Lowry reuse plan for this rezoning. This is the Buckley Annex General Development Plan. Again, the area we're talking about is is highlighted in yellow. The orange bubble is the area we're talking about rezoning. This area is considered the community park mixed use center sub area in the general development plan. And the intent of that area is a community wide gathering place that's defined by a significant community park and plaza, new opportunities for park side, retail and multifamily and single family residence residences that look on to the parking plaza. New parking for the Fleshman Library to create a synergy between the library and the new Mixed Use Center and a mixture of land uses including residential, retail, office and civic with ground floor uses and urban design. Character of build to's, pedestrian entrances on Lowry Boulevard and Pontiac Street ground ground for active users, parking located on the side and rear of buildings and buildings oriented to the park. So the Neighborhood Context Urban Center is generally characterized by that multi-unit, residential and mixed use commercial that we've been talking about, as well as multi-unit residential uses that are located along collectors and arterials, as we have been talking about with First Avenue and Quebec Street. There is a general grid, street pattern, detached sidewalks and usually alleys. Buildings are typically consistently oriented and not haphazardly oriented to the street and in different distances. So a consistent build to and there is a high level of pedestrian and bicycle use in these areas. So with these characteristics, staff does believe that the mix five conforms to these mixture of uses, the enhanced build to the pedestrian scaled development that the zone district generally espouses, and specifically this IMX five zone district with its location on the primarily collector and arterial streets with a scale of 1 to 5 stories. So staff believes that this is that city five is consistent. So we do find that the proposed CM x five is consistent with Blueprint Denver Plan 2000, the Buckley Annex General Development Plan, and that the C IMX five will be a uniform zone district and will be administered uniformly except for the waivers on first and third I mean first in Quebec, and that by implementing our plans we are furthering the public health, safety and welfare. So this criteria is also met. Justifying circumstance for this rezoning is changed conditions. The land or its surrounding environs has changed or is changing to such a degree that it's in the public interest to encourage the redevelopment of the area or to recognize the changed character of the area. KPD finds this criteria has been met because of the changing condition in this case the closure of the Air Force facilities in 2011. The subsequent sale of the property to Library Redevelopment Authority for redevelopment. We did already talk about consistency with neighborhood context and zone district purpose and intent. So with that, self recommends approval of this rezoning. Thank you, Ms.. Lucero. We have 32 individuals signed up to speak this evening. So let us begin by calling the first eight speakers up. The first one is Monti Force, John Putnam, Joyce Foster, Cindy Van Size, Hillary Patel, George Swan Milroy, Roy Alexander and Katie McCrimmon. If you can all come up to the first bench, first row right behind the podium. We can begin our public hearing. Let me just. I have 6. Minutes. Yes, you do. Okay. Hmm. Good evening. Members of council. I'm Monte Force. I'm the executive director of the Lowry Redevelopment Authority. My address is 7290 East First Avenue. The staff report was very thorough, but I'd like to spend just a little time amplifying what Theresa has said, along with giving you some additional context for the zoning before you this evening . I believe this was passed out. Everybody have this little flipbook here. I'm going to be referring to that as I go along to help illustrate some of my comments and others that are going to follow me all the way back in 1991. Civic and city leaders set forth the vision for the closing Lowry Air Force Base that it would be an urban, mixed use community with a wide range of housing near parks, schools, jobs and retail services, and that people could live, learn, work and play without having to drive everywhere. Today, some 35,000 people enjoy that lifestyle, and Lowery has been recognized both locally and nationally as a model for smart growth. We are all aware of community concerns about growth around this city. And in response, I'd like to say that at Lowery, we've been practicing smart growth for the last 24 years. And to continue to do so, we've been at this for a little while. In fact, this is the 61st time we have been to City Council for a zoning action to enable the vision for Lowery. Flipping a page too. You can see the entire 866 acre Lowry redevelopment and Boulevard one is 70 acres of that shown in the orange box. At this point, about 98% of Lowry is developed or underway. And this mixed use parcel that we're discussing today within the boulevard, one area at 18 acres represents a mere 1% of all of Lowry. Flipping a page three. Lowry is noted as an area of change, and more specifically, so is Boulevard one. Blueprint Denver urges development of compact and mixed use neighborhoods and Boulevard one is just that the right kind of development in the right place and at the right time. I flip to page six and you'll see an illustrative that depicts a great opportunity for mixed use redevelopment in Denver on the 70 acre parcel in total will have no more than 800 residential units. Approximately 120 of those would be single family detached, 230 row homes and up to 200 are up to 450 apartments. In addition, 12% of that housing mix is affordably priced for sale, and rental homes will have no more than 200,000 square feet of commercial and retail space. It include 13 acres of parks or 19% of the site. On page seven, we show in green the proposed CM five zoning, an 18 acre site located on the east side of Boulevard One along Quebec and across the street from the Lowry Town Center. This area is the heart of the community. Where people will live, shop, eat and socialize is integral to the mixed use concept of Boulevard One. Also note that a little over 50% of Boulevard one has already been zoned shown in blue with single family homes and row homes. Now flipping all the way back to page 12. I'd like to summarize it in a word. I'd like to emphasize that Boulevard one is the same. Boulevard. One planning is consistent with the rest of Lowry and the goals of the city. It has the same density, overall density of 11 units to the acre, the same as the Lowry Town Center District. The same ratio of for sale homes to apartments at 45 and 55%, respectively. For the last several years, we have publicly represented and adopted by board resolution that there would be a maximum of 800 residential units on this site in the 200,000 square feet of commercial space. This has been reflected in the redevelopment plan, the general development plan. The traffic studies, our planning, our engineering, and the improvements on the ground today. The same zoning in some context be three across the street, which is essentially a mixed use zoned direct district under the previous code. Along with the CMCs eight zone district that is nearby. We have the same parking ratios. The design guidelines manage our parking according to ratios in the previous zoning code. We have the same traffic volume. That is, the traffic studies that were approved by the city have estimated 9500 daily traffic trips for the Boulevard one development. That's the same volume of generated by the former office use on the site. These same traffic studies concluded that the existing street network, along with proposed streets, can accommodate those proposed trips. The same building heights a maximum of 65 feet in a mixed use area and limited on the edges to 45 feet. And finally, it's the same vision by the same developer for an urban mixed use community where people can live, learn, work and play. Thank you for your consideration. I welcome any questions you may have for me later, and I ask for your support. Thank you, Mr. Force. Our next speaker is John Putnam. And you have 6 minutes. Good evening. And thank you, Madam President and city council. My name is John Putnam. I'm an attorney at law firm of Catholic Church, and Rockwell and I represent the Lowry Redevelopment Authority. The Boulevard one rezoning request that you see in front of you tonight is a straightforward application of the MAP Amendment requirements for the City of Denver . Section 12 .4. 10.7 of the zoning code authorizes city council to approve a map amendment when consistent with the cities adopted. Plans are necessary to provide land for community need not anticipated at the time the city's plan. The proposed CMCs five map amendment with waivers for the mixed use component of Boulevard One meets all of these criteria , as discussed in detail in the application by Marti and by Teresa. The CM five zoning is consistent with the city's comprehensive plan. The 22 blueprint, Denver and the 2013 General Development Plan for the Boulevard one. Indeed, Lowry is one of the prototypical areas of change towards which the city has planned to direct mixed use infill development like the application in front of you tonight. The proposed MAP Amendment would implement 18 separate strategies in the comprehensive plan and 13 of the implementation measures in Blueprint Denver. These include development of mixed use, pedestrian friendly stretch of developed and pedestrian safe development measures in area of change. In fact, it's telling that the plan and blueprint Denver specifically call for mixed use development in Lowry as an area of change. Mentioning Lowry 38 times in the comprehensive plan and 34 times in Blueprint Denver probably exceeding any other area of town. Aside from Stapleton, the city approved the Buckley Annex GDP in 2013 as recommended by the planning board at that time. Now Section 12 .4. 12.15 of the zoning code provides a quote. City Council may approve a Map amendment rezoning application for property located with an approved GDP area, taking into consideration the approved GDP. Thus, the GDP section of the code explicitly addresses the question of whether a GDP is an adopted plan for purposes of rezoning. Council has already answered yes through the code, and any other reading would render this language of the code that the City Council's passed meaningless. The proposed CMCs five zoning follows the height, setback, design and other elements of the GDP, and the zoning code contemplates that the forms would be broadly distributed throughout the city. The proposed rezoning is also consistent with the revision of the Library Reuse Plan to provide the sort of mixed use development that Lowry has become. It's true that the 1993 reuse plan did assume that the Federal Defense Finance and Accounting Services Facility would remain on the Buckley Annex site. But the federal government has closed that site, and the assumption that the DOD would remain is not a planning direction, is not in the control of the city, and has no bearing on your decision today. Indeed, the city's already approved rezoning of four residential parcels at Boulevard, one covering the majority of the site. The current application provides the employment and mixed use element of the Buckley GDP. As Theresa and Monty have mentioned, the proposed MAP amendment also meets the code requirement that it further public health, safety and general welfare of the city. Cities Planning has already identified the city's need for employment and housing in mixed use settings in areas of change, such as Lowry. The proposed rezoning would integrate more parks, space, more pedestrian, a bicycle access and break up the old D fast super block. Further, the proposed rezoning would provide compatible heights, exceed parking requirements in the city code in most cases, and integrate with the transit roadway and pedestrian connections in the area. Both the Buckley Annex and the CMCs form in the zoning code were designed to enhance pedestrian safety and activity, especially as compared to card dominated suburban forms, including the current path along Quebec Avenue. The traffic studies prepared for the GDP showed that the roadways and intersections can handle any additional traffic, and the height limits are below what can currently be built with the O1 zoning and structures like the hangars and nearby apartments in Legacy. Lowry. Indeed, as Marty mentioned, councils already approve same x five and CMCs eight Rezonings and Legacy Lowry. The application also thoroughly explains why the requested waivers provide an extra transition from neighboring uses reducing rate from 70 to 45 feet in these areas. Finally, the proposed MAP amendment has been subject to all required notice requirements and an exhaustive public engagement process going back years. There have been over 60 meetings and many changes to the proposed Boulevard one plan and rezoning applications to address community comments and concerns. For that reason, and consistent with the thorough analysis that was conducted by the Planning Board, resulting in a unanimous proposal that you approve this application, we ask that you follow that lead and approve the application tonight. Thank you for your thorough consideration this evening, and please let us know if you have any questions at the end of the public comment. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Putnam. Our next speaker is Joyce Foster, followed by Cindi Van Sise. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. The City Council. Madam President. All groups. All of you. I had to come here tonight. I had to. Share with. You my support for this incredible project. Because I sat where you're sitting 24, 20 years ago, 1993 to 2003, when we would sit here to the middle of the night rezoning it. I sat with Councilmember Ortega, Councilmember Brown. I sat with with. Many of you who. Worked for I sat with Councilmember Robb with. Councilmember Laman, because you and I sat with with Councilmember Sussman, who was actually working on the project. And we were here and we were listening and we had many, many people from the community who were petrified. And we were we were unsure of what to do, but they were petrified. They were. Fearful. All of these homeless people that were going to occupy. LOWRY Well, fear not. As soon as my term ended in 2003, we moved. My husband and I moved to Lowery. My son David and his wife Ali were already there. And shortly after we moved there, my son Danny, his wife. Becky. Moved there. And then a couple of years ago, my daughter Debbie moved there. A few years ago she moved there. So we are actually all in walking distance. There's about a mile and a half that separates our home. So I am walking distance to all six of my grandchildren and I think that's pretty, pretty wonderful. People are concerned now about density. We moved to Lowry because of density. I walk to my doctor's appointments. I walk to my physical therapy appointments. I can walk to the gym. Sometimes when I go, I walk to the restaurants. We have a love, a ton of wonderful restaurants, and I look forward to many more restaurants. It is the community that we determined would be wonderful. 20 years ago. It is the economic engine. DIA is one economic engine. Lowrey is an economic engine and Stapleton is an economic engine. Whatever we did, we did right. And we did with trepidation and we did with common sense and a thoughtfulness. When I was on City Council, I was assigned to the Dr. COG board and I sat there for eight years and we wanted transit and we built transit. We're never going to have transit in Lowry unless we have density. So if the more density we have, the sooner perhaps we can start applying for the dollars for transit. It's a walk. It's a walkable community. It's a bikeable community. And many of my friends, some are retired, but some are not. They actually walk to their offices and I tease them. I said, how's the traffic walking to your office today? You know, and it's it's it's marvelous. It's just simply marvelous. You're going to, I'm sure, hear horror stories about, you know, what's going to happen. You know, there's going to be too many people and everything. To me, it's a blessing. It's an absolute blessing. We have affordable units in Lowry like we had promised the community, like we had promised the federal government. We don't know who lives where. We don't know who has what money, where. Because we're all integrated. This project works. It truly works. And I'm just I'm just thrilled that I that I can be there. And I hope that I stay there for a long time getting older here. But it works. I'm not going to be here much longer. We're going to leave after I finish speaking because we haven't eaten. So I won't be here for it. Any questions? If you may have some, but just know that I wouldn't have spent my Monday night when I could be doing many other things which I cherish tonight, which I cherish these days, my Mondays. But I respect all of you for sharing your time, for working so hard, so endlessly for the people of Denver. And because we really do appreciate. The hard, tough decisions. That you make every single week. And some people love you and some people hate you, and it can be all in one night and but continue to do what you're doing and just know that this citizen of Lowry is very excited about the potential project. Thank you. Thank you. Cindy. Good evening. I'm Cindy Vanderslice. I live in Kress, more to 15 Crime Area Street. I know many of you on the board and it's nice to see all of you. I come here as a conscientious objector to this zoning application, and I come here because I don't want Lowry to become another Cherry Creek. I see the building that has destroyed the community of Cherry Creek, the, the parking there, the the the traffic in that area. The families that that are watching their communities being destroyed by big, tall buildings. And I and I don't want our Lowry to have had that happen. I love the Lowry development. I love what it is. My brother lived there. I love this little township. And I think that that Lowry deserves to continue to have that. But we have 800 units going up in that area right now. And we have another zoning that you're asking for, four, five storeys more. That's putting in another 600 plus cars in that area alone, plus the 150 that you approved a couple of weeks ago in the Kress Mercy, a Cedar Monaco area. The streets in the infrastructure in that area do not support that extra population. We have building going up on Colorado Boulevard between eighth and ninth and 10th at the old C.U. campus. We have building going up on eighth Avenue and Jersey. We have. As I mentioned, the whole Cherry Creek area. This area is been way overbuilt. And yes, you want tax dollars to come in to Denver and yes, you want to prepare for the future of residents coming into Colorado. But let's not destroy what we have right now. I live on the extension of First Avenue that goes west and it turns into crime area, and then it goes on to Third Avenue, which can go straight down into Cherry Creek or go straight ahead to the north onto Sixth Avenue. I have busses. I have cars. I have speeding trucks and people coming down that street. We have over 30 kids in our neighborhood right now that can be run over by extra traffic, trying to avoid the excessive traffic jams that we have on Quebec, Monaco, Colorado Boulevard, Sixth Avenue, Alameda, and my community. I thank you all. And I hope that you think about the excesses that are happening. Thank you. Our next speaker is Hilary Patel, followed by George Swan and Hillary. You have 6 minutes. Thank you and good evening. My name's Hillary Patel. I live at 2385 Glencoe Street in Denver. I'm the director of Public Relations and marketing at the Lowry Redevelopment Authority. I've served in this role for 15 years. As Monty said, we've been walking the talk at Lowry on Smart Growth since the early 1990s. Just last month, Lowry was named one of the top five neighborhoods in Denver by 50 to 80 magazine. It's the walkability mix of uses and overall vibe that sets Lowry apart. Today, 35,000 people live, work and go to school at Lowry. There are over 100 employers there. It's a three square mile area. It's a town of the size of many towns. Our diverse community offered many different perspectives during the planning for Boulevard One. Some of these are reflected in the more than 60 planned changes that have been made in response to citizen comments in the more than 60 public meetings we've had since 2007. Most people got much of what they wanted, but not all of what they wanted, including the Redevelopment Authority. In our experience over the years, that's a pretty good place to end up because it says that all of the balance, the interests have been balanced during the planning. There are about 20 neighborhoods surrounding Lowry, again, which is a three square mile area. We've worked with all of them over the years. Our Community Advisory Committee was established in 1994 to provide broad community input to our board of directors. All of our 61 rezonings to date have been deliberated both by our Community Advisory Committee and approved by our Board of Directors before we even began the city process. Today, in terms of outreach, 6000 households receive our monthly newsletter like this one that covers the zoning application you're reviewing tonight. 3000 people have registered for email updates about Boulevard one. Our homebuilders get about 50 emails after each update. I receive emails and phone calls every day from people interested in living or opening a business at Boulevard One. Is one of great Denver's great neighborhoods because it is walkable, bikeable and transit friendly. 2570 people per day ride the bus at Lowry. That's enough to fill 50 busses per day. We actually have five RTD routes that serve Lowry and 44 transit stops that serve the community. There are miles of multimodal streets and sidewalks at Lowry, connecting 800 acres of public parks and open space. We'll have 75 bike racks at Boulevard One alone. You know, we're all experiencing Denver's rapid growth. New people, perspectives and ideas bring new vitality to our city, business startups, restaurants and cultural amenities that we all enjoy. Growth also brings change and things like traffic, but the answer to traffic concerns is not to build more low density, primarily single family home neighborhoods where people have to get in their cars and drive to do everything. The better, smarter approach is to build neighborhoods where homes, offices, retail, schools and parks are within walking and biking distances, where different people are coming and going in different ways at different times of day. This disperses traffic. Tonight, zoning application supports this medium density, urban placemaking and is consistent with the same vision in the Denver Comprehensive Plan and Blueprint. Denver Lowry is a local and national model for smart growth, and the same planning appearance planning principles are being applied at Boulevard One. This is the right kind of development in the right place at the right time. Thank you. Thank you. Next up is George Swan, followed by Milroy Roy Alexander. Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair. And Council members. My name is George Swan. I live in Lowrey at 180 Poplar Street and. I'm here to talk about this. This application. First thing I went online. And I see there's 83 pages in this application with pictures and all that sort of thing. But I was looking for a table that would simplify the information because we hear all about densities and numbers, you know, but there isn't anything about what was it five years ago, three years ago, what is it now? What's a projection? There's nothing really that makes sense. I don't know why that is. I then went online and I looked at the design guidelines of Boulevard One, and maybe that's what they're referring to in the 2013 that this was approved on January 2014. The design guidelines of Boulevard one, it's 108 pages long. And when you read it, it makes me feel good. They talked about the community park and they talked about the plaza. But when I look at the application and I see they're talking about a five story building and I drove up and down that Quebec street and I imagined, you know, what would that look like if there were five storey buildings all along that street? And I see there's a waiver, you know, to try to reduce that from 70 to 65 feet. And there's a waiver over at First Avenue, says they're going to reduce it to three storey buildings. But if you look at the read block in the application, if you look at that red block going to marks five. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is really kind of a limit. Like you can't go over five stories. Is that right? But I would I went to the Lowry Redevelopment Authority building and I walked in and I said, you know what? What is it that they're going to build in this red area, this red zone? And they told me the only person I saw there was one. There were a couple of people that had more information that I could never get in touch with them. But the person that I talked to said that there are no plans. That the zoning is simply going to allow the developer to invite developers in there. So I know this isn't the last word for the residents. If they're going to put up some obnoxious five storey buildings along the whole wall, at least there'll be a chance at the Lowry Development Authority public meetings and at the planning, development and the Council. Maybe I don't know how that quite works. But five storey buildings aren't going to work. Mr. Swan, your time is lapsed. The time is up. Okay. How can I just say one more word about the community park? You can there you. Can be invited back, but there's other people here. 3 minutes are up. Thank you. Mr. Alexander, followed by Katie McCrimmon. Members of the council. Good evening. My name is Roy Milroy Alexander. Board chair of the LRA and former CEO of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. My wife and I live at 7603 East Sixth Place in Lowry. We've been there for the last 15 years, and our 26 year old son is also a Lowry resident. We are extremely proud of the Lowry community. And as an NRA board member, I take my governance role and our governance role just as seriously as I did the chapter for over 22 years. Our board deliberate, deliberates freely and considers all voices, all opinions, as we seek always to lead and to oversee the operations of the authority to our own high standards of performance. As is the case with this particular application, we work with our many shareholders and we exercise due care in the conduct of our responsibility and decision making, all in order to build the great community that Larry is today. We believe that the proposed zoning for the Boulevard One CMCs site that's before you is proper. We have weighed an abundance of neighborhood input that has strengthened the quality of the plan that's before you and with our community in mind. The board took that extra step to cap limits on residential and commercial that Monte Force and others have have mentioned so far. For all our efforts over the last 24 years and in the life of Lori. Lowry has been recognized locally and nationally as an excellent model for smart growth. And having those same principles that made us successful over the years be an integral part of this plan. At Boulevard One, we're not about to change that reputation. Our plan recognizes the various development factors that have to be considered today, including demand and including community concerns. And we also think about the future. But but this plan also helped us stay grounded in the past of Lowry, which we are very proud of. We are excited and proud to be developing this last parcel of community into a smart and you've heard live, learn, work and play neighborhood. And I support the proposal and we recommend your approval. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker, Katie McCrimmon. You have 6 minutes. Thank you. My name is Katie McCrimmon. I live at 200 South Kearney Street and I'm a representative of the Kress Moorpark neighborhood. We're one of three R nos in Crest Moore and which I know, you know, is immediately to the west of the Berkeley Annex site. Our neighborhood voted to oppose what we think is an inappropriate proposed zoning change for Berkeley Annex. And before I share my comments with you, I want to read some comments from Jon Fisher, who is the head of one of the other across Arnaud's, which also opposes this zoning change. And John could not be with us tonight. Honorable Denver City Council members I am John Fisher, President of XMR Park Homeowners Inc first filing and I address you in that capacity as well as in my individual capacity as a Denver resident living in close proximity to Lowry and the Boulevard one development. And in each capacity, I urge you to deny the requested zoning because it does not fit the character of the overall development of Lowry, nor is it consistent with the surrounding neighborhoods. I also address to you in regard to the rezoning of 195 South Monica Parkway a couple of weeks ago, and I feel compelled to clarify a few misunderstandings which might have played a role in the outcome of that hearing. Since these issues were raised by council during deliberations, first being that many more residents of surrounding neighborhoods were opposed than in favor, as is the case here as well. Second, that Chris Moore is, in fact, closer to the development than Hilltop, and that is the case again here tonight. Third, that Chris Moore is, in fact, contiguous to this development. And again, that is the case here. Again, as this is just across, Monica, from the development and forth and critical to the issues at hand that we were in favor of limited development that was consistent with the character of surrounding neighborhoods. And so here again are many representatives of surrounding neighborhoods in favor of limited development, but not overdevelopment, as this is proposed tonight and which the requested zoning would permit. For almost one year, I was a member of the Lowry Committee, a community advisory committee, and the as the GDP for Boulevard one was developed at each and every meeting concerned nearby residents spoke articulately, thoughtfully and sometimes passionately about their concerns regarding density. I'm going to skip ahead to a few of my comments because I'm running out of time. We increase our stand with our neighbors in Lowry, Winston Downs and throughout East Denver in demanding zoning that fits our neighborhood. We call on you tonight to postpone this hearing. It is totally inappropriate for a lame duck council. And I'm sorry, I just have to say, what is the truth to be voting on on this very important matter when you could postpone for just a couple of weeks and give people the sense that they're truly being represented? Am I out of time? No. Oh, I have more time. I saw the green light. Okay. Oh, that was just 3 minutes. Okay. If you choose to vote yes tonight and not to delay this decision, we will remember the choices you make as public servants. I know that you care deeply about the legacy you leave behind. You can choose to be like the great leaders in Denver's history. Mayor Spear, who launched extensive efforts to beautify Denver and turn our city into what he called back then even a world class city. George Cranmer, who built our spectacular park system and created Red Rocks and the Winter Park Ski area. Emily Griffith, a visionary who understood the value of education for people of all ages. Federico Pena, who imagined a great city. And Wellington Webb, who added 100,000 people to our city during this tenure, but did so in a careful and considered way. Without turning every quiet Denver neighborhood into a mecca for developers. That is how we feel now. We feel that we are under siege with development and we are not able to handle all this excess traffic. After you voted to support 195 South Monaco and then this will be immediately across the street voting on big decisions after the elections does not pass the sniff test. It's not how we do things in Denver. I urge you again to please delay and not vote on this tonight. You have a choice. You can do what we think is the right thing and delay this hearing. Or you can make the wrong choice and once again do what lobbyists tell you to do. We as citizens feel powerless at times. We tried to meet with several of you regarding the 195 South Monaco issue. We were denied access and yet we saw lobbyists sitting on your couches in your office and spending time with you. And citizens need to feel that they have a stake in these decisions. So we ask you to please deny this and delay. Thank you. Our next round of eight speakers are the following. Jim Postman. Kent Lund. Ellen Torres. George Kerwin. David Stanky. Elisabeth Lund. I don't know if this is Mary or Mary Nelle Wolf. Mary. Okay. And Rochelle Newman, if you can all make your way up to the front. Our first speaker again is John Holzman. You have 3 minutes. Good evening, council members. I am Jim Hartman. 2120 BlueBell Avenue in Boulder. And I'm also a Lowry property owner. I'm part of the ownership group at Hangar two, which is one of the very successful mixed use projects in legacy. Lowery has some of those fine restaurants that were talked about earlier. And I'm also a member of the Design Review Committee for Legacy Library, as well as Boulevard One. And I've been an architect and sustainable property developer in the metro Denver area for 35 years. I strongly support the approval of this Map amendment tonight. I think it's the right thing to do. This is, as has been said, a great example of smart growth. And Denver needs smart growth. We've been national leaders in that for many decades. We should continue with this example of really good development and opportunity at this part of Denver. So I urge you to support the request. And thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker, Kent Lund. It evening council. My name is Kent one, two or three South Pontiac Live in Park Heights Subdivision, just south of the area we're talking about tonight since 2000. And just quickly, I wanted to introduce in the record a petition that the Park Heights neighborhood presented to the Denver Planning Board for the hearing on May six, as I understand it, doesn't necessarily transfer through, but there are about 82 homes in Park Heights. There are, by my count, about 78 or 79 signature, all in opposition to this to this rezoning change. And as was stated earlier, it's too much. It's Cherry Creek. We're in favor of of reasonable development, low heights, low density or lower density setbacks. We're concerned about the traffic. We've heard some people pooh pooh the traffic. That's a big issue on crack. It's a dangerous situation. And the concerns that my neighbors focused on were the overall density, the lack of adequate parking, the building heights that we've been talking about, the lack of adequate setbacks and traffic safety. And so I was struck by what what you said, Councilperson Sheppard, about how the process should work. Our neighborhood and others have been very active going to our our councilperson this last minute. And we appreciate you meeting with us. The input has been there. We hope it does work that way. They hope there is a flexibility to do this in a smart way. We don't need Cherry Creek. And thank you very much. We respectfully urge you to deny this zoning change. And I'll present this for the record. Thank you, Mr. Lund. Elaine Torres. Followed by Greg Kerwin. Mr. KIRWIN. Here I am, tourist. But I'd be happy to speak with you. Are you? Are you? I'm Greg Kerwin. Okay. Hi. Good afternoon. Good evening. So I live at 200 Carney Street in the Crest Moore neighborhood just a few blocks from Buckley Annex. And first, I agree that tonight in this lame duck session, you should do the right thing and postpone this vote to the new council sworn in after July 20th. You owe it to Denver voters to give the new council members a voice on this important issue which will shape the future of East Denver. Now, Teresa Lucero pointed out that on a 2 to 1 ratio, 215 letters were sent opposing this. They would fill up this whole room if they came. Why aren't they here? They saw how the council treated people three weeks ago from Chris Moore, who did fill up the room and kept you till 230 in the morning. Did the council listen to the neighbors? No. Council knew better. It was arrogant. It told them, you're going to take this density because every neighborhood has to do its part to stop urban sprawl on the front range. Why are neighbors upset? Why are residents upset with this particular zoning? Because they see CMC's five urban center zoning as a beachhead. Do you remember the chart that Teresa Lucero put in front of you, surrounded by single family homes, not C-Max five. What is C-Max five? It's what's sprouting up all over Cherry Creek. And as you've heard several times, that's what people are afraid of. Once this zoning, this beachhead is planted in the middle of Loughery, developers will be lining up at KPD, asking to rezone the nearby parcels. And you know what they're going to say? Look, you have this urban category now in LOWRY. We should be able to do it, too. We should get to tear down old homes and Mayfair just north to add this intensity that Denver needs. That's why most East Denver residents are horrified. They're horrified by the new canyons of tall buildings in Cherry Creek, and they don't want to see that spread further east. And we heard you talk three weeks ago about how you think you can't consider traffic. I think you're legally wrong about that and exposed to a legal challenge. But the city streets cannot accommodate the traffic, and that's what people are worried about. The LRA cannot explain to you why x five is the appropriate zoning. Now, it was interesting to hear about mixed use and the urban intensity with the text amendments that you heard before this hearing. Urban center zoning is four near the city center and near major streets. They're asking for 18 acres of S.M. X five, ostensibly to build 450 apartments. It doesn't match. They don't need five storey buildings to add 450 apartments to 18 acres, along with some commercial space. It's way over the top. But why are people afraid? Because by changing the zoning on this tonight, you will create enormous permanent pressure on the surrounding neighborhoods, destabilizing them because there will be a wave of future zoning requests based on this CMCs five zoning. Madam Chair, do I still have some time? Yes, you do. So I sent you. I'm a lawyer. I sent you a detailed letter explaining why, as a matter of quasi judicial decision making, which is your job tonight, you're not here as politicians. Why? It doesn't fit the zoning code categories. In brief, it is not consistent with adopted plans. It is remarkable to me to see the LRE saying the GDPR never brought before this council in the supposedly 61 times they've been here is an adopted plan. And I urge you to seek guidance from the city attorney about whether the 2013 GDP is an adopted plan. It was only adopted by the Denver Planning Board, not by the City Council. You're committing legal error to rely on that and that that's the plan that the LRA is handing to you. As a lawyer, I'm offended by that kind of freedom with the zoning code when that's not what the zoning code tells you. I hope that you will follow the law tonight instead of making decisions as politicians, adding your own personal views and your personal biases, because that's what you're called upon to do. The last thing I'd like to do very briefly, Christine O'Connor could not be here tonight. I have handed up a chart which is six pages long, where she goes through in great detail responding to inaccurate statements from the developer of the LRA. And I want to highlight a few of those. First, on page one under height, the LRA says the maximum building height is 65 feet, like with the rest of Lowery. 65 feet is not the maximum height in the rest of Lowrey. Under the Lowrey design guidelines, it's 45 feet, except in the town center, which is quite small, where it is 62nd, and this is under planning process. The argument is that the plan mirrors adjacent land, uses drive Quebec and look east where these are going to be and you will see single family homes not adjacent land uses that match Cemex five. There's one office tower there, but you will create destabilizing pressure to have those existing buildings torn down and densify it if you approve this. Third on page one, because the proposed CMC's five with waivers was discussed at most of these meetings. That is completely false. The LRA never held any public meetings with neighbors to discuss the CMCs five zoning. They were at very preliminary stages to discuss things like the GDP. Turn to page four of Christine O'Connor's comments at the top of the page. The argument is that the city's land use plans include the Buckley Annex GDP. I've already commented that that's a legal error and you're making a mistake to rely on that GDP as an adopted plan under density. On page four, she mentions the LRA telling you their density is 11.4 units per acre. Then why do they need five storeys on 18 acres of CMCs five for that kind of density? The C-Max five is way out of whack with what they say they're trying to do. The number six necessity of this zoning choice. They say that seems. Fair when your time is lapsed. Thank you. Our next speaker is David Stankey, followed by Elizabeth Lund. Good evening, Madam President. Council. I'm David Stankey. I'm with Infinity Home Collection. I'm a homebuilder in Denver, Colorado. I'm here tonight in support of Cinemax five zoning for the Lowry Boulevard. One project. My company, Infiniti Home Collection. We've been building continuously in the city of Denver since about 2001. We've built almost 2000 high end production homes in the city. We've always focused on building special homes in special places. And one of the beauties of our business is we're continually learning and designing for today's home buyers. They're a little more diverse, a little more informed, and quite a bit more forward thinking than any other generation. I've had the pleasure of knowing they aspire to live in the city here city, Denver, actually, most of them already do live in the city. That's their desire. Boulevard one is exactly the type of neighborhood that reflects and fulfills their desires. Mixed use is what should be created on such a special piece of land. Today's homebuyers desire good schools, services, entertainment, amenities all within reasonable walking distances of their homes. They don't like to drive. They actually prefer to walk, ride a bike, take an override. Whenever that wherever they need to go, they welcome diversity of product. They appreciate the urban nature of community. They love the parks. They love connectivity to all the great Denver venues. They crave simple gathering spaces, be it a pocket park or coffee shop, boutique store, restaurant, wine bar, yoga class, whatever. That's that's where they're connecting to all of their neighbors. Today's consumers are also looking for high performance homes that incorporate. Smart, energy efficient, sustainable qualities that you really care about our planet. They embrace the conscious efforts of a developer whose energy guidelines are strict and consistent throughout. They welcome new technology, obviously, and they love fresh architectural styles to demonstrate their desire to live in Boulevard One. We currently have a waiting list of over 150 people for 18 lots. That list is in addition to a master list of about 1500 people who have expressed serious interest long before we started our first home. This diversity of our product offering is reflective of the diversity in today's active buyers their traditional young families, their young couples, their single women, their single parents, the new grandparents. They're empty nesters and they're millennials. Millennials have nowhere to go. They are renting. They've got high student loan debt. They're the next generation and the biggest generation. They're the ones that are looking for those rentals in great neighborhoods with with this type of zoning. They're moving up. They're moving down the movement across, but everybody's looking for something special in their lives. I strongly encourage you to support this, and thank you very much for your time today. Thank you, Mr. Stanky. Elizabeth Lund, you have 6 minutes. Thank you. I do have a hard copy of a PowerPoint, and I would ask that it be distributed to the council members prior to my speaking because I would like to address it. Have you look at it while I'm speaking? If you would. What does it look like? It sounds like this we have. Thank you. Thank you very much for allowing me to be here today and to speak to you. My name is Elizabeth Lund. I live at 203 South Pontiac Street, which is in a little subdivision of Lowery called Park Heights. We have lived in Park Heights since 2000. My family and I, it's about 80 homes or so. It's a small neighborhood. It's so small we don't have our own R.A. But we did sign a petition, which my husband actually referred to a little while ago, to express our concerns about this application. Our concerns are largely related to safety and density and other neighborhoods. Other arenas went along with our petition and they adopted it at their meetings. So this petition has very wide neighborhood support among many neighborhoods in this area. If you would, please look at the first page of my PowerPoint presentation, my hard copy. Sorry that it's not the most professional looking, but we did the best we could. So the first page is what we thought the The Buckley Annex would look like in 2008 when the LRA was working on it. And it appeared to be a nice mix of businesses, restaurants, apartments, all different types of homes. And so we thought that that would work. Page two The guiding principle that we thought we had at Lowry was to keep young families in Denver with smart new urbanism. And we think that's great. We are all for Smart, New Urbanism. And the Tom Markham was the executive director of LRA for a long time, and he also felt that it was important that the development was compatible with the surrounding areas. Page three is some of the success that we've had at Lowry and that we've enjoyed. We really like the fact that we have 184 Colorado trust homes. We like that we have apartments, townhomes, row homes, fancy dancy million dollar homes and schools and businesses. We've got it all. We like it and we want the same thing to keep on working. But we're afraid with this development. It is not. It's just too much. It is urbanism on steroids. It's not smart development. 90% of the 18 acres that you have before you today in the application is surrounded by single family townhomes, apartments , homes, a library and future row houses and single family homes that have not yet been built. And we don't feel that the staff has presented this accurately to this city council. On page six, there is a diagram of the surrounding neighborhoods and to orient you. Monaco Parkway on the left, Quebec on the right, the big white stuff on the far right corner with all that blocky stuff. That is what we're talking about today. That is the application. Park Heights, where I live, is immediately south of this development and there are houses to the right of it on Quebec. If you turn to page eight, that is the east side of Quebec. Those are the types of houses that will be next to this development. And then page nine is my neighborhood, Park Heights. This view is looking across from Boulevard one to where Park Heights is. We think that the staff pictures failed to convey this area appropriately. For example, on page ten, this is a copy of the staff presentation that Kopec building on the far right top. That is a four story building, but it has a huge setback of 100 or so feet and it is only near the northeast edge of this application. Most of this is surrounded by residences, the setbacks and this is on page 11 that were originally planned for Quebec, were supposed to be 35 feet. All of a sudden they disappeared. And as much as we like to walk to places, Quebec is a very, very dangerous street. I have told our teenage driver that he may not turn left on Quebec from where we live. It is too dangerous. Quebec is overburdened. On page 12 is another picture of what we thought we were going to get with this development. Again, this is from the 2008 Buckley Annex redevelopment plan. Page 13 has a quote on it about the urban center and neighborhood context. Urban centers such as this are supposed to be along major corridors at transit station areas and near and around downtown. This is taken from Denver's own website. If you'll look at the the source below. This. Link where time is. 12 that says Explore zoning. Your time is lapsed, miss. I got 15. The very last page. This land is the Lowry Town Center. The one. You're. Your time is lapse. Will you please. Will you please sit down? Okay. Our next speaker is Mary Nell Wolf, followed by Rochelle Newman. Good evening members of council I'm Mary now Wolf and I live at 4501 East Sixth Avenue Parkway and what has been referred to tonight as the lame duck council. I want to tell you, I appreciate it, because during those 61 appearances that Lowery has been here, you have all the history. During the 33 years that I have lived in our part of Denver, we have seen tremendous growth and change. We have had two of the largest city infill projects in recent memory and now the explosive resurgence of people wanting to move closer to the city center. Anticipation of this led me to volunteer for a variety of neighborhood based task forces over the years, including the Community Advisory Committee at Lowery. I have been working on the redevelopment of Lowry since Pat Schroeder served in Congress. So suffice it to say, it's been a long time. As with anything new, there will be those who like what was done and those who deplore any change. Lowry is no exception with sensitivity to this credo. We made every effort to hold numerous public meetings on every topic possible. Reaching consensus was always the goal, and although that wasn't always achieved, we feel that we have the majority of the community in agreement with the decisions which were made and are currently being proposed. The redevelopment of Boulevard one is no exception to the controversy which changed in genders. However, the planning of Boulevard One has incorporated a mixed use approach which will not only benefit the new residences but integrate well into the existing neighborhoods. It provides parks a full range of housing options, office space, restaurants and businesses, all with this sensitivity to traffic patterns and restricted building heights. And if I may, I would like to point out that this is adjacent to the former Crest Moore Downs, now LAX at Lowry, which has six high rise buildings of seven floors each. It is no secret that the city of Denver is challenged by too much traffic with little help from mass transit but more convenient public options . And we have tried very hard to create an environment where people can live, work, learn and play. And we have sought to lessen the impacts of traffic and provide all forms of modality throughout the parcel, as well as sensitivity into integrating onto the existing streets. I ask you tonight to approve the application for Boulevard One, a nationally recognized and award winning example of how to incorporate the old with the new, and to keep our city and neighborhoods a vibrant, a vibrant place for all. Thank you very much. Thank you, Rochelle Newman. Hi. My name is Rachel Newman. And I'm Rachel. I'm here as a Lowry resident and as a community representative who volunteers on the Lowry Redevelopment Authority Board of Directors. I've lived in Lowry since 2004, having moved from LoDo when my husband and I decided to start a family. At the time I was an employee of one of the nation's largest homebuilding companies. So I had researched communities all across the Denver area before deciding on Lowry. Lowry was the ideal neighborhood for us because of its emphasis on family lifestyles such as schools, parks and open spaces, as well as restaurants and historic buildings. The history of the community blended with modern amenities and the convenient city location were and remain priorities for us. I perceive Lowry, both Legacy Lowry and the Boulevard one parcel, which is designed with the same standards as legacy as having the appropriate density. Lowry is incredibly residential, but with scale, which you would expect this close to downtown. Some people are comparing Lowry to Cherry Creek, and I just don't see anything close to Cherry Creek's density overcrowding or parking issues here in Lowry. I do not believe that there's a traffic traffic problem overtaking our neighborhood. I perceive an incredibly positive community on the whole. Contrary to what opponents of this project are saying. We on the LRA board carefully balance our obligations to the cities of Denver and Aurora and our community. I listen to every comment from the community and we as a board spend good portions of every meeting carefully considering and debating each one. That is our obligation, and that is what we do. We're committed to continue working with the community to ensure that Lowry exceeds the expectations that so many of us have for this great community . 35,000 people work, live, play and learn at Lowry. This diverse community is an important part of Denver. Yet we have created a unique character and lifestyle, thanks in large part, in my opinion, to the open spaces in this characters. What is being proposed for this parcel is Boulevard one. Boulevard one is the last part of Lowry's planning process. This application is the heart of Boulevard One. It provides the amenities that make the single and multifamily residential components so attractive. And that's what will make Boulevard one occupy the same esteem as does Legacy Lowry. I sincerely hope you'll approve this rezoning application. I thank you for your time. Thank you. Our next eight speakers are Jamie Fogel. Bob Moody, Kathleen Ruby, Dick Marshall. Mark Belge. Peter Benson, Jane Harrington and Brian Wert. Hello. Good evening, Madam President and council. My name is Jamie Fogle, live at 2876 Paris Street, Northwest Denver. I'm a landscape architect and associate with Design Workshop who helped author the redevelopment plan in 2007 and continue to work in Lowry and Boulevard one. Lowry is a community defined by choices. These choices include a mixed use town center, the first housing types, multiple schools, churches, library and numerous recreational amenities, all of which connect pedestrians to the extensive network of open space. These diverse destinations and choices draw people out of their homes to circulate in the larger Lowry community. And the spectrum of these great public spaces will now be better connected to Boulevard One, having personally contributed to the planning and landscape architecture in various parts of Lowry for the past 17 years, my, me and my colleagues have clear understanding of what makes a great, vibrant community. We are a firm focused on inclusive and comprehensive design and led the planning efforts for Boulevard One. We know Lowry and what it stands for healthy and vibrant neighborhoods with a wealth of choices boulevard one will complete the hole in the proverbial donut. LOWRY And we'll be the most complete neighborhood with access to mixed use and urban style living, integrated with over 13 acres of parks and open space. This will be a great thing from a community planning perspective. When you pass through a Lowry neighborhood and see people outside moving on sidewalks, engaging with each other as neighbors, enjoying themselves in outdoor community spaces or supporting a town center, it's a sign of a healthy place. Boulevard One's Plan. Evolution has spanned many years with extensive public input. This culminated in a plan that respects the edges by mirroring similar land uses, reduced the densities by 33% and connects the local neighborhood street network, boulevard ones block pattern and scale , building heights, street widths, interspersed parks and open space and moderate development density are consistent with a local neighborhood center in an area of change, with a desire to transform transition into a complete neighborhood. Some have compared Boulevard One's development plan central to the well-established regional retail destination, Cherry Creek North. While they both have a mix of commercial residential streets and parks, the comparison is more apples to Oranges Boulevard. One maximum square commercial square footage will be 200,000 square feet, while Turkey North and the mall are over 2 million square feet and as a result, have much higher traffic congestion associated with the Regional Attraction Boulevard. One will create additional amenities opportunities for small and medium sized businesses to flourish, new street networks and diverse parks that provide additional choices for the residents. The proposed Annex five zoning will allow for development to give people diverse destinations and choices which results in a healthy and vibrant neighborhood. I believe in this plan and support the rezoning of this section of Boulevard One. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next is Bob Moody. Mr. Moody, you have 3 minutes. Thank you. Mm hmm. Madam President, members of the council. Thank you for having me tonight. My name is Bob Moody. I live at 122 South Locust Street. Many of the comments I make before you tonight are the same as those I made in testimony before you in support of the rezoning of Monaco and Cedar and myself, my wife, and several of our neighbors. Thank you for that support. We have lived on Chris Moore Park for 18 years. We enjoy our park setting and have eagerly awaited the redevelopment of the Air Force Finance Center, a not particularly pretty sight when surrounded by barbed wire fences. That in itself generated as much or more traffic than the proposal that is before you. We are the Chris Moore neighbors closest to the redevelopment and wholeheartedly support it. We already utilized Lowry's many amenities restaurants, shopping and recreation. Opponents argue that the redevelopment will harm our existing neighborhoods. But those of us who utilize Lowry's amenities believe it's a huge benefit. My background is in commercial real estate development, finance, and I believe the plans being presented by the Redevelopment Authority are sustainable and marketable. Denver is a landlocked city and in order to thrive, has to be willing to embrace increased densities. I'm old enough to have been part of the no growth ballot initiatives of the eighties and was always amazed by those who wanted no outward development but fight density. Well, folks, then, as now, you can't have it both ways. There is no magical balance between growth and stagnation, and cities that refuse, for whatever reason to grow, are faced with the suburban flight that so adversely affects so many of our cities today. When it comes to rental properties, which the opponents do not favor, I suggest they read up on the ongoing debate over construction defects and the erm the effect the current law has on for sale product. I was involved in the defects fight for too many years and today's venue is not the place to rehash that ongoing battle . But in the meantime, we have more and more rentals. Also more and more of my generation. Or forgoing their single family homes for the convenience of rental accommodation. I have seen the propaganda of the neighborhood associations. I visited their website, which is full of half truths and innuendo. I continually see scare tactics about five storey, 100 foot high apartment complexes proposed for Boulevard one. I've looked at the plans, I've read the literature, and I've asked the questions. 100 foot high apartments are not part of this proposal. But the misinformation continues. The LRA plans have been vetted. The plan is reasonable. Lowry and Boulevard one are a welcome addition to the Denver fabric. The completion of the Lowry redevelopment is an exciting opportunity for Denver, and I encourage your support. Thank you. Kathleen Ruby, followed by Dick Marshall. Good evening. Thank you, Madam President. Members of council. My name is Kathleen Ruby, and my address is to 95 Oneida Street, Denver. I'm here today to ask you to support the zoning application for Boulevard One. My husband and I have lived in Mayfair Park neighborhood for over 20 years. Currently, I serve on the board of directors of Mayfair Park, and for approximately 16 years I have been active on numerous Lowry Redevelopment Task Forces and community committees. I believe the development of Lowry has immeasurably benefited Mayfair Park and all of us Denver. We now have a vibrant community with restaurants, shopping and gathering places. The Boulevard one development is directly south of Mayfair Park, adjacent to our southern border along First Avenue. It is the completion of the Lowry vision and an excellent example of infill development for Denver. Many community members, including myself, worked for several years on the planning of Boulevard One in a way that will provide additional retail, dining and employment opportunities, along with much needed housing for the residents of Denver. The planning process involved multiple task forces comprised of area. Residents and numerous community meetings. Ironically, opponents to this rezoning are expressing the same concerns about transportation, traffic and density that the surrounding neighborhoods did back in the 1990s. When the Lowry. Redevelopment began. They have a limited view of what should be included in the development, and I believe that is wrong from a planning and. Civic responsibility. Viewpoint. From Jennifer Moulton to today we have worked to. Build a city that has all forms of housing products and a planning boulevard one, as with all of Lowry. Affordable housing was a priority. Lowry has always been committed to provide housing opportunities for all, and the fact of the matter is, density is required to meet that goal . Few may be aware that there are over 700 units in the Lexus at Lowry Apartments along the southwest border of Boulevard One, and they include approximately six, seven story buildings which have been there for over 40 years. As with any change, there is always fear of the unknown. And for those of us that went through those initial years with the real Lowry redevelopment, we learned that change is not always the negative we anticipated, but instead a positive experience with the collaboration and concessions made by both the LRA and the neighborhoods. Lowry has become an award winning, desirable community. My husband and I enjoy and spend a great deal of time in Lowry shops, offices, libraries and restaurants. We cannot imagine living here without them and Boulevard one will only add more of these amenities. The requested zoning for the completion of Boulevard One is appropriate and I urge you to support it. Thank you, Miss Ruby. Dick Marshall. Thank you, Madam President. Members of the Council. First, I'd like to thank you for all of your service, particularly those that are about to leave this office. I think you do a great job in representing all of the diverse interests that come before you. And I appreciate your dedication as a citizen and resident of Denver. I'm Dick Marshall. I live in Congress Park. I'm a landscape architect with over 40 years of practice in the city and city and county of Denver and have worked on a number of city and county projects as well as in other Denver neighborhoods. I am currently a member of the Lourey Design Review Committee, have been for about 15 years and currently serve on the Legacy Lowry Committee as well as on the Boulevard One Design Review Committee. As you've heard many times tonight, Lowry has been a phenomenal success and is one of the most successful national models of redevelopment of an abandoned tract of federal land and is now a thriving, economically viable, mixed use community that a lot of people enjoy and live in. Boulevard one is poised to extend those successes across Québec with even higher goals for energy conservation, connectivity, walkability and design quality. The current mixed use proposal represents a great opportunity for a diverse mix of residences, retail and commercial uses. Today's residents, as evidenced by Infiniti's experience of having 100 and some reservations for 18 lots, is testimony to the fact that that is exactly the kind of product that people are looking for as buyers of housing today. They love the mixed use environment in which they can live, work, shop and play. I believe many who have already signed up to live in Boulevard one are attracted by this exact mixed use vision. The mixed use guidelines, coupled with the waivers to transition heights along the edges and the maximum placed on the overall development help safeguard the character of the existing community of Lowry Boulevard, one and the other surrounding neighborhoods. Further, the enhanced design guidelines and the rigorous design review process, which I might add, is conducted in public open meetings, ensure the highest quality outcome for this exciting neighborhood. The guidelines were actually rewritten and strengthened. Anticipating Boulevard one coming online and that was done with the participation of several existing Lowry residents. I strongly concur with the planning staff recommendation of the proposed rezoning to TMX five with waivers and respectfully ask you to approve this request. Thank you. Thank you. Mark Bell, Chief. Thank you. My name is Mark Bachi. I'm a Lowery resident. Lowery board member since 2002. I'll thank Madam President, city council members for taking the time this evening to listen to all the voices to the outgoing members of city council. Thank you for your many, many years of service and the fact that you're actually fulfilling the balance of your terms and having this hearing here this evening. So. Well, thank you for running through the finish line. There's no issue we've dealt with in the last 14 years that's drawn more planning, more neighborhood input than the issue before you tonight, particularly this piece. We had to balance the interest of four separate people on a very narrow strip of land here to satisfy the interest of Mayfair of the folks at Park Heights, the folks across the street and Quebec, as well as the folks across from across Moorpark. And the plan that we came up with is truly inspired. It does more than I could possibly imagine to balance those interests. It really reflects the best of what Larry has to offer. So we've had a very spirited and loyal opposition. Many folks have been consistent contributors for all the 14 years I've been on these boards, and I'll thank them for their comments. The library redevelopment of board does not have the luxury of cherry picking or only dealing with the facts that are pertinent to us. We have to deal with all the factors. We have a fiscal responsibility to fill out a plan that pencils out and meets all the requirements of Lowrey and what we're tasked with doing. We've done that. We've done an inspired job doing it. We've taken it as seriously as anything we've ever done. We'll ask you for your support, and thank you for said support. Thank you, Mr. Beattie. Next speaker Peter Benson, followed by Jane Harrington and Brian Wurtz. Caribbean Council members Peter Benson of Cobble Urban Homes 5291 East Yale Avenue. Our company, Couple Urban Homes, focuses on unique residential urban infill communities and walkable neighborhoods. We look at lots of varieties of sites throughout Denver and build in some newer infill developments in a lot of older neighborhoods where you can walk in and be a part of the community. We're very proud to be a builder in Boulevard One, where to start our first homes, hopefully in the next 60 days or so. But, you know, when you look back at the history of Lowry, there's lots of talk about walkable neighborhoods. The Elyria has. Actually been doing it for a couple of decades. So there's not just a pipe dream of here and hoping it will work the done it and executed it. And we look forward to being part of the next phase of that. That's a the aura has met the right balance for a greater Bond neighborhood and boulevard one to have involved lots of variety of residential plans, commercial retail parks, amenities and yes, density. Density is an integral, important and positive part of the urban and a vital urban neighborhood. Cities and towns throughout Colorado are begging landowners and developers to to zone the property for mixed use development. And many times they're forcing it upon landowners. The market's not really ready for it. You've got a great opportunity. Here where you have all the ingredients in place. The residents desire it as shown by the interest. We have another builders, the you've got a. Very willing. And visionary developer willing to do it and the market's ready for it. So I encourage you to vote tonight in favor of the rezoning. Thanks. Thank you. Jane Harrington. Good evening. My name is Jane Harrington. I live at 2264 Holly Street in Denver. I'm the executive director of the Lowry Community Land Trust, now known as. The Colorado Community Land Trust. We are created by the Lowry Redevelopment. Authority to fulfill their requirement. For affordable. Homeownership. We have 186 homes at Lowry that are. All still owner occupied and still affordable after ten years. And we are. We'll be developing more and Boulevard. One. Without any advertising, without even knowing our unit mix or our design. Yet we have people calling to be on our. Interests list for those. Units as we have a waiting list for all of our homes at Lowry. Um. Shortly after, one of our homeowners bought her unit. At. Lowry, she called me one morning and she said. I am so excited. I walked over to my favorite bagel store. I'm having a cup of coffee, having my bagel before I go grocery shopping and walk. Back to my house. Never having to use her car. That is what our homeowners are experiencing at Lowry. They work in the vicinity. Their children are educated in the area. And they can do without their car on many, many occasions. We are looking. Forward to bringing more folks to Lowry from the area, many. That are already working at Lowry. And we urge you to approve this zoning. Thank you. Thank you, Brian WERTZ. Good evening. I'm Brian Word. I reside at 250 Eudora Street in Denver. I have been a member of the LRA's Community Advisory Committee since its inception in 1994. Much of what I'd like to say has been very well stated already, so I won't do that. But I want to restate, having participated in all of it, that the development of the GDP for Boulevard One is the result of some several dozen meetings over a period of about five years. And I want to assure you that it was the most intensive planning process that has occurred in all of Lowry. The result of the one of the results of the GDP was a significant modification that Hillary mentioned earlier, some 60 different changes. The application before you this evening is in full conformance with the GDP. And I would like to encourage your support. Thank you. Thank you. Our last eight speakers are the following. Troy Moore. Adam Sexton, Don Home. Rick. Jeff Willis, Marcus Bochner, Virginia White, John D Rungs and Kevin Yoshida. Hello. Good evening. Council members. Madam President, my name is Troy Moore. I live at 507 Magnolia Street in Mayfair Park. I kind of come to you tonight wearing three hats. One, I am the Mayfair Park Kano president. I am also the Jaden Court and Lowry president, and I'm also an investor in the Lowry area. I want to start by saying that we absolutely support this zoning request. It's very, very important to keep this momentum going. The hard work done by all the staff, including the CAC committee, Monte Hillary, the past city council members, everybody who has led up to this point now is very, very important. We must not look back. We must continue to go forward. I understand that we have a lot of opponents that are worried, nervous, scared. I believe that a lot of that will work out itself once this development is constructed, as did the original Lowry area. It's a beautiful community. We welcome what is going on now. Just so you know, our neighborhoods connect directly with this new development of Boulevard One. Before, we used to look at a berm on First Avenue, and now we have streets that actually connect. And with that, we want to embrace our new neighbors. We are very happy for this diversity that's going to be happening to the south of us. It is enhanced our neighborhood to an incredible excitement of new construction folks wanting to come in and purchase older homes and remodel, add on great build new ones. And this is the type of activity that Denver is promoting. And we love it. We want to welcome our streets. We want folks to use them. They all belong to the city. We are not a gated or walled community. We welcome everyone and I want to thank every one of you, city council members and the ones that are departing. Thank you for your tenure. Thank you for your hard work. It is not an easy job what you do. I can hardly public speak and I can only imagine what you go home at night having to absorb with everyone. So thank you again very, very much and to all the staff member for the city and county of Denver. Thank you very much. Next speaker, Adam Sexton. Good evening. Thank you for your time and for a very lengthy evening. I'm going to try to abbreviate my my way does it. It's just similar to what has been said. But my name is Adam Sexton. I live at 904 Spruce Court and Lowry. I'm here tonight in support of the rezoning application. I followed redevelopment and Lowry keenly as my job brought me there. In 2009, we brought a new school to Lowry Community, which is currently educating more than 650 students, more serving more than 450 families. And when we came to Lowry, there were about 300 students with the school last year, my wife, two children, age seven and four, and I moved to Lowry from Washington Park to be closer to the school, to work and to be in a community that we had admired for some time. I will say that there was trepidation in moving from a very old, established neighborhood like Washington Park to Lowry, but it has exceeded all expectations. We have we walk cycle to to school, to work dinner parks, library and couldn't be happier. And so I think Lowry is very unique. I don't think we should strive to be like other neighborhoods. I think there's character diversity. The mixed use makes Lowry a really special place, and there's a quality of life in Lowry that I think that Boulevard one will only enhance. And I do hope that you do pass this. Thank you very. Much. Thank you. Done. Can you pronounce your last name for me? Daniel. Daniel Hambrick. Oh, my goodness. Okay. Thank you so much. And good evening, counsel, and thank you for this evening. My name is Daniel Hambrick. My family and I live at 6400 East Fourth Avenue. We support the rezoning application as submitted by the LRA. I'm a business owner and a resident in East Denver. Although we live in Kress for most of our time is spent in Lowery. Our children go to Lowery. We work with the local businesses. We shop and eat there often. We truly enjoy what Lowery has offered and will continue to offer with this new phase. I strongly believe that this phase will complete the neighborhood. The proposed mixes, densities and combination of uses is exactly what this area of Denver needed. I feel LRE has taken into account everyone's opinions and concerns. The plan has been carefully balanced and we look forward to this project actually moving forward. Please support the application and thank you for your time. Thank you. Mr. Jeff Willis. Council members. Thank you. My name is Jeff Willis. I live at 364 Ash Street. I know you've had lots of comments tonight, so I promise to be brief. I am a resident of the near nearby hilltop neighborhood and I'm also president of Berkeley Homes. Berkeley Homes is a privately held Colorado homebuilder. We've been building in the Denver metro area for over 30 years. We built in Lowry's East Park neighborhood and have just started construction on homes and Boulevard one. We have recently begun meeting with potential homebuyers and one of the aspects that is particularly attractive to them about Boulevard one is the mixed use component of the neighborhood. They want to be able to leave their cars at home and walk to shops and restaurants. This includes buyers of all types and demographics, from singles to families to empty nesters. The lower community and the Lowry Redevelopment Authority have been very successful over the past two decades in creating a wonderful , vibrant community that integrates mixed housing types, whether it's single family homes, townhouses, condos or apartments, with opportunities for residents and others to work, shop and eat. As a nearby resident and as a builder within Boulevard One, I am in support of the CMA s five zoning request and encourage the City Council to pass the zoning application this evening. I believe it is fully within the character and use of the existing and future Lowry neighborhood. This will be a great amenity to an already great community. Once again, thank you for your time. Thank you. Our next speaker, Marcus Portner. You have 6 minutes. Good evening. Council President. Council members. My name is Marcus Bochner. I'm in her office at 72/91 Avenue in Lowery. I'm a consultant to the Lowery Development Authority. I live in Hilltop and also office in Lowery. I am here to say it's an honor to present to the duly elected member city council. We appreciate your support and listening to this long hearing. I have been asked as one of the final speakers in support of this application to summarize the 60 plus meetings that we've had on this project, the over 140 letters of support that were sent in, and the 25 speakers that have spoken tonight. This image that is in front of you is an image of Lowery, and you don't have to see. It's the entire 1800 of acres of Lowery. And all of those piece of papers represent individual rezonings that have been filed on this site. These are the 6061 rezoning applications that have effectuated the creation of this great neighborhood. It represents hundreds and hundreds of community meetings and the collaboration through a very tried and true process of 20 plus years of a CAC, a board and voluntary community input into this process. Finally, this image is more illustrative of an area of change than words could ever describe. These 61 rezoning applications the comprehensive plan, the blueprint, Denver. They are the basis of this application. On top of that base, LRA was asked to do a multi-year planning process that resulted in a general development plan that was unanimously approved by Denver City Council. From there, we have already done three. Zoning is approved by this summer City Council for Boulevard one, and this application was approved unanimously by Planning Board one month ago. In addition, I think the one thing that I just want to bring back to what we're focusing on tonight is what's right before you. Remarkably, we have all agreed, I think all the speakers have agreed that mixed use and a mix of uses at this site is appropriate. There has definitely been some discussion about the the height, what should be here. Some have said it should be lower than five heights. But everybody has come back to a mixed use. We believe five stories is entirely appropriate. Immediately across the street is a 60 foot office building and there is be three zoning and Cemex eight is at the Lowry at the hangar. This urban context zoning is already in. LOWRY This is not the beachhead. It is already in. Lowry. So I think the one thing to remember, when you have a five storey mixed use zone district, there are only two contexts. It's in the code. There are only two contexts for a five story mixed use, suburban or urban. This is not a suburban project. We are developing 70 acres of infill urban development. In many ways we are creating the context. We believe this is the right zoned district. Finally, and I will say, I think this is the first 3 minutes. Is that right? Sorry. I think that it's important to go back through that. This 70 acre site is urban context. Suburban context has the street, then a sea of parking surface lots and then the building. That's not what we're trying to create here. It's not what this Denver City Council in this city has worked so hard to create in successful mixed use projects. We are emulating this growth and the proper urban form and thus we believe that urban center is the right zoned district for this site and help effectuate the vision we have for Boulevard One. Lastly, in closing, I have to say beachhead is an interesting term for me for a former Lowry Air Force base, that the term was used a number of times tonight. But I think in many ways it was used as a precedent. This will be precedent setting. We have said it, and I'm sorry if we've said it too many times. 61 Zoning the comm plan blueprint. Denver, the GDP. That's the precedent. That's what's in front of you. This is the last, almost last zoning that says entire site and then it will be built out. Nobody's coming back to rezone other areas. This is the development and we will turn and transition to an area of stability. With all of that, I will say this is the gathering place. This is the heart of Boulevard One. We respectfully request your support for this rezoning. Thank you very much. Thank you. Virginia White, followed by John DeRose and our final speaker will be Kevin Yoshida. Hi. My name is Virginia White. I live at 255 South Kearny Street. And I'll keep this brief because I think I'll get home early tonight. Considering the last meeting, uh, the folks from the redevelopment agency stated that the Transportation Development had no comments. Did they consider the impact of all the developments that are going up? Build and transportation will follow is putting the cart before the horse. Please, I ask you to please oppose this. Thank you. Thank you. Ms.. White. John Tyrone's. Good evening, John. Drugs. I live at 40 Kearny Street, west of the proposed rezoning, and I thank you for listening. I was first involved in the community outreach for this eight years ago, a process that had its ups and downs. Citizens from all over the area packed places and could get a seat. The community weighed in at that time and they were less than satisfied. I will say that I asked Mr. Force what what happened to this? Because this is what the community thought they were getting after the process that went on for over a year and several meetings and there was tons of participation. And nobody's here now. Who is involved for the most part. And I think that's because they were worn down because they didn't they didn't see this after the Air Force wasn't involved anymore. The Air Force required that the community get together and weigh in. And we did. And Marty, I don't know where I don't know where we went with this. Can you address. I want to I want to stress that like people have said, we we have no quarrel with nor do members of the community have any quarrel with a mixture of land uses this location. That's why some of these sketches that were made reflected what was going to be what was going to happen. It was not five storey urban core. Marcus. Describe this perfectly that. We have. Ah, they have proposed to have an urban center. That's what the zoning is. Urban center land in this area, in a suburban area. Just a month ago, rezoning for the Crest Moore Project was approved. It was a suburban context. This Lowry's across the street. The thing is, that boulevard one is not Lowry. It is not. Lowry. It was. Lowry was conceived when the base closed. And then all of a sudden we had a closed finance center. And we had a Lowry Town Center that was where the density was confined to. That's where the original buildings were. It made perfect sense. Now we no longer will have a town center. What we have is activity moving out of the town center onto this 70 acres. I just. I hope for the best for Lowry as a result of this. Please deny it. Thank you. Thank you. Our final speaker is Kevin Yoshida. Thank you. My name is Kevin Yoshida. I'm an architect and consultant to the Library Redevelopment Authority. I'm also. An architect that serves on the Larry Lowry Design. Review Committee. And just wanted to make a few points about continuity, the foundations of what you approve here tonight. The LRA has always been great stewards. Of those conversations and maintained design consultants that that work with the decisions made here through the design review process, through the design guidelines and apply best practices throughout all the execution of the rest of the project. I'm here obviously in favor of the rezoning and just want to thank you and and express my appreciation for your leadership in responsible growth in the city and to balance those conversations that voice concern and fear in favor of the active, vibrant city that is envisioned by many of its residents and this body. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes our speakers questions from members of council. Councilwoman Kennish. Thank you. Madam President, I was hoping that someone could and probably the staff, but perhaps the the Redevelopment Authority explained to me more about the waivers. So, for example, pieces of our code in some some zone districts include step backs, you know, to protect the street edge. And I was just curious if you could say more about the origination of the waivers, and is that because it's an entire building that's height is limited versus versus just the first few floors in terms of the. The waivers are proposed on First Avenue and put back in those specific areas. There is a legal description for those areas and there are 30 feet wide. So from the property line, back 30 feet, the height will be 45 feet and three stories. So that could be a building that could be a portion of a building, but the height will be 45 feet. And three stories for those portions. And I don't know if is that getting you. Described what the waiver is. I wanted to understand better its origins and why it's necessary as compared to what what the edge of the buildings are required to be under the zone district on itself. Like are there step backs in the zone district that would have applied so. So if someone can just help me understand the origin and, and evolution. You can talk about the origin and health and the condition. Would you like? Mr.. Yes, that would be great. My understanding is the origin was the GDP. Okay. Through that public process. I would like to hear from the development authority. That would be helpful. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. As we were developing the heights on Boulevard One, the original plans called for taller buildings. And we have now, in fact, at one point there were 12 storeys and they went to eight and then went to five. But then trying to respect the edges adjacent to neighborhoods, we said, let's limit further. Two, three stories in the way we did. That is by doing a step down from the five stories to the three stories on the edge. Is that. Right? So so was it a result of process or. Yes. It wasn't the original proposal. It wasn't in the original proposal. Okay. So it was the result of a process? Yes. And then my second question, Madam President, if I may, is also for the Redevelopment Authority. We had some speakers ask about why 18 acres for only 400 units of apartments. But I wanted to ask you that that question. Why is 18 acres necessary? And is it just apartments that are going in this area? No, we need 18 acres. Again, the entire 18 acres will not be five stories, but we can't today tell you exactly where a five storey building will be versus a three storey building. And it is mixed use. It is not just apartments, it is commercial as well. Retail primarily. There might be some office, but primarily the retail. We have a limitation on apartments of 450. In our plan, the a portion of the site is already set aside for what's called the Buckley Annex Housing Consortium, which is building affordable rentals. That is not on this parcel, which is 80 units. So the most you could have in apartments on this site would be 370 if we put all of the apartments on the site. But basically we need the flexibility to create the different buildings and the forms in accordance with the code, but not having necessarily the entirety. The site is five stories. Great things. And my last question, I was just looking at the image on page seven. I don't have it's hard to go back to the presentation. I think the GDP picture was in there. But is is the rebuilding of a street grid part of this overall site in terms of internal transportation? Yes. For dealing north and south. Right. There's there's it's limited in what we can do because the grid on the outside of the site is limited on the south side. In fact, there's there's no ability to connect to the south side. But to the north side, we have connected at every opportunity where there's an existing street as well to the east and west . Great. Thank you, Madam President. Those are my questions. Thank you. Councilwoman finished. Councilwoman Robb. Just a quick follow up on the height issue and money. I think you're probably the person to address it in the points that you made. Sort of summing up how this matches the law revision. You said that the 65 feet was or 4 to 5 stories was similar to the rest of Lowery. However, we're hearing and testimony tonight that that's not the case. Can you expand a little bit on that? Are there. I did hear Marcus say there were CMCs eight for the hangar. But, you know, where is there other comparable height on Mallory? The the heights of six is six feet in the design guidelines for legacy Lowery. And at the time we were going through that process, the architects and consultants that we had working with us said five additional feet, 60 to 65 would accommodate a lot of different building forms that were being precluded from 60 feet, which was previously . So we put together a proposal in the redevelopment plan, and then following in the GDP, we said 65 feet. The new code wasn't even in place at the time. We came up with 65 feet. But to honor the 65 feet that we said we would not go beyond is why we asked for the waiver from 70 to 65. There are buildings directly across the street, one office building that's 63 feet. I believe that's directly across the street. There are buildings off site of Lowry, the Lex, an apartment building, seven story buildings. I'm not sure what their height is, but it's probably in the 70 foot range. Okay. Thank you. That was that was very thorough. Madam President, I'd like to explore a little bit what constitutes a city plan. And don't go so far, Monty. You might be the right person, though. I bet there are a lot of people in the room who can answer this. Remind me how the LRA board is appointed. As I recall, the mayor appoints the members and council confirms them. Am I correct? Okay. You probably want to go back to the mic and. And how is the CAC chosen? Is it still in existence? I was familiar with it when I worked in District five. Yes, it's still in existence and is also mayoral appointees both by the city of Denver and Aurora. And both groups were involved in the Berkeley Annex redevelopment plan, which was the basis of the GDP. Yes. Okay. And then if I could ask the city attorney, maybe, Karen, analysts, in terms of our responsibilities in determining determining conformance to city plans, how how should we be interpreting that? Because we've heard varying testimony today legally. Karen Harvey Velis with the city attorney's office legally adopted plans includes not only the comprehensive plan blueprint, Denver, the transportation plan, but also plans adopted by various agencies. And this case, it also includes a general development plan which was enabled by the own zoning code and approved by the planning board. So all of those are plans adopted by the city. And as I recall, through city ordinance zoning and even prior to that it was city council while I served on it that gave the planning board the ability to approve general development plans. That's correct. The planning board in a lot of instances now and then before that, the DRC had the approval of city council or had the authority from city council to adopt general development plans. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Rob. Councilman Brooks. Thank you, Madam President. Actually, my Colfax sister. Just answered or asked my question around. The GDP. So thank you, Karen, for answering that. Thank you, Councilwoman Lehman, followed by Councilman Fox. I would I don't I'm not sure anybody here can answer my question. But my question is, I would like to know from public works how the city will deal with the impact of the increasing traffic as a result of this development. Hi. Angelica Casey is with Denver Public Works and the developer has worked with our traffic engineering division. We did. We completed an analysis and. Study. And found that there would be additional trips added to this area, but it would not be anything that. The current configuration wouldn't be able to handle. Thank you. Councilman Lehman was your. That's answered. Thank you. Councilman Fats, followed by Councilman Brown. Thank you, Madam President. I need a refresher course, and I don't. Of the developer, Theresa would be the one to give it to me. I need help and some of the emails that I received. There were discussions about inadequate parking, and I need to be reminded what the city minimum is and why this point there referred to a .75 why that I why I should look upon that as good. There was concerns about the new zoning code and the ratios of parking being too low for this location. And we at one point had actually put waivers in the zoning application to raise the parking ratios in this zoning application. But the planning department didn't feel it was appropriate type of waiver in this case. So what we did as the developer is incorporate parking standards into our design guidelines that are compatible with the previous zoning code. For instance, in apartments under the CM five, I think the ratio would be .75 per unit and our design guidelines require 1.5 spaces. If I may clarify then, Madam President, you are planning to build the 1.5? That is correct. Thank you. That's that's good news. Thank you. Councilman Potts, Councilman Brown. Thank you, Madam President. Monte questioned the number 30 speaker next to the last speaker, turned to you and said that this is not Larry. He's an opponent. And then another opponent held up this rendering, this seven year old rendering, saying that this. Was, I presume, what it was supposed to look like. So we have to the opponents are kind of confusing their message tonight. And can you help clarify, especially the one that turned to you and said that this side is not? Larry, I don't I don't have the image that you're referring to. So if you could see it. But this is still what we were planning. This is an image from our redevelopment plan on the community park area, which indeed is still the plan and vision that we have for this site. Okay. And how about the charge that this is not Lowry that decided it's Lowry? I mean, I don't know how else to respond. As I started my comments tonight, we have comparable density to other areas of. Lowry We have comparable and it's the same parking ratios. The traffic generated on this site is the same traffic that would been generated on the site when it was the DFS Center and had 3000 employees on the site. It has comparable heights in the town center area. We have 60 foot tall buildings and we're seeing 65 foot buildings here, not the entirety of the site. We ratchet down the heights of the buildings on the perimeter adjacent to neighborhoods that are either single family detached or attached. So I would say it is Lowry is a continuation of what we started at Lowry and intend to finish. Great. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Brown, Councilman Kennish. Thank you. Councilman Brown reminded me of a question I forgot to ask, which was about the density. You know, there is this mention of 11 per acre and but I guess the question is, is that for the entire Buckley Annex site, it's an average. It's not that no single acre will exceed 11. So can you clarify what that how how much of the site that applies to you and whether it applies to every single spot in the site or whether it is an average. It's an average of the entirety of 800 units on the entirety of the site. So obviously there will be parcels that have higher density than 11. But we also are already building single family detached homes that have much lower density than 11. Okay, great. Thank you for clarifying that. Thank you. Are there any more questions from members of council? CNN. The public hearing for council bill 345 is closed. Comments by members of council. Hill from assessment. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. I thank my council fellow council people for all the good questions that you asked. I thought they were right on point and glad to clear up a lot of things. And I this was a little bit of a trip back in time because I started working on Lowry two years before the Lowry Redevelopment Authority was formed. I, too, started when Pat Schroeder was in office. And I want to thank my cohorts, Mary Nell Wolf and Kathleen Ruby and Brian Wert, as a speaker mentioned that people were gone because they were tired of it. These people have never gotten tired of it because they are still working very hard to make sure that the this development is is something that we can be proud of. When I when we were first working on the Lowry base conversion in the nineties, we it was a very scary thing. And I think that was that was well said by I think it was Kathleen that said that it was very scary. And there were folks who said, we don't want anything here, and there's going to be a lot of traffic and let's put a fence up and just make a park out of it. But we had there was a concept working its way through a city planning literature called New Urbanism. We didn't know what that was, but it was New Urbanism, but sort of a new old urbanism that recommended that we once again develop embedded commercial areas in our residential zones like our original cities. Had Denver had them and has them dotted all over our residential areas, although many went away in the fifties and two seventies when there was an idea to completely separate residential areas from commercial areas. But you are very familiar with the ones remaining the South Pearl Street, South Gaylord Street, 22nd and Kearny. And there's one just up just a block from me in Hilltop. And now we know that having those amenities among in a residential area is good for us. It produces opportunities for not only people to walk some of the time and maybe not use their cars so much. But even more importantly, it creates a sense of community. It is a way for people to keep eyes on the street, to meet each other on their way to and fro, and to create community when they are there. And it was a tough it was a tough sell at the time. And thankfully, we had great city planners at the time. But we see how it is worked and how Lowry has become one of the most favorite places of the people in Denver and certainly the people who did move there. Two weeks ago, I voted against the building of a multi-unit structure just in Chris Chris Moore Park. That's because I thought it didn't fit there. I still don't think it fits there. But more importantly, the neighborhood had been designated as an area of stability. As described in Blueprint, Denver zoning rules went through a very public process, and I felt there was an interpretation that made me feel like we should remain faithful to that public process that created the zoning rules in the first place. I am going to ask my fellow council people to vote for this rezoning tonight, because this zoning is in an area of change. And so my point of view is still consistent with the notion that this is what a public process that created the zoning that we have says. And this is an area of change. I think it was well demonstrated that they've had 61 rezonings in the last 15 years. And so obviously it's an area of change. And we also had someone say that we should maybe delay this for two more weeks or so. You heard that the plan began in 2007, and that's eight years ago. And there are people on this council who were part of that process, and there are citizens that were part of that process and have been a part of that process. And I think eight years is plenty long of a time to come to some conclusion about some zoning. And I don't know what two more weeks would do. Also that there are many council people here. I did like Councilwoman Foster's notion that Councilwoman Ortega was here at the at the beginning and Councilman Brown was here at the beginning. And so and I can't remember it was Councilwoman Fox, perhaps two people who have grown grown up with this project and know a lot about it and know a lot about the feeling about it. I think the plan is very sensitive to the adjacent neighborhoods. I don't think that came out very clearly. I had considered asking a question about it, but I thought, I know the answer, so why ask the question? Park Heights is a single family neighborhood. The homes that are going to go up against Park Heights are single family homes. Mayfair Park is single family home, neighborhood. The heart, the buildings that are going to go up against Mayfair Park are single family homes. On Quebec. There is a town center across the street and some office buildings. It's true. Down south there's a few single family homes. They're much farther back. They're putting the town center on the area that is across from the town center and across from some office buildings. And on the Crest Moore side, which has a park and then single family homes, they're putting single family homes. And the the higher, more dense areas are in the middle. Someone suggested that they're going to put five storey homes all along, a five storey building saw along Quebec. The waivers create three storey buildings along Quebec. It's very important that people get the right information. I've been a little distressed with some of the wrong information that has been going around. So those are just some of my thoughts about this project. I'm thinking this will be the last zoning of Lowry and because I don't think we have any more property left at Lowry to rezone. And I urge my fellow council people to vote for this rezoning. Thank you, Councilwoman Sussman. Councilwoman Robb. Thank you. Madam President, I was thinking that maybe I could just be quiet tonight and listen. And I will say that Councilwoman Sussman made a very good case, but we were somewhat challenged, I believe, by testimony, to consider this in a quasi judicial way. So I want to go on record saying that I believe there are changing conditions in this rezoning. In an area of change, a major employer left the area and further that major employer generated as many traffic trips. If I understood the staff report as the new development, will I see this as consistent with the Lowrey vision, with the comp plan, with Blueprint Denver? It indeed is not like a rezoning we heard a few weeks ago. I had some question about the height I thought I'd go to. I got a fair answer again in terms of the plan. The illustration that that was presented that morning force looked at it. Councilman Brown's request shows five stories, it looks. Like to be along the. Park in three stories along Quebec. And it looks like the crescent in Bath, England, to me, with the building sort of right around the park. So that's my quasi judicial thinking on it, in the way I'm going to be making my decision in supporting this. But I would also like to take a little privilege as the representative for Cherry Creek. To say that this. Is not Cherry Creek. You are talking about 800 units on 70, 70 acres. We haven't had a rezoning in the numerous controversial rezonings I've had in front of this council in Cherry Creek on more than an acre. And you add them all up and you might get eight acres, and that's an exaggeration. So I did not find that a persuasive argument. I agreed with Rachel Neumann and Jamie Fogel on that one. And by the way, let me in my remarks it say in that same list of top five Denver neighborhoods and 50 to 80, Cherry Creek was number three. So if we do this rezoning, maybe Lowry can stay at number five. Thank you, Councilwoman Robb. Councilman Ortega. Thank you, Madam President. First, I want to thank all of the residents, neighbors for coming out tonight and for all of the letters and emails that we've received on this issue. One of the things that that I struggle with is the fact that we we have some developments that have come forward that include the waivers, yet others that have come before us, where they're they tell us we were discouraged or not allowed to include waivers. So to know tonight that we had waivers on the height, but not waivers on the parking. I don't understand that thinking of our planning department in, you know, picking and choosing when and who and where these waivers get to be included. And that makes it confusing for everybody. I think for the developers, it makes it confusing for the neighbors who are trying to ensure that the right kinds of things are, in fact, included in a zone change. So that's that's frustrating. I'm just expressing that frustration with the process. So we had eight people opposed that spoke tonight and 23 who spoke in favor. This is drastically different than the kind of feedback we got from the application we saw two weeks ago. I think this project is going to be an asset to this location. I think it will absolutely fill in a vacant site that, as everybody has indicated, is an area of change. And I appreciate the sensitivity that the Lowry Redevelopment Authority played in, you know, buffering the edges and reducing the height to make it more compatible with the adjacent areas that they, you know, buffer up next to. And I think this is going to be an overall good project for this location. So I will be supporting it tonight. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Fox. Thank you, Madam President. There was a comment about the appropriateness of relying on the GDP. Just a question about how it fit in. I want to make it clear, as I state my preference, that no one plan was one that I relied on. The whole process, including the testimony tonight, was what I based my decision on. And the answer about the parking was very important to me. And so if there is a question that was alluded that that could be a legal question. I am not basing my vote on that. You all brought me the facts that I'm basing my vote on tonight, and I will be supporting it. Thank you. Right. Madam Secretary, roll call, please. SUSSMAN Hi. BROOKS Hi. BROWN Hi. Fats. I carnage. Layman. Lopez Never. I. Ortega, I rob. I shepherd. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary closed the voting and announced the results. 12 Eyes. 12 Eyes Council Bill 345 has passed. Councilman Lopez, will you please please counsel Bill 346 on the floor. Thank you, Madam President. I move that council bill 346 series of 2015 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. I need a second. Thank you. It has been moved and seconded. The public hearing for Council Bill 346 is open. May we have a staff report? Tourism. Sara With Community Planning and development, just getting the PowerPoint loaded. So this application is located at 301 South Cherokee.
A RESOLUTION affirming The City of Seattle’s support for its local Iranian-American and Iranian-immigrant communities, recognizing the importance of people-to-people diplomacy at the local level, calling for a de-escalation in the conflict and damaging rhetoric between the U.S. and Iran and an end to the attacks on the democratic rights of people with Iranian heritage in Washington State and requesting the Office of Intergovernmental Relations communicate these positions to the Washington State congressional delegation.
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The bill passes and the chair will sign it. See that C rim report of the. Not I guess not committees. We have a report from previous previous items on on the agenda. The report of the city council agenda one Resolution 319 25 expressing the Seattle City Council's opposition to the Trump administration's escalation toward a war with Iran and two attacks on the democratic rights of people with Iranian heritage in Washington State and requesting the Office of Intergovernmental Relations communicate these offers excuse me, these positions to the Washington State Congressional delegation. Thank you. Would customers want to address the resolution? Yes. Should I? Should I move to substitute, speak to the substitution. Then we take a vote. And then I speak to the best of. Yes. That sounds great. Would you like me to move or would you like to? I'm happy to move. And then if you stick it in, then I just want to say something. I move to substitute version three of resolution 319254. Version one. I second. Thank you. Did you want to speak to it or. Sure. I appreciate the opportunity to work with Council Councilmember so on over the last week as well as the Office of Intergovernmental Relations and additional stakeholder groups beyond ones who had been consulted. As of as of last week. And I feel that in although there's been some concern about the the resolution becoming weakened after our weeks worth of deliberations, I think in many ways it's actually been strengthened because we have really, I think, honed in on why it is appropriate for the Seattle City Council to weigh in on this and and and the impact of these international actions on residents of our city, the impact of actions that are happening at the border on residents of our city. And so rather than just simply being a resolution against certain international actions, we are really focusing on our values as a city of being an inclusive, welcoming city and pointing to, I think, a lot of the strength of this community, while I hope preserving the intent of the language in the resolution to also be a strong antiwar statement. Thank you. Council President Pro Tem Herbold I It was my original intention to have this resolution in opposing Trump's escalation to toward war in Iran last week. But we needed to hold it. And as Councilmember Herb also having talked to us, the Office of Intergovernmental Relations Governor Herbert Office proposed a series of amendments just before the vote last Monday. And I do agree that this resolution is a strong, resolute, strong enough resolution. And I really appreciate my colleague for working with me and my office to find the language for the substitute that we can both accept. But I do want to state for the record that the original substitution that was offered greatly weakened the antiwar language and the whole motivation behind the disastrous history of U.S. imperialism and why this war should be opposed. As our Sharifi said, the reason we are opposing the war in Iran is because we know what has happened to previous wars, and it's important to recall that in the resolution and this is also what Dan Gilman from Veterans for Peace was referring to. However, thanks to all of your organizing, thanks to hundreds of people, ordinary people writing to city council and calling and urging that the resolution not lose its antiwar character. We have arrived at a version that I think does present a strong case from the city council, why we are opposing the resolution. And so I, I will support this substitution and then I'll speak to the resolution and thank you. So it's been moved in, seconded to amend the resolution. Are there additional comments on the amended version of the resolution? Councilmember Morales. Just in general on the resolution, is that a no on the amendment? Will we speak to the resolution itself after we get the amended version in front of us if you have comments on the amended version. Okay. All right. With that, those in favor of the proposed substitute vote i. I. I those oppose vote no. And the motion carries and the resolution is amended. We now have the amended version in front of us. Are there any further comments on the resolution as amended comes out of this? Okay. Sorry, I'm new to. This as a sponsor, I'm going to defer to of course, on first. Thank you. This is the resolution in opposition to both Trump's escalation toward war with Iran and also in opposition to reports of Border Patrol agents targeting people of Iranian descent at the border crossing in Blaine, Washington, and at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Trump's policies towards Iran, including airstrikes and the prominent drone assassination of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq, are risking war and that is totally unacceptable. The U.S. wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq have not expanded the freedom, democracy, standards of living or safety of ordinary people in the Middle East and have not increased the safety of people in the US. Instead, they have caused massive loss of human life and ongoing suffering in Afghanistan and Iraq and among US soldiers. It is ordinary people, especially women, young people and marginalized communities who always pay the greatest price for imperialist war. As a socialist elected representative, I will do everything in my power to prevent another disastrous war in the Middle East. And I look forward to the whole city council taking that position. In 2019, working people in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon both inspiring mass movements against poverty, corruption, ethnic oppression and authoritarian rule. However, now the threat of war with the US has undermined the momentum of these movements, especially in Iran, and strengthened the authoritarian Iranian regime. Instead of threats of war, we need a mass antiwar movement in the US and globally in solidarity with the movement in the Middle East. In drafting this resolution, my office looked to see if there was a precedent set by the City Council in 2003, when Bush drove the U.S. to war with Iraq, using similarly sketchy intelligence reports claiming imminent threat with no details. We were shocked. I was on I wasn't on the council in 2003. We were shocked to find a 2003 resolution that totally failed to oppose the war in any way, which I think really illustrates how our movement has now, in the current time, moved politics in this city and nationwide. Just to read the first few lines of the resolution passed on March 18, 2003, by the Seattle City Council, two days before the start of the Iraq War. It says, quote, A resolution in support of the men and women of the armed forces of the United States, expressing our pride in their service. Whereas the President of the United States has activated and deployed numerous men and women of the armed forces from Washington State and from Seattle to the war in Iraq, and to assignment in Afghanistan that are related to the ongoing war on terrorism. And. Whereas, their service in our armed forces is one of the highest traditions of American patriotism. This is on. These are the words of a progressive city council about a war started by George Bush. And so let's be crystal clear. It is dishonest for a ruling elite to engage that engages in endless imperialist war in order to apportion the spoils of global capitalism among themselves, while they exploit the majority to then turn around and talk about well-being and pride of the soldiers who are sent to fight their wars. The best way to keep your soldiers safe and protect their well-being is don't start endless war. Another casualty of war is the democratic rights of people at home. Border Patrol agents in Washington state are now targeting people of Iranian descent, including U.S. citizens. People have been detained and questioned for hours, including families with young children, as they return home to Seattle through the border in Canada, near Canada or the SeaTac Airport. We have heard personally from people who have had these experiences. My office spoke to a representative from the Port of Seattle, which is the government entity that operates the SeaTac Airport. First, we were told by them that there was no increased targeting of nor increased targeting of people of Iranian descent at Sea-Tac so far, which is clearly not true because we are hearing incidents that are happening. But then he they claim that this was what Homeland Security is claiming. He then told us that Homeland Security is expecting to start increasing its targeting of Iranian Americans at the airport. This is extremely concerning to us. But what the public should know is that this person, from this representative of the port then told my staff, I requested my staff member that we avoid the sort of peaceful, civil disobedience protest that we had organized at the airport in 2017, which was a protest that joined similar actions at airports around the country and which helped temporarily halt Trump's Muslim travel ban. My office has, of course, told them that we are not going to stop any civil disobedience protests at the airport. And in fact, if peaceful civil disobedience is required to protect our Iranian sisters and brothers, and that is exactly what we will do. And so it's my it's been my pleasure to work with many of the groups, including Veterans for Peace, the Council on American Islamic Relations. And I should also mention all the activists who are fighting for the India resolution are also strongly supporting this resolution. And I've been part of that as well. And. Alice. Thank you. Well, I want to thank everybody first for being here and taking time from your work day. If you needed to do that to be here. I know that's not easy. And I do want to say that I stand in solidarity with the people of Iran and heritage who have been unfairly targeted by our Border Patrol and law enforcement following the assassination of General Suleimani. Our neighbors should not be questioned or detained based on their ethnic, religious or cultural identities. Doing so follows the dangerous tradition of condoning race based discrimination, which we all know becomes enshrined in government policies that exclude people from their ability to pursue prosperity. We have governed based on fear before in this country, and it has led to shameful practices like entering our Japanese-American neighbors, who somebody spoke about earlier. And by questioning the loyalty of longtime residents who deserved their shot at safety and prosperity and opportunity. We know that Seattle must oppose any discrimination against immigrants and refugees and reject the escalation of war with Iran, which puts the lives of millions of Iranians, Iranian Americans and Muslims at large in greater danger. And I am supporting this resolution. Any other comments, Councilmember Peterson. Yes. Thank you to everyone for being here today. Taking time from your busy days to tell us your thoughts on these resolutions. I share the passion and views of my colleagues about these important matters, and I thank you for raising them. I appreciate that. Colleagues have spent many hours over the past week revising the original resolution. Every day I'm deeply troubled by the rhetoric and actions of the Trump administration. I will vote yes. And so I will vote in favor of this resolution, because, of course, it's wrong for President Trump to start a war against Iran. And of course, it's wrong for our federal officials to discriminate at the border, at our airport or anywhere. I will vote yes. And also, please allow me to ask that we try to not craft a city council resolution for every horrible thing that our president or any world leader does. I believe we can do the most good and deliver the best response as elected to City Council members by proving how well a government can be run. And by government, I mean the city government of Seattle. I believe we could research, right, review, debate and vote on a new resolution every hour of every day to counter every bad thing that President Trump or his administration does. But every minute, as a legislative body, we spend researching, writing, reviewing, debating and voting on these resolutions is a minute. We could be spending to reduce homelessness, to improve emergency medical response, to make sure we get through dangerous snowstorms, to oversee a city budget of $6.5 billion, spanning over 40 city departments, impacting over 700,000 people right here in Seattle. So. But I do support this resolution. We must speak out against these injustices. We should. I believe we can send letters of our support to congressional colleagues, to our Port of Seattle colleagues. But to take up time before and during city council meetings for all of these resolutions is a slippery slope where we could take our eye off the ball of running this city government. So, again, I'm voting yes. And I'm confident that our congresswoman, Pramila Jayapal and our U.S. Senators Murray and Cantwell and our esteemed port commissioners are more than capable of dealing with this situation with or without a city council resolution, which I will support today. Thank you. And as the proposer of the resolution, if there's no further, folks who want to talk about allow Councilmember Swann to close out debate. Thank you. In closing out, I wanted to respond to the comments made by Councilmember Peterson just now. He used terms like that. If we pass or if the council acts on resolutions such as the Iran resolution or the India resolution, that is somehow it's going to be a slippery slope and direct the city council away from the cities deaths in my in my view saying that the city council is in danger of passing a resolution on every injustice going on in the planet is a strawman argument. That is not what the City Council does. The purpose of these. The purpose of such resolutions as the two that have been brought forward from my office is not for. For me as an elected representative or someone else to take a pro forma or, you know, just in name only position against oppression and check off that box. The purpose is to use such resolutions as a tool to empower and build social movements, which is ultimately what makes the difference. We are. I as a city council member, I am under no illusion that simply by passing a resolution here, things are going to change. What the resolution does do is it empowers the movement to keep building. And we know that a yes vote on the India resolution from the City Council will not only empower the global movement against Modi's regime, but beyond that, actually, it is going to be nothing short of historic because it will be the first such position taken by a legislative body in the United States. And last. And as far. As the local questions are concerned and if there are any concerns by Councilmember Peterson that somehow we are not paying attention, let me tell you, I've been on the council for six years. The reason the city council continues to oversee an unprecedented crisis of homelessness and housing unaffordability is not because we are passing too many irrelevant resolutions , but it is because of the lack of moral and political courage to do what is needed urgently, which is to tax big business and find a major expansion. Tangible, publicly owned, high quality social housing as part of a Green New Deal program. The climate change and housing crisis are the two crises facing the city urgently, and that is why that is what we need to do. But passing resolutions is not the barrier. The barrier is a lack of courage, and that is why I hope everybody will join us. The Dogs Amazon Action Conference this Saturday at 10 a.m.. In favor of adopting the resolution as amended. Vote i. I. I. Those opposed vote no. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted as amendment amended, and. The chair will sign. Oh.
A bill for an ordinance approving a proposed Fiscal Year 2021 Appendices to the Second Amended and Restated Operating Agreement between the City and County of Denver and Denver Health and Hospital Authority, providing for the amounts to be paid for services by the City and County of Denver and by the Denver Health and Hospital Authority for Fiscal Year 2021. Approves the 2021 Denver Health and Hospital Authority operating agreement (DDPHE 202056359). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 12-7-20. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 11-4-20.
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12 Eyes Council Bill 1216 has been ordered published. The next item up is Council Bill 1138. Councilmember Cashman, will you please put Bill 113 on the floor for publication? Yes, Madam President. And I move that council bill 20 dash 1138 be ordered published. Thank you. It has been moved. Can I get a second ticket? Thank you. Questions are comments by members of council. Councilmember CdeBaca. Thank you, Madam President. Called this one now because I'm very concerned about the comments we've heard from constituents about union busting activity and the committee meeting where Denver Health explained that they are basically union busting by not using city dollars to do so was very concerning to me. I appreciate Councilwoman Sandoval calling it out for a public hearing, but I would like to see them go back and do a little more work to assure us that there's no union busting going. On in an organization. That we fund, whether it's coming out of our dollars or their own. And so I am a no on this one this evening. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman Hines. And you, Madam President, I. I want to thank Councilmember CdeBaca for her comments. I also want to thank Councilmember Sandoval for pulling this off for public comment. I want to keep our public for the public to comment on. I just public comment. Anyway, I want to hear what the public has to say. I want to hear from the folks next week. And and I would ask folks, my colleagues, to say yes tonight so that we do give the public an opportunity to have their their voice heard. Thank you, Madam President. And Q Councilman Hines. Seen no other hands raised. Madam Secretary, roll call. CDEBACA No. Clark. I. When I. Herndon. I. Time. Cashman. I. Can I? Ortega, I. Sandoval. I. Boyer. I. Right. I. Black eye. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, closed the voting and announced results. One made 12 eyes. 12 Eyes Counsel Bill 1138 has been ordered published. The next item up is Council Bill 1159. Councilmember Cashman, will you please put Bill 1159 on the floor for publication? Yes, Madam President. I move that council bill 22 at 1159 be published.
A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 2000 West Virginia Avenue in Athmar Park. Approves a map amendment to rezone property from E-SU-Dx to E-SU-D1x (allows for an accessory dwelling unit), located at 2000 West Virginia Avenue in Council District 7. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 3-30-21.
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I move that. Council Bill 20 10308. Be. Placed upon final consideration and do. Pass. Thank you. It has been moved and we have the second the required public hearing for council bill 308 is open. May we have the staff report? Afternoon. Afternoon. Can you hear me? Hi, Fran. Hi. Okay. All right. There you go. Good afternoon. Members of city council. Madam President, my name is Fran Beneficial, and I'm an associate city planner with planning services. And today I am going to send you an overview of the MAP Amendment for 2000 West Virginia Avenue. Subject property is located in Council District seven with Councilman John Clark. In the upmarket park neighborhood. The property owner is proposing to rezone to a district that allows for accessory dwelling units. If approved, all forms and standards would remain the same. The property is currently in the urban single unit zoned district, which allows for a minimum zone, lot size 6000 square feet. And as you can see on the map, the property is surrounded by other properties that I also saw SUV X to the east, south and west and to the north. It's actually up to 50 9r1 where there is a school. The Green Lane use of the site is single unit residential and is surrounded by mostly other single unit residential of course, public, quasi public to the north where the school is located. This slide shows the existing area where the site of the proposed rezoning on the bottom right. And some images that show the character of the neighborhood. Speaking of the process, information on notice of the application was sent on December 21st, 2020. Planning Board recommended approval on March 17 and. Beside the application in the middle of the match. Let me see. The level of the incident manual. Meanwhile, we're hearing you in the main part of the meeting. My apologies. I thought the interpretation was on. They must have gotten turned off during the recess. I'd have to ask the facilitator. Okay, great. Thank you. We'll go ahead and go through that process again. But my apologies. No worries. I'd rather you catch it now. It's not working again, so I will make I try. I added Indira. She came into the meeting. I'll have to make him a host again. Okay. Should I continue or wait or. Let me. Get confirmation here. Just a moment. Okay, Manuel, we have you as the host now. Okay. I'm turning on the interpretation now. Just give me a minute, please. Okay. Okay. I believe we're all set. Go ahead, please, Fran. No worries. So back to the process. The information on notice of the application was sent on December 21st, 2021, and Planning Board recommended approval on March 17. Date We have not received any letters of support or opposition from the public or from any of the emails. Denver zoning code has five preview criteria, which I will go over. The first one is consistency with the plants. There's three plants applicable to his rezoning comprehensive plan 2040 Blueprint. Denver The Park Neighborhood Perimeter Plan was 2000. The rezoning is consistent with several of the tragedies of comprehensive plan 2040. For example, this MAP amendment will promote equity by creating a greater mix of housing options in every neighborhood, and it will lead to an environmentally resilient Denver by promoting infill development where infrastructure and services are already in place. Now looking at Denver, the subject property is mapped as part of the urban edge neighborhood context. The future place map designates the subject property as low residential place type. This place type have predominantly single and two unit uses, and accessory dwelling units are appropriate while Virginia and is designated as a local street, which is mostly characterized by residential uses. The street is designated as a residential collector street. The growth area improve in Denver is all other areas of the city. These areas are anticipated to see a 10% employment growth and 20% housing growth by 2040. Blueprint also includes specific policy recommendation housing policy. Ford focuses on diversify diversifying housing choice through the expansion of accessory dwelling units throughout all residential areas. The Akamai Park neighborhood perimeter plan was adopted in 2000 and is applicable to his site property. The plan is silent on residential rezoning specifically. However, the proposed rezoning is consistent with action. Agenda item number five Implementation Strategy Maintain existing residential are one or two zoning in the neighborhood except for sites that run on Federal Boulevard and with on the West Alameda Avenue and which do not extend beyond mid-block into residential zone areas and also to continue to monitor zoning change variance three to all evacuation and conditional use requests to ensure the continued opportunity and character of the neighborhood. In some districts, the properties rezone to allow for the Dutch accessory dwelling unit. The subject site, the residential character of the park will be maintained. SAP also finds that the requested zoning meets the next two criteria. The rezoning will result in uniformity of district regulations that will further the public health, safety and welfare, primarily through the implementation of the Department's. Justified circumstance for this rezoning is a city adopted decline since the approval of the existing ESU DCS on the street, the city has adopted a comprehensive plan 2040 and blueprint. Denver stated throughout this presentation, the proposed rezoning to ESU units meets the intent of these plans. And lastly, they proposed Sony is consistent with their Vonage neighborhood context residential district and the as you do an excellent district. Staff does recommend approval based on finding or review criteria has been met. All right. Well, thank you, Fran. And this evening, counsel has not received any written testimony on Council Bill 21, Dash 0308, and we have two individuals signed up to speak this evening. The first speaker is Jesse Paris. So we'll go ahead and get. Jesse into the queue here. All right. Jesse, please go ahead with your comments on Council Bill 308, please. Yes. It's good in November. The council cannot be hurt. Yes. Yes. Good evening. Members of council. Can I be heard? Yes, go ahead, Jesse. Okay. Okay, great. So that's Tom Harris number presenting for. I'm positive. Mexican-American social change as mayor of Denver in 20. Anything? I'm in favor of this rezoning tonight. Five is why Sean Johnson, a black man, is traveling so much issue, getting an. 82. Pass for his disabled aging mother who wants to age in place. My question is, what is the. Racial. Demographics of your comment and the question. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Jesse. Our next speaker is Tess Dougherty. Hi. This is test. And I. I echo Jess's question about what the. It seems like there's a need for us to include the racial demographic on these on these presentations from the, from the planning board. And I'm just to make sure that we're remaining equitable, since it seems like the head of the planning department. Doesn't. See a concern or or want to, you know, address the gross negligence and and the discrimination that's happening based on Shawn Johnson's application. So maybe. Yeah, I would like to know the same as Jesse and to see if maybe we could start including some demographic information on these reports. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Tess. That concludes the speakers this evening. Questions from members of Council on Council Bill 308. So give it a moment here. All right. I'm seeing no questions. The public hearing is closed. Comments by members of Council on Council Bill 308 Council member Clark. Thank you, Madam President. And thank you to Ryan and staff for putting all the work into this. I think this clearly meets the criteria and I'll be supporting it tonight. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Councilmember Clark, I share that same opinion that it meets all of the criteria that it needed to meet and we'll be supporting it as well. Madam Secretary, roll call, please. On Council Bill 308. Clark. Right. Flynn. I. Herndon. I. Hi. I. Cashman. I can. I. Sandoval. I. Sawyer. I. Torres, I. Black I. CdeBaca. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results.
A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 22, 24, 26 and 28 South Garfield Street in Cherry Creek. Approves an official map amendment to rezone property from PUD 470 to G-RH-3 (planned development to row house) located at 22, 24, 26 and 28 South Garfield Street in Council District 10. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 6-2-20.
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In the council, their names and cities of residents, and if they feel comfortable doing so, their home addresses when called upon. Please wait until our meeting. Host promotes you to speaker. When you are promoted, your screen will flash and say Reconnecting to meeting. Please do not leave the meeting. You will be reconnected and will need to turn on your camera if you have one and your microphone. If you signed up to answer questions, only state your name and note you are available for questions of counsel. Speakers will have 3 minutes. There is no yield in of time. If translation is needed, you will be given an additional 3 minutes for your comments to be interpreted. You will see your time flash on the screen when you have 30 seconds left. Speakers must stay on the topic of the hearing and must direct their comments to the council members. Please refrain from profane or obscene speech. Direct your comments to council as a whole and please refrain from individual or personal attacks. Councilwoman Ortega, will you please put Council Bill 285 on the floor for passage? And we might need you to unmute, Councilwoman. Okay. Sorry. So we're ready to move. 25 to 85. Mm hmm. So, Madam President, I move that council bill 285 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. Thank you. It has been moved again. Thank you for the second. The required public hearing for Council Bill 20 0285 is open. May we please have the staff report? Hi. Good evening. Members of Council Jason Morrison, senior city planner with Community Planning and Development. First rezoning in front of you this evening is at 22, 24, 26 and 28 South Garfield Street. The request is from an old code PDP 472 RH three, which is within the Denver zoning code. That's General Urban narrow house district of up to three stories. Rezoning is in council districts ten. It's within the Cherry Creek neighborhood. And the subject site is on South Garfield Street between East Ellsworth Avenue and Bayard Avenue. The subject site consists of a four unit pad, which was adopted in 1999. The property owners at 28 South Garfield Street, which is one of the four units desires to construct a horizontal addition to the rear of their property, which is not allowed under the current PWD for 70, but would be allowed under the grade three zone district. The proposed rezoning two grades three is consistent with the Zone District purpose, and you'll find that it is also an extension of the surrounding context as well as the existing grade three zone districts. As I mentioned, the current zoning is a former Chapter 59 PWD. It's adjacent to grade three to the north and east and adjacent to multiple pads to the west and to the south. 5470 allows for four adjoining units with two car garages within the maximum building coverage can't exceed 60%. And there is a height limitation of two stories and 36 feet maximum height. The subject property is within the Cranmer Park View plane. Therefore the subject site has a height maximum of 131 feet maximum. However, the proposed zone district of the RH three has a lower height, maximum of 35 feet. The site is currently occupied by multi-use residential surrounding uses, including multi-unit residential, two unit residential and single unit residential. This is an image of a bird's eye view of the subject property. And we're looking east. And these four images represent some of the multi-unit two unit and single unit residential adjacent and nearby the subject site. The Map Amendment application was unanimously recommended for approval by Planning Board and moved forward by committee. The property has been properly posted and since the staff report was published, we received one comment in opposition concerning over construction in the neighborhood. As you know, there are five of you criteria when analyzing the appropriateness of a request. And we'll start with consistency with adopt plans. In addition to Plan 2040 and Blueprint Denver, there is one neighborhood plan and that is the Cherry Creek Area plan. But first, we'll take a look at comprehensive plan 2040. The proposed MAP amendment is consistent with several strategies from Plan 2040 listed here and detailed in the staff report. Specifically, the request is consistent with strategies under the equity vision element because it will enable development of housing units close to transit and mixed use developments. It will also create a greater mix of housing options in every neighborhood. The request is also consistent with strategies under the environmentally resilient vision element for several reasons. The site is at an infill location where infrastructure is already in place, and it will encourage the creation of a mixed use community where residents can live, work and play in the Cherry Creek neighborhood. The requested rezoning is shown on the context map within Blueprint Denver as General Urban. The requested grade three zone district is consistent with the future context that is mapped in this area. The future place of this area is mapped as low, medium residential, which is generally a mix of low to mid scale multi-unit residential options where building heights are generally up to three stories in height. South Garfield and East Ellsworth Avenue are on designated local streets. Bayard Street is to the south is a residential collector. With the allowance of building forms of up to three stories. The requested grace three zone district is consistent with the future place mapped in this area. This request is also consistent with the blueprint growth strategy, which maps this area as all other areas of the city. These areas are anticipated to see 20% of new housing growth and 10% of new employment growth by 2040. Finally, when thinking Big Picture Blueprint Blueprint Denver recommends rezoning properties from the former Chapter 59 zoning code, as well as custom zoning to the Denver Zoning Code, which is proposed with this application. I'm looking at the Cherry Creek Area Plan. General recommendations from the plan include creating a connected, distinctive and green and prosperous neighborhood. The subject site is located in the Cherry Creek East Sub area, which is characterized as moderate density residential. Furthermore, the subject site falls within the urban residential land use category, which is defined as containing a variety of housing types, including low and mid-rise multifamily. And the subject site also falls within the three storey maximum building height category. Jerry. Its three is consistent with the general recommendations and sub area recommendations of the Cherry Creek Area plan. The proposed rezoning will result in uniform application of zoned district building form, use and design regulations. It will also further the public health, safety and welfare by implementing adopted plans, providing additional housing units that are compatible with the neighborhood. The adoption of the Denver zoning code in 2010 and the retention of a former Chapter 59 zone district on the subject. Property, including custom zoning, is an appropriate justifying circumstance for this proposed rezoning. The requested grades three zone district with the neighborhood is consistent with the neighborhood context description, zone district, purpose and intent. And based on those findings, CPD recommends approval, but because all review criteria have been met. Thank you very much, President Gilmore. Thank you, Jason, for the staff report. Council has not received any written comments on Council Bill 285 and we have three individuals signed up to speak this evening. And our first speaker is Jessie Parris. Yes. Members of council cannot be heard. My name is Justin Harris and I'm representing for Denver Homicide. While Black Stocks a movement for self defense as the best in command for social change as well as the party of Colorado and Mile High News and I will be the next mayor of Denver in 2023. I am in favor of this rezoning tonight. It meets all the criteria. So there's nothing I can say that's going to change your mind on this. Um. I just hope the person complains about the construction. Isn't too upset about this. Know. So I'm in favor of this. I know it should be approved tonight. It's. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Jesse. Next up, we have Cathy Doherty. And you might have to unmute, Tess. I think that testimony got mixed up. Is this? This is David. Okay, David, I've got you on the list as well, so you got to know. Yeah. Okay. So I put at four. I just really wanted to say that it's important that we how our words are used to to to create zoning, just as it's important how our words are used when talking about our homeless population. Right now we are currently moving these people and every time they get moved, someone dies. If you know someone's going to die by the actions you take and they do die, you are a murderer. Michael Hancock is a murderer and he needs to be taken out of office. Thank you. Next up, we have Tess Dougherty. Hi. Sorry about that mixed up. I don't know how that happened. So I. So in the plan, in the staff review, you had said that this would bring greater use of housing availability. And I'm just curious if we're if we're prioritizing that here, how we've so egregiously not been prioritizing that in other parts of the city. And then it also the Prairie Cherry Creek Area plan that it creates a connected and prosperous neighborhood. And I know that right now Denver is not feeling like we're connected or prosperous when it comes to our unhoused neighbors. So I'm again curious how this we're placing priority on this and not our unhoused neighbors. You also noted that additional housing units that are compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods and custom zoning. So we are custom zoning here, but we're not doing the same for our unhoused neighbors. And I'm just I just I really am at a loss for how we. Where our priorities are lying if someone. Feels like they could comment on that at all. That would be great. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes our speakers for this first public hearing. Questions from members of Council on Council Bill 285. Councilman Flynn. Thank you, Madam President. Jason, just so I'm clear on as I read through the staff report, essentially the owner of one of the four units in this building, which is has four separate units in one building, is in a period that was approved a couple decades ago and wants to expand, but cannot because of the some specific restrictions in the pad. And is this zone district that we've chosen here, is this a comparable in the 2010 code? Would this be considered comparable to the layout or the restrictions that originally were in the PD? Great. Thank you, Councilman Flynn, for your questions. To answer your first question. QUESTION You're absolutely right. I'm one of the owners within the foreign unit. PD would like to have an expansion on the rear of their units. And so there is a restriction within that study. And so with the Denver zoning code, they would be allowed to have that expansion into the rear of their property. In terms of a comparable zoned district, is this is absolutely comparable when you look at the height and storeys as well as the height and feet, as well as the primary building forms that are allowed within the city and then also within the Denver zoning code. So it is a very comparable solution. When working with this resident to get out of the former Chapter 59 zoning code. All right. Thank you, Jason. That's that's what I want to be clear on it. We're not creating a new set of entitlements here. We're just allowing some flexibility that A doesn't allow, but with a zone classification from the 2010 code that most fits what had been developed there. Is that correct? That is correct. And also, if you do look at the surrounding zoning, those properties that are within the immediate vicinity that have come out of the former Type 59 zoning code, they are overwhelmingly grades three. So it is very consistent with what we're seeing in the pattern in the neighborhood as well. All right. Thank you, Madam President. That's all I have. All right. Thank you, Councilman Flynn. The public hearing for Council Bill 20 dash 0285 is closed. Councilman Hines. Madam President, I'm here for comments. You ready? Yep. I am ready. Okay. Thank you, Madam President. I am colleagues. This is in my council district. I want to. I want to urge your support of this of this rezoning. I want to read some just some quick comments from the chair accused the registered neighborhood organization that is over this area. I know that there was there was some action on Twitter and we got some emails opposing the rezoning. So I think it's important for us to take to voice to the comments and support from the the R.A. that that oversaw this process. So the Church Trade Association Board supports the rezoning for these reasons. One, he obtained signatures from all corners in the the the feud indicating their acceptance of the zone two. He had obtained agreement from other neighborhood neighbors on his side of the block. Three The rezoning did not require a height change or other change that his neighbors might have deemed problematic, as Mr. Morrison and CPD validated just a moment ago, for Deborah is trying to convert a few days to RH three and in this case RH three, so that the change is consistent with city planning. The one of the principal city planners in Orange was kept informed and five the posting for the rezoning was visible for months. No objections have been made to Cherry Creek East Association during that time, to the best of my knowledge. And and so I recognize that there are some concerns about housing affordability. It really just doesn't apply. First of all, it doesn't apply because it doesn't fit any of the criteria. But second, this this one owner just happens to want to add space to the back of his unit. And so that's really the extent of this rezoning. And and so, colleagues, I hope that I hope that I have I hope that this rezoning has your support. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman Hines. And seeing that all of the criteria have been met for this rezoning, I'm happy to support it as well and would ask our colleagues to do so. Madam Secretary, roll call. Hindsight. Cashman. I can each. I. Ortega, I. Sandoval. I. Sawyer, I. Torres, I. Black. I see the. I. Clark. I. Flynn. I. Herndon. Hi. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, please close the voting and announce the results. 13 Eyes. 13 Eyes Council Bill 20 Dash 0285 has passed. Councilwoman Ortega, will you please place Council Bill 1133 on the floor for final passage? Excuse me, Madam President, I move that council bill 20 1133 be placed on final consideration and do pass.
Recommendation to receive and file a presentation by Green Education, Inc. regarding local community efforts to comply with Green House Gas reduction goals.
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Item 25 is communication from Councilwoman Gonzalez, Council Member Peers and Council Member Turanga. Recommendation to receive and file presentation by Green Education regarding local community efforts to comply with greenhouse gas reduction goals. Councilmember Gonzales. Yes, I would like to welcome up Estella, and I would like to thank Green Education Inc for putting together this presentation. It is essential that we have this dialog with the community to identify best practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially with the goals that Governor Brown and the legislative legislature have put in place. And before you leave, will have a beautiful presentation and certificate for you. Thank you all for your hard work. And I know we've worked together, but we'd like to hear the presentation and then we'll go forward from there. Thank you. Thank you. Let me actually join me with Councilmember Pearce first or I will go back to sorry, Councilmember Pearce. Well, thank you. I want to thank my colleague for our agenda using this great presentation to for two of my neighbors who work really hard for all of Long Beach. We know that Sacramento has put forward some greenhouse gas reduction goals that we have to comply with. But as a coastal town, climate change and climate resiliency are things we have to take very seriously. So one of the reasons I ran for office was to make sure that my daughter and all the future generations have a clean and safe environment to call home. And so I really want to thank you guys for the presentation you're about to give in all the hard work that you do every single day, trying to get us to listen and do the right thing on small things and big things. So looking forward to it. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Gonzalez and Councilmember Pearce. Mayor and city council members and staff, we really appreciate this opportunity and to be able to share what we're trying to do to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our city and also in L.A. County. You know, you know, green education. As the founder and producer of the Green Praise Festival, that's our yearly Earth Day event. We've been doing this for approximately four years, five years, holding festivals throughout the community, and we are really appreciative of everyone's support. Everyone that has helped us to conduct a festival in their in their district, in their backyard. This festival is our homegrown effort to recognize and. Reward the leaders. In environmental, health and justice and sustainability and to engage and educate communities that typically might not have access to so many organizations and subject matter experts all in one place. And to have fun while learning about climate change, about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and how to create a more sustainable city in the process. But our other efforts include engaging disadvantaged communities and connecting them to vital energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Day in and day out, we're outreaching to small businesses to connect them to programs that will help them save energy, reduce their energy bills and, of course, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We're conducting workshops, town halls, green block events to connect residents struggling to purchase a new home or to stay in their homes to programs that will help create healthy energy saving, high performing homes. Marcia, a.k.a. Pinky, has trained approximately 1200 realtors across California about energy efficiency mortgage program. And we believe this is a key component not only for future homeowners, but for our city's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change via the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. With that, I'm going to hand it over to Marcia. Hello, everybody. And thank you again for letting us present. So for those of you that are not familiar with the SB 350 goals, which is the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act, it is law to reduce our greenhouse gas emission to 40% below the 1990 levels by 2030, and to the 80% to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. Also to increase access to energy efficiency and weatherization projects for low income families and ensure that the 16 largest publicly owned utility companies meet their greenhouse gas emission target by 2050 while maintaining reasonable customer rates and reliable electric service. Some of the barriers for SB 350 is to access solar, solar panels, solar photovoltaic energy generation, access to renewable energy by low income families, access to energy efficiency and weatherization investments, including those in disadvantaged communities, as well as increase access to energy efficiency and weatherization projects. All homeowners, as well as homebuyers, including first time homebuyers, can access can can. Have access to find. Financial resources to help pay for energy efficient repairs and weatherization projects. I study that a case study that I did in Walnut, California, back in 2012, which was an investor flip. The purchase price back then was $340,000. Appraised value after repairs was 465,000. Energy efficient upgrade was spent. $21,000 in cosmetic repairs was $25,000. This was a home that was built in the seventies and no upgrades has been done to this home. It's sold in five days. And mind you, in 2012, market was not moving. It sold in 2012, in five days and it sold for 485,000. And the scope of work for that for for that energy efficiency repairs was an upgrade to the HVAC system. I. Three design added insulation, exterior wall insulation and high efficiency water heater. And if this home was to put four solar panels on that home, it would have been a net zero home. And this home keeps their their HVAC system at 70 degrees, 24 seven. And the homeowner or the homeowners utility bills or electric bill is $50 a month. Another case study that I did in Southgate Southgate, California, which was a purchase in 2015. The purchase price was 410,000. The appraised value after repair was 520,000. The allowable energy efficient amount was 26,000. And they received a rebate from that energy upgrade, California, of 85,000. So the equity from day one, because this was a purchase, was $110,000 in day one. And again, the house the home was built in 1970. Scope of work for energy efficiency repairs was an upgrade on each HVAC system duct redesign, adequate insulation, exterior wall insulation, high efficiency water heater and a pool pump. And again, the homeowner keeps their HVAC system at 70 degrees with a pool pump pumping 24 seven, and their electric bill is between 20 to $23 a month. So low income barriers there's a single family home that that I research that sold in Wilmington, California. It sold in March March 2015. And the selling price was 240,000. It was it was an investor flip and the investor put a little lipstick on the property and it sold six months later for $365,000. 600. 364,888, to be exact. And this is without energy efficiency improvements. So potential impact for energy efficiency repairs or the what the initiative that we're trying to move forward here is the number of homes sold between January 2016 to December 2016. In the county of L.A.. Was 54,000 homes approximately. And in the city of Long Beach, there was 3000 homes sold approximately. So if we were to assume that 20% of these new homeowners achieved an overall. 25% energy efficiency. Improvements for each of those homes, and that the scope of work would include heating and or cooling system upgrade, ductwork, air sealing and insulation. That is approximately we would reach approximately 1.884 metric tons of CO2 emission reduction from the savings per home. And that's that's an equivalent of 20% of L.A. County wide would be 4300 passenger cars off the road for a year or an annual electric use of 3006 homes per year. And here in our city of Long Beach, it would be out. It would be. 1100 metric tons of reduce CO2 emission, which is an equivalent to 240 passenger cars off the road for a year, or at an annual electrical use of 119. Homes for our beautiful city of Long Beach. By improving energy efficiency for every building and home, we can achieve our 20, 30, 20, 40 and 2050 goals. Energy Efficiency Mortgage is a path for for an initiative such as this because homeowners. All homebuyers and homeowners interested in refinancing. Are automatically pre-approved for an additional 5 to 15% of their approved loan to do energy efficiency repairs without adding to their debt to income ratio benefits is Long Beach will meet greenhouse gas reduction goals. Energy use decreases, healthier homes, less illnesses, more jobs, green economy and a model and model neighborhoods. And we can. Be the poster city for. California. As well as the United States. So we believe that energy efficiency improvements and programs like energy efficiency mortgage program. Will help with the heavy lifting that. Comes with passing and achieving the goals of our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. Not to mention that then additional benefits that we will. Experience, like keeping families in their homes, creating new green careers here in Long Beach. Thank you again. For letting us speak. Thank you very much. I'm going to turn this over to is there any other public comment on this item casing? None, Councilmember Ringo. You know, and all this PRESENTI forgot to mention your name. It's Stella. Sure. I want to thank you staff for putting this presentation together. I mean, we have had those green events at West Long Beach, which are very useful. And your encouragement to have homeowners improve their housing through making them more efficient is is wonderful. And it really sets the tone for us to keep green in mind at the forefront at any time, whether it's buying a vehicle or how we buy our water or how we recreate. So, I mean, I want to thank you for bringing this forward. I hope that this is able to expand into Long Beach and get more people to buy into buying to, I guess, buy into more higher efficiency products as we as we move forward and to recycle as well. As we move forward. Thank you very much for your presentation. Thank you. And of course, to Pinky and Estella, you guys are, of course, some of our biggest screen advocates in the city. And you guys do great work. So thank you for that presentation. And turn this over back to Councilwoman Gonzales. Anything else? I just want to say Marcia and Stella, again, thank you very much. I know it's been said again, but I cannot thank you for educating me personally on how much this could impact not only the county of California, but the city of Long Beach. You both do incredible work. You're going to have an amazing green press festival. I know Rex couldn't be here. He's having a baby, I think. But I know that he also was very excited to have the event. So thank you both again. And we have a few awards of recognition we'd love to give you for all your hard work. Thank you. And as we do that, we're going to take a voice vote and continue that tonight because there are some challenges with that voting system. So I'm going to start with Councilman Austin at the end. All those in favor, please just make sure you turn your mike on when you say it. I, i, i. All right. I. And I think the two councilwoman. But Isaac passes unanimous. Thank you very much. Let's give them a round of applause. Thank you. We're going to hear item 15, please.
Recommendation to request the allocation of $250,000 for capital improvements to the International City Theater entrance from the Tidelands Operating Fund.
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13 is a report from the office councilmembers, along with Town Councilmember Gary DeLong with the recommendation to request the allocation of $250,000 for capital improvements to the international seat. For the. International City Theater. Entrance. I remember to Councilmember Londo. It's item 13. It's 13, I think, correctly. No, no problem. So I wanted to go ahead and make the motion to adopt this item. Second. And make a couple of comments. The International City Theater is the official theater of Long Beach and has garnered national attention for its contribution to the arts and community based programs. The theater entrance is located on the second floor. I think many of you've probably been there along the eastern side of the Performing Arts Center and can be a bit inconspicuous to the passer by and even those attending the performance. So it could use some improvements to its entrance and make it more inviting and safer for pedestrians. The suggested improvements are very much in keeping with the wonderful Investment City Council has made to Long Beach Arena and Convention Center lobbies and public areas. I know the Madam Clerk is handing out some drawings. Thank you for that from members of the public without a copy of our item. Improvements include a repaved floor planters marquee donor wall and glass wall along the stairwell and entrance to improve visibility from the plaza and parking areas. Tidelands funds would cover the cost of engineering and permits, among other things. I City has set aside funding to cover the remaining costs of this project. And I know we have a couple of few members in attendance here from A.C.T., and I wish to thank the board for their partnership and stewardship of this theater, for the enjoyment of Long Beach residents and contributions to our small business economy and members. I urge you, I vote on this. Thank you, Councilmember. A long time. I imagine the city's name will be. On that donor board. No doubt. Huh? With that, Councilmember Johnson. Well, thank you, Councilmember O'Donnell. Or is it Congressmember? I think Councilmember, I have a question. I just want all the folks from International City Theater a thank you for all you do. Is a fantastic cultural institution and certainly it sounds like a great project. I guess my concern is just simply about process. And I guess I'd ask our city manager, is this a budget improvement? You know, where where's the money coming from? What are we not doing if we're doing this? Walk me through the process of how we're getting this money and is this appropriate given our current budget process? Councilmember This funding comes out of Tidelands and in fact we have this facility as part of the convention center. It's in fact a city owned facility. So as you know, we have been making major. Investments in the convention center in general, and we believe there is sufficient funding for the convention center to cover this additional cost. Okay. I guess, like I said, this seems like a great project and certainly the theater is very worthy of it. My experience is, one, a process that I think in general we should in the budget process, talk about all the products for the upcoming year and have that discussion as opposed to an ad hoc allocation. So with that, I think I'll go and support the item because it is a great project and it does need to be done. But I just like See Magic come back with more of a holistic discussion of our budgeting as opposed to ad hoc expenditures of funds. Thank you. Councilmember Johnson Councilmember DeLong. I expected that. Councilmember Johnson There actually was some initial funding that came through a budgetary process. The scope, as Councilwoman Lowenthal talked about, has enlarged to accommodate some excellent additional features. And that's why it wasn't part of the budget process and that the timing is now to move forward. Thank you. Councilmember Austin. Thank you. And I thought this looks like a great project in itself. The the question is regarding the Tidelands Fund for staff. What is the current? I mean, because I think we do a lot out of the Tidelands funds for for improvements along our shore. But what is the current fund balance on the Talents Fund? The current fund balance that is unallocated for projects is about 26 million. Okay. Thank you. That's helpful. To a motion on the time to was a second it's. Moved and seconded any public comment. On item number 13. Saying maybe we do have some public comment? Yes, we do, sir. Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mort Stuhlbarg. I live at 1700 Bluff Place. 90802. I am currently the chair of the International City Theater Project that you're discussing and a past president of International City Theater. I wanted to comment about timing. We have now prepared the drawings that you see there, which are the basic ones. The designs are finished. We have a cost, a basic cost on the project. And these new items that we're going to be asking for funding for, including the new flooring in front of the theater and a new glass wall that will allow people below at the at looking up from the parking facility or looking up to that area that you couldn't see before will be well lighted and the glass wall will allow people to see it from the entrance to to the arena. So it's going to not only improve this the theater, but we hope to improve the number of people in the city who know it were there. And that's always been a big problem here. In addition to that, as far as timing is concerned, we would like to move forward with all haste because we are going to be ripping up that concrete and we want to have it ready in time for the beginning of our new season in February next year. So it's got to go out to bid and there will be construction to do. And so we need that as quickly as we can get it. Other than that, if you have any questions, I'd be glad to answer them for you. No more questions. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. Any further counsel counsel comment? No. There's one more public comment. Mr. Goodhew. Yes. I support the concept in chief and certainly the theater operation, but I have a concern relative to what waste. And it's brought into sharp perspective by a much smaller project, the 1930 style restroom down across in the Bay Shore Library. Mr. Goodhue This is about the ACT Theater. This is not about Marine Stadium. I don't. Topic. Excuse me. I'm talking about. What I'm talking about is the time and the money. All right. And we want to make sure and I'm using this as an example of a project that could have been done in six and certainly three months is now taking seven months. And that's a very simple I'm using that as an example. That's a very simple project. And I invite you know, that's down at Bayshore and Bayshore and Second Street. All right. Go down and take a look at that and ask yourself what is taking nearly 6 to 7 months to do that? And if they're going to be doing that, this project will take 2 to 3 years. So I think we need to micro-manage how that's being done. Again, go down to the that new restaurant. The city has done a nice job in maintaining the original the core. And inside. But it's fundamentally very, very simple. But it's taken nearly. I think they started back in November. And now this. We're knocking on the door of May. This means this project, if that follows the same course, won't be done for another two years. You need to get inside of that. Thank you. Thank you. No further council comment. No public members cast your vote on item number 13. O'DONNELL Yes. Motion carry some vote. Yes. Thank you. Next item on item 14 is a report from the city manager with the recommendation to authorize the remediation and purchase of a portion of the former Public Service York and authorize the allocation of limited space relocation and limited restoration of the former railroad station building to Will Springs Park and increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund.
A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 753 South Downing Street in Washington Park West. Approves a map amendment to rezone property from U-SU-B to U-SU-B1 (allows for an accessory dwelling unit), located at 753 South Downing Street in Council District 7. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 12-1-20.
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And so, unfortunately, he missed the vote on Council Bill 20, Dash 1420, Dash 1424. But moving forward or I'm sorry, excuse me. The vote on 20 dash 1534. The next item up we have now is Council Bill 20, Dash 1424. Council members earlier will need a motion to take this out of order. Please. I move that council bill 20 dash 1424 be taken out of order. Thank you. It's been moved and seconded. Madam Secretary, roll call. Back. I see tobacco. I see. Clark. I. Herndon. I. Hines, I. Cashman. I can if I. Ortega, I. Sandoval. I. Sawyer, I. Torres. I. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. 12 Eyes. 12 Eyes. Council Bill. 20 Dash. 1424 has been taken out of order. Council Member Sawyer. Will you please put Council Bill 20 Dash 1424 on the floor for final passage? I move that council bill 20 dash 14 and 24 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. It has been moved and seconded. Councilmember Herndon. Your motion to postpone? Yes, Madam President. I move that final consideration of Council Bill 20-1424 be postponed to Tuesday, February 16th, 2021. Thank you. Comments by members of Council Councilmember Herndon. Thank you, Madam President. The notification of the rezoning that did take place on this property was not properly noticed in time, which is requiring the push back of the public hearing. So that's why I'm requesting it to be pushed back to February. Thank you, my president. Thank you, councilmember herndon and seen no other comments by members of council. Madam Secretary, roll call on the postponement. Herndon. I. Hines. I. Cashman. I. I can. I. Ortega, I. Sandoval. I. Sawyer, I. Torres. I. Black I. CdeBaca, I. Clark. I. Not sure if Councilman Flynn is back. Doesn't look like. And, Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. 12 eyes. 12 Eyes. Final consideration for Council Bill 20 Dash 1424 has been postponed to Tuesday, February 16th. That concludes the items to be called out. All bills for introduction are ordered published. Council members remember this is a consent or a block vote and you will need to vote I. 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 resolutions be adopted and bills on final consideration be placed upon final consideration and do pass in a block for the following items. These are all serious. 21 002215441569156815711572157315791514511310152615321533155915241535155414621478 and 1469. Thank you. It has been moved. And second to point of order. Yes, Councilwoman, I can. Hear you say 21 or 20. She did, Madam President. Okay. So I just want to clarify. They're all bills from 2020, not 2021. According to Madam Secretary, in the email I received earlier today, because they are being moved in 2021. They are all 2021. Is that correct, Madam Secretary? That's the email that you sent to me earlier today. Even though the bills say 2020. That's correct. That's the email I received today. But, Madam Secretary, could you. Can have her. Weigh in. Thank you. I think this is makhija here, council secretary and that is correct. The series actually go by the years that the items are passed, not the prefix. So while the prefix is 20, the series is 21. Thank you for the clarification. All right. Absolutely. Awesome. Thanks so much. So do you need me to say them or are we good? We're good. Awesome. I believe, Madam Secretary, we've got it taken care of here. And thank you, Councilwoman Ortega, for your question and point of order. All right. Madam Secretary, roll call, please. Oh, and I'm sorry. As we were doing that, we have 12 eyes. And the. Resolutions have been. Adopted and the bills have been placed upon final consideration. Okay. I'm sorry. The script had moved on me. Sorry. I was trying to get the script. When you're on SharePoint, sometimes it moves. And I was pointing there and so. Very good. Now we're back. Madam Secretary, roll call, please. Black. I. CdeBaca, I. Clark, I. Herndon. I. Hines. I. Cashman. I. Kenny. All right, Ortega. I. Sandoval. I. Sawyer, I. Torres, I. Madam President. Hi. I see Flynn is. Here to see Flynn. Go ahead. Council member Flynn. Thank you. I was watching on my phone while I rebooted after having some computer problems. Is this the black vote? Yes. Okay. I am voting I. But I do want to observe that the bills should be 2020, not 2021. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Close the vote or go ahead and get me in here. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, closed the voting and announced the results. 3939 As the resolutions have been adopted and the bills have been placed upon final consideration and do pass tonight, there will be a required public hearing on Council Bill 20, Dash 1456 designating 1272 column by industry as a structure for preservation. Anyone wishing to speak on this matter must go online to sign up during the recess of council. If there are no objections from members of council, we will take a ten minute recess. Council members please return. Remember to turn off your cameras and meet your microphones and we will return.
Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record regarding the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) public hearing; and adopt resolution approving the issuance of revenue bonds by the California Statewide Communities Development Authority (CSCDA), to benefit Brethren Manor Senior Care, L.P., or its affiliates, Brethren Manor Apartments, in an amount not to exceed $25,000,000. (District 7)
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Item 13 Report from Financial Management Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record regarding the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act. Public Hearing and adopt resolution approving the issuance of revenue bonds by the California Statewide Communications Development Authority to benefit Brethren, Manor Senior Care or its facilities in the amount not to exceed 25 million. District seven Count Summary Ranked. Did you want to go first to get a staff report or. Would you prefer a go ahead with staff reporting? Okay. We'll do a short staff report. Mayor, council members, this is a tougher hearing, a tax equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act hearing basically through the California Statewide Communities Development Authority. We they will be issuing $25 million in. Financing to ensure that this facility. At three, three, three, three Pacific Place in District seven, which is called Brethren Manor Apartments. Remains a low income senior citizen complex. And our treasurer, David Nakamoto is. Here to answer any questions. That we might have. Okay. Councilman Ringa. There's a motion by customary rank in a second by Castro, Richardson, Guthrie, Ringo. I just want to ask if the during the remodel, if you will, that these tenant current tenants are going to be taken care of with moved to another facility. How is that going? How is that going to be taking place? Councilmember It is a plan that there will be no permanent relocations if you desire. Representatives from Brethren Manor are here also to speak. Good evening, my honorable mayor and city council members and Councilman turanga the the plan at brethren manor is to take eight units and sequentially move people out of eight units, rehab the interiors of those units, then move people back within one week. And to do that for the entire property in which we've done on a variety of different cases in other buildings here in Long Beach, in your district and in other districts, I had some concerns have been raised as to whether the the tenants who will be displaced for a while and then allowed to to resettle if their their fees or their rent is going to be changed in any way. Their rent will be abated during the period of time that they're out of their unit. And we are also going to give them a stipend which is identified in the relocation plan that we turned in to both the tax credit authority and HUD. And what about continuing rent? Will they be able to maintain the same rent? In other words, are they going to have to pay more rent because the place was renovated? Great question. There are 296 apartment units at Brother Manor, of which we have income qualified, 254 of those residents that will either be paying at or potentially below what they're currently paying. Based on the tenant protection vouchers that I think we've discussed, there will be approximately 40 residents who have incomes that are 60 to 80% of median who will be probably have a rent increase. So is that to say that the other registers where they're senior held, the senior housing facility? Correct. It is it is, as of this date. A senior housing facility, and it will expire as a Caesar senior housing facility as of July one, 2015. So our efforts are to preserve it as a senior facility. Okay. Well, I can support this motion as long as I know that and have an assurance that the tenants who are going to be. Moved out and put and allowed to return that at least they maintain that very close, if not exactly their their rental agreement that they had before before the remodel. Yes. That's the objective. Thank you, sir. There's a motion and a second. No other public comment on this. So please cast your votes. Motion carries eight zero. Q Back to the regular agenda item number nine.
Recommendation to declare ordinance establishing a small business recruitment, retention and growth pilot program, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
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Item 16 is a report from City Attorney. Recommendation to declare ordinance establishing a Small Business Recruitment, Retention and Growth Pilot Program. Read the first time and lead over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for Final Reading. Councilwoman Price. I want to make a correction in the ordinance on page two. Line ten of the ordinance. We want to add the words quote and is a small business, end of. Quote, after the word beach. Other than that, I'd like to move this item. It looks like it's been seconded. I do want to take a moment to acknowledge and I neglected to do this the last time this issue was before us. But I wanted to acknowledge. The work. Of Councilmember Urunga for helping us, helping Councilwoman Mongo and I in moving this agenda forward. He sits on the Economic Development Committee with us, and I believe that he is also supporting us in every effort that we can to find incentives and opportunities for small businesses. So I want to take a moment to acknowledge him, because I neglected to do that last time. Thank you. Thank you. So any member of the public that wishes to address council on this item. CNN members cast your vote. Motion carries six zero. Item 16. We did item 16. And we've done item 17. That's it. Oh. We're going to Cuba. No, I have no announcements. Me neither. Oh. I'm in shock. Councilmember Andrews does not have anything. We have public. Yes, we do have public comment. So we're going to take that first. That was the. On which one? I apologize. Would you like to come forward? Thank you. Yes. Thank you for giving you that. My name is Reggie Carter and I am a homeless vet and I was at the village of Cabrillo as an employee. Also, I was in the program that was funding my college education, which was AmeriCorps while I was there. Our funding for AmeriCorps project was was take money was taken out of it by a person that worked at the location to handle the real estate property. And she resigned. And you're sending more money back over to a program that steals from people that are trying to help themselves? You know, and I'm just a part of that because right now I'm living with someone and I'm homeless, you know, and I brought this up several times to this board meeting. You know, I sat there for a whole almost hour and something. And you speaking about dogs, what about the people laying on the street? You know, I'm really tired of seeing it everyday. I ride the subway train and it's always African-Americans. It's always African-Americans with all this stuff in the seats. And then, you know, you tickle them, you know, and then that's revenue. And the same thing. I just saw a Ferguson, you know, and when is this going to stop? You know, if you really care about people. Well, while some of you are adopting these terms to adopt some people, and that's just my opinion. I'm sorry. Thank you for allowing me to speak. Thank you, Mr. Carter. So under new business. Councilmember Richardson.
Recommendation to request City Manager to report back to the City Council on how Long Beach households will be able to utilize the L.A. County Countywide Emergency Rental Assistance Program when it is implemented, and assess the feasibility of utilizing additional federal, state and private funding sources to leverage for additional Long Beach families in financial need to be able to obtain emergency rental assistance during the COVID-19 crisis.
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Communication from Councilman Austin, Councilwoman Zendaya's, Councilwoman Price, Vice Mayor Andrew's recommendation to request city manager to report back on how Long Beach households will be able to utilize the L.A. County Countywide Emergency Rental Assistance Program when it's implemented. Thank you. I'll turn this over to Councilmember Austin. Well, thank you, Mr. Mayor. And I want to thank my colleagues, council members, and they have praised Virginia Andrews for signing on. This is an extension of the spirit of the economic relief that this country has already committed to in terms of protecting families who've been devastated by this economic fallout of COVID 19. Obviously, we're experiencing a public health emergency, but this is also an economic crisis as well. So our citizens passed an eviction moratorium or other economic relief to protect workers and renters who are unable to pay their rent over the long term. However, this this measure protects households during the crisis. This will require, as we all know, to pay back rent or do in the months following this emergency order is lifted. There's a significant financial burden on these families that we know. We know this will be the case. We. We have a significant number and it's been echoed many times. Roughly 60% or more of our population are renters in the city. And this puts this tremendous, tremendous strain on the entire community. Not only are families facing tremendous burdens pass well, but also our housing providers and landlords are property owners who are relying on rental income to support their families, their families, as well as significantly impacted by the crisis. And so lastly, what really give close to the Board of Supervisors, L.A. County Board of Supervisors, who unanimously approved the motion by Supervisors Janice Hahn and her party wide emergency rental assistance program. This to me, when I first saw this exactly when when proposal, the proposed program would provide up to $1,000 a month for three months to renters who have lost income due to the crisis. The town was looking at CTG and other federal funding to help fund this program. This proposal, my opinion, as I said, is a win win solution that would take a major step in providing housing stability as we get through this crisis. The Board of Supervisors asked for an implementation plan within 30 days, which means they will be coming back within the next few weeks. I'd like to request that our city manager look at the county's recommendation to when it becomes available and see how long these families can best utilize this program. We also expect the need to likely exceed the allocating resources. So we're also asking the manager to look at federal, state private funds that would allow us to see how we can leverage those funds, including city dollars that lawmakers will be receiving as part of the federal cares out to offer emergency rental assistance to additional mortgage. How is it possible that you won't stop the spread of coronavirus? We're also putting a priority on how we pull together the community to get through the difficult economic times for so many of our families are experiencing. This will be another tool that we can help allies to help in this effort. So I would ask my colleagues to support this this measure. Again, this is in line in spirit with our existing economic relief package. Thanks. Thank you. Councilman, I have a second by Councilman Price. Councilman. Thank you very much. And thank you very much, Councilman Austin, for bringing this item forward. I echo your comments completely. I'm grateful that you brought this item so early, because one of the things that we have seen is that the small business owners with the federal relief is that so much of it had to do with the timing that the applications went in. So if we're able to be in a position as a city to understand what the program is going to be and how our residents can access those funds early, we'll be putting them in a better position for hopefully getting the grants that they need without doing so at a time when the funds, whatever funds are identified, are depleted. So I think that's really great. I think for me, the biggest concern I have is I think it's great that rent has been deferred in situations where people can't make their rent due to COVID 19. I'm glad that we've offered that deferment, but I worry about the back rent and how difficult that's going to be for people to pay. You know, as a commercial property tenant for small business, I know that the backdrop we're going to have to pay is it's really going to be backbreaking. I mean, it's impossible to put that kind of burden on a small business. I can only imagine how difficult that will be for families, many of whom are out of jobs. So anything that we can do to try to provide that support through a grant money I think is really good and I'm glad we're doing it early . So thank you, Councilman Austin. Thank you, Councilwoman. Vice Mayor Andrew. You know, the leadership on the podium. You know this you know, I'm looking at all of this. And I think every day, you know, there seems to be one new way I projects and help, you know, resources or assistance. And I think we intend here to be what we've been we've had $10 coming into the city of Long Beach. Know, I am fully supportive of this argument. I ask that we also take a look at that, you know, to see the big dollars, whereas, you know, currently than what we plan on doing with them in any way we can move some of these priorities, you know, in light of this crisis, that would be something I would really be interested in, you know, hearing about. So I want to thank you for bringing this up, Mrs. Price. And speaking of everybody's been affected that need and said, you know I heard in situations do I think this is going to be something that we will be able to help someone else if this can come to fruition? Thank you again, Councilman. Awesome. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Councilman. Super now. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Austin, for bringing this item forward. I fully support it. I did have a question and I communicated with the city manager on this today and we don't know what the answer is. So I guess this would be in terms of a friendly. I would like to ask is would the community development block grant funds go directly to the landlords? And we don't know if we have to follow the lead of L.A. County. I assume so. I'd like to ask that that be added to the study. Open to the staff. It's suggested as a friendly and certainly open for staff looking at all possibilities for this. This was fun to work. Right. And and when they come back to give the city council an opportunity to provide that type of direction. So we don't know at this point. I don't know if we know enough to be able to prescribe actually how we're going to make such expenditures. But I'm not opposed to it. I think it's worth looking at because it will help all parties involved. Right. Okay. Well, at the time, I think that's a very good point as we don't really know the answer to this super nice question right now because we haven't seen the report back from the accounting, though. Exactly how it gets paid or who it goes to is a key question, and we would certainly include that. Thank you. That's all I have. Thanks. Thank you. Councilwoman Zendejas. Thank you. And thank you. Remember Aspen and all the cosigners on this? I think this is important here. I absolutely listened to me from Stephanie's point back on this policy. The majority of Long Beach, this is open truth. And this is especially true in the first district. We have a higher percent of renters. With that being said, we also have a high percentage of property owners. And we believe that our renters are going to be affected by not being able to pay rent. And so that trickles out. And so that means that our property owners will also be affected by not being able to receive the rent that they are owed. So I think this is very good for us to take a look at this. Like Councilmember, I said. This. Early on so that we can make sure that we all come out stronger at the end. So I'm super excited to see what the next steps are obsessed. Thank you very much. Thank you, Councilmember Richardson. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I wanted to chime in and say thank you to Councilman Austin and the COSIGNERS for introducing this motion. I think it's in alignment with what the city council has taken on in the last few weeks, and it's an important program. I think taking a look at what the county does and understanding that, you know, I completely agree with council members, places and us that we need to get to the table and understand just how far this will go. I know that we we have a number of people who are who are struggling. So I want to make sure that whatever we do is we're able to kind of stretch it or spread it out. I'm pretty sure we won't be able to cover, like, all right. So whatever the criteria is, let's figure out how we target those who need it, those who maybe have a gap and just need to close the gap to make make, you know, make their landlords whole. People who have, you know, demonstrated the faith payment plan. You know, I just want to make sure that we have some criteria that really rewards rewards, you know, people's willingness to really kind of work together with landlords and get it and get it done. I also want to say, I know that, you know, we are going to look at additional resources and funds. I know that CDBG, for example, could be a good use for this. I also know that it's going to be tough looking at what was going to be required to get some of these businesses back open, particularly the ones on CDBG corridors. And so we need to keep in mind that we have to look at. So our eviction moratorium was both for commercial and for residential. And I think as we think about what resources we have, we should think about some some support for those small businesses and commercial businesses on the CDBG corridors as well, to see how we can make sure that that they can, you know, can help keep their doors open and take one barrier away as they get to their recovery. Those are my thoughts and considerations, but this item has my support. Thank you. Councilmember Pearce. Thank you. Agree. I think this item is in alignment with the work that the council's taken on in the last several weeks. I did have I guess I want a few things. I want to take a moment to share our story. I talked to a small business owner today that owns three different small businesses in the city of Long Beach and as a renter at his home. And he shared how fascinating it is for him with the way that his landlords have been. The one landlord called them and said, you know what, for the month of April, you don't have to pay rent. We'll talk about what happens in May. The next landlord said, We're going to reduce your rent to 10% and then we will add on to your lease three more months and you can pay the full amount of rent for those three months. And then another landlord called and said, We we need to make sure you're paying your for your full rent because she had many other tenants that weren't paying rent. So I think it's really interesting to be able to look at the different situations that tenants and landlords have. And I agree with Councilmember Richardson's comments that really looking at the means and making sure that we're being thoughtful about maybe it's a percentage of gap for those tenants. And I think the same thing goes for landlords. We know that there are some landlords that have many properties and some that only have a few and trying to be get as much information from the county on how these funds are going to be distributed. If there is a conversation about paying it straight to the landlord instead of the tenant. I think that that also changes the conversation about the need of that landlord. You know, if they've got, you know, how many tenants do they have that are unable to pay? And so I would ask for a staff to look at that as part of the conversation. My one other comment is about the funding sources. I'd like to know how much of the funding sources are federal dollars. We know that our undocumented communities, which the City Council has taken a stand for many times, cannot accept dollars from the federal level. So making sure that we really have a full understanding of all of the funding sources. And then my last question is the county also put in 12 months the payback list, which makes it a lot easier for tenants. And so I guess my question for staff is if this council wanted to extend it from six months to 12 months, is that something that could be done on an item like this tonight, or is that something that we would need to bring back to council? This is Charlie Parker. Can't remember. That item would be, if I understand your question correctly, an amendment to the eviction moratorium. And that would have to be brought back at a separate time. It could not be done this year. Okay. But that is including it would be helpful for us to make sure that there's a report. Thank you for that, Charlie. But whenever we're looking at these funds and helping people pay back their rent, that we do understand that at the county level that they are giving people 12 months to pay back. So what that timeline looks like and an understanding that. So those are my comments. I support this item. Thank you for bringing it forward. Super or not. Not there were supernova. Am I looking at an old one or is this. That was my original comment, I think. Okay. Okay. Thank you. That concludes public comment. I was going to do a roll call vote on the motion in the second. District one. I. District two. I. District three. I. District for. All right. District five. I. District six. All right. District seven. I District eight. Hi. District nine. All right. Motion carries. Thank you. I have two items left, but we'll.
A resolution authorizing and approving the expenditure and payment from the appropriation account designated “liability claims,” the total sum of Thirty-Eight Thousand Four Hundred Fifty-Seven Dollars and Thirteen Cents ($38,457.13), to be issued as follows: Twenty Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($20,000.00), payable to Lindsay Krajewski & Robert J. Potrykus, Esq. and Eighteen Thousand Four Hundred Fifty-Seven Dollars and Thirteen Cents, ($18,457.13) to American Family Insurance as Subrogee of John Krajewski, in full payment and satisfaction of all claims related to Claim Number 2019.0610 and Claim Number 2019.0573. Settles a claim involving the Denver Police Department. This item was approved for filing at the Mayor-Council meeting on 7-14-20.
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I believe, to answer this question. We have up. I'm not sure. I don't think we're sharing our screen yet. I believe we had a go ahead location. You said seven or seven and on 569, are we going to do the 569 or seven or seven? You know what? We have 707 cushioned in here between. So it's before 569. Awesome. Yeah. Well, then I will ask the questions on seven or seven. And if our city attorney is here, there were comments, public comments that spoke to this particular one tonight. And I and I know that we don't traditionally speak about settlement agreements on the floor. And so I'm wondering if the city attorney can do a little public education for us right now and explain what is possible with these particular settlement agreements. Do council members actually get to ever decide where the money comes from and what happens if we vote no against these settlement agreements? Thank you for your questions, Councilwoman. We need to have Connor Farley. Raise your hand in the attendees. He's our representative from the city attorney's office. And so, Connor, if you would, please raise your hand and we can get you into the panelist queue. Oh, okay. I guess we have Kirsten Crawford is going to answer instead. Hello, Kirsten. Good evening, everybody. Yes. So we are mandated by law in this particular situation to pay the traffic accident, as Councilman Flynn pointed out, and then Councilman, sit back. I may have missed your other question. What was the second question? Can you? So we had public comments addressing these settlements. And we want I would like you to do a little public education about what power and authority city council has to vote these down or to decide where the money comes from. Oh, so council members, of course, can vote yes or no on almost any matter. In particular, this one. And then this is before council members, because it's a payment out of the claims and liability fund. And there is a threshold amount in our city code that requires council approval. So the claims and liability fund is. Can you can you explain? How that works. Who sets that aside and how much it is every year that would be controlled through the budget process, which, as you know, council members have quite a bit of authority over the budget process. So if council members wanted to vote no against settlement agreements with any entity, whether it's DPD or sheriff or whomever. Can they vote? Can they vote no on a settlement agreement? And could they could they say what fund it would have to come from? You can vote no on this proposed settlement. I can think of examples where a proposed settlement might come with some court's obligations, and then establishing where the money comes from is not something Council can unilaterally decide outside the budgetary process. So the answer is no. You can't say where the money will come from to pay the the amount. And so our settlement agreements by the city offered. Contingent upon our approval. Or do they. Okay, got it. Awesome. Thank you. Just wanted to make sure that we are all on the same page about that. You bet. Thank you. Thank you. All right. We've got a few more council members in the queue. We have Councilman Hines. Mr. President. Miss Crawford, I, i i'm not sure I heard the answer to the question. If we vote no, what happens? So the this you know, I don't want to get into the terms of this particular settlement agreement as a general proposition. If a settlement agreement comes to council, it has a provision that is contingent on council approval. In general, if we vote no, does it go back to the attorneys or there's just no settlement dollars or I mean. I guess. I'm. I'm. I'm. I think I have unmuted again. Is it? Can you hear me? Yes. So you here hear? The answer to that question is, you know, kind of case by case specific. But I would expect that in this particular situation, there would be more negotiations by attorneys involved. The one thing I know about this particular situation is it's largely personal injury and traffic accidents are largely driven by state statute. Okay. Thank you, Mrs. Crawford. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Flynn. Thank you, Madam President. It is a little painful to listen to in the briefings that we got. What would happen is, if we were to reject this, then the attorneys for the plaintiff, for the the other part, the other party involved would have the option then of going to court. If this isn't already in court and file a lawsuit and if they won, then we'd have to pay out of the same fund where this money is coming from tonight. So. I guess I just wanted to leave it at that. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman. We have Councilwoman Canete. Jump. Thank you. Two questions, I think so. We've established that this is an automobile accident. This is not a use of force case, generally speaking. Ms.. Crawford, if you can talk for a minute about if there's any differences between the police department and, for example, a public works situation. So we have city employees driving vehicles on the city's behalf and a number of departments. To your knowledge, is anything being treated differently here as it would another city driver. Who. Perhaps caused property damage and or injuries in the course of their work for the city? No, not to my knowledge. And I know Connor from litigation and Wendy Shay from the director of litigation are available if they need to correct me or correct the record. But I do want to caution everybody, let's be careful about getting into, you know, having discussions about the terms of the settlement publicly. But no. To answer your question, no. I just want to like Councilman Flynn, I want to establish generally that we as a city, if our employees hurt someone in a car accident on duty, there are limits to city's liability in state law. But we are responsible to make those individuals whole through an insurance settlement or through insurance, just like any other driver, if they cause an. Act is responsible. Correct? Absolutely. So this is a general proposition that if we cause some harm. So one thing I would say is if this settlement is an approved, potentially the person who is impacted in this accident is not compensated. Correct. That is one potential outcome. Right. Pending pending a trial or whatever may happen in court. The second thing I wanted to ask and again, this is a general proposition our city employees in any way exempt from traffic enforcement in terms of ticketing for if they're going unsafe. Some accidents are unintentional and no one did anything wrong and no tickets are issued. But in your experience, generally speaking, can city employees be ticketed for their driving? In terms of the official driver's license points system and and those types of citations. Generally speaking, city employees can be subject to those. Can you confirm? Yes. That's correct. And then in addition, can you just confirm generally that we have disciplinary systems as well where whether there is or is not a ticket involved in a law enforcement setting, that in addition, there could be disciplinary action or other general actions. Yes. Yes. And all of those proceedings are separate and apart from the personal injury or property damage settlement. Right. So I just I think that's important for folks to understand that no one, as an individual driver, if the accident was their fault, if they violated the law, if they did something wrong, is being protected in any way from those consequences. This is simply about city vehicles, injured, party making them whole, which you know again and even in our police accountability conversations I just this is a comment now even if you think about 217 the state bill, it does two things. It makes law enforcement officers partially liable for their own actions in terms of use of force, but it actually expands the liability for their actions as well to ensure that cities remain liable for the actions of their officers. And that is, you know, in order to ensure that we have a really high motivation to ensure that good things are happening on our watch and not bad things. And so I just want to clarify that nothing about making the victim of a car accident whole, is it all contrary to the idea of accountability for those who may be harmed in a car accident, whether it's their property or their person? So that was just a comment about why, of course, I'll be supporting this as a general proposition. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman CdeBaca. Thank you, Madam President. I see my colleagues getting excited and just want to tell you, simmer down. I did not call this out for a vote. I called it out for questions because we had public comment about it. And I think it's important for us to be able to explain to the public what pieces of settlement and group agreements are disclosed to the public. And perhaps that's something that Kirsten could add right here. What are we allowed to disclose to the public during the set of some settlement agreement of any type? Right now, we've said that it's for a car accident. But if this was for if this was for use of force, what level of detail is available to the public when we're spending public dollars? You know, that is something I would really probably have to defer to my litigation team. So much of what is protected and what's, you know, what information can be waived by the client is is so facts and says so specific. And so if you want to give some time to let the litigation team jump on and and talk about that. But the reason the law provides for confidentiality and privilege is that, you know, it gives parties the opportunity to expose themselves in a way that will, you know, sometimes show the compromises and the weaknesses. And so it's to generate efficiency in the system. So but I don't I it's been a while. I have done a fair share of litigation, but it's been years now. So I will give the litigation team a time to jump on if we need more. I will tell you that I have been in communication with Connor and he did. I do want to correct the record that this would not come back. There would not be additional negotiations. It will go proceed to trial. And with our settlement agreements themselves available to the public in any case. But generally speaking, with certain redactions for private information, payments for settlement are subject to call once they're finalized. Got it. Thank you very much. That's it from my questions. Okay. Thank you, Councilwoman. All right. Next up, Madam Secretary, please put the next item on our screen. Well, I guess that's old language. Look at it on your own screens, everybody. But Councilmember Herndon, would you please put Council Resolution 569 on the floor for adoption, please?
Recommendation to confirm the appointment of Linda Tatum to the position of Assistant City Manager effective June 20, 2020. (Citywide)
LongBeachCC_06162020_20-0569
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Thank you. Next item 20. Report from City Manager Recommendation two confirmed the appointment of Linda Tatum to the position of Assistant City Manager effective June 20th, 2020 citywide. Mr.. Very, very, very happy to be here today and to bring this item to you. So we conducted a selection process to pick our next assistant city manager. This is an incredibly important position. It's in our charter, and the council has a role in confirming the city manager's appointment. And so I am recommending that we appoint Linda Tatum. I could go on and on about Linda. She has been fantastic here in the city and has had over 30 years of very diverse experience doing huge projects in the region. And she's a planning expert and professional as well as a very, very solid administrator. She's going to do great things as our assistant city manager, and I ask for your support. Thank you. That was item 22. I see a motion back by Councilmember Richardson, a second by Councilmember Price. Councilman Richardson. I wanted to chime in and just offer my adulation and strong support to to Ms.. Tatum, who will be our next assistant city manager. She in my work as president of SCAD, we know the city's web strong reputation for planning standpoint. Ms.. Tatum has a has an incredible reputation as an administrator and as a planner, both in her time here in the city of Long Beach, but also in the city of Inglewood. And so I know that she's going to bring great contributions to the city manager, city management team and help bring a level of experience and sophistication to the team. And I look forward to the great things to come. Congratulations, women. And I'm honored to make this motion. Thank you. Councilman Price. Thank you. Congrats, Linda. I look forward to working with you. I think it's an excellent selection next. Thank you. Vice Mayor Andrews. Yes. Congratulations. I mean, I think you're like a diamond in the rough. And I'm looking forward to being, you know, coordinating this drive with you as soon as we can get some of these priorities. And congratulations again, young lady. Thank you. GONZALES Pierce. Thank you. I want to congratulate the whole city, Tom and Linda, for this appointment. Linda, I think that you are balanced, smart, fierce and fantastic partner for Tom in this position. And I also want to congratulate the department for really growing a great bench of people that can step up. And I know Oscar and Chris have been a pleasure to work with. Also very smart, strategic and thoughtful people that I know you've worked really closely with. So it's really great to see some of that leadership step up in this process. So congratulations, everyone. Thank you. Councilman's in the house. Thank you, Mayor. Congratulations, Linda. I am so excited to have you in this position. You bring not only diversity because you're a woman, but because you're an African-American woman. That I up that you you have stellar knowledge about the city and a passion for the city. I'm so big that I think that you're going to work so beautifully with Tom, and I look forward to working with you on many good things to make Long Beach better every day. Thank you, Councilman Mongo. Were you were you keyed up for the last item or for this one? I had tried to make this motion, sir, but it's okay. Go ahead, Councilman. Thank you. I just want to congratulate Ms.. Tatum. She's knowledgeable, professional and poised under fire. I like a lot of our department heads, but there's not a single department head. I love disagreeing with more than Linda because she teaches me so much about the city and the possibilities. I think there's a lot to be said of a person who can adapt and become a part of the Long Beach family so easily. Actually, when her real introduction to the larger community gatherings was during such a pivotal time in our city's history, I also think that it's a testament to her leadership in development services, because one of the things that's always really, really telling is when a number two is ready to step up and take on the responsibilities of the number one and. And you did that really well in that you have so many individuals within your department who are really ready to step up and lead. And so I'm. Congratulations. Great choice. I couldn't have thought of a better choice. I know that there was always whispers of who it could be, who it could be. And and Linda, your name has always been on that list since the very beginning, so we're really excited to have you. And congratulations to Oscar, who you trained so well. We look forward to working with him as well. Thank you. And again, just because it's confusing on the system, how were you queued up for the last item or for this item? I absolutely want to just take this opportunity to congratulate Linda, our congratulate Tom. But I also want to congratulate the entire city team and the strong stabilizing force. Somebody who was a strong department head, who's already a part of the city management team just shifted into a new role. And I think she's going to complement the city manager very well. And I think we're in good hands. So congratulations again, Linda. My full confidence. Thank you. And council member Ringo. Thank you, Mayor. And I want to add my voice of support for the election selection of Linda with a new city manager. We have a new team, and I'm looking at what we have seen so far, and it's very positive. I want to congratulate Tom. I'm making a great selection. I want to congratulate Linda for accepting the position because she didn't have to. Do you want to be the city manager? Could have easily said no, but she said yes. And I'm glad that she did because she's going to bring a lot of talent to this position and she's going to bring a lot of expertize and a lot of good, good decisions with with the management team here. So as we move forward with a new team, looking forward to working with with everybody. Thank you very much. Thank you. And Councilman Super now. Thank you. I'd like to congratulate Linda. I'm really looking forward to bringing your expertize to the position. I don't think there's anyone in the city who knows more about the impacts of population density and and really looking forward to you looking at this through that lens. Also, if I could borrow a little bit of time, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention what a great job Rebecca Garner has done over the last few months as the acting assistant city manager. So thank you. Thank you, Councilor. Super. And I'm going to just make some comments to close this out as well on this item. I want to just first, I just note that I think Linda Tatum is just a phenomenal choice, and I'm just really proud that we have such a great management team in place. Mr. MODICA You're doing a great job in your short tenure. You put together a really strong team. You brought an uplifted women into your team, which is important. I want to note and Mr. Mark, correct me if I'm wrong, I think that that Linda Tatum after this vote will be the highest ranking woman manager. I want to say in the history of the city, if I'm trying to remember woman of color, there have not been a woman of color in the position of manager or assistant city manager. As far back as I can remember, at least in in modern times. Is that right? Yes, in testing memory that at least in the last 20 or 30 years that that is correct. And so I don't think it's I don't think it should be lost on the moment that not only is Linda the most qualified and prepared person to take on this role, and that's why she was selected. I think, Linda, the fact that you're also kind of breaking that glass ceiling into that these top two positions is a testament to you, to your hard work. And really, it will serve as an inspiration to so many other women managers, managers of color that are looking to you as an inspiration and as someone that is really going to lead the city in a great direction. And so we know how important this role is. We certainly saw Tom in this role for many years, and certainly you will be different than Tom in this role. You guys are both, you know, complement each other. But we look forward to having you in this position and your leadership. We know it's going to be really, really felt. I want to personally also just thank Becky Garner for her just great work and commitment to the city of Long Beach. She loves Long Beach so much and just thank her for her service as well. And as well as the other wonderful managers and leaders that have been promoted into your leadership team that you announced recently. Mr. MODICA And with that, I know I'm not I'm sure if you hadn't been, if you had Ms.. Tatum join you tonight or not. Mr. MODICA There where you are, is she there by any chance? Yes, she is. Why don't we just say a few words? So this Tatum did you want to say a few words? Thank you, Mayor. Members of the council for that. For those beautiful words. I'm deeply touched by them. And I cannot tell you how humble am in accepting this position and your trust, your faith and your confidence. And I I've said from day one that the minute I came to work for the city of Long Beach, I knew that it was a special place. And I will I will tell you why I've always felt that Long Beach, unlike other cities I've worked in, they they know who they are. The city as a whole. I have not worked in a city where the residents and the leadership is as proud to be from Long Beach and be a part of Long Beach. It's really a special place and I've loved and enjoyed my work here from day one. It's a wonderful team and I'm just I'm really proud to be a part of it. And I look forward to serving our city manager and meeting the council's goals and objectives and the challenges that we face in the coming weeks, months and years. So thank you so much for your support. Thank you, Ms.. Tatum. Madam Clerk, any public comment? Yes. We have one public comment from Laurie Smith. You have 3 minutes. Hi. Thank you for letting me address the City Council on this issue before you vote to approve for Miss Tatum being the city manager. I live in 90803 and in City District three. And as a property owner in Bluff Park, historic district and recent recipient of the Mills Act, I wanted to make you aware of my concerns with regards to Linda's management of development services. She failed to address community concerns as part of her duties. Supervising the department and allowed projects that did not adhere to Long Beach municipal codes and audiences. So as a result, the property values of homes in the district are now in danger and as is our quality of life. So disappointing that Tatum has selectively ignored audiences that the homeowners must abide by for city projects. And this flagrant indifference toward city audiences have left the city culpable for damages to property owners in our historic landmark district, which specifically addresses my concerns, which I after and I put in the e-commerce for everyone to view. And those concerns were never addressed. Even though the Cultural Heritage Commission agreed with my concerns, they have never been addressed. So I just wanted to note that the city charter doesn't negate that the powers and duties of the city manager is to direct and supervise the administration of all manager directed departments and to see that the laws and ordinances are enforced and executed. So Miss Tatum and Craig, back with the department's Department of Public Works led these projects and they failed to abide by the ordinances, never address community concerns. And these were cultural heritage ordinance, historic district ordinance and the Bluff Park historic landmark district court case. So additionally, the Certified Local Government Program, which she was overseeing, violations of those now jeopardize the federal and state funding of these programs. So if you're approving her for a larger role within the city, it's not going to make honorable to her continued negligence of duties. And I respectfully asked the city council council members require city staff members to fulfill their duties and to abide by the municipal code and the state certification of the Office of Historic Preservation. So thank you for your time and consideration. And I wish that one of her first duties, if you so approve her, is to make sure that the projects that she put forward and allowed to go forward is returned. And so that we will not have to seek legal issues on this and waste more of. Long. Beach time on this issue. Thank you. For your. Consideration. Thank you for calling for your comment. That concludes public comment. Thank you. Let's go and take a roll call, though. District one. I. District two, i. District three. District three. District four. All right. District five. By. District six. By District seven. I. District eight. District nine. By. Motion carries. Okay. Thank you. That concludes the regular agenda. Did I? Madam Court, did we miss any items or. We get them all? We got them all right. Yes, we're complete.
A bill for an ordinance approving and accepting the Loretto Heights Small Area Plan, which plan shall become a part of the Comprehensive Plan 2040 for the City and County of Denver pursuant to the provisions of Section 12-61 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code. Approves the Loretto Heights Small Area Plan, as part of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 8-20-19.
DenverCityCouncil_09162019_19-0818
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Council is reconvened. We have two public hearings this evening. Speakers should begin their remarks by telling the council their names and cities of residents and if they feel comfortable doing so, their home addresses. If you're here to answer questions only when your name is called, please come to the podium. State your name and note that you are available for questions of council. Speakers will have 3 minutes. There is no yielding of time on the presentation monitor. On the wall you will see your time counting down. Speakers must stay on the topic of the hearing and must direct their comments to the council members. Please refrain from profane or obscene speech. Direct your comments to council as a whole and please refrain from individual or personal attacks. Councilman Sawyer, will you please for council vote 818 on the floor. I move that council bill 19 dash 0818 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. Thank you. It has been moved and seconded before we get into the public hearing. Councilman Flynn had asked for a quick moment of privilege. Yes. Thank you, Mr. President. As we begin this hearing on the future of the Loretto Heights campus, I just wanted to take a moment of personal privilege to make note that on Thursday last week, the very last sister of Loretto who served as president of the campus passed away at the Motherhouse in Kentucky. Sister Patricia Patricia Jean Mannion, who was the president of the college from 1967 to 1972. And I think it's just remarkable that that and her funeral is today. And I understand that the sisters over at the Harvard Center got to watch a live feed of the services. And in fact, I believe President Clark, your mother, who was an alumna, was among those who watched. And I just think it's remarkable that today, as we discuss the future life of this campus, that it's done under the watchful eye of the last sister of Loreto who reigned over it. And if it's appropriate, we could just take a few moments of silent reflection on that and the remarkable women who made that place for more than 100 years. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman. All right. The public hearing for accountable eight on eight is open. May we have the staff report? Good evening, members of council. My name is Jason Mawson and I'm senior city planner with Community Planning and Development. I'm the project manager for the Loreto Heights Small Area Plan. This is a very exciting planning effort that has been taking place in Southwest Denver. That's really the first of its kind for the community at one of the most iconic and unique areas in all of Denver. On the heels of the recent sale of the 72 acre former Loreto Heights campus, CPD has been working with local residents and stakeholders since the fall of 2018 to create a community vision for this important piece of southwest Denver. Our agenda tonight focuses on three objectives. I want to start off by giving you a little background on the plan. Next, I want to walk you through the structure and the content of the plan. And finally, we will present the review criteria where we will document the following how an inclusive community process was used to develop the plan. How the plan is consistent with the vision, goals and strategies of comprehensive plan 2040. And finally, how the plan demonstrates a long term vision. The Loreto Heights planning area is located in southwest Denver. And I'll get into the specific boundaries of the plan here in just a moment. But generally speaking, the area is located near Federal Boulevard and Dartmouth Avenue. The area is unique in that the city of Sheridan is directly adjacent to the south of the planning area, and the city of Inglewood is just southeast of the planning area. The planning area falls within Council District two and Council District seven. When considering the boundaries of the planning area, we had two choices Take a master plan approach and focus primarily on the development parcel or think outside of the box, so to speak, and consider the surrounding neighborhoods and how they may be impacted by or influence any future redevelopment. We chose to do the latter. We wanted to acknowledge the predominantly single family context to the west and to the north of the planning area, and also anticipate what changes may occur along Federal Boulevard to the East as a result of redeveloping the site. We understand that this is a community draw and it's important to get feedback from the adjacent neighborhoods as well as other jurisdictions like the City of Sheridan and the city of Inglewood. It was also important for us to look outside the boundary for things like bike and trail networks and larger infrastructure impacts, such as drainage and sewer . There are several existing buildings and historic resources on the former campus that have served many roles over the years. The site contains everything from the iconic and towering administration building completed in 1891 a cemetery, an indoor pool and a theater. These buildings were constructed over a period of 100 years and illustrate a variety of architectural styles designed by well-known architects, notably John Monroe and Frank Edberg. As you can tell, the former Loreto Heights campus has a very rich and storied history. And for this reason, and for the first time, the project team included a Denver landmark preservation planner who has been helping to facilitate the conversation around these historic resources. So why are we doing the area plan and why now? Simply put, CPD wants to ensure that there's a plan in place ahead of any redevelopment to ensure decisions such as rezoning are done with current policy guidance in place that reflects the community's vision for the area. This area of the city has no neighborhood plan, and we want to make sure that there is planning direction ahead of any type of change. The adopted plan will provide policy recommendations based on community input that will help guide the coming redevelopment. The framework for this area plan follows the six vision elements contained in the recently adopted comprehensive plan 2040. Those six vision elements are on the screen here. This area plan uses these vision elements to guide the plan and ensure each recommendation or strategy applies to at least one or more of the six vision elements. Keeping this in mind, a 17 member steering committee refined these ideas and concepts within each element based on the relevancy to the Libretto Heights planning area to create vision statements. The result is a series of statements within each element that is consistent with the citywide vision, while at the same time defining what each element means specifically for the Retro Heights planning area. Similarly Blueprint, Denver identifies three elements that form a complete neighborhood. Complete neighborhoods are accessible to everyone, regardless of age, ability or income. Three and Teredo related elements form the foundation of a complete neighborhood, and those are land use in built form, mobility and quality of life infrastructure. The planning process has used these three elements to shape conversations and evaluate feedback throughout the process. The Area plan also uses these three elements to provide structure to the draft plan and create sections for the recommendations and strategies. One additional element that informs every part of the Laredo hide small area plan is that of equity. Equity means that everyone, regardless of who they are or where they are from, can thrive. Blueprint Denver introduced three equity concepts that inform this plan. The first is improving access to opportunity. Second, reducing vulnerability to displacement. And third, expanding housing and jobs. Diversity. These concepts are interlinked with all the elements of a complete neighborhood. Most importantly, the plan calls for any equity based recommendations and strategies to be given priority during implementation to ensure that the redevelopment of the former the former campus helps Denver achieve its vision for an inclusive, complete neighborhood. For example, integrating affordable housing throughout the planned area to accommodate households of different ages, sizes and incomes. Minimizing involuntary displacement and gentrification. Creating a complete pedestrian network. And finally, increasing fresh food access, availability and affordability. At this time, I would like to introduce Brandon Shaver, senior city planner, who will walk you through some of the key recommendations within each topic. Thank you, Jason. And good evening, Council. I'm Brandon and I'll be working through the key concept, key concepts of the small area plan. The first section of the plan is land use in built form. From day one. The community has consistently voiced that they want to live in and visit a plan area that does a number of things. Plan recommendations seek to encourage a mix of land uses, including office, commercial retail and a variety of housing types for different demographics and income levels. The community also wants to ensure that new development doesn't negatively impact adjacent neighborhoods and that new buildings are well designed and constructed of sustainable materials. Of similar importance are recommendations that speak to affordable housing, the threat of gentrification and involuntary displacement. The plan recommends incentivizing affordable housing for households of all ages, sizes and incomes. In a nod to some of the historic buildings on campus, the community has recognized the opportunity to explore reusing some of the buildings for affordable housing. One such example is Pink Crystal Hall, a former resident, a former residence hall, which will include 60 plus units of affordable housing as announced earlier this year by the developer. The community has had the opportunity to weigh in on these recommendations. And as you can see, there is a great deal of support. Results show us that 96% of survey takers strongly agree or somewhat agree with the land use recommendations, 95% strongly agree or somewhat agree with the historic preservation recommendations, and 88% strongly agree or somewhat agree with the economy and affordable housing recommendations. Throughout the planning process, there were a number of topics that warranted future conversation and work with the community. These are topics of utmost importance to the community. The first being the height of any future buildings in the plant area. It is important to note that the Ruby Hill View plane, enacted in 1969 guides the building heights that can be achieved on the eastern side of the campus. The plan supports varying building heights of up to eight storeys, but as redevelopment occurs on the campus, it will be important to maintain these sheds to and from it due to the topography of the site and height restrictions imposed by the view plane. Not every portion of the eight story maximum area indicated on the map in front of you allows for buildings to reach that level of intensity. Additionally, the plan calls for design standards and guidelines that further restrict the number and placement of any building over five storeys to one single location with the limited footprint to protect the views. It is equally important to transition from higher intensity development in the center of the campus to lower intensities that are compatible with the existing residential areas where the viewpoint does not cover the western portion of the campus. The plan further imposes height limitations that speak to this transition. Finally, the plan contains recommendations that speak to supporting and enhancing public transit in the plan area, especially along Federal Boulevard. Some of the most defining features of the Libretto Heights campus are the sweeping views of downtown Denver in the front range of the Rocky Mountains. As such, plan recommendations note the importance of maintaining these view sheds. Historically, there was a grand view of the administration building from Federal Boulevard, and the community finds this view said to be one of the most important attributes to preserve. Therefore, the plan calls for zoning regulations, design standards and guidelines, and other regulatory tools to ensure that the height and mass of new buildings are not only compatible with the existing historic structures, but also protect and frame the key view sheds. Furthermore, the plan identifies key open space areas identified by the community and specifically calls for a publicly accessible open space area or promenade in front of the administration building. As I touched on historic preservation and the re-use of historic resources is a central concept within this area plan. And as such, there are several recommendations that speak to this topic. The history of the campus, coupled with the preservation and re-use of existing structures and features on the site where some of the top community concerns and desires. A consultant, written inventory and survey report along with community feedback provided direction on which campus structures and features should be prioritized for preservation and re-use. These include eight historic resources the administration building in Chapel Pancreas, the Hall Cemetery, Matchbook Hall, Pool, Library and theater. Similarly, the community agreed on using multiple tools to achieve its vision in both the short and long term, including historic designation, preservation, easements and historic covenants. These options allow for the best tools to achieve the preservation and re-use of historic structures, including local historic designation of the resources as individual structures and or historic districts. The second section of the Small Plan of the small area plan deals with mobility. There is a strong desire to improve streets by making them more connected, safer and more comfortable. This includes making streets more functional for pedestrians with amenities like enhanced crosswalks and medians, street trees and lighting. The need for intersection improvements, especially along Federal Boulevard, is critical to create a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists. Additional multimodal recommendations include connections to and from the Bear Creek Trail, the South Platte River Trail, and making it easier and more comfortable to take bus and light rail. These detailed recommendations can be found within the plan and in the staff report. Again, the community had an opportunity to weigh in on these recommendations. And you can see there's a great deal of support. Results show us that 96% of respondents strongly or somewhat agree with the mobility recommendations contained within this plan. The proposed Street Network calls for a variety of street types, which will help improve north, south and east west connections and acknowledges the strong voice of the community to not have Dartmouth Avenue punched through. From Federal Boulevard to Irving Street. To further strengthen this recommendation, the plan calls for the implementation of necessary street improvements, operation enhancements and traffic calming measures along South Irving Street to help mitigate traffic impacts and to improve connectivity in the area. The plan also encourages a new street connection extending south from the Denver School of Science and Technology as a way to relieve traffic congestion along Dartmouth Avenue. The community has also specifically called out South Julian Street and West Amherst Avenue as needing traffic calming measures as redevelopment occurs. The plan further outlines pedestrian and bicycle priority streets with the maps on the screen right now. In addition to investing in pedestrian safety, comfort and accessibility, the plan recommends both on street and off street trails and facilities throughout the planned area of equal importance as the need for equitable access to the regional trail system, which has been lacking up until this point. The final section of the plan is quality of life infrastructure. This includes recommendations for addressing access to healthy food parks, recreation and open space, green infrastructure, and how the how the built environment affects health outcomes. The plan puts a focus on new tree plantings along streets to improve walkability and comfort for residents and visitors. In addition to trees, the community has also recommended creating a system of green infrastructure which will improve water quality, reduce stormwater runoff and minimize the urban heat island effect. Similar to the recommendations found in other sections of the plan. There is very strong support for these recommendations as well. With 97% of respondents strongly or somewhat in agreement. Couple of things to highlight in this section of the plan. First being the connection to Loreto Heights Park, not just in terms of infrastructure such as sidewalks, bike paths and the potential Hoch signal, but also with open space and recreational opportunities such as a multi-use trail that runs from the park to the center of the campus along the existing irrigation ditch. I mentioned green infrastructure earlier and it is important to note that the plan area is located within the West Harvard Gulch and Bear Creek Stormwater Basins, both of which have been identified as priority basins with a greater need for water quality improvements. Green infrastructure, both natural and engineered, will be necessary to make the site a sustainable model for future development. Blueprint. Denver identifies three types of implementation actions regulatory and policy, public investment and partnership. Examples of this include historic designation, Denver Zoning Code, text and map amendments. Infrastructure improvements associated with development and requirements regarding open space. Public investment strategies are those involving public funding of public infrastructure. These examples include street reconstruction, park improvements and the installation of bike and transit facilities. Lastly, partnership strategies come in the variety of forms that require an investment from the city property owners, private developers, or a combination thereof. Examples found in this plan include partnering with historic Denver to implement appropriate short and long term protection mechanisms for the historic resources identified in the plan. Also partnering with the cities of Sheridan and Inglewood and Arapahoe County to study and implement transit, bike and pedestrian improvements to West Dartmouth Avenue and crossing improvements at U.S. 285 and Knox Court. Having gone through the key aspects of the plan, I will turn the presentation over to Jenny Budden Burke, who will walk you through the review criteria. Thanks, Brandon. Good evening, council members. I'll take us through the City Council review criteria for the evaluation of this area plan. As Jason had previously mentioned, the three criteria asked that City Council consider if an inclusive community process was used to develop the plan. The plan is consistent with the vision, goals and strategies of comprehensive plan 2040, and the plan demonstrates a long term view. The Loreto Heights small area plan is based on a year long engagement process designed to be authentic, fair and inclusive. This inclusive committee process was carried out in three phases visualized, strategize and realize. Each of the phases included multiple steering committee meetings, community meetings and other public outreach to inform the plan's vision and recommendations. At the final steering committee meeting in July during the realize phase, the Steering Committee agreed to move the plan forward for review and implementation. Key organizations represented on the steering committee that endorsed the small area plan include the Sisters of Loreto, City of Sheridan, Vietnamese American Community of Colorado, Southwest Denver Coalition and multiple registered neighborhood organizations. The steering committee was comprised of 17 members representing neighborhood and community organizations, nonprofits, businesses and major property owners. It guided and informed the plan over ten meetings that were open to the public and attended by over 150 community members. This work built upon what had been previously started by local leaders and neighborhood groups in anticipation of the redevelopment for community meetings, including a meeting conducted in Spanish, illustrated the strong community participation for this area plan with an average attendance of 100 people per meeting and a total attendance of 450 participants across the meeting series. Two online surveys were also made available for those unable to attend the community meetings or who preferred a different option for sharing their comment. The first survey mirrored content from the first and second community meetings, and the second survey provided an opportunity for the community to comment on the draft plan. Paper versions of the survey were also made available. Over 750 community members participated in the online surveys, providing 2300 individual comments. In total, more than 1300 individuals participated in the community meetings and online surveys. CPD staff also attended additional community events like registered neighborhood organization meetings in a cabinet, in the community meeting at College View Community Center. Promotion of the Laredo Heights area plan, process and advertising of meetings, surveys and draft plans was conducted by CPD Communications Staff Councilman Flynt's office and Steering Committee members and produced very strong results. Over 25,000 fliers were distributed and districts to and seven to promote community meetings and a thousand fliers were taken home by public school children, all of which were bilingual English. Spanish which contributed to the robust attendance numbers. Via social media, we have nearly 5000 Twitter followers and more than 400 email subscribers. This plan also experienced more media coverage than comparable plans put out by CPD. The Denver Post, CBS for seven News, Fox 31, Denver eight and a Duke of Radio Denver in Spanish all carried stories on the plan. I do want to note this plan did strengthen CPD's relationship with the Duca, so that will benefit us moving forward with all of our future planning efforts. Lastly, reflecting the demographic diversity of the area, Spanish translated material was provided in all marketing efforts as well as at every community meeting and online interpretation. Services and child care were also provided at all public meetings. Based on this engagement and outreach staff, find that the Loreto Heights area plan was developed through an inclusive public process. The Loreto Heights small area plan is consistent with several goals and strategies in each vision element within comprehensive plan 2040. The goals and strategies met for each vision element are indicated here on the screen and detailed in the staff report. Because this area plan refines blueprint. Denver We have also address its consistency with the land use plan policies and strategies. In general, this area plan contains content, specifically addressing each of the minimum standards outlined and blueprint Denver related to the opportunity to create area plans citywide via the Neighborhood Planning Initiative. In other words, area plans provide more specific guidance than Blueprint Denver, which is what this plan achieves. The plan is also consistent with several Blueprint Denver policies and strategies noted on the slide and detailed in the staff report. In summary, the Loreto Heights area plan is consistent with comprehensive plan 2040 and Blueprint Denver. The Syria plan provides a comprehensive, long term vision for growth within the plan area over a period of 20 years. The vision, as reflected in the plan recommendations, respects existing historic character and development patterns while promoting sustainable growth within the plan area. Staff finds that the Loreto Heights area plan establishes goals, recommendations and strategies that will guide change in the plan area for the next 20 years, thereby meeting the criteria for demonstrating a long term view based on the finding that the applicable review criteria have been met. Staff recommends adoption of the Loreto Heights small area plan as a supplement to comprehensive plan 2040. We thank you for your time and are happy to take any questions. Thank you very much. All right. It looks like we've got 44 sector people signed up to speak this evening. So I'm asked staff, if you don't mind if we get clear this front bench, I'm going to call five at a time up. If you could come up to this bench and be ready to step right up to the microphone when I call your name so that we can get through everybody. So I'll cover the first five. First five are John Moore, Sochi, gate ten, Gail Bell, John Olsen and Karen Calamity. And John Moore, you're up first. Hi. Am I good to go? All right. My name is John Moore. I'm a east tie graduate class of 2000. I live in Dartmouth Heights, and I'm the president of the Dartmouth Heights. R.A. We're also in. I was our neighborhoods representative to the small area, to the Loreto Heights small area plan process as well. I'm here to speak in favor of the plan. Our neighborhood has gone through three phases with this project so far. At first we were fearful and anxious. When the sale was first announced, we imagined huge volumes of traffic coming through. Our quiet neighborhood, blocked views of the historic admin building and other terrible visions. The second phase started when Councilman Flynn outlined his vision for the campus, and we realized we had a partner who understood our interests. The third phase was the longest and continues today. It began when we started to get to know Mark were kept, which I'm sorry I messed it up. I practiced earlier and I still messed it up. Excuse me. We slowly built trust and his devotion to preserving the history and character of the campus while also activating it and making it into an asset for Southwest Denver. The fourth phase is yet to come. We're excited about the additional open space shops, restaurants and future events the redevelopment will bring. But we also remain very concerned about the increased traffic. Volumes are quiet, neighborhood streets will see. So I'll close with the same requests we have made throughout this process, which I also outlined in my letter to the Council. Number one, Dartmouth Avenue between Federal and South Irving Street should not be made of Three Street. We've had very consistent support from the City Planning Department on this, and it is very critical to our support for the plan. Number two, the residential alleys between the extension of Bates Avenue and South Irving Street should be designed to serve local traffic only. And number three, traffic calming and traffic deterrence measures be implemented across the area. Plan to minimize the impact of traffic on existing neighborhood streets. These are all things that are contained in the plan and some that Brandon even called out specifically in his slides. I just wanted to emphasize our our interest in seeing them happen. I think in the future, it'll probably involve Dartmouth Heights being here, continuing to work with Councilman Flynn, because I think there's a funding element to this as well eventually. In closing, thank you to Councilman Flynn for his leadership and thank you to the other members of the smaller you plan process for your thoughtful contributions. Thank you. Next up, Sochi Gay Town. Hi. My name is Sir Chili Guyton, president of Hip Co. The Harvey Park Community Organization, voted to oppose the Right of Heights Area Plan and the Metro. District Service Plan. Zip Codes five Concerns of the Area Plan. Our number one it must be a landmark historic district designation. So rather than having weak language about it being a possible tool, the developer agrees to apply a historic district designation period. Number two, we need strong language indicating that Dartmouth Avenue will not go through taking traffic into the elementary. School, which is only four blocks away. Number three, mitigation of traffic. Must be stronger. Language for other streets and avenues heading in the southwest direction of that region. Number four. The maintenance of the pond, waterways, wildlife in the southwest region has been nearly ignored and we need to address this in a very sustainable way. Number five, limit the building heights to five storeys and not going higher because we lose adequate view planes of the admin building. We all know that the. Higher the penthouse, the higher the prices. Hence, causing unaffordability and gentrification. As the Denver City Council continues with their training on a renewed commitment to racial. And social justice. Help me understand how you. Plan. On. Preventing the gentrification outcome. If you. Support this area. Plan. And Metro District Service Plan. In your commitment to racial and social justice, would it not make sense. To work towards dismantling racist structural systems such as metro districts. Within Denver and question the consequence of property taxation doubling in the district and question using a financial. Tool that causes gentrification. We elected you to hold developers accountable to those you represent. You have given the power to corporations. You hold the greatest latitude and power to disavow what. Is within the state law. Title 32. You are the last line of defense. Only 8 to 9% of the housing affordable housing is affordable housing units. So stop the scam of having developers, bond investors and special. District management companies benefiting from pushing black, brown, indigenous people out. City Planning. And Development did a poor job of. Authentically engaging with black brown indigenous community by not informing. Us of metro districts being the financial tool the developer would use, not informing us of how this tool would negatively impact the property owners within the district and cause gentrification and not authentically. Engaging with the Latino community. Only 10 to 12 people at the Spanish speaking community is not. I'm sorry, but your time is up. Next up, Gayle Bell. Good evening. My name is Gayle Bell of Denver, Colorado, and I am an administrator at City College View High School, directly adjacent to the Loreto Heights campus, Colorado Heights campus. And its future is of great significance to the DST community. Yes, because of proximity and traffic. And we appreciate those needs being addressed in the small area plan. Perhaps more importantly though, it is significant because the campus is a place that our students and families have moved through and connected with for years. It is a space that they see, at least in part, as their own. For several years, our students have wandered through the signature Laredo Heights quad on their way to eat lunch and match before Hall with its stunning views to the West. And even as of today, our students spend their outside time playing and chatting on the small field that sits at the foot of the iconic admin building. When I speak to our students about the Laredo Heights campus and its future, they speak of it is a space that feels uniquely theirs in some way. This space matters to them deeply and as such. It is critical that the DACA community continue to be engaged deeply in the changes happening at Loreto Heights. DST College View appreciates the. Efforts made during the small area plan to engage our community by keeping us informed. We were recipients of many of those fliers hosting Spanish speaking opportunities, both in-person and online and as. Staff at College View. We shared the input. Opportunities with our students and families and encouraged them to engage however they could. Tonight, DST wants to urge the City and West Side Investment Partners to continue to engage the DST community both deeply and by including alien dedication to be used as a soccer. The old division of the small area plan is one of inclusion, diversity and placemaking. It is a truly beautiful vision and the students and families of diversity college view are critical stakeholders in bringing that vision to life. They already see Loreto Heights as their place. Engaging them in the way their place changes and dedicating space for them to use will continue to keep Loreto Heights their space. How beautiful would it be for our 12th grade students to be able to celebrate their high school graduation at the theater that they walk past every single day? How wonderful would it be for our soccer teams to be able to complete, compete and build school and community pride on a soccer field right on the very site. Throughout the small area planning process. The city made strong efforts to engage the diversity college view community, and we have value that immensely. Our urging is to not stop there, keep engaging us, keep providing engagement opportunities in Spanish and other non-dominant languages. Connect with and draw in the incredible community assets that are the diversity community. Thank you. Next up, John Olsen. Hello. My name is John. Also, I'm the deputy director of Historic Denver. Participating in the steering committee for the world height. Small area plan was one of. The highest priorities for our organization. And our board. Given the historic and architectural heritage. Of the campus. We believe that this plan of the future. Redevelopment is a unique opportunity to build on the site's legacy as the cornerstone of the Southwest Denver community. Throughout the planning process, during both community wide meetings and steering committee meetings. Participants and. Stakeholders emphasized and prioritized the preservation of the unique assets and qualities of the campus. We appreciate that the. Plan has responded with the inclusion of many positive elements. Related to historic preservation. Which recognize the campus's iconic nature. At the core of the vision. We also are pleased to see preservation strategies and sensitivity to historic. Resources reflected in several parts of the plan. As preservation cannot be an action taken. In isolation from other key decisions. While the included. Recommendations in the small area plan for. Individual designations and the explore. Exploration of tools. Such as historic. Districts for the campus are very important. I want to. Emphasize statements we've made throughout the process asking for greater. Certainty regarding. The future of the site's most significant assets, like the administration building the Chapel Cemetery and Pan Rachel Hall. Including addressing how they will be protected in the short and long term. We have been working with the master developer. West Side Investment Partners to solidify these and remediate. Protections so that the goals of the small area. Plan, as expressed by the community, can later be best achieved. We now hold a commitment letter and it's right. Here in our hand from the developer that those assets will soon be. Protected under perpetual easement. Agreements with historic Denver easements are also a tool indicated in the small area. Plan and prevent demolition of historically important buildings. They run with the land and offer a. Review during the rehabilitation. Process to make sure historic integrity. Is maintained. It is a tool that can be applied immediately and protect the property until such. Time as this designation moves forward. This allows for a balance in the community's desire for property protection, while allowing for a flexibility in the owners. Timeline for rehabilitation. We are especially excited for this will involve and create a hall since it will be one of the final first opportunities. And. The first properties developed on the site. And it will be a showcase for the opportunities that historic buildings. Have for affordable housing. We thank Mark Markovich of West Side. We thank the Community and Planning and Development Department. We thank all of the. Community members and the steering committee. For all of the work they have. Done. And we thank Councilman Flynn for his his work as well. And we hope that this continues for. All the people that have contributed. And that it continues now. For all people to. Continue to contribute as we go through this plan. Thank you. Very much. Thank you. Next up is Karen Calamity. And I'm going to call the next five to come up to this front bench Jim Carpenter, Martha Kirkpatrick, Bonnie Gilbert, James Hawksworth and Jim Gibson. If you could come up to the front row, that would be. Appreciate it. Go ahead. Hello. My name is Karen Laverty. We were asked to state our addresses in the past, I've I've brought up that I no longer live in Denver, but I grew up in Denver and I care about this property just as I care about many properties, I. I write letters about the Arctic Wildlife Refuge that's. Meaningful to me, even. If I don't live there. These special spaces need to remain special and to be treated well. There's some concern. I mean, Sister Mary Nell, her friend Ruth and I visited with Jason Morrison. I have nothing against Jason Morrison. But in our. Conversation with him he mentioned that he meets with the public about once a month, but he met with a developer every two weeks. And I'm sorry that I in the small area plan, I see more reflection of what the developers would like to see than what when I attended many of these public meetings, what the what the community would like to see. The words are all very nice, but the plan graphics are really what dictates the kind of development that's planned. And I'm very concerned. There's no reason why we should have eight stories in there at all. That's not what the community wanted. This view plane thing, you can barely hit the View plane with eight stories, so they feel as though that's their. Level of height requirement, no height requirement. And the open space requirement, those are. All those are something that can be created in the small. Area plan, not dictated by other other kinds of plans. This is the opportunity to make this the best site that it can be, not in relation to some random priorities or programing in other spaces. This place, this area lacks some parks and open spaces is a beautiful open space area. And to me, beyond the historic buildings, the open space is the most important criteria to keep intact. And I don't think this small area plan does that. Thank you. Next up, Jim Carpenter. Good evening. Thank you. My name is Jim Carpenter. I'm the executive director of Choice and planning at Denver Public Schools. I'm here to briefly comment on the progress of conversations between DPS. And the master developer in regards to school needs at Loreto Heights. I want to first of. All say that DPS was grateful to be brought in early into the process. We had a member on the steering committee and have been able to participate in the process throughout the throughout the past year. And while your focus tonight, of course, is on the small area plan, our eyes are on that, but also on. Further steps in the approval process. As you're aware, at the time of subdivision, developers are required to account for school needs from. Their developments in the form of land allocation or fee. And Lou. While I cannot stand here tonight and say that we have an agreement that we've reached, I can say that we have had the experience of working constructively and positively with the master developer to date as we work towards towards that agreement and try to of land allocation or fee in lieu to respond to to school needs. We want to just take the opportunity tonight to thank city staff for bringing us in early into the process and also to thank the master developer for the positive approach they've taken so far in these conversations. Encourage both groups to continue to work closely with us as we attempt to to respond to the likely school needs from the development. And we have every hope that when this comes back before you, hopefully in the future look for subdivision, that we will be able to report that we have an agreement and to support that without reservation. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Martha Kirkpatrick. My name is Martha Kirkpatrick, and I live in Englewood, Colorado. My name is Martha Newland Kirkpatrick. I am the alumni alternate for the Small Area Plan Steering Committee. I'm a 1982 graduate of Lauretta Heights College, where I received my Bachelor of Arts degree. I grew up in southwest Denver, the Harvey Park and Bear Valley neighborhoods, and I currently live in Inglewood. Loretta Heights has been part of my life for my entire life through community and alumni groups. I became very involved and of course concerned about what the future held for Colorado Heights. When West Side purchased the property in July of 2018. Things took a decidedly positive turn. West Side agreed and welcomed the small area plan process so that they could dove deeply into what the community wanted and needed. Through a well thought out and methodical approach in appointing people from adjoining neighborhoods, alumni, the Sisters of Loreto, community leaders and others, Jason Morrison and his team have joined hands with us through ten plus months of meetings, insights, discussion and debate for community meetings on the campus have hosted over 400 people lending their support, their voices and their concerns for what is to become of a beloved piece of history and a touchstone for many in the southwest Denver area. While most of us understand that not everyone will get everything that they want, most of us will get something that we do. And what this larger community wants is a gathering place somewhere to find respite and either a good meal, a street fair, less greenspace, an outdoor concert, a comfortable home. The words that come to mind our respect, reverence, reuse, reclaim, and the other word that many don't wish to utter. Redevelopment. However, this redevelopment is being done in a different way. By respecting the wishes of the community that will be using it and living nearby, by revering the past and letting it inform the future by reusing or reclaiming what was once grand and bringing it back to a full, colorful, vibrant life. There are some who would have you believe that more time or a different plan, effectively putting a bell jar atop that campus is the best strategy. But what that campus is is now a ghost, a shell, quietly crumbling and fading, moldering away. It will never be what it once was. That time has passed. Let it be rewarded for waiting. Let it be rewarded with voices, laughter and a new legacy. Dedication to this process and to the community seems to be foremost in the minds of the city planning team. I personally feel that every one of the team members have gone above expectations to deliver a vision that we can all build on. The community has been brought together through this city led small area plan process is truly the seed that will begin the new life that is being envisioned for the Loreto Heights campus. In closing, I fully support the Loretta Hite small area plan. I am greatly and deeply appreciative of the partnership which has been created with those on the city planning team, the community and with West Side. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next up, Bonnie Gilbert. I'm Barney Gilbert and I have lived in Harvey Park. He lived in Harvey Park not far from Loretto Heights for the past 30 years. I am disappointed about the lack of community engagement in the process of the small area and special district plans. Questions about gentrification. Affordable housing. Increased traffic. Historic districts, including view planes and open space were not adequately addressed at the community wide meetings. It would have been helpful to have an open mic where we can have a give and take with other participants and talk out our concerns. There was also a Spanish language meeting that had very little attendance, leading us to believe that there is not much outreach in this heavily Latino community. The lack of outreach was disappointing. When asking questions during the area plan meetings. The community had been told over and over that certain topics would not be addressed because it was too soon in the process. Then we found out just a week after the summer, small area plan meetings were over by accident that the service plan was released and including many of the answers to our questions, but still not about the but still there was no answer about the amount of affordable housing other than with Pam Hall. Another major concern an historic, historic district designation in open space, which specifically includes views in Denver. We, what identifies us as Democrats and what people talk about when they come from outside is the views in the mountains. That's the number one thing that make this a special place visually. So that brings me to The View planes at Loreto Heights. Do we want to have row after row of buildings that block views of the beautiful administration building and block views from the administration building? These views and the buildings on the campus are treasures. The plan also does not allow for enough green space. There needs to be more, which complements the historic feel of the campus and helps to keep the area's original feet, feel of natural beauty and magistrate protected from the densely populated city that Denver has become. The campus should be designated a historic district, which would protect the character defining features such as the views and the buildings for future generations. Because we don't want Denver to become just any big city, and specifically, we don't want Loretta Heights to become just another dense housing development which may not be affordable. I request that you do not pass a small area plan until we have assurances about historic districts, including views, affordable housing, open space, gentrification and suitable information on how the increased traffic will be handled. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, James Hawksworth. Good evening. My name is James Hawksworth and I'm a local pastor and member of our community who has a deep interest in the future of Loreto Heights. I had the privilege of leading a special Christmas service in the historic chapel in December of 2018, in partnership with Councilman Flynn, who I commend his singing to anyone as well . All right, Father Joseph Dang, chaplain for the. DPD, as well as a member of the Vietnamese community and a great leader there. And at that event, we saw approximately 300 members of the community come out in force to celebrate Christmas in such a beautiful and sacred space. The evening for told the potential of the renewal of the campus for the sake of the entire community. And I would argue again, it was a beautiful evening. Well, Representative, the community, after looking over the small area plan myself, I believe the plan. Will accomplish the dreams of the city and the community as a whole. I believe this plan will help create a deeper identity for. Southwest Denver and will seek to be a community that engages people from all walks of life. I believe the history of the campus will be honored by repurposing it with integrity for such a beautiful space. As we've even heard tonight from even the historic Denver gentlemen. Contrary to what some. May say this evening, the process was transparent, well-received and broadly open to the. Diversity of the area. I believe the process is truly. Created a consensus that allows the process to move forward in good faith. Few individuals may have attempted to create a bit of disruption to an overall what I would argue, beautiful process. And I commend the city. For managing disruptions with integrity and. Utmost professionalism. In conversations that. I have had with West Side, other members of the community and members. Of the steering committee. I have been encouraged by how sensitive, particularly the developer, has been when it comes to maintaining the integrity of the area by giving it new life for long term use and enjoyment. I personally attended many of the steering committee meetings and I found the process thorough and well-executed. I would like to encourage council to approve the plan as submitted. And that planning board that has brought forth this in such great effort, and that I would recommend once again that you approve this. The process, again, I would say, has been filled with integrity and hard work, and I hope no further delays would hinder the progress that has been made. Thank you. Next up, Jim Gibson. And I'm going to call the next five to come up with the front row. Paul Fea, you know, Carl Christianson, Bonnie DeHart, Jim Hartman and Kathleen Kind. Wait. Good. Okay. Good evening. My name is Jim Gibson, and I live in Harvey Park. I lead the Laredo Heights Community Initiative, a project of the Harvey Park Community Organization. Our group has been working on this project since late 2016, when Tokyo University sadly announced it was closing and putting the property up for sale. I had the honor to serve on the Loretta Hyde small area plan steering committee. I'd like to thank Councilman Flynn for the opportunity to serve our community. Unfortunately, this area plan is filled with specifics of what the developer wanted to be included, but has very little details about what the community needed to be included. The response from the developer to many of the community community's questions was always the same. It's too early to address those issues. Then one week, exactly one week after our last area plan steering committee meeting on July 23rd, a service plan to create a metropolitan district for the property was presented by the developer to the City Council's Finance and Governance Committee. The document clearly worked on during the area plan process provides many of the answers to the questions the community had been asking. Unfortunately, those answers were never provided and the community never had an opportunity to more meaningfully weigh in on the issues. As a result, the area plan, while well-meaning, is simply too broad and does not provide a roadmap to meeting the goals that I think we all share. When the site planning process occurs, these provisions will need to be significantly strengthen the plan and provide what we need. Placing a historic district designation on the property before any redevelopment takes place will go a long way toward preserving the unique, historic and esthetic character defining features of the property. The site needs stronger and more specific protections to preserve the iconic views to and from the campus. The site also needs more open space and more details on the size and location of these open spaces. Finally, traffic should be more thoroughly addressed because the project at Resident and Daily Visitor information provided by the developer right after the small area process was completed is now available. I hope you understand our strong feelings about this beautiful site and why we're asking for these additional specifics. This place has been a big part of our community for decades and it is near and dear to our hearts. Please help us save this important south west Denver treasure. Thank you very much for your time this evening. Thank you. Next to Paul for your you know. Good evening, counsel. You know, it's interesting. I'm here with Eli Hartman. We met at Ridge Counsel about two years ago, maybe three years ago, trying to get a performing arts center in the Fruitvale School out in Rio Ridge, which would have been a fantastic facility for education in its proper. If you've never been out on 44th out there, 44th and Oakridge area. Go out there and check that out. But the building is now homes. I don't know how affordable they are, but the idea of the fact that another public facility is now housing never again to serve the children or adults or anybody for that matter. You know, we're going back to October 12th, 2017, when the Florida Heights Redevelopment Community recommendations came out and that the number one was develop a comprehensive cultural, historical, topographical, environmental esthetic assessment report. And that's all that's it. There's nothing about housing or anything of that nature. And on the second point, plans and designs need to ensure ensure the continued usefulness and integrity of the cemetery or a place of reflection and contemplation. Now, in order to ensure anything, you need a deed. Now we have offered the developer a quick claim deed and that still stands. As far as a quitclaim deed, the city and county of Denver could put it together. And I have five quitclaim deeds here for five parcels. If nothing else, number one should be for the cemetery. And I'm asking for you to tonight to put this off until the cemetery is insured. And is safe for not the dead nuns, but the living through Jesus Christ nuns. Okay. We're not dealing with a situation that of course, I'm about the arts and I've given you a proposal. All the new council people have a proposal from 2017. Check it out. We are number one in arts and humanities in the nation coming from zero. I'm sorry about your time is wiped out. Next up, Karl Christiansen. Evening Council. I'm Carl Christianson. My wife and I are both Denver area natives. My wife grew up in the Bear Valley area. I grew up in the Green Mountain area. We purchased a home in Harvey Park, just west of the Laurel Heights area 26 years ago. And we love our neighborhood. We love the Laurel Heights campus. We've enjoyed being neighbors with that for so many years. And when we saw that particular our heights was failing, we kind of dreaded what might happen. And so we were really excited to see the development plan come forward. We were really pleased with the community engagement and we felt like we had a lot of opportunity to give input into the plan and what that area would become. We feel like they were very respectful of looking at the things we valued in terms of historic preservation, open space and also thinking in terms of economic development. I don't know how. Many of you think. That we can preserve the beautiful buildings on campus without some kind of revenue stream? You know, they're not going to fix themselves. And so I think it is a very sustainable plan in our view. And we're really looking forward to all the potential that's going to be on that site for a community gathering place, for cultural development , for different kinds of housing. And so my wife and I are just very excited to see what the next 26 years will bring for us in that neighborhood. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Bonnie DeHart. Thank you. My name is Bonnie DeHart. I lived in Harvey Park, just north of Yale Avenue since 1989. And I'm hoping to age in place there if I can. And although I share some of the concerns of the Harvey Park Community Organization concerning future impacts on the area, including traffic congestion, possible gentrification, higher taxes, possibly small businesses currently in the area being unable to compete once the new development occurs. I also believe that West Side Investment Partners have made an extensive effort to include the community in in the planning effort. And I. Believe the plans will in all. Likelihood move forward at this point. So I'm here today primarily to add my voice to the historic preservation plans for the area. And I want to preface those comments by saying I'm neither a sister of Loreto, Nora co member, I'm not a graduate of Loretto Heights, not even Catholic. But but I say all that to stress that there's a broader support for the historic preservation pieces of this plan beyond those who have a long term and specific. Engagement. With Ladera Heights. The sisters in Loretto have contributed to Colorado and to this community for over 100 years and continue to be a force for justice and peace in this very divisive world we're now living in and to advocate for the most vulnerable members of our society. I stand with them and I want to see their legacy continue. One small way we can do that is to ensure the preservation of some of the icons of the Loreto Heights campus. I'd like to specifically see not just a verbal assurance, but a firm written commitment in place for the care and maintenance of this cemetery at Loreto Heights into perpetuity. You're into perpetuity, not for five or ten years, but forever. I'd like that commitment to be made in writing before plans move forward. I'd also like to see stronger language and about the preservation of the administrative building. And whatever is the strongest assurance that we can get. I, I support the historic district designation and again, would like to see that happen sooner, not later. Regarding Pan pre-show hall. I'd like to see a commitment. I'm sorry, but your time is up. Thank you very much. Next up, Jim Hartman. Good evening, counsel. My name is Jim Hartman. My partners and I are the Pan Croatia Hall redevelopment team. We've been passionate about historic preservation and affordable housing for almost the past 40 years, working on several projects throughout metro Denver. We were invited first to get involved in a lot of heights a couple of years ago by Councilwoman Sally Daigle from the city of Sheridan. We were fortunate to attend a community meeting that Jim Gibson had put together, and Jim's led many good community meetings. And we observed the change in some of the tenor and some of those meetings. In general, we believe that this has been a very inclusive public process. We've observed it over the past year, and we think it's really representative of what the city should do on all of the types of plans that were before you tonight. We urge you to accept the plan as recommended tonight, and we think it's been as good, if not better, than many other planning efforts around Denver. The library community is one that we've been involved with and we think it's a really great example of historic preservation and community reuse. So we're excited to be involved. We urge your action tonight to approve the plan. And thank you very much. Thank you. Next up, Kathleen Conway. And I call the next five to come up to this frontbench where you will have Susan Leigh, Christine O'Connor, Adriana Pena, Larry Ambrose and Thomas Sanders. If you could come up to the frontbench. I hope I don't sound like a broken record, but my concern is for the cemetery on the property that contains the graves of about 62 sisters of Loreto, some of which died over a hundred years ago. These women took the arduous journey, journey from Kentucky to serve the people of Colorado and New Mexico. They experienced all the discomfort and fears that occurred along the way. They and other women religious really helped settle the West. The Sisters of Loretto found schools all over the area from Trinidad, Colorado to Denver, and every place in between. My sister in law, a German immigrant, graduated from Lauretta Heights. The sisters of Loretto taught her in Illinois and she won a scholarship and pursued her education here. My husband and children went to Saint Philomena School and I went to Holy Family Great and high schools, all run by the Sisters of Loreto. We owe it to these women to preserve their final resting place, and I think we need a historic designation for the cemetery and perpetual care. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Susan Lee. Good evening, council members. My name is Susan Elliott, Boulder, Colorado. I'll keep my comments really brief, but as a member of the development team working on the redevelopment of Pancreas Hall into affordable housing, I've witnessed the inclusive process used to develop the small area plan. I fully support the adoption of the plan as I believe it is. An appropriate. Sustainable and long term vision for the future of Loreto Heights campus. Thank you. Thank you. Next up is Christine O'Connor. My name is Christine O'Connor into foyer and I co-chair the RNC Zoning and Planning Committee. And I'm going to let Ian talk about our resolution in a minute. We thought he could go first, but that didn't happen. I'm here tonight both as an ANC rep and as an individual. We're not here to oppose the plan, but to make it better, to strengthen it. And I don't think that's obstructionist. I'm aware that there's extensive discussion in the plan because I've read the whole thing about historic preservation. I'm aware of the recommendations. I just heard something about one of the tools, protective easements being put on, but I don't have enough information yet to know how that's going to play out at the site development and large development review phase. But the takeaway is that preservation will be addressed some time in the future as development unfolds. And I'm here to tell you that that sounds great. But to ensure the desire of the community to preserve the historic site as re-use unfolds, we believe it will be more prescriptive to ask for historic district designation at the front end. This historic district designation does everything that the other tools might do at some time in the future might. Depending on how the developer and historic Denver choose to work together, this campus may well be the most historic site in Denver today, and it makes sense to use the most comprehensive tool. I am going to describe Jim Hartman and Marcus Packer and maybe Brad Buchanan if he's listening. Well, know this example in Lowry where historic district designation saved hangar two in 2007. The owner and Brad Buchanan is the architect and Marcus partner as the promoter. He's also helping these developers came forward to demolish Hangar two. They said, oh, we have to demolish hangar two in order to save another historic structure. What happened? They both structures. Both were in districts that had been designated in 1995 before development started. As a result, it had to go to Landmark. It was defeated 8 to 0. At Landmark, we still have one or two and a beautiful dining district. I am asking that you think about the importance of putting this upfront. This step of district designation is not specifically called for in the plan, and it is our position that the plan should include the more specific recommendation that it be. Come to that designation be recommended under large development plan review and section 12.4 12 point 12.6 EA to be implemented prior to rezoning. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Adriana Pena. Good evening. My name is had an opinion and I met. I am a member public school member of the Loreto Heights Steering Committee. Also, I'm here on behalf of the board, the director of DPS for District two, Angela Corbin, who is not join us today due to a school district board meeting at this time. For the context, the public schools on the land where the assisted college view middle school and high school are currently located on the already to heights. We are thankful for the consideration that our community partners gave to the success of our students and their families as we work together on this project. This work includes multiple community meetings, surveys and other information, such as draft of these plan blueprints and guidance in progress. All were provided in English and Spanish to our community. We were particularly excited by the all Spanish language community meeting that we hosted on Saturday, March 16. We provided support with the community outreach through multiple outlets such as announcement during the community calendar in Univision, in Telemundo, Hispanic television networks Dipset Educate Radio and television in the Rodolfo Cardenas radio station. We distributed players in libraries, libraries, community centers and rec centers and community organizations as well. As well as emails to DPS parents and community members. Support from our school was particularly crucial during this process by them not only providing fliers in this student folders in their network, but also provided more information at any time they needed. We are so grateful to have been able to help convene and support our community, had several opportunities to provide our input on the plan in the planning process at different levels of our community. We engaged our DPS parents, students and overall Southwest community to make sure all their voices were heard. The process has been inclusive, clear and well-organized. The school district listen to and consider all comments, feedback and concerns. And they were included in the draft plan. Our top priority is our students. For this reason, the mobility proposal was crucial for this project. The study for a new street connection extending south from the SD campus towards the Floyd Avenue. With this proposal, we minimize the exposure of our children and families to heavy volume of traffic on the school route. This is important for the safety and security of our students. We want to create a safe and inclusive environment for all Denver students, current and future generations. Denver Public Schools is committed to meeting the educational needs of every student, and we look forward to working together to provide support resources to our students and ensuring that this neighborhood reflects our time as a community. Thank you very much. Next up, Larry Ambrose. Good evening. I'm Larry Ambrose. I'm here tonight as an alternate representative to Tony Hernandez to the Loretta Hyde Steering Committee from the Loretta Heights Community Initiative. I am on the LHC, I representing the Southwest Improvement Council. Swick has a 30 year history of community advocacy through its mission to advance human rights and improve living conditions of the residents of Southwest Denver through civic engagement, health and Human Services programs and affordable housing. Loretta Hyde site is the gateway to Denver from the Southwest, the iconic hilltop site with its rich history, magnificent buildings, landscaping and panoramic views. It's not only the most distinctive, landmark and source of pride for Southwest Denver and all of its residents, but perhaps is currently the most significant and vulnerable historic site in all of Denver. It should be a source of pride for the entire city and the region for centuries to come. As a representative of LHC I on the city's steering committee, Tony Hernandez and I have been relentless in advocating for historic district designation for parts of the site as the most comprehensive manner in order to protect and preserve those features which the community holds dear to its hearts. There is not much to criticize in the plan. It is what is not in the plan. That's a problem. Saving buildings and surrounding them with large scale development is not what people expect, but it is what they could get. Southwest Denver is now beginning its journey into large scale, potentially displacing and gentrifying development. Planning process for the site will serve as a precedent for future development in the southwest quadrant. It should be done correctly, consistent with recommendations given to the steering committee and a city funded study. We are here tonight to continue to advocate that historic district designation, be recommended not just mentioned as the correct process to ensure preservation of the key features of the Loreto Heights campus. The area plan mentions several preservation tools. However, it does not specify when any of these tools could be implemented. Therein is the obvious floor. To preserve something, you have to do. Do it before it's changed. It would be impossible to preserve the important parts of the campus once they have already been redeveloped. Please amend this at the either at these or the large development review stage or in the site planning process that reject that recommendation. And those requests are reasonable and time timely. History will look kindly upon us. Thank you. Thank you. Next up is Thomas Sanders and then McCaul. The next five up to come, please. Up to the front bench. Mary Nell Gage, Brant Kirkpatrick, Andrew Chapman, Dmitri Fortney. I'm sorry about that. And Norma Browne, if you could come up to the front. Go ahead. Good evening. My name is Tom Sanders. I'm a long time resident of Inglewood. I'm a retired architect and a member of Historic Denver and historic Inglewood. I support the redevelopment plans for the Loretta Heights campus. I believe the city of Denver has a unique chance to come together with the other neighboring municipalities to create a special place for the citizens of southwest Denver, as well as the metropolitan area. I want to focus my comments on the plans and the developer. First of all, the plans publicize a significant story of Denver's history and landmark buildings. The plans provide attractions and event places for the entire city, as well as outlets for artistic and cultural expressions. Also, residential diversity is created and retail and commercial opportunities are accommodated. The plans include open space, mature landscaping and recreational areas. Finally, a unified community center and identity for Southwest Denver is established. I feel the area plans are a win win for all. The developer Westside Investment has a proven track record and importantly is committed to the project. They have participated in a lengthy, encompassing planning process open to the public at large and the city's adjacent to the campus. All types of interests and ideas are incorporated through a wide ranging, innovative study, and I believe the developer is dedicated to doing what's best for the community, all the while making it a profitable investment. In my experience, it's rare to have a developer who is not solely focused on the bottom line dollar to determine the outcome. In closing, the redevelopment of the campus will revitalize and enhance Southwest the Southwest Denver area for many years in the future and extend the life of the campus beyond the 128 years since the Loretto Heights Academy began on this site. I say the plan is here and the time is now. Denver is a leader in the country of historic preservation, recognizing neighborhood identities and establishing cultural destinations. Loretta Heitz Let's Denver bring this legacy to Southwest Denver. I urge you to support the Loretta Heights area plan. Thank you. Next up, Marie Nell Gage. I'm Sister Mary Nell Gage. I'm a sister of Loreto and an alumni of. Loreto Heights College. Thank you for the opportunity to address you. I have a lucky number, seven. Points to share with. You. The Sisters of. Loretto have been in communication with West Side regarding the cemetery. Our priorities are the proper maintenance and the. Perpetual care of that sacred. Space. Where 62 sisters. Are buried. Number two feeds mores culture. Faith, morals, culture. The motto that is engraved above the main entrance. May those values faith, truth and. Beauty be enshrined. Forever on the campus. Number three. In the area plan there is reference to. Live, work and. Play. Please modify that phrase to proclaim, to live, to learn. To work, to pray and to play. Those have been the life on that campus for 125 years to live. To learn, to work, to pray and to play. Number four, ample open space, open green. Space. To enhance the quality. Of life, learning and playing on that space. Number five, the height and density of new construction must maintain the prominence of the Academy building. Number six, the view plane must allow. The unobstructed. Views. Of the tower building on the hill. And the majestic. Mountains to the west. Number seven Please lend a watchful eye to ensure the historic designation. That the proper tools be employed at the right time to preserve. Sorry for your. Time at Sea of Loreto Heights. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Brant Kirkpatrick. Good evening, City Council. My name is Brant Kirkpatrick. I'm a long time resident of Inglewood, Colorado. And have lived and worked adjacent to Loreto Heights property, which is in the process of being repurposed. I am speaking today in support of Denver's process, described as the small area plan for Loreto Heights from the. Beginning of West Side. Partners, ownership of Loreto Heights property in July of 2018. They and the community. In and around the former Loreto Heights campus have worked and collaborated with the City of Denver to achieve the most reasonable and revisioning. Of. This important property. I have attended and participated in several of the community meetings which have been held as part of the small area plan. I found them to be inclusive and sensitive to the desires of the community residents and also dedicated to the visionary repurposing of the iconic structures and natural beauty of this area. I believe the collective efforts will add value to the community of Southwest Denver and its surrounding neighbors. And again, I support the collaborative process between the city government, community members and property development partners who have worked so hard to provide a new and bright future for Loreto Heights. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Andrew Chapman. Good evening, counsel. Thank you for this chance to give support to the small area plan. I've been to all the public meetings, including a few before the small area process began, thanks to Councilman Flynn. And so I want to thank Jason and his team for putting that on and opening the doors. They're very interactive. I was able to ask questions as well as see them interact with other neighbors and residents. My wife and I and four children bought a house on Grove Street near Amherst in the small area plan seven years ago. Sadly, we cannot buy that house today because it's doubled in value. So, you know, gentrification and home prices are already an issue. And I don't think it has anything to do with the proposed redevelopment of the right of heights. It's another issue that I think requires other solutions, but one is we need more housing. And so that's one reason why I support this plan, is it encourages more housing of all kinds and hopefully a variety of types as well as income levels can be included in in the future redevelopment as well. Having lived there for seven years. My wife and I will walk the neighborhood, take evening walks, and we walk around a park that's already existing. So this the idea of a lot of green space, I don't know, makes a lot of sense. There is a neighborhood park right next to the right of heights that my wife and I and our kids already enjoy. But we do want a walkable neighborhood, a place that we could walk to. We've talked about Pearl Street, Gaylord Street, other nice neighborhoods, Tennyson Street, that that have amenities that people could walk to small scale. It doesn't need to be huge like dome or anything. Just something with a coffee shop, ice cream restaurant, things like that that my wife and I could take our kids. And also we go out for a date night. So we're excited. We see the small area plan encourages that type of walkable neighborhood. My few interactions with the developer gives me confidence that he desires the same kind of walkable neighborhood, that it's a sense of place, a destination that the community proud of. And so for those reasons, I strongly support the smart plan. Could you state your name for the record? What's that? Could you state your name for the record? Oh, sorry. Andrew Chapman. Thank you. Next up, Dmitri is Xavier Rodney. I hear earlier Norman Brown and are going to call in the next five up to the front bench Claire Harris, Grant Bennett, Richard REPP, John Joseph Nieman and Tara Durham. You could come up to the front. Go ahead. Thank you for allowing me to speak. I'm Norma Brown and I'm a graduate of Rada Hinds, class of 1959. Makes me a little awkward. And I'm also the representative of the Spirit of the Hero Association, which is the Alumni Association. I am pleased to say a representative on the meetings that we have held. I live in the area. 2200 south her away. So that's not very far from the heights. I see it nearly every day. The stockholder committee had been meeting with the City Planning Department and working on the small area plan for the past year with much discussion. Pros and cons and a lot of input. I feel that the West Side has been very helpful in speaking what they needed and what they might do. Our work will bring this area of old, beautiful buildings, along with some new buildings alive. And this is what we need in that area. This project has brought the community together. All of the area's developments have been represented at these meetings. I am in favor of the small area plan. I have this written. We have worked hard on it this past year. I am looking forward to seeing you. Vote yes on the plan as written so we can begin to see a beautiful, historic and thriving community in the southwest area. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Claire Harris. My name is Clare Harris and I live four blocks from Mirada Heights and this is the third house I've had in this area in 50 years. So I've lived near Lorenzo Heights for 50 years. I graduated 1978 with a degree in nursing. I also hosted Japanese students Take You in the nineties. I used to take my kids swimming and to the theater for plays. So and I represent college view, which is the whole neighborhood across the street. As you can tell by our name, Loretta Height's management man matters to our whole neighborhood. I'm totally in favor of the plan. We've had a unanimous vote at the College View Neighborhood Association Board. Many of my remarks were covered by Martha Kirkpatrick. She did a great job and I've also seen the project. Jim Hartman is done in Northwest Denver, so I'm looking forward to pay increase your hall being developed. I want to mention that the group that met together, I went to every meeting, every community meeting. I went to see every site visit for the for the group that we worked with that many, many people were represented at that group, including all the neighborhoods, all kinds of other interested parties. We had many people behind us who gave input. What I noticed was the people that had negative remarks and things to say or questions about the plan. We were open to hearing all of them. One striking thing to me was that the developer was essentially just a member of the group. I didn't hear him take over any meetings. The city employees ran the meetings fairly every month. When we got back together, they ran a summary of the previous meetings comments. So positive comments and negative comments were raised again and again. I felt that we debated all those publicly. Some of the people you've heard speak tonight against the plan raised the same issues over and over. We discussed them, we debated them. We came to conclusions. No one seemed to be leading us. They seemed to gather our input and put it all together. So my feeling is that the process was very open. I know people have spoken about how many people didn't attend that fliers were sent out in all in Spanish. I will note that many people in my neighborhood of College View don't show up for these meetings. So I don't think it's about the outreach. I think it's about a lack of participation by citizens. So I am in favor of the plan as it stands and hope it is soon. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Grant Bennett. Good evening, council members. Thank you for your time tonight and president of council. I note that, um, my name is Grant Bennett. I am a resident 40 at 30 East Alabama place in Denver and my councilman stepped out of the room. But kudos to Councilman Cashman and he lives a block away. I was introduced to the Alert Heights Steering Committee as I'm part of the Pink Racial Hall Redevelopment team. We're pretty excited to be working on that project, bringing affordable housing and historic preservation to that project. And I can just tell you that it is complicated, very, very complicated. And so you've heard a lot about historic preservation tonight. And it's not straightforward. It's not simple. It takes two years and layers and layers and layers of bureaucracy to get a project done. And so I just want to start by saying that's what I'm working on. That's my connection to the steering, the small area plan process. So we were invited and sat through those steering committee meetings listening the whole time, and we were impressed by what we saw because of the conversation. Welcome back, Councilman Cashman. I noted that we're neighbors and you're District six. I called you out or you're gone. Sorry. And so we were excited to see the process unfold. Brandon, earlier, the staff member mentioned about the historic resources and the inventory that was done and how really there was a robust discussion about the historic inventory done for the buildings on the campus. And obviously, I very much care about paint creation on that project coming together. But really the city had a great process in place and allowed for that robust discussion to occur. I have a background in real estate development and in sort of city planning. I worked for six years in the last decade for the Denver Urban Renewal Authority and came to many council meetings to watch this process unfold. And I was impressed by how the city really got a plan in place before development activity is happening. I know being a resident in Denver and seeing certain development projects unfold, I don't always like what I see. But the fact that a planning process is happening now, not six months from now, not a year from now, but well in advance of even the project I'm trying to promote means that we're doing something right. So he's excited to see that play out in this stead. And to just really listen in to that process. So with that, I support the plan. I encourage you to all do the same. And I will add on that. Sister Mary No, I like it. It's wordy, but live, learn, play, pray, work, work. Oh, darn it. I forget the work part. Okay. Good job. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Richard repped. Good evening, City Council. I've been in Colorado for 33 years and I've lived in my. House in southwest Denver for over 20. Now. Raised four kids, son in Denver public schools. Ran a small business in southwest Denver. They joined all the sports clubs, did all after school activities. And in that time, I met a ton of people from my neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods. And I see those people at Belmar. Southwest Plaza because that's where we have to go. We don't have anything like that. We don't have. A jewel in southwest Denver. If Loretto Heights gets redeveloped, as is, that might give us something to come visit. It's in our own neck of the woods and people are willing to travel from our neighborhood to these destinations. I think about the people outside that will travel to our destination if it gets developed properly. Let's give ourselves something to be. Proud of in southwest Denver. It's a beautiful place and I love it. Thank you. Could you state your name for the record? Yeah. Rich rep. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, John Joseph Newman. Good evening, counsel. My name is John Joseph Neiman. I was born and raised in the north side of Denver, and I'm a current resident. Of the Harvey Park neighborhood. I want to start off by thinking of you guys for your service as council people and for your dedication to our wonderful city. I'll switch it up a little bit. I'll do a little allegory. There was an old elderly man who was walking down by the ocean after a big storm and the beach was covered in starfish. And he saw a little boy who was by the ocean grabbing starfish one at a time and throwing them back into the ocean. And he wandered over and he told the young man, What are you doing? There's thousands of starfish in the on this beach. There's no way you can save every one of them. And the young man picked up the starfish and he said, Yeah, I may not be able to save them all, but I can save this one . He threw it back in the water. I've been participating in a small area plan and I speak to Matt for myself for over two and a half years. Our initial idea of what we wanted to see happen with Florida Heights was one of the good result. We wanted a historic appreciation for the history of Florida Heights. We wanted to maintain open space and that campus feel that Loreto Heights has. And we wanted a vibrant and diverse community because that's what we already have in Southwest Denver, and we wanted to help maintain the really high quality standard and way of life that we have in southwest Denver. This small area plan is the community driven vision that matches those desires. It was led by Councilman Flynn, who I think led with an exemplary effort. And I want to give him thanks for that. I'm former president of the Inter Neighborhood Cooperation. And in that time as president, I heard a lot about the problems that came from the West Coast Facts Area plan. And I heard about the disagreements and contentions that came from the Gates area plan. And I can tell you after this year long process that I think this letter had similar to plan, is the best summary of plan the city has ever created. And so I'm very happy with the results. I think it does have the community voice and it actually did include the developer, which I was concerned with in the beginning, because in the north side developer's kind of a dirty word. But I think the problems that we have with gentrification as a city, the problems we have with growth problems we have affordability are not problems in this plan. This plan actually helps to address those issues. It tries to give the community voice upfront and tries to give us a chance to show the developer what we care about . And this plan does that. It'll help avoid gentrification. I heard something about 7 to 8% for affordable housing. I think that's a guaranteed low. That's that's the part we've heard definite. And I know from hearing others that we're going to see a lot more. This is a very important plan and I'm really. Glad to be a part of it. So thank you all very much for your time. Thank you. Next up, Taro Durham and I'm going to call it the next five. Glenn Durham, Renee Moffat, Mark Upshaw, Brad Will Wilkin and Sherman Sekou. Go ahead. Counsel. My name is Tara Durham. I live in Chatham Park, which is adjacent to the Loretto Heights campus. I am a secretary for our R.A. It's Sharon Park, South Marley in Brentwood. Arno. I also was a steering committee member on the Loreto Heights small area plan. I think it was a very community driven process and I was very thankful to be a part of it. And I would like to. Thank Councilman Kevin Flynn as. He was tremendous. In getting all of our community. Involved and to be a part of this multi-year plan. And I do support the plan in full favor. And I ask you all to as well. Thank you. Next up, Glenn Durham. Thank you for hearing this out side by side. My wife and I are passionate about history, architecture, and we care deeply about our neighborhood. Kevin helped us organize our registered neighborhood organization. South Marly, Brentwood. Sure. Sharon Park. We also participated in other meetings and organizations as well as HCI, and that that was helpful when Catullus was interested in purchasing this property. A little history lesson. They would have brought everything this this community fears. I used to call them, can't tell us. Because they couldn't. Give us a straight answer on anything. I think West Side has been generous, understanding, flexible in hearing us out. We we literally live five houses from the cemetery. We back up to the open space. I'm a little nervous right now because this is a big deal. I fully support this plan. I believe it encompasses everything that we've worked for for these last three and a half years. Thank you for hearing me out. Thank you. Next up, Renee Moffitt. Good evening, handsome. My name is Renee Moffett. I'm a songwriter and art director and homeowner in Harvey Park, which borders Loreto Heights. I approve of this plan and I'd like to share three reasons and a. Prepared statement why I. Highly encourage you to approve the Loreto Heights plan as well. This process has been sound. I've attended numerous meetings over the past year and have found the entire process to be inclusive, engaging and transparent. Community voices have been heard. Hopes, wishes and concerns have been expressed, and the majority sentiment has been well captured by this plan. Where side partners have been present throughout this entire process. And have shown themselves to be ready and willing to personally connect with our community. Councilman Flynn and his office have gone above and beyond in creating a new. Model for public and private collaboration. I've met more neighbors, community leaders and city officials because of this very process. We are all working towards the same outcome and this process. Exemplifies that work. That outcome we all desire is my second point. We need a true gathering place for our neighborhood. Denver is growing and that includes. Its communities to the Southwest. To keep up with that growth, we need better infrastructure. That means roads, sidewalks, bike. Paths and housing. But to grow a true sense of community, you need a gathering place to relax and convene and increase the day to day interactions with our neighbors of all ages. When the recommendations and guidelines in the area plan are followed, I believe it will create this gathering place that we can all call our home and share with the city. Lastly, the redevelopment of the right of heights will create a regional anchor. Once established, I believe residents will begin to notice concentric. Circles of progress and rehabilitation and revitalization throughout the surrounding areas. I've witnessed this this this effect firsthand in other cities. That I've lived in. Approving the Loretta Heights area plan won't improve the livelihoods. Of just me and. My neighbors, but has the potential to increase the quality of life for the entire region of southwest Denver for generations to come. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Mark Upshaw. Mr. President, members of council. My name is Mark Upshaw. I live at 3492 West College Avenue. I support the plan. I live in the Dartmouth Heights neighborhood, a homeowners association of 72 homes. I've lived there for 17 years prior. I lived in the College View neighborhood for over 20 years and was active in its leadership. I am very familiar with Lauretta Heights campus and the surrounding communities. I remember fondly my experiences on campus of attending theater productions, workshops and especially running around the Campus Loop Road. I have communicated frequently with the stakeholder members who are part of the planning process. It's a good vision plan. It is founded on much good work. City staff, led by Jason Morrison, has done a highly professional job of distilling and assembling all that was gathered and presented. The community outreach was beyond anything that I have seen. The community, the developer, Loretto alumni and other related individuals. And community groups were engaged and. Represented on the stakeholder team, stakeholder group throughout the process. Here's here's what stands out for me. I always felt heard. This was especially true of the developer and owner Mark Markovich of West Side Investment Partners. He answered every email and phone call and was remarkably timely and thoughtful in his response. He attended community meetings that he was not required to attend or did not need to attend, and some of them were not friendly. He was present. He listened and he gave input where he could. I acknowledge and thank Councilman Kevin Flynn for the forethought of convincing the city administration that we need this area plan now. We need it now. I simply don't know what we would do without a big vision and long term guidance that that it will provide for the phased development and related zone change request that will come forward over the next two years. One last important thing that stands out to me as I know what the citizens and organized groups, neighborhood groups of Southwest Denver love and care about our corner of the city. We know its history and value, its history, its beauty, its vital neighborhoods, the inspiring open space, the parks, the greenways and natural areas. We know what schools and thriving commercial areas. However, Loretta Heiss campus, with its storied history and sacred purpose, is more than an icon for Southwest Denver. Rather, it is a high among the great cultural gems of all Denver. This plan gives Denver an opportunity to enable the greater heights to be an important part of Denver moving forward. I ask that you support and adopt this plan. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Brad Wilkin. Hi, my name is Brad Wilkin and I'm a Denver resident and also work as a project manager with Thrive Homebuilders. We're a healthy, local and efficient home builder, and we create communities where families can thrive. I feel really, really. Privileged to be a peer assessor, especially after Sister Mary now just really eloquently described the site. So I feel privileged to be able to work on this site. We're working on a portion with West Side. I also feel privileged because I've worked on a couple of other developments before, and this one is the most community for community centric process I've ever been involved with. Specific specifically. One example is in January, there's a community meeting. In March of Hall and I thought it was so cool and maybe I thought was cool because my wife's a teacher just down the street. And they handed out grade cards. And everybody got a grade card and they could grade how well CPD and Councilman Flynn and the developer was doing and everybody got to grade that and they didn't just put it into a folder then they, they published it on online. So I just want to say thanks so much for CPD. Kudos to you guys for a really transparent process. So we are so much in support of this plan. Thank you. Next up, Chairman CQ and I'll call the next five to come up with the front bench. Tony Hernandez, Gene Myers, father Joseph Deng National and Donna Rapp. Good evening, ladies. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Colleagues and. Folks coming. Here for this very. Important legislation. I was born and raised in Colorado and attended schools here, including college. Do you. And one of the signs that we had a deal was that if you are looking for a rich, sexy girlfriend, you'll find her at the U. And if you're looking for a wife, you'll find her at Loreto Heights. And that's kind of how this thing is work in the United States, this legislation. So you guys are sort of do you want to get a girlfriend or do you want a wife, though? Because once permanent was temporary. All right. And so what we have here really is the first step toward a happy union. One of the things that's a tragedy is that these zoning hearings pit neighborhoods and neighbors against each other so that developers can slide in on the down low like they did with this one. And all of a sudden, hey, there are things. We can't address now, but we're addressing them now. Anyway because everybody's like, and we're getting this. Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, yeah. It's sly. It's like it's wicked. And yet. Councilman Flynn. It's kind of like the cop on this. Is this is this Jack? He let this one get messed up. He's fired. Chairman, please, please refer to the council as a whole, not individual members. Okay. So what we have here really is an example. I need your community to pay attention. What happened to my community on this side? They ethnically cleansed us. There are now very little or no black people on each side. None. And then when you look out there, I mean, black people usually are dead. Look how many? Zero. None. Where there was outreach. Did you go look for. Hmm. And then we went to the Christmas program out there looking out for my friend, who I. Didn't know he could play an. Instrument. I'm sorry, but your time is up. Thank you very much. But guess what? Next up, Tony Hernandez gets you. The going gets you because they line up there and they go to tell. Care to discuss? Hi there. My name is Tony Hernandez, and I would like to thank Kevin Kim, my city councilman, for your leadership in bringing the area plan to our side of town. We've needed an area plan for a very long time, a neighborhood plan. So thank you very much. I also want to thank the city staff for their outstanding facilitation of these meetings. These are hard to do. I've done there was in my past that was appointed by Kevin Flynn because of my expertize in affordable housing and community development across the country and in Colorado. So I'm very excited about the redevelopment. I support the redevelopment. Unlike at Colorado Heights, what we're trying to do is make sure, as the system talked about the preservation and protection of the buildings, the views, those are the things we're looking for. The vision plan that we have in the area plan really provides a vision which is about 100,000 feet. That's what visions are supposed to do. And that's why we're looking for the next phase, which we call the Large Development Review Committee, which will help us pin down what we need is certainty in protection and preservation of the buildings, open space and view plans. That's what's not been done yet. And so what we're asking for is continuing a process that really protects. The last iconic building and campus in Denver. But to do that, we're. Encouraging the city council to ask those tough questions. When do we preserve those. Buildings and views? Well, we have to do it before they start the construction, because once they start the construction, things have changed and the protection is less. So when you have a horse in the barn, you close the door so the horse doesn't leave. You don't open and let the horse go and say, We'll get a new door pretty soon. So I'm encouraging the large development review committee to really certify and give us some certainty in the preservation of the views and the protection through a historic district designation that is so important. Last thing I'd like to share with you is the importance of looking at the metro districts. It's a great tool for financing. As a financier, I've brought over $21 billion in the state of Colorado and have used the metro districts to do that. There is concern with Metro District. That means the Metro District becomes the local government. They have the board, they do the votes without input from the citizens because they're out there votes on the board. So I encourage you look at it because if you do not do a designation at the large review committee, developer can do whatever he wants. And I believe Mark will do good things. But I've been with lawyers and developer for if you don't put it in writing, it's not certain. So encourage more certain powers. So thank you very much. Thank you. Next up, Gene Myers. Good evening. I'm Jean Meyers. 1875 Lawrence Street in Denver. I'm the CEO of Thrive Homebuilders. And as a local builder, we are very grateful to have. Been selected as one of the builders of Loreto Heights. So thank you to West Side and to Mark and to Andy. I was going to talk about my first day as a freshman at DU in 1969, but the chairman still stole my thunder. I think I was told on the first. Day that Loretto Heights is where the pretty girls were. I would just like to compliment the collaborative. Process that has been undertaken. You've heard heard that from numerous people. I think a kudos needs to go to the city staff for genuinely investing in this inclusive and genuine process. I have to admire Councilman Flynn. I've never. Experienced anybody quite as engaged. As he is in this issue, and. I spent a couple of hours in his presence and very impressed with his command of the issues. Thank you for listening. And we we very much support the project. Thank you. Next up, Father Joseph De. Boy, you guys are holy today because we have priest, we have minister, we have rabbi, we have sisters. Hallelujah. My name is Father Joseph. Dang, I. I'm on behalf of the Vietnamese-American community of Colorado. I'm honored to participate in the Loreto High Steering Committee and the creations of the area plan for the Loretto Heights campus. I have attended monthly at the steering committee meetings, public input, open houses and worked closely with Jason Morrison, Councilman Flynn, sister of Laredo's sister Mariano, and mostly with Mark. And yes, I have a problem to spell that is pronounce your name to icon. W I am super impressed with the astonished students with it. Very impressed of the level of input and collaborations with the community planning and development process. The Vietnamese-American community of Colorado is fully supporting the area plan for lower out of height. We are looking forward to seeing Loreto Heights development to kick in as soon as possible. The building has been vacant too long and vandalism has been a nightmare there. We believe the future of this great area will be a hub for the Southwest community where it can serve a multicultural center. I will continue to do my best to work with the city councils of Denver Councilman Flynn, West Side Investment Partners in any way I can to support this implementations of their Laredo height area plans. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, national. Name's National and I live here in Denver. I currently work for. Harris Cooker Smith, that's a consultant. For West Side Development and I fully support this development. Thank you. Thank you. All right, Don, a rep and I'll call the last four up Daniel Craig into for you Nora Jack was and Marc were quick go ahead. Hi, I'm Donna Noble Rep 4850 West Colorado Avenue two and nine. I'm president of my neighborhood organization and an alternate to Terry Tara Durham on the Loreto Heights Steering Committee. When they bought Loreto Heights, West Side Investments could have started building right away without even seeking a rezoning. But they made it abundantly clear from the beginning that they wanted to understand the pulse of the community. So the steering committee was formed a huge win for the Southwest committed community. The committee didn't always agree, but the steering committee members, most of them were respectful and collaborative. We also had some bumps in the road by agitators who tried to knock us off our focus by creating confusion and doubt. But in the end, we had this wonderful, guiding, visionary document without any amendments that I am very proud to have played a role, and I hope you adopt it. The process was transparent and communication flowed freely to and from city planner Jason Morrison and staff. We met monthly and throughout the process there were far for large community meetings for people to share their hopes, ideas and concerns. Some of my favorite things about the plan are the developers asking for a down zoning. I've heard it said The higher the penthouse, the higher the price. Which is exactly why I'm excited that down zoning puts a cap at eight storeys rather than the 15 story of this, the current zoning allows for the first time ever, Loreto Heights will be open to all people to enjoy all that it has to offer. The development will be an inclusive community and will be welcoming of all ages, ethnicities, abilities and backgrounds. It will offer a variety of price points for housing, including affordable and attainable housing. Not to mention opportunity for jobs. This is what our neighborhood needs, and it's what we asked for. We have a developer that heard our desires as a community, and now it's time for you to approve this plan. So the legacy of Loreto Heights can continue. It's such a shame that as time goes by, more windows and those wonderful buildings are shattered by rocks or bullets. Graffiti is sprayed on the buildings. A dumpster is set on fire. That's happened. A vacant Loreto Heights 72 acres is not good for our community. We need to begin breathing life and love back into that wonderful space that the Sisters of Loreto first loved. Thank you for your consideration and thank you so much for all you do for Denver. Thank you. Next up, Daniel Craig. If you need counsel. Thank you for your time. My name is Dan Craig. I'm a resident of the city of Denver. I followed the law out of Hyde small area planning process closely over this past year. And as a resident, I'd. Like to voice my support for the smaller rate plan. I'd also like to note. That I'm an. Architect with. Shares Adkins Rockmore Architects. We are consultant to West Side Investment Partners. And in this capacity we were tasked by West Side with attending. Each and every. Steering committee meeting and public meeting to ensure that we would have heard. Firsthand the community's goals and aspirations for Loreto Heights. I personally attended each one of those sessions, as did. Many other folks from the consulting team. And as an architect, I would like to say to all the folks involved in the Loreto Heights similar plan process. Thank you for offering this. Opportunity to listen to your goals and aspirations for. Fuller. Heights. I applaud your efforts for your thoroughness, for your inclusivity. We appreciate the opportunity. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, interfaith. Hello. My name is Ian Thomas Tafoya, and I'm the duly elected co-chair of the Zoning and Planning Committee for the Denver Area Neighborhood Cooperation. Denver I c is an association of nearly 100 organizations in Denver. I'm also a trustee of historic Denver, and I want to be clear that I'm not speaking on their behalf tonight. In fact, you heard comments from John earlier. I also live in District two. I see in particular, our ZAP committee has been watching the redevelopment of Loretta Heights close for many years before this concurrent developer and before this small area plan. We regularly discussed updates, shared promotional materials from community planning and development and directed our members to attend meetings. I myself attended the last meeting and had the opportunity to engage with city workers and even held a design forum on the site. And we'd like to once again thank Mark and his company for opening the doors for this forum. And we'd like to thank the city employees for their hard work at our monthly meeting. This last August, we hosted an open dialog for the Loretta Plan, during which a resolution was brought forward asking for a historic designation district. Our committee members believe historic designation is the best way to ensure protection. And apparently so. Too many of the people that came here tonight, we forward this to council for the official record. And I do want to note that the 90 we made it in the resolution, we made it clear that we agree that this plan should this area should be redeveloped with a focus on attainable housing. Our members are requesting strong commitment to historic districting, and amendments to improve plans are something that we shouldn't discuss. A recent example is Councilman Cashman's. Climate Change Amendments The Comprehensive Plan. I want to be clear Hastert's historic designation shows the importance of the campus to the city as a whole. To designate or not is not a courtesy zoning issue. Typically, we would move this forward to a vote of the entire ANC member delegation, but due to a shortened window we were unable to bring it to the entire body for discussion. And so our Executive Board had us testify on behalf of the committee of which my co-chair, Christine O'Connor, added additional comments. If there are additional questions regarding our process, we're both willing to come back and answer them. I do want to repeat what Christine's point was, that upfront historic designation was the thing that required more scrutiny for all the buildings within the district, even if they were not individually landmarked. And without this process, hanger two would have not been preserved. I am pleased to hear that two of the buildings were committed to easements only mere hours ago, and I believe at least three are committed to. There is still work to be done to ensure that other assets are protected and approved tonight. It is our hope that our members will this is our hope of our members that this will be addressed in the planning stage, but know that the stronger the plan is, the more certain the community can be. At Preservation Agency is committed to hosting a community conversation with city officials Westside and historic Denver about how best to ensure this amazing asset is here for my grandchildren to enjoy. Now I want to add, I had heard from local community members that only a handful of folks attended the Spanish meeting despite a concerted effort. There are many Latinos in this community. Look at this room now. There are more consultants than there are people of color. Where is the Spanish media? I'm sorry. But your time. Is up. The outreach for this vote. And is this something that came before your time as a neighborhood planned? Next up, Nora Jacqui's. I'm not orcas. And I did my undergraduate work at Laurel Heights. I was a resident of Creature Hall during my stay at Laredo. And I want to say that I am very impressed with the plans for Creature Hall, where all 68 units will be designated affordable housing, and more than half of these are 2 to 3 bedroom units suitable for families. I am impressed also with the effort that has been made for community input for the small area plan. I understand that more than 1400 people had their voices heard either on in community meetings or in online surveys. I want to thank the development teams and the city planning group for their efforts for that and also the Denver Public Schools. May I particularly note the effort that was made to reach the Spanish speaking people in the community? I might say that if the return on the Spanish input was less than expected, it might have nothing to do with your efforts, but more the fact that some of these people. Are having. To stay under the radar in today's world and cannot come out to public meetings and give their name. I support the small area plan and I urge the Council to do the same. Thank you. Thank you. Mark or cabbage? Good evening, President Clark and members of Denver City Council. My name is Mark Ward Cavic. I'm a principal of West Side Investment. The owner of the Lauretta Heights campus at 3001 South Federal tonight, the Florida Heights area lead, Loreto Heights community led area plan is in front of you for adoption. West Side purchased Florida Heights campus in the summer of 2018 only. And I said this before only after all avenues to continue the 130 year legacy of an educational facility were exhausted. For the past year, we've been on the pause button and I have to say that initially I was apprehensive about the process, but I can tell you that I have nothing but wonderful remarks about what we've gone through, and we've been working in collaboration with the community and we've been also working with the city on this area plan process. And the results, as I just indicated, are overwhelmingly positive. I am honored to be a part of this process. I'm honored to have heard every comment, both in support and in opposition. The process has been beautiful because everybody's voice has been heard. We heard loudly that Southwest Denver has been overlooked for many years. It is clear the community is seeking a place to call their own. A community that envisions a mix of use, a mix of incomes, and a multi-generational development which honors the spirit of Loreto, celebrates the existing culture, embraces the campus characteristics and preserves the historical legacy. And that includes the cemetery, while at the same time the community is not seeking to move forward under the current zoning, which is incredibly dense. In closing, it is my wish to think about the future of Loreto and not be sad. So let's rejoice. Let's get together and breathe life back into this campus just as the community led area plan envisions. On behalf of the community, I ask for your support and approval of the Right of Heights Area Plan tonight. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes our speakers. Are there questions from members of Council Councilman Flynn? Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to ask Irene Aguilar to come on up, who's the head of our Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization Team? Because I, like many of the speakers, I'm very concerned about the potential for displacement and gentrification. And I think a lot of us have the same goal, but we view differently how to get there. My view of this is that it is currently vacant, so new housing there displaces no one, in fact in any places people. And the plan that's in the area of the mapping in the area plan has a range of housing from Pancreases Hall and others to come under the affordable housing program, but also affordability by design from thrive builders with price points that start actually below the average values in some of the surrounding neighborhoods. So Senator Aguilar, I would like to ask you, what is your view on the potential for development at Loreto Heights to either help prevent gentrification, to provide a defense against gentrification or the opposite? Thank you, Councilman. Flynn, and thank you, members of the committee, for your attention this evening. And to. All my neighbors who are here, I do live. Across the street from the vacant. Property. I actually, as you know, I've been doing research into gentrification and what can cause and what can exacerbate it. Interestingly. The the placing of a development being placed in areas that are largely minority is a mitigating factor against gentrification. And if you look at the area maps of southwest Denver, this is a largely Latino population. I think the analysis of the small area development plans show that it was 63 or 68% Latino. The other thing. That. Tends to be mitigating is if there is a large percentage of affordable housing and in addition to the housing that West Side Investment Partners has committed to, it at this point is only pancreas. While as part of the large area development plan, we will be having our housing people. Actually, Melissa Tardy was here earlier meet with to talk about deeper affordability and larger units for the area. Loreto Heights. Is right next to a Catholic Health Initiatives project. And it is across the. Street and are surrounded by. A lot of multi-level, very affordable housing buildings, which actually actually again tend to protect against gentrification. The further you are from downtown, the less likely you are to gentrify. And one of our complaints to Councilman Flynn constantly is how difficult it is to get from our community to downtown. And so there are a number of factors here. Yeah. You were on that RTD board. I remember that. But I there so there are a number of factors here that I'm speaking to you as your constituent now. Not as an employee of the city and county. That my apologies. That will actually potentially help mitigate this. I think. I think the largest. Thing that will help, though, is if we do get a true commitment written on paper as part of a development agreement for affordable housing in this area, it presents a unique opportunity to potentially build, as you mentioned. Attainable housing for. Many people in our workforce, including our teachers. It is a big barrier to recruitment in. Our city, is that many. Teachers cannot afford to buy housing. And so if there is a potential to by force to put for sale housing here and the 300 to $350000 range. That could really help to stabilize the community in general. I am hopeful that the amenities that the developer plans will come to fruition and will. Be sustaining and will help to create some jobs in the area. There are a lot of schools nearby. And around the area who would benefit from partnerships and employment and certainly economic development and opportunity could work with. Them around. Work force if that was the desire of the developer as well in terms of ensuring that we had utilized some of the city's development goals around. Redevelopment. And so I think done correctly, there's a lot of potential here. I think interestingly, areas in which the city has had high levels of investment are more likely to gentrify. And as we've been telling you for years, you have not been investing. In southwest. Denver. So I think we're protected. Thank you, Senator Jason Morrison and Mr. President. Oh, Madam Pro-Tem, sorry, I. Know that there are others in the queue. So I will just ask some rapid fire questions maybe for Jason and then for Mark and then I'll I'll defer and then come back into the queue. Jason, could you describe after we had the first community meeting in January where we had 230 people come out on a very cold night Thursday night in January. I came to you and I said, you know, we're not getting outreach or we're not getting turnout from the Latino community. We need to do more. And so I asked CPD to take on a monolingual Spanish meeting. And could you describe the outreach that was done for that? Sure. Absolutely. So great question. So as Councilman Flynn mentions, and I think Irene touched on this earlier, the very beginning of this process, we did our due diligence and want to kind of understand the demographics of the area, the planning area. And we did discover that over 60% of the folks that do live within the area identify as Hispanic or Latino. So in working with Councilman Flynn, we realize there's a great need to engage these folks. And, you know, we from day one, from that first community meeting, we had the bilingual fliers realized we weren't getting the turnout that we wanted to see. So we wanted to partner with Councilman Flynn to have this particular meeting. And so we sat down as a group. And rather than hold that meeting in the evening, we really wanted to kind of think think through this a little bit more and really kind of identify avenues and ways to get folks to these these particular meetings. So we decided to have the meeting during the Saturday morning. So traditionally, we do typically hold our meetings in the evening, but this particular meeting was held at first thing in the morning on a Saturday actually to get folks to to come in in the hopes that we can engage these folks. But in working with Councilman Flynn, we, you know, tried a lot of different avenues to get folks to come to these particular meetings. And so we we did everything, as, you know, not only distributing fliers through a company, but walking up and down Federal Boulevard and putting these fliers on businesses, apartment buildings to try and engage the renters and then even marketing the vendors more. Just kind of get to know your neighbors, you know, complete with breakfast burritos supplied by a local vendor. We actually had a communications team that went to a Zumba class. Believe it or not, I was not at that Zumba class. But there were folks that went to a Zumba class at College View Rec Center to try and try and get folks to to show up. So we really tried to get, you know, just be innovative and, you know, really work with Councilman Flynn in the community. And Adriana Pena was up here speaking about our outreach with Denver Public Schools and working with the Duka and Univision to really kind of promote this particular event. And we were very happy. You know, we did end up with 30 folks that did show up to this particular meeting. Did we want more? Absolutely. But we I think we learned a lot through this process. And we worked with our steering committee to kind of identify ways to continue the outreach moving forward. And I would encourage folks to work with CPD in the future to really, really get folks to think over this. I think I mentioned to you also that the Saturday before the meeting we held this at a neutral at a church at All Saints church on a Saturday morning. And I think I mentioned to you that the Saturday before that I personally drove up and down federal and post to those fliers. Correct as well. And that I also approached CPD because of what Mohawk has said. The second the last person to testify that there was great concern in the community about what what's going on at the national level with with immigration raids and things like that. And I asked CPD to develop a protocol, should we hold this meeting that we advertised pretty widely so that what our response would be if ICE showed up at the door at All Saints and we did develop that, correct? Correct. Okay. Thank you. And now very quickly, Loretta Height's community initiative had about you sent me the spreadsheet today for comments on the final draft. And by my count, with your resolution of them, 14 of them were incorporated into the final draft. 14 Those comments, eight of them involved such specific requests that actually come later and will occur after area plan is adopted but are more site plan oriented. Two of those were beyond the scope of what area plans do I think one of them wanted us to measure demographics with a five mile radius, including the city of Littleton and things like that. And that was determined that that's not something an area plan does. And the only one that was actually not accommodated was one that you heard here that the rest of the steering committee would not agree to. And that was an immediate, historic landmark district designation as the only tool on the table for preservation. And wasn't it the determination of the steering committee other than LHC and Harvey Park, that we should leave all the tools on the table and use the ones that produced the best result at the time they're needed? That's absolutely correct. Yes. Thank you. And just a couple of questions for Mark before I defer my name for a time, Mark McCarrick. Because you have been talking with a strike Denver for quite some time. I have been talking to historic Denver for quite some time. Okay. And those talks were aimed at determining the timing and the sequencing and the application of whatever historic preservation tools we want to use to save these buildings. Yeah, the talk has always been about preservation and, you know, preserving the buildings that are very important on that campus. No one, including West Side, but no one in the community has ever said we should tear down the academy building. That has that has never been in any conversation. As a matter of fact, to take it one step further, when we purchased the property, the property. That was our next question. Put on a covenant that prevented demolition. Tokio Group When they sold the campus, they would not even entertain a an offer from any buyer who would not accept that covenant that runs with the land. Correct. That is a true statement. Okay. In fact, how many minutes do you think it would take me to file a hostile landmarking designation bill? Should you or anyone in your group even breathe the word demolition. To the administration building. Or Pancreases Hall or the chapel or reload or relocating the cemetery? Yeah. I mean, I think we all know the answer to that question quickly. Okay. And finally, what's up with the cemetery? Tell me the status of your talks with the. Oh, I'm sorry. Before I leave that you've you did send a letter today to historic Denver, because although you're not finished and Mr. Olson is still here, I assume, although you're not finished with the instrument that accomplishes this, the intent and the committed intent now is that there will be permanent preservation protection on the I call it the Academy Building, people say administration. It was built as Loretto Academy, the Chapel, Pancreases Hall and protection for the cemetery. Is that correct? It is true. And let me take a minute to explain that letter. It is a true statement that today I did send a letter over to historic Denver, which was I think John used the word a commitment letter. The commitment has always been there. You know, I come from the Midwest. You know, my handshake is worth a lot. I know people don't necessarily believe that here in Denver, but it does. We have always said in all of the steering committee meetings that those buildings would be preserved. Mm hmm. You know, there there is already a covenant on the administration building where you can't tear it down. And chapel. And the chapel as well. And the way that the rehabilitation and the adaptive reuse of those buildings are going to work, you absolutely have to have historic tax credits. The historic tax credits are governed by a very strict guideline by the Department of the Interior, you know, which does the exact same thing, to be honest, that those easements are going to do. So the reason why the letter came out today is that we were trying to get an easement done beforehand. We're having the easements reviewed by our financial advisors just to make sure there's not a problem. But again, it's completely redundant to everything that we're already doing. Okay. You know, it's like belt and suspenders. Last, last, last question before I defer. What's up with the cemetery? My impression is that you have offered to facilitate whatever arrangement is is acceptable to the Sisters of Loreto. Yeah, I've been meeting with Sister Mary now and Ruth for a long time, maybe almost a year. And, you know, their relationship is going beyond the cemetery. You know, they've taught me a lot about the history of the campus. We've spent time up at Regis in the archives digging through boxes. In fact, Martha was there with us and on all the journeys as well. And at this point in time, we have offered many solutions to the cemetery. And at this point in time, we are waiting for the sisters to let us know which solution that they like the best. Okay. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Hines. Thank you, Mr. President. You know, with 41 speakers, it gives us an opportunity to rack up a couple questions, so I hope it won't take too long. May I chat with CPD for a minute? Just some about some of the data around the, you know, in the surrounding neighborhood. So we had Senator Aguilar say it was about two thirds Latino, 63 or 68%, I believe was her stab. Is that. And I think you said you felt that was approximately correct. Yes. Has the do you know if the demographic composition has changed much in the last decade or two? So I don't personally, I don't. No. I think my assumption would be that it's it's mermaid pretty consistent and it's in line with what Senator Regular said. Correct. In line with and also in line with all of the investment that we've done as a city in southwest Denver, as in not much. So there's not really a whole lot of need, I suppose, or a lot of opportunity for change, I suppose, just from natural evolution. The how many other do you know if there were other potential suitors for this property? I think there there were there were few companies or organizations that I considered purchasing, but those all fell through. Is that is that right? I believe so. So the one that comes to mind is, I believe in metro state was offered, but they did not they did not want to move forward with the purchase. Other than that, I thought my head I can't think of any others. I'm sure there may have been more and I don't know if someone else and that purchase was like for a dollar or two or less. Yeah. So that I guess in my mind kind of speaks to again to the opportunities in southwest Denver that have not really materialized and also speaks to perhaps the difficulty in doing something with this property. How many other culturally significant structures are there in southwest Denver, do you know? So what do you mean by culturally significant if you had to put a definition on it? That's a fair statement. I'm so I'm new to council two months as of and a couple of days. And I'm starting to realize that the questions that I ask people want to be very careful with their answer. And so when I ask vague questions, I understand that that's difficult. You could give vague answers, but I guess are there other community centers in southwest Denver as in like placemaking, where people go to to collect, they go with their neighbors and they you know, they that does that is that may be a bit more specific or . Yeah, that helps. So to my knowledge, I know Bear Creek Shopping Center, which is kind of located south and west of this particular planning area, is most likely, I think, you know, probably known as kind of that, that main kind of commercial, you know, destination place type Federal Boulevard has a lot of local shops and restaurants and small businesses. So that's another area I know. You know, Councilman Flynn would know the area, I think, a lot better as far as, you know, southwest of the actual planning area itself. But those are kind of two areas that I think come to mind for kind of a destination where folks can actually shop and experience retail and have kind of that community gathering. Okay. And I guess he does live there and represent District two. So I would hope that he he understands the neighborhood. May I also ask you a couple questions of Mr. Miscavige, please? So think thank you for coming and and thank you for presenting and being available for questions. We've had we've heard from a lot of people. I it seems that in my unofficial estimation, we probably had more people in support of the conversation than than opposed. There are a couple of things that I want to try to wrap my arms around. And and perhaps you can help me help me do that. Some of the folks who were against said that the community wasn't in favor of the plan and that but then once we looked at the surveys, you know, when CPD presented, the surveys were overwhelmingly positive. Do you have any sense of perhaps why, you know, the people who were against the plan felt like there wasn't community support, but then the surveys and obviously there were other people afterwards that said there was plenty of support. I just I guess I'm I'm not understanding exactly why there might be opposition to support. You and I both I don't understand either. I can tell you that the process, you know, has been very inclusive. I can tell you that when I first started, I was apprehensive as well as you can imagine. I think that the insight that we have learned from the community through this process has been absolutely amazing. I have personally tried to have conversations with some of the individuals that are in opposition, and all I can tell you is that the answer is no. When I talk to them. As in they. Daniel. I just. I don't understand. I wish I had an answer for you, because if I did, this conversation would be a lot easier. Okay. And so zap the ANC zoning committee, I believe, mentioned historic designation. I think Councilman Flynn had mentioned it's smart to keep all the options on the table instead of moving forward with one can. Can you help me understand a bit more about the, you know, keeping all the tools in the tool belt, why that's important. Specifically with regards to the idea of historic designation first. Sure. Like with anything you want to begin with the end in mind. And I think we're 100% aligned with what the end in mind is. The end in mind is creating a great community gathering place, maintaining the spirit of Loreto. And included with that is preservation of a number of really iconic buildings. So if the goal is preservation and there are a number of ways that you can provide for the preservation, why would you want to eliminate all of them? But one, why would you not want to take the best tool in your toolbox and use it? You know, we have buildings that are going to be very expensive to repurpose. Just by way of example, Pan Croatia is going to cost $22 million to renovate. The administration building is probably going to be in the upwards of the neighborhood of $40 million to renovate. One of the very most important tools that we have got to have in our toolbox is through the historic tax credits. And the historic tax credits will absolutely provide for preservation of not only the exterior of the buildings, but very important interior components as well. So I'll ask you again, if you were in my shoes, why would you want to get rid of a tool that you could find useful in the future? I know that's rhetoric. I am in the very wonderful position where I get to ask the questions. So the so because I'm not a developer or an expert in development after this, say we were to vote for it today, you know, start breaking ground tomorrow. Right. That there is there the large development review, is that another necessary step before you can do anything with the property? Yeah, absolutely. And that's a great point. I'm glad that you brought that up, Councilman. This is the first step of a of a number of steps that need to happen. You know, we do have the LDR process that has been referenced a few times here tonight. You know, after the LDR process, there's still zoning documents that need to be done. There's a development agreement inside the development agreement. We'll have the affordable housing components, the open space components and all. Yeah, the historic preservation components. And then beyond that, we also have to have site plan approvals and then there's things called construction documents. So there are a lot of opportunities for input still. Okay. So the the comments about displacement or, you know, effect of pushing out communities of color, we still have opportunities to weigh in on that in historic preservation before ground is broken. Is that correct? Yeah, that's true statement. But nobody lives on the campus yet. But if you're not pushing out, all the people are vandalizing the place. Oh, no, you're not going to displace them. Okay. So I think that's that's all I have for now. Thank you, Mr. Councilman. Councilwoman Joyce. Thank you so much. Jason, can I ask you a couple of questions? And this trails off of the last comments that were made just in terms of what the community can expect next, in terms of steps that either they will see or that this body will see. And it sounds like a large development review, zoning process, development agreement, site plan approvals. At what point are you plans determined? Sure. So great question. So as you know, it was in our presentation, we've heard multiple times this evening that the views of the campus to and from the campus actually just incredible. You know, having grown up in southeast Denver, I didn't spend a lot of time in southwest Denver. But the fact that I've been able to, you know, participate in this process and be on that site, you know, since we've started, this has just been fantastic. And to be able to see those views, I would highly recommend it. So the views will actually continue throughout the LDR process, where when we start to get into things like the development agreements, you had mentioned that that something like that, that's where the views would potentially live. So what would happen is within the development agreement we would work with the developer, continue to work with the community to make sure that the development agreement adequately addresses the concerns surrounding the views. The plan goes as far as to make reference to specific locations, so to and from the administration building from Federal Boulevard, the sweeping views from the top of the campus to the southwest, the Rocky Mountains, the front range, and then also to the northeast, to the city of Denver. That's the skyline. So those specific plans or scenic views are called out in the plan. And now it's up to us as we move through implementation to make sure that we capture those and it would be in the development agreement. Thank you. Is it possible to do a traffic analysis of Dartmouth at this stage? Not not at this particular stage, so not at the visioning stage. However, we have obviously we've heard the concerns. You heard the concerns tonight, particularly with Dartmouth Heights, where we worked with them to actually the language that lives in the plan now was crafted by Dartmouth Heights. And we worked with them to get make sure that, you know, the vision was captured. But it's a little too early right now to have that traffic analysis. But one is coming. The traffic study is coming in order to make sure that we address those concerns. Is it at a particular stage that we mentioned before? So it would be within the, I believe, the site plan, site planning process? I believe that's correct. And then my third question for you is the outreach and engagement for Latino Spanish speaking communities. It was mentioned that parent engagement took place at DPS. So everything independent of the of the single single meeting. What kind of input was received through that engagement? So I believe so what we did is we worked with Denver Public Schools and Adriana Pena, who was our kind of liaison, and we worked with her to not only distribute fliers but also, you know, incorporate feedback if she was hearing anything from those folks. And then at the particular meetings, we would have the sticky notes and we would have, you know, pages and pages of feedback that we received from those folks incorporated into the plan. And then we would bring that back to the steering committee, bring that back to the other community meetings in order to make sure that we were listening to these folks and we we had everything covered. So I can't speak specific to the engagement that Adriana Pena did, but she was instrumental in us, first of all, asking us to print thousands and thousands of fliers that were distributed in backpacks of children in area elementary schools. And I know that she did have engagement with some of those folks throughout the process. Okay. Thank you. Just one question for Mark. Now the increase to haul affordable housing units are already set. At what point would anybody know that additional affordable units are being considered? We are considering them so now. Okay. And do you know. What that will be? I do. I have some ideas of some concepts that we're working on. It involves some pretty heavy lifting on one particular project of another adaptive reuse of a building. It would be potentially gauge towards seniors. And that is my next target that we're working on right now. Is there a point where community will know exactly when they'll be able to either hear what those unit numbers are, what the percentage of the overall plan will look like, anything that indicates to them it's going to be more for sure than increase the whole. Yeah. Part of our LDR process as a community outreach, there is a community public meeting I think is the technical term for it. That meeting is already scheduled. It's on October 1st over and match both on the library. So those that want to come, you're welcome to attend in that meeting. You know, it's where our plan is to unfold more, you know, talk about more ideas. We are expecting fact expecting is the wrong word to we are wanting to do more than just penetration on this project. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman and Councilman CdeBaca. Just a few questions for Jason. Can you come back up? Jason, I have a quick clarification there. Were you what was the partner or partner groups role in the development. Of this site plan? So I believe the partner company served as kind of a consultant to the development team. So they were they consulted with was side. Did you come from partner. Before coming to the city? That's incorrect. No. What was your relationship to partner before coming to the city? Sure. So in graduate school. So I went to University of Colorado, Denver for two years of graduate school. And in 2012, I believe I, of course, you know, was was trying to find a job in planning. And there was a presentation that was done by the partner company working with one of the professors. I applied for an internship. I was an intern with the partner company for I don't even think it was six months back in 2012. And so again, that was, you know, so six, seven years ago. So you didn't work on this plan before coming to work on it? I didn't. And so can you. You mentioned that 30 Latinos showed up to the meeting that was designed for the Spanish speakers. Are any of them here? You know, it was so long ago. I honestly, I, I mean, I don't know. Did you guys receive any support from any of those. Participants for this project? So support is in. Letters of support statements. So we did receive. Sorry. Just sorry to cut you off there, Councilwoman. We did receive a letter of support from Cassandra Ornelas, who is with the Southwest Denver Coalition. And so she works she works with this community, and she was also a member of the steering committee. And so she was instrumental in helping us without that community meeting. So we did receive that letter of support that represents that organization. Okay. All of them. So I heard a lot prior to this meeting from people who had participated that there was a very clear separation between the site plan and discussions about how to finance it. Is that typical of CPD processes where you keep it separate, siloed? Yes, absolutely. And so I know it is a little confusing because I know that the Metro District was in front of council, gosh, a few few weeks ago now, I suppose. But the Metro District was identified in this small area plan as a financing mechanism or a tool that could be used. I know Marc and I think others spoke to the constraints on getting that particular measure on the on the ballot at a certain time. So that's kind of why that leapfrog. But you're absolutely correct that it is separate from from the process. Why do we keep those conversations separate? I don't know if I can answer that question. Does the financing mechanism ever. Factor into the ability of the plan to meet the goals of equity and inclusion? I believe it does, yes. And if I know that Andrew Johnson is here to speak a little more specific about the metro districts, I did not work on the metro district and I don't really know the ins and outs, so I'm a little worried. I'm not going to speak eloquently about that. So if we can bring up Andrew, I think you might be able there to answer that. Well, we can save that one. But do you know off the top. Of your head what you guys spent to do community engagement, outreach from your office and then perhaps from you. All mark my work. So I do not have a specific dollar amount, but I can tell you that we spent a great deal of time with the outreach. And again, I just want to reiterate the you know, the avenues that we went to try and come up with innovative approaches. One thing, Councilwoman Torres, I did forget to mention is all of our spin or excuse me, all of our surveys were also in Spanish. So, you know, we actually went outside of the planning realm and work with our community folks that, you know, are specific with community engagement and develop these types of surveys. So a lot of time and effort went into these and I don't have a dollar amount for, you know. Do we ever monetize it? So we do. I know that it is part of our budget. I don't know off the top of my head what what is specifically allocated for that. But we we do have kind of a chunk that is used for that and that that involves the outreach, that involves supplying, you know, food, things like that. Some of these particular meetings as well. Is, is there's no. Dollar amount attached to that chunk. So there is a dollar amount. I do not know what that dollar amount is. And one question before I ask us a couple of the same questions to my mark. How do you define inclusive? I think that's that's a great question. So I think, you know, inclusivity is it's where, you know, I always think back to that definition of equity that it's it's to make sure that everyone has a chance. Right. Everyone has a chance to participate. And I think that that involves. Proper engagement that involves thinking outside of the box. But I think that's how I would you know, I would define inclusive, is that everyone can participate and everyone has a say moving forward. Thank you, Mark. Can you tell. Us a little bit about what your budget was for outreach and engagement? We didn't have a budget for that, councilwoman. Our goal was to get out to as many meetings as possible. And I think that you heard from a lot of individuals that every meeting that I could possibly attend, I was there. There was no budget set aside where I had to spend X number of dollars or once I spent X number of dollars, I was done. So what did you spend? I have no idea. I really don't. And so when you guys were firing haphazardly throughout the area, was there any consideration. For the fact that you have. Yes, a majority Latino community, but. In college. View, 76% of homeowners are Latino. In Mali, 44% of homeowners are Latino. And in Harvey Park, 23 are 29% are Latino. Was there any. Consideration to maybe sending postcards to their. Houses to let them know or engage them. With all due respect, this is a city led area plan. This is not a developer led area plan. The outreach program was through the leadership of the city and me. Mark with Cabbage and West Side as the developer participated. We went to meetings, we answered questions and we engaged with the community. But we specifically didn't do the outreach. So with this. Majority Latino neighborhood and 44 people who spoke tonight, I think there was one Latina who lived in the area, one who participated on the group, and then one who was a representative of DPS. Does that feel inclusive to you or does. That fit with your definition of inclusive? The answer to that question is they weren't. It wasn't that they weren't reached out to councilwoman. I think it's the question of why aren't they coming? And do I think that that's inclusive? I think the outreach was there. The question, and I think somebody asked it earlier, is why are they not coming? It wasn't for a lack of trying, and I can assure you of that. Thank you for that. Just just. A little. Piece about inclusion, though. It's an acknowledgment. Inclusiveness is an acknowledgment of the injustices. That have gotten us to this point. And it's not actually a favor that. Those of us with privilege do for those who have less privilege. It's a partnership and intentionality behind what we're doing to make sure that whatever those barriers are, we're not explaining them away later. We're actually addressing them. But thank you for your questions. I'm sorry, what was that last point? Thank you for your questions. You can rewatch the video. We'll need it for the next parts of your your process. Are you alone? All right, Councilman Ortega. Thank you, Mr. President. Let me start with. I want to ask Jean Moore, are you still here? Gene? Jane Myers. I'm sorry. Jean Myers, is he still around? No. He's out in the hall. They're getting him. Sorry, Jane. I'm calling you up to the podium, if you don't mind. So I just want to clarify, are you going to be developing the affordable units in reshuffle? No. Okay. Are you intending to do any development on the on the site at all? Yes. Okay. And will that be affordable units? We're in the midst right now of working that overall project plan out for the development agreement. Okay. So we're counting up pancreas creation units, units that would occur elsewhere and then arriving at what we need to be doing on our site. Okay. And I just wanted to ask you if you could just talk a little bit about some of the affordable housing projects you have done within the city? Well, I think the big one is Stapleton. And I think between Thrive, we're a for profit company and Northeast Denver housing. I think we built all of the for sale housing, affordable housing in Stapleton. I think we've done three or 400 units and continue to build out there. Great. And we're is was that a mix between for sale and rental? It's all for sale. Okay. So we're a homebuilder, never done rental, never done any historic preservation northeast. And we have enough trouble getting. What we do right that we aren't trying a lot of new stuff. So I'm getting too old for that. So what you're looking at is for sale affordable? Yes, that's correct. Okay. Thank you. And I am familiar with the work you've done at Stapleton, which I think has been outstanding housing for folks that are at a lower price point. So appreciate that. Let me move on to have a couple of questions for the city attorney. I have a copy of the letter that was written to John Olsen by Mark. And I'm wondering if that is something that we can just incorporate into the record and what is the the most appropriate way to do that? Kirsten Crawford Legislative Council in yes, you can put that into the record. And I would suggest, I think that you give a copy to medication. She can make sure it's part of the record. Okay. Okay, great. And just make sure that, Mark, you have no issue concerned with that being part of the record since it's already been referenced on a couple of occasions. As I mentioned before it, we're doing it anyway. Yeah. So it's completely redundant and I welcome it to be part of the record. Okay, so while you're up, I have a couple of questions for you. Can you tell me? So I know you're just focusing on what the financing is going to look like for this project. Had to get through sort of the the planning and trying to understand where the roads are going to be and, you know, what buildings are going to be preserved and what other types of development to include on the site. But do you anticipate the use of tax increment financing at all at this point in time as you're sort of brainstorming what those different financing tools might be? I do. Okay. And do you intend to own and. Maintain the development or do you are you looking to master plan the whole site and have other developers come in and do other components of it? Yep. Great question. My vision for Loreto is to find the best. Developer for each component of the project. There are some things that I know that we can do well, and there are other things that I know other people can do well, like Jean behind me. We brought Jean into this process early because I wanted the person who was going to be doing the for sale to also be at every community meeting and listening in the background without tainting the process, which was a little bit challenging to do, but just to keep them in the background and listening and to continue to have us, you know, regurgitate what we heard. And so the plan, as we're working on them, can incorporate what the community is asking for. So my next question is kind of focused on what those additional reviews are that still need to be brought forward for approvals. Some of them will be done by the Planning Department and some of them will be done by city council. Obviously, if if TIFF is one of your financing tools that will come before this body. Yep. The large development review. The zoning. And the historic preservation rate as well as the TIV. So those would be the additional opportunities where the community gets to have additional input before this body on those various components of this development. Right. Yep. I'll be up here a lot. Okay. Um, my last question is back to the city attorney, and this has to do with the Metro District. There were some questions, and I think Andrew came back into the room. If there's a need to have you weigh in, Andrew. So I want you to clarify. There have been some comments or concerns expressed that a metro district gets to completely do language that waves them out from having to participate in TABOR. And I just want to clarify that. The city of Denver still gets the bass mills from the development. And Andrew, I don't know if you or Kirsten want to speak to this issue. So can you just clarify that this doesn't completely waive all taxes, collected property taxes, and exempt them from from TABOR entirely? So can you just clarify that? So we know this project has 50 mills, but that's on top of the RTD DPS. So can you just speak to that? Right. My name is Andrew Johnston. I'm with the Department of Finance. I work on special districts. I was here a couple of weeks ago talking about the metropolitan districts. And so I'm. I'm a little. Confused by the question, so help me understand it a little. Bit. But. Metropolitan districts the question. To can they waive. The right to impose taxes is that. No can can they. Not. Not opposed taxes, but. The The Tabor. You know, the taxpayer bill of Rights cannot be just completely ignored. But in terms of the bills that are collected on any metro district project, the metro district funded project, the city still gets those base mills. Correct? Correct. So the Metro Pass metropolitan mill levies are on top of their additional taxes because there are special taxing district areas. So DPS, the city and urban drainage, which constitutes about 77 mills across the whole city, are impacted by the activities of the Metropolitan District. The project will still collect that. Those will still be remitted back to the city. The additional mills are what they get to use to offset the cost of the infrastructure that's being built to do the project. Correct. Correct. And I just would like to clarify that, like the city treasurer and assessor. You know, impose all those. Impose and collect those taxes for each of those taxing entities, whether it be the city or DPS and the metropolitan district is a special taxing district that overlays the area. And so just on that, what areas are. In any special. District? They get only those taxes that they impose. So my last question is, have you seen that where we have met districts where it's layered on top of the base that's collected for every other property that it has? Created more challenges for a developer in either building affordable housing, attracting either buyers for housing or tenants for the commercial spaces. Can you just speak to that? I mean, obviously, it's a little, little more costly to be in some of these developments. But yeah, so I can't exactly speak to the answer to your question, but I think just if you think about economics in general, right. So if you have additional taxes in an area, then that's a burden that's just in that area. But the theory for. Metropolitan. Districts really. Goes to. Is there's also additional services and benefits being derived in that area, which is what those taxes are being used for. So it does sometimes provoke propose a challenge with affordable housing or trying to bring certain businesses in there. But usually the offset is the desire to, if it's a commercial business, that they want to be there because there's additional placemaking going on and things that drive people to that area for affordable housing. It's hopefully not too much of an impact, but when we do affordable housing programs. And bring those units to. The site, there's usually compensating factors besides the metropolitan district. And the state legislation that allows the creation of metro districts. Does it really give local government the tool for us to use that financing mechanism as a vehicle to mandate affordability and some other things that are not within the list of allowable things? Can you just speak to that? Sure. You are absolutely correct. You're talking about metropolitan districts, which. Are Title 32. Special District Act districts. They are an infrastructure financing tool. And actually. Creating. Affordable. Units themselves is not part of the purview of a metropolitan district. However, they could provide, let's say, the infrastructure. To help make give like, you know, roads and sidewalks and water. And light and dri utilities to those affordable units. So it's not a direct relationship. Okay. Thank you. I have no. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Flynn, you back up? Yes, Mr. President. And at the risk of, you know, we've been at this for two and a half years in the neighborhood, and I apologize to my colleagues for the length that we've gone on. But this is such an important issue to us. So I'd like to have. Tony, could you come up for a second? I'd like to do some maybe Rapidfire questions before we go on to the next person in the queue. Tony, I was. Tony reached out to me because I was very concerned about the fact that the steering committee was coming together and it was not it was very low on representation from our Latino community. So what we had was, if you recall, Tony, we had Jim Gibson from Loreto Heights Community Initiative representing LHC, HCI, and J.J. Neiman over here represented Harvey Park. None of my neighborhood presidents were appointing or designating Latino members for me. So you reached out to me, I think, through Larry Ambrose. Is Larry still here? That's correct. Larry had suggested you and I've known you for years. You're former state representative, which we should acknowledge your service in the legislature. And and you also had this deep background in affordable housing. I said, perfect. So I feel like a baseball manager. And we we did like the double switch. Right. And you took Jim's seat on on as the LHC person? Correct. That's correct. And Jim moved over. And so. Q You designated Jim as the Zahavi Park representative, and that's that's how you came to be and your input. You had a do you remember all those meetings that you came to? I know some that you missed. And Larry Ambrose was your alternate. And you remember those. And I remember you as you and Jim, frankly, as two of the most active contributors to making changes and tweaks to the language and things like that. Is that your recollection? That's correct. My whole goal was trying to make sure that the vision actually represented with the citizens wanted, and that's why they stressed so much. A historic district's affordable housing. Mixed income. Mixed use. Mm hmm. And not having traffic going through Dartmouth, those are things we stressed, trying to make sure that we'd hold that vision. But at the same time, we've been trying to find ways to have more certainty in those same areas to protect. Because a vision is a vision. It's the execution documents that are so important. So that's why the next phase, the site plan and the large development review committee allows us hopefully to put more certainty, say this will be protected and the toolbox that you helped us create. And I want to thank you for helping us do that. Try to make sure we have the right tools. The key is using the right tool at the right time. And we've been pushing to use historic districts sooner, not exempt beside something else, but trying to get it at the right time. And so my representation of both Latinos, as well as affordable housing has, I think, added value to trying to make this a better vision. More importantly, the execution of it that better meet. One of the questions we're going to be asking more in the next part is will there be a covenant for affordable housing because the prices of the housing on Loreto Heights will grow so fast. So if you build affordable housing now or attainable housing, you may have to consider what the covenant where you put on there to retain those and still have people move up the escalator for rental to townhomes, to single family homes. You have to have an escalator, but you have to have some strategy to make sure that happens. And let me ask you, we can count on you to stay involved in this. Yes, sir. Thank you. And thank you. I saw that you were leaving. That's why I wanted to bring it up. Thank you very much for that. Thank you. I don't think you need to leave, but thank you for staying. Jason, on again, just to not to belabor, but to amplify on the Latino outreach, the question was raised about flowering and outreach. And actually my council office supplemented not the developer because the developer putting money into this is something we actually did not want. But I my office supplemented CPD's outreach. You recall on one occasion for one of those community meetings, we leaflet it 13,000 houses. That's correct. Apartments, door to door. Door to door. We hired a service and we covered, I believe, every address and RV park, RV Park, South College View, Brentwood, Sharon Park. I think Donna we even did Marley and we also I talked to Sally Daigle, the councilwoman from Sheridan, and I got her permission to to leaflet in the city of Sheridan as well. And you recall that we did that for three public meetings, and those fliers were in English and in Spanish, and we had every door in college view and in the north. West corner of the city of Sheridan. That's correct. Yeah. And I believe it. There was for meetings. It wasn't just the three. It was all four of them. Oh, all Spanish. Now, we didn't flier for that because we targeted we we used the Univision and Adriana Pena. We went to the to the backpacks in college view and Dust Elementary to reach the the Spanish speaking community that way. So in that particular meeting, though, we we did actually flier for that. So that's when my team printed fliers. We work with Adriana to get those fires into the schools. Okay. But then my team actually went door to door along Federal. Boulevard real quickly. Then our view sheds addressed in the plan. Yes, they are. Okay, including from Loreto Heights Park looking toward the campus. Yeah, correct. From Lora Heights Park, looking southeast to the campus and. From the campus looking to the southwest toward Fort Logan Cemetery in the front range. Correct. And from Federal Boulevard, looking toward the. Administration. Building. The administration building. Correct. And actually from the northwest, also looking toward downtown and looking toward the building from the northwest. That is correct. Okay. On heights, we described that in the campus core, there is a maximum building height of up to eight stories. We revise the area plan at the suggestion of LHC Mr. Gibson and and I think Larry Ambrose was part of this. We actually did a site tour on a Saturday and we walked the campus and that led to West Side agreeing to language that says there will be one and only one such building of up to eight stories with of a limited footprint, correct? Yes, that's. And is it true that the Ruby Hill view plane covers the entire campus that is subject to an eight, eight story limit? That is correct, yes. So if that one building of small footprint were to be built closer up the hill toward the campus, it could not be eight stories. That is correct. In fact, the view plane mandates that no structure ever, ever will exceed the height of the dormers on the Academy building. The dormers that are on the the the the low roof there. That's correct. Yes. No building. No building. Okay. Did you do Mr. Chapman, an inch of Sharon Park spoke of wanting various wanting various housing types and price points. Does this plan enable that to happen? It does. That was something that was made very evident and very clear at the very beginning of this process, was to have a variety of housing types for a variety of incomes. Okay. Thank you. We heard some testimony that the recommendations in the plan favor it gives the developer everything he wants. And my impression is actually the opposite, because I saw all I saw 230 people from the community come out to the first meeting and we had about 120 at the second and 100 at the third. We had 30 people at the at the monolingual Spanish meeting, and everybody got to put their marks on the maps, including the steering committee. There are 28 major recommendations in the plan, and in them I counted a total of 193 specifically recommended strategies. It seems to me that they all originated from public input. It was 100% community driven. Thank you, Mark. Real quickly. Can you explain the relationship the West Side developed with Thrive builders? And just to preface that, your teams, your architect, your planners were in the audience specifically so they could start to think about how you can comply with this area plan. Is that correct? That is a true statement. I wanted to have them all hear what the community was asking for so they weren't getting it regurgitated through me, through the city or through reading a document. Jason, I'm sorry. I should have asked you this real quickly. An area plan is not a site plan. Correct. So when when we hear talk about the fact that West Side was developing a metro district with a service plan and they had some mapping, regardless of the fact that the mapping was totally consistent with what the steering committee was saying and what the public was saying. They are always kept separate, are they not? That's correct. I said you did not know that they were doing this. I did not. As a as the plan states, it is a mechanism that's used to finance. So we knew that it was in the plan, but I was unclear. I did not know that it was going forward. In fact, if the area plan process became more of a site plan process, we'd be meeting for three years, trying to site every building and design it and whatnot. Correct. So this is an iterative process. The area plan says, here's the vision and then we have the large development review. Then we have rezoning, we have site planning. We even have a subdivision plan that comes to us. Correct. Okay. I believe. That. That is all on Open Space LLC. LSI wanted at first 10%, but I see that they've asked for 15%. And maybe I should ask Mark this like you only asked Mark in the Metro District Service plan. I looked at the open space plan and there seems to me when I measured on my map, there is an excess of 1.1 acre in front of the academy building LHC. I was asking for 1.1 acre. I believe that's slightly larger than that as well. At the time we put the Metro District plan together, which we needed to do as part of the service plan, we we took the best information we at the time and put it down. So I know that you don't have a percentage yet of open space, but 10% is the maximum that you're required to provide. The open space plan mapping I saw on the service plan actually has substantially more than that, doesn't it? It does. Okay. Thank you. That's all. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Gilmore. Thank you, President Clark. Jason, I have a couple questions for you. So Mark had mentioned and I just want to make sure I understood correctly. So it sounds like there's a community meeting that is already scheduled for October 1st for the large development review process? Yeah, that's correct. So that's the required community meeting. That's part of that process and it has been scheduled for October 1st. So I. I. Because I understand what Mark was saying was that this wasn't a developer led process. But I guess, you know, with that meeting being just a little bit well, about two weeks away and we're just hearing about it now, I guess I want to understand what is the the the agreed upon time frame in which CPD sets meetings ? Because, you know, when we did the far northeast area plan, we told city agencies, don't try to schedule anything out unless you give us at least 30 days so that we can be. Respectful. Of working families, families with children. And so could you talk a little bit about your internal policies on scheduling? Sure. Absolutely. So within the early hour process, when we do notice for that community meeting, it is a 30 day notice. And so notices went out 30 days to the property owners in the area. The code actually specifies that it needs to be within 200 feet. And the developer, you know, we communicated to him that, you know, within there's another process coming along. I believe it's the I think it's the tiny home village. Tiny home village is actually looking to amend that that hasn't come in front of you yet, but that's to bump that requirement up to 400 feet. So he told the developer that that was coming and it would it would be a good faith attempt. I think that, you know, we encourage him to do so. So he did notice up to 400 feet of property owners that live within the boundary. There were also postings that went out and I believe and so postings in terms of actually posting the property. And I believe there were nine, maybe ten signs that were posted along the Colorado Heights property and various locations, strategic locations. But to get back to your initial question with the notice on the notice was satisfied within 30 days. The developer got that out in time. And then are those notices also at least bilingual in Spanish? They are correct. So we worked internally to make sure that it actually it is more like a postcard and that it is in English and in Spanish. And are you open to work with other agencies, other community organizations? I mean, we have a really great agency, you know, human resources and community partnerships that might have some different outreach, some different ideas, maybe faith based ideas. Are you open to working with them to increase the Latino involvement and engagement in the LDA our process if this passes tonight? Yeah, absolutely. And again, I want to extend the invitation to councilmembers and also folks in the audience that if there are other mechanisms that you think you should look at in terms of engagement, I know across the board we are open to that. Absolutely. Okay. Thanks, Jason. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman Hines, are you back up? Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. President. So may I ask and thank you, counsel, our president pro tem for the question about engaging Latino, because I guess I'm confused about that, too. So, Mr.. We have each affiliate got your name right? I think I did. Um, are you intending to encourage people in the surrounding neighborhoods to purchase or invest in Loreto Heights? You know, purchase a home or. That has never been part of any discussion. I mean, if they want to talk to me, I'm more than happy to talk to them about it. You know, the process up to this point has not been about selling houses, though the process has been and only been about what is the vision that the community is asking for . Okay, fair enough. Mr. Tafoya, may I ask you your thoughts on. Yep, yep, yep. I figured I'd ask the question as you were making your way. So you question. You live in District two, correct? So how far from Loreto Heights are you? Are you pretty close. Or you live in Bear Valley, which is a couple of miles to the west. Oh, okay. So maybe you're not the best person. I'll ask you anyway. Since you're co-chair of the Colorado Latino Forum, though. So we've heard that there are 13,000 fliers issued, you know, cut some of Flynn personally, did some firing. CPD, did a lot of outreach. Do you have any thoughts? And I know this is somewhat speculation, but but with your connection to the Latino community and living in District two, do you have any thoughts as to why more Latinos didn't participate in the process? Well, I can say a couple of things. One, if flowering worked, I would have won city council. It takes a lot more than just putting fliers on people's doors to get people to turn out. A lot has to do with process. And this is something that I see. The Colorado Latino Forum people are trying to take a look at before the West Side MPI processes, which I got cut off on. I can't speak 100% to why people didn't participate. I can say that there is a supreme distrust of processes like this by people in our community, particularly people of immigrants and dreamers. You know, there's also recent examples where Latinos did voice their opinions like I-70. Where they were completely. Run and shot over despite the fact of participating at every step. So if I had a magic bullet to it, I answer it. I you know, part of the reason the comp plan and the Denver plan were slowed up is because of the supreme lack of engagement that had occurred. Something like 12% of the people who had participated were Latino. Despite we make up 38% or so of the city, African-Americans was even drastically lower. I think it was 2%. Even then, they make up 11%. I know that the equity training that the blueprint people in CPD went through CBD. I'm having a meeting with them on Wednesday about Latino engagement. I think they're trying. I don't think we figured it out, though. Okay. And I guess in some ways it's a chicken egg thing except the other way around in that perhaps the Latino community feels not heard. And so then they'd say, why bother? Participate. So then they start participating and then they're not heard. So, Mickey Guyton, may I ask you the same question as so? And again, I understand this is speculation, but but my thought is how really the nature of the questions that I'm asking here is how can we get engagement? I don't I don't I don't want to. Do you want me to do the job of the CDP? No, because I can give you an invoice if I do the job for the CDP. How many Latinos are on your team? And why didn't the Latinos tell you that. You don't flier, that you go to their communities, that you go to their school, that you go to their place of worship and you sit with them. And you feed them and you have a conversation and you ask the questions and engage. And you have people that look like them engaging with them. So do you want me to do the job of the CDP? No. I mean, I don't I don't I don't really have any thought either way. And if you invoiced me, I couldn't pay you. So sorry. But I've heard. Yeah. But thank you. Thank you for your for your commitment to the Latino community and for your thoughts. I just want to make sure that if it's 63 or 68% of the community surrounding this plan are Latino, that the Latino community is engaged. And it sounds like there's an attempt and perhaps. An appropriate attempt. Yeah. And so perhaps I would just say. If they asked. People of color on how to engage, they would have known. Okay. Fair enough. Thank you very much. And thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. All right. So you know other questions. The public hearing for accountable 818 is closed. Comments by members of council. Councilman Flynn. Thank you, Mr. President. First, I want to thank everybody for staying here and participating. By my count, we had 32 speakers in favor, four opposed, and eight who took neither position. The developer owner hates when I say this and he knows exactly what I'm going to say and he's grimacing right now. But he would do a lot of the community outreach meetings by asking people, If I could hand you a magic wand and you could wave it over the campus, what would you make it be? And for the life of me, my only answer, my gut answer was if I could wave a magic wand, I would have found a way for the Sisters of Loreto to have. Financially secured the future of that as a college, as a university that would rival at the south end of Federal Boulevard the success of Regis University at the North End. And it would still be a functioning educational institution that we treasured for 125 years or 130 years. That magic wand didn't exist. Tokyo offered to give that the real estate to give it free. To Metro State a couple about a year or so before they put it on the market to give it to them. Metro hired Jones Lang LaSalle, the national firm, to do an assessment, and they turned it down because of the immense cost of restoring these buildings. $60 million just to get them up to be useful as an educational institution for for higher education. I think that would have been tremendous. But we have achieved preservation. We've achieved it thanks to take you by there. Selling it with a covenant that requires preservation of the of the academy and the chapel and through West Side, reaching the deal with Hartman Ely to preserve pine crucial hall with the certain certain preservation. Although we don't yet know the perpetual care mechanism, but the certain preservation of the cemetery, not a single soul. I use that term advisedly, has suggested that we relocate the cemetery. All I have heard from every party is we want this to be beautiful. We want there to be a buffer around it. We want it not to have development encroach on it. And we have a plan that says it will not happen. We we have a plan that addresses affordable housing values across the spectrum, 30% to 80% AMI workforce housing, three bedroom units. How many times have we sat here and approved affordable housing projects that are studio and one bedroom? How does that work for a family? Southwest Denver is about families, so I'm very happy to see multi, multi bedroom units. Some of the homes will be sold at prices less than what the houses in the surrounding area already sell for. The goal is to have a mixed income multigenerational community. The goal also no one talked about this. We hinted about it. But I want to hammer this like I did a planning board. The goal is that when you come here 50 or 100 years from now, you will always know that this was a campus, that this was a special place. Therefore, this is not just another quarter or quarter section of of Brownfield. This is a sacred site. It's not the highest point in Denver, by the way, Mr. President, because if you think about it, there's Ruby Hill, apparently. No, no, it's not Rubio Heights. I look down on Rubio from my vantage point because the agricultural ditch flows into it from the West. So it's it's not the highest point, but it does sit on a promontory that is very important to us. So when you come here 50 or 100 years from now. Not me, but anybody, you always want to you always will know that this is a campus. And the only way we achieve that is through the plans direction that this is a place you come to and not drive through. Very important that our transportation planners at the city pay very close attention to the direction in this plan, that there's no cut through traffic here. A couple of speakers mention the importance of not having that traffic funneled past save an elementary or even college view DST which is on the campus. Come see Dartmouth Avenue when it passes through the campus. It's only about this wide. It's about 30 feet wide. And it goes between the DST school, the DPS school and the Catholic Charities, Section eight apartments right next to it. There is no way to widen that into a thoroughfare and this needs to be recognized. So therefore, the Street Network here is meant to be designed for 20 mile an hour speeds that we prioritize the movement of people. First, the pedestrian and the bike networks are very robust and we are trying to design streets that that encourage 20 mile. An hour traffic. And if you try to cut through Loreto Heights campus, you're going to get lost or you're going to be sorry you did that, but hopefully you'll stay and attend a show, the theater. So I will I will finish with just to make note, chairman say who mentioned this. So I'll say that maybe for me, the most embarrassing moment of the entire two and a half years was when the chairman and Jesse Paris showed up at the Christmas service and heard me sing Silent Night in German, and my wife sang it in Spanish and Father Dang in a Vietnamese choir singing in Vietnamese. And then we sang it all together on the 200th anniversary of the composition and first performance of that song in Austria. And it was such a moving moment, but. But very embarrassing that you saw me singing in German. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Flynn, if you stick around till we're all the way done tonight, which might not be till 1:00 in the morning, Councilman Flynn has promised to put on another show. Councilman Sandoval. Yes, thank you, Mr. President. So this evening, as we sit up here, we heard from 44 public speakers this evening, and I would just like to say thank you all. I do not think it's easy to sit on that side of the of the dais. I do not think that those chairs, the pews you're sitting in are made to be very comfortable. I do not think that this process is very easy on anybody. If you're a single mom, you're not able to be here. If you're a parent whose kids are young and you want to read them books, you're not able to be here if you're hungry, you're not able to be here because you have to leave. If you don't feel like going through security, you're not able to be here. If you have to pay your pay for your parking meter, you're not able to be here. So I just want you to know that I see that and I hear that. And also, my mother graduated from Loretto Heights in 1961. She has been a co member of the Sisters of Loreto since 1994. Currently she is a grandma and she works Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays at for the sisters of Loreto. Like literally right now my mom is in Saint Louis with the Sisters of Laredo's and goes to the mother house. So my entire life I have heard about the Sisters of Loreto and the impact that they have on this community and in Denver in general. And I also heard that gentrification is real. I also understand your anger and your frustration at some of the processes that the city undertakes. It can feel be can feel like you're disenfranchized displacement has already happened in the Northside. So I feel your pain. I really understand what you're going through. And yet I also know how important a neighborhood planning process is. I also know how important it sets the future. It's not going to set my future. I'm in my forties. It's going to set my kids future and the future generations after that. And so these processes are not easy. Democracy is not easy. Democracy is messy and it's angry. And all of you would not be sitting here tonight if this wasn't your home, if it wasn't something. That you've really believed in, whether we agreed or we don't, it's your process. And so I just want you to understand that I hear you. And I also hope that you all understand tonight that this is not the end of the process. Use this energy that you have to come back to our council and talk to us about the preservation. I hope that in the next four years before there's another general election, that these applications about the preservation of this historic site come forward. You will have open ears. People will understand. We will remember being here until 936 at night. Hearing from you all tonight. Come back and talk to us about the rezonings, about the Dartmouth traffic issues. Don't let this process end. A lot of times the city leads these processes and then we forget about the people and you forget about the energy. And you go back to your daily life and you go back to work and you go back to your kids. Continue this process. You have a new council here in front of you and we are listening and I understand your pain. Northwest Denver. When I was growing up, it was 60% Latinos. When my father started Lacazette's in 1972, we were a Latino neighborhood and we are no longer. And so I understand what you are saying. And yet at the same time, I understand this planning process is real and it's important and it's important that we do it right . So thank you to all the task members who gave up hours, hours after hours after hours to make sure that this plan ended up in front of us. Thank you to the critical thinkers who pushed beyond and thought beyond what was normally presented in front of them. We need you. Thank you. To the land use people who think critically and push these issues. It's your your voices are invaluable. You. It's priceless. So I just want to start by saying that. And thank you, Councilman Flynn, for showing us what a what a neighborhood process with having 450 people looks like. That does not happen in northwest Denver. It just does not. So thank you for your leadership on this. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Torres. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple of things. I know that we were sent a number of recommended languages for amendments. And even my own appreciation for the number of processes that are coming up has made clear that there are a lot of those decisions that are going to be made in the LDR, the zoning plan, the development agreement, the site plan. So I look forward to capturing each of those pieces through each of those processes, including the number of affordable and deeply affordable and multifamily multi individual units. One of the things that I just wanted to say was the way that we think about community access for everyone, everyone has a say. That's equality. That's not equity. Equity means we're deliberately going out of our way, making it a part of our effort to capture historically underrepresented voices. And that's equity. And that needs to be 60% of a community process if it's 60% of the community. So I really do want to and I look forward and it was one of the reasons I'm I wanted to be in the seat right now from my prior job. That's that's where I want us to get to as a city. And I worked hand in hand with CPD a number of times who, in my experience do want to do better and do make efforts to capture intentional information from the community members themselves. I've done those projects with them. Everyone, every single project is not always the same. And so we've got to create an entirely different mechanism for community engagement. And I absolutely agree with Ms.. Guyton that it is through relationships, it's not through emails and fliers. And so all that to say, we have a lot more work to do and I'll be in it with you. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman. Thank you, Mr. President. Councilwoman Torres actually said what I wanted to say, but better. So thank you. The only other thing that I wanted to say other than equity and and that we're in the middle of the process, we're not at the end. And so I would strongly urge exactly what Councilwoman Torres had said about if it's 60% of the neighborhood, it should be 60% of the process. The only other thing I'd say is I live in Denver's perfect ten, which is obviously I'm partial. But when I campaigned, I talked a lot about the 20 minute neighborhood, as in let's get beyond cars and let's get everything that a neighborhood needs to survive and thrive within a 20 minute walk right or role as in no cars. And I see this as an opportunity for a 20 minute neighborhood in in southwest Denver. And the reason why I like the 20 minute neighborhood is, first of all, climate change is real and we need to get out of our single occupant vehicles. The second is this It's good for physical health for us to walk around and see grass and see the the buildings around us instead of see the the dashboard in front of us and the steering wheel. And then the third is it helps community. It helps us grow as a as a neighborhood. It gives us a place to go and meet our friends and meet our neighbors and hold hands with our partners and walk her dogs. And and it sounds to me that Southwest Denver doesn't have that. Denver's perfect ten, has it? I'd like for it to be even better, but frankly, I would like that for everywhere, including District two, to have a place where there could be a the concept of a not the concept, but the reality of a 20 minute neighborhood. And so I, I like the the plan. I like the idea. I want to make sure that the community is is included and engaged. And so, again, what Councilwoman Torres said, I would echo. So thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman Hawkins. All right. Seeing no other nobody else in the Q. I'll just end by saying thank you to all of you for coming for sticking with us, and thank you also to the people who are here for the next one that we're doing after this. I really want to say thank you to my colleague, Councilman Flynn, who really, I think, went above and beyond for our community on this process. And just just. I. Just thank you for everything. As I say, thank you to Clara Harris, who is one of my arsenal presidents. And as was stated, literally the name of the neighborhood is College View. And that's how important this site is to my community. And so for a year, just being in there at every meeting and involved and reporting back to the community and representing, you know, our community, thank you for that. I also want to say thank you to staff for all the hard work on this. This was not an easy process. And thank you to Mark for pushing pause and not developing. Just saying, hey, used by right, I'm going to go start building and building something that would not have been what the community wanted or would not have been good for. Denver So thank you all around. As I've mentioned before, this is a very special place for me. This is the spot that brought my mother to Denver. It's the place my dad, Chairman Sekou, mentioned earlier. My dad literally went to the right of way heights and found his wife and picked her up. For their first. Date there. And so this is a very special place for me personally and to, you know, to go through this process and to see and to see, you know, my mother's eyes just completely light up. When she found out that Pan Krisha, where she lives, was home for. Her. Her first home outside of the Midwest, where she came from, that it was going to be turned back into housing and affordable housing at that. So it's just been really great to see and I'm so excited to take this next step. I think it's a great plan. It's creating a community driven plan. And thank you to everybody who who got us to where we are. I'm excited to vote yes tonight. So, Madam Secretary, roll call. Black eye. CdeBaca. No. Flynn I. Gillmor I Herndon Hines. I. Cashman. I. Kenny Ortega I. Sandoval, I swear I. Torres, I. Mr. President. Hi, I'm Secretary. Please close the voting in US Results 11. I is one name. 11 I was one accountable. 818 has passed if you. For our. You are welcome and invited to stay with us because we're still going. If you're not going to, I would ask that you please exit as quietly as possible in respect for the people who are still here for the next one.
Councilor Baker called Docket #0265, An order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend a grant funded through the coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery fund (CLFRF) in the Treasury of the United States established by section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) awarded by the United States Department of the Treasury for $10,000,000.00, from the Committee on Boston's COVID-19's Recovery. No objection being heard the matter was before the body. Councilor Baker moved to amend Docket #0265 from $10,000,000.00 to $5,000,000.00. Seconded by Councilor Murphy Motion Prevailed; yeas 12; (Absent 1 Mejia). Docket #0265 as amended did not Pass; yeas 5 (Baker, Flaherty, Flynn Murphy and Worrell), nays 7 (Arroyo, Bok, Breadon, Coletta, Fernandes Anderson, Lara and Louijeune). (Absent 1 Mejia)
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0265 In order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expand a grant funded through the coronavirus, state and local fiscal recovery fund. C o. F. R f. In the Treasury of the United States, established by Section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a r awarded by the United States Department of the Treasury. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Recognizes Council Bach, Chair of the Committee on Boston COVID 19 Recovery Council. You have the floor. Thank you so much, Mr. President. Last night we had a great hearing on the potential of utilizing ARPA funds to support the Dorchester Field House was sponsored by a Councilor Baker and I want to thank colleagues for joining councilors Murphy, Flaherty, Louis Flynn, Worrell, Edwards and Fernando Sanderson and also to councilman here for sending a letter in support. It was you know, it's it's great to have colleagues in these chairs, but it was even better to have the young people here last night. And it was really, I think, inspiring to see what it looks like when young people are involved in a planning process. And then they actually get to talk about it and talk about the way that they have seen their agency reflected. So I think that was a real highlight for us here from the Youth Advisory Board panel, as well as being joined by the Martin Richard Foundation and the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester. So we heard extensive presentations from Bob Scannell, Dutch Joyce, Kevin de Blair. And then, as I mentioned, that youth advisory board and also heard from Mr. Bill Richard and a large number of community testifiers. So, um, the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester, in partnership with the Martin Richard Foundation, is proposing a field house that is designed to be adjacent to the depth. The McCormick Clay School is on a ground lease from land. One of the subjects of the the conversation was about making it deeply accessible to students. So they've been working on an MBA to make sure that both every student there gets access as a member of the club, and also that during the day it could actually be used as an extension of the school facilities. So I think we had a really robust, exciting conversation. And I also just want to, as chair, say that, you know, what Councilor Baker was modeling last night is that if councilors have proposals that they want to have considered obesity, the American rescue plan funds sort of. In concert with us looking at the proposals that are coming across the transom today from the mayor, that I encourage folks to file a docket and that my intention is to hold hearings on kind of some of the subject matter areas that the mayor's made proposals on and to co notice that with dockets from counselors that are related to this subject area. So I think, you know, this has to be for us to spend these one time funds in the best possible way. It has to be a collective conversation between the council and the mayor. And I think we had a very good go at that last night. So I just really want to thank everybody who testified we were here until 8 p.m., but it was just about the most cheerful till 8 p.m. hearing I've been a part of. And I think the students who are here in the chamber were taking photos and investigating the space after 8 p.m. and yeah, and I think some of them are probably coming for our seats before too long. So with that, Mr. Chairman, because we're continuing to consider the American Rescue Plan funds, I would ask that this docket remain in committee and also would obviously defer to the sponsor if you wanted to say a few words. Thank you, Counselor. BLOCK The chair recognizes Counselor Baker. Counsel Baker, you have the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. Is. My concern with the ARPA money is. That we are going to spend it all and not have anything to show for it. I mean, we we're in our budget initial discussion today and basically there was 350 million there that that they are looking to just send around 30 later gone. I don't know about anybody else, but I haven't been asked my opinion on where I think the money should be spent. This was a way for me to get my opinion on record here and in for a little bit of history. On a Columbia Point was formerly the city dump, and it was a Columbia Point housing project, which is probably the most overlooked, one of the worst in the country, but one of one of the first. Also, they sent in the I believe it was early fifties. They sent 5000 families over on the on the peninsula one way and one way out. No stores, no amenities, no playgrounds, nothing. The peninsula is a different place now. We have we have Dorchester Bay City looking to do some building over there that will connect on to UMass. And we have this project right here in a time where we have. Not just kids, but all of our families are suffering to some degree with what just happened to us and in COVID and just being shut in and trying to figure out how we how we get on with life and how we heal as a city , as communities. And I believe in my heart that this building here. We'll go a long way at doing that. And $10 million is a lot of money. It's a big yes. I've never asked for $10 million. Someday, maybe I'll be asking for 10 million for myself someplace but 10 million out of three. It's not from Ways and Means to 10 million. 10 million out of the 350 million that's available to us now is 2.8%. 10 million is 2.8% of what's left on the $350 million. And that's not including what's going into what the school has. BP's budget has they have another 400, $500 million. This project this project will provide everything from indoor fields. So when we when we have 15 feet of snow, we can still play soccer. We can still play baseball. We can still play lacrosse in the middle of the winter. We'll have basketball courts will have. We'll have. Sorry. We will have performance spaces. We will have spaces that that will will be dedicated to kids with disabilities that may have sensory issues. Will, will, will, will allow the challenge of leagues to come in. And the challenge leagues are set up for kids that have disabilities that are in wheelchairs so they can experience sport. There'll be a test kitchen in the. Basically this this project, if we do end up coming for a vote, we're kind of figuring out how we end up doing. The vote isn't for me. It isn't my vote. The vote was for the kids that were here last night that totally amazed a lot of people that I think were in the audience. And it's this sort of investment in our future, in our kids that's going to allow them to be successful into the future. We're a different city now than we were 1980 and 1980 when I was growing up. All fields are all terrible where I mean, the best baseball I played was on. I was on a hard parking lot that it shouldn't be the case anymore. We have technology. We have really, really good. Building systems where this building will be teaching and. Training. And healing. Not just kids, but families for generations. And part of the larger picture, this will be infrastructure that will be community infrastructure before we have a whole lot more development over there in the next 10 to 15 years, akin to the seaport. Not necessarily to that scale. But there's going to be a lot of building that happens over there. And one of the criticisms on the seaport is there's no space for families or kids to run, to play, to. To have a community in this would be in their first and a $10 million investment with from the city of Boston would allow us to really position. The large foundations in the city to say, okay, the city's committed. The state will. I shouldn't say will, but I feel confident the state's going to come up with a good a good bit of money also. And the whole peninsula, the whole Columbia Point Peninsula. And when I look at the Columbia Point Peninsula, I do it from standing with the with the globe in front of me. The globe is now going to be is is is the bead. It's going to be 700,000 square feet of lab space research and development, which is part of excuse me, it's going on so long, but I need to get this out, which is part of the whole. New industry that's coming to Boston. It's it's biotech. It's high tech manufacturing. We don't know the jobs. None of us here know the jobs. You know what plumbers are? We know what crop and design. We don't know. Well, I don't know. Maybe I'm maybe I'm being a some making assumptions, but we don't know what the people in those labs are doing. The globe's going to be training towards those jobs. The project at Dorchester Bay City is going to be connected on to on to UMass is going to be training towards those jobs. The whole peninsula is going to avail us the opportunity for kids to build. So. The peninsula is going to be 0 to 16. Training and development of young minds. And this is the first step of it right here. And it's an amazing, amazing building concept. And I think that when it gets built. Regardless if the city gives us 10 million or not, this thing's going to get built. It helps us a lot if the city is committed. But when this thing gets built, we're all going to be able to look at and point out. I see. I want one of those in my district and we're going to be able to do that. We're going to be able to take that model and replicate it because it's not just like when I was growing up, it was all sports. It was that was the only outlet you had. We weren't thinking about we weren't thinking of singing. We weren't thinking of poetry. It's all different here now. There's so many different ways to form the child. This building is going to form. The child is going to form. The community. And the most important thing that I heard last night was from a young kid that said, we want to add to the good in the world. This is going to add to the good in the world. And that's why it's a formal request for $10 million across the hall to say, look at it. Pay attention to it. This is the way we should be spending our ARPA dollars. And I don't you know, I don't want to poo poo on any other way that we're spending ARPA dollars. I don't necessarily agree with a lot of it because I think it's going to feel like a Vegas weekend when we're done that pockets are empty, we got nothing to show for it. Right. I want to be able to point to it. Look at this thing right here, $10 Million. You know, we won in Vegas. We hit it craps. I'm bringing 100,000 home or whatever. You know what I'm saying? Making the analogy. I don't want to feel like we went to Vegas and it's all gone. So thank you for allowing me to ground on there a bit. Mr. President. Thank you, Counsel Baker. The chair recognizes. Councilor Fernandez Anderson. Council. Fernandez Anderson. You have the floor. If it's okay with you. Council President, it's council me here. Council Murphy. Council Fernando Sanderson. Then council for clarity. Okay. The chair recognizes calcium here. Calcium here you have the floor. So in this tired of me standing up, that's why he's trying to silence me. You know that's not going to happen. So I just quickly wanted to say, and I really do appreciate Councilor Baker's advocacy on behalf of this particular project. I also would be remiss if I didn't mention that there was a little bit of a controversy in regards to this very specific piece of land. The McCormick students, the faculty and some of the folks really wanted to keep that space green and there is some tension there. And I think it's important for us as we continue to move forward in this conversation that, you know, in the true spirit of really reflecting community voice, that we, you know, we honor that and we just uplift it because that is definitely something that was said in the presidency or that community voice is also being overlooked. So I just wanted to name that. And while I appreciate, you know, the whole vision of what the city could look like ten years from now, I also want to be 100% that the city, what it's going to look like ten years from now is not going to be a lot of us being able to go to this beautiful community center that that we're fighting for, because we're not going to be able to afford to live here in the city. So I think that while it's really beautiful and I'm excited to to support this initiative, I think it's also important for me to uplift. The fact of the matter is, is that every day the city changes and the beauty, the beautiful things that we're fighting for, most likely most of our people are not going to be able to benefit from it. So while I support this project, I want to do so with naming that. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Here, the chair recognizes Councilor Murphy. Councilor Murphy, you have the floor. Thank you. So it was a very inspiring hearing. And I just want to thank my D-3 city councilor Frank Baker for advocating so strongly for this project, but always showing up in the district and advocating for your constituents. So as one of your constituents, I did just want to take this time to say thank you. Thank you, Counselor Murphy. The chair recognizes counselors and counselors. And you have the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank Counselor Bach and Counselor Baker for holding this hearing last night. Those students were extremely impressive. I have obviously a bias for some of the students. I'm a McCormick kid myself, and a lot of McCormick kids were here. I played basketball, track and field at McCormick because we didn't have a good track. We didn't have our own track. At McCormick, we had to use RBC High's track, right? A private school. In. But we also. Use the outdoor area for recess. And I think that it's important as we look at this project, to also think about the outdoor space and how we can maintain as much outdoor space as possible for the McCormick kids. There's also the issue of McCormick is merging with Buchla. That's going to add a lot more students to the campus, students who should be able to access the outdoors pretty freely. I'm also really encouraged by a memorandum of agreement that will exist between the project and the school so that we make sure that our our students in the area, both in the DeVry, the McCormick, BCA and McCormick UCLA, are able to access the site in a welcoming and and fully accessible way. So I look forward to further discussions about this project and also to honoring the voices of those who live in Columbia Point. They also presented a letter before the BPA announcing some of their concerns, which I think that we just need to take into account when we're considering this project. I also think, Councilor Baker, because last night, one of the things that he mentioned was that this project is a it could be a really great project in response to the reckoning that we are having and experiencing here in our city and in the country, trying to find spaces where we can find common ground. I think this project, especially with the use of ARPA funds, would really create a precedent and I think that is a precedent that I'd like to see a lot of our communities, especially communities of color use and how we're sending and supporting private initiatives, even though it's a nonprofit, it's not it's not a public initiative. And then, yeah, I think something else that was said was we should be creating beautiful buildings as a city. We can do that. We have the capacity to do that. And I'd like to see us build more beautiful buildings that really honor and affirm the dignity of all of our young ones. We as a city have the capacity and ability to do that with the land that is in within our purview. And so I want to I want to see us doing more of that. Thank you. Thank you, counsel. And the chair recognizes counsel. Flannery Council. Flannery, you have the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. Just want to go on record and support, strong support of this. And I think it's important to note that both of these organizations have a stellar track record in delivering real deliverables to children and to families in Dorchester. I referenced at the hearing it's a it's a it's a gem of a location. You think about the Columbia Point housing project across the street, depending on who's golfing. It's a five iron from the memorial. McCormick, where I was born. The old have a projects, right? Think about the partnerships with the McCormack and the Devore BC High UMass. All the jobs that are going to be coming online at the Bayside Expo. Don't forget the Geiger Gibson Community Health Center there and the the plan to revitalize the JFK train station. So lots of opportunity down there if there's ever an organization or partnership that is going to help close these gaps. We're looking at them. And I think it's also important to note the the author or the first speaker did mention that the collective partnerships, both in the private and public sector, that this this ask there are there are matches that are lined up with that match. To put this in a shovel ready position, which is what clearly we want to make sure that happens. So, I mean, if you can think about what is sort of been in front of me and my team in terms of the future of that peninsula, it's absolutely amazing. And to think about the pipelines that are coming from these schools to those other institutions to those jobs, particularly in the STEM field, will be servicing these kids in the sort of the first two priorities will be the high point. The housing development in just on the other side of the circle will be kids from the Marilyn McCormack I mean sky is the limit that not not hard to get excited about this so I think this will be it's a modest request frankly particularly given that the matches that are lined up to make this a reality for the folks over there on Mount Vernon Street and for futures to come, you know, the track record of these organizations, not fly by night, not Johnny come lately is not mediocre kicking butt in their respective fields. And it's about children and families and they will be served. Our most vulnerable residents in the city. Thank you. Thank you, counsel. Finally that she recognizes counsel FERNANDEZ Innocent Council. Fernandez Innocent. You have the floor. Thank you. Councilor Baker, thank you so much for actually filing this. And. And before I go in to talk about why I support the project, I go back to my point about, you know, it's it's so it's one thing to actually know that there's a disparity in certain areas, but it's another than to have to get people on technicalities or bureaucratic processes before you can have access. So it's I've been working in the last hour, my my office and my team and I have been working the last three months in building asset mapping comparative data across the city and looking at the deficits. We have a list of those companies and nonprofits and organizations. We know exactly everything that Roxbury needs by now because we've been doing the study for the last four months, actually, before I even got inaugurated. But then there's the other thing that in 2022, Boston understands deficits and yet only provides to those who have access. That's odd. And so then the question is, it's like you slapping me twice. You know the problem. You don't fix the problem. But then when you fix the problem, you give the other side double the money of what you could give me or what you end up giving me. So we are going to be looking at those things to see if any of what I'm saying makes sense. But I learned a lot from the presentation yesterday. Oh my God. Like you have the resources Boys and Girls Club does. I connected to everything there. The three girls that were here, they were all West African, right? You pull them my heart strings. The Burtons, you had BPD. Like it was such a sorrow and such a influential presentation. How could I not? It was holistic. It was impressive. We want one of every BP's. We want BP to look like that. Right. So I agree with confusion. If we are to sit for forward, is this what we're doing? This is a new culture, y'all. We're setting precedents. This is what we're doing. What we can do is actually access money. This is what this government says. We can access money. And if you don't have access. You, Counselor Laura, will. Help us with technicalities. And if you don't know how to present counsel, Baker will help with that. And if you see disparity, counselor, me here will help you advocate. We have what it takes. We have the money and we have all of that. Yet I'm I'm I guess I'm just spilling over because I'm looking at all of the projects that's already proposed and I'm looking at what's happening. And now I'm learning little by little, all snap. I'm a rookie. I don't know, Jack. That's why it's just bypassing me so fast. And meanwhile, people are, like, suffering, so I support you. It doesn't take away from your project or their project. It doesn't take away right it right wrongs wrong. If it's a good project, let's support it and let's keep it moving. Let's do the same for other communities. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Council Fernandez Anderson for I call counsel Baker. I just wanted to weigh in. I had the opportunity to attend last night's meeting as well. And just listening to the young, young children there from from the McCormick School talk about how important this this facility would be to them. They don't they don't have money. They don't have any influence. A lot of them a lot of them actually live in public housing developments. But they're. I said that they should have a state of the art facility. That's as nice as any one in the city or nice as anyone in Lincoln of Wellesley. Those kids certainly deserve it. Council So I already mentioned that it's walking distance and as did Counsel Baker from the Mary Ellen McCormack Public Housing Development, which council counsel Baker represents. But it's probably the most difficult and challenging environment, living environment in the city. Um, so I just want to say thank you to Counsel Baker for advocating hard for your constituents. And I appreciate that that type of level of advocacy that you've provided. Most of them. Most of them have kids, kids of color, kids in public housing developments. A lot of a lot of African-American kids, black necks kids, a large, large Vietnamese population as well. And in Dorchester. So just want to recognize the live work counselor Counsel Baker did on that. Let me let me ask let me call on Counselor Baker. Now, Counsel Baker, you have the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to make a couple more points, and I apologize. So in 1974 for us here in Boston, on my side of the city, I was passed over to the devil to the devil school. This parking lot looks exactly the same that I did in 1974. So for us to try and hold on to this, I think is a bit shortsighted. We should be shooting for more B.S. high across the street is is getting ready to spend $49 million on fields and field houses directly across the street. So that means our kids in the Devil McCormac will be looking out over the fence saying, Look what's going on over there for them. BCI had one benefactor that gave them the $49 million. We're asking for ten to go towards this end. And some things happened in the redesign about the open space because before the kids were totally involved, it was more like a large one story kind of took up a lot. It took up a lot of light through the student council. They pulled the building in and went vertical with it. So it's it's it's on, it's on floors which provides. An open line on the on the front on Mount Vernon Street, which would be the only one on front on on Mt. Vernon Street. There will be outdoor basketball courts will be a lot of outdoor space here. That's that wasn't there in the original design and that came from involving that involving the teens. There's three housing developments that speak to ten years down the line. There's three housing developments, like you mentioned, within walking distance of the Harbor Point. Of course, Miriam Cormack and Old Colony, all calling might be, you know, might be a little more than a walk. But certainly if you have something to walk towards, you just go towards it. And that's I think, in those three developments is almost 2000, 2000 kids under the age of 21. So, I mean, and those are those are units that are going to be deeply affordable. For all of our lifetimes in those in those housing developments. So in 021202125, which is where this city, which is part of my district, which is where I grew up, has been identified as the most diverse district, the most diverse zip code in the entire country. So that means all people are congregating in zero two, 125 and this is going to be in 0 to 1 two five . But it's not just going to be 40125. It's going to be for Mattapan. If they if they can get there, it's going to be for South Boston. It's going to be for whoever wants to get there. I envision citywide track meets the citywide basketball tournaments. So I think. I understand the the the tension, the initial tension that was about saving green space. But I challenge anybody to go look at the green space is a green space. Is it green space? Is brown grass. Green space is a cracked parking lot with some paint on. Is that green space? I don't know. I think this is. Far more. Important. Far more. It will be it will deliver far more in the development of our kids than just open space. Thank you. Thank you. Counsel Baker. Docket 0265 will remain in committee motions. Orders, resolutions. Mr. Clerk, please read 05100510.
Recommendation to consider naming the Center Theatre to be renamed the "Beverly O'Neill Theatre" in honor of her contributions to the City of Long Beach.
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Okay. Thank you. I'm sorry. Council Member. Your Honor, I could see that you've activated your votes, but I don't know that it's registering, so. Thank you. Okay. And next we have item 13. Is that correct? Yes. Communication from Councilman Andrew's chair, Housing and Neighborhoods Committee recommendation to consider renaming the Center Theater to the Beverly O'Neill Theater in honor of her contributions to the city of Long Beach. Councilmember Andrews. Yes. Thank you, Mayor. I think this is a wonderful, wonderful honor for this young lady here. And I feel like would be a great honor to rename that the Senate theater after Mayor Beverly O'Neil. She's got our city through one of the most hardest times after the Navy left and turned it into a thriving tourist destination and a hub for international trade. She's helped develop the Long Beach Town Center and part of the 605 Freeway. Has the reputation of being a supreme leader. She was an educated Long Beach City College for 31 years. She started as a music professor but retired as a superintendent president. Mayor Beverly O'Neal has received numerous award for outstanding governing ability as the mayor and her devotion to education to our youth as one of the wards I proudly bestow upon her. I probably high school was probably a walk of fame ceremony with the stars is mounted on Poly's back fence. Also, she is no longer holding a public office. She is still very active throughout the city and she is so dearly loved. And we truly love ourselves. Right to move. To. Thank you. Councilmember and Councilmember Austin, would you like to comment on the. Yes. Yes. Beverly O'Neal has made some great contributions to our city, as I mentioned before. And when this item first came before us, as well as in the Housing and Neighborhoods Committee, she is arguably the most respected public official that Long Beach has had, at least in my time. And it is a real honor for me to to vote on this item and can't wait to see her name in lights on the the theater. It's going to be awesome. Thank you, Councilmember. And I think the honors well deserved. I'm thankful for the support of the entire council when this item when the recommendation was made before this body. And as you know, I was here earlier and the board members were here and and I'm sure they are delighted that this item has come through as well. Is there any member of the public that wishes to address Council on Item 13? Seeing None members cast your vote. Most eateries. I think it has a delay. Affected works eventually. Thank you. Thank you. All right. That was item 13 and.
A proclamation recognizing The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching honor bestowed upon Elizabeth Grabois, a Denver Public School Science Teacher. A proclamation recognizing The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching honor bestowed upon Elizabeth Grabois, a Denver Public School Science Teacher.
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No, Madam President. Do we have any communications? No, Madam President. We do have two proclamations this evening, and I have a distinct pleasure of reading the first one Proclamation number 179 in recognition of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching bestowed upon Elizabeth Vinson Grabara, a Denver public school science teacher. You'll hear more about that later. Whereas the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Award are the highest honors given by the United States government, specifically for K-12 mathematics and science, including computer science teaching. The awards were established by Congress in 1983 and annually. The Pay EMC Camps program authorizes the President to bestow this award on up to 108 individuals. And. WHEREAS, Awards are given to mathematics and science teachers from each of the 50 states and four U.S. jurisdictions, the award recognizes those teachers who develop and implement high quality instructional programs that enhance student learning. And. WHEREAS, the winners are selected by a panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians, mathematicians and educators after a state level selection process is conducted. And. WHEREAS, on December 20th, 2013, President Obama named 102 mathematics and science teachers as recipients of the prestigious PMC t Award and Denver Public School teacher Elizabeth Vinson Grubb, WA from Carson Elementary was named as one of the 2013 winners of this very prestigious award. And. Whereas, the winners of this presidential honor will receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion. The awardees are also invited to Washington, D.C., for an award ceremony and several days of celebratory events, including visiting with members of Congress and the administration. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Council of the City and Council, City and County of Denver, Section one. The Denver City Council joins the U.S. government in honoring Miss Elizabeth Vincent Gregoire for her inspiration, leadership and high quality contributions she's given to her students and in her profession. And Section two that the clerk of the city and county of Denver shall a test and affix the seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation and that a copy be transmitted to Ms.. Elizabeth Benson grab wa. And so I will move and hope that my fellow council members will join me in making a motion to adopt Proclamation number 179. And it looks like I have a second and now we will go with comments. I love it when I make proclamations. I can tell what we're going to do next. I know. Not yet. We're going. I, I just I am so excited because Carson school is about three blocks from home and of course is in District five. And it's the school where my daughter went to school for her grade school and has such fond memories for me. But to have this award be awarded to a school in Denver, which is so wonderful in District five, in my neighborhood, and I'm so proud that we have such a teacher in our midst and has inspired all these young learners at Carson. And you should have seen them today. The mayor did a proclamation at the school today. She got about three standing ovations from these absolutely darling children in the school that are so excited to have such a teacher on their on their faculty. And she continues to inspire them every day. And just especially in science and math. And she's a. Girl, which makes it even more special because of the message that that sends to boys and girls. But we're so very proud to have you here. And I would like to ask my fellow council people to please vote in favor of this and see no other comments. Mr. Secretary, roll call. On the president. Hi. Brooks. Hi, Brown. Hi. Hi, Herndon. Hi, Damon by Lopez. Hi, monteiro. I never. Hi, rob. I shepard. Hi. I'm just waiting on lehman. And no payments. Doesn't work. Okay, I'll do that. Okay. There you go. Okay. Ms.. Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. 11 eyes, earnings. 11 ICAO, nays. It is unanimous. The proclamation is adopted. And I would now like to call Ms.. Chrissie Faraci up to the podium because I think she's going to make a little introduction, and I think she has a couple of Carson students with her. Christie isn't the one that the proclamation is about, but she is our introducer. Hi. Members of Denver City Council and Honorable Denver City Council president something that says then I'm Chrissie Faraci and I live at 240 south for us in District five. I'm a proud parent of these two characters. Sophia Faraci and Nick Faraci. Nic had the pleasure of having Ms.. Vincent Gregoire for two years in second and in third grade. Now, most of you know me. You know my kids. You've probably heard the stories about the infamous NEC who's here in Kermit. You know, he was not held back. She was promoted to third grade, and he was lucky enough to have. Her for two years in a row. And I cannot tell you the difference it had made in my son's education and especially in math and science. It is by far and. Between his strongest subject. Sophia is lucky enough to now have Ms. grab LA as her assistant principal. So we are so thrilled. This is a huge honor for Denver Public School. It's a huge honor for Carson and even bigger honor and so well-deserved for Ms.. Gregoire. And thank you so much for sponsoring this proclamation in her honor. And so with that, here's the honored guest. Thank you so much, city council President Sussman and the city of Denver for inviting me here today. This is a huge. Recognition for. Me, and I'm I'm completely honored to be here. I recognize that with this recognition comes a responsibility to continue to promote science and mathematics education in our city and our state. I just want to keep moving forward with STEM education and promoting opportunities for students to have meaningful hands on science experiences in their classroom. And as new standards come and new challenges, we just need to keep this in mind of how important this is for the nation, for the future of our nation. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics should always be on our minds when we're thinking of even elementary schoolchildren and giving them those opportunities to fall in love with science and mathematics. So I'm so honored to be here, and I just want to thank you again for recognizing me here this evening. Thank you very much. Thank you for making us so proud. We have another proclamation. I am very. I have to give my apologies. I need to vacate this particular seat. But I was so excited to be able to hear your wonderful presentation. And I am taking my hat even though I can't stay here. But thank you very much for the hat. And I'd like to turn the meeting of procedures over to the president pro tem councilman Herndon.
A bill for an ordinance authorizing the issuance of City and County of Denver, Colorado, for and on behalf of the Wastewater Management Division of its Department of Public Works, Wastewater Enterprise Revenue Bonds, Series 2016, for the purpose of financing the cost of acquiring, improving and equipping the storm drainage and sanitary sewerage facilities of the City; providing for the pledge of certain wastewater revenues for the payment thereof; and making other provisions relating thereto. Authorizes the issuance of City and County of Denver, for and on behalf of the Wastewater Management Division of its Department of Public Works, Wastewater Enterprise Revenue Bonds Series 2016 in a principal amount not to exceed $116 million to fund storm drainage projects and for costs of bond issuance. The Committee approved filing this bill at its meeting on 8-30-16.
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Thank you. Thank you. Councilwoman Ortega and Councilman Herndon. Okay. All right. We can bring up Bill. Council Bill seven 5778 on final. And Councilwoman Ortega wanted to put this on for Councilwoman Sussman, will you please put council bill 757 and 758 on the floor for final consideration and do pass? Yes, Mr. President. As a bloc. As a bloc, yes. Okay. I move that council vote 757 at 758 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. It has been moved. I need a second and seconded comments by members of Council Councilman Ortega. Thank you, Mr. President. I'll be very brief. As you all know, I've been very vocal about this particular project. This is the bond financing in the land acquisition slash condemnation proceedings, if needed, for some of the properties that will be acquired as part of the plot to Park Hills Stormwater Project. And I have not supported it for lots of different reasons, which I'm not going to elaborate on tonight, so I will be voting no on both of these bills. Thank you. Okay. Thank you, Councilman Ortega. Any other comments for members of council? Madam Secretary? Raquel ORTEGA. No. SUSSMAN My black eye. CLARK All right. Espinosa. No. Flynn, i. Gilmore, i. Herndon, i. Cashman. No. Can each. Lopez. I. Ortega. Oh, sorry, Mr. President. I. Kosovo already announced results. Nine eyes, three knees. Nine eyes, three three nays council bill 757 758. Do pass. Okay, we are ready for the block votes. All other bills for introductions are now. Order publish council in session. Will you please put the resolutions for adoptions and the bills for final consideration on final passage on the floor? Yes, Mr. President, I move that the following rosaries resolutions be adopted. 786 787 751 781 796 807 782 783 788 789 791 778 784. And I think that's a. Do we get them all? Madam Secretary. Great. Okay. It has been moved in saying it. Council members, please remember that this is a consent or block vote and you will need to vote I. Otherwise, this was your last chance to call out an item. So I just look down, make sure. Okay. Madam Secretary. Raquel Cashman. I can eat Lopez i Ortega I Susman. I black eye Clark. Hi, Espinosa. Hi, Flynn. I your. I. Herndon, i. Mr. President. I don't scare us like that. Oh. Please. Yeah. 12 eyes. The resolutions and bills from consideration do pass. Okay. Tonight, there will be a required public hearing on Council Bill 549, changing the zoning classification for a 3201 Walnut Street acquire public hearing for Council Bill 551 Changing the zoning zoning classification for 444402 Umatilla Street and require public hearing for Council Bill 597 changing the
CB15-0553: Denver College Affordability Initiative a) Presentation. b) Fifteen (15) minutes of public comment on proposal. Two minutes per speaker and equal opportunity for opposing perspectives as determined by the Committee Chair. Individuals wishing to speak must sign up in the Council Conference room (3rd Floor City & County Building, Rm. 391) beginning 15 minutes prior to the Committee’s scheduled start time of 1:30 pm. Sign up ends at 1:15 pm. The order of speakers is determined by the Committee Chair. c) Discussion/Action. (FINANCE & SERVICES) Creates a fund to help young Denverites attend higher education and certificate programs. This bill must pass no later than August 31, 2015 to meet the deadlines for the November ballot. The Committee approved filing this bill at its meeting on 8-5-15.
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public hearing and we would like to make sure we have time to get through all the speakers. As public hearings on Council Bill 553. So, Councilwoman Ortega, will you please put five, five, three on the floor. And move the council bill five, five, three be placed on final consideration and do pass. And wait for the screen to catch up. It has been moved and seconded. The public hearing on five, five, three is now open and I will be given part of the staff report and I will be following. I will be followed by Deputy Mayor Carrie Kennedy and council members. There's not something in the computers but on your desk. Each of you have the staff report is a one pager front and back. The overview of the Council bill for Denver College Affordability. What we have before us that we'll be voting on is the Denver College Affordability Plan, a pay for performance model that focuses on student completion . Our decision tonight is whether or not to send this to the for referendum to the Denver voters this November 2015. The source of the funds will be a proposed .08 sales tax increase to generate 10 million annually to support Austin City funded nonprofit. Similar to what we have with the Denver Preschool Program, Kerry Kennedy. We'll talk more about its impact on our overall tax burden. There are two components for the use of the fund. The first deals with scholarship reimbursement. Scholarship organizations may apply annually for reimbursement grants for scholarships they provide to Denver students who have successfully completed the prior academic year. These organizations will provide a list of eligible students that they have helped, how much money they have spent for tuition, and the support services for each student, not on administration and operational costs. The support services can be reimbursed to that include academic tutoring, course, election, financial aid, guidance and mentoring and academic counseling programs. The ordinance describes that they can only be reimbursed on their privately raised funds and only up to a maximum 75% that they spend on each element. Student This ensures that they can actively fundraise and use this city program as leverage to develop their philanthropy. The second pillar second piece deals with grants for student loan debt relief. Not every student in need has a scholarship to support them. The Student Loan Debt Relief Program is designed to help lower the cost barriers to get to and complete. College eligible students can apply for a grant to assist with their student loan repayment based on a sliding scale. A Denver student can access up to $4,000 per year through these two programs. The sliding scale will ensure the funds go to the neediest. Students who have the highest barriers to getting to and through college eligible students must prove. Denver residency for at least three years attended an accredited technical skill technical school, community college or university in Colorado qualify for financial aid and meet household income criteria and be no older than 25 years old. From the transparency and accountability provisions, the ordinance outlines that the required annual reporting will go to the mayor, city council auditor and to the public as well. These auditor reports must include the number of full time and part time students that they are supporting data on student graduating and on track to graduate. And over time, the long term workforce impact. The program's records are public records and can be audited by the city auditor. There's a seven member, seven member board appointed by the mayor with city council approval. No more than 10% of the funds can be spent on administrative costs and until sales tax will expire in ten years. That is the overview of it. I will now ask our Deputy Mayor and CFO Carrie Kennedy to come talk how this possible increase would affect our overall tax burden. Good evening, Mr. President. Members of council. I'm Carrie Kennedy on the city's chief financial officer. I also served as Mayor Hancock's deputy. Thanks so much. When this proposal came forward, we took a look at how the proposed increase in Denver's sales tax rate would impact our city's taxpayers and also how it would impact the competitiveness of our city with respect to our overall tax burden. So, as you all know, the proposal proposes a sales tax rate increase of .08 percent. That's a little less than a penny on a $10 purchase. So first of all, the impact on Denver's taxpayers, we found that if this proposal were to be approved by Denver voters, that the sales tax rate here in Denver would not be substantial. Wholly different than what our citizens have been accustomed to paying. So there's a little bit of history. Back in 2011, if you'll recall, we had a stadium tax in place of 1%. It expired at the end of 2011. So at that time, the total sales tax rate combined that includes everything that somebody would pay if they buy something at a store in Denver was 7.72%. That dropped to 7.62% the day after that stadium tax rolled off. It has crept up incrementally lately in 2015, when the voters approved a slight increase to the Denver preschool program tax. So our current rate is 7.65%. If this proposal to fund college affordability in Denver were approved, our total combined sales tax rate in Denver would go to 7.73%. So sitting right on top of the 7.72% that it was for a very long time. So really no effective change in the sales tax rate over what people have been accustomed to paying. So then we also took a look at how does that 7.73%, if this were to be approved, how would that impact our competitiveness as a city, both in terms of sales taxes that we see across the region, in the metro area where people may elect to go shopping? But also how does it position Denver compared to other cities around the country? So in comparison to our neighboring jurisdictions, we looked at 25 jurisdictions that are adjacent to Denver and and here on the front range, we are currently the seventh lowest sales tax rate at our current rate. If this proposal were approved, we wouldn't change positions. We'd still be seventh lowest. Then you all may have seen there was a study that came out about ten days ago that compared tax burdens of all the cities in the United States with populations over 250,000 people. So hundreds of cities. Denver came in as one of the 15th lowest overall tax burden cities in the country. So we really aren't concerned from any kind of national standpoint either. If this were measure were to go forward. So I guess my message to all is you do have capacity to go ahead and move forward with this with confidence that it won't place any kind of tax burden on the city's residents and shoppers. It won't change what they're used to paying in taxes, and it also won't disadvantage the city in any way with respect to our competitive position. Thank you. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Right. Before we go to our 13 speakers, council members just wanted to point out individuals in the audience who could be available for questions. We have Dan Slattery from the city attorney's office, who was instrumental in drafting this bill, as well as Antonio Perez from mayor's office, education and Policy for questions as well . And you're going to hear from the board chairs as I just see their names on the list. So for any questions that you might have, those are some individuals I just wanted to point out. All right. We have 13 speakers. I miscounted. I thought we had more earlier for this. So I'm going to call the first five and I can ask that you please make your way up to the front pew since we have under 20 speakers should not be an issue with the one hour courtesy public hearing. We'll get through everyone but the first five are happy Haines that techs Barbara Grogan, Irma Zamora and Steven Jordan. So if you five can make your way up to the front pew and we'll start with the honorable happy Haines, former councilwoman, former council president. You may begin. Good evening, council president herndon and members of the City Council. Thank you for the time and attention that you have given to this proposal over the past month. My name is Happy Haines. I live in the Park Hill neighborhood. As you know, I served on the city council for 13 years, and I also served on the Colorado Commission on Higher Education for nearly nine years. Tonight, I'm here as the co-chair of the Promoting Access to Higher Education Task Force, also co-chaired by my colleagues, Dr. Steven Jordan and Barbara Grogan. This task force worked for several months to develop the principles upon which this proposal is based in prior meetings with the City Council. You all asked very important questions and provided helpful feedback to us throughout all of these discussions. We all have agreed on one constant theme There is a problem. The costs of college are outpacing our residents ability to afford it, and it impacts our community. This problem is more severe today than it was in the sixties, seventies and eighties. Councilman Susman is right. The costs have escalated dramatically and student debt is much more severe severe burden today than in prior generations. Many Denver kids go on to college but complete their degree saddled with debt. Many go to college and do not complete their degree because of finances and are still saddled with debt, which is worse and to many simply do not go to college at all. These especially are the students that we aim to help. Unlike a generation or two ago, making a secure living and reaching the middle class with only a high school diploma is not only more difficult today, it is becoming rare. A higher education means more job opportunities, higher incomes, more contribution to public services, more civic engagement, and more resilience through economic ups and downs. The city has a myriad of needs, but Councilman Lopez's point last year, last week, is that there is a strong correlation between areas with severe infrastructure needs, low incomes and low levels of higher education attainment. The task force studied several alternatives a state solution, a city property tax, a property tax, or simply doing nothing and letting philanthropy pick up the slack, which we know today is not enough. The proposal before you tonight rose to the top as the best solution. It's implementable. It's performance based. And it is accountable to taxpayers in the next ten years. At least 30,000 students living in Denver will graduate from high school. Is that how long we wait for a state solution? Councilwoman, I apologize. Your time is up. Okay. Thank you. That Texan. Sad tax of 4535. Julian Street, Denver, Colorado. Our constitutional system divides the responsibilities of government among levels so that just as in the construction of a building, all the work gets done. But just as if electricians try to do the work of ironworkers, there's no light. And if plumbers try to do the work of painters, there's no water. If the one level of government neglects its responsibilities to do the work of another, some task is left undone. Today, this is important because winter is coming and we know with relative certainty that this winter several homeless people will freeze to death in our alleys and under our bridges, and other homeless men and women, and probably even a few children will be raped and beaten and murdered along our rivers. But of course, out of sight, out of mind in our system of government, keeping the homeless safe is the responsibility of city government. This issue, then, is not a choice between people and potholes. It is a choice between the academic success of some people and the life of others. Now, this may be a choice between nice, young, talented people who would would be politically popular to serve and dirty, often mentally ill people who many in the community would rather just disappear. But it is also a choice between you doing your job and not doing your job. Moreover, you can't escape this choice by simply asserting that if the homeless had been provided with an education, they would be less likely to be homeless. The causes of homelessness in our society are much deeper and more complex than education. Our only hope at this point is to provide them with a safe living, space, food, physical and mental health care and job training. Similarly, you can't escape responsibility by saying you're simply promoting debate and giving citizens the choice. That begs the question of why you don't submit a ballot issue to the voters to raise taxes in order to provide adequate housing and mental health care to the homeless. But of course, that wouldn't be nearly as politically popular and might require some real advocacy on your part. So I suspect you will pass this and go home and bask in the glow of the fact that you have contributed to the future of young Americans, and you will feel really, really good about yourself. So go and do that. Just try not to think about this decision. The next time you read about a homeless person being raped or beaten or murdered or freezing to death under one of our bridges or in one of our alleys. Thank you, Mr. Texa. Next, Barbara Grogan. Thank you, President Herndon and members of city council. I'm Barbara Grogan, a resident. Of denver for 46 years. And I stand before you as a mother who raised her children here and now is a grandmother who's watching my daughter raise her children here. And I could talk to you all night about how important this is for our students and our children. For many of our children. It will be their only way out of poverty. But tonight, I want to speak to. You as the founder of Western Industrial Contractors and their CEO for 23 years, as the past chairman of the Denver Chamber of Commerce, as past chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Denver, and as the past director of three New York Stock Exchange companies. I understand what it takes to grow a successful company, and I understand what it takes to sustain a vibrant economy. It takes a well-trained, highly educated workforce. It is the key strategic advantage. It's predicted that in 2024 and a half short years from now, 74% of our jobs, three out of four, will require certification, associate's degree or a college degree. And we are far from being able to provide those workers now. Our proposed ballot initiative will provide the citizens of Denver with an enormous and direct return on their investment. We will have the workforce to grow our businesses and attract new ones. We will have additional lifelong taxpayers to support our city. They say that the difference between a college educated and a high school educated person is $1,000,000 in their lifelong earnings. And cost avoidance. We will avoid the extensive and likely lifelong cost of social support and incarceration that follows so many who are unable to find work because of their lack of education. Some people have asked the question, Is this appropriate thing for the citizens of Denver to support? My answer is only if they want a vibrant and viable future for our city. When the railroads passed by Denver 100 years ago and instead went to Cheyenne, the citizens of Denver built a spur to Cheyenne. Our city once owned a ski area. I'm here to tell you it was a great investment. I was on the board of Winter Park Trustees when. We sold it. 20 years ago, our citizens voted to build a spectacular new airport. When so many were telling us it was a foolish boondoggle that was going to bankrupt our city. We are the envy of so. Many cities with our bold, scientific and cultural facilities district. And last year, our citizens voted to continue to fund our very progressive Denver preschool program that is also the envy of many cities around the country. I trust the citizens of Denver to do the right thing and invest in our students, our economy and our future. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Irma Zamora. My name is Irma Zamora, Denver resident for more than 70 years. Today, I would like to spend my time speaking on details in the proposed scholarship measure that, in my opinion, have been either glossed over or ignored. One Funding for higher education is a state federal function, so there are reasons other cities and towns don't consider it . The taxpayers already pay the state and federal governments to oversee and carry out this function. Denver residents will be asked to pay more for the same activity. If this measure passes, what precedent does it set for Denver to duplicate other state funded activities? An idea to do something new is not a valid reason to increase taxes to the mayor and Council. Tell us that the results of the scholarship fund will better prepare young adults under the age of 25 for the jobs of tomorrow. Yet nowhere in this proposal has found a work component working part time when not in class. A work component would introduce or strengthen the students work ethic and provide the opportunity to learn and earn at the same time, as well as gain entry level work experience, thereby giving the student an advantage at the time of graduation and job application. I grew up in an inner city. High school in northwest Denver is an excellent example to validate that students who learn and earn are better prepared. Three Denver residents might be more amenable to this measure if all college bound young adults could. Access the. Fund. Everyone pays, so everyone should enjoy the benefit. For the discussions on this. Measure have included. Conversations regarding the payment of student loans in default, since the measure will not be voted upon until November of this year. There is no. Authority to pay any educationally related expenses made and or dated prior to the enabling legislation. And what are we? What are we really teaching young adults about personal responsibility? Five. The cap for funding is proposed at 4000 per year, but there is nothing in the bill that speaks to the number of years. Is it a maximum of four years, five years or as many years until the student reaches the ages of 25? Is the funding also available to both part time and full time students? Six. The maintenance of a mate of a minimum grade point average should be required. If not, the student may receive a piece of paper to hang on the wall. But he most likely did not attain the knowledge, skills or abilities to get, to get or keep a job. If that is really the goal. 2.0 is a c average. Is that expecting too much? Seven. There are no expected accountability standards pertaining to the program administrators, the city, the recipients, or the universities and colleges in this proposal. This funding will essentially be a taxpayer gift and summary and in my view, a taxi driver residence. A new tax for the same. Function is not good governance. Be asking Denver residents to fund a program that has no accountability standards, no goals or objectives, no time limits or no program requirements. Is not good governance, nor is it good stewardship. Miss Summer more. I apologize you your 3 minutes is up. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Steven Jordan. And as Dr. Jordan comes up, I'm going to call up the next five speakers Eli Roldan, Tay Anderson, Michelle Koyama, Diamond Rival and Brenda Lucero. So you five can make your way up. And Dr. Jordan, you can begin your remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For the record, I'm Steven Jordan, president of the Metropolitan State University of Denver, located at 890 Area Parkway. Council President Herndon and members of the Council. Thank you for your leadership on behalf of our city. I'm joined here this evening as well by Dr. Everett Freeman, the president of the Community College of Denver, and Dr. Linda Bowman of the former president of the Community College of Aurora Metropolitan State. University of Denver is celebrating our 50th anniversary in Denver this year. And since 1965, we have graduated over 80,000 students. And of those, 75,000 reside in the metro Denver area, and 27,000 have a Denver zip code. Our current 21,000 student body, 12,000 of those students live and reside in the city and county of Denver. MSU Denver is also a partner with Denver's biggest employment center, the heart of downtown Denver. We work with companies and organizations headquartered in downtown to provide an educated workforce based on industry's needs. And they include, among others, Wells Fargo, Sage Hospitality, HDR Engineering, IAMA Financial Group, Denver Public Schools and Denver Health just to name a few. As an urban university, we see ourselves as a resource that develops talent and skill, largely a Denver resonance, and brings them into the Denver workforce. It was my very special privilege to serve as a co-chair with Happy Haines and Barbara Grogan on the Denver Promoting Access to Higher Education Task Force. But the financial challenges that face today's college students are serious. Last year, we contracted with the Hanover Research Group to conduct a survey of students who had left in one of the three previous semesters. 1300 students responded. We wanted to find out why they left the university, and a whopping 43% of the respondents reported that they left college not for academic reasons, but because of financial pressures. Simply put, they did not have enough money to attend MSU. Denver. Colorado's most affordable four year university. A high school education is not enough anymore to reach the middle class or to catch the wave of Denver strong economy. A technical certificate, an associate's degree or a college degree are needed to open the doors. According to the United States Census Bureau, individuals who achieve the following degree levels earn median annual salaries, PhDs in excess of 100,000. Masters in excess of 63,000 bachelors. 55,700 associates. 42,000. And a high school diploma. 32,500. So on average, a bachelor's degree, a hold holder earns over 2.3 million over their lifetime. These financial challenges of accessing college and completing college are a problem. And it is a problem that affects the city, its economy and the quality of the life of our people. This proposal will help to set a new national model that focuses not just on access and affordability, but on the support services it takes for our students to complete their degree. Dr. George, I apologize. Ukrainian does. That. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Next is Tay. Now. Exactly the name. Jesus. Can you go to the next name? It just went off the script. Eli rolled. Okay. There you go. Eli. Roland, go ahead. Hello, everyone. I am Ellie. I come from Burnham neighborhood. I'm a senior at West Leadership Academy. I'm also a DPS Student Board of Education. I come from a household where both parents only have an elementary school education, which means that college to my family has been a thought until I learned about college with the money, with the amount of money my parents make every year, I can't depend on them to pay for my college. I'll probably be in my sixties and still paying off my student loans. Who want that? Not me. To be honest with everyone. I have second guessed if I should even go to college type. College tuition keeps increasing every year. I fear of being one of those students who will be financially pressured, meaning I will still be in debt with no diploma. Even if I continue with college until I get my diploma, when graduation, I'll be in so much debt, so much that it would be hard for me to live in Denver with the College Opportunity. Film policy helps that I can pay for my college and we'll second guess if I should even go to college. This opportunity will help me and my family by giving me a chance to change my family pathways. Calling me going to college can actually impact my younger brother and my future children. College Opportunity Fund will help me pursue my dream of becoming a nurse. I'll probably work my way up to become a pediatrician. I plan to attend either University of Colorado Hospital in which I have visited earlier this week, or New York University, in which I have strong application thanks to my teachers. That's all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Terry Anderson. Good morning. City Council President Herndon and. The rest of city council. My name is Tony Anderson. I'm a rising senior, Emmanuel High School. Right now. I hold the position as. The student principal and I also serve as the Student Board of Education representative for this school. I am also the sitting Youth City Council President for our city right now. The DPS tax proposal affects me. It affects me because. I don't know if I'm going to be able to pay off college. I want to be. The next mayor of Denver. I want to be the next governor of Colorado, and I want to be the next president of this country. But I don't know if I'm going to be able to fulfill those dreams without. Me being able to pay for college. My I do not have the GPA to go off because. I messed up my freshman year. I'm not the perfect student. I messed up and I've made mistakes. But I'm overcoming all of my mistakes. When I'm asking what I am saying right now is that. I need this from you guys. I need you. We as a city need your vote because it's. Students like me that may have started off on the wrong path, but that can. Always turn into a success. The deed, this type of funding for them. It is with your vote that change starts. And so that I so. I really ask is that you as a city council think how many and how many students you're going to impact and what the future holds for our city and county. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have Michelle Caggiano. Good evening. My name is Michelle Kwame, and I am the very proud principal of Skinner Middle School in the Denver Public Schools. I am here this evening representing myself. I am a product of DPS. In fact, I grew up just down the street in the Baker neighborhood before it was trendy. I grew up with a single parent and was also raised by my grandparents. I am a Latina with Japanese with a Japanese surname and recognize that my skin color and last name have afforded me opportunities that my classmates growing up in Denver did not necessarily have. I attended CU Boulder and received my first year of college on scholarships. The shock value of student debt in my last three and a half years of school was daunting. And luckily, through teaching and being part of AmeriCorps, through Teach for America, I was able to pay back all of my student loans through service. There are many students, however, who don't have the opportunities that I have benefited from. My story is not the norm. Many of my peers from elementary and middle school live lives different from mine and are facing challenges that I did not encounter. As a middle school principal in northwest Denver, my staff and I instill on a daily basis the importance of education and stress, college and career readiness. For many of my students, we are already working to break the barrier and the belief that college is not financially possible. When they see their older siblings dropping out of college due to the crushing financial burden, they are discouraged. Middle school students should be focused on setting goals and not worried about how they will pay for their education. But the current reality is hard to ignore. After all, many of those older siblings were in their shoes a few short years ago, striving to perform at a high level and aspiring to graduate from college. Instituting a dedicated funding stream for college affordability could give those students a better shot at making that admirable dream a new reality. This group has the power to institute a system that will begin to close the opportunity gap for students whose college prospects are limited due to their background. Providing students this chance to fulfill their educational potential potential benefits not only those individuals and their families, but society as a whole. We must prepare our citizens for the jobs of the future without forcing them to endure a financial burden that impacts their livelihood. We tell our students every day to strive towards college. In fact, at Skinner, we gave a T-shirt out to every student last year that said College Bound on the back. And yet, students who walked across the stage at eighth grade continuation a few short years, a few short years ago, hard workers with every aspiration of going to college, who also graduated at the top of their class in high school, are not yet in college. Kevin is working construction with his dad. A rally is serving pizza. Alex is bagging groceries at Sprouts, all intended to go to college but found the price tag out of reach. It will take a long time to work at working those jobs to save the money necessary to fund college education. The opportunity of college is not what we promised them when they were in school. This going on here. 3 minutes is up next. Thank you. Next, we are diamond diamond rival. Thank you, counsel, for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Diamond Rebel. I grew up in southwest Denver and graduated from John F Kennedy High School in 2009. I am here today to tell you about my college story. I attended the University of Colorado at Boulder after graduating high school, and I received a Fulbright scholarship. Graduating in 2013 with my bachelor's in Integrative Physiology. Attending college didn't just make an impact on my life. It completely changed it. Not only did college allow me to receive an education, it allowed me to grow as a person. I was able to attend a major university, have my first roommate travel and overall gain important life experiences. Receiving my degree led me to my first job as a research program coordinator at a local Denver hospital. Has laid the foundation. For a path to a master's degree and ultimately to my dream career. If it wasn't for the Denver Scholarship Foundation, I wouldn't be standing here today with these experiences and accomplishments under my belt. Nor would I have attended college as a first generation college student. Like many of my peers, my parents had never seen a faster they had never seen a college application or knew how to write an entrance essay. They had no idea how to pay for college. With the help of DCF in their future center. These foreign processes were made familiar. College and money to pay for college was no longer an unobtainable idea. It was 100% possible. The Denver Scholarship Foundation not only provided resources for going to college, they provided a mentorship and support throughout the entire college experience. Up until I walked across the stage to receive my diploma, Dsf played a vital role in my life and in the lives of other students like me. I couldn't thank them enough for giving me the opportunity to succeed. So please vote tonight to refer this to the Denver ballot or I'm sorry to the November ballot, and hopes that more students like myself can. Have the opportunity to succeed. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have Brenda Lucero. And as Mrs. Cicero comes up, the final three speakers are Juliette Quinonez, Isiah Ramirez and Eddie Cohen. So you three can make your way up to the front pew. And Mrs. Sara, you can go ahead and begin your remarks. Thank you. Good evening, City Council. My name is Brenda Lucero. I live in Westwood, neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, and graduated from John F Kennedy High School. Thank you for holding a public hearing about this important topic. Today I am coming to you as a proud Denver native who attended Denver public schools in my elementary and secondary years. I had limited financial resources growing up, was eligible for free lunch, and worked very hard to be an outstanding student so I can go to college and pursue a career that allowed me to be an effective contributor. To our beautiful. Community, as well as one that allowed me to improve the quality of life for my family. My story, upbringing and ambitions are similar to many students across the. District. Who desire to obtain post-secondary education. I am a University of Denver alum and grateful to be able to say that I graduated debt free thanks to the financial support, a combination of scholarships and other support services that I received as a high school student and college undergraduate. My success as a young adult and young professional is highly attributed to the resources that are made available to me, both through scholarships and dedicated time spent with counselors, teachers, mentors and community leaders that form my support network. As a senior in high school, I applied to about 150 scholarships. Out of the 150 I was awarded eight, one of which was the Latin American Educational Foundation. This equipped me with the resources that were crucial in shaping a positive trajectory that will infinitely influence my personal and professional life. Without the supports, I would have been faced with a different path. I am in support of the Denver College Affordability Fund initiative because of the great impact that this initiative can have on our youth and on the future of our city. There are thousands of students who are highly qualified, competitive candidates, students just like me, who are declined the financial support that they deserve in order to attend college simply because of the funds are not available or the support programs are not currently able to meet the needs of the growing population. Please vote yes tonight on sending this bill to Denver voters so that we can all have a say on this important priority. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next, we have Juliette Quinonez. Good evening. My name is Juliet Quinonez, and I am a product of Denver public schools. I went to Brown Elementary and Valdez and also to Skinner Middle School, and I graduated from North High School in 2004. And I am here on behalf of the Latin American Educational Foundation and myself. First, I want to thank you for holding this hearing on this very important topic that will impact our youth and our future. I am the oldest of four, and I am the first to graduate from my family. I grew up in a household where education was valued, and even though neither my parents graduated high school, going to college was expected of us. And although my parents had no idea what the admissions process was like, I was very blessed and surrounded by so many community members who helped me navigate the higher education system. I found two amazing mentors, Ricardo and Pam Martinez, who helped me throughout the journey of going to college. They helped me understand financial aid, scholarship applications, proofread my essays, took me on college tours and even took me shopping for clothes so that I'd be ready for an admission interview. With their help and that of the Latin-American Educational Foundation, I was able to secure enough private scholarships so that I can graduate from the University of Denver , where I received my B.A. in sociology and political science since 2008. My parents both worked two jobs and could barely afford to pay the rent and keep food on the table. Without this assistance, all private school and all other private scholarships, I would have never been able to afford college, graduate and be who I am now. We all know that the average tuition in Colorado has increased by 50%, which is putting college out of reach for many Denver residents and students. My siblings one who is studying mechanical engineering at SIU Denver, my younger brother who's studying architecture at Metro State University, and my sister who's getting her political science, also Metro State are struggling to find financial aid and scholarships to graduate. All three of them currently work part time jobs of an average of 30 hours a week to help pay their way through college. My siblings, like so many other high school students I work with, have the grit and determination to earn a degree. This investment in college access and completion will help Denver students close that gap so that they can access education at their high school and complete their degrees. My college degree has opened so many opportunities so that I can give back to my community and be able to provide a better future to my six year old son, Ivan , who today started his first grade at Denver Center for International Studies. With that in mind, I urge you to please vote yes tonight to refer this to the ballots that all Denver voters may consider this very important proposal. Thank you. Thank you. I Ramirez. Either. Before I speak, I'd just like to thank the City Council for giving me this opportunity to talk today. So as I mentioned, my name is Lisa Ramirez. I am also a product of DPS. I attended Chinook Elementary Merrill Middle School and graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 2011. To tell a little bit back about myself, I'm a I'm a son of Mexican immigrants, the oldest of three males, and the first to graduate from a from a public from a private university. From the University of Denver. As I mentioned before, my parents are immigrants, so they only have a high school education. They don't know the process of filling out a FAFSA. So an out of college application or everything else that entitles the process of applying to a college. With this in mind, I did not know where what I wanted to do once I graduated high school. Until I came to the future center, which was run by the Denver Scholarship Foundation. If it wasn't for their help and the help specifically of Cindy Castillo, I would have known that I wanted to attend the University of Denver . Of course, the University of Denver is a private institution which has. A higher price tag. And for that reason. They were able to provide me scholarships, but I wasn't able to pay. You know, the entire tuition just because I did not earn a full time, a full scholarship. But thanks to the two scholarships like the Denver Scholarship Foundation and the Latin American Foundation, Latin American Education Foundation, I was able to pay for most of my college. However, I did graduate with some loans. But I'm proud to be a graduate of the University of Denver. As I mentioned, I am the oldest of three males. My second youngest brother is attending the University of Denver, where he is currently a sophomore. And my youngest brother is at East High School. A college degree has meant the world to my family. It's provided an opportunity to me to follow my passion. To follow a career. Which I am interested in. I currently work at a technology startup called Pizza Investor. It is. It's been an awesome day because I was offered a full time salary and I am the first person in my family to get offered a full time salary. As you can see, it has changed my future thanks to the assistance that I received from ESF and ESF. I have a clear future as to what I want to do in my life and in my career, and I'm forever grateful for that. So I just urge you to please vote tonight on this ballot so that all Denver voters may consider this important proposal. Thank you. Thank you. Eddie Cohen. Mr. President, members of council, I am the son of two high school dropouts, and despite having several degrees in credentials, I have over $100,000 in student loan debt. My name is Eddie Cohen. I'm a first generation college graduate. I live in Aurora and I work in Denver. I serve as the executive director of College Track Colorado, where a program that supports underserved students for ten years from the end of eighth grade through college completion, as well as provides scholarship support. We serve about 150 high school students and college students from Aurora, and we're expanding into southwest Denver at the end of the school year. Our program provides, I want to emphasize, high touch and ongoing support for underserved students, an often overlooked and critical element to college success. We have the capacity to only serve 300 high school students and a full site at a time. With the support of this measure. We have the opportunity to help more students matriculate to and through college. A student in our program is three times more likely to attain a degree than their peers. We all know the numbers and we've heard compelling testimonies here tonight. 50% of adults in Denver actually has an associate degree or higher. Yet we have one of the highest equity gaps between whites and nonwhites in the nation. Additionally, the rising costs of tuition make it nearly impossible for low income students to afford college, even with sizable loans or creative legislative measures like freezing tuitions or freezing it at 6% growth rate per year. I can speak from experience when I say these programs provide critical financial and success. I worked three jobs when I was in college. What student loans? And I was a teen parent. That was in the late 1990s. If we took that same amount of income that I made, then I couldn't pay for a fourth of college, not a fourth. College track is excited to work in Denver because of the history of this city. An innovation. How we experience growth, the things that we do. Right. We hope that the city council will join college struck Colorado in support of this measure and the thousands of students that it will impact. It is easy to find reasons not to do something. Instead, look for reasons to do something. Give our students a chance at success. Give them a chance at a degree. Just like members of this council. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Cohen. Council that concludes our speakers is now time for questions. A member of council and I'll wait. Councilman Flynn, you're. Thank you, Mr. President. Could I ask HL Ramirez, who was just up here? Hi. Hi. Hi. Congratulations, by the way. You said that you had scholarship assistance from both the Latin American Education Foundation and the Denver Scholarship Foundation. That's correct. I just want to make sure that I heard it correctly. Yeah, that's correct. Thank you. Can I ask Dr. Jordan question? Hi. How are you this evening? Oh, I'm hanging in. How are you? I'm doing terrific. Can you tell me if you can? If you're prepared. What is the average cost of a full time for a full time student at Metropolitan State University in this current academic year. Including living expenses, housing, just tuition and fees? Let's just talk tuition and fees. 50 $800, 50 $800. And do you know I don't know if you were prepared for this, but do you know what it was ten years ago? Hmm. I don't know, because I would love to have that. I would. I would. Well, I. I wouldn't want to speculate. Okay. Thank you. I appreciate that. We've had enough speculating on other issues in this room in the past. There is also president of Community College of Denver is here as well. I'm sorry. That's correct. Dr. Freeman and Dr. Freeman is in the audience. Okay. Could I ask him to come up? Ever. Hi. I had the same question. Do you know what the average full time cost for tuition and fees is today at CD and what it might have been in 2005? Can you come up to the podium? Can you come up to the podium? I can't hear him. He sings. Okay. All right. Okay. Is there anyone here from the Denver Scholarship Foundation? I. Can you come up? Sir. Could you introduce. Yourself? Sure. Name Easley, executive director of Difference Scholarship Foundation. And how are you doing? I'm doing well. Counselor. Can you tell me how many students, how many individuals you are assisting this year with the Denver Scholarship Foundation who are from who are residents of the city and county of Denver? We assessed roughly 1700 to 2000 Denver public school graduates each year. I would speculate because I don't know exactly that over 90% of those are residents, the city and county of Denver. Mm hmm. Okay. 1700 or 2000. That's pretty consistent over the years. Yes. Okay. And what is the average if you know, what is the average amount of assistance that each of those individuals receives? The median scholarship for four year college is 20 $800. 20 $800. Okay. Wow. Okay. And is there someone here from the Latin American Education Foundation? Thank you, sir. Could you come up? And good evening. Hi. I'm Jim Chavez, executive director of the Latin American Education Foundation. Thank you, sir. We met at a committee meeting. Thank you very much for coming tonight. I have the same questions. How how many students this year from Denver, from city and county of Denver are you assisting this year? And two different two different answers of our. Scholarship recipients that we you know, we help out 100 and 2030 year, 55% of them. So 55%. Those numbers are from the Denver City County of Denver scholarship recipients. We help hundreds and hundreds of students every year and their families helping them through and understanding and navigating that college going process. Now, I tell you, it's about the same. Over 50% of those students and families are Denver residents. Okay, I missed the whole number. What was the whole number? Scholarship recipients. Where you are. Scholarships, 920 hundred dollars a year. Okay. Over half of those are Denver. Denver residents. Thank you. So 60 to 70, 60 or 65. And do you know what the average or I guess average or median, if either one would would be. Okay. Of scholarship. Amount? Yes. So we have a tiered approach. So that matches the cost of attendance for our students that are attending a four year research institution. Our annual scholarship is from us is a $2,000 award, 1500 dollars for those students attending one of the state college levels, Metropolitan State University, Mesa, Western Adams State. And we have a smaller scholarship of $500 for students attending the community college system. Excellent. Okay. Thank you. Mr. President. I don't quite know who to address this to, so maybe I'll address it to you as the sponsor of the bill. Do you know how many other scholarship organizations are involved in who could be involved in this program? The co-chairs for that task force. I'll have that opportunity to ask. Miss Grogan or Ms.. Haynes. Or how many. How many other how many other organizations, scholarship organizations might participate other than DFS and Elif? I'm thank you, Councilman Flynn. I believe it that we identified somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 to 15 organizations. So these organizations that we have had a chance to talk to about their services, there could be others. But these are the most prominent organizations. Okay. Thank you. Do we know how much? Well, I guess I could add up if I did multiplication. But how much between L, F and DFS did they award then in 2015? I think I have a point. I promise. So, councilman, is that you want to have them. I just wanna make sure my math is okay. If DFES had about 2000 students and their average awards to 800 and if L.F. had 120 and half of them live in Denver and and the average award was 2000. If I did that math, that would be an accurate amount of that aggregate. We agree on that. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Okay. Sorry, I'd be happy to follow up specifically in how many students we brought in each specific year, but since we started, our first cohort was 27 and we've awarded 4600 students that have graduated from Denver Public Schools. So the average, the mean average is over 2000. Okay. The median is 2800. Tis 2018. But you said you do. You have about 1700 to 2000 individuals every year. For the last two years, it's been roughly between. Somewhere between 1518 hundred. And you started in 2007, did you say? Yeah. First cohort of pilot students, which was from three high schools, were 27. Okay. And 4700 individuals have benefited. 46 of that ten students have received 46. Yeah. Okay. You don't know how many of those were from Denver. I the all of my Denver public school graduates. All are Denver public. Most of them. Most. About 90%. Okay. Thank you, Mr.. And that's all I have for now. Thank you, Councilman Flynn. Councilwoman Ortega. Thank you, Mr. President. I'm going to ask our city attorney a question. Dan, if you wouldn't mind coming to the microphone. We had a question that came up last Monday when this was on first reading, and the question was about the cap. He said There's a cap in the first year and the question is, can that cap change in subsequent years? And what's the the process for it to change if the answer is yes. Okay. And I'm Dan Slattery in the Denver City Attorney's Office. So two things. And I was anticipating maybe that or a similar question. The cap is an annual cap. And when when when you read through both the organization reimbursement and the debt relief programs, you see that it's an annual application process and is intended to apply annually per student and it can change the corp, the the nonprofit corporation that would be established if this were passed. Would have the ability that board would have the ability to increase the cap. And there's no there's no limit on what how high that. It's limited by the consumer price index increases in the metro area. So if a student has applied to multiple organizations and gets funding, if it's. These dollars if they're being awarded these dollars. How how is it being coordinated so that it's known that a student is only getting 4000 or are they allowed that amount per organization? The annual cap is. Per student. Is per student per year, and also the cap can't be aggregated. So if you're being supported through an organization and that organization is being reimbursed the following year and you also as a student are applying for debt relief, then you can only get a total of $4,000. Okay. And that coordination is supposed to be happening by this governance body. Yes. We'll be overseeing how these dollars are being. It's a not it will be a separate nonprofit corporation with this the seven member board, which which will have a lot of responsibility and a lot of administrative details like that to oversee and work out. Okay. Those are the only questions I have right now. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilwoman Ortega, Councilman Cashman. Thank you, Mr. President. And Mr. Slattery. A couple more questions. I'll I'll ask them both because they're related. As I understand it, the they'll be a nonprofit form to distribute whatever funds might be raised. And the scholarship money for a particular student goes to the scholarship provider based on satisfactory progress in the student's education. Is that correct? Yes, that's one of the eligibility criteria is you have to be making satisfactory academic progress. How is that progress measured? And then the question that was asked, I believe, by Ms.. Mora as to how many years can a student continue to draw from the program if other qualifications are met? Well, the limit. Let me see how many. The limit on the only limit is an age limit. So you're a Denver resident. You you your final year of school. You you can't hit 25. So that's the. And then the entire program is ten years. Can you repeat the first part of your question, though, Councilman? Yeah, the first question was, how do you measure progress? Oh, it's. And that is as as determined as is established by the higher ed institution. So under the ordinance, it's just it's the school. That the school sets that the ordinance doesn't have. Right. Guidelines that the ordinance simply requires satisfactory academic progress as determined by the school. Okay. Thank you. And one other question, Fran, and that's all for you, Mr. Slattery. Thank you for any of the educators that might be here, Mr. Jordan, or someone else. There have been concerns. I think Miss Haynes mentioned earlier concerns about the high cost of tuition throughout the educational complex. And I'm wondering if you care to address your feelings as to whether Colorado institutions are holding the line sufficiently or have more work to be done? Sure. Thank you, Councilman. I'd be please respond to that. I think clearly we all understand where our heart station system in Colorado is. We understand we're ranked 47th in the country and that that has put particularly difficult pressure on tuition. However, I think we need to put it in context. I mentioned that our tuition today is and fees, mandatory fees are 50 $800 a year. That puts us in the lowest quartile in the United States. We currently have the lowest tuition of any four year institution in the United States with 15,000 or more students. And I think throughout the system, whether you're talking about the community colleges, whether you are talking about the four year regional comprehensive, you're talking about the research universities , their in-state tuition relative to their comparison institutions in other states is more affordable. We also, by every measure right now, in terms of numbers of graduates per $100,000 expended, we are number one in the country in efficiency on the number of graduates per $100,000 of tuition and fees that are spent on education. Clearly. Clearly, we are all very attentive to that question. The legislature has asked the Department of Higher Education to do a to provide it with a recommendation on what tuition policy should be out into the future. And I think every one of us understands that we are competing in a very free market. And so we run the risk in raising tuition rates that we will lose students to other institutions, both in-state and out-of-state. I take great pride in the fact that my institution has more students of color than any other institution in the state of Colorado. And we believe that because of the climate we provide and the and the tuition rates that that we set for our institutions, we take great pride that we have over a thousand veterans at our university. And we think that is also because of the affordability of coming to our university. We take great pride that of the total 21,000 students, 60% of those students are either low income, first generation or students of color. We do think we do that because we provide an affordable price. Has our tuition increased? Absolutely, it has. But when you are faced with a situation where I currently receive less than $3,000 per year from the state of Colorado and the only other place that is left to assure a quality educational experience is to pay for tuition. So even at 3000, less than 3000 plus 50 $800 from the student we are still at in terms of total general fund and tuition per student, the lowest in the United States of any institution with 15,000 or more students. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Espinosa, you're up. I'd like to call Mr. Easley back up. Sorry. So thank you for having a bunch of information on your website actually. That happy to. See you. I think it's a little bit dated because it states that there are 4500 students in the in that are being served, but it also states that only 800 have graduated. Is that true? So our numbers of this, we've since 2007 provided scholarships to 4600. That's $2,025 million that we've invested as an organization. We've leveraged another 50 million inches financial aid for those students. Three out of four of every student that's ever received our scholarship either is still persisting towards a Certificate Associates, a four year college degree, or they have graduated. We have over a thousand college graduates to date, sir. And just for clarification, the students that we serve on an annual basis includes about 600 new students and the rest are returning. So our scholarship is available to students for up to four years. Because I'm trying to. So those are, again, slightly larger. So bear with me. The numbers I was using was the 800 that was stated, and that was 18%. What you just said is closer to 20% sort of outcome. And so that means that we're that 60 I mean, that 80% of the students that are receiving support don't necessarily ever complete the degree. Now, that's that's not entirely true. This that's why I use the term they're either persisting or they've completed. We're a nine year old organization. So we have several students who are still trying to complete a college degree. And as long as we can find them on the rolls of trying, we count them as a success. So the numbers I have given you are persistence completion numbers, which we hold together our completion numbers, as I said, 4600 students. We've had over 1000, slightly over 1000 students completed college degree. So just to help me out, because I'm looking at the number of four year cycles. Did you? I am assuming you started out serving a smaller population. We did. And we said, do you have any sense about what year one was versus now the 1700 to 2000? So we started off as a pilot organization. And I'll be honest with you, Councilman, we weren't as sophisticated then as we are now. So if you look at our first three or four years before we had the success agreements with 32 colleges across the state, our persistence completion rate wasn't as strong as if you look at from two 2010 forward as we grew in partnerships both with colleges and with our fellow organizations that do this kind of work. And so the numbers that I'm giving you are based on that you are a very young organization still trying. So there are several students who are still trying to complete their college degree. Because the reason why I'm asking is the $25 million that has been used so far, and this is, again, based on the 800 number. So let's lower it. It was it was $31,250 per graduate. Of the 25 million. So you're you're operating slightly more efficiently than that, it sounds like. But that's that's a lot of money for four years. You know, if you look at the count without if you look at the cost of one year of keeping a person in prison at 30,000, if you look at the cost at four years of our scholarship, it's more than roughly about two and a half times of what we spend as an organization in four years relative to what we spent in one year to keep a person in prison or jail. And I'm not trying to suggest that if you don't go to college, you go to jail. If you look at the correlation of educational attainment and whether or not a person ends up in prison, it's it's obvious to obvious that there's a benefit of going to college. So we think that if you look at the total cost of what we do and what we leverage from our college partners and from our private partners and from our public partners, it's a pretty strong investment. In fact, for every dollar we invest in scholarship, there's a $9 and 59 cent return to the city of Denver. If those students come back and work in the city and county of Denver in terms of tax base available, we've been able to find roughly 500, slightly over 500 of our our graduates so far. And we're working to find more. But the ones that we've found, 99% of them live and work in the state of Colorado and 98% of them work in the city and county of Denver. So how would this added revenue source actually benefit? The concern is, is that a 20 a 20% sort of completion rate means that there's or let's just say it's better than 80%. Let's say there's only two thirds that aren't graduating. Do we lump those on the people that go to prison? You know, how does this money actually bean me actually increase, get us closer to two and to not having that sort of failure rate versus just keeping the status quo, just doing it with more students. Councilman, first of all, let me tell you how much I appreciate your question because I really do. Every day I wake up and I think about the fact that our organization has to have a return on investment. It's hard for us to get philanthropic investment if there's no difference in terms of what we're doing with with the students in whom we invest and whether or not they graduate. What I love about the initiative that is before you this evening is it ratchets up that that pressure. I mean, he's the executive director to have success. So I can tell you that, number one, he is our students have to meet satisfactory academic progress to get reimbursed . Number two, key is that we're only reimbursed up to 75% of what we spend on scholarship and support services. And we cannot be reimbursed the money we received from the city in a previous year. Why is that important? Because it's a public private partnership, and we think that being accountable to both the city as a public entity and our private investors is very important and will make us, as well as our colleagues who do this work, a lot more efficient as organizations. So to sum, it ratchets up significantly the pressure on me and my colleagues to get persistence and completion. In fact, I understand there may be an incentive included in, in the wording of this initiative for for completing. And the other thing that is really important to understand, this includes students who get certificates and associates. And when I say college degree, people don't hear that. My my colleagues in private industry have made it very clear to me that we have a real dearth in students who are going on to get the certificates that are necessary to fill our workforce need in the city of Denver. Okay. Thank you. And then one more question for Mr. Ramirez wasn't. Sorry. Again congratulations on on your success in completing do you did you say you went to Lincoln? Yeah. Abraham Lincoln. So were you did you reside your family reside in the southwest part of town? Yes. So southwest Denver, Ruby Hill Park neighborhood, Missouri. You know that. That's okay. Are you aware that the proposed ballot initiative has a has a Pell Grant component? I mean, it is it's it's it's got a component to it that sort of that goes, what is it? I don't want it. It increases the sort of level of qualification and that the LA, the current Denver, the DFES or DSF and L.A. scholarship programs, while they're focused on needs based, they disproportionately sort of award in sort of the northeast, extreme northeast in the extreme southwest parts of the city, because that's where the real need is . And by increasing this, they actually increase the the income qualification level to 90,000 a year is a family income and that I don't if you look at the if you look at the average median income for for southwest Denver, it's nowhere near $90,000 a year. And so that this is going to not mean that this is going to increase the amount of revenue, but it's actually going to, you know. Are you aware that this is actually going to sort of increase the the the breadth of who's available to qualify for those funds? So you're saying increase who's available to receive those funds. Yeah. The point. Yeah. Are you aware that it, it, it's, it's going to reach more families technically than the current revenue. I mean, the current sort of. Well, actually, I don't know the programs now I'm speaking out of turn because I don't know. Never mind. Scratch what I just said, Councilman. I mean, president. So that. You're going to have. Some. Yes. Right. Fine. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Flynn, is it okay if I go to council members new and can each. All right, Councilman. New Europe. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Rose. Dr. Jordan, question for you, please. Going back to the service, the satisfactory rating of the school or the students progress. How do you view that that satisfactory progress of a student? Sure. So we we do it in the same way. I think the state of Colorado does and and has done around the country. We tend to view it as a full time student is 12 credit hours or more. And so to be making satisfactory progress towards the degree they need to complete 24 semester hours in a year, as you know, the full time load is 15 semester hours. So someone who took 15 semester hours every semester for eight semesters would complete 120 hour degree program in exactly four years. Someone who takes 12 hours will take five years. Our proposal actually does provide that we would provide funding for students up to six years again, subject to their satisfactory progress if they're going for a bachelor's degree and three years for a community college student. All right. Thank you very much. Thank you, councilman. New Councilman Kenny wrote. Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to follow up on the answer to that question. Dan, is I didn't see a six year and a three year limit in the ordinance language. Should I miss them? Are those in there? Because I did have I did want to clarify because Ms.. Zamora had asked that question, and I thought, it's always important if your speakers are asking questions that we try to get them answered. I think so. We're looking at the the version that I'm looking at. Happy's version had a different language. I don't see a three in a six year. There's a 25 year age limit. Right. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Slattery. And I guess I'm happy. My question was my second question was for you, if you don't mind coming back up. I appreciate you sharing some of the process and the other funding sources that you considered. Can you share a little more about why the DPS property tax was not pursued as the source for this potential program, as an education source of funding? Yes. And my colleagues can add anything. We had quite a lengthy debate, and I think at the end of the day, the the decision was we needed to have DPS focus its attention and its resources on its primary responsibility, which is to make certain that students are college and career ready and that the that that there would be a conflict in terms of the resources and spreading them beyond that primary mission to then also put put upon them the burden of trying to see students through success in college. Okay. Thank you very much. No further questions. Thank you, Councilman Kenny G. All right. We are back up to those. And as before, Councilman Flynn, you're up. Thank you, Dr. Jordan. Sorry to keep making you get up and down. That's what we're here for, sir. I'm a little confused because you were talking about the affordability of Metro State. And everything leading up to this moment has led me to believe that college is unaffordable. But you're saying you're in the lowest quartile in the nation in affordability? In fact, I think it might be true that three or more students could attend Metro State for the cost of one student to say, going to the University of Denver for a year. I haven't done the math. That's just what I would say. That's probably true. Yes. That's just. Rhetorical. Sure. So. So aren't you. You did express a concern up here that with with costs rising that you might lose some students to other institutions. But aren't you concerned that if this tax passes, that some of the students who would choose Metro State would instead go to the University of Denver because they now have the assistance or would instead go to Regis or to see you or CSU. So my my doctoral degrees in public policy. So I'm a policy wonk. So let me just tell you how I feel about this. I think there's a lot of conversation that's going on, not just in Colorado, but throughout the country, about young people making decisions about going to college, not because it's the right fit for them, but because it's the only institution they can afford to go to. I have no objections whatsoever. If a highly qualified student who has a desire and can find a program that is the right fit for them at the University of Denver, I would rather see that student end up at the University of Denver than to end up at Metropolitan State University if it wasn't where that student really desired to be. I think we want I think the most important thing for us to do is to find young people who are excited about living in our community, who want to contribute to it and give them the opportunity to attend the array of really great institutions we have in Colorado. And by the way, we do have I mean, for for all the troubles we have with financing, we have an exceptionally fine array of institutions in Colorado. And we would we should celebrate their being able have the opportunity to choose the one that's the best fit for them. Mm hmm. Thank you. So you wouldn't mind losing those students? Do you agree that when you said 50 $800 and you're in the lowest quartile and the lowest cost institution of greater than 15,000 students, that it doesn't seem that there is an affordability problem. No, I don't agree with that. That was exactly the reason. And the reason I pointed out in my testimony that when we talk with our students. That had dropped out. 43% said the reason they had dropped out was not because of academic issues, it was because they could not afford to go to college. So in the nation and regardless regarded as affordable, one of the most affordable institutions in the country. But your students don't believe that. I don't think it's saying they don't believe it. I'm saying they believe they do not have the means to pay for it. Okay. That that seems in conflict to me. But thank you. Can I ask Dan a question on. Just to clarify, the 25 year limit. Does that cut off a person when they reach their 25th birthday or their 26th? Then. They can't be. They cannot be older than 25 as of the final scheduled day of the academic year for which they're seeking. Reimbursement. So if they are 25, they can qualify. Yes. Okay. Okay. I was wondering what impact that might have. Yes. If they are 25, they still qualify. Excellent. Okay. Happy you're still back there. Not that I expected you would be leaving, but you said that in your in your testimony, you said that I believe a throw over the past. Ten years. 30,000 students have graduated from high school in Denver. DPS. Well, I think I think it was over in the next ten years, the expectation would be roughly 30,000 students. Okay from DPS or Denver residents. That live in Denver. Students who live in Denver. So potentially this could impact this could assist up to 30,000 students. Okay. Thank you. And I guess Mr. Easley. Thank you. My editor used to tell me that journalists doing math was a very dangerous thing. I'm sure that elected officials doing math is equally dangerous. But based on the earlier questions I had, it seems to me that. Between the individuals that you're assisting and. And I didn't hear from any others. I can't imagine that any group is larger than a DFS in terms of how much they assist members, students and based on your median, which was not the average. So it's fudging a little bit, but based on your median costs and the number of people you're assisted between the two organizations, I counted $4.3 million. Then that could be reimbursed to those two organizations based on the 75% limit of up to $4,000. But of course, your median was well below the $4,000. This tax is estimated in the first year, according to the to the ballot measure is estimated to raise $10.6 million a year. And then I imagine it would grow by some factor as sales two as sales tax rose, what happens? That's only 40% of the revenue that we're raising with this tax. What is intended for the rest of the 60% of this $10.6 million? Thank you for your question, Constable Flynn. Also, just for the for the record, I am I am one of your graduates. I graduated from Montebello High School and like Mr. Keen, I was also a teen parent and worked my way all the way through Ph.D.. So I'm doctor easily. I normally don't use that, but when I canvased to be on the school board, I met a family that said they had never met a black Ph.D. before. I saw on a public forum I preferred to be Dr. Easily. Thank you. That said, your question is at the heart of this policy. That's why it's not just reimbursement to organizations like L.A. for the Denver Scholarship Foundation and in College Track and I Have a Dream. It also includes debt relief and policy, as you know very well. Councilman, the last thing you want to do is ask the taxpayer for their hard earned money and then leave it on the table. And so that's that's the challenge for this city. This initiative created nonprofit to make sure that through the 39 eligible colleges throughout the state that we work with the financial aid office and that any student who could qualify for these funds, which you estimated 60% is, is aware that that they can work with the city to get up to $4,000 sent to their lenders and to their college to help them with indebtedness. It's very important that that be in there. As many of you know from the history, their scholarship foundation had had begged a similar question in the past, really focused on the Denver Scholarship Foundation. And thanks to the community leaders, we had an epiphany that this wasn't about us, this was about Denver. And so we let go and gave it to the task force that worked with the mayor's office of the. The initiative before you tonight is really about Denver students. It's not about organizations. As I said earlier, it does ratchet up the the gray hairs that I'll get trying to get success as an organization, but as a montebello graduate who thank God, both my kids I had when I was the teen parent of both college graduates as well. I understand the importance of every student finishing. So to answer your question, I think the policy has addressed the need. 10 million is not enough for mathematicians. And if you look at cost of attendance, it's a very little bit when you start talking about somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 to 4000 students a year, it's going to require a lot more commitment from our 39 colleges and state commitment from organizations like DCF to ramp up our private fundraising to to match what the city is doing. But I do think it's good policy, and I think it's well thought out. And although I'd love to have seen an earlier proposal, I am happy to say this is not about Denver Scholarship Foundation. This is about the kids in Denver. Thank you. That's all. Thank you, Councilman Flynn. Councilman Susman, you have a question you like to ask here. You haven't asked to have the ability to ask it. Oh, sure I do. I do have a question. Go right. Ahead. And Dr. Jordan, sorry to put you back on the spot again, but I wonder if you could come up, please. Dr. Jordan, I know we've been colleagues before, and I know what a fabulous job Metropolitan State College has done, and I thank you for your leadership. And so I'm going to apologize first if some of these questions are a little bit difficult, but I bet for you they won't be. What I'd like to focus on is the elements of this ballot proposal. In this ballot proposal, are there any requirements of reports from Metropolitan State College? There are not requirements of reports from the college. There certainly is a an obligation on our part to identify students who would be a graduate of a Denver high school who would otherwise be eligible for some form of of of assistance through this program. Thank you. Are there any in this ballot proposal? Are there any criteria which Metro must meet for student achievement in order to receive these funds? Are there is there anything in this ballot proposal that says to Metro, these are criteria you have to meet? So there are not in this proposal, but there certainly are in the new higher education funding formula that was brought about by former Speaker Farentino, which places a significant emphasis for every institution in the funding, both on retention of students and on actual graduation, and provides even additional bumps for every institution that in particular does that with a Pell Grant student. So the state, through its appropriation process, has clearly said retention and graduation rate is our priority, and we're creating a funding system that is more reliant on those goals. Thank you. That that is the state's responsibility. Are there any requirements in this ballot measure that that require you to increase your retention or completion rates? That is, are there any when when you receive tax money for tuition, do you have any requirement to this in this ballot? So increase your receiving money for tuition. The student is receiving money. Right. But when the student the money that the student spends for tuition are you have any responsibilities or criteria to report on that? Certainly not. Not to the city, but certainly to the state and to the federal government. We do. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you, Councilwoman Sussman, because I'm going to take a year out. Thank you. The string of questions has raised a few more questions. And let me start with Dr. Easley, if you wouldn't mind coming back to the microphone. Can you tell me what the average cost per student is just on the services that are provided by Denver Scholarship Foundation? Thank you for the question, Councilwoman Ortega. I'm just for clarification. The average cost of the Denver Scholarship Foundation or the average. Scholarship, the services that are provided. We spend depending on the institution. And I hedged on this because it matters if whether or not they're at a community college or Colorado College, but roughly at a community college to make it happen in terms of support services, etc., you need roughly about 1400 dollars. In some cases, we're able to get grants to do this. For example, we have a grant at the Community College of Denver where we're able to spend that roughly 1400 in addition to our scholarship on students. In some cases, we're not able to do that. So does that 1400 count towards the cap in if this legislation passes? Does it count towards the cap? From my reading of the of the policy, you cannot receive more than 4000 regardless of what you spend. And just to make another point that's really important, that means that I have to continue to get leverage, private investment. And that's one of the things that I love most about this policy, is that it does not release me or my organization from our relationship with private donors. In fact, the more private money we're able to raise and the more success wherever they have with that private money, the more city money we're able to access. So. Can you tell me then if the. Counseling is spent on students who may not end up pursuing a scholarship. For example, I know you do work in the high schools trying to assist students who are seeking various scholarship dollars as they're approaching their senior year and trying to figure out where they want to go to school . So how how does. How does that apply the money that you're spending on staff for students who may or may not end up being a college student to access a scholarship? Again, thank you for a great question. In the case of the Denver Scholarship Foundation, we would not seek reimbursement on what we do with the free college level. We have a strong partnership with Denver Public Schools. We also have several private organizations that sponsor our future centers. That would not be what we would seek. Our challenge are to first our scholarship amount. We would love to be able to fit to improve the quality of what we provide in financial aid. So that's one of the challenges and priorities for the organization, is to see if we can increase our scholarship amount so we narrow the unmet need for students on an annual basis and to increase our investment in colleges that students attend where they are really faced with both social and academic challenges, things that happen outside of the classroom that put pressure on whether or not they're able to to persist and graduate. And, you know, I understand as well as a former teen parent and from a low income single parent family, there's a lot of pressure on me as a young man to quit college and get a job so I can help my mother pay the mortgage for my siblings. So I get it. And it's very important the financial aid is necessary, but not sufficient for kids to complete. Oftentimes you need both social academic support and learn how to be an advocate for yourself, know when and where to get help. And those are all very, very important. And that's what I love about this policy, is it encourages organizations like the Denver Scholarship Foundation to pay attention to things in addition to financial aid that first generation low income students need. What I'm trying to understand is. How the counseling process works at the high school level. Mm hmm. And I'm going to ask our city attorney in a minute to help me understand if there is any percentage split on how much can go towards reimburses reimbursement versus new students that are being recruited out of at a high school . So my my next question is about how, for example, Denver Scholarship Foundation overlaps or collaborates with college in Colorado, who also does some work in high school with students who are looking to pursue higher ed. Again, great question. And I learned growing up in my Belo it's better to cooperate than compete. Although you may think I'm big enough to play for the Broncos now, I wasn't always this size. And so, yeah, I've carried that attitude into my professional career. And so we have a written agreement with 21 organizations that do similar work, including the Colorado Department of Higher Education, so that we don't stumble over each other. So what are you going to do and what are we going to do? So that was a win for you, a win for us. And most importantly, it's a win for students. So the short answer is we believe in collective impact. Okay. My next question is for Harvey Haynes. Thank you, Dr.. Easily. KP Do you have information on how much Denver Public Schools spends on college prep counseling services for high school students that are looking to pursue higher education? No, I'm sorry, Councilwoman. I couldn't quote that number to you right off the top of my head. And particularly because our counselors have multiple roles, not a college readiness and college preparation, as well as assistance with students in their high school careers. And so sometimes the you know, those lines blur. So is there like an average number of college counselors in each high school? I know the sizes of our high schools vary across the board. So can you just. It would. It would I think it would be a little misleading to try to give an average number for high school. And here's the reason. We have a student based budget process that gives us an amount of dollars to each school based on the number of students that are enrolled. Those schools decide themselves where those dollars are spent. So each high school determines how many counselors and what and how many teachers and how many intervention specialists and all of those things. So there isn't, you know, no term. And how much is spent on college prep part. Other words, they determine how much they determine based on the. Needs of the student, the students in their school. I can tell you this. Number one, because of additional assistance, both through federal funding and from state funding to add counselors, we have over the past year added counselors in all of our high schools because it is a strong need. And many of our high schools have had a, you know, a one counselor per 500 student ratio, which is very high. And and you can imagine how difficult it is to give students the appropriate support. Many of our high schools have really worked to hire additional support in counselors, in student advisors and through other means, including coordination with the futures centers. In order to provide that assistance to our students on and getting ready for college. In the future centers is a DPS. The Futures Centers is a partnership between Denver Public Schools and the Denver Scholarship Foundation. And I would point out, I think to the point the question that you were asking earlier, so the the reimbursements for support under the ordinance is not directed to the future centers that are in within DPS. They're directed to students who are enrolled in a college or a certificate program. So the so the thrust of the support services under this proposal is for students is for the support for students who are in one of those programs to help them persist. So that reimbursement is not done for students who are in high school. That's right. It's not it's not applicable to our future centers in Denver public schools. So the work that College in Colorado does works primarily in the high schools, trying to get students ready to go on to college, very similar to what Denver Scholarship Foundation does. Are they, in fact, eligible to be reimbursed for the work they do for students that are helping get into college? Again, to the extent that those services are provided to students who are enrolled in a program. So if there if college in Colorado is continuing to assist students who are enrolled in a two year community college or a four year institution or a certificate accredited certificate program, then yes, they would be eligible. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. And my last two questions are for Dan Snyder, if you wouldn't mind coming back up. So let me get back to the question that I asked earlier. I'm trying to find my notes here. So let me jump to this 1/1. Can you outline the process per the language by which any new organizations could become eligible to? To work with students and take advantage of these resources to assist students. So the the requirements for an organization to benefit from funding through the city created nonprofit are on page nine of the bill. They have to be duly incorporated and in good standing under the Colorado nonprofit Corporation Act and the IRS as a tax exempt organization. They also have to have existed and operated as a college scholarship and support service entity for not less than three years. So that was a decision to ensure a track record before. Before funding, and then they have reporting requirements to remain in good standing. There are reports required to the the city created nonprofit. And I'm assuming they have to raise their own money if they're fronting the scholarship and then getting reimbursed back. Yes. Because they can only be reimbursed for private funds. And can you clarify if the language speaks to a split on what percentage goes towards reimbursement versus what percentage can go to new students? Or is that all basically too determined by the new government's body? Just. There's no split. But I'm confused on on what you're splitting between. So is there. Are we is does the language say 60% of the dollars should go. Oh I see. Student for the old enrolled into college versus you know 80% students who are already in. No there's no split like that. And nor is there a split articulated between the organization reimbursement side and the debt relief side. Okay. Okay. Thank you. I have no further questions. Thank Councilman Ortega Guzman as. Do you have a clue? Excuse me. Councilman, if I can clarify one answer to the question about college in Colorado. So the organizations that are eligible to be reimbursed must be nonprofit institutions. And so college in Colorado, being a government entity would not be eligible to be reimbursed. So I wanted to be sure I clarified that. Thank you for thank you for sharing. Councilman Espinosa. Okay, if I go to Councilwoman Clark. Right. And then a chance to ask a question. Come on, Clark, you're up. Thank you, Mr. President. I have two quick questions. Can our attorney, Mr. Slattery, come back up? Can I just clarify that this you know, Dr. Easley had mentioned earlier that this ordinance is not about one organization. In fact, how this is written. The eligible kids would have to be residents of the city and county of Denver, correct? Yes. And there's a residency requirement built into their. 36 continuous months of rest Denver residency prior to attending. Okay. Thank you. And then if I could ask quick question of the honorable Miss Haynes. Earlier, my colleague asked a question about the different funding mechanisms that were looked at to fund potential. You know, for kids to go to college by leveraging if we had leveraged this or looked at this under a DPS funding model. It seems to me that that funding would have only been able to be used for Denver public school kids. But by leveraging this funding mechanism through this mechanism, this will now be eligible for all kids beyond Denver public schools. Is that correct? That is correct. Councilman. Thank you very much. Think that's all, Mr. President. Think they can count on that? They're happy. Councilman Espinosa, you're up. All right. I would like to call the honorable happy Haines. Yeah. Oh. So I'm sorry. Every time we talk about this new stuff comes up. Otherwise, I would have asked well in advance. So you mentioned that you expected 30,000 students over the next ten years to graduate from Denver schools. What percentage in any sense about what percentage? At least based on what we know now, what percentage would go on to post-secondary education that would be eligible for. Well, you know, just in general, how many what percentage would be going to on to college or community college or something? So it's over. It's more dangerous for me to be doing the math than, uh, Councilman Flynn. But let me add, because that was over a period of years. So let me let where I'm going with let me just say that we estimate it and I'm going to ask staff to correct me if I'm wrong, if I'm if I'm wrong, that approximately 65 it's so not over the ten year period, but approximately 6500 students on on an average attend college in Denver. And that's not a. Know where I'm going with this is is if it were 10,000 over ten years as 3000 students a year at $10 million, that's 33,000 I mean, 30 $300 of eligible money. I mean, per student, that's not extrapolating it over 44 years of education. But that means that if you had 25% that went on to to school, to programs and were eligible to sort of get money, you could actually fully fund every kid that went to college for 33 I mean, 3300. Dollar scholarship. But after if you go half me now, if you expect half of those students now, you reduce that number by half. So I'm just trying to figure out and. So great question. I mean, it involves, you know, a crystal ball to some extent. And it's one of the reasons why flexibility was built into the the ordinance to enable the the nonprofit to understand the demand each year. And our hope is that particularly the new students that we're trying to reach out to will will swell those numbers. But it could mean that the average amount of of reimbursement would change over the years. It's it's hard to predict. So then of those 3000 students that are on average coming out of Denver schools, this goes back to the other question I was starting to ask. What is the maximum eligible EFC that that you guys were targeting? You had a multiplier. And I couldn't remember what that multiplier was and I'm sorry. So the maximum eligible. Expected family contribution that would still be eligible for this money. So I expected family income is entirely based on the family's income. So there's there's no way to pull a number out that represents all of those students. Right. What the what the ordinance provides is that students are eligible on a on a sliding scale scale for families up to two and a half times of Pell eligibility. So students who are lower income students on a sliding scale and this would be determined by the nonprofit would be eligible for larger amounts up to that 4000 per year. Okay. So two and a half. Two. Two and a half of the Pell eligible. So so what we're trying to do is is provide eligibility for students who are whom who may not be low income students and eligible for the higher amounts based on their income but still are are racking up debt and therefore in need of some assistance. Those students at the higher levels that two and a half times of Pell eligibility would not be eligible for as much reimbursements or support as students who are lower income. So then again, I won't extrapolate it over the 30,000 expected, but of the Denver students, the mean of the students that we would say eligible this year, what percentage of that graduating class would meet that 2.2.5 X threshold? You any sense about how many students in this year's graduating class would actually be eligible to get money through this program? Um, no, I, I don't know. I mean, you, Dr. easily could provide that only based on the number of students in Denver Scholarship Foundation. And you could extrapolate from that. Great. Thank you. Thank you, Ms.. Haines. Thank you for the question, Councilman. So if you look at DPS population of 90,000 students, two thirds of DPS students qualify for free or reduced lunch. And that is an excellent proxy for palatability. So if you look at the fact that, you know, you get two thirds of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and that's the largest provider of education in the city. You know, I can't speak to what we have at our private institutions or how many students are choosing to go to Jefferson County schools or other school districts adjacent to ours. But I can say if you use Denver as a proxy, there's a there's a there's there should be significant demand for this. We also did some preliminary look at at one point of what it would take for the Denver Scholarship Foundation to to serve all DPS students. And, you know, currently, we invest about 4 million a year in scholarships. That number would go up over over 9 million. Just in the small percentage of DPS kids who don't qualify for free or reduced lunch. They're more likely to go to college and they're more likely to persist. So that sort of and that would be funding at the current levels that you fund. That would be if we expanded our eligibility beyond the current level that we look at. And right now we're at one and a half times Pell. Because that was my next question was. So we're actually more more conservative than this would be as an organization. Great. It just in in in talking about this, suddenly it looks like you have nearly won a very, very high percentage of coverage on essentially eligible students that graduate from Denver. We have limits to who we cover. No matter what you cover. But by virtue of adding essentially $10 million into the stream. All right. And increasing the threshold to two, two and a half times Pell. Mm hmm. You almost. That's that's a signal. I think we, you know, you've you've got an adequate amount to to take a start in to your question about how many students we know that 74% of the jobs in four and a half years are going to require a certificate associates, a four year college degree. And even for those students who right now may not be compelled to get a postsecondary degree, we note we expect that to increase. And briefly, I remember when I started the Denver Scholarship Foundation in 2008, there was a gentleman who would I would say good morning to every year, every morning when I went into the garage, and I'd say good evening to him when I left. And now it's a machine that says, please, in search of parking ticket. So there's one last job that's available to people with a high school diploma. Denver is one of the hottest cities, as you know well in the country in terms of technology, in terms of our workforce. And so there's a high demand for skilled labor. And, you know, I'm not the one to speak to. This space is lots of business leaders in the audience. But I can tell you, I've heard loud and clear that there is a very strong need for more and more educated workforce in the city of Denver. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Espinosa. All right. Seeing no more questions, the public hearing is now closed and we'll move to comments. I'll defer my comments to the end. So anyone want to chime in? Councilwoman Black, you're up. Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you for all of you who are here tonight and who have worked so hard on this. Education is so important. We were talking about tuition. I remember when I went to see you a long time ago, I was shocked at my bill, which was $495 my freshman year. I am a graduate, as are my mother, my grandmother, my husband, cousins, aunts, uncles and my three kids. I have worked in our schools as an employee and as a volunteer and in our DPS future centers, which we all know are college counseling centers that are funded by the Denver Scholarship Foundation. I've been a supporter of the Denver Scholarship Foundation since its inception in 2007. I even interviewed some of our future center coordinators who were in those first three schools. I've seen firsthand how a scholarship can help change a student life, get them into college, and help them complete college. It's so important for the kids and for our state. Yes, education funding in Colorado is broken. We all agree on that. But this is something that could be a fix for thousands of Denver kids. I don't think anyone is suggesting that it's going to fix our whole state, but it's something that we can do at the local level to really impact our city and our workforce. As Dr. Easily said, we need educated kids to fill the jobs and to be clear to anyone who may just be tuning in on TV. Our vote tonight is not to raise taxes. It is to decide whether or not to put this on the ballot for our voters to decide. Affordability in Denver is a real issue. We read about it in the paper every day, and that includes housing, cost of living and college affordability. And families have just one budget. And if we can help a family pay for college, we're helping them live here in Denver. And I think we can give someone a chance with less than a penny on $10. I think it's something worth investing. I do share the same concerns that many people share, and I agree with The Denver Post that voters generosity is not limitless. But I do trust the voters to make the right decision. So thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Black, Councilwoman Sussman, Europe. Thank you, Mr. President. You know, regarding sending this off to debate, I'm pretty sure let's not fool ourselves. Are referring it to the ballot will be seen as our support for it. Y'all have heard me before about my concerns about this particular proposal. I again thank the group for asking me to the party and even knowing that I would have some disagreements, I thought I was in quite admiration of you all to do that. Being against this is like being against motherhood and apple pie. Indeed, the fresh faced, ambitious young people that came up to talk to us were very eloquent and of course, that college tuition costs are out of sight. In fact, the only other sector of our economy where the prices have raised so much, haven't risen so much higher than inflation is health care and college tuition costs have outpaced even health care for debatable reasons, not the least of which is the loss of government support. Even though it's a very unpopular. City Council has an obligation to be responsible electeds. And we have to make difficult decisions, unpopular ones. We need to be responsible about our city's financial needs. They are great. And we need to be clear about our sphere of responsibility and our sphere of authority. We can't expect the citizens of Denver to fix the problems of out of control tuition costs and low retention and completion rates. Our state and federal government. Have that responsibility, as do the colleges themselves. We are a city government. We are not a city. Government is completely removed from education government. There is no educational institution over which we have any authority. None. Yet? None. There are no pieces of this proposal, this ballot proposal that holds any of the actual entities with the responsibility, such as the state, the federal government or the colleges that holds them responsible for the costs of tuition or the retention rates. As you heard Dr. Jordan say, I think very eloquently. This particular proposal doesn't require any reports from the college, and I would imagine not from the state or the federal government either, about how the money is being spent and where the non-profits, the extra people who are going to be helping. They have a responsibility to report to us. But the ultimate people who are going to receive tuition dollars have no responsibility to report on anything they're doing with the money. We're going to be asking. Denver City Council people. To raise taxes to give to. Organizations that will have no need to report on the ways in which it has been spent or the ways in which they have improved things by the money that they've received. And we're going to ask them to take on responsibilities that they don't normally have, which is responsibilities for educating our people . Now, education is very important, but I, I, I promise you, 29 years in higher education, I don't know if we want to wade into those waters. These are complicated water's edge, higher education. Are we are we asking the city to take on the responsibility of higher education because the state and the federal government haven't been able to do much with it? I just. Can't see supporting this ballot measure, although it does tug at the heart strings of the needs that we have for people to go to college. It's just not in our wheelhouse as city council government. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Sussman. Councilman Cashman, you're up. Thank you, Mr. President. For me, what we have here tonight is a bona fide conundrum. I see valid reasons why, as a voter, a citizen of Denver would vote for this proposal. And I see valid reasons why a citizen of Denver might choose to vote otherwise. To not fulfill our obligation to educate our children, to educate the next generations is to me, completely unacceptable. The fact that our state representatives continue to fall short in funding education in Colorado is equally unacceptable. The fact that this matter is primarily the purview of state government is painfully clear. There are infrastructure needs that we must address as city representatives. There is the housing crisis we all face. We need to find funds to provide housing for for the homeless and for our lower and middle class families. There are neighborhood planning needs that in this particular booming economy. These times we need to address will be asked to continue the lodgers tax to fund the National Western Center. Rebuilding, which I think we definitely must do in the near future, will be asked to continue the the tax for the scientific and cultural facilities district, which we absolutely must do. I believe the proponents of this bill have a real challenge ahead of them to convince voters to vote for this tax increase, while the less than a penny on $10 may seem insignificant. As my colleague said before, voters notoriously have a limit on what what they will choose to fund. The gut reaction that I have had from my constituents thus far has not been positive towards this measure. It's early, but I've yet to get my first email saying Go for it. So again, for me, this is a real conundrum. I agree that the colleges need to be held accountable with tuition. I would like to see this proposal have more hard and fast requirements on the institutions. I'd like to see more definite time limits and so on. But I don't think for me that it's appropriate for this body to legislate this matter by crushing this proposal tonight . I think. There was a matter that came before a previous council a couple of years ago. Most of you are aware of it was a land trade between the city and Denver public schools, and I didn't like the vote that came down. But the main thing that I didn't like was our city was robbed of the opportunity to debate two very excellent competing land uses, and I don't want that to happen here. I think our decision on whether or not or how to educate our children deserves a broader discussion. So and I wish to be clear, I am in no way indicating my vote should this matter come to ballot. But I definitely want to provide the community the opportunity for this important debate. So I will be supporting this this evening. Thank you, Councilman Cashman. Councilwoman Canete. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank all of the speakers for being here tonight, for getting late. And we know the benches are hard, so we appreciate you being here. And I also want to thank the proponents and council president Herndon. This proposal has changed a lot over the last year and a half or so. And, you know, they deserve great credit for their flexibility and taking early feedback and really making it a much broader proposal. I think that in addition to some policy differences, some of my colleagues and we are disagreeing about what our role is here tonight. And I just I need to spend a minute on that. You know, I very much agree with Councilwoman Susman. If this were simply about taking a conversation to the community. My role would be to stay neutral and let that conversation happen. And the way to do that would have been a citizens initiative and gathering signatures. And if that had happened, I can promise you I would have stayed neutral. But when you bring a measure as an ordinance, you know, to put something on the ballot through this council, I believe I am being asked as a policymaker to weigh in with my judgment, to weigh in with my experience serving this city for, you know, going into my fifth year. And based on the information I have the information I've chaired the Budget Committee for several years on this council and have privy to the competing demands. I have. I have access to the places that our citizens and our residents and our businesses are asking and meeting the most from the city. And so I do believe it's my job to say whether I think this is the best rightist proposal for this source of revenue. And I think that's really important. There is an eloquent case that's been made and it's irrefutable regarding the need to address college access. The question I'm faced with tonight is whether this source right now is the right place for that. And I do believe that that's what we're being asked to do as legislators tonight, is to weigh in. So with that in mind, I have to go back to addressing some of the concerns I raised last week. And that really comes down to two issues. One, it is really struggling with this source of revenue at this time and the competing needs. You know, I appreciated the consideration you had of other sources, but to hear that a property tax for DPS takes it too far from their mission and risks the competing resources for their needs is exactly the same issue I face. It's exactly the same issue I face here at the city council, which is I have a charter and this is not in it. And I have demands that are in that charter that are not being met. And I, I that is a risk that deeply concerns me. But I really wanted to get there. I really did. I respect so many of the individuals who are here tonight. Your policy acumen and your eloquent case, the services you're already providing, very respected scholarship organizations. So even if I could suspend my belief and suspend my concern about the competing resources, the question then becomes, is this the exact right proposal? It is the best proposal. I don't like the 25 ed 25 year age limit. It really does cut out the technical workforce that Denver needs for middle income jobs who don't tend to get their certificates in education, you know, early in their lives. But even more than that, this is the this is the key for me. I just can't get there, which is I can't point to a definitive return on investment for dollars that go out of this community. I understand that not everyone wants to go to college in Denver. I understand that some people go to college in Greeley and Durango. They come back. But I can't say to my taxpayer I'm capturing and ROI on every dollar spent for Denver and I'm a team player. You know, we are part of the scientific and cultural district with the rest of the region. And I'm okay that those dollars leave Denver because it's a regional partnership. Their dollars come in, our dollars go out. This is us going it alone and this is us not guaranteeing a return on investment for every dollar we invest. And that just is the piece that that I can't get there on. I know that this is going to pass tonight based on my colleague's comments. And so I will say this. If the voters approve this, I will wish for its success. I will, you know, understand and believe that our voters have spoken. And so, you know, I'm in no ways, you know, planning to go out there and campaign against it. But it's my obligation to share my judgment based on the information I have in this job. And that information is that this is not the best proposal and it's not the right source of revenue. So those for those reasons, I'm going to have to vote against this tonight, but we will see what the voters say. Thank you. Thank you. Councilwoman, can each Councilman Espinosa. I'm sorry about that. Yeah. I struggle. I, I my comments reflect the fact that just in the testimony today and in the testimony today, we heard that there are 90,000 students in DPS. And even if you awarded 9000 scholarships, there's nine out of every ten students aren't getting a benefit from this. And those I mean, what we heard was about 4500 or so students might actually get a scholarship. That number of people represent less than 1% of the total population of the city of Denver. But when you impose a sales tax, any any person making a taxable sale will pay for that. So 100%, even if you give your kids a couple of bucks to go to the store to buy a taxable item, 100% of the population will be paying this tax to then support less than 1% of the population. And so that's where I struggle. I like it conceptually, but I think this is the wrong tool because our own tax guide states that the purpose of the sales tax is to generate funds for the payment of expenses of operating and improving the city and its facilities, and for the payment of principal and interest due on certain municipal bonds. This is a public taxing mechanism to sort of serve a public good and to to use that instrument to serve a fraction of 1% of the population in this regard, that without any sort of mechanism to actually say Denver's going to benefit from that in the future is sort of to defer this tax in a way that I can use this tale's tax in a way that I just I can't refer that to ballot. There is the citizen initiative. You know, you probably could get the entire 18 year old population of DPS to sign that petition and get this thing on the ballot. There is a mechanism to do this that doesn't involve us trying to to program and prescribe, I mean, to sort of weigh in this way. And so it's a great idea conceptually. But the funding is is where I struggle with. And so those are my thoughts. Thanks. Thank you. Councilman Espinosa. Councilman. Yeah. Well, I echo all my colleagues comments about the concerns, the pluses and minuses of this ordinance. And there's no question that higher education is a state responsibility. And we've got tremendous needs of our city. We've got to take care of those needs. But I also believe in educating our our kids. You know, they're the future of our city. And I want to try to do something to educate our workforce, to make sure we are successful economically in our city. So I struggle with this a lot. And the thing that I heard most when I go through my whole campaign and I campaigned through every neighborhood in District ten and has so many conversations with my constituents, the thing they said to me was, let me have a voice. Let me be a part of the decision making process. I'm tired of the city making decisions for me all the time. Let me be a part of that process. And the emails that I've gotten, I've gotten a lot of different emails, but the common theme of the emails was, let me to help be a part of that process. So I understand the concerns everyone has here tonight, and it's very difficult, but I want our citizens to be a part of this decision. So I'm going to vote yes for this and and hope our citizens are well educated about the pros and cons of this legislation. And I also want to encourage all of our citizens to get out and vote in November. The low participation of our our citizens in voting is terrible. And so we need to make sure we not only educate everyone about this ordinance, but also encourage everyone to get out and vote. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Councilman. New Councilman Lopez. Thank you, Mr. President. I admit. I did, but I did not get. The hearing to go this long. But I'm glad I did. I'm glad folks stayed. For the end of this. I want to know where the girls from. Barnum and Westwood. Where are they? Still here. They have homework? Yeah. All right. School board member. All right. Got to get. Got to buy the ticket before you get on the train. Right. Okay. I understand my colleague's reservations about about the funding. I understand when there is no measure. That holds the colleges and universities accountable and reporting or anything like that. But from what I understand, we can't even we don't even have that authority in the city to have any of the colleges report to us. Even if we did, even if we said put it in there, we wouldn't be able to legally defend it. I know tuition is out of control. And I know that that. On the federal level and on the state level, it's gridlock. The question itself never gets through committee. Let alone the governor's desk. And meanwhile, we're the ones footing the bill. Students are footing the bill. The tuition costs keep going up. And it stresses families and squeezes them out. And it prices out our students. And let me just preface what I'm about to say by saying, yes, there are some institutions that are doing their best. I appreciate Metro State University. Being here, and I'm wondering why SIU or. CSU or any other college or university isn't here? Well, I guess the state call a community college was here. But. That to me, that. That's what bothers me. However, it's not about the politics of the state. It's not about the politics at the colleges or in academia. It is about what's happening in our city. I was looking at census tracts, census tract maps today throughout our city. And I was remembering the debate that. We had. At our last public hearing, not a public hearing, but the last time we had this bill in front of us. And folks had talked about sidewalks and what we do as a municipality, what the city and county and Denver does have the authority to regulate and does have the authority to spend its budget on. And I looked at that map and I looked for the past. 50 years. Especially since part of our district was even part of Denver since until about 1950. I look at that map. And despite my predecessors hard work and despite. Advocacy. That map shows two different Denver's. That map shows great inequality. When you look at sidewalks, guess where they're missing? West of the Platte. When you look at housing stock. Where's the worst quality? Where are we hurting? West of the. Highway. You look at. Street paving when you look at Brexiteers. Every single. When you look at grocery stores and you look at transportation access. When you look at park space. It tells you the same story when you look at income. It tells you the same story. Poverty. And you go into education. And what hurts the most. Is that the neighborhood of Westwood? Has the lowest. Amount of bays in the whole city. It's in the single digits, folks. And it's not because those of us from Westwood and Barnum. Don't want to go. Or don't try. Or don't have the capacity. It's because we are priced out. And you look at what's happening in this city and what leads to gentrification or at least all this. It's dead. It's our family's debt and bad credit and not being able to sustain. A job. With a fight for those jobs to get. Over their. What's this got to do with this? Well, because those zip codes. 8020480219. They said. We always say a zip code should not determine your future, but it has for the last 50 years, and we are tired of it. And even though we've been paving streets and putting in sidewalks and trying to close the park. Gap and killing food deserts and putting. Replacing liquor stores at grocery stores, even though. We've been doing this until we have no nails left until our. Last breath, we will try. It will not it will not be enough unless we do something in the education now. When you look at education, you look at the schools that are performing it or not perform, were all the blue schools there are. East of the river. And it's not an us versus them that I'm trying to. It is an end situation. It's not either or. I'm not saying pick Denver. It's and. It's East and west. What are the things? How are we going to fix that? You know how we fix that? We give the opportunity. For Westwood and Barnham and Hyland Island. You guys are doing really well. Councilman Ruby Hill Every everything west. Of that river ath ma park, those areas that. Are hurting even into Montebello and Whittier and Cole, you give all those folks the opportunity to prove who they are. And you know what? You give those folks an opportunity. Just a hand up saying, here, come on. Here's a hint. Give them the opportunity and we will. Change the neighborhoods. We will change the cities. We will create change in those neighborhoods. Now, this isn't the end all be all, but $4,000 a year is a heck of a support. And if we can't depend on our expected. Family contribution and if we don't have it. Then there's that help up. Because not because of lack of will, it's because of lack of funding. And one thing I got to say, yes, it's constituents, maybe. Under 17, a lot of them. Very. I don't know if there's many, very many 18 year olds that are still in. High school, seniors in high school. I was one because I had to repeat one grade, but. Supposed to laugh. Their voters. And they are also taxpayers. As a matter of fact. My daughter is a taxpayer and she's only eight years old. So when we say taxpayers, it's one in the same. They are also paying the bill for themselves and they will continue to dwell on past failures. So I would love to see I think Councilman Cashman put it very, very well. I think it's time to put it on the ballot and let folks decide for themselves. Let us decide for themselves. And yes, get that vote out. It doesn't matter if you're pro or against. Please get it out anyway. I took a lot of time. I'm sorry. Let's move forward. Yes, let's move forward. Thank you. Councilman Lopez. Councilman Flynn. Thank you, Mr. President. Everything that was said in here and all the testimony, everything that was said about the struggles that students face in meeting the exorbitant costs of higher education and the importance of completing a degree or a certificate or an associate's degree is so very true. But there are agencies in this city and in this state whose core mission is education. We are not one of them. I question the assertion that a mill levy from DPS could only be used to subsidize the college tuition of students who graduated from DPS high schools. After all, DPS mill levy is used for anybody and everybody, whatever age, can walk into Emily Griffith Opportunity School. I don't believe we could tell a Denver student who graduated, say, from Mullen that they can't participate in this program if it came through as a no levy from DPS. Since DPS has told us that this is this is not something that they want to take on because they're handling so many issues with K-12. And that is true. And we have, as Councilwoman Kennish pointed out, we have core responsibilities as well. But since the way the program is set up as a pass through to a not to a governing body that is appointed by us, why could that not that same thing not work with DPS? This isn't something that's going to be managed here in City Hall. After all, the sales tax revenue is going to be done by this governing organization that we set up. So we are not one of them. We have core responsibilities that we are struggling to meet as well. Safety, affordable housing, crumbling streets and infrastructure. It doesn't matter. As our deputy mayor and CFO Carrie Kennedy said that to me, it doesn't matter that this is just a slight increase in the sales tax or that other cities have higher sales tax. That doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is what we're raising that money for. And subsidizing college tuition costs simply isn't a municipal responsibility. The problem with college affordability is the rapidly rising cost, not the inability to pay for it. We'll keep chasing we'll keep chasing these cost increases by raising more and more money for it. And we're satisfying the people who are raising the costs and are having no incentive to contain the costs. We think the real problem is the inability to pay these ever rising costs, when the real problem is the ever rising costs of combating the rising costs of higher education by taxing the public to try to meet those increases is like trying to solve the obesity problem by throwing an all you can eat buffet. I cannot ask the struggling working families of Mali, Brentwood or Harvey Park to pay anything more at the cash register when they buy school supplies or clothes for their kids so that we can subsidize college tuition cost increases. When they have in southwest Denver the highest response time to police 911 calls. When I have an Iraqi war veteran in a wheelchair who cannot even go down his street anymore in the winter because we don't have a sidewalk in his neighborhood or when our streets haven't been touched, some of them in 20 or 30 years. I cannot ask those people to pay more at the cash register to subsidize college tuition. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Flynn. Councilwoman Gilmore. Thank you, Mr. President. I have to say that. I've been listening to my constituents call and talking with lots of folks and listening to my colleagues tonight, and I have to appreciate the dialog. I am a little disappointed there weren't any students from 80239 or 80249 here. But I do know that there are students who have been served by these organizations, and I think that that might also speak to. Some of the barriers that. Arise for especially students who are first generation or students who are classified as low income to gain access to even get transportation to come and be here tonight, to have the privilege of time and to be able to sit and be here and participate. And, you know, I understand that everything is not addressed. Everything is not covered in this council bill, which makes it very, very difficult. But I have to believe that the return on investment in the lives that will be transformed by an opportunity by this is much bigger and broader than all of the details that we could pick it apart at and the communities that will be affected, making our city's workforce stronger. And I understand innately how difficult it is to run a nonprofit. I founded a nonprofit. I ran one for almost 20 years. It is the most terrifying thing every year when you know that you have to raise your entire budget. It's a very big adjustment for me. I haven't bought a piece of furniture from my council office because I just can't make myself spend that money. I go to surplus and pick through their stuff because I want those tax dollars to go back to the folks in District 11. And knowing the privilege of running a501 C3 nonprofit. The immense responsibility that goes along with that because you have foundation, you have individuals donations, who they've given you their money to have that trust that you're going to fulfill your mission. And the expanded reporting, accountability, financial audits that go into running a nonprofit. I know that this money will be very well spent and invested and in doing the educational work that I've done for 20 years. When you invest in human beings and you invest in lives, I'm sorry, but. There's no guarantees. Because human beings are messy. Our lives are messy, communities are messy. And that's the beauty of being a human being and living in the communities of Montebello or Green Valley Ranch. Things arise and they get messy and there's no return on your investment. There's a return on. Investment. In putting the money to prisons because, you know, you have your clientele there. You know, they have to eat. You know, you have to clothe them. You know that they're going to be there. And so I urge my colleagues to make that return on investment in human lives. I also urge the board that is the seven member board. That you have a very robust accountability and. Transparency. More robust that is than outlined in this. There's much, much more that you need to be reporting on to convey to the voters, our constituents, the young people who are investing into this, because 16, 17, 15. Year olds are taxpayers as well. Many that live in my district because they have to work to help their families out. The 10% administrative cost, you know, for running a nonprofit, kind of that magic number is 8020. Every dollar, 80% goes back to your programs. 20% goes towards administration. Because, again, when you invest in human beings and you invest in lives, you need people who are going to work within these organizations that don't leave. You need to be able to pay good wages. You need to pay a livable wage for people to stay. The worst thing that can happen, especially when. You invest in people's lives, is somebody stays for a year with a program and then they leave to go get a better job somewhere because they have to pay their own bills. And so that 10%, I think, is a very realistic amount. And, you know, my campaign slogan was Your voice, our community. Far be it for me to take my community's voice away. I want them to have the opportunity to ask all of these very hard. Questions. And to debate it. And, you know, everybody talks about the very low voter turnout in my community. That is a systemic result of folks struggling, not having livable wages and. Not having the. Bandwidth or the feeling that their voice is going to be heard. And through investing in human beings, I would predict and you can hold me to this when we invest in human beings more so, we're going to see an increase in civic engagement in. Parents being able to advocate for their own. Children in schools and for groups of people. To advocate for better wages, health care and benefits. Thank you. Thank you. Councilwoman Gilmore, Councilman Clark. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to I want to thank all of you for coming, for speaking, for sticking with us and to all my colleagues for the great comments and questions and debate on this for me tonight. This is not a choice between roads and kids. It's not a choice between housing the homeless or making college more affordable for our kids. There is no other proposal on the floor we're not weighing. Is this better than something else we're looking at? Is this a good idea? Is this something that we want to invest? Is this something that we want to ask the voters? Did they want to invest in? And that even with this this increase in tax, we heard from our CFO that we currently ranked seventh most affordable sales tax and we would remain at the seventh lowest sales tax. There is no greater investment that we can make in our city than investing in our kids. We spent a lot of time talking about the affordability of our city. How do we make sure that people can live in the city? What better way to invest and make sure that kids growing up in Denver can afford to live in Denver than helping them afford that college degree, that post high school education that allows them to make more money and afford to live here. And I certainly think that investing in our kids is a greater investment than building a stadium for our beloved Broncos. Born and raised, I'm a huge Peyton fan. But if if we were able to ask our taxpayers if they wanted to add that to sales tax, I think this is an even greater investment and that deserves a debate and an opportunity for voters to say, yes, I support our kids at a rate that is slightly lower than we were willing to spend on building a stadium. I think so often as happens with politics, we get into a debate about whose job it is or what the best mechanism is. And at the end of the day, in in our city and our state, our kids are caught in the crossfire and we're failing them. And tonight we have something in front of us that allows us to take to the voters an option to stop debating whose job it is, to stop debating where the money should come from , or who of us should have taken action. But to say, hey, this body, this part of government is willing to stand up and put an option forward to help be a part of the solution. And for all of those reasons, I will be happily supporting this tonight. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman Clark. Councilwoman Ortega. Thank you, Mr. President. I also appreciate the hearty discussion that we have had here tonight and the thorough and thoughtful questions and the responses that we have received. I appreciate all of you for sitting through this meeting. This discussion actually started about five and a half years ago when Mr. Tim Marcus approached then Mayor Hickenlooper asking for Denver to match the $50 million that he put aside for what is now the Denver Scholarship Foundation. And I appreciate Mr. Marcus's. Investment and commitment to our young people in our community. And without that program, we have many of the young people who testified that probably would not have had the opportunity to go on to college and to get their degrees and to be able to be here and speak as as articulately as they did and to be representing the various professions that they're now in. I see two of our young people that came to committee and testified before us. I agree with my colleagues about the fact that this should not be one of our core functions. I believe this should be a DPS preferred initiative, not a Denver City Council preferred initiative because education is their. Their focus and their priority. I also agree that we want to make sure that we have the kind of work force in our city that our businesses need. We often hear at various functions that, you know, we're all invited to that talk about the kinds of businesses that we're attracting. I mean, you look just at the construction industry right now and how much construction is going on. And, you know, one would argue that that's not one of these professions that we're were referring to as far as young people going to school and getting a college degree. But many of those that go through the apprenticeship programs are actually being educated and come out with degrees in certification, but they can't fill those jobs fast enough. And they're bringing in their workforce from other communities, other cities, because we just don't have the workforce here. I think it's important that as our public education system is now working to identify professions where there is a demand and a need for workers to help, you know, a lot of times young people don't know what they want to do when they get out of college. They know they want to go to college and they want to get a degree, but they're not sure exactly, you know, what they want to do. But by knowing and being given the opportunity to do internships with different businesses, it helps guide and shape who our young people want to become. And I know that that's one of the things that Denver Public Schools is moving towards, is is to help provide that. And with some of the guidance and assistance from the Denver Scholarship Foundation, I know we have a number of really good scholarship organizations. I'm very familiar with all the great work that the Latin American Education Foundation has done. When this conversation started last year, I believe it was last year, maybe the year before, when the talk was about just one organization being the beneficiary of these scholarship dollars. I was one of the people who said, you need to go back and have a much larger community conversation about this issue so that there are other scholarship organizations who can participate and that other people in this community know what's going on. That did, in fact, happen. There was a much broader conversation. We heard from a number of the speakers who were involved in that committee process. And, you know, what we have in in front of us, I think is not perfect. But I think it's important that we do invest in our kids. I remember during the summer of violence, we invested in our kids. But you know what? We were putting our money into programs that kept kids safe. We were spending money on more cops. We were spending money on programs that kept our kids off the streets. And that was just survival to make sure our kids were not getting caught in the crossfire of the violence that was happening in our community, where we saw a number of our kids laid to rest from the violence. Many of them found themselves sitting in prison from the violence. That's not the kind of investment I think we should be focusing on. This is more appropriate for the kind of investment that is important for our youth. And I have to divulge that I've got three grandchildren in high school that that may be beneficiaries of these dollars . I don't know that that considers me to be a conflict of interest here. I wouldn't directly benefit. But the fact is we have lots of young people in our community whose parents do not have the resources to be able to afford their children, to be able to go on to school. And I think this opportunity that. All Denver residents will have the opportunity to vote on will give our children a fighting chance. And so I will be supporting this tonight. I do wish that it would have been Denver public schools taking the lead and not Denver City Council, because there really is a clear separation between, you know , the role of our public education institution in this city and the role that we play. And yes, we do have many needs and many demands, and we'll be dealing with all of that as we're going through our budget process. We had a budget retreat just a couple of weeks ago to talk about priorities that we all want to see in the city budget. But this is one where the voters do get to decide and they make the ultimate decision. And I with all the many issues that we have had on the ballot in this city, we've got a very articulate and an educated electorate, and they will make the right decision that they believe is right for this city. So with that, I just want to thank you, Mr. President, for your efforts in working on this issue and bringing this forward. I know it's not been always an easy conversation, but it's an important one and it's important for this city. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Ortega. And I will just simply add, let's let's have a debate. I mean, most people on this dyas agree that there is a workforce development shortage. The jobs that we are bringing in, we do not have the homegrown workforce to fill those jobs. How do we come to a solution? It is easy to troubleshoot any ordinance that comes before us and say there's an issue here or there's an issue there, and if we do that, then we there will nothing that will ever be passed because we will never get to the perfect ordinance. But what we have here is something we have something that can make a difference in the lives of young people. Generational differences. And I thought as a statistic that I believe Dr. Easley said for the dollar, investment generated $9.59. It's almost tenfold a tenfold investment in a person. And people turn around and say education is not the purview of the municipal level. It's at the state level. And I said this last week, I'll say it again. And why are we about to debate construction defects? Because that is exactly a state purview. But we're going to have a conversation as well as other municipalities have already done. So if it negatively impacts our municipality, we have and we have the opportunity to do a solution, let's do so and let's just have a debate. The proponents of this have work to do to demonstrate to the people why this is important. But I think it would be very unfortunate if this body right here simply said we're not even going to allow it to have a discussion. I shouldn't fault the proponents just because they choose to go the route of an ordinance versus petition. They have that right. That is the way to do so. And so I just think this is a great opportunity to bookend what we're doing with the Denver Preschool Program. And when the Denver Preschool Program came out, they said the exact same things about the Denver preschool program that we're saying right now. It's not our purview. And look how a tremendous success that has been. And so we have the opportunity to do something similar, or at the very least, let's have a conversation about it come November . Madam Secretary, roll call. Black eye. Clark, I. Espinosa No. Flynn No. Gilmore Cashman. I can eat. Lopez I. Knew. Ortega I. Susman No, Mr. President. I. Madam Secretary, please cast your vote in the results. Eight Ice, four nays, eight. Ice, four nays. 553 has been placed on final consideration and does pass. See no other business before this body. This meeting is adjourned. Denver eight TV's Your City, Your Source. Denver eight. On TV and online.
A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 3625 West 46th Avenue in Berkeley. Approves a map amendment to rezone property from U-SU-C to U-SU-B1 (allows for an accessory dwelling unit), located at 3625 West 46th Avenue in Council District 1. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 8-3-21.
DenverCityCouncil_09202021_21-0851
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Okay. So what you just responded to comes from can each that is not it is not a timing issue to delay this a week or because yet you want to get started in October. How is that how does that jibe? So I want to be really clear. We've talked with our partners and they understand the process by which our contracts get approved. That said, we would really like to be able to pass this companion piece this evening so that we can start services as soon as possible. Mm hmm. All right. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Flynn. Madam Secretary, roll call on the postponement. See tobacco. I Clark. No. Flynn. No. Herndon? No. Hi. Hi. Cashman. Can I. Ortega. No. Sandoval. I. Sawyer, I. Torres, I. Black Madam President. Name, Madam Secretary. Close voting and announce results. Six or seven eyes. Seven I's final consideration of Council Bill 20 10967 has been postponed to Monday, September 27. That concludes the items to be called out. All bills for introduction are ordered published. Council members remember this as a consent or block vote and you will need to vote i. Otherwise, this is your last chance to call in an item for a separate vote. Councilmember Kenney, will you please put the resolutions for adoption and the bills on final consideration for final passage on the floor? Yes, 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. 1083099009940995100610120986098709880989099610130980087710011002100. I'm sorry. 10220904094309530942. All series of 21. All right. Thank you. It has been moved and seconded. Madam Secretary, roll call. Black. I set about that. I. Clark. I. When I. Herndon, i. Hi. All right. Cashman. I can h. I. Ortega, I. Sandoval, i. Sawyer, i. Torres, i. Madam President, I. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce results. 13 Eyes. 13 Eyes. The resolutions have been adopted and the bills have been placed upon final consideration and do pass. Tonight, there will be a required public hearing on Council Bill 21, Dash 822 changing the zoning classification for 1544 South Emerson Street and Platt Park. A required public hearing on Council Bill 21, Dash 851 Changing the zoning classification for 3625 West 46th Avenue in Berkeley and a required public hearing on Council Bill 21, Dash 855 Changing the zoning classification for 36453655366536753685370137393745380138113815. West 46th Avenue in Berkeley. Anyone wishing to speak on any of these matters must go online to sign up during the recess of council. Sign up. Opened online at 430. If you've already signed up to speak, please do not sign up again as we've already received your submission. If you have not already signed up to speak, sign up remains open until the end of recess. If there are no objections from members of council will take a 15 minute recess. Council members please return to your seats by 6:23 p.m.. Hey, Denver. Here's what's happening in your city now. Seeing strong people of color coming into their own fighting for what they believe in, unapologetic being who they are, that type of stuff that translates into a really authentic photo. And I just try to capture them as honestly as I can. My name is Armando Genaro. I am a photographer here in Denver and I put on for the city as best as I can. Chin up a little bit and just look over me. Yeah, I grew up in California. I was the son of a jeweler. That's really where I got my creativity from. That desire to always be creating cameras was always just around when I was growing up. So I was always kind of comfortable with like taking photos of, like, large groups of people or just taking, like, intimate portraits. But it was never something that I thought could be a creative outlet for me, much less, you know, as a career. And, you know, to tell stories through photojournalism, I took a photojournalism class at the end of my time at Metro State. You know, before I was just taking photos to be creative. But then when I finished that photojournalism class, I kind of found the direction that I wanted to take my photography in clean. Let me switch lenses up just to tell those stories that I wasn't seeing being told here in Denver, not on a big scale. And so I kind of took that into my own hands. And it's been an honor to be able to like, document and really tell the stories of people here. It's sort of me. Chin up a little bit. Nice. You know, before I moved here, before I decided to stay here. I was very ignorant to what Colorado was all about. I didn't know that there was a huge, deeply rooted lowrider scene here. You know, being from California, being around that all my life, and being influenced by lowrider culture as a kid, it made you want to go out and learn more about the lowrider culture here in Denver. And so, you know, meeting the people and being in the streets here, I was able to learn the history, the deep roots that are here in Denver. You know, there's hints everywhere and it should be celebrated more. And, you know, we're getting that opportunity now. Jeremy from History, Colorado Museum was telling me that they have a exhibit going on. He asked me if I was willing to have some photos that kind of celebrated the built environment in Denver and also connected the built environment to the human element. And so they were looking for photos of people just like out in the city, kind of giving life to these lifeless buildings. I was toying around with the term brick and mortar, and then I wanted to tie the physical aspect of my photos to the kind of like spiritual and emotional aspect of my photos. You know, the soul has a lot to do with how we interact with with the environment around us. And so at first it was like in between brick and soul and concrete and soul. But I just like the way brick and soul flowed better because in the exhibit there's photos of people celebrating, like I said, and there's also photos of people mourning their mourning, the loss of a loved one. It's really dedicated to everybody in Denver who grows up here and lives here and celebrates here and dies here. And ultimately, you know, people are mourned here. It's my way of paying homage to the people who have built the city. This exhibit is from the perspective of an outsider. You know, I'm not I'm not from here, but it's dedicated to the people in the places that have made my experience meaningful here in Denver. A lot of them have people that took me under their wing, taught me a lesson in one way or another. A lot of them are taken in neighborhoods that are meaningful to me that I've spent a lot of time in. One would be lost jazz, and it has my friend Wes Watkins in it, who's a local musician, playing the trumpet inside the legendary rock sounding hotel. It's called Lost Jazz, because if you know the history, you know that the greatest jazz players of all time would perform and stay there for so long. The building is just sat there. And so there's this real ethereal sense to the photo. When you look at it, it's like he's summoning the greats of the past. I also have photos that are from protests because it's my way to voice how I feel about certain issues and certain topics and how I want to lend my support when it comes to advocating for those for those issues, when you see those photos of some some young girls in front of the Capitol protesting for stricter gun laws, I see what the effects that gun violence has on our youth for me to be able to cover those type of events, to help amplify the voices of our young children of color that are affected the most, usually by gun violence. You know, it's important to me being a brown man myself, you know, a Latino son of immigrants growing up on it, have anybody to say, hey, photography is something that you could do.
A bill for an ordinance amending Section 14-131 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code (DRMC) to delete the residency requirement for the Municipal Public Defender Commission. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 6-19-19.
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called out. Did I miss anything? All right, Madam Secretary, please put the first item on our screens. Councilman Flynn, please go ahead with your comment. Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to know that I'm going to vote I to pass this forward to final reading, to publish it. But I do want to determine and I've asked staff to help with this as to how many of our boards and commissions still have a requirement to be a Denver resident to serve. Here we are opening up one of our commissions to service by people who do not live in Denver. And I don't know how other council members have approached this, but I know in southwest Denver and on the West Side in general, we have been seeking to have more of our own residents serve on these boards and commissions . So I want to understand a little bit better before final next week what kind of efforts we've taken in that regard. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman Flynn. Madam Secretary, if you please put the next item on our screens and Councilwoman, can each go ahead with your comment? Thank you, Mr. President. Bill, 6 to 8 looks innocuous enough. It's a little change to the building and fire code of the city and county in Denver. But sometimes embedded in mundane city regulations are either barriers to those who are fighting for an equal opportunity to live and thrive in our community and opportunities.
Recommendation to receive and file the application of Norma Mora de Perez, dba Brite Spot Coffee Shop, for an original Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) license, at 412 West Pacific Coast Highway, and submit a Public Notice of Protest to ABC on the bases of high crime in the reporting district, residences within 100 feet of the establishment, and a school within 600 feet of the establishment. (District 1)
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Thank you very much and I salute you both. I'm glad we had the opportunity to hear from you. Public comment. Thank you. Some members have cast their votes on this. We're going to move on to item number 35, back to 35. Item 35, support from police. Recommendation to receive and file the application. A bright spot coffee shop for an original ABC license at 412 West Pacific Coast Highway and submit a public notice a protest to ABC on the basis of high crime in the reporting district residences within 100 feet of the establishment and a school within 600 feet of the establishment. District one. Councilmember Gonzalez. I would like a staff report first. Commander LeBaron. Thank you, Commander. Councilwoman Gonzales and City Council members. Item 35 is an application for an original Onsale Beer and Wine ABC License for a restaurant. The police department has conducted our investigation and recommend that a public notice of protest be submitted to ABC for the issuance of this license. A license to sell beer and wine would create an adverse impact to the neighborhood and the surrounding area. The basis for our recommendations are the high crime statistics in the reporting district residences within 100 feet of the establishment, including a sober living home and a school within 500 feet I'm sorry, 600 feet. Furthermore, this location previously held an ABC license, which was ultimately suspended and later revoked as a result of numerous violations and violent crimes at the location in 2009. The business owner has previously applied for an ABC license in 2010, 2013 and 2016, and the City Council protested the application on all of these occasions and the application was denied. That concludes my report, and I'm available for any questions you might have. Thank you, Commander. I appreciate that. I you know, given the information and having known this location for some time and I understand I is here as well, the business owner, we appreciate you being here and staying and sticking through it. And I appreciate you listening to this as well. But knowing that location and everything that the commander had mentioned, I also do not feel comfortable providing going forward with an ABC license at this time. We have had historic issues. That's probably the most challenging pocket of the district, to be quite honest. And so it's been a struggle for us to just maintain public safety standards and really just ensure that everybody, specifically families that live there, can live with a better and higher quality of life standard. And so I just would like to uphold the the recommendation at this time. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Pearce. CNN. Is there any public comment on this? Please come forward. Oh, my name is Norma. And this is the third time I'm here. And I work really hard. And my husband to. And I think the cramming is everywhere. And next to my business is a restaurant. It's like three blocks from my business. They have a license. They get a light year and a half. And I know I'm a mom, but my son and my daughters work with me. I don't want to increase a crime. You think I'm working? They want to increase the crime? No, because my son, my husband and me work there. And we don't want to close this. I don't know. Because that's hard for me to walk there. You know this right behind my business. I talk every time with the guys in it and about them. You don't have to dream. You don't have to be drunk. I want to sell beer just for my customers. My good customers. I don't have I don't want license to tell everybody. You know, because we have a very we are people when this we're we throw away we don't want the people in my in my business who has been almost. Sorry. Eight years of. I don't. I really, really want the business. They license. The license? Sorry to be open. Not to sell beers. To help me to be. That's the way I want. That's the service. Thank you. And Norm, I'm sorry. Thank you again for being here. And this isn't any reflection of your specific business, because we know we've talked about it. You have great food, you have a good ambiance there and a great environment. It is just really, you know, the surrounding area. And you we know you've been here for some time. I just want to walk through the process, Commander. So for any reason, we decided at any point that we did want to move forward with an ABC license if. Well, let me let me back up if for any reason. We said, you know what? No, we're not. We're going to say no to this as a council to this recommendation. What is the process then? Because it still has to go to ABC with your recommendations, is that correct? Councilwoman That is correct. It would go to ABC with a recommendation for denial. ABC would then hear or hold a hearing with an administrative judge. Representatives from the city would come. The applicant could also come with her representatives and the case would be presented where ABC would make the ultimate decision on that. That decision would then either issue an ABC license with conditions or it would deny the ABC license. And from that point, if an ABC license were issued, the applicant would have to operate under those conditions. But there's also the potential that that could then allow for a person to person transfer, which would make the city much more unable to address some of the issues that might come up with the licensee if it were to change. Right. Absolutely. Okay. Well, we'll up we're going to uphold the recommendation at this time. And I know normally you're going to speak to my chief of staff, Corey, tomorrow, and we'll continue talking to you about the area. Okay. Thank you so much. Okay. Councilmember Granger. Yeah, I just had some questions, if you don't mind. Councilmember or Labor. The alternatives that we have here for for this business owner, I know we always want to support business in Long Beach, especially along that corridor, because it's it's important to sustain it. Are there like in terms of some of the issues with the crime around that area? Is it is it a crime that that is related to maybe the hours that the business is open? For example, where is it? When do they open and when do they close? So, Councilmember Your Honor, the last time that there was an ABC license at this location was 2009. And the actual. Dates and times of the crimes at that time I don't have in front of me. But what I can tell you from our crime breakdown is looking at the total reported crimes in that reporting district during the time it had an ABC license and I can go back to 2008, the total crimes reported in that district were 360 and within five years of the ABC license being revoked. Going down to 2013, that crime, the total crimes dropped from 360 to 189. So it was a significant drop in total crimes in that reporting district, which was in conjunction with the ABC license being revoked. You know, I was trying to provide the owner with maybe some options that you might want to look, revisit your hours of operation, especially if you want to serve alcohol, because as we know, the later of businesses open, the alcohol is offered it up. It requires an opportunity to come with it. So I'm looking forward. I'm going to support the recommendation, but I just want to provide the business owner with some options to consider if they want to stay in business. And then we certainly want to encourage you to stay in business. However, you might want to relook, revisit your your business plan and you're always in operation so that you can be successful. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any other comments, public comments here or none? Please cast your votes on a motion. Ketzel Levine Price. Motion carries eight zero.
Recommendation to request the City Council to oppose Senate Bill 50 (Weiner), which would preempt local zoning laws to allow higher density housing near "transit-rich" and "jobs-rich" areas, including in single-family neighborhoods, and take a "one-size-fits-all" to addressing land use for housing throughout the entire state.
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Fine. Do have any public comment on this item? CNN, would you please cast your vote? Now we're going to move to item 31, if you please, with the item. Item 31 Communication from Councilman Austin and Councilwoman Mango. Recommendation to request the City Council to oppose Senate Bill 50. Councilman Orson. Thank you, Mr. Vice Mayor. So, first of all, I'd like to thank Councilmember Mongo for joining me on this item. I believe it's very important that the council weigh in on one of the most significant bills this session that could have a long term impact on our local land use in our city. I'd like to thank city staff for working expeditiously to prepare a very detailed memo that I believe each of the council members received. And that memo was under iteration because this this bill has been amended a couple of times over the last couple of weeks. So they worked very, very hard, even over the weekend, to prepare that for the council. And as I mentioned, the memo came out today as well as some maps. I'd like to have city staff provide a brief summary of the memo for the public that may have not had a chance to to to see the memo as well as the council. So Diana Tang is all up to speed on this. Sure, Mayor. Members of the city council, as you see before you, we have a short memo on SB 50. This is based on the May 1st version of the legislation. And so very briefly. I'll provide an overview on that and then perhaps go over the maps because that might be the best way to through illustration show what is in the bill as it currently stands. So SB 50 is state legislation that's proposed by Senator Scott Wiener. I believe that the. Purpose. Of this legislation is to help address the state's housing crisis, which we all agree is an issue. SB 50 proposes to do this by enabling density increases, particularly here in transit oriented corridors. Also, major transit stops in what they're defining as job rich areas. And then there is a program that would allow density increases in single family neighborhoods that are not historic districts, flood control channels in a flood zone or along a fault line as well. So in short, that is what SB 50 is. It would supersede local land use control even in charter. Cities to to allow. These density increases. And again. The bill does propose to. Increase housing supply in an effort to increase affordability, which is something the city generally supports. The bill also. Would supersede. Local land use authority and. Prohibit us from. Doing studies that. Would look at neighborhood compatibility. Design standards, everything that the city councils done through our land use element as well. And so generally we would oppose legislation that. That supersedes our local. Land use authority in that way. I'm really briefly, I'll go over. There's a chart in the memo that has been provided. One column is the Neighborhood Multifamily Housing Project. The second column is the Equitable Communities Incentive. I'll go over the Neighborhood Multifamily Housing Project first, because I think is the most expansive portion. Of the bill. Neighborhood multifamily housing projects would be eligible in all single family residential units that are not located in a coastal zone wetlands high fire zone, historic district, flood zone, or along a fault line that is recognized by the state. This program would allow up to four residential dwelling units on vacant land or through conversion of an existing home. The legislation currently would require at least 4.5 parking spaces for every housing unit on site on heights. This is where I believe the Senator is recognizing that local cities would like to keep, at least as to the extent possible, the look and feel of a single family residence. And so height limitations and things of that nature would stay the same. There is a streamlined ministerial approval permitting process for this type of project if it qualifies. And it is important to note that if a single family home has had a tenant living in that home any time in the last ten years, it would not be eligible. For the. Density increases that I just described. So that is the neighborhood multifamily housing project portion of this bill. The second portion of this bill is the Equitable Communities Incentive, and this is in areas that are a quarter mile from a high quality transit corridor, a half mile from a major transit stops over four alignments that would be the blue line stops. And then. Within jobs rich area again which jobs which area will if this bill passes be defined by the state. And so we don't have those particular areas in Long Beach, if any, at this time for you now. But if density. Increases or housing developments that qualify for density increases per the Equitable Communities incentive would receive density waivers through projects in high quality transit corridors, major transit stops and in job rich areas. So. These would not be allowed to require more than 2.5 spaces per housing unit built. We would not be able to set maximum height limits below 45 feet for projects within a half mile, but outside a quarter mile of a major transit stop. And we cannot set maximum height limits below 55 feet for projects within a quarter mile of a major transit stop. There is similar to the previous program streamlining ministerial permitting approach. There is inclusionary requirements in the Equitable Communities Incentive program if there is more than 20 units proposed in the housing development. In the Equitable Communities Incentive Program. The tenant protections are seven years. So if you are working on a parcel where there has been a tenant in in the home for the past seven years, that would not be eligible for the benefits that I have just described. And the affordable housing that affordable housing requirements that are required from this program are included in a tenant or I'm sorry, in the inclusionary inclusionary housing ordinance portion of the program. So for Long Beach, I look in your pockets. Do you have some maps for a Long Beach? We'll talk about the neighborhood, multi-family housing projects first, and that is it in all of your single-family residential neighborhoods. And I believe we all know where those are. But that does exclude your historic districts. It does exclude the fault line that runs sort of north west along the corridor there through districts. Three and. Four. It looks like it does exclude the flood zones. So areas near Naples, Belmont Shores, the peninsula that all is excluded. And then, of course, we don't have housing in our wetlands or the rivers, but those are also areas that are excluded. So that is where the neighborhood multifamily housing projects would apply in Long Beach. For the Equitable Communities. Incentives. We worked very closely with Lummi to translate, and so I'd like to thank them for their assistance on this map. Based on the definitions. Currently in SB 50, a major transit corridor is defined as one that includes a fixed bus route that has ten minute headways or less. And so for us, that is Anaheim Boulevard. And so that is in the map there. The major transit stops, as we had mentioned earlier, is along the blue line at each of the blue line stations. And in these areas. The the. Housing developer would be eligible for density increases, particularly. In multifamily. Stops. And that concludes my report. I'm available for questions. Thank you very much. A great update, Councilman. All right. So thank you very much. And Diana, I appreciate your your diligent work. I think we can all acknowledge that California has a housing crisis and Long Beach is no different. Like other cities throughout the state, our residents are experiencing overcrowding and is in need of significantly more housing here in our city and throughout my tenure on the city council, my record shows that I've supported building new housing and adding residential density, even in the face of opposition. The land use element maps that the City Council approved just last year after an unprecedented public engagement process significantly increases the opportunity for housing density along our corridors. In fact, the development services now projected that the elderly alone would accommodate more than 17,000 additional units in our city over the next couple of decades. That may not be enough, but that is in addition to the more than 11,000 units that will be accommodated in the city's downtown plan and Midtown Plan, among other land use plans . However, based on the overwhelming feedback of the residents of Long Beach, our residential neighborhoods were left largely intact. Long Beach is a diverse city, and and that is why many people love the city. That's why we live here. We are a beach city. We're an urban community with a thriving, growing downtown. But we're also a suburban community with many strong single family neighborhoods. This is the diversity of neighborhoods, each within their own distinct characteristics and charms that make Long Beach such a great city. And that's why the one size fits all approach that SB 50 has handed down by the state does not work, and it's not good for our city. That's one of the primary objectives of Long Beach's state legislative agenda is also to oppose legislation that preempts the city's existing control over local matters. That's why the city opposed SB 827 last year by Senator Wiener. I had the opportunity to meet with Senator. Winner last year, and we discussed with him the Long Beach's concerns with this approach to creating housing throughout the state. Long Beach is also working to create more affordable housing and is working with implementing many other policies adopted by the Council as part of the plan for production of Affordable Workforce Housing. But SB 50 undermines the entire local planning process for the city to determine how to best fulfill its housing needs and obligations. In particular, SB 50 would allow high density housing of a minimum of 4 to 5 storeys within a half mile of the blue line stop or high quality transit stop even within single family neighborhoods. This density would also be allowed near job rich areas, which wouldn't even define unless B defined. Unless the bill becomes law, they will have to go through a rulemaking process. Just about any neighborhood in Long Beach, with limited exceptions, would be required to allow a minimum of four units per property. Long Beach cannot not require more than 2.5 parking spaces per unit has mentioned for any of these new housing developments in some cases could not require any parking to be provided. These measures would undermine many of the principles and decisions that this Council has already made in its land use planning and do away with a lot of our local control. That's why dozens of cities throughout cities throughout the state, such as the city of Los Angeles and San Francisco, the American Planning Association and the League of California Cities and in the South Bay Council of Governments have all opposed this bill. And I would like to thank my colleague, Councilmember Urunga, who is also on the board of Lead California cities for voting to oppose this measure in just recently as well. As I stated before, the state has an important role to play in addressing our housing crisis. It can provide resources to smaller cities that have don't have the planning expertize of cities such as Long Beach and largest cities to update their general planning zoning codes. And it should hold these cities accountable that are not working to accommodate their share of the new housing. But for Long Beach, which is working to accommodate new housing, including affordable units. SB 50 is only counterproductive and can have a disastrous long term consequence. I'd ask my colleagues to join in opposing this legislation and giving our state lobbyists and our our our team the ability to work in Sacramento to oppose this this legislation. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Before we get to Councilwoman Mango, we're going to go to your public comment. So please come forward through any public comment on the item. Please come down some public comment. Courtesy of Harrison record. I'm here to voice opposition to SB 50. SB 50 is nothing but the discredited trickle down economics applied to housing. SB 50 is being proposed or talked about as a means to fill the huge gap in housing, primarily affordable housing in the city. And in the state. Except that the effect will be to add. To the already huge gentrification that is being caused in part by the city's pay to play atmosphere. The same corporate developers who stand to benefit from the SB 50 windfall are the same who contribute to the mayor and to the council members campaigns. There is no question that we need affordable housing. But this isn't an issue about NIMBYism as. Councilmember Gonzalez. I mentioned last night at the forum, the city has identified a deficit of about 28,000 affordable housing units. And and that deficit is not being closed at. Given the gentrification that is existing, that is occurring. At best, it's going to take 150 years to fulfill at the pace that we're going. But, you know, gentrification continues apace in part due to those corporate developers. Yet yesterday we heard from Councilman Councilmember Gonzalez that she created 2000 affordable units. In downtown Long Beach. That kind of caught me by surprise. I. I don't know where she pulled that number out of, but I would like to see. Because I haven't seen 2000 units of affordable housing being created by her or by the city of Long Beach in downtown or anywhere else. It would be fantastic if it was on the line. Coincidentally, I see that she's not here to ask for the vote. I'm sorry, but I don't trust you guys had the dice. I urge you to vote. In unequivocal terms, opposition to SB 50. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. And then, Ms.. Ley, you'll be the last speaker, I think that's. Good evening. I want to thank the council members and persons mongeau in Austin for having the backbone to agenda SB 50. I only hope that other cities have the strong council people that are that are that brave, regardless of what some of the clarifications are on what will be exempt and what aren't exempt. Let's talk about what SB 50 isn't and what if it isn't is many people think that the crafter, Senator Winer up in Sacramento, crafted this benevolently with, you know, you know, and minimalist people in his mind in affordable housing, in his heart. And it isn't. That's not what SB 50 is, as we know, is also not considered is also considered to be a blanket for the whole state. And it isn't. Again, it doesn't blanket the whole state. It isn't for everyone or everywhere in California. Senator Weiner conveniently exempted many affluent people and affluent cities. Most of them are oceanfront. This includes places like Malibu and Manhattan Beach. So evidently, if you or your city have enough money, you don't have to comply with any part of SB 50. I think an acronym is in order, don't you? SB 50 is meant to take over governance for all cities that aren't. We'll call him Nim Rocks, Nim r0c, which stands for Not in my rich oceanfront community. What it is according to Senate Committee on Governance and Finance. SB 50 also allows developers to choose choose friends, choose council people the density at which they build, potentially allowing them to maximize profits by building large luxury units instead of smaller, lower price units. It does exactly the opposite of created needed affordable housing as we FIFO also takes away all local control. And according to the author Joe Fox, this controversial bill is designed to grant state authority to override. I used the word override all local zoning laws in order to build density. And who approves our local zoning laws? You do? Councilman Richardson, you were quoted in the Long Beach Press recently as stating how excited you were about involving your community in the revitalization of your business corridor. I was excited when I read the article for you and your community. But if you do not opposes SB 50, you or any of your other council people who want to get your city and community involved in revitalization will abandon your community involvement in any development project in your community. Miss Gonzalez, who conveniently is not here, finally stated her position last night to oppose SB 50, but she did so with a cortisol ad. She said, As it is written today, that's a lot like me serving you raw eggs and telling you, go ahead, eat them tomorrow. I think they'll be an omelet. You must vote to oppose this as the bill is written in front of you today. In conclusion, terms like override bypass cities that can that cannot limit state controlled developer sugar. All of them result in one thing. Sacramento overreach. Do not make us Sacramento South. Thank you. Thank you. That's a lot of energy to follow. Ray Gavlak, eighth District. I want to thank both council members, Mungo and Austin, for putting this on the council agenda. I wanted to see and I was hoping to see a90 vote tonight, and now it'll be eight oh, unless Miss Pearce isn't coming back. But all ten of you, which also includes our mayor, you saw the concerns of thousands of your constituents. When our local Luy was in the limelight, thousands of people came out and told you what they didn't want in their neighborhoods. You each may have your own political reasons to not be a leader on this or on any other state issue. You may not want to step on any toes in Sacramento. You may feel more comfortable having Sacramento tell you what to do so that your hands are clean. However, you were elected to lead. You were elected to understand what your citizens in Long Beach want to see as the future of Long Beach. So I ask you to say no on SB 50. I've had the opportunity to talk to a couple of you about well, maybe not the way it stands, but maybe it could be . I believe you said. Guten Amend, Rex. No, we don't want any amendments to SB 50. Mr. Weiner should not be allowed to drag our cities through this horrible process and get any credit for it whatsoever. Last year, the state large committee brought before you, the entire council, the motion to oppose all. Isolation that interferes with local control. You voted eight zero to support this recommended action. I hope that you will stay. What you. What you. What your decision was with what your decision was last year. I'm sorry that Jeanine is not here, but SB 50, I believe she probably does support it. It attacks her verbal concerns for parking. The Broadway project is a nightmare. It's an accident waiting to happen. If you know anybody that lives down there, have a conversation with them, I would ask her that she not add this to the list of mistakes that have already been made. Lina last night said that she was against SB 50. As it stands, unfortunately, she chose not to be here tonight to put it on the record. And Rex, I just think that anything that you could hope to change would be too lenient. It's not a party issue. It's not a union issue. It is a quality of life issue for all the residents of Long Beach and the state of California, please vote no on SB 50. And since I do have 30 seconds, I'm going to change the subject. I'm not coming back next week to talk about streamlining agendas or your meetings. I think that this is the only opportunity that you have for public participation. And I am so offended when the talk when the talk time for public is reduced from a lousy 3 minutes to 90 seconds, try saying what you had to say. You took public comment for 25 minutes and you talked about the issue for 55 minutes. So, you know, please consider that when you have that discussion next week. Thank you. Natalie's job guide. Joe Sopko, fifth District. And I. Want to thank. Al Austin and Stacey Mungo for bringing this issue forward that we all face it here together. I know how your constituents feel on it. I hope you vote that way tonight. You know what? One of the biggest mistakes this city ever allowed to happen was building those cracker boxes in the later 1980s, I believe. And then we suffered in trying to find a way to get rid of them, to turn them into single family residence, to have someone buy them. But we really couldn't do that because there wasn't enough parking. The the issue about 0.5 parking per unit, it's not even talking about bedrooms, at least right now. What do you have to provide? One parking space per bedroom, something like that. People living in these low income housing units, they're going to have cars. And if it's anybody's district, it's going to be a real problem with parking, because we know how difficult it is in the second district right now. And it will probably always be a problem in the second district. We like to think about the future. Don't build more cracker boxes. Don't allow that to happen. Don't give up your control. If you give up your control, you're giving up our control. You're there representing us. This. If there's eight of you here tonight, we want to see an eight oh vote against this. You know, I was wondering why it was so late on the agenda. Now you understand that Sacramento is in the same timezone that we are and they're not sleeping right now. So they're going to see how you vote. You know, how your your constituents would like you to vote. Thank you. Thank you. Next place. Point of view. And I think my I just might be on record somewhere. Well, I applaud those council members that have realized that SB 50 is essentially a handout for developers, as difficult as that may seem to the rest of you, I hope you all vote against it. I know that many of you are receiving contributions from many of those developers that will be greatly appreciative of this SB 50 if it does pass a bill that SB 50, a bill that as many of as many of the other ill planned city or state initiatives such as the rent control or relocation assistance, will have an incident and intended or unintended consequence consequences that are not in our city's best interest. SB 50 will take away local control, local planning that all residents of Long Beach demand. It essentially takes away our ability to plan our future. It waters down our democracy. My greatest concern is that SB 50 will gentrify. Long Beach at an even faster. Rate than is already being taken. It's already happening, especially in District one and downtown area, and it will this and it will continue to. Disproportionately impact. Our low, modest income and working class minorities and residents of Long Beach. So I urge all of you to please vote no on SB 15. Thank you. Thank you. Next year. Good evening carelessly District five. I also would like to congratulate Stacey Mungo and Austin for getting this on the agenda tonight. We really appreciate that. I got into the weeds a little bit on this bill and went and looked at the bill analysis of SB 50. And I thought we had two areas here in this city that would be a problem. The high quality transit corridors, as has already been discussed, is along the blue line. But along the blue line, we also have the Callan, VA, Carol, and viral screen scores that are in the top 25%, which means that they have really bad air down there and they already have problems. This would increase their problems. You know, if you add more buildings, you're going to be adding more cars, you're going to add more pollution. So on behalf of the West Side, you know, I'm sure they don't want it. And I can tell you on the east side, I've looked at the jobs rich description and part of it says high area median income relative to the relevant region and high quality public schools and then close to jobs. So the jobs rich thing is just a trick of messaging. This is really saying, yes, we're going to invade the areas that don't normally have multifamily buildings in them. And I can tell you the east side does not want this. And Stacy knows that. Well, parking and traffic are always the two biggest issues brought up when you talk about high density. And this would bring a nightmare of parking and traffic. If this is really about creating more housing, especially more affordable housing. The city of Long Beach needs to lead that effort. As Mahatma Gandhi pointed out. I don't know of any people that would not prefer their own bad government to the good government of an outsider. So this council has affirmed each year that they will oppose state legislation that reduces city controls. And with that, all of you should oppose this law. Thank you. Thank you so much. That concludes public comment. Let me go back to the queue, Councilman Mongo. I just want to make some clarifying points. I want to appreciate everyone who's called my office and the many discussions I've had over the past several weeks. This council's state legislative agenda as it stood when I was on the committee, which I am no longer on the committee. Thank you. For those of you who have clarified that misinformation that was in the in the public discussion and dialog. Our position has always been to maintain the local democratic process in everything. So whether that is ordinance related to zoning or what types of businesses you can have in your city, all of those things really should be , in our opinion, as according to our current state legislative agenda. Decisions made locally. And so when we are silent on an item, it doesn't mean we're silent. We have a state legislative position that we always prefer local democratic processes and neighborhood input. Many of you remember that over a year ago I attended an item about the gathering of input from our community. Actually before our Louie process, because I feel as though we could be a a best practice across the country of a methodical and consistent way that we communicate with our community and that we receive input from our community on items. The current version of this SB 50 is not what it will be on the last day, and we need to be able to communicate out to our communities regularly, and we each have different methodologies for doing that because every community is different. But the city as a whole also has that responsibility. Separate and apart from the council members responsibility to do that. So I want to thank Council Member Austin for joining me, for joining joining together on this item. We served on state ledge together. I learned a lot from him on that. I continue to learn a lot from Councilmember Austin and his comments both publicly and in closed session on many items that come before the city. And then also the collaborative spirit that he took with our KOA, our op ed that we put out recently. I think that it's really important to be able to communicate clearly the detail that's necessary, because unfortunately, the world we live in today is in six word increments, so, so much so that even though individuals have seen the headline, I've received messages that said, I can't believe you support SB 50. And I said, Please, please. Click here to read that. And they wrote back. I did read it and I said So I think that a couple of things just need to be said. Today, many members of our public asked us to oppose SB 52, oppose SB 50 I. Asking my colleagues for a yes vote tonight. A yes vote means opposing SB 50, and that can be very confusing to the public when they're not clear what the motion on the floor is and the current motion is. Please councilmembers join us Councilmember Austin Knight in opposing SB 50. With that, I appreciate everyone's comments and for coming out tonight and I look forward to hearing the comments of my colleagues. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilmember Richardson. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I have a lot of thoughts on this bill and this entire conversation. You know, I've been having this conversation. So I serve on a subcommittee for RINA Regional Housing Needs Assessment as a my role as CAG. I serve as second vice president SKEGG and we in a Southern California Association of governments. I represent six Southern California counties. And their regional planning agency. They take on the conversations that are a bit broader than cities take on. And and I think what I think we should be thinking about is maybe not having, you know, every response to every crisis, not using the same type of instrument on every certain situation. I think this is a this bill is not ready. This bill is not good. I don't support it. But I also want to say that we already took a position on this. It's in our state legislative agenda to oppose bills that take away local control that's already there. And currently, we're tracking 1500 bills in the state legislature. To assume that because we haven't lifted up all the scary ones, because there are some scarier bills out there, because we haven't lifted up this bill to assume that we're not taking our position or advocating publicly. It's just false. We have a very, very, you know, a very limited sort of staff here. So we have to be strategic in how we do it. I think there's been enough public outcry on this issue. So thank you, Councilman Austin, for raising this and Councilman Mongo for raising up this in this particular bill. I think it warrants some conversation. So here are my thoughts. So the conversation we're having at Sky AG and the regional housing needs assessment is about this concept of regional equity and that essentially, you know, we acknowledge that there's a three and a half million home deficit in California and the housing crisis crisis is real across the state, but some cities are not doing their part. As a matter of fact, they're, you know, are trends that cities are taking taken on that essentially are, you know, an example here. Some cities are actually taking steps to limit housing in their city. There are some modern trends that are fairly new that essentially say we only want single family residential in our city or we won't adopt a land use plan that allows for growth or considers growth. And in those cases, I think that's considered an abuse of local control. And on the other hand, Long Beach has been a leader. People look at Long Beach and what we've done in terms of thinking through and planning for our growth, trying to attempt to have this conversation or equity not perfect, but we're ahead of a lot of other cities. And as relates to this conversation on equity and we're having a very robust conversation about what else needs to happen. SB 50 is not a solution to any of the problems here in Long Beach in terms of the need to produce housing and the need to produce housing that is affordable. Also, I think how we send the message makes sense. There's no way that we should let these cities off the hook that are essentially conducting modern day redlining. They're essentially saying, we want none of you people in our communities. And there was some of that that happened in our land use element conversation. So let's not say let's not pretend that our process was perfect. We got through it as a community, but it wasn't perfect. That activity is happening with sort of no opposition here in here in Southern California. And in those cases, the states should take action and say cities like Long Beach who are already complying with transit oriented development requirements, who are already looking at transit rich communities, who are already planning for growth. We want to encourage you and incentivize you to continue doing responsible planning. And you cities who are creating or essentially have bad habits. We want to limit your ability to continue to do that and encourage you use so carrot and stick. If you plan for growth, if you're responsible about it, you can maintain all the character of your community and all those different things. But if you don't plan for plan for growth, there is a stick and that stick could be tied to your your local control. And so that's that's the conversation, a very delicate conversation that's happening on a regional level through the arena process. And so and so I support that. I think that's a regional approach to this. So here's what I think should happen. So I think we should vote together and have one position. I think the position should be we should sharpen the pencil on it a bit, and the position should be we issue a letter or statement that essentially says, here's why we oppose it unless amended. And it needs to say something very clearly that Long Beach and communities like Long Beach that are doing the right things or planning for growth and being responsible should simply be exempted. If anything, incentivize just help us fund some of this planning. We should be incentivizing these communities and we should put our put our focus regionally on those communities that are simply, categorically, categorically opposing any housing project that happens because that's what's actually happening in these communities. So that's what I think we should do tonight. What do you think about that, Councilman Austin? I think that is consistent with the spirit that we are moving forward with again. I don't want to be completely unreasonable to standpoint where we are just saying no, we are saying no, we want to maintain our local control. And I certainly would would support doing a joint letter from the councilors, the alleged committee supporting an amendment that exempts Long Beach. And I think that's important that our message is is is very clear and that we pay attention to the conversation, because the reality is, you know, the polling shows that 60% of Californians support SB 50. And the reality is they support it because of the affordability issue. And people expect that this is a solution to that. But in reality, it's not. It's a one size fits all approach to planning, and it will change as as it moves forward. And what I hope to see is that Long Beach cities like Long Beach, as defined by cities who are doing the right thing, planning for growth , creating pathways to housing, they are exempted and actually incentivized. We give more resources to those cities and those cities who are not doing their part, not approving these documents, not embracing this reasonable conversation. Those cities are the ones where we should, you know, place a real focus on. So that's where I think we should go. But thank you so much. Those are my comment. Those are my thoughts on this issue. Thank you, Councilmember. Councilmember, your income. Thank you. One of the things that that happened that occurred at the League of Cities when I attended the board directors meeting last month, was that Senator Weiner did come to the board and did address the concerns that many of the cities had in regards to the Senate bill. And at the at the at that meeting, there were questions directly related to the well, what about those cities that are moving towards dealing with gentrification, that are dealing with homelessness? We are dealing with changes in their zoning so that you will create more opportunities to create housing. And his response was that those cities will not be affected by it, by the Senate bill 50, because you already have working toward making progress towards addressing housing. So the the end result of that discussion was that the vote that was taken at the League of Cities was to oppose unless amended. That was concerning to me as well, because obviously what were the amendments that we're going to be address? And there was it was very clear in regards to what what the amendments are. So I just had one question to a to. She's lost her name already having a moment. Diana and Diana, the you put in your last note here in terms of next steps that the Senate appropriations will be hearing it before May 17. Is there an estimate as to actually when it will be heard and as well as whether there have been any amendments made to the to the bill as it currently stands? Councilmember the. The. Bill was amended on May 1st after robust discussion in Policy Committee right before. And so it is unlikely that new amendments will be made available before the vote in Senate appropriations. I do not have a date for when that Appropriations Committee will take place, but May 17th is the deadline for all fiscal bills to pass the fiscal committee, otherwise not move forward. And so we are expecting that the bill will be heard in Senate Appropriations before May 17. In its current form. Correct? Yes. Well, that that's something that obviously I think that Councilmember Richardson's amending motion here to include a letter that was a friendly, friendly amendment. Excuse me. Let's use the proper terminology that would have us address a letter saying that those of those the cities that are already in the loop for making those adjustments should be exempted. Because the bottom line here is that, you know, there are cities that are abusing it. We saw Governor Newsom come, what, two months ago and basically chastise the city as Huntington Beach for their not making any kind of progress or effort in addressing their housing issues. And we also have dealt with the issues of the armory in North Orange in north San Diego County, who also are making moves like this, although cities are getting away with not having to address their their housing issues. So this bill would basically reward them, if you will, if if or not rewarded, would actually force them to address the housing crisis that we have across the state. But at the same time, penalize cities like us who are doing our best to try to address this issue. So I'm a supporter of the other friendly amendment. Thank you. On price. Thank you. I am supportive of the item which is to oppose SB 50. I agree there's a lot of legislative proposals pending in the state legislature and certainly we can't, in the words of Councilman Richardson, you know, we can't lift them all up. But certainly if we see ones that are concerning to us or ones that we think are beneficial for the city, we should, in my opinion, call them out as we have in the past. We have on numerous occasions as a body supported legislation that's been very much in its infancy and amended multiple times after we voted to support. So I think it's it's the it's the intent or the the concept that we're proposing to oppose or support. It's not necessarily the exact language because we know it's going to go through changes. I don't support the concept of this particular bill, not because I don't support additional housing, not because I don't think we need more affordable housing. But I do not believe that a city like ours, a charter city, should be giving up local control on issues of land use and development. When we have the opportunity to maintain local control and still effectuate the goal that the state has, which is to build more affordable housing, we can do that. We're continuing to do that. We as a city are committed to that. But I don't want us to lose control over what, when, where and how these developments will occur. I believe that is very much a city function. We have a team in place that is able to make those decisions and implement those necessary land use changes and less Ussery housing changes with the unique nature of our neighborhoods in mind when it does it, you know, I really don't care what the polling suggests. I know where my residents are on this issue and I am a solid no. So thank you. Thank you. Councilwoman Vice Mayor Landrieu. Yes, thank you. Thank you, Mayor. You know, I truly myself, you know, I oppose SB 50 because I think reading it in SB, you know, 50 is designed to provide for new housing in the state of California, which is a worthy goal. But I think it goes about it in the wrong way. You know, I think it would tie the hands of the city council and our Development Services Department by denying the right to use our judgment in setting a new housing loan, which had done a great job in approving new housing projects. In fact, like they said during a governor, you know, even praised the effort of several weeks ago when he came in, spoke about the need for new housing in California. We have been very careful in the development of our new land use elements, the balancing of demands for new housing against the concerns of our neighborhood. SB 50 would destroy those efforts. And in our past, we have seen what has happened when we ignore our neighbors. My district has suffered the effort, the overcrowding. When the crack of boxes was built in the sixties and seventies, single family neighborhoods was designated in in a hodgepodge of the density without the concern for our adjacent homes . We should not ever make that mistake again. Thank you. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Councilmember Hooper. Well, I don't think you to express it any better than Councilwoman Price and Vice Mayor Dee Andrews. I'm in complete agreement with them. And since the vice mayor mentioned the sixth district, that's where my grandparents home was. Beautiful California Bungalow 21, 20 Locust Avenue on the eastern edge of Wrigley. And that was destroyed. And a triplex went in. And Councilman Allen on call back in 95 expressed that one of these buildings can destroy a neighborhood. And I totally agree with that. But we don't talk about the families that are destroyed by this movement. And I have very personal experience with that. So I'm a solid. No. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember. Councilmember Pierce. Thank you. I was not here for the stock presentation, but I was listening as I was having another conversation. So I have already said that I support in concept the idea of SB 50. I think that we absolutely have to figure out ways to build more housing, particularly around transit corridors. I think the comments made by my colleagues around local control and the fact that Long Beach has stepped up and done more than a lot of other cities is an important point to make. I support the idea of opposing SB 50 as is, and I understand that is always challenging when when these state bills come to us , because it's always a conversation of, well, what might change and when might it come back for us? But it's an important to send a message that we need to do policy. The right way. I think the balance in California is that we have a lot of areas and a lot of cities that are not stepping up. And so sending a message that we support more affordable housing, we support more density, more construction is important. But in Long Beach, we are moving moving the dial. I do want to say, you know, I appreciate the the years of effort that went into the land use element. And while in my district, we did increase density. I was frustrated because I do see that we still have a housing crisis and we will continue to have a housing crisis for the next, you know, decade. We're not going to build ourselves out of it quickly with the density that we have now. I will close and say I'll vote with my colleagues in opposing SB 50 as currently written, and I will continue to have conversations after it comes to vote at the state to see where we're at and how we can continue to improve it. Thank you. Then before I go to Councilman Awesome to close this out and we'll go to the vote. I just want the one thing I'll add and listen to the conversation is Long Beach is doing incredible work in building. I think you just drive around, you see all the construction we're doing. There are it wasn't mentioned, but I think it's important. There are there are over 250 housing bills right now active in the legislature. I believe it's 250 bills that are active in the legislature. And, you know, I think it's my hope and I certainly think it's most mayors wishes that these that are building housing, that these bills would be directed to the cities and communities. They're choosing to not build actual housing. And for those of us that are that are doing the work, there is an onslaught of bills that are consistently coming down. And I think the attention needs to continue to be on the majority of communities out there, both rural and those that are closer to the coast, that are not meeting, not not just some are building housing, but building no affordable. Others are choosing to build nothing. And and these and these communities are both communities of both high income and low income. And so I just think that we're going to continue to see hundreds of bills each legislative cycle until these mayors and cities step up and start doing some of some of the work that we're doing. So with that, let me close with oh, actually first Councilman Mongo, then we'll close with Councilman. I think you. Councilmember Richardson. I guess I have some challenges with understanding the incentives that would be offered to the smaller cities, because we did it without incentives. I'm up to an open to some ideas related to cities taking on that process when they work with their neighbors. Because what I also would like to see is if state funds are going to a particular city to do this planning process that they are mindful of the city they're adjacent to. So you and I border more cities than anyone else. And what I would like to do is I currently border a city that's putting some things out of what they'd like to put on our border that we're not okay with. But they don't have to currently listen to us. And I would definitely not be okay with the State providing them funding to do such things, if that makes sense. And I know you're in similar positions with a couple of cities. Yeah, I would just wanted to keep it simple that I think the intent of the bill I get it. There is a housing crisis and cities are doing some very sneaky things to get out of building housing. We don't want to let them off the hook. That's the point. So I think we oppose it. We take the position of opposing it as a city like Long Beach, but our message is oppose. You know, we acknowledge the intent, right? We say we acknowledge with the state trying to do oppose unless amended to reward cities like ours and and essentially place your focus on the local control of the cities who are not behaving the right. Because it's a real it's a real regional issue. Hours and hours of conversation at a regional table, at regional tables about this in Long Beach. As a leader, we should at least acknowledge that when we take this action and if anybody is watching this, they should know a city like Long Beach, as large as we are, as forward thinking as we are, we you know, we're leaders in the region. So as long as we're clear, because I think that some people were unclear on what was said earlier, that our letter would state our clear opposition to SB 50 as worded today, and that we believe that in any version of SB 50, the city of Long Beach and other cities like ours that have taken on planning processes would be completely exempt from SB 50. Yes. And that that still maintains to me and my Eastside voters and my community. We've already gone through this, and the hard work of the Louis shall not be forgotten. I can't see how we would oppose a bill that takes some of the burden or the pressure off of a city like ours to deliver all the housing. So that's why I oppose. Unless you fix it, you need to go fix it. Don't apply it to our cities. Exempt not just Long Beach cities. We're doing this right. That's the idea. Understood. And as long as those adjacent cities that are potentially getting the incentives would also I. Think we just leave Diana. I think she gets the city. I think she does as well. I just wanted to be clear. Thank you. Councilman. Austin, to wrap up. Well, I want to thank for all my colleagues, I want to thank the public, want to thank everybody for their thoughtful colleagues comments around this very important issue. I think we're clear moving forward that we are hopefully unanimous in opposition to SB 50. I just wanted to speak on the smaller cities as somebody who served on the Council of Governments. There are a lot of cities who don't have the professional technical expertize that we do as a large city. And so if Sacramento is going to impose these planning standards, I think it's important for them to provide some. And this is where where I may be speaking for those small cities. Some some some support to them to help them develop their plan so that they can they can build those housing and meet the needs throughout the region. And so that's it. Thank you for your attention to this and request your unanimous vote. Thank you. Member Chip Brown. Thank you. I'd like to request clarification because it's confusing to me, so I can't imagine how confusing it is to members of the public. And I go back to this because there is a major misunderstanding on the item. When it came forward, I got emails. Why aren't you supporting this? Well, there's there's a reason. If I'm not asked to sign on to an item, I can't sign on to it. So it might have appeared that I wasn't supporting the original item. So I appreciate the people who actually emailed me and asked me my position. I have a very strong track record on this topic and please look to my record, but I guess I don't understand the very premise of the friendly. We are Long Beach. We are speaking for Long Beach. Long Beach is opposed to SB 50. Why are we trying to set policy at the state level? I don't think that's our job. We want to speak for our city. So I just think the original objection to supporting SB 50 is the right message to send for our feelings, and that will be completely understandable by the public . Thank you. Okay. There's a motion and a second on the floor. Members, please cast your votes. Oh, clarity. The clarification, in my opinion is that we are taking him to oppose position to SB 50. We're asking also that that Long Beach be exempted from the process. There's been a whole lot of other conversation, but we be exempted from from any any, any, any bill because we do have a planning process in place. Okay. Please cast your votes. Thank you. Motion carries and Q Motion carries. Next we're going hear item 39.
Recommendation to review draft ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Part IV to Title 5; and by adding Section 5.06.020.A.7, all relating to a Long Beach Minimum Wage Ordinance, and provide further direction. (Citywide)
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agenda at this at this point. And so, Madam Clerk, if we can please here, I believe it's item ten. That's just a continuation. Communication from City Attorney. Recommendation to review draft ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code all relating to a Long Beach minimum wage ordinance and provide for the direction citywide. Thank you. Councilwoman Mongo. I think it's important that we hear from the community. I'd be encouraging a public comment. Start us off. Let's see if staff has a report before we go to public comment thing. Staff Report. Vice Mayor Richardson, Members of the City Council, as you know, this item has been in front of you before. As the clerk indicated, we are requesting further direction on three specific items if you would prefer a more detailed staff report. Amy Webber of our office, who has been working on this for a number of months now, is ready to provide a more detailed report to you, should you want that? Thank you. Let's go ahead and begin with public comment. 3 minutes with the speaker's pretty please a line at the front and give us your name and your give us your name and we'll get started. Thank you. Go ahead. Hi. Good evening, Mayor and city council members. My name is Nicole Taylor and I'm community organizer at Building Healthy Communities Long Beach. I'm here tonight to speak in favor of a comprehensive minimum wage increase and strong wage enforcement. I'm going to focus my comments on one aspect of the minimum wage discussion tonight outreach and education around wage enforcement . It's important that outreach and education on wage and force enforcement be focused on low wage workers who are who are most likely to experience wage theft. Funds allocated for wage enforcement education need to be dedicated to culturally appropriate outreach for workers building healthy communities. Long Beach requests that the strategy around this be to invest in community contracts with organizations who have a track record of working with low income workers and families. There are many such organizations in the Building Healthy Communities Network, such as the Filipino Migrant Center and the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition. Looking at unemployment in poverty rates in our city, we see that although unemployment rates fell by five percentage points from 2010 to 2014, poverty stayed fairly consistent and even increased slightly. It's not enough to add more jobs. We must ensure that we are promoting living wages. There is a strong connection between poverty and the health of our city. We see a seven year life expectancy gap in Long Beach. That leaves low income people of color dying seven years sooner on average, than others in our community. In order to address this inequity, we need to reach the people most impacted by it. Which is why building healthy community Long Beach supports community contracts for organizations that serve these populations. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. Next. Hello. Good evening, Vice Mayor, Council Staff Jeremy Harris, senior vice president, Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce here tonight on behalf of the chamber, our leadership, the business community, and also on behalf of the representative, the Long Beach Council business associations, also known as COBR. Here tonight, I respectfully request that Long Beach adopt what the state has already accomplished. Simply mirror the current state law and do not decide to augment or carve out a local policy. It's been a few months since we've been here last discussing this issue. Allow me to talk about Cobas process and the proposal for the original minimum wage, minimum wage ordinance and policy. This included an extended business outreach done in concert with the mayor's initiated public outreach program. The City Council approved report and the study that was prepared by L.A. EDC. It was critical for COBA to do its due diligence for its members and nonmember members. This includes the business community and oftentimes, which oftentimes is goes under represented in a process such as this. It was data driven and testimony was captured from those who bear the burden of such an ordinance. If it were to go in effect. Well, no process is perfect. It's it's important to take into account the process. I'm trying to provide an economical answer to an otherwise very political and at times very emotional issue. We understood there was a number of factors to consider, which you all did earlier this year. Now, we've gone through the process here locally, only to be outdone by the state, and that's the critical juncture we're at now. Long Beach based business owners need a chance. 2016 has seen the minimum wage already increase a dollar. Regardless of what we do tonight, business will see another increase. In 2017, business owners saw a 1% sales tax increase here locally within their countywide measure potentially being considered in November. And let's not forget the countless state regulations that are updated and added each year, such as paid sick leave, worker's comp, insurance rate increases and the like . Coming down from Sacramento, business in Long Beach needs a chance to compete with neighboring cities such as Lakewood, SEAL Beach, Cypress, Los Alamitos, Torrance, Carson and the many others that currently have no plans to adopt a local minimum wage increase and deviate from the state. Allow our business community to compete locally by adopting the statewide minimum wage policy. Long Beach needs to keep our momentum going. As we all know, great businesses have come to Long Beach and will continue to come. Now let's take care of the businesses that are already here. We respectfully ask that Long Beach adopt the statewide policy. Thank you for the opportunity to address you tonight. Thank you. Next. Hello again. My name is Paula Abad. A resident of the second District and the chairperson of Unagi and Lombard, a progressive Filipino youth and student organization working to educate, organize and mobilize the community to address issues that affect us locally, such as wage theft. Our community here is strong and vibrant, with over 30,000 Filipinos primarily residing in West Long Beach and nearly 2000 Filipino students at Cal State Long Beach. We sit at the crux of two identities being children, of immigrants and being young workers. When an immigrant youth takes up a job, they're usually juggling, juggling classes, family responsibilities, as well as navigating issues that affect our daily lives, like getting access to affordable housing and health services. When it comes to finding good quality work, most of us are in love with many options. So we either join the military or drop out of school. For those of us lucky enough to get into college, not only do we have to struggle getting by on minimum wage jobs, but we do so while costs for everything increase from tuition to rent to books and even meals. I'm deeply concerned with the conditions of effecting affecting youth and students today when food pantries are being installed at the university to keep people from starving during classes. But even more angered when I realize that the city does not address the root issues. That are worsening our lives. When we talk about wage theft, where workers aren't being paid the full amount for the hours that they worked, we're talking about our parents who take up under the table caregiving jobs. We talk about our uncles who get engineering degrees back in the motherland, but only get hired here as shipyard workers. We talk about our friends who want to afford their own apartments but can't because all they can find a short term, low wage jobs. We can't keep postponing hearings for wage enforcement and upping the minimum wage. We cannot pass this training wage. Businesses want to save costs, but people want to be able to live. Let that sink in. When you talk about earning 85% of your wages, your first six months at a new job, you're talking about my peers, my family, my community. You'd be taking away so much from us when we already contribute so much to the city. Without input from us, we will just be another. This will just be another anti-people policy, giving lip service to the low income residents of the city, but only keeping money in the pockets of wealthy business owners whose basic needs are already met. What we're fighting for isn't new. It's not complicated. It won't even be hard to implement, but it will change the lives of so many people in this city. All we want is a wage enforcement policy and office that will one collect back wages. Auto workers whose wages were stolen by their employers to protect workers from backlash when they file wage claims against their employers. And three, enforce the new wage raise. Each year it goes up so wages will catch up to the rising cost of the standard of living. That's all we want. If you want to come out and support all of the people in your districts, the workers who make the city of unemployed, please pass this wage enforcement policy. Keep the city's path to 13 $15 by 2021 so we can be at the same level as Los Angeles, Santa monica and Pasadena. Serve the people. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, please. Good evening, Vice Mayor and honorable council members. My name is Vincent Passing ADC, and I'm the owner of Santa Fe Importers. We're a local company that has been in business here in Long Beach since 1947. We employ almost 70. Employees here in the area. I would implore you to please adopt the state regulation for minimum wage and not to carve out a local ordinance just for the city of Long Beach. I think it makes perfect sense to just go with the state. It makes local businesses more competitive. We have to. Compete not only with cities in the area, but with. Other businesses in the state of California and also other businesses in other states around around the country. To adopt a local ordinance. I think is just caving to special interests. I think it's in the interest of the community and businesses and the residents to just go ahead and adopt the. The state regulation. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next up. Good evening. I'm Jack Smith. I live at 240 Chestnut Avenue. That's in Plymouth West in the first District. You know, you're not here tonight to figure out if you're going to do a minimum wage that's already been done by the state. The governor signed that law in April. You're here to decide how Long Beach is going to fit into that law. I suggest that you abandon any effort in a city ordinance and live by the state law. The state law addresses all of the issues that you keep hearing about. That might be in. A city ordinance. It's accomplishing all of the goals you keep being asked for here by proponents of minimum wage. Everything is in the state law, including the issue of wage theft. Wage theft is handled very effectively by the State Labor Commission and they happen to have an office almost right across the street from us here at Ocean Gate. Perhaps our state representatives need to have that agency do a better job of outreach to our residents who are having problems with wage theft. Wage theft is a state issue. It is not a city issue. The state law now does what you folks wanted the city ordinance to do. Forget the city ordinance. Abide by the state law and save the millions of dollars. I believe the number I saw in the TFF was $1.3 million per year. It would take the city of Long Beach to enforce a local ordinance. Say that money. Get some more police. Live by the state law, make it level for all the cities around us and abandoned a city. Ordinance for minimum wage. Thanks. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Hi. My name is Jordan Meters. I'm a student. And. I'm a college student and a worker at Little Caesars. After graduating high school, I had the opportunity to partake in a four year university. But I could not because of the. Because I can not make with my family enough to. Going to the school. I come from a mixed families household, so it is very hard to make ends meet, which is why I'm here asking for city council to continue to have a minimum wage to 15 the Long Beach Way. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next, meet the police. Hi. My name is Mary. I'll fix this. My name is Man Chicago. So I'm a researcher. At Cal State Long. Beach, where I study health among our working class families here. In Long Beach. I'm no longer a therapist, but thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as a commissioner on the Board of. Health and Human Services. I'm here to urge City Council. To raise the minimum wage as soon as possible. I'm sure many of us know that one's economic income correlates with one's health status. For example, obesity is a huge issue in our nation. We live in a nation. Where fast foods are more accessible and affordable. Than healthy foods, and the consequences of this can be very dangerous and expensive. A higher minimum wage in Long Beach could potentially uplift our health status across our communities. In fact, a national study found that for every dollar increase in the minimum wage, there is a 6% decrease in body mass index. And that was a study done by the National Bureau of Economic Research that looked at. Data across the country that said declining or. Stagnant minimum wage rates may be contributing to the rise of obesity. In Long Beach, where 31% of adults and. 40% of 2 to. 5 year olds are considered obese. Personally, I have a father who is prediabetic, and I've seen how time consuming and expensive it is to manage his. Diet in order to avoid diabetes. And for families who are constantly working to make ends meet, I can only imagine that it's harder to. Practice this kind of preventive health care. As a city. We have the opportunity to bring one solution among many solutions to the table. We are a strong city full of creative, innovative and hardworking people, and right now we have the opportunity to pave and what is inevitable. So I urge you to raise the minimum wage and implement wage enforcement as soon as possible, because each minute that we wait to take action is is an opportunity to improve the well-being of our city. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good evening, members of the Council. My name is Joanna Concepcion, director of the Filipino Migrant Center. Our organization, together with other organizations of the Coalition to End Wage Theft in Long Beach, have been to every meeting, every hearing related to this issue and every meeting we have brought residents and workers and they have testified how wage theft has affected their families, personal testimonies of how they have become victims of wage theft. It's just wanted to. Remind folks here in. This room that. Wage theft is a city issue and not just a state issue. Right. So existing state wage and our laws, our organization has been for many years have been helping workers file wage claims in the state State Department, existing state wage, state wage. And our laws that are meant to protect workers are being circumvented and ignored by many employers. Everyday violating employers are not afraid to break these laws because of a lack of strong mechanisms to hold them accountable. And thousands of workers are not receiving proper education about these laws, which is why we want to re-emphasize to you today the importance of strong local wage enforcement and push you to adequately invest in community partnerships. Because community organizations are critical to make enforcement work. Local community groups are already doing the work on the ground and ready to work with you to ensure that hard working families secure all of their hard earned wages. We need properly funded community contracts to identify wage theft cases. Community organizations are already trusted in the community and are important partnered to help low wage workers combat their fear of coming forward. They provide services in workers native language and are the frontline experts in industry wage and hour loss community organizations outreach to educate workers in the community. Prepare evidence for investigations that are fact intensive. Fact intensive, and community organizations can assist with evidence gathering to ensure that claims are valid. Local community organizations are usually the ones hard at work, making sure that local, state and national laws which serve to improve the lives of thousands of working families are enforced and that these same families understand how to advocate for their rights. We strongly urge you to invest in well-funded community contracts and follow the Long Beach way of ensuring that $15 an hour by 2021. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Hi. My name is Rabbi Jonathan Klein. I'm the. Director of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice. And you've seen our people here at many council meetings before this. And I want to say we've been involved in pushing for minimum wage increase and wage enforcement all over Los Angeles County and even down in Irvine, where we were pushing back against a wage decrease that happened there earlier last year. Look, it's very simple. It says in in the book of Xs, it says by smite Hashem Naka Tom, God heard their groaning. God heard the sound of people who were being mistreated and jumped into action. You, as a council have heard of mistreatment of workers over and over again in this city of Long Beach. And by the way, that's a local conversation. And the hope is that you can be in the imitative day tradition of imitating God, in the sense of responding to that call, and very smart in ikotun hearing. The groaning of workers in this. Community who have been mistreated by their employers. It's actually in the best interests of business to to make sure that a wage enforcement policy is established that's funded, that ensures that community groups who know. Where the mistreatment is happening can. Be engaged. In the conversation because to do so means that you. Actually are pursuing justice, which, of course, is what we hear in the book of Deuteronomy. Justice. Justice, shall you pursue? It's not enough to passively. Wait for the justice to come. It doesn't always come that way. We know that over and over again that it's about enforcement. It's about ensuring that we have not just good laws on. The books, on the. Outside, but that we engage in pursuing at that more justice system for all. And I would like to just also add that it says and also in the book of Leviticus, it says Low TimeCode Aldama I do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor. Well, this is a community. This is an ecosystem that's very much what we're trying to create in Long Beach is a community sense, a sense of connectedness between people. How can we do that unless we take the struggles and the pain and the invisible suffering that we see that undermines the health of our community if we take that for granted. So I implore you, from the deepest place of my commitment as a rabbi, as a representative with many other religious leaders who I work with, I ask you to make sure that you move forward. With the minimum wage. Increase at the rate that this city has already made a great commitment to do. Just to stand with that commitment to keep going. Enforce the laws through the support of the community groups that know where to go. And I thank you very much. Thank you, Rabbi. Next speaker, please. 1859, huh? I want to thank you guys, actually, for one, just give give your name for the record. Well, first, my name is Anthony Velasco. I'm here with my son, Grant Senior. Well, right here. This is the future right here. This is what you see here. And he's and the future I see in his future is actually a struggle. Unfortunately, if we don't get this wage enforcement as well as the policy of, you know, not only locally wage enforcement, but in really enforcing it, because that's a struggle that we have to even go by. The state is it's a hassle just alone. And to be able to, you know, go through that hassle every single time, it's a struggle for our coworkers and my coworkers, especially. And this is a this is a time where you guys have the opportunity to make a positive impact and a positive change, not only for us, but for my son and for the future as well. And so I hope you guys really do pay attention and understand the struggle that we are in every single day fighting these battles against not only wrongful employers. But there are good employers, don't get me wrong. But I'm hoping that you guys will understand what we're struggling every single day. Thank you for your time and your patience, which I know you guys are here every single night with us. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Next, meet the police. Good evening, Vice Mayor and Council. I'm Stephanie Howard. I am a business owner on Fourth Street and also on the board of directors for the Business Association down there. I just want to encourage the Council to take this. Policy. And use the funds. That it would save from developing a local policy and direct that towards wage. Theft abatement and enforcement. Thanks. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good evening. My name is Johanna Cunningham. I'm the executive the executive director for the Apartment Association, California Southern Cities. And I'm here simply just to address the city council and ask that you support the minimum wage law that has already been approved by the state. Thank you. Thank you. Next week, please. My name is Steve Askin. I'm a longtime. Resident of our Rose Park neighborhood, and I'm a corporate financial analyst working for the Service Employees Union. I hadn't planned to say anything tonight, but there was one statement from where the speakers, which I think merits. Correction on the facts. One of the speakers. Said that state. Wage theft enforcement is adequate. In point of fact, what we know, what we know from a study done by UCLA a few years ago is that in Los Angeles County alone, a quarter million people are victims of wage theft every year. What we also know from a recent report. In the L.A. Times is that. In any given year, only 5000 people file wage theft complaints with the state. And only 17% of those claims are actually completed. So what we're talking about is a problem on. Which fewer than 1% of our people get redress. So what I'd like to suggest to our city council is in the interest both of workers and also of the many honest business people in our community, the majority who pay fair wages, that we have robust. Long Beach enforcement. On wage theft, partnering with the community organizations that know where the problems exist. I think that would be a great thing, not just for workers. But especially. For the many members of our. Business community who do not want to have to compete with somebody who's. Undercutting them by cheating on wages. Thank you. The next speaker, please. Hello. My name is Steve Gillan and I am a fifth district homeowner and fourth district business owner. And hopefully future next business. Is the first district. So I am a. Business owner and I grew up locally, you know, from from Downey. Paramount was born in East Los Angeles. I grew up in the neighborhood of Lakewood and Rosecrans. And for all the people here that are about wage theft, if there are employers that are stealing your wages, that is a problem. And we don't believe in that. The local businesses that are here today. Okay. But it sounds like from the majority of the people that are here that. It's wage theft. That is a problem and not the timeline. Of whether or not minimum minimum wage needs to be implemented. So I would urge the Council to please vote unanimously. To follow the state's guideline and focus more energy so that people that the people that come work for us and others are not getting their wages stolen from them. And. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good evening, Mr. Mayor. My name is John Sagmeister and members of the council. Thank you for your time this evening. It's a pleasure to be here and it's a pleasure to be part of Long Beach. I was married here 21 years ago, and in another life I had the privilege of serving on our Economic Development Committee as well as our downtown Long Beach business associates. My last two years as chair, I employ 150 people in the city, and I'm thrilled to say that many of them have been with me since before we opened our doors over 12 years ago. I would encourage you to adopt the state standards and maintain a competitive stance with our neighboring cities. I own four businesses in San Diego as well, and I will tell you that announcer in north San Diego County and I will tell you that we and what I've witnessed and I care. Deeply about the economic vitality of our city. But we have become a flyover community for economic investment and opportunity. And we have districts that desperately need jobs. And at this level. We're business owners will make decisions between technology and labor. And I'm sorry to say that and that and the economic realities, we must remain competitive with our neighboring cities. And those are difficult decisions to make. And it's not a decision that I would like to make. I encourage you to keep Long Beach strong. Keep us active and help develop more jobs in the city because desperately we have communities that need more and more jobs, not just increase in labor, but better employment numbers. Thank you. Thank you, John. Next speaker, please. Joshua Beadle, business owner in the second district. I'm just a man of few words. I'd like to just recommend that we keep with the states increases. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please, Mr. Brock. Good evening, Mayor. Vice Mayor and council members and staff. I'm Brock Howard. I'm with the downtown Long Beach Associates and I'm here tonight on behalf of Adobe and its stakeholders, as well as a member of the Council of Business Associations to strongly encourage you to vote in support of aligning. With the statewide minimum wage. In doing so, you will place the thousands of small business owners and medium sized business business owners in Long Beach on a level playing field with surrounding cities, and provide a greater level of predictability for them in years four and five. And both of these elements will improve our chances of retaining existing jobs. Not to mention those businesses finally emerging from what has been a historic recession past. This last point has an even greater consequence when one considers that many of our small business owners are also residents of our city. Thank you for your time and your consideration. Thank you. Next speaker. Good evening, Mayor. Vice Mayor. Council community workers. Familiar, Mr. Henty. My name is Nestor Rochat, and I am one of the steering committee members of the Coalition to End Wage Theft, as well as a community organizer with Lane with the Hope the Clean and Safe Ports Project. I'm taking it back today by the numerous presents and voices that have been sharing their very deep personal connection to what it means to be stolen their wages. What it means to have their minimum wage being raised and what that means to a young student like Joel Rose, who you heard just a few minutes ago talk about the difference of being able to go to a community college or attend a four year university because he had to make the choice. To help his family out. And I want to make sure that you are very mindful that the stories that you hear today or that you have actually heard are very interconnected with this city. Wage theft and raising the minimum wage. Although it is a numbers game, it is also a game to save our community residents and our folks to be able to lift their spirits and reach their highest potential. And so when you have cases like in the port trucking industry. That since 2011, 705 port truck drivers have filed wage and hour claims and the upwards of, let's see, $2 million just in waiting of those determinations. We're not just talking about millions of dollars that are being taken away from businesses or what have you. But we're talking about these millions of dollars that are going not to the families that need it the most. And so I want to make sure and that you all understand that this is definitely something that's an issue that affects our city. It is not a state issue. These port trucking companies operate in our ports. These men and women live in our neighborhoods, most of which are in the seventh, sixth and ninth District. So we're not talking about foreign folks, people that come from other places. We're talking about folks here. So as the coalition, we're asking for three very simple things that you align yourself to what you all promised, which was a Long Beach timeline. Number two, that you enforce that timeline. Wage enforcement needs to be in the city. You have community that is willing and ready to support you with that. And number three, for those young workers that they deserve the chance to get their equal pay for the equal amount of work that they do. Consider local timeline, wage enforcement and eliminate the learner's wage gap. Thank you. I have just just to clarify, also have two final speakers. It looks like on this issue, Tom, it closes speaker speaker's list here. Last call speaker's list will now be closed. I'm fortunate. But you're the last one. So last speaker. And then the speaker's list is now closed. Please. Good evening. Council members. Mr. Mayor. Mr. Deputy Mayor. I am a Long Beach resident and I believe I'm in Councilwoman Mango's district. I don't know for sure. I have not gotten active in city politics before. I am also a member of Clue. I'm a retired federal employee and by the grace of God and a good job and good wages, I am able to live and the city of Long Beach in a city that I graduated high school from and a city that I have come and known to love for many years. My children were born and raised in this community. And what I am concerned with is this council made a commitment on a wage. And now there's discussions of backing out from your own commitments. And you know, I found it interesting. I read this article here which says Long Beach is booming. Mr. Mayor, thank you for that comment. It is. And, you know, the interesting part about it is the business owners want to stay current. They want to be able to stay competitive with the rest of the communities. Business owners cannot stay competitive if they don't have competitive wages for their employees, if they are not offering a better wage. They cannot pull in better employees. They cannot pull in the kind of caliber of employee that wants to commit to the city of Long Beach, that wants to commit to the loyalty of their companies, that want to stay with small business, large business, it doesn't matter. But employee wages are a part of the loyalty and part of the commitment that the owner and the company makes with that employee. The employee will suit up and show up and do just about everything you want them to do when they're getting a fair and equitable wage . I am imploring you to stay with your own commitment and consider the fact that Long Beach needs to be a standout in this state, not a stand aside. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker, please. My name is George Sebag. I'm a current small business owner in Long Beach. A few months ago, the city of Long Beach paid a large amount of money for a study to determine the pluses and minuses of. A minimum wage increase. One of the major things that came out of the study that I think everybody has forgotten is that 60% of the people that work in Long Beach don't live in Long Beach. That means those wages that are going to be increased in the city of Long Beach don't get to be spent in Long Beach and they don't get to be spent by Long Beach residents. The point of this to make it to you is that the state minimum wage requirement is going to affect all of the cities in the area, not just the city of Long Beach. That means that that will put Long Beach on an equal footing with all the other cities in the area as opposed to now. We are exporting 60% of our wages to other cities that are more competitive than we are because they don't have to suffer through this artificial minimum wage. The point I'm trying to make is that we should go along with the state requirement up in the minimum wage so that everybody is put on an equal footing. Thank you very much. Next speaker. Final speaker. Good evening, counsel. I'm here. Robert Molino, representing Rock Sans Lounge in the seventh District. I reside I live in the fifth district. And it is true there is a struggle with a lot of businesses that aren't being fair. And I think that is should be looked after as a city. But to represent the businesses. Being a small owner, small business owner, it is not easy. It is difficult being a small owner business. But I think it is better to be with the state. Coming from parents that came from Central America, from El Salvador, going through school is something that entry level jobs, it it's just an entry level job. If you want to look for careers, look for careers. But if we put ourselves in a position as a Long Beach to make businesses or allow businesses not to be attractive, we're not going to be in a good situation. Short words. Thank you very much. Thank you. You can turn this over to Councilman Mongo. I want to thank everyone for coming out today. I know that over the last several months we have held not most recently, but before that held many public comment meetings where the community came out. And I think that it's important to have our voices heard. And I think that the voices of Long Beach were heard not just in Long Beach, but more importantly in Sacramento. And I really feel passionately that Long Beach ended up being a leader at the state level. And many businesses who came to our meetings felt strongly that making sure that we were on an even even playing field with our neighboring cities was important. So with that, I'd like to make the motion to follow SB three. Just for clarification. Also, SB three for those that are in the audience essentially is the state mandated weight schedule. Okay. That's just for. Just just to clarify for that, Councilwoman Gonzalez. Yes. I, too, want to thank everybody for being here and speaking today. I had the last course of many months researching all of the ideas, listening to everybody's feedback, having meetings with labor and business and everybody in between to ensure that we got this right. And so I have a few things that I'd like to add. I, too, would like to also follow SB three and make sure that we align with the state. I think that's the most appropriate thing to do at this point. In addition, I'd like to offer a friendly amendment that would include a strong to ensure that we're developing a strong, weak wage enforcement program. So there's a few things that we've done already when we were looking at the economic impacts of a minimum wage, minimum wage ordinance, when we were looking at that. And so it did include $475,000, so $475,000. First, I'd like to ensure that we dedicate to supporting to the support and outreach, working with local community groups to ensure that the public is truly informed about wage theft. Two I'd like to, in addition to the $475,000, I'd like to add to wage enforcement investigators to ensure that we are have something on the city side to complement that outreach and support. And three, we do have a local Department of Industrial Relations office that Jack had mentioned to me about last last week. And so I think that it's important that we have a Department of industrial relations here locally, because we may be able to leverage funds , the funds that we're putting together, the $475,000 funds that they might have to be able to work with them. But that's just in addition to what we're going to do here as a city. So, again, $475,000 dedicated to wage enforcement investigators on top of that funding, and then also finding additional avenues, additional ways to enforce wage theft . So that is my friendly amendment. I hope you'll accept I will also support your your motion to ensure that we're aligning with the state. Will you accept? I will take those under consideration. And I'd like to hear from my colleagues. Great. Councilman Orson. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This has been a long road. And I want to, first of all, thank the many advocates who have spent many, many nights with us. Many public comments and many public hearings on this issue over the past year and a half. I want to just say that I've been inspired by many of the young people, the advocates who have really worked hard to change the landscape for workers in L.A. County, the city of L.A., and here in Long Beach, and ultimately statewide. You have really made a difference in our state, and millions of workers in the state are going to benefit from your actions and your activism. And so you should be saluted for that. It hasn't been an easy conversation because people feel strongly on both sides of this. But this city did take an affirmative stand several months ago to help force legislation in Sacramento, and I think we were all successful in doing so. We now have a statewide minimum wage and I will be in support of that part of the motion also. I just want to just say that I think it's very, very important that that we find balance in policy. And I got to tell you, making policy is not easy. It's not an easy effort, particularly when you have people on both sides of an issue that make them feel so strongly. Many of our small business owners are not wealthy people. They are their middle class folks who live in our neighborhoods who are struggling to make ends meet. Just like everybody else today, we have an opportunity to, I think, do something significant. I'm going to support I thank you, Councilmember Gonzalez, for for bringing forward the wage enforcement component, because I think that's important. You know, I think it's important because it's been very it's been articulated very, very clearly that we have some challenges in our city that we need to address and perhaps we can assist the state. I was on the state of California's website the other day, and I noticed they're actually hiring people with the Department of Labor Standards in enforcement right here in Long Beach, which is, I think, good news in a positive direction. And so perhaps we will see some assistance along the way. I like the idea of doing community outreach and education and you know, and in going into community contracts, obviously, there are people on the ground who have been working for several months who have identified the need and know where the say the bones are buried, so to speak. And so with that, we will be able to, I think, assist with with education, which I think is most important in wage enforcement. Oftentimes, workers don't know what their rights are, even though every employer is supposed to post with the minimum wages, every employer is supposed to have OSHA standards and things of that nature. Oftentimes, people are just going to work to make, make, make ends meet, and they don't pay attention to that piece. And so to have some enforcement and some some oversight, I think is is very, very important. I've also heard over the past several weeks about concerns over this training wage. And I've heard you loud and clear. I was the person that originally brought that forward. And so I'd like to make it a friendly amendment because, you know, at the end of the day, the minimum wage is the minimum wage. And you've heard me say that over and over again. My position has been consistent. Six months ago, a year ago, I told you I support a statewide minimum wage. And we were we achieved that. And so with that, I'd like to add a friendly amendment to remove the training wage component of this this ordinance, if that would be acceptable. Because I think the speakers have made it very clear. I mean, when I was 16 years old, I made the minimum wage and it wasn't any different then than the wage for for four for anyone else. And so that's a component that I'd like to remove from this this ordinance. I will be assured that there are no variances and no training wage, and my motion. Is that clear? Mr. Bass. As I understand it, we would be following the state S.B. three all the way, which does have a a provision that allows for 160 hours of pay at 85%, as opposed to what was proposed earlier in the city's ordinance, which was 480 hours at 85%. So the state the state would if we follow the state, as was suggested, someone would be able to employ a new entrant into the job market for that 120 hour period at 85%. Thank you for that clarification and I'd be fine with that. Thank you. I just think, you know, the role of local government is in particularly in this on this particular issue is is is is being challenged, is changing. And I appreciate the fact that that so many people have feel so strongly about this. Generally, the wage enforcement component is something that would be done by the state and has traditionally been done by the state. But I think the workers here have made their point, and I think that there is a will from the council to to move in that direction. So I'll support that. Thank you. And I also want to thank you. I know that the wage dialog throughout the weeks has been complicated, and I feel that you've been very thoughtful and really looking to examples across the state, and I appreciate you being a leader on that. And of course, I would take that recommendation. Thank you. Councilman Pearce. I'm sorry. It's Pierce. Councilwoman Pierce is next after Councilman Price and Mary Richardson. So I'm looking at the wrong thing here. Councilman Price. No problem. So I have a few questions for. So, first of all, I support the motion to. Adopt the state's minimum wage policy. I definitely think one of the biggest issues that was raised through the discussion with our business community in advance of the vote last time was making sure that our business community is on a level playing field with nearby cities. And I think that's hugely important. And as some of the people in this room know, I'm grateful that I'm able to be part of this discussion, because the last time this issue came to a vote, I actually received a phone call in the middle of public comment from Chief Terry because my kids had called 911. My husband had been taken to the hospital. So I had a very legitimate reason for not being here. And I was texting my colleagues from the E.R. and I'm grateful for the council colleagues who voted last week to allow me to be part of this conversation, because it's very important to my district and to the city as a whole. So thank you for allowing me to do that. The few questions that I have really have to do with the ways wage enforcement piece, and there's a few things I want to talk about and then I want to hear what my my colleagues have to say regarding some of the concerns that I have. So I'm going to go through a little bit of data on some research that I, I did along with my staff in preparation for tonight's meeting. But just preliminarily, before we get into the slides. Mr. Mayes, can the city actually enforce a state ordinance? If the state ordinance specifically gives this city to have the authority to do that, it can. And we will go back and review SB three thoroughly to see if there is that authority to do that. So sitting here today, we don't even know if the city has the authority to enforce a state ordinance. This particular state ordinance? That's correct. So we would be voting on something that we don't even know that we have the authority to do. Well, basically, as I understand what you would be voting on if the motion stays as it currently is with the two friendly amendments that were accepted, we would see. Only the second friendly line as it's still pending. Oh, I'm sorry. Sorry, sir. With the second friendly amendment that was made, there wouldn't necessarily be a need to bring back a city ordinance. We would simply follow the state regulations, but add the component, which would basically be budget adjustments to hire additional city staff who would assist in community outreach and waive wage theft investigation. Okay. And I shared with a few of my colleagues that I have some data that I wanted to share with this group tonight. And so I put it into a PowerPoint just a little bit ago just to make it so that we all kind of follow along on it. But my question is this the friendly that's proposed asked for $475,000 in addition to two investigators. How much would those investigators cost? Councilman Price. We are estimating that with salary benefits and some materials and supplies and in some vehicles that it would be about $220,000 for for two positions. So we're talking about about $700,000 total. Correct, for the first year. Okay. And then how much would and this I'm assuming if we're going to set up a wage enforcement department in the city, it's some if if the amendment was approved. What's the problem? I think there's a misunderstanding. There was no department set up in the friendly. Unless I misheard the price. Oh, okay. Let me. Gonzales. Let me. Let me rephrase. If we set aside $475,000 for wage enforcement and added to investigators, I'm assuming that the employees who want to see wage enforcement in the city of Long Beach would want that to be an ongoing thing, not a one time thing. Is that an assumption that we're making? Do we? Yeah. Do we know? I have. We. Have we? Is this going to be a one time fund or is this something that we hope to do on an ongoing basis? So, Councilwoman Pryce, my understanding for the original city manager's proposal, we did use one time funds for the for 75. And we will work to to look at how much it actually cost to run a program on an ongoing basis. That could be less than that amount, or it could be more depending on the actual case loads. But what I'm saying is we wouldn't be able to use one time funds for an ongoing program. We would at some point when we have an ongoing program, would want to build it into the budget structurally per our financial policies. Okay. So in regards to this 700,000 or so, more than 700,000, what enforcement mechanisms do we expect the investigators to be able to do? Have we thought about what they would be able to do that doesn't already exist through the state? Councilwoman Price, we we were planning to enforce the local minimum wage now that we have an ordinance now that we're following the state's ordinance. We would be looking at following all types of minimum wage and wage theft items. So that would include we would like more direction, you know, exactly on that. But that would include overtime issues and wage lost wage items issues. Okay. So. Can the city adjudicate a wage theft claim that's made in the city? But that's against a state ordinance. Councilwoman Pryce, as I indicated, will be reviewing SB three thoroughly to see if they did delegate any authority to local municipalities to do that. If if they didn't specifically do that, the answer would be no. So it would be more if the motion passed, as it's currently phrased, it would be more gathering information, taking complaints, perhaps working together with the local state agencies to provide them information about our investigations, those those sorts of things. And we'd outreach, obviously, to the local DA to see what assistance we could be. Okay. So the friendly that I would like to make and I'd like Councilmember Mongo to consider it is setting aside the money, but allowing our city to work with the Department of Labor to I'm sorry, the Department of Industrial Relations to determine how exactly the city could work with the state. First of all, we need to review the state ordinance to make sure that the city has the power to get involved in its own enforcement, to assuming that we do. I'd like us to work with them to find out how exactly we could augment their services. Because based on my conversation with them and I spoke with the Labor Commissioner's office, they are under the umbrella of the State Department of Finance. They're currently funding numerous new positions for this coming fiscal year in order to deal with wage enforcement and wage theft specifically. And one of the areas where there's been a lot of progress statewide is the mere idea of calling it wage theft like that. Calling it what it is alone has resulted in the claims being treated differently. And that's really only happened with Governor Brown's administration. And one of the things that we had a very long conversation that we've been talking for a while with my staff and today I personally spoke with them. I'm calling it what it is has resulted in a very different focus from the statewide level to the issue of wage enforcement. So they are funding a whole new crop of positions for this fiscal year, including positions in the Long Beach office. The majority of the new positions are going to go into the retaliation team because that's an area where they found people are hesitant to file wage theft claims because of retaliation issues. Their field office in Long Beach is very active and will be receiving both field investigators and folks to work in retaliation statewide. They actually received in this past year 32,000 claims that they forwarded to their adjudication office. It's my understanding that even with our own wage enforcement arm, the city of Long Beach could not assist in the adjudication of claims. We could not we would need to work with the state in order to be able to adjudicate claims. So we would be we would not be able to advance or move along or are fast track any of these claims because we would still be on a state timeline for adjudication. The field office last year in Long Beach received 2500 claims. That's how many claims were filed in that office. The claims were handled. The L.A. Office received 3100 claims. The claims are handled anywhere from a few days to up to a year if the process is actually going to go to an adjudication hearing. But every claim that was filed was resolved in some capacity. Only a third of the claims actually went to adjudication. So two thirds of the claims were actually processed by the state's wage theft enforcement team. To me, that sounds very effective. What they said is they work routinely with community groups in order to enhance their outreach efforts. They have a budget already for outreach and marketing. They have a field investigator team for field enforcement team. They have retaliation services. That's a very robust team that, again, they're adding to. They have an adjudication legal team. What the labor commissioner told me today is that if the city were going to adopt something like this, we would absolutely need because we'd want to do it right. We wouldn't just want to say we did it so that we can, you know, get a headline or to get a win. We would want to do it right, because that's what the workers deserve. The workers deserve a team that is actually committed and has the subject matter expertize we would need. In-house labor attorneys like the State Department of Industrial Relations has they have a whole team of attorneys there. We would not be able to afford that with the $700,000 that we're planning to put into outreach. They also do outreach and marketing that's pretty robust. They have news radio ads. They advertise on Spanish radio as well as Spanish TV. They have bus ads. I shared this with one of my colleagues today, and we both agreed that this was a really great thing that we didn't know about. I told her I was going to mention it tonight. They have fliers that they pass out. They have TV ads that they do on Spanish TV as well as regular TV. And they also have a video on the process that they show. They have a video that they show people on what the process is, how you can apply for a wage theft claim. When you go in to make a wage theft claim, they talk about what the process is to make sure that your wage theft claim is adjudicated, who you can contact through the process. These are all things that they offer and they do offer at the Long Beach office. They also have a public works team that specially enforces prevailing wage claims. So they work directly with prevailing wage claims. They were very, very open to coming to the city of Long Beach, coming to council for a study session. If we were interested and talking to us about if we wanted to augment our enforcement somehow, how we could do that so that it best aligns with the state. They also talked about and some of the other states that we researched have done consequences for wage theft violators. So wage theft claims can serve as a basis for rescinding or refusing to enter into a contract with violators. Wage theft claims can be the basis for denial of a permit or a license, and the requirement that a business post a notice when they are the subject of a wage theft investigation are all different methodologies that other states have used and other states have utilized very effectively to address wage theft issues. So these are all options that I would like us to consider and so that we can formulate if we want to do wage enforcement. And we feel like there's something that we can do to augment what the state is already doing, then I think we should move forward with a plan. So right now we're allocating, we're proposing and I know the friendly hasn't been accepted, but over $700,000 to something that one we don't know if we can enforce yet. And two, we don't know how we would go about enforcing it. My recommendation would be I'm not opposed to having some sort of an enforcement arm in the in the city of Long Beach. I actually think it's a great idea. I just don't want to duplicate what the state is already doing. And I also don't want to take money that we could be using for other things if we're talking about a structural budget. We could be talking about additional police officers, which is what we need more than anything right now. So I would rather say let's take a look at what the state is already doing and how they think we might be able to augment their services to really neat meet the needs of our city. And if we're able to do that, then I think we might be able to come in with a number that's less than $700,000, which really would be a service to our constituents. So that's just a friendly that I want to propose and, you know, put out there. And I would love to hear from the rest of my colleagues. I'm open on this, but that's just given the data. I don't want us to be paying to duplicate something that's already being done. Thank you. Councilman, are you going to keep going on the speaker's list or are we back to you? I'd like to take that under advisement along with Lena's motion at the same time, I'll keep those in the list. Thank you, Vice Mayor Richardson. Thank you, Mayor Garcia. And thank you. Maker of the motion councilmember mongo and Seconder Gonzalez. And I love the tenor from the entire council about compromise and having, you know, been a part of this debate for more than a year. Hearing hours of testimony from the community, from business, from workers. I am proud that Long Beach did lead and encouraged the state to go ahead and take action. And we did it what we considered the Long Beach way. We said when we passed this, it was the Long Beach way. But when we passed the Long Beach way, we didn't necessarily know that the state was going to go ahead and pass as well. And that sort of, in my opinion, before the idea was you get to 2019 and you hear, you know, you do a study and see what those impacts are and then you make decisions based on that. And the floor at that point was nine or $10. But that's changed. The floor has changed. We know that the fight for 15 is one on the state level. People are going to get the $15. The question now is when do they get to $15? And the question now is, what do we consider the Long Beach way? Well, the process that we've gone through over the course of the last few last year has highlighted a number of issues. Workers have come forward and said very clearly that Long Beach need someone said it's night. Long Beach needs to stand out and not stand aside and protect workers and make sure that workers can can have their forces, their wages enforced. We've heard from businesses that they want a stable environment to run their business. We've heard that tonight. I think I'm here to speak in the spirit of compromise here. Gandhi said all compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender, for it is all give and no take. So what are the fundamentals for me? I believe that in order to find a middle ground, we have to make sure that everybody who came here understand. I have to value, you know, the opinions of everybody here. And if anybody leaves without necessarily getting their way, I understand. But you need to value their their point of view and the perspective. And I've heard a bunch of testimony tonight specifically about wage theft and balancing out the interests of business with aligning so. So, that said, if we're going to lead, I need my support. Tonight, I want to be able to support and be in consensus. But it is contingent it is entirely contingent on the acceptance of the very first friendly made by Councilmember Gonzalez, because there's no path for me to support this. And I would encourage the whole council to say no if there isn't a balanced a balanced approach here that talks about not just meeting the needs of business, we support that, but we need to acknowledge the fact that people have come here time after time and highlighted that the state is not cutting it. So without that, I can't move forward. So I'm going to ask, what is the motion on the floor right now? Okay. Let me repeat that. The motion on the floor. There's a motion on the floor in two friendlies that neither of which have been accepted yet by the maker of the motion, which is Councilman Bongo. Currently, the motion on the floor is to, one, align the wage schedule to follow the Senate bill, a state program. That's the motion on the floor then. Then there's two friendlies, one which was made by Councilwoman Gonzalez, which included a a strong wage enforcement and kind of wage theft investigation policy with the addition of investigators to the already budgeted amount. And there was also a friendly by Councilman Price, which was to add, if I get it wrong, Councilman Price it just to do more research and to how we could work close closer with the state and other agencies to find ways of doing wage theft in that direction and not necessarily allocating the amount of money that was put forward tonight. Well, actually, what's that? We come we do we meet with the Department of Industrial Relations and come up with a better estimate of how much we think it's going to cost the state to not duplicate their efforts and have an effective enforcement team. Because right now there's nothing our investigators could do to adjudicate the process faster than it's already being adjudicated. Thank you. So so back to you. Vice Mayor Richardson, thank you. So. Well, first point of order, can we even have a debate on friendlies that haven't been accepted? It would be better if the friendlies were accepted and debated. Yes. Thank you. So I would love to support. I know how much work Councilmember Mongeau has done on this. I know how much work Councilmember Gonzalez has done on this. But. If I don't hear an acceptance, then while I have the floor, I have no choice but to offer a substitute. So I would like to hear which of those are you going to. I don't want to debate or speak to something that's not on the floor. I respect that. And I would appreciate if before you make a substitute, I have the opportunity to hear from Pierce and your anger. It's only fair that I know that the order of which people queue up has some advantages, but I think that they've also been major players in this. And so I just want to hear their perspective before knowing where I stand. Okay, so and I'm fine with that. I'll be ready for your substitute in case. Thank you. So here's what I'll say. And I. And this is out of order. I prefer not to do it this way, but this is the option that the Council is putting in front of me. The on the first substitute, I agree on the set. I mean, on the first friendly. I agree on the second friendly. I agree there are certain certain questions that need to be answered. But this debate has linger for too long and frankly, we can move forward with the city staff has already put forth a plan and really it's a question on whether we legally can enforce it or and then what can we integrate from the state level. And that's not something I feel like needs to be debate. That level of detail needs to be debated at council. I think we can move forward tonight with staff's plan and if anything needs to be adjusted based on anything we learn, then there are ways to do that. And we do that all the time. We learn something that happens, you know, through the state and but, you know, through the state. And we need to make adjustments. But tonight, we need to set aside if we're going to if we're going align with the state, we need to set aside the funding tonight to make sure that we are we are one of the best in Fort. We've done it the Long Beach Way, which is now going to be defined as, you know, a city that takes its workers seriously. And we don't wait on the state to make sure everyone's paid a fair wage. So that that would be what I have to say. And I look forward to seeing what the final motion is. Thanks. Councilman Mongo. And then we're going to go into Councilmember Pearce. That's chair of Budget Oversight. I will state that over the last several weeks I've had more meetings than I can possibly count, both by phone and in person with the budget officer of our city. Erickson I think she has done a phenomenal job. I think that within the 475. There's a lot of components that are not. Restricted. I think that what Vice Mayor Richardson is saying is really a testament to how the city staff had worked with putting together their budget. And then additionally, the mayor's recommendation. So I definitely see your perspective and I appreciate that you're going to wait to hear from our other colleagues before making a substitute, because I appreciate that you're allowing me to maintain the floor. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Pearce. Thank you. And. Thank you, everybody, that's done so much work leading up to this point, to the small businesses that got activated and got engaged. I think you guys took a lesson out of the organizing handbook. Job well done. I really applaud you guys for that work. It would be a surprise to anybody if I said I wasn't in support of increasing the minimum wage. I have sat in too many living rooms talking to workers. Many of them, yes, they deserve a wage increase. And yes, the state has done that. But many of them have said shown me paychecks where they're not making what they're worth and what they have been committed to make. And so the conversation around wage theft is a real win for us. And Long Beach and one that I know from watching procedures. I know from having workers go through the process that, yes, there is things that the state and the county can do, but nobody can ensure that workers in our city are making sure that they're getting the wages they deserve, that they're getting their meal breaks that they deserve, their 15 minute breaks and all those things that wage self includes like those in Long Beach. And so my my very first question is to be clear that this would say that we are following the state level, we're following the state level on wage timeline, but that there would be a wage enforcement ordinance around wage theft . Is that what you're proposing? Council Member So I think that in my discussions with Mr. Mays and with Councilmember Gonzalez that we are not clear yet. There are instances in the state of California like a sworn law enforcement officer such as myself, that we can't enforce state laws and ordinances. Today I met with someone from the federal level of the federal executive board, and there are things that a city is able to do. And so before we bring anything like that back, I would say that that would maybe perhaps be something that Councilwoman Gonzalez, this committee could look into and discuss before we get ahead of ourselves . I think that leading and making the Long Beach way a part of the discussion and figuring out what the right fit is, I think also needs some process and some voice. And so I would like to empower Councilmember Gonzalez when we know what that looks like to meet with city staff, to meet with the community and figure out. And that committee would potentially long term, if we felt it necessary, which it might not be, bring something to the council if we find it necessary. Is that make sense? Yes. I just wanted to be very clear that it's not just about staffing, not one person, but that we're saying we support going on the state timeline, but recognizing and empowering us as a city to enforce locally because we have local small businesses, we've got big business here. But while the state, they just don't have the resources, they're understaffed even with looking at new staffing that that's very clear. And I'll say again and I can't say the year for certain because it's been so long, but. When I worked at a factory, I took a claim to the Labor Board and so in discussions with my colleagues, including you, we kind of talked about that. I went through the process, but one of the reasons that I was able to help several other workers at my office is because of outreach efforts and those other components that are built into the 475. And so again, it takes it takes dialog to get there. And oftentimes those those crucial moments in your life, you don't remember all the components that that really weighed in. So I appreciate your in my dialog on those matters. And I think that those are the components that are really going to make a difference for the Long Beach Way. Great. And so thank you for that very much. Councilmember Mongeau going on that. I think the other important part that's that's really important is the cultural competency and making sure that we have people that live in neighborhoods going meeting with workers that they have community with. And that, again, is another reason why I would support Councilmember Gonzalez's motion to have two compliance officers. I'll go so far to say, and I don't want to complicate things too much, but even those two compliance officers, while they will be helpful, I still in my heart feel like that's not enough. And so I say that today by saying that supporting this motion with the friendly amendment is still so much less than I think that our workers deserve and want to make sure that we are just moving forward with the proposal on the table. But recognizing that. As much as we can advocate to have more funds, go to those community groups that are able to outreach to workers. The more worker outreach we have, the more turnaround we'll have and the more funds will come back to the city based on how many bad actors there are. And so I. I'm not going to make a friendly I'm not going to make a emotion for the sake of making sure that we move on today, but that I would fully expect for us to make a a full office of enforcement down the road that we continue to support not only the funds that are here, but the two compliance officers that are here as well on the table. And so. I'll leave it there for now. Calcium for your ring. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. This has been a long discussion tonight. Also, it's been actually a long discussion for the last two years. I recall when we first when I was first running for council, this was an important issue to the public. Wage theft was huge. Also, minimum wage. We're there now. We're here at that point where we're actually ready to take a vote on this issue. I'm somewhat disappointed and I want to be clear on that, that, you know, we didn't really or we are not moving away from the ordinance that we had that we adopted a few weeks back, a few months ago in terms of doing it the Long Beach way. It was a very aggressive methodology that we were going to use. And I think because we were that aggressive, I think we actually led the field and let the state to also get aggressive and get ahead ahead of us by adopting a minimum wage that led to a path to $15. So, you know, I think that the city council needs to take a lot of that credit because of its aggressiveness in pushing $15 a year before the state. So I'm really pleased with that, the fact that we're now moving towards in another direction in adopting the state's plan. Okay. So, I mean, we're going to be moving towards the end and it's not it's not bad. However, the other part of it, in terms of the enforcement aspects of of wage theft is and always has been a very important, important component in this path to $15 an hour. And and I'm very pleased with with the motion that that is being that is setting the table now in my I would think are beginning to set a pattern here that, you know, enough of studies, enough of investigating this or investigating that. Let's be aggressive, which we are. Let's adopt this proposal of a path to 15. Let's get two enforcement officers there, which would be awesome and let's fund it. I mean, there's nothing that says more about who we are as a city council and as a city than to put money where our mouth is. Let's fund it. Let's stop it. Let's get it together so that when we are encountering these issues of wage theft. An iPad 215 that we're going to be aggressively investigating it now if we're not allowed to do that, because our city attorney has decided that maybe we're in conflict with the state, so be it. So we are we save some money with the state, takes it over, not a problem. But the fact that we have aggressively invested with that, we are going to aggressively investigate it ourselves. I think speaks volumes for us in terms of the city and what we want to do and how we really, really want to support our employees and our our workers and anybody who works within the boundaries of the city of Long Beach, I think that speaks volumes about what we are and how we feel about our community. So I'm really I'm going to be very supportive of the the motion. I have one question. However, Councilmember Mongo, you mentioned a committee that Mr. Gonzalez is in charge of. What committee is it? Our Burntisland harbor. Entitlements that were the that this would relate. No, it was just an idea that should the city attorney find the need to look at wage theft, that is a particular committee that has some expertize on it that might be helpful in that the wage theft community that it's come forward most strongly has been specifically in the trucking industry. And so we're we're not sure we need anything additional. We think we are fine. I think we're fine where we are. And I think that we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But I agree with Vice Mayor Richardson. We need to make a decision tonight what that decision is. I have one more councilmember to listen to and then I'd like to figure out where I am. Okay. I appreciate that. And again, I will re-emphasize my support for the motion by Gonzales. I mean, excuse me to the amendment that includes Gonzalez is perfect. Thank you, Councilmember Supernanny. Thank you. I do not have a friendly. I just have a couple of questions, and I just want to. Clarify what Councilmember Turanga just said, that we need to send a strong message, but we also have to be efficient with our funds and that's our fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers. I had a question also about the line that we need to set aside funding tonight. I guess this is for Mr. Mays. Could city council come back at a later date after we study the issue and and come up with some funding at that time? Yes. Okay. I'd also like to just. This is an emotional issue, so I'd like to just provide an analogy. My council district, part of our northern border, is the four or five freeway, which is the state agency Caltrans. Right through the heart of my district is PCH and the traffic circle. And both of those are controlled by Caltrans. The local agencies here working with the state agency in those cases is not a model of efficiency. So I think I'd like to recommend that we we look at in detail what is required for enforcement and study the issues a little longer before we move forward. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Councilwoman Gonzalez. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my God. Okay. Thank you. I just. I appreciate the discussion. I, too, am I'm just very I'm going to just reiterate that I think that the the funds need to be set aside today. You know, this has gone on for way too long. I think a lot of us thinking that we had originally gone with the Long Beach way. We've now moved to going with the state alignment and we believe in that. And I think that, you know, there's a seems like the council's headed in that direction, but I think that the wage theft component is. Very, very important. It's extremely important. And we may think that it's not a big deal. And of course, we don't know exactly what this is. Going to look like. There's still a lot. Of ideas and details to flesh out. We hope that maybe down the road this could possibly be an ordinance we're looking into that what we do have the luxury of having next to us is the city of L.A. that is already enacted. And so there's a lot to learn from that. There's a lot to learn in this next year as we are still in alignment with the state. But I think setting aside this money now specifically for wage theft, education and outreach, all of this money will go towards that to ensure that we were we are truly doing what we can to inform the public of their rights and what they can do and how adding an extra layer of fear of local enforcement. So again, we're going to have to hopefully with this friendly amendment, if it is accepted that to wage the investigators, wage investigators, and then in addition, the $475,000. And then, of course, as Councilwoman Pryce mentioned, we'd love to work with the Department of Industrial Relations to see what other methods that we can do to leverage additional resources with this local office. So I just wanted to reiterate that point. I think a lot of people have spoken. I appreciate everybody's ideas. We're certainly open to more ideas. As this. Evolves and gets, you know, bigger and better and who knows what happens. So thanks again. Thank you, Councilwoman Price. Thank you. So is it possible for us and maybe this is something for Councilwoman Mango to think about, to set aside the money, which is 770,000 or whatever the case may be, set aside that money and have staff come back with a report back to us on one whether we can even I mean, we're setting aside money for something we don't even know that we have the power to enforce. So can we set aside the money and then have staff come back and tell us, can the city even enforce this? And to if we can, what would be the plan of how we're going to use the money? Because I don't even know what I'm what we're voting on right now. I mean, we're voting on two investigators and $475,000 to do outreach. I mean, I don't even what kind of outreach are we going to do for $475,000? So what I'd like to do is, is get us in a position where we know what our city dollars are going to. I mean, I, along with a lot of my colleagues, have to we all have to report back to our constituents on where we're spending our money and why. So, you know, a wage theft, there's no doubt about it. And I know there's, you know, heckling and stuff going on. Wage theft is an important issue. Just because someone doesn't vote the way you want, just because they don't give the amount of money that you want doesn't mean it's not an important issue and it doesn't mean they don't care about it. And that's just the reality. So let's just stop being divisive and saying, just because you don't give me exactly what I want, you don't care about it. What I'm saying is, can't we educate ourselves a little bit more about I mean, when else have we voted blindly to allocate a certain amount of money to something that we don't even know how much it's going to cost? So my recommendation would be, I'm okay if we want to set the money aside, encumber it, don't use it, set it aside. I know that they had 475 listed in the proposed budget, so we're going to have to come up with another 222,000 from somewhere. So can we set that aside? Don't touch it. Don't encumber it. Leave it there. It's safe. But we don't actually allocated to enforcement until staff comes back and tells us one we can enforce. There's no prohibition against it in the statute, in the state statute. And to this is how we would enforce because I'm not clear right now, we're voting on positions that I don't really know what they would do or how they would fit with the state. It's like it's like hiring some traffic and engineers to monitor the portion of PCH that Caltrans currently oversees. What exactly are they going to do? Because they can't change signal timing. They can't repave the road. There's nothing they can do. They have to work with the state. So I'm not really clear the that of what we're voting on. So I understand. We want we want everybody to get a win. And I get that. Let's keep the money. Let's not spend it. Let's keep it encumbered. Let's keep it safe. We won't touch it. But let's find out exactly how we're going to use it before we vote on it. So I would like to actually bifurcate the two issues because that that would to me be the simplest way to to go forward with the vote, because I do want to support us going with the state minimum wage. Thank you, Councilwoman Pierce. Thank you. I. Want to first say that, you know, that this is about compromise, that we're making a lot of compromise today. Whenever everybody in this room, business, community Workers Council, the mayor, I've worked for a long time to do the Long Beach Way and have a Long Beach ordinance so that the wage enforcement part is so critical and so important, and that the money that was identified, this 475 was money that we already talked to our budget committee. We already talked to city manager. We already had briefings to figure out what that money would be spent on. And the majority of that money was earmarked for outreach. Yes, because outreach and making sure that workers are making a fair wage is in getting the money that they deserve is more important to me than spending money on a fountain, which I know city staff is tired of hearing me complain about spending $700,000 on a fountain. If we can do that, we can spend money and make sure that enforcement locally is being done. And so I had a question for Councilmember. Could we make it? Are we looking to make it a specific ordinance for wage enforcement? Would that be that might be a city attorney question. Right. So just to repeat where we are, the current motion on the floor is to follow SB three, which is the state regulations and escalation and all the avenues that have options related to the governors changes and things like that, so that we as a city are following the state. One state with relation to the for 75, you are correct that was budgeted and just and we have as a council had I guess eight weeks of meetings related to the budget where those questions could be asked. It actually is a bit more I know that you definitely keyed in on the outreach component. The 475 is more than just outreach. It's actually some staff in the city attorney's office that are necessary for a couple of things and then outreach as well for CBOs and a few other things. So it's a it's a comprehensive plan. And to be fair to all of us, I know that I've had 40 budget meetings between staff and constituents and all the different matters. So I, I have notes in this big pile right here of what the specifics are. But when I discussed it and I believed in it, those were things that keyed up to you. And for me, the staffing in the city attorney's office is key, because one of the components of this is we do not know if we need an additional ordinance or not, but that stuff would be available in the city's attorney's office to do that research and that look. And we would not need to make those decisions tonight. We are completely capable to set aside and follow the recommended budget of the city manager and the mayor's proposal, along with the potential. Should I accept Councilmember Gonzalez's motion a friendly which I'm inclined to do at this point? It sounds like that would be the compromise that would really move us towards following SB three, which has been my priority, and I know it's also been Councilmember Austin's priority since the beginning. So to do that, we would have to and I know you said the word compliance officers, but I will hope you take the clarification. It's going to be investigators, which are actually a compliance is a reactive versus an investigator, which is a proactive. And I knew that that was really important in discussions with the community. And so I hope that that clarifies and unites us as a council. Thank you. Thank you. And finally of Councilmember Austin. Thank you. And I promise not to make any friendly amendments. Just want to get some clarification. Thank you. Because I did not hear much about well, what I did here is Councilmember Elina Gonzalez is a friendly amendment, which I support. I just want to get some clarification because I am on the Budget Oversight Committee and we have been kind of massaging our budget for FY17 over the last several weeks. Is the intent to make the for 75 one time or structural? It's currently one time okay. And I think that's good because entering into the community contracts. I would hope that there is a mechanism to to a support for accountability and real deliverables. My hope is that, you know, this wage enforcement thing is not something that is necessary. You know, five, ten years out, maybe we can jump in, get into it immediately, address some issues and really, really work hard to educate and do the outreach and education of the community where it may not be necessary as part of, you know, just what is what is day to day operations for the city, particularly. And then these community organizations then become somewhat employees of the state of the city. Correct. So I want to make sure that that that there is some mechanism in place to make sure that there is accountability for the outreach and education and that we we can have some report backs on deliverables, as we would any other city department that we tasked to do do a a function. So it takes. Okay. See no other council comment. Thank you, Councilmember. I'm going to turn this back over to Councilman Mongo to take action on the friendlies in front of her. And then we're going to go to a vote. And I want to just also make a couple clarifications we think are important. The first is just as a as a reminder. I know it's in the budget. The 475 that is in the budget as presented is for a couple of different things. Part of that money is set aside for the attorney. So we actually bring in an attorney to look at the labor issues, to look at wage issues. That's dedicated to enforcement. The attorney also has support staff as part of this budget for the Force 75. That, as we know, is one time this year, but certainly could could continue on in in years as we go forward. There's also probably $100,000 of that for 75 or maybe 150. Correct me if I'm wrong, Leah, that's dedicated to education and also work with community groups to ensure that there's actually education happening about wage enforcement and about wage laws. And I think, at least in my opinion, that it's been presented that regardless of whether the council was going to go and align with the state or not, that those resources are still needed so that we can do education regardless of that decision. At least that's been my impression of the of the conversation. And so that's where I think that 475 is, is going it's attorney enforcement, it's education, it's working with community groups. And and then the friendly motion that's being done by Councilwoman Gonzalez is to add two investigators to the already budgeted for 75, which, in my opinion, is the beginning and really the creation of a pretty strong wage enforcement and a a this and somebody to address the conversation about wage theft which had been going on in this community for a very long time. And so to the community that's here and I know that there's a difference of opinion on on on a variety of things being discussed. But we are going from having essentially no dollars at the city dedicated to wage theft and enforcement to a pretty significant program if the motion and friendly is accepted tonight. So I, I strongly support Councilman Gonzalez's friendly motion to Councilman Mango Councilwoman Price, and then we'll, as anybody else, will go to a vote. So it's since we're voting on two different things. One is whether we have our own city ordinance and another is creating basically a new. Enforcement piece. Can we bifurcate this vote? Councilwoman Price, you would have to make a substitute motion to divide the question, and then we would if there was support for dividing the question, we could do that and we would take two separate votes. But you'd need a motion to to divide the question first. Okay. Well, I would make a substitute to divide the motion so that those of us who don't agree on the friendly can have the option to vote, you know, in the way that we believe on the first part. So as I understand, if the so the substitute would be to divide the question to in the first instance, vote to follow the the the schedules and so forth set forth by the state and S.B. three. That would be the first question that would be voted on. And the second would be whether or not to accept the two friendly amendments as stated, provided that Councilwoman Mongo eventually accepts those friendlies. Yes, I mean, that just would allow all of us to be able to lodge a vote and be able to, you know, voice our our our our vote and still have things go the way they're going to go. But it would allow everybody to be able to vote the way they want. Case. Was that a substitute motion? Was that funny? And is that a substitute motion or no? Yes. Yes. I was there a second on that motion. Casey no second on that motion. The motion doesn't have a second. So back to the original motion, which is Councilwoman Stacy Mango's motion and what have you. What have you decided on the friendlies? I will accept Councilman Lina Gonzalez's friendly amendment to add. And I think, Leah correct me, I can add them tonight, even though we haven't passed the whole budget, it would just be a supplement. Councilwoman Mango, we would you would direct us to Adam, and we would need to work to find an offset or a source of funding. Within the next week. Wonderful. We'll work on that. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. So there is now a motion and a second on the floor to go with the state schedule and to create a strong wage enforcement and wage theft component within the city budget. Please cast your votes, members. Sorry. Vice Mayor Richardson jetting off to say. Okay. Motion carries. Okay. The motion carries. Thank you very much. We were going to go take a one minute recess and we'll begin with the rest of the council meeting. I can go in and get all the council members back so we can start the meeting. You don't. Always get. Oh, I suppose. Your. Okay. Madam Clerk, if you can, please do the roll call. Councilwoman Gonzalez. Councilmember Pearce. Councilwoman Price. Councilmember Superman here. Councilwoman Mongo. Councilman Andrews. Councilmember Otunga. Councilman Austin. Vice Mayor Richardson. Mayor Garcia.
A resolution approving a proposed Contract between the City and County of Denver and Mead and Hunt, Inc. concerning environmental planning services at Denver International Airport. Approves a contract with Mead and Hunt, Inc. for $900,000 and for three years to provide on-call environmental planning services to Denver International Airport (201844905). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 10-21-19. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 9-18-19. Pursuant to Council Rule 3.7, Councilwoman Sawyer called out this resolution at the 9-30-19 Council meeting for a one-week postponement to 10-7-19.
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Yeah. So, Madam Secretary, if you could please put the item on our screens. That comes from Norman Sawyer. Called out, which was 965. Four questions. And, Councilwoman, go ahead with your questions. Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you for going back. Sorry I was out of the room. I just had a couple of quick questions on 965, which is the contracts with the city and county of Denver and meet and hunt for environmental planning services in Denver. And then. Is there anyone? Talk to me about. North from Denver, but I can certainly try to answer questions. Okay. Perfect. Thank you. So, what are environmental planning services? So my understanding of this, did you. Grow and exercise yourself. First? Yeah, certainly. Thanks. Councilwoman Kevin Morgan, Mayor's Office. My undertaking this contract is to help for upcoming projects to make sure that the airport is in compliance with the FAA when there are NEPA requirements for construction projects. So making sure that if there are NEPA requirements involved, that they are being followed. Okay. Great. Um. So I was just looking through exhibit A, the scope of work of the contract and under Section two G, preparing affected environment and environmental consequences of analysis for two compatible land use and 16 energy supply and natural resources. I'm just wondering what those are. Can you just tell me what that means? And. People speak. I can't speak specifically to that scope. I could certainly see if Denver can get you some specific answers or Dan can get you some specific answers on that. That would be great if you could. I guess I'm just sort of. And then my other question was in Section two, under air quality, when air conformity evaluations and determinations be estimate, calculate emissions from stationary mobile sources using appropriate emissions vectors, emissions models, etc.. I'm I'm just wondering what that is yet again. I can see if I can get you more specific answers to your questions. That would be great. Certainly trying to figure out. A little bit more information and clarity around exactly what sorts of compatible land use and energy supply and natural resource information this contract is providing. Done. Thank you. Anything else? That's it. Think, Councilor said. I'm. Thank you, Mr. President. I'm also curious about this. Is is it possible for us to postpone? I believe this one is. Is this one a contract? So I think, Madam Secretary, stop me or legal stop me. But I believe any member invoking a rule number that I cannot remember off the top of my head may hold this over for a week. Is that correct? Or if we have sometimes we have a potential issue with contracts that they may hit the shot clock. So I don't know if we could get a determination from our secretary or legal on the process for a holding this over. Are you talking about just holding it over or to a date? Certain. Yeah. Okay. Yes. So Kirsten Crawford, Legislative Council and one member could delay it. This is just to remind you all, if we have advance notice, we can get the proper staff here so that my apologies on that. Today was just a crazy day with budget and and the Lowry and everything and I got this request in Super Lakes. I didn't get it in time. This is all on me again. My apologies. And and so if we cannot. Can we do a quick check on the shot clock that this would just be approved if we don't take time, do we have time for a one week delay that wouldn't invoke that? Yes, we do. Yes. Yes. Okay. So we have time to take a one week delay that wouldn't automatically approve this. If a member would like to ask that. I would. Thank you. All right. I move to. Take a one. What official language do we need the councilwoman to ask for here, Madam Secretary. Just the request to delay. The delay for one week is sufficient. I request a one week delay for 19 0965, please. With apologies for my super late requests for information on this. All right. And that is not something that we vote on. That is just granted to a member who asks for it. So it is been asked and is given. All right. Anything else we need on that, Madam Secretary? We are good. We're good. All right. Thank you, sir. That does conclude all of the items that were called out this evening. All bills for introduction are ordered, published, and we are now ready for the black vote on resolutions and bills on final consideration. Council members remember that this is a consent or block vote and you will need to vote I. Otherwise, this is your last chance to call it an item for a separate vote. Cattleman's Advocate, will you please put the resolutions for adoption and the bills on final consideration for final passage on the floor? I move that resolution. Resolutions be adopted and bills on final consideration be placed upon final consideration and do pass in a block for the following items. 9539668 11 812 873951955911956961962 917 952963 1020 8835 900 and 902. Thank you. Has been moved and seconded, Madam Secretary. Roll call. CdeBaca I Flynt. Hi. Gilmore. Hi. Herndon I. Heights. Hi. Cashman Hi, Carnage. Ortega Hi Sandoval. I swear, I. Torres, I. Mr. President. Hi. I'm secretary. Please cast voting, announce the results. 1212 ays the resolutions have been adopted and the bills have been placed upon final consideration and do pass. Tonight there will be a courtesy public hearing on Council Bill 914 amending Chapter 30 Landmark Preservation of the Revised Municipal Code and a courtesy public hearing on Council Bill 776 vacating
Recommendation to authorize Human Resources Department to grant a waiver for employees who have ineligible dependent(s) removed from the City’s health, vision and dental insurance plans as part of the Dependent Eligibility Verification program with the exception of cases involving fraud or intentional misrepresentation. (Citywide)
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Thank you. Next item, please. Report from Human Resources recommendation to grant a waiver for employees who have ineligible dependents removed from the city's health, vision and dental insurance plans as part of the Dependent Eligibility Verification Program citywide. Councilman Austin. So moved. Thank you. Is there any member of the public that was to address council on item 25? Seeing None members cast your vote. Is it going to come up? Did you break it? It's temporarily frozen. Okay. Would you like a voice phone? Yes, please. Okay. There goes. Motion carries. Thank you. Next item, please. Item 26. Report from Long Beach. Gas and Oil Recommendation to execute and North American Energy Standards Board contract between the City of Long Beach and the City of Vernon for the purchase and sale of natural gas citywide.
A proclamation honoring Philip S. Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED on the occasion of his retirement. A proclamation honoring Philip S. Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED on the occasion of his retirement.
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Thank you, Madam Secretary. And now let's move to proclamations. We have two proclamations this evening, and I have the honor of reading the first one Proclamation 449 Honoring Philip s miller, M.D. f ACP fh ed on the occasion of his retirement, whereas Dr. Philip s Maler began his career 27 years ago with Denver General. We all remember it as Denver General, during which time he has served in many assignments, including staff attending physician Glassman, Professor of Medicine and Endowed Chair Denver Health and Department of Medicine. University of Colorado School of Medicine. Associate Dean. University of Colorado School of Medicine. Professor of Infectious Disease and Medical Director and Chief Clinical Officer. And. Whereas, Dr. Miller is nationally renowned as the expert in eating disorders and has saved many lives of people who have suffered from this disease. And. Whereas, Dr. Miller is a prolific academician, having published over 350 articles in peer reviewed journal journals and also is an accomplished professor of medicine with an international reputation for excellence in research, education and clinical care. And. Whereas, Dr. Miller has trained hundreds of interns, residents and fellows to be physicians of medicine. And. WHEREAS, Dr. Mailer's leadership abilities have led to the creation of a world class facility supported by world class physicians and staff, many of whom have devoted their entire careers to Denver Health and its patients, providing compassionate state of the art and equitable medical care to thousands of patients, including the current mayor, Michael B, Hancock governors and city council members. And. Whereas, as a result of Dr. Mailer's work, Denver Health became a truly integrated health care system, which resulted in it becoming a model health care organization for the nation. And. Whereas, Dr. Mailer has received many awards and commendations, including being on the list of Denver's top doctors of internal medicine in our 50 to 80 magazine, who's who among executives and professionals, the best doctors in America and internal medicine, just to name a few. And. Whereas, this city will miss his leadership, his ability to create the future of health care, and importantly, his constant dedication to our patients and the true mission of Denver health. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Council of the City and County of Denver, Section one, the Denver City Council hereby recognizes Dr. Mailer for his contributions. To Denver's communities in countless ways, personally and professionally, to keep Denver's residents healthy. And for his professional and personal dedication to the city and county of Denver, the state of Colorado and the nation. His retirement scheduled for June 2nd, 2014. He will make us have a void that will be challenging to fill. Section two that the clerk of the city and county of Denver shall attest. And a fix the seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation and that a copy be transmitted to Dr. Philip s mailer, M.D. Frcp an faa e d and having read the proclamation, I move the proclamation 449 be adopted. Second, it has been moved and seconded. We now have comments from the council members and I will go first. I am very, very happy to be able to do this for Dr. Mailer. He is my constituent, so that makes him even more special. But your history and your career are amazing. Outstanding, excellent. That service that you give in our city is above and beyond. And we can't thank you enough. We will miss you greatly. And I'm so glad to be able to do this proclamation this evening. And I see no other comments. Madam Secretary, roll call. Oh, no, I do see a comment a little bit coming in late. Councilwoman Ortega. Thank you, Madam President. Sorry, I was trying to switch from one screen to the other. First of all, I want to ask that my name be added to the proclamation. Certainly. I just want to express my gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Taylor for his 27 years of service to the city of Denver. It takes very special people who want to do this work and commit their profession and their lifetime history to working with the population at Denver Health Serves. And I think we all owe a great debt of gratitude to you. So thank you very much. Thank you, Councilwoman Ortega. Madam Secretary, roll call. Madam President, high growth round, high fat. I can eat lemon Lopez. Hi, Montero. Hi. Nevitt Ortega. Rob Shepherd. Hi. Madam Secretary. Close the voting. Announce the results. 12 eyes. 12 eyes. The proclamation is adopted, and I would like to call on Dr. Gonzalez, I believe, to the podium. I think you have a few words to say about Dr. Mailer. Madam President, members of council, it's a delight for me to be here and join you in this proclamation. We've had several ceremonies and events for Dr. Mahler honoring him, and it was a real pleasure to see all of his colleagues, his former students, all of the employees come and visit and wish him well wishes. I think the proclamation speaks for itself in terms of all of his accomplishments as a researcher, as an educator, and also, first and foremost, his love of taking care of patients. But the one thing I'd like to add is I've gotten to know him over the last 18 months, and he's a person of very high integrity and character, caring deeply about the work that he does and about the patients that he takes care of. And as someone mentioned earlier, that it's a special calling for someone to do that and do that so well for so very long. Finally, it's my pleasure to announce to you that after a lot of conversations with Dr. Miller that he will be staying on at Denver Health in a part time basis, post-retirement, after he enjoys a little time off with his family. And he'll be still the director of the Acute Eating Disorders Center. And it's a pleasure to be able to retain him for the benefit of all in Denver, who needs his service and those from around the country who come as well. So we certainly wish him our very best and it's a pleasure to be able to be here and celebrate this with him tonight. And some of his family members are here, too. Thank you. Dr. Gonzales, sounds like we don't have to go cold turkey and without his services. Dr. Miller, would you like to come up to the podium? Good afternoon or good evening, I guess. Thank you for this honor. I'm a native Denver. I was born in St Anthony's and grew up in the west side of Denver. Went to see you night school. I worked as a butcher up in 50th in Washington for five years when I was going through night school. And then I went to see U. Medical School when I was a resident and then joined Denver General at the time. I walked into Denver General for the first time when I was a third year medical student in 1982, my pediatric rotation and fell in love with the place and never left. So it's been a 34 year marriage for me, including residency and student time. And it's truly been a an honor and a privilege for me to serve the institution, to serve its patients, to serve its medical staff and all the other staff. 5500 people that work at Denver Health. Denver Health is a jewel locally. It's well acclaimed nationally and deservedly so. We practice terrific medicine there. We have a wonderful nursing staff. We have a wonderful administrative staff and medical staff there. And Denver really can be very proud of Denver Health that although we've taken care of the DISENFRANCHIZED for many years, we've never lost sight of the fact that our sacred pact in life is to heal and to heal everybody, regardless of their ability to pay. And that's been my calling in life, and I'm very privileged that I've been able to spend my entire career there. And with the exaltation of Dr. Gonzales and his staff, I'm going to be staying on on a part time basis, continuing to take care of the folks that I've worked with for about 30 years, those with severe anorexia nervosa and bulimia. And we have a center at Denver Health Medical Center that has no replica in the United States. It's the only medical stabilization program like itself in the United States where we take critically ill patients and restore them to life. About 30% of our patients come by air ambulance from other cities and states in the United States. And it truly speaks volumes about the quality of care of Denver health. So thank you for this honor. I'm eternally grateful for Your Honor, and I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity that's been given to me to work at Denver Health for all these years. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Madam President. Yes? We will get a chance to meet. Whose family didn't get a chance to meet his family. Would you like to hear what? The family with the family members of Dr. Miller, please stand. One family member is. Very, very. Thank you very much. Thank you as well. Okay. We have a second proclamation number for 77 and I'll call on Councilman Brown. Thank you, Madam President. This is a proclamation recognizing the 80th anniversary of Southeast Denver's Bonnie Breed Tavern, where as local diners have always played a vital role in the economic and social life of a neighborhood. And. Whereas, for 80 years, a little diner in southeast Denver called the Bonnie Brae Tavern has served four generations of neighbors.
A bill for an ordinance amending Ordinance 20200961, Series of 2020, to extend the duration of an interim zoning regulation to allow certain temporary unlisted uses in Former Chapter 59 zone districts due to the COVID-19 disaster emergency. Amends Ordinance 2020-0961 to extend the zoning administrator’s authorization to approve temporary unlisted uses on Former Chapter 59-zoned land through December 31, 2023. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 5-25-21.
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Nine I's Council Bill 20 10464 has passed. Moving on. Councilmember Herndon, will you please put Council Bill 592 on the floor for final passage? Yes, Madam President, I move that council bill 592 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. Thank you. It has been moved. We've got a second by Councilmember Flynn. The required public hearing for Council Bill 592 is open. And I see we have Tina Axelrod here for the staff report. Go ahead, please, Tina. Good evening, everyone. My name is Tina Axelrod. I work as the zoning administrator in the Community Planning and Development Department for the city of Denver. And there we go with that. It would be great out there. You could. You did it. Thank you, Tina. Okay. It was just lagging on my side. Go ahead, please. This bill is actually sponsored by Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval, and I imagine she might have a few words to say. I wasn't sure she wanted to kick this off or come in after me. So I'll take it. You're on mute, Amanda. I'll come in after you. Thank you, Tina. Okay. This is Council Bill 20 1-0592. This council bill amends a previously adopted interim zoning ordinance that city council passed back in October of last year. That ordinance number was 2020, dash 961, and that was in support then, as it is still today in support of the city's response to the COVID pandemic. At the time that the bill was originally passed late fall, it allowed COVID related temporary uses to be permitted across the entire city under an existing zoning administrator authority to do so in the Denver zoning code, which encompasses about 75% of the city. And the ordinance ordinance extended that that authority to land zoned under former chapter 59. So that's. Doing the math. Another 25% of the city at the time the ordinance was passing, we were in obviously still in the first six months or so of the pandemic. And the expiration of that interim ordinance was tied to the act of the state and city emergency public health orders. So this amendment does not change anything substantively about what was in the previous ordinance except for the expiration date, which has been extended to continue assisting the city's recovery from COVID negative impacts on both the local economy and on housing stability in the city. That extension would allow temporary uses that would be permitted in either former Chapter 59 until December 21, December 31st, 2023, for a year and a half out. So what kinds of emergency uses were allowed under the previously adopted ordinance? We primarily it was either temporary homeless shelters of a permanent nature or operated exclusively indoors and then to novel uses which were temporary managed campsites, which are outdoor shelters provided for homeless persons, and then a temporary expansion of outdoor space for patio and seating for restaurants and bars. And these are pictures from actually approved sites across the city and where they successful, I think by most estimations, having that authority and having that allowance to permit these types of uses. Former Chapter 59 Zone Lands was really important and played a role in the success of the program to date when it came to the temporary outdoor patio expansion. In total, as of mid-June, the city had assisted 192 Denver restaurants and bars to increase their capacity. Those are the yellow dots on the map, you see. And 23 of those 192 where about 12% were on former Chapter 59 zone property. The scale of those expansions are not shown here on the map, but they they varied and I know personally of a few that really took advantage of parking lots to substantially increase their capacity outdoors. And then when it came to the managed campsites, having the authority to allow the managed campsite on former Chapter 59 zone lad land did did open up the door to several private properties that were made available for this use during the pandemic and which is now continuing. The first two temporary managed campsites were established in Capital Hill and one of those two sites did include land zoned under former Chapter 59. Those have closed now, and we have two new managed campsites, a permitted one at Regis University, which opened up in June. And that is all on land zoned for Chapter 59 and one and Park Hill, which is actually under the Denver zoning code. But having that authority to permit these types of temporary uses on former Chapter 59 land did address, you know, critically needed 24/7 shelter and supportive services to persons during the height of the pandemic and now continuing where we're still feeling the impacts. And that's really why we're asking for the extension tonight. While the public health orders are ending, the impacts are still with us. The economic impacts from the extended business closures and revenue lost during the height of the pandemic has is is is proof and evidence of the need for continued assistance. So the city as a whole will be continuing the temporary outdoor patio expansion through October 31st, 2022. So the authority and the ordinance tonight would be more than enough to capture continuing and also creating new extensions on land of the former 59 through the end of that program. Other temporary uses that might crop up, including the managed campsites, would be able to go longer. And again, that's in response to a substantiated increase in the demand and need for shelter that's directly related to the effects of the pandemic. And I've put on the slide there a quote from the Department of Housing Stabilities report that was released in March of this year on their response to the housing needs generated by the pandemic. It's not ending any time soon, and it was on the advice from our housing specialists in the cities and housing providers city wide to extend it to December 31st, 2023. They felt that was the timeframe in which they could have the elbow room to not only continue dealing with a day to day need, but have the capacity to assist in transitioning to more permanent housing at all scale and the city. We take the text amendments through a read set of review criteria as well. Every time we come before you and here are the three criteria. The first criteria is, is this bill or ordinance and its intent and purpose consistent with adopted land use policies and plans. This ordinance, KPD finds, is consistent with the equitable, affordable and inclusive goals within the comprehensive plan as it addresses, seeks to address continuing housing needs and supporting the local economy. Similarly, the ordinances goals support strong and authentic neighborhoods by providing a new type of transitional housing on the spectrum, from overnight shelters to permanent housing. It provides one more option for people who are in need of housing or are currently unhoused. And then the the uses that support local businesses are certainly supportive of the goals of ensuring a vibrant local economy and authentic neighborhoods. Similarly, the ordinance seeks to provide the economic diversity and support the economic diversity, particularly of small businesses that have suffered and are being allowed to extend to expand their capacity has been quite the of the. Lifeboat for those businesses, as we understand it, and the feedback we've received. And Blueprint Denver again, we feel this ordinance is purpose and intent supports and furthers the goals. Whether it's housing policy or economic policy to the same ends as discussed before, are supported by the policies and blueprint. Denver And then being able to treat the city as the whole rules playing out in different parts of the city just based on the the unfortunate fate being dealt to you as a landowner, whether you're on the in the old code or the new code or the relatively new code, not having that be the differential between getting the support needed, whether it's expanded patios or or having housing choices brought, you know, brought closer to home and into communities where there might be demand out. Because I'm former chapter 59 so land. Other adopted plans certainly are housing plan for housing and inclusive. Denver. This ordinance fits squarely in being able to authorize more flexibility to provide housing. Overall, CPD believes that the ordinance will further the public safety and welfare, in addition to being consistent with our adopted plans, and will certainly provide in greater uniformity of zoning regulations and restrictions across the entire city. With that, CPD does recommend approval of Council Bill 592 and again, this will amend the previously adopted City Council Ordinance and extend the expiration date for this temporary authority of the Zoning Administrator to allow listed temporary uses of former Chapter 59 zone lands out to December 31st, 2023. All right. Well, thank you, Tina, for the staff report. And Councilmember Sandoval, did you want to add anything? I could add things now or I can we tell our comment portion if you want to, we can go ahead with questions and then I can add during the comment portion. Thank you. All right. Very good. Thank you. All right. Tonight, counsel has received three written comments on Council Bill 592, and there are no submitted comments in favor of the application and three submitted comments in opposition of the application. All members of Council that are present have certified that they've read each of the written comments. Do any members need more time in order to read all of the written testimony that was submitted? CNN council secretary let the record reflect that all written testimony both in favor and in opposition of Council Bill five nine to have been read by each member of Council and all written testimony will be submitted to the official record of the hearing. We have this evening ten individuals signed up to speak. And our first speaker is Matthew Leek. Excellent. Thank you. Axelrod I got to say, that is an awesome name. I'm not going to comment much on the outdoor dining portion. I don't think that's going to generate much controversy. I think everyone pretty much agrees. That's awesome. I live in capital. I was a neighbor to a safe outdoor space for six months. The one over at the church around 13th and 14th in Grant or Logan. I got to say, the R.A. made a lot of promises to the neighborhood, and they were all true. The place was clean, orderly, uh, quiet. If I hadn't been told I was there, I don't think I would've known. And from what I understand, it helped a dozen people find the transitional housing they needed. I kind of like that spectrum on the continuum of housing. Um, so I'm happy to say that if anybody is concerned about what the presence of one of those live, I mean, in their neighborhood, my experience you really ought not to worry about. And it was fantastic. However, I do live on Cap Hill, which means I can't let this go without remarking on the flip side, which is my condition. My support comes with a condition here. You might notice if you walked around Capitol recently that a little bit of temporary fencing has gone off. And I think that's because people suddenly got me in this, because we've gotten the idea, got the message from the city. If an unsanctioned encampment chooses your lawn to set up, then you're screwed. It's at least a month of any kind of crime you can imagine. It's burglary, break ins, arson. Sometimes it's assault. It's people chasing you with a golf club and a lot of meth and heroin use. The reason this matters? Well, I am totally in favor of expanding safe outdoor spaces. I think they're fantastic. This has got to come with the flip side. We can't let it become a viable career path for people to operate open air, bicycle chop shops on busy intersections in Capitol Hill. So while I support the measure, I would ask that my support come with that qualification that City Council uses the totality of its influence to cooperate with what 83% of the voters in Denver have expressed, which is we want a goddamn camping ban. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our next speaker is Stephen Benishek. All right. This is working. Mm hmm. Go ahead. Okay. Um, hi. My name is Susan Bunch. I live in University Park, and I'm asking you to vote for this because it seems like every meeting there's someone here to talk about housing and homelessness. And this issue is very quickly becoming probably the most pressing issue in the city. We just had some talk about the problems cause for him. And so everyone on those council is very well aware of how there are far too many people living on the streets in this city and they have taken steps to address it. In all fairness, while it's still much more difficult than should to build housing in the city. Safe outdoor spaces shine as an example of cooperation among the city and the best in civil society. We hear almost every week how bad the homeless problem in the city has got. And yet here we have some organizations volunteering to host people on their private property and have everything taken care of by a private nonprofit group. These sites are not meant to be a permanent solution, and the longer they're necessary is a continued indictment on our failed land use and zoning policies. However, right now they are extremely necessary, as we just heard, and every person living these sites is one less person living on the streets. The organizations that have participated in this program should be commended for their willingness to step up and solve the pressing issue in this community. And for that reason, I urge you to vote yes. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Jason Hornbeck. And. Q Madam President and Council I would, but it's been a while since I've spoken to you, and it's very nice to see and hear you all. So I'm Jason Wernick. I'm speaking on behalf of the Jason Park Neighborhood Association in Denver. I live at 50th Indicator, which is about two blocks away from the registered outdoor site, which we strongly support and we feel extremely safe and sound having in our backyard. Sorry, I'm speaking in favor of the extension of this temporary use ordinance for Chapter 59 just because of the all the good we can accomplish through removing unnecessary land use restrictions. And this is an improvement over the last several months. Our overly complicated zoning code or codes, as it were, and proven to be a hindrance on our ability to optimally use our land, as evidenced by the need for no special ordinances. This inefficient land use has resulted in a housing shortage which perpetuates displacement, wealth inequality, which has resulted in the need for emergency housing services like our wonderful safe outdoor spaces. Please vote to extend this ordinance. It was a very good idea. I was happy to support it the first time and I'm happy to support it now because it continues to be necessary. But even so, these temporary solutions are a lot like treating lung cancer with a cough drop. It's time we made some permanent changes to our zoning code because pollution, inefficiency and exclusion aren't working for us. Thanks for your time. Have a good night. Thank you. Our next speaker is Maya Price. Hi. Can you hear me? Mm hmm. Go ahead. Thank you, Madam President. I'm speaking in. Support. Of the extension. For. Safe outdoor spaces. I have been trying to educate myself on the situation of homelessness. I live at 1625 Larimer Street. So I see the effects of that every day when I walk outside of my front door. I understand that homelessness. And the affordable housing issue is extremely complicated, and there are many pieces to the puzzle. One thing that I know, and I'm sure you all know, is that we need to scale it up. There are just. So many people in need of. The housing. So while safe outdoor spaces only help, you know, 50 or 60 people at a time. That's one piece of the puzzle. And at least they're quicker. Than building. A home or obtaining a motel. So please vote yes. To extend the that permission. And I hope I didn't freeze up during that process. Thank you. Now we were able to hear they hear you the whole time. So all good. Thank you. Our next speaker is Jonathan Patoka. Good evening, counsel. Can you hear me? Yes. Okay, great. Yes. My name is Jennifer Patoka. I am a resident of District three over in West Colfax. I would love to emphasize everything that my Jason and Steve said before me strongly in favor of this extension, although chagrined somewhat that we need this to be a temporary use. I would argue that these should be sort of constantly accessible uses both the temporary outdoor patio spaces and the state housing sites themselves. During the deliberations over group living amendments. It was clear that the Planning Board, Council Committees and this council body as a whole were strongly in favor of bringing or outmoded Chapter 59 districts up to par with the newest Denver zoning code. It was addressed primarily as an equity issue there, and there was a lot of consternation and really just concern that we have 25% of our city. That isn't up to the latest with the rest of our code, flawed as that code may be in some cases. I know that a number of you have advocated for ways to get there. I do see this extension as a temporary Band-Aid in reaching that goal. 59, of course, made sense at the time when when there were some sort of large land use and sort of national plans in progress when the new Denver Zone zoning code was created. But to not belabor the point too much as reviewed in the comprehensive plan that was presented to us here, that go to strategy is really important and every neighborhood should be contributing to our housing solutions, not just 75% of neighborhoods. This is a really important use. We're absolutely still in an emergency situation here with housing. Honestly, I expect we will still be in an emergency situation by December 31st, 2023. And I'm hoping we can use these two years to resolve the failure in our zoning code that prevents these uses from being constantly accessible to our population. Again, I would encourage you all to vote yes in favor of this amendment, and that's all. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker this evening is Adam Astrup. And I believe we'll have to have our staff go ahead and. Bring him into the panelists, please. All right. Thank you. Please go ahead. My name is Adam Astrup. I am a resident of District seven and I am speaking tonight in favor of the extension. You know, I think, again, just to echo everyone else, you know, we're here because Chapter 59 was not resolved a decade ago as it was supposed to be. And at this point, I think probably the easiest way to do that would just be to engage in citywide land use reform extreme. You know, extending this would be helpful. These safe outdoor sites are actively helping people now in our community, and it's impossible to build housing. So, you know, then they kind of need to do something like this. But, you know, there's you heard anger in the general public comment. You heard anger from at least one of the speakers tonight. And nobody's going to be less angry by 2023. And if we don't have a policy answer for the housing crisis in Denver, it's going to be a big issue. So please vote yes. And then again, city wide land use reform. But thank you so much for all your work and I hope you guys have a good rest of the evening. Thank you, Adam. Our next speaker is Mina Goldstein. We'll have the central staff bring her in. I believe it was Nina Goldstein that we had up next. And Mina, if you might raise your hand and the attendees will go ahead and get you moved over. In the interim, we can go ahead and go to Katie Blakey. Go ahead, Katie. Say hello, council members. And my name is Katie Blaikie and I live in District ten and I'm speaking in support of this. I think by just about every measure, safe outdoor spaces have been really successful, both in improving the conditions of the neighborhoods and most importantly, improving the conditions of those people who live there. We need more safe outdoor spaces and we need multiple in every single neighborhood and every single district, as well as safe parking areas and other human centric solutions. Until we have all the affordable housing we need to accommodate all the rights. I agree with previous speakers that this change should be permanent. Our housing crisis is only going to be way worse in a year and a half, especially since we're not able to build housing as quickly as we need to to accommodate everyone. So I would also ask you to please look for other ways to add flexibility to Arizona so that in COVID and beyond, we can adapt more to the needs of our growing and changing city. Thank you. Thank you, Katie. And our next speaker, we have Mina Goldstein. Goldstein and Mina. We're having a little bit of trouble. There we go. We got you promoted into the panelists, if you can. Go ahead. Go ahead, Mina. All right, we'll get her promoted up here. Know we're not able to hear you or anything. We're not sure if we're having technical issues on our side or on yours, but we'll try to figure that out. And we'll go ahead to our next speaker. We have Tess Dougherty. Go ahead, please. Tess. Hi there. I am. Can everybody hear me? Mm hmm. Go ahead. Great. So, um, the city council is there to respond to someone's comment. I don't think that you all have done everything in your power. I was reading the the code again this week, and it sounds like definitely y'all have more power that you've not been yielding to find some additional safe outdoor spaces or to end the dramatic displacements and instead substitute what is happening three times a week with something more humane and and, you know, not far less negligent with our. You know, money that's being spent and just totally squandered. And so we want some damn humanity is what we want. And and so, you know, entitled comments like, you know, the bicycle shop shops for people living on the streets with few other opportunities to make money in the first place diminishes the very real needs of this community. And so I just wanted to name that. And so I'm just curious, what about Downtown Denver partnership? What about what about Denver, Inc? What about Arnault's? You know, why have Arnault's not been tasked with finding with their neighbors and businesses in each. You know, an associate in his district? Can't that be something that, like, we are working, you know, public? You know, government relationship, because it sounds like we're really passionate about those types of relationships, but I don't know that we're really using them in all of the ways that we could be. And I also wanted to point out that, of course, I am totally in support of associates. I don't think it's going to be temporary. This is something that like, you know, people need this transition even. This is something that has highlighted that. And people need a transition sometimes from the streets to to permanent housing. And this provides that. And so I think that we need to start thinking about it in that way and start really that's why it's so important that we find these sites throughout the city. And and I also just want to highlight that, you know, the government that you guys gave money to restaurants, which I think was totally fair and they needed it to build tents that were in the right of way and were encumbrances against the city code. And during the pandemic, some of them are still up. Some of them have blocked the line of sight, which is have caused car accidents. But apparently no additional stop signs are allowed to protect the public safety. But at the same time, we are sweeping people three times a week. So, you know, it's just and, you know, we're orange lining the city. It's the new, you know, mode of segregation in Denver. And so I'm just curious who gets to. Enforce the code and who has to follow it because it doesn't seem like, you know, I'm totally supporting the extension of this. But I would just argue and would like to call attention to the fact that it's not being equitably enforced. These extensions like who gets who gets extensions, who gets you know, who gets these these permissions during a global pandemic? Because people experiencing homelessness, who are being displaced not just by the housing market, but by the city of Denver, they don't get these types of extensions. They don't get these types of exemptions. So, you know, I would ask that you do that for them, too. Thank you. Yes, that's our time allotted for speakers. We're going to go ahead and move to our final speaker and it's David Hagan. And David, we're having a little bit of trouble with our system. And so I'm hopeful we'll be able to hear you and get you up into the queue here. Can you hear me? Mm hmm. Yep. Hi. Thank you for letting me speak. As you all know, I'm going to be all for this amendment. I wanted to address the fencing in the rocks along with this amendment. And we're going to continue to allow the restaurants to be encumbrances through this, but yet we're not going to enforce the code and and the zoning, which I've been reading a lot, is just a test was talking about you guys have the power to end these rocks on the side of the road and all the orange fencing and you need to do it because it is an absolute violation. Whereas right now we're trying to vote on something that is going to be law for the next couple of years or whatever. You need to enforce the law that we already have because what you're doing is hurting people. When bicyclists run into those rocks, they get hurt. When homeless people trip on those rocks, they get hurt. So in the fencing, it's just it's not it's not it's not logical that legal and it's not attractive. So please remove that at the earliest convenience. Let's see. I'm sorry. I'm driving. So I don't have all the stuff that I wrote down quickly accessible. Yeah. I mean, I guess basically, you know what I'm going to say? I don't want any of that stuff. My approved this temporary safe outdoor spaces and as was said before, that need to be more than temporary. They need to be able to be used as a transition for everybody. And and. Yep, that's all I would say today. Sorry. Thanks. All right. Thank you, David. All right. We're going to go ahead and try to get you heard during this public hearing. Mina, if you can, go ahead and unmute and go ahead with your comments, please. We're not seeing a mike associated with you. Mina and so. I think we are going to have to go ahead and move on showing that talking's permitted, but for some reason we're having difficulty. And so thank you all to all of our public hearing speakers this evening. And that concludes that portion. Questions from members of Council on Council Bill 592. Councilmember Zoya. He's not a president. So a couple of questions, I guess, to clarify the timing of the ordinance. So the original ordinance said it would be automatically repealed 21 days after the expiration or rescission of all comprehensive city and state public health orders as a result of the emergency. So the governor rescinded the public health orders last week and the cities aligned with the state. So has that automatic repeal timeline already begun? You know, I should have had the answer to that question before I walked in the door here. But I believe and I see Jill on, too, I don't know if she knows any more than I do. I know the state one. So 21 days from the first would be July 21st. I don't it it's not necessary. It's not exactly that. The city is aligned with everything the state has done. The city has its own set of emergency orders. I know a lot of them have been rescinded. I don't know if all of them have. If this ordinance gets adopted tonight, I think I'm still within the 21 days. So, for example, for Regis and the S.O.S., there will reissue a zoning permit under the new authority to extend its term out beyond, you know, to to the point that it asked for it originally, which I think was a six or seven month term . And then no other no other permits. Are it at risk of expiring? The outdoor permits, the outdoor patio expansions didn't have to get zoning permits to begin with. So I will update my use determination to extend the time frame for that, and that will just apply. No one has to come back in for those. 23 or 25 businesses won't have to come in for new permits. Got it. Okay. So and then I guess what happens if it doesn't get extended? What does that look like? If it if this ordinance it's not going to adopted. Right. Then the authority would expire at the 21 day mark post as the last public health emergency order issued by the state or city and probably the city. And we'd have to shut those places down. Got it. Okay. And I think the city's public health order continues for another like maybe month or so. So. So that's good to know. So how was the December 31st, 2023 date for the extension chosen? As I mentioned in my presentation, it was in consultation with the executive directors of Host and CPD and Dito, and every every city agency had a seat at the table as we discussed the extension. And it was primarily driven by the housing need. I felt that an additional year and a half to have these sprinkled about the city would just continue to support the efforts and and deal with the the significant blip that happened during COVID, at least at least at the margin deal deal hopefully with most of the COVID related bump up. I mean, it's not going to solve it all or get everything, you know, get everyone housed, at least for for the after effects of the pandemic. That was a reasonable time frame. Okay. So not a year and a half. Two and a half years. Sorry. Yes. I can't count. Very well. Thank you. It's good to announce this key saying December 31st, 2023. And instead of trying to count it down. Can you. Okay, there. Still. Does. Denver, do we have enough shelter in hotel beds to serve the needs of our unhoused population? Now is. I'm just trying to understand exactly what this looks like. As I understand it now that the demand and the need still far outstrips the supply that the city has either direct access to or direct control over, whether it's a bed in a new 24 seven city shelter or in any of our partner shelters or in some of the the smaller in place shelters that, you know, with churches not opening again. Right. We lost all that ability to do a lot of the ad hoc sheltering that was happening in the city in small on a smaller scale of 8 to 10 beds in a in a church across the city. So at this point, between the the the absolute increased in numbers of people experiencing homelessness and the instability that went up from March to March. In that report that I shared, the numbers are there is a 60% increase in the demand for housing from March 2020 to March 2021. No, we're we're nowhere close to having a bed for everyone who needs one and who wants one. Okay. And how many beds are there are 200 beds in safe outdoor spaces currently, is that right? The number which I. Have. It's, it's it's about 880 some beds. I'm going to find it. Um, I think it's is ability to house about 100 persons today in the to manage campsites that have recently been permitted in June and are open and operating now got it's 100 beds between the two campsites yet is 100 persons capacity. It's it's fewer tents but some of those tents are designed to hold more than one person. Okay. Understood. So how many safe outdoor camping sites are you as the zoning administrator considering adding between now and that proposed end date of December 21st, 2030, as we will consider under the criteria limitations that have been adopted in the messages to such termination, any and all applications that come our way. So the city is not has not come forward as the applicant for any of these managed campsites. It's been the institutional property owners that have come forward. So as many as we get, we will consider them. We'll hold them up to to the light of whether they meet the criteria that have been specified, which includes some limits on on the applicant has to be a nonprofit entity. Of course it's allowed in most zone districts currently, and then all the agencies review the prospect from their their disciplines, whether it's fire, electric safety, duty, PG for public health and sanitation, stormwater, sewage and wastewater gets involved with porta potties. And then our human service partners are all involved. So it goes through a full review with the site planning application, but we will take in as many as we get and timely review them and and get them up and running. The city is a partner in in so far in many of these campsites. They are given some priority expedition through the process because of the emergency and the need for housing. So we try once we do get an application, we do try to get it through very quickly because of the dire need. But yeah, we have it. The city is yet to bring forth one on city owned property, for example. As an applicant, though, we did spend close to six months looking for city owned land to do one of these. It ended up being the churches and the schools that were able to quickly mobilize and come forward with the first four. Got it. Okay. So I guess what I'm trying to sort of determine is if we're short on shelter beds and hotel rooms and safe outdoor campus spaces are the next option. But we only have 50 or 100 beds at two total safe outdoor camping spaces, and we're not sure when more are coming or how many people we expect to serve there. I guess I'm a little I'm trying to wrap my mind around how this is then the solution to housing our unhoused community. I don't think anyone said it was the solution. It's an option. It's one more way we can get people off the street and in safe shelters, be in a tent, a temporary structure. It's not it's not as hearty as being inside a building during winter, but it's feasible, it's doable. It's quick. And at least so far, the proponents have been able to wraparound services with the housing as well. It's it's just one more tool in our toolkit now that we didn't have before. But in no way, shape or form, I was suggesting, you know, this is the solution to ending homelessness and this, but it sure wasn't so. And when we looked at the original contract for this, it was 100 beds, $4 million or 100 tents, $4 million. And that included, of course, the showering facilities and the bathrooms and the tents themselves and the wraparound services and all of those things that, you know, averages out to $10,000 per tent. Now, we've got to save outdoor spaces, and there are 100 beds between the two of them. Is it still averaging $10,000 a tent for all of the services? I'm sorry. Can I. Can I say something? So in Council District one, we have a safe outdoor site. At the university site, it's 89 beds, 100 beds per site. So it's not 100 beds for two sites. I have the ability to house 100 people in Council District one according to their zoning permit. And then the other area in Council District 800 people. So it's it's 200 people. Just to clarify, it's not 100. I have that that we just had a 100 person permit. Okay. Yeah, that's what I thought. But when Tina said that it was 100 total bet on that. So do you. Know, Councilman Sandoval, if that $10,000 per tent cost is about that average is about is continuing? So when we first voted on the money to go to the safe outdoor site that had to those two and now so I think they're up to almost 400 people because they had those two tents, two sites that closed, and now we have two more that are helpful. So four total. But I didn't ask Chandler how much money per person this was costing. Got to. Bring in. Skye Stewart to clarify, just to make sure that we've got all the numbers correct and everything. And so we went ahead and promoted Skye there. Go ahead, Skye. And she had also helped out that our public health order does go through the end of this month for us. But go ahead, Skye. Please introduce yourself. Absolutely. Thanks. Councilwoman Skye Stewart from the mayor's office. Just wanted to clarify a couple of things. We're in a we're asking Tina some questions that are a little outside her scope. So want to step in and try and give her a little bit of a break here. And one of the questions that was asked was about our shelter bed capacity on on any given night. And I do want to be clear that we do have hundreds of beds available every night if every person off the street wanted to come in. Would we need to do some things like open rec centers? Absolutely. But we do have some flexibility in our system that will accommodate for that. One of the challenges we run into and you'll hear Brett, officials say this regularly, is that there are also barriers to people feeling comfortable in shelters. Some of those you don't have to deal with property, pets and partners, the three P's that she likes to bring up. And so safe outdoor space provides another option that is really important in that continuum of the system. But I do want to be clear. It is not that we do not have shelter beds available. We do we need different types of options to meet different types of needs. So I just wanted to get that one on the record. And we do absolutely. As you mentioned, Councilwoman Sonya, have contracts related to providing funding for a couple of different sites. There's some flexibility in that funding for additional sites. I can get our our host team to give you a breakdown of what that's looking like right now and what they think that that might. There's no like maximum. This is how much it could be per site for our per tent for each site. It's really more of a how do we make sure that we are helping to fund what is a an effort by a third party partner who's been really helpful with us in advancing this concept? So I can work to get a breakdown for you of what exactly that looks like kind of on a per tent basis right now and what they anticipate in the future. That'd be great. I really appreciate it. Thanks. And thanks for that clarification. So I just want to make sure we're on the record. The city's public health order ends August 1st is that it runs through July 31st. Right now, we're kind of taking those 30 days at a time as we're adjusting, you know, based on different sets of circumstances. But the existing public health order that started July 1st, a new, more condensed version runs through July 31st currently. And we'll reevaluate as we get closer to that July 31st. Got it. Okay. Thanks so much. Thanks, Madam President. All right. Thank you, Councilmember Sawyer and Councilmember Sandoval, for the or for the help out and then Skye Stewart as well. Next up in the queue, we have council member Black. Thanks, Madam President. I had just raised my hand because I wanted to call it Sky. But you already did it, so thank you. All right. Great. Thank you. All right. Seeing no other hands raised for questions. The public hearing is closed. Comments by members of Council on Council Bill 592. Councilmember Sandoval Did you want to make some comments and share the sponsor? Thank you, Madam President. I would just like to say that Council District one has a site that just opened on Lugo and Regis University, and we have had not one incident there. Actually, what we've had our successes, we've I've checked in and people are able to get into other type of housing and that is just one use . Also, we were able to the old image site if anyone remembers Denver when images of 38 and Tennyson stuck in a former Chester PD or former. They've been able to expand and have patio service out in the carousel area, which was not formerly allowed, and this amendment allowed them to expand into the right of way. And they also have other businesses, smaller businesses that were able to expand into the right of way. So I have heard from both businesses and I've also heard from people who are experiencing homelessness that this amendment to the former Chapter 59 works for people. And so therefore, that's why I'm sponsoring it. And I would ask my colleague to sponsor as well. And I just want to say I did read the public comment and I did read some of the letters that came in to us as council members thinking that this sanctioned and ten. It does not this does not address all of our homelessness issues in Denver. It does not that it is one solution and a new another tool into our zoning code to create equity throughout the entire city. So if 70% of the city is allowed to have it, why should the other portions not be allowed to have it ? I do not agree with that. I think that the city should be created and have access for all business owners to expand into the right of way if they would like to. And I also believe sites like villages that are under former Chapter 59, if they want to, on their private property, have this type of use just because they are limited to the former. Chapter 59 should be excluded from allowing this type of use of having their sanctioned site to help those who are experiencing homelessness get into new and other opportunities. So with that, I would ask all of my colleagues. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Sandoval. Up next, we have Councilmember Sawyer. Yes, Madam President, I really appreciate what Councilwoman Sandoval said a minute ago. I think it's really important to know that if it's allowed in 75% of the city, it would be fair for it to be allowed in the rest of the city. I guess my concern around it comes from the timing of the amendment now that the orders are starting to be rescinded. So, you know, it's a tough vote. According to the ordinance, it's both small businesses and safe outdoor spaces. And while I'm supportive of extending outdoor patio seating options for restaurants and small businesses, you know, I do have a lot of concerns about safe outdoor camping sites because we have a camping ban and it's a shame that the two can't be separated. So if private institutions and individuals want to support the Safe Outdoor Space Initiative on private property using private dollars and from donations, that's their decision. And I respect that. But the voters have spoken and they've said that they don't want outdoor camping in Denver. So I think using city tax dollars, city right of way city resources for safe outdoor camping sites flies in the face of a clear mandate from 83% of the voters in our city. The premise behind safe outdoor spaces was an understandable, temporary solution in extraordinary times. Extending them for another two and a half years is not. Especially when we've heard testimony tonight that we have hundreds of shelter and hotel beds available every night to serve our unhoused population. If people are not choosing to access those beds, it's a different matter. Those are probably there are probably dozens of laws, frankly, that the citizens of Denver would prefer not to follow. But we don't get to pick and choose which laws are enforced. I also have a lot of concerns about the rescission date of December 31st, 2023. Municipal elections will be held in May of 2023, and a new mayor and new council will be sworn in on July 15, 2023. And we're obligating those future city leaders to something that's extremely controversial without their consent. I think that's a dangerous precedent that we're setting. And so I am going to be a no on this. It's not a precedent. Thank you. Council member Sawyer. And not seen in the other hands raised. I'll go ahead and chime in here. You know, none of us saw a pandemic come in and where there are folks that the shelter system is not the place where they feel supported in spending the night. And especially for our community members who are maybe trans members who are, you know, in some of our shelters, same sex couples are not allowed to stay together. And so with that, you know, I understand the need for this and I'm happy to support it this evening. I will go ahead and pause there. I see council pro tempore is has chimed in and so I'll go ahead and abbreviate my comments and let you go ahead and chime in as well. Council pro tempore as. Thank you so much. Sorry it was slow to my but no commentary stuff. Just wanted to thank Councilwoman Sandoval for bringing this forward, for working with Regis, both on a vaccine site and now on a safe outdoor campsite. So really appreciate the partnership that you've garnered in your district and just really want to make it clear that it isn't just kind of an individual assessment. Initiative. 300 and authorizing safe outdoor camping or entirely different things. And even as a candidate, I was opposed to 300. But I support safe outdoor spaces. They are very different. And just want to. Make sure that we're clarifying costs. Whatever number Skye comes back with for what it costs per tent to operate. Guarantee you it's below. The amount that we spend in. Safety net. Services to individuals who cycle in and out of. City support. Services. Denver Health. The jail, whatever other kind of entities. When the free the social impact bonds were being developed, they calculated the cost for some of the most kind of frequent users of those services to be about $28,000 per person per year. You're not getting anywhere near that with what we're funding. Colorado Village Collaborative. They're essentially saving. The city money on the back end. Especially they're able to. Push. Individuals into. More permanent housing solutions. So very happy to support this and really grateful that Colorado Village Collaborative is a partner at the table for the city. Thank you. Thank you, Counselor Pro Tem Torres. And my last part of my comments were definitely going to be thanking Councilwoman Sandoval for her work on this and leadership, and especially as we need these different options to house folks during this time. And we're not out of this pandemic yet. No matter the public health orders, we're going to be feeling the ramifications of this for many years after. And so I am happy to have these other options. And with that being said. Madam Secretary, roll call on Council Bill 592. Sandoval. I. Sawyer? Nope. For. I. Last. I. Then I. First. I. Flint. Herndon. I. Cashman. I. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, please close the voting and announce the results. One day, I. Nine I's Council Bill 20 1-05. Name two has passed our pre adjournment announcement this evening. On Monday, August 2nd, Council will hold a required public hearing on Council Bill 5 to 2, changing the zoning classification for 2208 North Belair Street and South Park Hill.
Recommendation to request that the City Council: (1) receive supporting documentation into the record and conduct a public hearing on two appeals of the Board of Harbor Commissioners' adoption of the Final Initial Study/Negative Declaration (IS/ND) for the World Oil Tank Installation Project (Project) filed pursuant to Long Beach Municipal Code Section 21.21.507 by Safe Fuel and Energy Resources California (SAFER CA) and Long Beach residents Nicholas Garcia, Sopha Sum, and Sophall Sum, and Earthjustice, Coalition for Clean Air, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, Communities for a Better Environment, Center for Biological Diversity, and Sierra Club - Angeles Chapter (collectively, "The Coalition"); and (2) adopt resolution denying the appeals and upholding the Board of Harbor Commissioners' adoption of the Final IS/ND for the Project.
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All right. Let's go to item number 20 to continue hearing. You have failed our children. All of you. Item problem are not business like. Yes, we will mute public participation. Item 20 Report from Harbor Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record and conduct a public hearing on two appeals of the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Adoption of the final initial study. Negative Declaration of the World Oil Tank Installation Project filed by Safer, California and the Coalition and adopt a resolution denying the appeals and upholding the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Adoption of the final is and d for the project. If you would like to speak on this item, please raise your hand. All of it required a live stream of now. Yes, but anybody participating in this item, if you and each of you do solemnly state that the testimony you may give in the course now and pending before this body shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God. I do. I don't. Right. Thank you, Madam Claude. Mr. City Attorney, can you now walk walk through the council and the public through the process of this hearing? Yes. Vice Mayor, the first I believe there was a preliminary matter. My understanding is that world oil has decided to stipulate to prepare an environmental impact report for this project. So if we could hear from world oil to see if that is indeed the case. Paul Ryan is the representative from world over. Sue Gornik, the vice president of Environmental Health and Safety. I agree with that stipulation. Right. And so. Ms.. City Attorney So what do we need to do from here now that they've agreed to that? Yes. So in light of that stipulation that moots the appeals for the evening, which we're seeking to have an air prepared. And so if there is a motion from the city council to then direct this to go back to the port for further environmental review, consistent with that stipulation that world oil will prepare an environmental impact report for the project. So moved. It's been moved by Councilmember Aranda. The next in line was Councilman Austin. Is that a second? Yes. Okay. Yes. All right. Thank you. So it's been moved and seconded. Is there any public comment on the motion to accept this stipulation? We do have public comment at this time. There are 12 speakers queued up. Okay. And just to be clear to folks, what we're doing is they've agreed to effectively do what the appellant is requesting. And so if you're speaking to that, then now would be the queue up. But let's go ahead administer public comment. Nick Garcia. Your time begins now. You have 90 seconds. I'm. Mr. Garcia, please unmute yourself. Your 90 seconds starts now. Our next speaker is Robert Smith. Oh, I'm so sorry. I was then when I'm. You know. So start. Good evening, Vice Mayor. Councilman. My name is Nicolas Garcia. I am a member of the State for fuel and energy resources. California separate. California is a coalition of individuals and organizations with members, including myself, who live and work in and around this area. We advocate for sustainable development in Long Beach that minimizes environmental, environmental and public health impacts that provide community benefits, including investment and safe and skilled local construction workforce. Before this project can be improved, the city must address the project's impact on workers, public health and Environmental Environment and Environmental Impact Report, or incorrectly concluded that the project will have no significant environmental impacts. At this that is simply false to project a significant environmental impact on air quality health risk and greenhouse gas emissions, the Harbor Commission failed to disclose and mitigate. We believe the mitigation project impacts are critical to ensure good jobs, clean jobs and sustainable construction economy. I urge the Council to uphold this appeal and deny the project. Thank you. Our next speaker, Robert Smith. Your 90 seconds begins now. There we go. Good evening, Mr. Vice Mayor and members of the City Council of Long Beach. Thank you for hearing this issue. The painters in L.A. trades are happy that this is going to go back, that the oil has accepted the. e.R. Royal impact report. They're going to do one of the we we as the painters have concerns about safety in the area, etc. for our workers in our workers families in the area. And we also have concerns about skilled and trained workforce, and we look forward to moving forward. To the next step here. We just see where we're going to go at harbor commission that the thing is for us is that safer California and. The state building and construction trades have a voice here within this forum. Thank you. Our next speaker with the telephone number ending in 8019 year 90 seconds begins now. Please begin. Please hit star six. Oh, that's put him back on. You can begin. Our next speaker is Chris Chavez. Yes. Thank you and good evening. Councilmembers. My name is Chris Chavez. I'm the deputy policy director at Coalition Clean Air, one of the appellants for today and also a resident of Brinkley in the seventh District. I want to thank the council for making this motion for your attention to this issue over the past couple of months. It really encouraged a thorough air in this process, just to quickly highlight both this project and the community surrounding it are under the Protection of Assembly Bill 617, the Community Air Protection Program. They are both part of the Wellington Carson West, Long Beach, age 17, community, which signifies it's one of the most polluted, most vulnerable communities in the state of California. So that's important to keep in mind as we move forward through this process. I just want to encourage the council and the Harbor Commission to do your due diligence in protecting the folks who live in LA in these areas and really make sure that we're reducing emissions from this project. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you. Our next speaker is Dave Shuker. Good evening. Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Thank you. Dave Fuqua speaking in his capacity as operations director of the Long Beach Alliance for Clean Energy. In principle, I support the motion and thank World Oil for agreeing to the stipulation, although I'd like some clarity on whether the stipulation is for an environmental impact review or just a report. I think what's needed is a project air that includes it. That includes all phases of the project, including planning, construction and operation. As we just heard from some of our union folks. Safety issues should be thoroughly examined. Moreover, we need to take seriously maybe whistling in the wilderness that we need to take seriously how a project like this fit into our existing program. I mean, just for the state, for instance, the downtown plan, climate plan, city climate plan. As somebody else mentioned, maybe 617 community, police specific communities. Obviously, part of the reason why there's the diesel definition. Right. And I also just, you know, trying to think of, you know, 20 or 100 years scale. I'd like to see a technical review of some of these. Thank you. Our next speaker is Julie May. This is truly a may from communities for a better environment. I'm a senior scientist. In our four communities in Wilmington and southeast Los Angeles. I just want to thank you. For. Performing the E.R.. It was both a no brainer and common sense that this was necessary. And it was. Also deeply. Documented in the record with the materials we presented about biofuels. Hydrogen sulfide, fire danger, earthquake hazards, water risks. Many other hazards that were significant in this heavily impacted community. We appreciate you doing the full air that was absolutely necessary. Thanks. Thank you. Our next speaker is Whitney. Levine. My name is Whitney Amaya. I'm a resident of West Palm Beach and a member of Eastern Communities for Environmental Justice. And yeah, I also just want to echo what's been shared. I'm glad that, you know, we're not moving forward with a negative declaration and that there is going to be a full year because honestly, a negative declaration for this project just did not make any sense because there's a lot of impacts that would come from the project. And I guess I don't think that it needs to be a reminder, but just in case, like my community and a lot of the other communities surrounding this area, we're already impacted by this so much. And so please take that into consideration as well, that it's not only the impacts from this project, but the impacts from everything else as well. And I think that's one thing that I wanted to say and thinking of this year is also taking into consideration like accidents, because it's not a question of whether it will happen, but when it's going to happen. You know, just from my experience of living next to refineries pretty much all my life and oil and gas infrastructure, it's super scary when things like this happen. And it's also frustrating whenever there's any accidents because there's never any real answers for community members. I think the thing that we tend to hear is, you know, there was this crazy accident, but there aren't any threats or any impacts for our health. And if there are impacts from these facilities during regular operations, how are we supposed to believe that there aren't any impacts? Thank you. Our next speaker is Sylvia. Hi. Good evening, Sylvia Arradondo with Communities for a Better Environment. And it's good to hear that this is going to go back to the air. I'm also a community member in Wilmington and have represented to the community in the harbor area for and through my work in different capacities and also as steering committee member for the one with Ben Carson with long with input from seven of. And I just want to thank you for sending us back to the air and as other speakers have mentioned of having a project of this scale move forward without an air process is too damaging. And it's also it does bring about a lot of concern, as you all know, living surrounded by industry or at least seen industry in our communities really has a severe impact on community health. And so both these are one thing that I'm always constantly talking about with folks because the the health harms. That are related from the off season. I've experienced many of, you know, friends who passed away from the different chemicals. And we just need to continue to take a stand for community. And so seeing, you know, a 40 hour process really helps us and the community know what is already going on and and continue to put in the documentation. Thank you. Our next speaker is actually Hernandez. Hello. My name is Ashley Hernandez and I grew up in Wilmington and I'm also with an organizer with Communities for a Better Environment, and we're with our youth program in the local Wilmington Harbor area. I also want to echo what a lot of peers here are saying, and thank you for really including FDR, into this process. I think it's obviously a bare minimum for front line communities to get these processes to be carried out. And so I just really wanted to emphasize the need for frontline communities that are dealing with heavy cumulative impacts, including refineries, oil drilling and heavy diesel traffic to be considered in the in the in the many impacts that we're going to deal with, including, obviously, this proposal. And so I just really want to echo the sentiments of folks here and really wanting to have a full air be carried out in the next couple of months, it seems. Well, I know it was, but thank you so much. Our next speaker is Darrell Golden. Good evening, everyone. My name is Sarah Golden. I'm a member of West Long Beach Association and the 617 Committee and a resident of West Long Beach. And I just have a couple of questions. The lady from World Oil, did she stipulate to the entire request of the appeal, but just the Arab portion? Well, what was the stipulation for police? Hey, there. We're we're not it's not a Q&A, but we're a promotion before we go. Okay, I buy one of those. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Kalani Lee. 90 seconds begins now. Good evening, everyone. My name is Kay. Honestly, I'm both a community member and a lawyer. I'm here to speak on behalf of myself, a Harbor Gateway resident, and my cousin and her son, who are Long Beach residents. I am grateful, like many of the public commenters here today, that this project is going to be sent back for a full hour. Given the nature of this project, it's clear that. One was required. The fact that. It's adding 2500 barrel crude oil storage tanks and freeing up almost 190,000 barrels of petroleum storage has at least the potential to cause significant environmental impacts related to air, water, fire prevention, resources, earthquake hazards and more. And this project clearly. Exceeds their firemen. To prove that there's a potential to cause a significant. Impact on a community. And. I'm just very grateful that it's going to undergo the required environmental review under CSA. Thank you. Our next speaker is Allison Ham. Your 90 seconds begins now. Hi. Good evening. My name is Allison Holm. I'm an attorney with Communities for a Better Environment. I'd just like to thank you for moving. Forward with us. For the full year of the World Oil Project. SEQUA is a lifeline for frontline line communities that rely on seek review to understand the potentially significant impacts of the proposed projects and to provide comments and proof proposed projects. It goes without saying community should not be sacrificed for the sake of economic development. So thank you for prioritizing community health and safety for this project. Appreciate it. Thank you. Our next speaker is Marine Premiere. Marine Premiere. All right. I apologize. I was having trouble meeting myself. Hi. My name is Marnie Premiere. I'm the executive director for Future Ports, based in Long Beach. We are an organization dedicated to both growing and greening ports of Long Beach in Los Angeles, as well as Wyoming and San Diego. And. And building a sustainable supply chain. We are very supportive of World Oil's efforts to work with the council and with the community and labor partners to move this project forward. It's a much needed facility for recycling fuel in the port terminal area. We applaud World Oil for voluntarily seeking air on this project and working with the labor and community partners to move. The project forward through the air process. And thank you very much, the council this evening for your substitute motion to allow this project to move forward. And we certainly do wish that any negative declaration had been upheld, and we were very supportive of the project. But we're glad to see that it will continue through the process and we'll be committed to working with world oil and the community partners to make that happen. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our next speaker is Anna Christianson. Hello? Hello. Well, please begin. Sorry you asked me to unmute, but I'm not interested in that. Oh. One moment, please. Anna Christiansen. Hello. Please begin. Okay. Wait. I'm on the phone because the camera was. The computer wasn't working. I'm sorry. I'm going to try it. Does the computer work now? Can you hear me? We can hear you. Okay. I'm not going to talk on the phone. All right. Sorry. Yeah, this process got a little weird on the computer. Okay, so along with everybody else, I'm grateful. I'm not particularly grateful to world oil. I'm certainly not grateful to city staff who recommended that the project be approved without any air. I'm grateful to all the community activists, all the organizations who wrote and researched and did the hard work of contacting community members and and doing the science that is necessary. Grassroots science and outreach that should have been done by the city staff to understand just how. Bad. This project is how much we do not need it. There is no. I'm glad. I'm grateful to have an air. Everybody will go. Go through it. But there is no way in hell that this that expanding fossil fuel infrastructure in production, whether it's in the port or in the low cerritos wetlands, is or offshore or offshore island is any benefit to this community. It's time to walk away from fossil fuels. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our next speaker is Ella Gonzales. You know, today meant a lot. And it just said, I, you know, basically, yeah, I'm not here to applaud World Oil Company. This is a private corporation that is pillaging the planet. There was, um, there was a town that caught on fire this, this year on New Year's Day in Colorado. I mean, Colorado usually expects snow, not fire. And this is just the beginning of the rest of our lives. But this is a company that made millions of dollars causing, you know, cancer to people, children, asthma, planet burning up. So Long Beach needs to start phasing out oil. It needs a plan to not add any more infrastructure. And air should be the expectation and is. The law. For any type. Of development. Whatsoever. You're building a building. You're building a parking lot. You're building you're drilling for oil. You're building an oil tanker. You need an air. So, you know, good for them for complying with the law because there was a hearing, because there was a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice, an environmental nonprofit. But this isn't a cop out for the city council. You are expected to deny this project in. The name of climate. Change. If you are not a climate denier, if you accept the science, you accept the reality of the warming planet that you live on. So, you know, good, good. For those who did write the city council, you guys got lucky this time. But, you know, we're we're paying attention to these projects. Thank you. Thank you. What the individual with the telephone number 8019. Your time begins now. I just wanted to ask if this is the item number 26. So by the. Thank you. That concludes public comment for this item. Excuse me. I don't. Remember you. Mr. Clarke. With a few more people. It's the appellant who would like to speak. Please begin. Yep. Good evening, council members. My name is Carla Fetterman on behalf of appellant Save for California. We support the motion to remand the project in order to prepare an environmental impact report to address and mitigate the project's significant environmental impacts. Safer California filed this appeal to address the board's failure to prepare an air for the project pursuant to Secure to disclose and mitigate the project's significant, unmitigated air quality impacts, public health impacts and climate change impacts associated with construction and operation that were not disclosed or mitigated by the negative declaration. Our appeal presented substantial evidence supporting a fair argument that the project may result in potentially significant impacts related to volatile. Organic compounds. And particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions. As such, we support the motion to remand the project to preparing air. Thank you. Right. Thank you. So that satisfies the public comment when they get back behind the rail. I raised my hands. Councilmember Durango. I'm sorry, Vice Mayor. We still have one more volunteer. I would like to speak. Do we have one more comment on. Hang on. Mr. Clark, go ahead and handle the rest of it. Let us know we have a green light. Carter Garage. Your time begins now. Thank you. My name is Cody Rhodes. I'm an attorney from Earthjustice representing the coalition that appealed this project. I'm glad to hear that world oil will be preparing in the air for the project. And I'd like to thank the city council members for considering the community concerns on this issue. I hope that this air will address the concerns we raised in our appeal filing and the public comments of the project. Specifically, the air need to strongly investigate this project's cumulative impact for context. Over 1000 petroleum storage tanks are already permitted in the South Air Basin and world oil already had seven oil storage tanks at their Long Beach terminal with over half a million barrels of capacity. So what doesn't allow us to act as if these tanks don't exist by evaluating the project in a vacuum? So in the air, these cumulative impacts must be thoroughly investigated to give the public and decisionmakers a complete picture of the project's real impacts. Unfortunately, recent studies from the South Coast have shown that the emissions from storage tanks like these are systematically underestimated. So benzene, which causes cancer, for example, was found to be underestimated by 34 times. So consideration of these findings is something that really must be incorporated in the upcoming air for this project. We're also concerned about disaster risk for the project in the Air must look into alternatives that will mitigate the risk to residents and ecosystems from disasters, especially given the governmental influence of climate change. Thank you very much. That concludes public comment. All right. Thank you. All right. They're going back behind the room. Councilmember doing a thank you, vice mayor. And I want to thank all the presenters who spoke this evening about the project, the motion that we put on the floor. I just want to make sure that I have an understanding of where we're at. And my understanding is that world oil has agreed to simply prepare an environmental impact report with a world oil tank installation project. And I'd like to hear from world oil that my understanding is correct. So it's the city attorney. Could you could you clarify? I think I think we're past that part of me, Rita. The city attorney. Can we can you just clarify a lot of discussion between then and now? Yes, that is the stipulation. Councilmember. Thank you very much for that clarification. So in light of the other fact, I moved to dismiss the appeals as moot and send this project back to the Port of Long Beach for further environmental review and preparation of an environmental impact report as stipulated by world oil. I want to thank all of the oil for taking this initiative and ensuring that all potential environmental impacts are exploring this project. I appreciate their willingness to take the lead on this. It also allows for additional details and environmental review to be gathered during the process, as are more important for community input than negative declarations. And I look forward to the process in the community. I also want to thank the Point Loma staff for their work on the project and look forward to seeing this full environmental impact review come back to City Council in the near future. And then I have a second thought that that would be my statement. That would be my motion. Thank you. Great. Thank you, gentlemen. Most. Helpful advice. Thank you. Vice Mayor, I want to echo Councilman Romney's comments and. Thank. World Oil for voluntarily withdrawing your project this evening and moving forward with a full air. It's clear to me from. The public comment that we heard that this next phase for you should definitely include. A more robust community. Outreach component. I think I know for sure that they're based on my understanding. Of the project and some of the comments that we heard that they maybe a little bit of of a lack of outreach in. Terms of what the project entails and the impacts. And I hope that that happens. And also that from some of the comments we heard earlier, that world oil work very actively on. Obtaining some. Agreement on a skilled and trained workforce as we move forward on this project. So thank you very much and have a great night. Thank you, Councilwoman Allen. Thank you. Vice Mayor I've spoken with the port staff. I've spoken with the applicant, I've spoken with the applicant, and I've heard all sides. And I just want to thank World Oil for voluntarily moving forward with the air. You listen to the community and the climate advocate and you are receptive to all of our concerns. So I look forward to being part of the Yarra process and seeing the additional information and the review that comes out, as well as seeing the increased community engagement that will be a part of the process. So thank you for being a good partner and keeping impacted communities at the center of our decision making. Thank you, Councilwoman Ciro. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I want to add to the comments my colleagues made about wanting to think many of the community members and the coalition that's made up of the coalition and providing their concern and ensuring that information is shared with us. In addition to thanking staff at the port, as well as oil for providing various information and coming to the conclusion that the best process was to move forward with an air. So thank you. All right. Thank you. Say no further council comment. I'll just add my support for what's what's in front of us. You know, two weeks ago, I think no one anticipated that there would be this much anxiety and community angst about the project. And I want to thank all the folks who have reached out to my office community members, labor partners, world oil representatives to try to get to the place where I think is the right decision, which is to move forward with a full, more robust process. So I'm happy to support this tonight. Let's go ahead and call our roll call vote we. District one. I'm Mr. Vice Mayor. Just for a while. What I did on second emotion so far. My apologies. I'm just going to go ahead and speak to the company. Well, I think everything has already been said. I agree with all of the comments that have been stated by my colleagues. I appreciate the robust input and the passion from the community, but also the the coalition that actually came together, I think was one that I don't think I've ever witnessed, the man who lost ten years on the council. And so with that said, I think it's we've landed in a good place. We should move forward, but also in the future when it comes to robust community input. I would just like to also maybe admonish and. Recommend to our port commissioners that they do a little bit more work with the community so that we can get these issues dealt with before they get to the city council level. Thank you. Thank you. Let's proceed to the roll call. Vote for. District one. Hi. District two. I District three. I. District four. I. District five. I. District six. I. District seven. I. District eight. Hi. District nine. All right. Motion is carried.
Recommendation to conduct a Budget Hearing to receive and discuss an Overview of the Proposed Fiscal Year 2015 Budget for the following: Department of Health and Human Services, Public Works Department, and Water Department.
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Okay. Thank you. Moving on now to budget item I'm sorry, hearing item number three, which is a continuation of our budget hearing. So if we want to, Madam Clerk, read that. Item three report from the City Manager. Recommendation two to conduct a public hearing to receive and discuss an overview of the proposed fiscal year 2015 budget for the following departments. Department of Health and Human Services. Fire Department and Police Department. Thank you. And with that, I'm going to turn this over to the city manager and like the last hearing. We're going to go through the presentations and then we'll begin with the council questions. Mr. West. Yes. For the city clerk, we skipped item number two. So if we can come back to item two. But we're going back to him, too. Great. Absolutely. So this is a in a series of budget hearings that we've been presented at the city council. So this is the second phase of presenting department budgets to the city council. Tonight, we're going to hear from our fire chief, Mike Tarry, with a brief presentation followed by our Chief of police, Jim McDonald, with a brief presentation. So, Chief Terry, take it away. Thank you. Good evening, Mayor Garcia and members of the city council. This evening, I will be giving you a brief overview of the Long Beach Fire Department's fiscal year 15 proposed budget. My presentation will also touch upon the services provided by your fire department and some highlights of our current fiscal year, as well as significant changes in fiscal year 15 proposed budget and some major issues and opportunities we'll try and address in fiscal year 15. The fire department delivers fire rescue, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response and non-emergency response services to residents, businesses and visitors in the city of Long Beach. As you know, we provide 24 hour operation for which all first responders must be prepared at all times. A primary goal of your fire department is to reduce the number of fires in the city through our fire prevention efforts. These include services such as fire inspections and code enforcement, investigation of suspicious fires to our fire investigation or arson detail, the implementation of environmental safeguards and efforts to reach out to the community with fire prevention and safety messages and related information. Additionally, our training division provides essential services to the entire department. They prepare into entry level fire recruits to be effective firefighters through our fire academy. And just as important, however, is their work in ensuring that all our first responders receive the continuing education needed to maintain skills and stay current in their knowledge of firefighting and emergency response tactics. I would like to outline for you some of the fire department's accomplishments and highlights for the current fiscal year. Over the last 12 months, we have responded to over 53,000 emergency medical services and other emergency incidents. This equates to more than 127,000 individual unit responses. We have been and will continue to remain a very busy fire department. Included in this number is over 45,000 medical calls and over 5000 fire calls. This number also includes hazardous materials responses, airport responses, some marine safety responses and other non fire responses. For the first time in many years, we've conducted consecutive fire academies earlier this year. 28 new fire recruits graduated from our fire academy. And in the next couple of weeks, we will be starting another similar sized academy class. It is our plan to continue running annual academies to ensure adequate staffing levels at all times. As you know, on July 10th, 2014, the Long Beach Fire Department implemented the Rapid Medic Deployment Program or RMD throughout the City of Long Beach. Implementation of the R&D program was a culmination of over two years of planning and public meetings, which included City Council approval during the fiscal year 2013 budget process and the approval of the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency and EMS Commission earlier this year. And as I indicated in my memorandum to the city manager and City Council last week, our preliminary data for the first month of the program are showing an improvement in response times over last year. In fact, I met with representatives from the EMS agency at Long Beach fire headquarters yesterday to discuss the RMD program, and we received some very positive remarks from them on its progress. We continue to have a very active community emergency response or CERT program. This year was unique in that we conducted the city's first ever Teen Cert program class. This class was comprised of 36 poly high school students who were given practical hands on instruction and demonstrations of how to respond to emergencies. And we continued to effectively utilize Homeland Security grant funds. This year, we were able to secure funds for citywide all hazards incident management team training, which has improved the city's capacity to manage large scale emergencies. The proposed fiscal year 15 budget for the fire department is just over $97.5 million. We have a total of 527 full time equivalent staff consisting of 388 sworn FTE in the fire ranks. Another 27 full time year round marine safety first responders, over 160 seasonal lifeguards and 33 full time ambulance operators. Additionally, the fire department is supported by civilian staff in fire operations, support services, fire prevention and administration. The bulk of our budget, over 70%, is in the general fund, which supports most departmental activities. As you can see, the proposed 515 general fund budget for the fire department is nearly $71.4 million. Additionally, the Tidelands Fund supports marine safety activities as well as our fire operations in the Port of Long Beach. The harbor department. Provides cost reimbursement for the services provided in the port, and that is included in the 29 point, not $22.9 million Tidelands Fund budget for fire prop funds from the oil production tax continue to provide additional support for fire staffing, an additional one time and ongoing needs that I will address in the next slide. Along with the Health Department, the fire provide fire department provides environmental protection services that are supported by the Cooper Fund. This stands for Certified Unified Program Agency and through permit fees, it provides funding for inspection services and business emergency plan reviews to ensure hazardous chemicals are handled, stored and transported in accordance with current state and local standards. The Fire Department's proposed fiscal year 15 budget includes several changes that I'd like to highlight. First, the fire department will be placing two new fire boats into service into fiscal year 15. The greater size and complexity of these boats warrants an increase in the daily staffing of the fire boats by three. I'd like to thank I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the Harbor Commission for their support not only for these new boats, but recognizing the need for staffing to accompany them. A second budget changes the need to extend our fire academy by two weeks to meet state mandates for EMT training. The additional costs of this training will be supported by the Prop eight fund. This fund will also provide nonrecurring support in the amount of $400,000 for the replacement of fire equipment and the purchase of emergency generators for our facilities. And the department also plans to utilize non-recurring ground emergency medical transportation or EMT funds to replace four fire engines with an estimated cost of $600,000 each. This will increase the reliability of our front line first responders apparatus by allowing us to replace these aging engines. Looking forward into fiscal year 15, the department has several significant issues. The first is to continue our multiyear multiphase plan to address workforce privacy issues in fire department facilities. The Fire Department of Public Works have made great strides in the past several years to ensure that our facilities foster a positive work environment and provide privacy for all employees. Our facilities are unique in that our employees utilize them on a 24 hour basis. Therefore, it is essential that all facilities offer private dormitories, changing areas and restroom facilities. Fire and Public Works will utilize existing capital improvement fund appropriations to conclude these workforce privacy projects. Another challenge is to ensure that our fleet of frontline public safety vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks, fire engines and other first responding apparatus remain reliable in their service to fires, medical incidents and other emergencies. In order to do this, we will continue to work with the Department of Financial Management to develop a comprehensive plan for the replacement of the department's aging fleet of vehicles. And finally, the Department has a need to enhance our public information and community relations functions. While the Department has been effective in this area. There are opportunities for increased effectiveness. With the many services and activities the Department provides on a daily basis. It is critical to ensure that these these are communicated effectively to our community. In the coming months, the Department will formulate both the short term and long term plan to meet this need. That Mr. Mayor. That concludes my presentation. With that, I stand ready to answer any questions. Thank you. Mr. West will go on to Police Chief McDonnell. Good evening, honorable mayor and members of the City Council. I want to begin tonight's presentation of our fiscal year 15 budget by thanking you for your ongoing support of the police department. I also want to thank the men and women of the Long Beach Police Department who risked their personal safety each day to protect our community. Our employees continue to find new and innovative ways to use the resources you have given us to drive down crime in our city to record lows. Of course, services to the community are first to safeguard lives and property. This includes reducing violent crime by 9% and property crime by 6.8%. Through June of this year. Second, to promote and protect the constitutional rights of all people to liberty, equality and justice. This goes beyond enforcing the law to include running a first class jail that protected the rights of nearly 15,000 prisoners last year. Third, to answer, respond to and investigate calls for service in a timely manner. In 2013, we answered over 600,000 phone calls and responded to over 176,000 calls for service. Finally, we consider it a core service to engage in partnership with a broad network of stakeholders to reduce crime and improve quality of life, as well as to ensure our homeland security. This includes coordinating with other city departments, regional law enforcement agencies and our community. For example, last year we partnered with small business owners in an operation where we arrested 71 organized shoplifters, burglars and gang members who were stealing from local businesses. We're extremely proud of what we've accomplished over the last year. Our partnerships have contributed to our achievements. For example, we've achieved an average citywide response time of 4.7 minutes to priority one calls for service when the national average is around 11 minutes. In 2013, the number of violent crimes in Long Beach was the lowest since 1971. And I'm happy to report that this year through June, we're trending down another 9%. To highlight this a little further. Murders are down 39%. Gang related murders are down 38%. Overall, shootings are down 35%. Gang shootings are down 52%. Robberies are down 27%. Fatal traffic collisions are down 60%. And officer involved shootings are down 71%. Our Gang Enforcement section strategies have been successful. We've used nonrecurring funding to extend shifts to investigate and solve crimes and made arrests that prevented additional crimes. As I discussed on the previous slide, these efforts have paid off in reducing gang related murders and shootings. Human trafficking operations resulted in the rescue of 18 young women, the arrest of 15 traffickers, and the referral of 41 cases to support services. We believe these services can change the course of lives. We formed a task force to address individuals who by law are not allowed to possess firearms, prohibited, possess or operations resulted in 80 investigative searches. The recovery of 46 guns and 27 arrests. As a result of realignment, the state provided limited funding to ensure compliance of early release prisoners within the city. Combined with city funding, we created our new public safety realignment team. The team conducted 582 compliance checks and made 172 arrests. In addition, many probationers were referred to resources in an effort to try and reduce recidivism. Academy Class Number 86 graduated new police officers that are now completing their probationary field training. Soon, they'll begin scheduled patrols on their own to help replenish the workforce. Lost to regular attrition. Academy Class 87 started June this year and will graduate in December, and testing for Class 88 is currently underway. As you can see, we made tremendous progress during the past year. The pie chart pie chart shows that our fiscal year 15 budget provides roughly 191 million in the general fund in about 18 million in other funds. The proposed budget includes increases in both the number of police officers and professional support staff. In particular, I want to thank Long Beach Transit for increasing the number of police officers by two. These officers will be dedicated to enforcing laws within our city's bus system. I also want to thank the harbor department after publication of fiscal year 15 proposed budget. The port security. You added net one sergeant to the workforce in fiscal year 15. We plan to do some restructuring, which I will expand on in in a moment. The restructuring, in combination with additional positions, will allow sworn personnel to focus more proactively impacting crime. We believe that together these changes will make the city of Long Beach safer. We've studied data and best practices for the purpose of reorganizing our resources. As a result, next year's budget has many changes that will make the city safer for residents and visitors. The major changes include transferring juvenile booking and detention activities to jail division so that detectives from juvenile investigations can assist with pressing cases in burglary, computer crimes, homicide and VICE will continue to dedicate detectives and school resource officers to work juvenile specific cases. We're adding 11 new positions and reorganizing professional support staff for assignments to the business desk, civic center, security in case filing duties to reduce overtime. And we're adding sworn officers through our security services contract with the Port and Long Beach Transit. An increase in property funding has allowed us to increase the number of budgeted police academy recruits and to add a nonrecurring $400,000 investment to the plans for the new East Division substation at Schroeder Hall. In addition, we're funding helicopter fuel in the acquisition of replacement undercover vehicles. Overall, the goal of the police department is to become more timely in our response, more intelligent in our approach and more engaged with the community we serve to make Long Beach a safer place for all people to get there now and in future years, there are significant issues and opportunities to address. First, we must sustain the intelligence, training and progress we have made in human trafficking, realignment, compliance and prohibited possessor enforcement. Through these efforts, we are able to rescue young victims, manage the influx of habitual offenders and prevent future tragedies. You'll see us continuing these efforts so that we don't lose momentum. Second, we must continue to invest our resources in the best technology and intelligence to maximize results. Criminals continue to become more sophisticated, so we must work to stay one step ahead of them. This means keeping pace with our technology and adopting best practices. It's important to maximize the capability of our employees. As we move forward, we must find ways to reduce administrative workload through better technology process improvement, and increase professional support staff so that we can optimize the use of trained, sworn personnel on the front lines of law enforcement . We must continue to foster and grow our strategic partnerships with the community, city council, local businesses and nonprofit partners. We will be working to implement the city's violence prevention plan and continuing to promote Community Watch program as part of this collaborative effort. I have no doubt that the additional 2.2 million in non-recurring discretionary funds for overtime recommended by the city manager will help us accomplish these priorities. On behalf of the men and women of the police department, thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to make this safest city possible. Thank you, Chief, and thank you to both both chiefs and obviously all the rank and file members for just doing a great job with these budget presentations as well as all the all the work on the field every day. I will bring this back to the members, starting with Vice Mayor Lowenthal. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I wanted to start with the police chief, and thank you for your presentation. And I just have a couple of questions. You have 18 potentially new position. Does the addition of these officers reflect new positions created for the graduates of the police academy, or are they unfilled positions currently? I'm sorry. I can't make out what you're saying on. On the question there was. I'm sorry. Was it not loud enough? Thank you. Yes, please. Thank you. You know, these are grown up chairs. You have to, like, clean really fast. So the 18 new positions, or are they are you accounting for the academy graduates or are they unfilled positions currently. Which I call. Vice Mayor Lowenthal, members of the city council. Essentially, the net new positions that are being added to the budget are three on the sworn side. And the the 15.52 is, I think, what you're referring to, the total being 18.52. We're also reducing some positions as well. But essentially there will be three new budgeted sworn positions that will be filled by hopefully new officers as they come into the workforce. Okay. Thank you. And then on the overtime calculation, I was wondering how the city manager arrived at the amount. Does it just account for a certain number of hours or a certain number of positions? Could you tell us how that calculation works? That was more empirical data, what we've done in the past to work for overtime and what has worked in the department for the past few years. Okay. Thank you. And then I have questions for fire. Mr. Vice Mayor, did you want to instead of them getting up and down, do you want to go down the aisle to see if anyone else has questions for police and then come back to fire or do you want to go back and forth? I think if the chief, could you stand right behind these guys and kind of switch back and forth? That would be great. Like we did the last budget session. So I wanted to. Chief. Thank you. Fire Chief Terry, I have a few questions on. Thank you for your presentation. I have a few questions on R&D, primarily on R&D with the implementation of R&D. I've heard some folks talk about their belief that we're running out of rescues to respond to calls for service. And I wanted to hear from you if you've heard the same in terms of folks believing that that might be the case or there might be evidence to that being true. And I just wanted to know from you, how do you respond to that? Vice Mayor The short answer is no. We are not running out of apparatus or or response vehicles to respond to the calls for service in Long Beach. We have we have met the needs of our community with the apparatus that we have in place. Okay. Thank you. And then to your point about not to your point necessarily, but to our practice of relying on Los Angeles County or Orange County fire departments to assist us for calls for service. How many times would you say perhaps in the past month prior to armed, did we rely on them? Councilmember In the month preceding the implementation of Armed, the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded as part of the automatic aid system to to and from basically one month prior 24 calls for service for emergency medical calls in the city of Long Beach the month prior to Armed and Orange County Fire Authority, for that matter, responded to 32 calls for service in the city of Long Beach the month prior to implementation of Armed. Okay. I appreciate that. And then following the implementation of Armed, how many times have we used the automatic aid system to support our calls for service? Vice Mayor from July 10th, 2014, or the date we started armed, the Los Angeles County Fire Department has responded to zero calls for service in Long Beach, and the Orange County Fire Authority has responded to six calls for service in Long Beach and in the case of Orange County. Of those six calls, three of them appear to be traffic accidents on the 605 Freeway, indicating that they may have been dispatched to that call anyway anyway. Okay. And then from the cost perspective, what's our annual cost for an armed rescue versus the pre armed rescue? A vice versa. An armed rescue staffed with a firefighter, paramedic and an ambulance operator costs $723,305 per year, as opposed to $1,049,248 for a rescue ambulance staffed with two firefighter paramedics. 1,000,049. 1 million. 1 million, 50,000. Okay. Sorry. It's okay. All right. Thank you. And then finally, what would be your priority should funding become available in the future for apparatus restorations? Vice Mayor. Should. Should funding become available in the future? We should remain consistent with the memo we sent the Council over a number of months ago, and it would be because of because we implemented R&D, we actually restored the rescues that were listed on the memo that we sent to council. So we would focus on the engines and that would be engine eight would be our number one priority, followed by Engine 101 and Engine 17 would go right down that list. We have we haven't wavered off that as our priority. Okay. Thank you, Chief. Thank you. Thank you, Councilor Andrews. Yes, thank you, Mayor. I would like to directly to the Chief Police Macdonell. Back to. Okay. First of all, Chief, I like to let you know that I'm very saddened to hear that you will be leaving us in November, but very excited to know that you're going to do a big and better, you know, situation. And congratulations. Thank you for your support, sir. But first, I only have one question, and that is that what has been the police department effort to deal with the the impact of the AB 109 realignment, the governor's plan to release state prisoners early? Thank you. We've done a number of different things. We have approximately 900 early release prisoners living in the city of Long Beach. Long Beach is about 6% of L.A. County's entire parks population, which is a big challenge. We found that a third of the addresses we checked or a team check proved to be inaccurate false reporting, late data entries or clerical errors or outdated info. But we had to work to be able to locate those individuals as well. We've had good success. Our stats in fiscal year 14 to date we've had 815 compliance checks, 265 citywide. PRC's arrests. Approximately seven and three quarters of all PRC's arrests in L.A. County were made in Long Beach. Offenses included narcotics, burglary, weapons violations, sex crimes, gang injunction violations and murder. The total cost to us was about 1.6 million. To be able to do this, 1.1 was allocated to us in nonrecurring funds for fiscal year 14 and 525,000 we were able to receive from the state to be able to supplement that. Thank you, Chief. I think the stats that we've heard this evening. Who wouldn't want to live in Long Beach? It's probably one of the safest cities in the world. And I'd like to congratulate your staff because of that. Thank you. Thank you very much. Yes, I'm through with you now, chief. Thanks. Now, the fire department police chiefs are the chiefs deputy. Okay. I have two questions for you, Chief. And the first one is what percentage of the fire department calls are medical calls? Councilmember The percentage of medical calls of our out of our overall call volume annually is about 84.33%. Thank you. In the last question as to how the fire department had to rely on assistance from the Los Angeles County and Orange County, far more since we implemented the R&D IT councilmember. As I mentioned a moment ago, the answer is no. Since we implemented the RMD program, we have not relied on our automatic aid system to to run any emergency medical calls here in town. The system I just want to be clear on this. The system is designed to as we need help, we they provide us help. And as they need help, we provide them help. I think one interesting note along those lines is in the last months since we have implemented R&D, we've actually responded to 24 calls for service in Los Angeles County in their in their first in area since we implemented the RMD program. So I think the key here is, especially in the north part of Long Beach, where Rescue 12 was put back in service, has had a tremendous impact on the overall service delivery of EMS services in that part of town, which is what's kind of really drawn down our need to rely on Los Angeles County for help. But it's still good to know that that that system does exist so that in the event we have a system situation where we receive I don't know, on any given day, we receive 14 calls for service in a specified given period of time. We could easily potentially run out of units and rely on our automatic or mutual aid system, but we haven't had to do it yet. Thank you, Chief. And also, I'd like to thank you and your staff for doing such a great job. Thank you again. Thank you. And Chief, hang on right there. Councilmember Mongo. Thank you for answering a bunch of my questions through the previous two councilmembers. The fifth District is one of the most impacted by mutual aid, so we really appreciate that the system has reduced our reliance on other agencies. Specifically, I want to give you congratulations on your teen cert program. I know that as we move towards a more inclusive system where counties and cities are utilizing technology to rely upon people in the surrounding area to help provide services, the more teenagers that we have engaged in trained, the better we will be. So I look forward to supporting you in that in the expansion to maybe Millikan High School in our district. And for that, I'm done with fire. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. PD, please. Yeah. I think. I want to say a special thanks for our shoplifting task force. And I hope that of the $2.2 million that we're setting aside for both the gang unit and the task forces and the other overtime necessary, that we can look at opportunities to expand that not only within our small businesses, but to our bigger businesses that are also being hit with some major shrinkage in our city right now. We've been talking to some regional directors of major box companies that are in the district, and we know that for businesses to be here, they need to feel safe. So thank you for that. The shoplifting task force that you mentioned, is it consistent or is it disband or how often does it come up? And can you give us a little bit about the logistics of that? Yeah, it's periodic. We'll do it will work with the. Let me get the proper attorney with the name of the group. Is this with the stay away orders that we're doing with the city prosecutors? There's a there's an umbrella group, Lorca, at the Los Angeles Regional Commercial Theft Unit, I believe, and I'm paraphrasing there. But we work with them. We have another one coming up in the next couple of months. So we'll continue to stay on top of this and work with our partners to be able to get the the most efficient use of our resources in this regard as well. And then one quick question for Deputy Chief Luna. A few months ago, you came over and talked about the community watch programs that have been popping up all over the city and the significant improvements that we've been having. Do you have any numbers on how significant we have, what kind of strides we've made? I know that Commander LeBaron made some comments related to the number of new community watch programs and the engaged citizenry that you guys have encouraged. But I don't have any specific numbers. Council Member Mungo but I can tell you that that all of you sitting behind the dais there have been really helping us out and really pushing the message. And that's our consistent message with our entire community. That brings in years. And it's so effective for us to reduce crime in the city, or I should say, prevent crime. If we continue this effort. So I ask not only all of you, but everybody out there in this audience and watching this on television to continue. If you don't have a community watch, go on in your neighborhood, organize one. You can get a hold of the police department. We'll do everything we can to help you out. I know several of you are doing that and we'll provide numbers for you as time goes on. But I have no doubt that with all of your efforts, we can probably at least triple the size by the end of the year. So thank you for your support on that. Well, thank you for coming out to our neighborhood night out and having all the impromptu front porch meetings. While I love having the front porch meetings, they are as a response to residential burglaries and I've significantly I've seen a significant decrease be as neighbors watch so thank you. Thank you. Thank you Councilmember Price Chief, you guys are there. They're going to ask you a question for PD Councilmember. Great. Thank you. I want to take a moment and thank Long Beach PD for the excellent work that you do. I want to take a special moment to thank Commander LeBaron, who is the commander that services my district, and I want to thank him for all the education that he has given the residents in my community regarding issues related to public safety. I want to start off by saying that I understand that these are tough financial times. They've been more difficult in the past. They're going to continue to be difficult in the future. But I firmly believe that if a city can't provide a safe place for its residents, then the city has failed. And in that regard, anyone who says that, you know, you can have the safest city in the world, but if you don't have all the other amenities that go with a great city, then what do you have? Hasn't talked to a victim of crime. They haven't talked to someone whose home has been burglarized or someone who's been assaulted in the street. And I really believe that when looking at the budget in the coming month and in the years ahead, I'm going to be looking at it with an eye towards how we ensure the safety of our citizens, both by the Long Beach Police Department and the Long Beach Fire Department. So in that regard, I want to talk to you about property crimes. I understand that the city of Long Beach is a large city and we have a lot of different needs and in terms of public safety and police services and that obviously there are violent crimes that take priority when it comes to investigation and focus. But I will say that in some communities within the city of Long Beach and specifically my community, which is where I have some expertize, the issue of property crimes and residential burglaries is one that continues to trouble the residents in my community and me included. And I would like us to think long term and strategically about how we are going to address the issue of property crimes. I fully support and our office has actually engaged in a community watch program challenge that we have undertaken as a result of Commander LeBaron leadership. I firmly believe that it's a partnership, but it's important for me too, to know that we as a city have a police department that has a strategic plan and has vested in determining what our long term options are going to be and resource allocation to the issue of property crimes. We will be having a public safety meeting on September the fifth and one of the items on the agenda will be looking at public safety in terms of property crimes and a strategic plan for the future. I've had a chance to talk with you, Chief. I know that you share my concerns, but if in fact. Additional moneys were available. Could you find a place to allocate them where there would be a focus on residential burglaries and property crimes? Absolutely. If if we're able to find additional funding and we earmark it, we can certainly focus on property crimes. Let me if I could just share a couple of things that we've done during this period are maybe one on I in our realignment compliance team is focused in heavily on property crime. So that's that's been a, you know, a big plus for us. And we've been able to clear up some some rings on that one as well. We've reorganized our investigations function, which increased career criminal investigators, our burglary investigators, computer crime investigators, vice investigators, as well as a community outreach piece as well. So we look at those things and those are helpful. But at the end of the day, our community watch that was touched on previously is a critical piece. When we take burglary reports over and over again, we hear that somebody left their doors unlocked. They left their windows unlocked. They left property in their car, in their vehicle unlocked. Those are the kind of things that we can all work together to keep each other in check to ensure that we we make it that target as hard as it possibly can be. And then the piece about getting to know our neighbors and to look out for each other and to make the call to the police department when you see somebody on your street knocking on doors that don't have a reason to be in the neighborhood, and it looks like they're looking around for opportunities. Call us, please. That's what we want to be able to go out there and and talk to that person and see what they're doing. Those are the type of things that they really don't cost any additional, but have tremendous dividends for everybody. So we look forward to working with you. We thank you for your support. We're doing what we can with the resources we have now. If we had more, we certainly could benefit from that. But I think there's a lot of things that we can do in the short term that that cost little or nothing more strategies than anything else. Thank you, Chief. I appreciate that. Thank you, Councilman. I do have a couple of questions for Chief Jerry. Good evening, chief. Special thanks to the Long Beach Fire Department for the work that you do as well. Your your firefighters are an amazing asset to the city. Every single one of them is a quality individual who offers so much to this city. So I want to thank you for your leadership and for getting them to the place where they are proud members of our city workforce. You did not talk about, but I wanted to highlight for a moment the great work of your lifeguards. They just finished Junior Lifeguard program for the summer of which the Price family was involved. And we commend those men and women for the excellent work that they do as well. You talked about R&D. R&D is a pilot program, is that correct? Yes, ma'am. Okay. Do we have any sort of plan in place in the event that the pilot program proves to either be not as efficient as we had hoped or proves to have a lower standard of patient care than what we were used to before R&D was implemented. And I understand we have one month of data, but looking over at time, what's our plan in case that doesn't prove to be all that we hope it is? Well, Councilmember, during the past two, a little over two and a half years, during the vetting process, as we worked with the county EMS agency, we were very clear that as we went into this, we were it's a study. It's a pilot study. So we anticipate, as did the county agency, that as we go throughout this study over the next two year period or at any point in the study, if we need to make subtle adjustments to the pilot program so as to make it more effective or ease the strain in one area or another, or basically do we need to do to kind of prove or disprove the hypothesis and the hypothesis being, could we staff our paramedic program differently than we had done in the past? The EMS agency is open to that as a study. The intent is to determine whether or not we can operate in an alternative staffing configuration to what we did prior. If to answer your question, if at some point during the study there is some sort of anomaly in the system or some sort of data that comes in that is egregious enough that we feel we need to stop altogether, then we will do that. We made a commitment to the EMS agency that we would stop the program if it was proven to be a degradation of patient care or if something happened that was significant enough that we felt that the the level of service we provide our community was at risk. So if we did that, we would immediately come back and either potentially revert back to the system we had in place prior and then try and realize the financial efficiencies in a different way. Or I'm sure as we got to that point, we would come up with a number of alternatives so as to restore the level of service that would have potentially been degraded. But I can tell you that, as you said, it's only a month and I'll be the first to say we don't hang our hat on a month's worth of data over a two year study. But so far, the program went into place in July. It's traditionally one of our busier months, and we're we haven't seen any sort of big kind of anomalies or any sort of big incidents happen that that gave us cause for concern. In fact, there's a lot of normal things happening within Long Beach Fire on a daily basis. We're still responding on structure fires on a regular basis. Last week we sent a five engine strike team to Northern California, which is something we we enjoy participating in the mutual aid system. So the things we normally do, we are continuing to do. And in some cases, like I mentioned, with the use of L.A. County Fire for calls for service in Long Beach, we've seen a decrease in the amount of reliance that we have on our partners. So we are not seeing anything yet that would we would consider an anomaly. However, we are watching very, very closely to ensure that's not not coming. I want to talk to you. And just a follow up to that. Is there anything at this point that causes you some concern or pause about patient care standards? Councilmember. No, in fact, yesterday we. Not yet. Yesterday we met with the EMS agency and we provided the preliminary data. We commit to provide data to the EMS agency on a monthly basis that evaluates I believe there are 38 set, correct. 36 different fields that they evaluate on a monthly basis. And we went through the preliminary data with them yesterday and across the board without being specific, because some of this is patient care stuff and I don't want to be specific on on some parts of that. But across the board, the time to deliver the treatment modalities that we use in the field is getting faster than it was in the past. The time to get a paramedic on scene is faster. So all in all, the EMS agency folks that came yesterday said they were very pleased with the one month look. And we don't see anything that's causing any sort of concern right now. You talked a little bit about. Engine eight being one of the priorities. Obviously, in the third district, we have the communities of Naples and the peninsula, Belmont Shore, all very dense communities that, in my opinion, are at risk by not having Engine eight in service. What would it cost to have Engine eight be put back into service? Council member. The current cost to restore fire engine eight is $2.2 million a year. When was the last time Engine Eight was in service? It would have been January of 2013. Thank you. I have nothing further. Thank you, Councilmember Austin. Thank you. And I'll start with the fire chief. Thank you, Terry. Terry, I'm sorry. And I think the men and women of the Long Beach Fire Department for the the excellent service that they provide to our city. I did have a few questions for you. As you know, I have been a strong critic of the R&D program or the pilot program. I think it's very risky to to to experiment with the city this size. But I'm glad to hear your early reports that it's working out during the the R&D discussions leading up to its implementation. You indicated that additional rescues would be employed during peak times. And I'm curious to know how often we are employing additional rescues since the Army program has been implemented. It councilmember the we haven't we haven't deployed any additional like armed rescues with a paramedic and an EMT on board since since implementation of the RMD program in week two of the program, we recognized that we were seeing a lot of basic life support level transports coming from a specific geographic area in the city. So we went to the contingency plan that we had developed during the two year kind of vetting process with the county and employed or deployed basic life support ambulances four days a week, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday for 9 hours on those days to ease the ease the number of times that our A+ ambulances were going to the hospitals. So those those ambulances, peak load staffed ambulances that are staffed with two non-career ambulance operators, started taking some of our basic life support patients to the hospital. And that has proved to be a very effective addition to the program in that it keeps our ALS units available to respond to those calls that are a higher, higher critical need. Well, thank you. And you mentioned the basic life support system, but can you discuss what duties one paramedic can do on an ALS call versus what attest to paramedics on the scene would perform or could perform. The the solo paramedic or the one paramedic that's on an ambulance can do all of the functions covered under the L.A. County scope of practice for a paramedic assessment unit. So they can intubate, they can defibrillate, they can start an I.V., they can do advanced airways, they can push cardiac medications. They can do all of the things that a paramedic assessment unit can do. In a nutshell, basically, the big difference is that solo paramedic cannot provide some controlled drugs, a couple controlled drugs that we carry that have to be issued with with a partner on scene. But for the most part, not for the most part, they can do everything that's covered under the the paramedic assessment unit. Scope of practice for L.A. County. And so with that on, we understand with the one and one that in terms of transporting patients to the hospital, it requires an engine to accompany the paramedic rescue. Is that correct? Councilmember It only requires the engine to accompany the ambulance to the hospital should it be considered a Tier one patient, for example, a patient that is in full arrest, that prior to our M.D., we would have gone with the engine to the hospital as well anyway, only or possibly like a gunshot wound or a traumatic full arrest or a car accident, you know, of an unstable patient. We we say that we on a tier one, we call that a tier one. We want the second paramedic to get in the ambulance in a company to the hospital. For all intents and purposes, it is it should be exactly the same today as it was prior to the implementation of our M.D. as far as who's going to the hospital and when on on patients that meet 808 criteria or transport criteria to the hospital, but they are stable. They are allowed under the four or seven policy through the county guidelines to transport that patient to the hospital with one paramedic in the back of the ambulance and an EMT driving. So we won't see more the use of more engines at a at cause. Is that what you're telling me? They won't that won't be impacted by the R&D council councilmember. The the initial implementation of our MDO. I will tell you that there we did see an an increase in the number of engines that were going to the hospital. We consider that to be something. That's because it's a new program. And the captains were being diligent in trying to follow the new protocols and they were going to the hospital more. But we're starting to see that taper off a little bit now. And now they're following kind of the guidelines that were set forth in the R&D manual. The future we do we do not anticipate that the R&D program is going to generate more Type one calls for service or transports than it did in the past. And there should be no different. All right. Thank you. And a question for the chief of police there. A few. And as they're sitting, I know that we have a time certain as well for one of our items, which is the language access item. And so that will be heard right after we conclude the budget hearing and as close to the time certain as possible, which I know is initially 8:00. Thank you, Chief, for with all the work you and your the men and women of your department do, I'm always amazed at what you're able to do, and it seems you're doing more and more with less and less. I want to thank you especially for highlighting the work you're able to do on initiatives brought forth by the last Council to highlight prohibited possessors and go after those individuals who have been court ordered not to own guns and or possess guns as well as our work on human trafficking. This this year's budget is about $8.1 million budgeted for overtime for the department, and there's an additional 2.2 million proposed for one time with oil revenues. Is this $2.2 million going to be enough to help identify and deal with those special priorities, such as prohibited possessors and human trafficking? Or will all that money be needed just to cover the anticipated shortfalls in the regular overtime needed in the department? We we will continue with the priorities as we were able to set last year with the additional funding that the Council is able to allocate. If we get to a position made quarter year or mid-year where we're not able to sustain those efforts, we'll go back to the city manager and make a request for additional funding at that time to be able to continue to enhance our operation. But the things that the subjects that you identified, the human trafficking, the habitat possessors in particular are critical to the safety of the city. So we'll continue to prioritize those as we move forward. You know, I want to echo my colleague's concern on Councilmember Price, her concern regarding residential burglaries. We're doing a fantastic job with dealing with violent crime. The numbers are just astonishing. But we do see a rise in residential burglaries. When we go to our neighborhood meetings or community watch meetings, I'm trying to figure is there a nexus to the residential burglaries that you believe it to be a nexus to that in AB one or nine? Yeah, I do absolutely. That the we've been able to as best we can with the compliance teams we have and the resources we've been given to be able to monitor the individual individuals out on a be one or night. But we've seen on broader studies that there is an increase in communities that are heavily impacted by SB 109, particularly in Grand Theft Auto, the GTA category, but also in residential, commercial and and garage burglaries as well. So they are certainly a focus of our attention and we do the best we can to be able to monitor and then continue to let them know. We're watching them very closely. Well, that's something that we will be watching very closely as well. And as the chairperson of the the legislation committee, I mean, we will definitely be advocating for for support from Sacramento. Thank you. Can you please elaborate on more more on the proposed restructuring of the detective division to reassign 11 detectives from juvenile investigations, to work on homicide, narcotics, gangs and other high profile cases. And how do you believe this will affect caseloads in particular with juvenile crimes? Sure. We. I had that written. Councilmember Richardson. Get more information. Go ahead, Councilmember. Continue. I thought you were all wrapped up. He's responding. Thanks. No answer. Just a quick update on the the investigations reorganization. We're moving individuals around within that function to be able to focus on where we can get the most the most success from the people we have. We're increasing the career criminal investigation detail. We're increasing burglary investigation, we're increasing computer crime investigation, as well as vice investigation. So in looking at that, what we've tried to do as best we can as to be able as we have with gangs, to be able to make more of our officers, generalists, if you will. And detectives, there's when we talk about gangs, we focus on on gang members. But as we know that they do all sorts of crimes. So they're involved in homicides, shootings, burglaries, robberies. And so as best we can, we try and use the expertize of all of our detectives and officers to be able to deal more effectively in this realm. The issue, I guess, the cost to us is that we don't have as many people who are over many years experts in a particular gang. So that's something that we we try and remediate, but we want to be able to increase the level of expertize across the board of all of our folks. You know, part of that residential crime trend is that we see a lot of young people involved as well. And I'm concerned about the effects of truancy in our schools, especially with the rise in daytime property crimes that we're experiencing. What are the current resources allocated between the police department and school district to address truancy issues? Do you have any? We do, yeah. We meet regularly with the the command staff, if you will, of the early or Long Beach Unified School District. Well, as I mentioned, we've restructured our juvenile investigations section to improve process and balance detective caseload. We continue to be proactive to be able to address juvenile issues. As I mentioned, meeting regularly with Long Beach Unified School District, working with CCJ to implement a juvenile restorative justice program. And we're enforcing both truancy, loitering and curfew violations. So those are those are issues, too, that we know that if somebody should be in school and they're not during the daytime hours, then there there's somebody who potentially is going to get in trouble and involved in thefts or burglaries. Yeah, we we still have five school resource officers still involved. And they're a great resource for us, able to be able to develop a rapport within the the the campuses, but also to be able to obtain information, know who the kids that are most likely at risk and for us to be able to deal with those. So as I understand it, the way you are restructuring and the department, is it in a manner to become more more nimble and quasi utilizing officers in various capacities to address what. Exactly, sir? It's to be able to make all of our officers and detectives more able to be able to handle whatever comes their way. And we're going to see more officers on the street. We're hopeful. We're constantly it's we're constantly in a state where we're we're using the flexibility we have to be able to address the problems as they come before us. We we use crime analysis to be able to identify trends, patterns, clusters of crime and to be able then to use the resources we have in a way that we're as nimble as we can be to be able to have the maximum impact. Well, we appreciate it. Last last question on not only the police officers that are contractually obligated to other duties, such as airport, the city college, port, school district, how many budget budgeted positions do we currently have and how many of those positions are currently filled? You say? Yeah. We have 806 806. For fiscal year 15, the sworn officers budgeted. And if you if you back out the number of people that are contract positions that 70 sworn in 16 civilian positions to include school resource officers Long Beach City College, the port transit, the airport and Carlito's Housing Development. It brings us down then to 736. Okay. Thank you. And how does that compare to last year's numbers? I mean, we were. We're up by three over last year. We had 803 last year were 806 this year budgeted. Thank you, Chief. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Got somebody? Oranga Richardson. Well, don't last this time. Wonderful. Just give me a minute. You're your last. We've got two more. Up to our wonderful two sitting on, Chief. Thank you very much. Always. You do some wonderful work. I know with my experience, having work that's a recruitment officer for the city. I know the wonderful work that you and your staff do for the for the communities in the city of Long Beach and as well as the lovely City College. I was there when we changed from a community college law enforcement team to one that transitioned to the police department. And you're doing a wonderful job. I read the report early June regarding the statistics for Lombard City College and crime is also down there as well with limited guide. So good job. Thank you. I also want to commend your officers. I've had a number of community meetings as well in my district, as well as having your officers consistently attend the neighborhood association meetings where they reinforce again and again the need for self-awareness, the need for knowing your neighbor, the need for locking up when they leave and not leaving anything outside or in their vehicles to prevent crimes of opportunity. Because we all know that that's what they are the crime to arbitrate. In regards to your staffing, you just answered the question that I had in terms of your budget and where you're at currently. The you have an item here where you get some money from general grants. What types of grants would those be? You you're talking with a council member. Your anger that we actually have a number of of homeland security grants that come from FEMA and the federal government that account for millions of dollars, actually, of equipment training, overtime expense. And then we also have law enforcement grants from various agencies, both state and federal, that focus on specific aspects of crime, whether it's our JAG burn grants, whether it's focused on crime lab work or perhaps their real estate fraud grants. So there's a range of different funding sources that focus on different issues that that face law enforcement. Are these grants time sensitive in regards to when your grants to your grants, are there any grants that you have that might be institutionalized and ongoing services? Yeah, actually, there's there's a number of grants that we we've been the recipient of for six or more years. And you'll you'll actually see some of those coming your way as council members over the next couple of months, as we are awarded each year, grants such as the Office of Traffic and Safety. That's a $400,000 grant that that amount will fluctuate year to year. But those are those are reoccurring for the most part. Other funding sources that come from the state, they'll actually come from the appropriation in the in the state's budget like our 8109 money. That amount will fluctuate year to year, but it's now a consistent source of revenue for us in our special revenues. And continuing along those lines, are there other grants out there available that might be able to that you might be able to go after, that would be able to improve the level of service that we receive? Yeah, we have we're very active actually, and have been very successful, particularly with the Homeland Security Grant Program that's managed by Deputy Chief Farinelli of identifying projects that are regional in nature. That's where we get the lion's share, the larger grants. But there's there's really an active ongoing process each year within the department to identify funding sources down at the operational level. We'll hear about opportunities from the front line of of grants they've either heard about through their various professional associations that focus on different aspects of crime. So we're actively seeking those opportunities. And whenever they come our way, we will present them to the city management, to the council, and then apply for them as they become available. The other source that I'll just point out is, is grants that come through other departments, and the police department sometimes is a matching partner. We provide some law enforcement aspects of some of the other inter-departmental activity, whether it's with the Health Department, Development Services, neighborhood based grants. So sometimes we just partner as the law enforcement match in those grants. And one final question then in regards to your staffing, a big concern in this in the seventh District, obviously, is the spike recently in gang activity and shootings on the seventh District. So that would be my concern in terms of being able to maintain a level of service in the seventh District that would address those issues. And along with that, it's you're you're budgeted for 800. Six, you currently have 736. I'm going to make an assumption that there's attrition that will be taking place within the next year or so. Would you anticipate that attrition to be next year since you're going to be you do want to put in an academy this funding, this current fiscal year. Let me rephrase it. The next fiscal year. Right. And with attrition, I don't see you making any advancements in personnel to reach that fully funded 806 officers unless you hold two academies. What's the plan? Yeah, we we attract generally between 34 and 40 out on a high year to regular retirements and other separations as we're going through the tough economic times that we've been going through. We didn't have an academy for five years, so we're happy now to be on in the selection process for our third academy and in the last three years. So we're moving forward with that. We're trying to maintain the level that we've we've been budgeted for as we move forward and hopefully the city gets healthier economically, we we would hope that we could increase the overall T.O. of the department. Thank you, Chief. Thank you. I'll take fire. He gave me a high saying, when you're there, Kathy, we're here, sir. Okay. Thank you. Again, my experience working in the fire department. You have some wonderful men and women there that work for the department and and providing some wonderful and great services to the to the city. One of the things that really stood out here was I was there during the time when we were looking at hiring our first female firefighters. And there was an issue regarding facilities. And I'm glad to see that you're addressing those, although albeit, you know, it's taking you 20 years. But I know you're making progress. I guess I know a lot of the questions that came up have been on the R&D and my questions are no different. I know that some of the questions are related to two levels of service, and I know it's all about patient care. And I and I don't really think that there's an issue with the level of patient care that that the citizens are getting when we have this while we're in this, a two year study of R&D. So that means that we're going to be going through, what, two 2016 with the state? Yes, sir. Okay. And during that two year period, you're going to be allowed to make adjustments, to be able to tweak the service, to ensure that you're getting the optimum level of service that you think the R&D can provide. Council Member We AS Yes, yes, yes. But with the caveat being that we will work with the EMS agency, the local EMS agency, to ensure that they're very much abreast of any sort of changes we need to make or recommendations we make to make it more effective so as to make sure that they know what we're doing with. At the core of this really is the Data Safety Monitoring Board, who is evaluating all the data points. We want to ensure that they know every step of the way what we're doing, so that way they can measure the effectiveness of the delivery model. So we'll keep them plugged in as well. And if I heard you correctly, 83% of your calls are EMS related. 84.33%. 84.33. When there is a response like that, let's say, for a fire, is it automatic that you send the a paramedic ambulance service out, whether it's an A+ or a B? Ellis. Go ahead. Sorry. Yes. Councilmember one a structure fire response in the city of Long Beach for a first alarm or that the initial structure fire response includes three engine companies, one truck company, one rescue ambulance and one battalion chief. So, yes, an ambulance does go on fire calls. Now, my experience with working with the fire department has been that when there is a response of that nature, it's all hands on deck. Everybody has a job. Everybody does something. In this model R&D, does the EMS have any technical fire related duties to put right there? Or what does he do? Because remember, the the if you're referring to the ambulance operator on the ambulance, they are non sworn not they're not firefighters. So they do not engage in the firefighting component of that evolution or that operation. So our policies call for them to be assigned to a location that is outside the area that is immediately dangerous to life or hazardous to health. So they would either be assigned to the command post, possibly with the battalion chief. They could be assigned to set up a medical group in a in a location far enough away from the incident so as not to be harmed. Or they could be assigned to some other functions so long as they're not performing firefighting activities on the fire ground, they're not they're not trained to do that. In a worst case scenario, let's say that this unit is assigned to a fire and there should be a real A-list type of emergency response elsewhere in the city. Would there be sufficient coverage to respond to that? A councilmember? Yes. Yes. The the system, as we have it in place now, and this is consistent with the way it's been for ever since I've been here over 20 years or longer, ever since we started EMS in the seventies. We do have sufficient resources to run subsequent calls that happen in the city while there's a structure fire happening. But going back to comments I made earlier that if for whatever reason we did have more calls for service come in than we had available units, which is possible, then we would rely on our automatic and mutual aid systems to backfill the city. Probably the best example of that would have been in 2006, when we had the Paradise Gardens fire in North Long Beach. We literally depleted every resource in the city of Long Beach to fight. That fire was a huge fire. We relied on our partners from L.A. County Fire, Orange County Fire and from the region to come in to Long Beach to run calls for service. So that system is available to us anytime we need it. But on a day in, day out basis, I mean, 2 hours ago when we started this council meeting, there was a structure fire response in. The city. We continue to run EMS calls concurrently while we handle that structure. Fire. Very good. In regards to the total service of of EMTs there. I understand. And I'm newly elected. I'm going to be able to say that for another couple of meetings. But I'm trying to get my arms around around this in terms of how this happened. From my understanding, there was a contract with a private ambulance service. Correct. That was providing this EMT service or BLS type of service where non-emergency calls and transportation. Is that no longer feasible? Is that the goal, basically to eliminate any kinds of contracts of that nature? Councilmember in 2005, the city of Long Beach and the Long Beach Fire Department took over the basic life support transport functions. Prior to that, we did have contracts with a couple private providers. At one point it was Goodhew, then they were bought out by Amer American Medical Response. And in 2005, we we felt it important to take over that transport function for a couple of reasons. Number one, we felt we could provide as good or better service to the community by doing it in-house. Number two, we would the city of Long Beach would recoup the transport revenue associated with taking people to the hospital. And number three, we looked at it as a great opportunity to bring young men and women into the organization that had had aspirations to be firefighters either in Long Beach or someplace else, and provide them front line, real world kind of training and exposure to to the fire service. And all those things have proven to be true. We are in fact getting the transport revenue. The Bliss program does provide good opportunities for young people trying to break into the fire service. And and it's been a very effective program for us since 2005. Great. Last question. I promise this time. Has there been an increase in costs for the community in regards to having a two paramedic unit to the transports, both to having an EMT paramedic transport? Was it less expensive before or more expensive now? What's what's the relationship? I mean, I'm trying to determine the community the community aspect of this in regards to their levels of service and what they expect and what they deserve. And, of course, doing it reasonably within their budgets. Because I I'll tell you, I had I had a response a couple of years ago when my son had an allergic reaction to Hanukkah because he tried to die. Is here let me rephrase that. His girlfriend tried to die here and he had an allergic reaction to it. His head swelled. He looked like that puppet that was here. And I mean, it was it was it was it was awful. I mean, I went home and I said, oh, my God, you maybe I could punch away a puncture and go back down. But of course, they've been dangerous. But the cost to me was a lot. It was it was it was very expensive to have him transported to a to an emergency hospital, I think it was memorial at that time. And is that still true? I mean, is there is there a big costs associated with this? And if there is, what would that be? And what effect does that have in terms of the services that you provide and what the community deserves? It? Councilmember There there is it's included in the city's master fee schedule. There is a cost for transport, both ALS and bills to the hospital that that number gets evaluated annually. We have in the city of Long Beach been tied to the county's cost for transport for a number of years. Last year we adjusted which it can be found in the in the master fee schedule. That number was adjusted incrementally with the cost of inflation that has there's no change there. With regard to the RMD program, an ALS transport, advanced life support transport still gets billed as an ALS transport and a bus transport still gets billed as a bowls transport. So there's no there's no real change there with regard to this particular service delivery model. Thank you, Chief. Thank you. And finally, we had Councilman Gonzales. Ben Ricks. Sorry about. Gonzales. Richardson actually let him go first. Okay. I mean, me and Councilmember Austin don't look that much alike. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'm going to try. I know that there's some folks here, so I'm going to try to be as as timely as possible with my questions. Chief, so the first I want to touch on is Sirte, the Sirte program. So me and my wife did the Sirte program. We think it's awesome. We've got a bunch of residents who are excited about it. And I know there was chatter about I know that we were able to fund the Sirte coordinator position through grants. And there was chatter this year about that grant expiring. So. Can you shed light on, you know, if that's the case? And if so, what would be our plan to continue the program? As folks are getting excited about it and ramping up. And Councilmember, thank you for that. Yes, I do. Our Sirte program is perhaps one of the best in the region, and it has continually grown year in, year out. We have offset the cost for our Sirte instructor through UAC grants, through local urban areas, security initiative grants and other available grant dollars that we're able to cobble together with our partners in Los Angeles County to offset the cost of that certain structure. And it is true. Last year, we, we, we came up close to a deadline on losing or having those grant dollars run out. But we were able, through the leadership of the city manager and putting our heads together and figure figure out a way to continue to fund that through the remainder of this fiscal year. Going into fiscal year 15, the Urban Area Security Initiative has awarded additional grant dollars for certain functions throughout the county. We will definitely be first at the table to go after some of those dollars, and we'll continue to work for long term sustainable funding options for the SIRT program in the future. We do value it and we do place a high priority on the benefit it's providing our community. Great. Thank you. So the next question I have is about the GMT funding. So I know it's been I know we've been burned once in terms of expecting that program to roll out a certain way to where we can expect a steady stream of funding. So my question is, quite simply, where are we now in that discussion? Councilmember if you'll indulge me, I'm going to have Director of Finance John GROSS weigh in on that. They've been in receipt of the funds. Coming in, so. Council member, we are expecting to continue to receive GM funds. There has been a delay in what we are expecting for this year. We are very hopeful that it will come in early next year at the amount we think it is the and that is scheduled to be used to buy fire engines if council approves. The ongoing funding from GMT is expected to be in the 400 to $500000 range and that's included in the budget substantially lower than we had originally anticipated. But it is anticipated to continue. So what we anticipate is 400 to $500000 annually ongoing? That is correct. Okay. Thank you. So the next question I have is, I mean, along the same vein is revenue for our fire department. I know that last year there was a motion by Councilmember O'Donnell and Councilmember Neel and a number of folks about potential reimbursement opportunities for public safety with the enterprise funds. And I see that you've taken great steps in in capitalizing on that with the fire boats and in the port of Long Beach. So the question I have are, well, what are other services that perhaps the fire department used to used to perform that they might not perform anymore? And what would those opportunities look like if we did look at other enterprise funds like gas and water? Councilmember The I don't know that I could speak specifically to anything that we've done with the Gas Department. One thing that has come up in the past with the on the water side of things is the annual hydrant servicing. We used to go out and throughout the entire city, all 5000 plus fire hydrants would get exercised by the fire department once a year. We go out and follow them and then report back to the water department on on those hydrants that were malfunctioning or not functioning to the standard we needed them to. But other than that, I don't know that we have anything specifically that we do for them. Was that like a major task if I mean, if we were to put a dollar sign on what we expended to do that? Well, what does that look like? Are we talking about this was, you know, something that Indian team took on and we just absorbed the cost and it wasn't insignificant. But if you were to put a number on it, what would that number be? Well, it it was a it was a fairly arduous task. And we go out in throughout the entire city, in the various response districts, those that front line company would go out and spend time over a period of a month, basically off and on, going out, exercising the hydrants to put it put a dollar amount to it . I think I would need to I would need a little time to kind of sit and figure out what that looks like. But it's a big task and. That makes sense. I guess the point that I want to make is I think we should close the loop or expand on that loop about those opportunities. Now, I know that our water department might not be in the position to enter an agreement like that, and I mean, given what their plans are. But we can expect that you can or maybe city manager, you know, we can explore those opportunities within this budget just to see what potentially could be there with gas and water. Moving on. I wanted to just chat about the academies quickly. So during these academies, how many how many firefighters that we put into service? And just as a general answer, how many folks have we recruited? I know we have a long, expanded, long, arduous process. How many folks from Long Beach are getting hired? Councilmember I don't I off the top of my head do not have the answer to that. I can get back to you. I can tell you, we graduated a recruit class of 28 people was the last class. How many are from Long Beach? I can't tell you. But I can tell you that this class that we're putting together that's getting ready to start in the next couple weeks is is going to is going to have a number of people that are from the general, either from the city or from the very close region. And it's going to be it's going to be a very good academy class that's very representative of our community. Sure. And finally, I want to talk about armed. Now, I'm not going to belabor anyone's points. I think the council council's ask a lot of questions and has actually clarified a lot for me. But I have some I guess some quick questions for you. This is a cheaper system, correct? This deployment model is less expensive than the model we had deployed prior. Yes. Okay. So are we saving money today? Yes, sir. Okay. Have we anticipated how much we're going to save this year by utilizing this program? Councilmember The target budget savings is $1.4 million a year. Is. Is that okay, that budget savings, are that being utilized to put other things into service? Or is that at the end of the year we're going to be able to diminish the budget? Like how does that work? Councilmember No, that would be our target, that that number was our target reduction that we we needed to meet in fiscal year 2013. So that that number, if you recall, if you recall back, we were given bridge funding, if you will, or one time funding to get us through the implementation phase of RMD. So that number is reflective of a reduction from a couple of years ago that we are now just actually realizing. Great. Now I understand that now the pilot period is over. It's a two year period, right? Yes, sir. I've heard a lot of discussion tonight about putting additional resources into play. Would that not distort the baseline for measurement for how successful the program is? If we were to say, you know, put another paramedic in to serve another engine or a rescue in a service, would that not distort the baseline for evaluation of how successful the model is? Councilmember I don't know that it would distort the baseline for evaluation because if you look at the comparison, what we were comparing before was two paramedics on a rescue ambulance and nine paramedic assessment units as compared now to 11 paramedic rescue units and 17 paramedic assessment unit engines. So the the study what we're attempting to study with this or what the data safety monitoring board through the EMS agency is studying is whether or not there is a degradation of service, whether or not we're equal to more capable or less capable with an alternative deployment model and the number of apparatus in the system that really only helps with response times to issues or the number of transports per issue. The effectiveness of the individual paramedic rescue ambulance with one paramedic on it is what's being studied. Not so much how fast they're getting there, although we're doing that faster. So, so. Response times not value. That's not a factor in how we evaluate. It is it is one of the 36 components that they look at in the study. Okay. So when I said baseline, just to be clear, let's say the fire department spends $100 on paramedic program this year. And if we put more into service next year and we change that $100 to $120, that might affect the outcome. And that's my that's my logic here. So you're telling me that the way that we evaluate this system, no matter if we put into place a different set of resources, that that will not affect the impact that will not impact the way that we evaluate the system. That's that's correct. We're not we're not studying how many resources are in the system. What we're studying is whether or not one paramedic can function effectively in the system. Great. So I guess the final question and you keep mentioning this, who's the agency that that is monitoring this process? The Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency, Data Safety Monitoring Board. Okay. So that's the group that's. So when do they report back to us on how well it's going? Councilmember I don't know that they feel they have any responsibility to report back to you specifically on how it's going. I do believe that they're going to capture all of this data that we provide them over two years and actually publish this in some sort of medical journal. So we're going to wait two years before we hear a third party analysis on these qualitative things that when you report, we hear about response times in and in those things. That's the language we've we've been speaking. But we're going to hear back from this group after two years about the issues that the 32 points that we really haven't discussed that what the plan is. Councilmember I mean, I'm happy to go back to the EMS agency and ask if the the Data Safety Monitoring Board would be willing to share. Some periodic. Updates or something with the council. And certainly happy to do that. Thank you. And then I guess the last thing I have for you is I think in your budget, in terms of your FTE, you left one off because you left that ghost in Fire Station 12 and now my staff has to deal with it. You sort to move them over to the councilmember. So you we, we tried we we did our due diligence trying to capture that ghost and move him to the new facility. However, he seems right at home where he's at. And so we will make periodic visits over there to to say hi. But he seems right at home where he's at. Thank you very much, Chief. So I just have a few remarks for the chief of police. So just quickly, I just want to plot the way that you and the whole city management team has presented your your budgets as a continuum of of of public service, public safety. I think that you've hit the nail on the head in that our residents need to understand their role and continue to understand their role in that continuum. The more active neighborhood associations we have, the more block clubs, neighborhood community watches that we have, that's everyone has a part in this. And I really appreciate the fact how engaged your officers are at attending the ten neighborhood associations in the ninth District plus community watch. So, so I just wanted to begin by saying thank you for that. I wanted to just touch base and I know the gang units and the special investigative units stuff has come up a lot tonight. So I guess my question is, it seems like there's been a transition from, you know, we used to calculate, you know, we got this many people in the gang unit, right? It was in the p t in the Gazette this week. You know, we're not funding this many units in the gang, this many bodies in the gang unit. Right. But at the same time, I guess my question is, what is the approach we've got? I certainly support the allocation of one times to overtime. But what would be the approach to meet the needs of and you've mentioned it before, and I'm going to ask this again because I have a follow up question to this. But what is the approach to utilizing overtime to meet the needs of these special investigative units? Great. Thank you for the question. And going into the gang enforcement section, the strategies that have changed over the years, we've got a department wide focus where everybody works gangs. As I mentioned, the downside to that is we lose specific expertize about individual gangs. It's only achieved over time and in repeated contact addressing gang enforcement through other efforts. We're looking, as you mentioned before, human trafficking realignment, prohibited possessor. Many of the suspects from those kind of cases are also gang members. We look at long term problem solving and strategies, cops projects where we have repeat calls for service to two trouble locations. We look at that long term and try and bring all the resources we can to bear on that. And that includes partnerships with other departments. We have constant communication and coordination of resources to be able to address emerging trends. We have hotspot analysis. We increase forecasting and planning evaluation of resource deployment, whether it's debt teams, impact motors, the realignment team. We use the tools that best fit the problem. We use curfew and truancy checks, party calls, blue line enforcement. And then when we have a case, a relentless follow up where we roll back on search warrants, do parole and probation searches, we very effectively working with the city prosecutor's office to use gang injunctions to be able to impact the gang problem. We have patrol resource officers in each of our divisions that focus on the areas that are most challenged. We use technology as much as we can, leverage that to be able to give us, as we say, a force multiplier effect. Community watch we went into and again, that's a critical component, whether it's property, crime, quality of life or violent crime. The community getting engaged and being our eyes and ears and helping us know what's going on in their neighborhood is critical. Graffiti, reporting and removal and then participation in the city's violence prevention plan. All of these kind of coming together as a comprehensive approach to gang enforcement and and trying to use alternatives to incarceration where it's appropriate to be able to use education prevention, intervention, as well as then when somebody goes to prison and gets out as best we can, reintegration back into society. Thank you. So by not specifically carving out a special unit like the gang unit and putting them into a larger pool where all the detectives sort of work those sorts of cases or that type of work, how do we quantify or how do we measure whether there might need to be a change or something? I know that, you know, you've done great work with human human trafficking, right. As an example. And I thought my understanding was when you did that, you dedicated some officers to work specifically on that. Wasn't that the approach? There was. Overtime? A lot of. That overtime. Right. And then just a point of clarification, we do have a gang unit. We don't have the gang filled team that we used to have, but we still have detectives, working gangs. So. So just so you have detectives that use overtime to fill the role of the gang. Now the gang unit. Now we still have a gang unit. We just don't have the gang field team. You don't have the gang field team. What is the difference between the gang unit and the gang fueled team? The the gang field team would be in the field on a nightly basis, interacting with people who were involved in gang activity. We have other detectives who do intelligence work and work behind the scenes on. Failing in and and developing intelligence and sharing that intelligence. Great. So the numbers, the statistics you gave earlier, there's the impressive they're really impressive. But I think in terms of there might be just a little bit of education we should do as leaders in the city to educate the community on the new approach. Just, you know, it was two newspapers this week, but there is in general, you know, I attended a neighborhood meeting last night. And the perception is there that we've cut our approach to to addressing gangs. And, you know, while the numbers are impressive, I definitely think that there since we're dressed, since we're approaching this differently, we should place some value on education in terms of getting out this approach and assuring that the public is comfortable with the with the approach that we're doing that. So that would be all that I have for you. Yeah. Thank you. We're trying to be as flexible as we can with the resources we have. And on the gang front, gang related murders are down. Year to date, 26.7%, and gang related shootings are down 36.8%. So when using the, you know, the the the manner we've been deploying our resources, we've gotten pretty good results here. So we continue to look at it, continue to monitor it. And as much as we can try and share what we're doing with the community, too, and ask for the community's help. That's fair, Chief. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Councilmember Gonzales. Yes. Thank you both for your hard work. Your departments, you know, respectively, have worked so hard for our city. So thank you very much. Thank you. First police chief in the department. It's good to see that you're working on the tech, you know, technology grants. I know that we continually are really aggressive on that, so it'd be good to hear more about that. My next question is regarding the realignment. So how many do. We have in the task force. Or the team? And do you see any improvements? I know we're working really hard on that, but I often get questions about realignment. And. You know, we we it's a that's an evolving issue for us. It started October 1st of 2011. And we we basically have been responding to it since that time. As I mentioned earlier, we have about 900 people early release prisoners who live in the city of Long Beach, which is about 6% of L.A. County's entire realignment population . It is a big challenge for us, the addresses we have when we try and ensure that we're monitoring compliance with their conditions. The addresses on about a third of the individuals are not good addresses. So we then have to go out and find them and be able to develop good, good addresses and be able to continue to to ensure that they're compliant with their conditions. I mentioned that we've had 815 total compliance checks, which resulted in 265 citywide arrests. And I mentioned the off the offenses they were arrested for include narcotics, burglary, weapons violations, sex crimes, gang injunction violations and murder. And so looking at how we do this, we've been able to get, as you mentioned, a grant or our share of the compliance money from the state, which was about 525,000. And we get that to some degree. There'll be variance in how much that'll be, but on an ongoing yearly basis and we were able to use 1.1 million in nonrecurring funds to be able to help bolster our efforts in that regard. And and I attribute a lot of our success in being able to drive down the numbers for both violent and property crime, but property crime in particular, due to the efforts that the Council gave us the ability to be able to do last year with that money. Okay. Thank you. And then in relation to the 2.2 million for over time, does that is there any thought on the bike patrol? Because I know that's been brought up constantly with, you know, downtown residents, but I know there's also been issues with efficiency on that. So is that incorporated or included in this over time? They know the 2.2 million that we've been able to get this year for overtime will focus, will keep or maintain our ability to be flexible on that, using overtime to be able to deploy officers and detectives in the field on problems as they occur. If we see patterns, if we have shootings to be able to address those as well as then the potential for payback shootings, which dramatically reduces the number of people who are injured or killed, but the ability to look at patterns or trends or clusters of crime and be able to deploy people on an overtime basis to be able to address those issues to the degree that we can. We'd love to be able to go from violent crime to property crime to quality of life issues on that as well. Okay. Thank you. Thanks. And then my next. Questions are for the chief. Fire chief. But. So, Chief, I only have one question related to R&D. We talked a little bit about reporting, but are we. How often are we reporting to the local EMC? Is it do we have a reporting requirement? And how often is that? And then how often will that be relayed to us? A councilmember. It's a once a month on the 15th of every month. We will provide them the first 15 days of that month and the 15 days of the month prior. The previous month of the previous month. Previous months. So once a month, we're reporting. We'll hear. Data to. Them. Okay. And then thank you for that. And then another question related to. I know you have made improvements and we have made improvements in the city related to homeless are homeless population. So can you speak. A little bit about that and what improvements have been made? And I don't know if there's any cost savings on our end related to that because I know I mean, we're primary health care providers for oftentimes for. These people so. It councilmember the Lumbee fire we do we have historically seen a fairly high number of calls that are related to our local homeless population, both in the downtown area and other places throughout the city, for that matter. For all intents and purposes, the emergency medical services of of the fire department and it's not just the Long Beach Fire Department, it's this is a statewide and a national issue have become, in some respects, the primary care providers for those who have no other option to seek medical care. So we have we've employed a number of things within Long Beach Fire to try and address that. One of which one of the bigger ones is partnering with our Long Beach Police Department, with their met team and with their quality of life folks. We've worked closely with our health department to try and find other avenues for people to get plugged in to local social services. And there's a couple of exciting things coming. We're we're going to try and utilize some technologies to identify people that could be considered high propensity users of the emergency medical services system and and get them plugged in to the various services that exist in the city so as to not have them require, you know, daily 911 to go to the hospital for something that could be handled through a routine doctor's visit. So it's something we're in a constant state of evolution and are trying to figure out how best to deal with that population. But it's something we think about frequently. Right. Thank you. And then my last question, which I know. Our friends here will really enjoy, but you talked about our our newest fire academy. And so I think you've defined it as the most diverse class. And so I think this is a great Segway as well. My last question, but. What is the composition of this class? Can you tell us? Well, Councilmember, I can't tell you just yet. We have it's not because I'm trying to withhold it just because we haven't completed background investigations on a number of sites. But I can't I don't wanna put the cart before the horse, but I can tell you, we put 72 people into background investigations. The backgrounds are steadily coming in. I am confident and this is the cream of the crop and this is the the first class off of a brand new list. I am confident that this class will be very reflective of our community. It will be a very both gender and racially diverse court class. It's going to be very reflective of our community. And I'm very excited to bring this this new group online. And my commitment to you is we will be sure and let the counsel know who are new classes as soon as we as soon as we see them. Great. Thank you. And sorry for putting that out there, but thank you so much. I appreciate it. Okay. Thank you. And thank you to both chiefs and departments. A lot of questions, good questions and amateur and open for public comment on the budget hearing. If you have a public comment, please come forward and line up if there are any. On specific to police and fire. Mr. Goodhew. Yes, very good. You correct the address on the police budget or the police dynamic, I think is one of the things we should take a look at. And notwithstanding the fact, I think obviously we have the best police chief this city's ever had and it's going to be a sad day when we lose them. Good for the county. There's a problem, though, in my view, having lived in this city since 1978, that every police chief has been saddled with, and that is a dispatch department that is too often problematic. And I think even George Meany would say there's a need for some changes, specifically when the police are called to respond to something that is not an emergency. And let let me also preface this by saying I share the chief's view and every law enforcement officers view that when a officer is dispatched, you never want to dispatch them into a blind situation. But the realities are in today's society dealing with what the police have to deal with an everyday basis. We get an increasing number of, shall we say, social related calls, vagrants, homeless. And this is not to say that there are not vagrants. There are not serious crime problems there and dangerous crime. But when you have calls day after day engendered by and people, vagrants are homeless day after day at the same location, engaged in the same illegal conduct. There is no need to convene the Council of Trent. It's a 10/2 conversation. If that period now there either has to be a retooling of the paradigm of the dispatch or seriously considering contracting that out to disciplines that have an understanding of that. Thank you. Next speaker, please and please speakers come forward so we can make this as efficient as possible. Hi there. I just want to thank Councilwoman Lowenthal. And Councilwoman Price can. Identify yourself for the. Record, please. Oh, sure. Sorry. Claudia Scow with Friends of Bixby Park. I wanted to thank Councilwoman Lowenthal and Councilwoman Price for their interest in inquiring about a park ranger budget. Today, I'm here on behalf of a small group of neighborhood associations who have a strong desire for increased public safety at our city parks, and would like to ask for your consideration for adding a park ranger program or a few park rangers to the budget, specifically to address some of the needs that we have at our parks. The following neighborhood associations would like to request your support. The Wilmore City Heritage Association in the First District. Washington Neighborhood Association in the First District. Friends of Bixby Park in the Second District. Craftsman Village Neighborhood Association in the First and Second District. AOC seven. Second District. Rose Park. Seventh District. North Alamitos Beach in the Second District. East Seventh Street. Corridor in the Second District. Harvest Farmers Market in the second District. To end in the third District on Broadway Business Association in the second and third District. Bluff Park Neighborhood Association in the Third District. Belmont Heights Neighborhood Association in the third District Bluff Heights Neighborhood in the Association in the Third District. West Eastside Community Association in the fourth District. California Heights Neighborhood Association in the seventh District. Wrigley Association in the sixth and seventh District. Wrigley Historic District. Sixth and seventh District. Country Club. Manor Association in Bixby Hills. The Eighth District. Jane Addams Neighborhood Association in the eighth District. Highland Park Neighborhood Association in the ninth District. And Start King Neighborhood Association in the Ninth District. Incidents of pot smoking and drug use, drug dealing and other illegal activities make residents and families feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Many parks have lost countless park users as a result of these activities. Despite neighborhood groups efforts to revitalize their parks. One example of this epidemic is last summer, five drug dealers were arrested at Bixby Park within a four week period. This summer for drug. Dealers were arrested within a two week period. Most drug related arrests take place across the street from or in close proximity to the children's playground. The LDP has done an outstanding job responding to burglary, robbery, grand theft and petty crimes. But add to all these public safety concerns frequent incidents of public drug use and drug dealing at our neighborhood parks. The neighborhood associations represented on this letter would like to see the leopard's time spent enforcing the law in our neighborhoods and business districts. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Thank you. Councilor Price, you had a comment just briefly. Thank you for the your comments regarding the park ranger program. I did want to highlight that on September the fifth that our next public safety. Committee meeting, we will be asking for a presentation on the overview of the Park Ranger program and we will hopefully be encompassing some of the data that Vice Mayor Lowenthal requested during our last budget meeting. And I believe they'll be some data that we'll be able to talk about during the course. I just wanted to address them. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good evening. Mayor and council members. I am mark, libya. Resident Leader with community of community resident leader with housing long beach district 52741 North Bellflower Boulevard. I'm here today because to address issues on behalf of housing Long Beach and 15 organizations that have received that you have received letters from this week supporting the use of boomerang funds for affordable housing. I know this is in regards to the fire and fire and police, but there is no budget hearing on on housing. So we urge the council members to have dialog today on the use of these funds to move forward in protecting 20% of these funds affordable for housing. When talking about boomerang funds, we mean that tax increment dollars returning from the state after the dissolution of the redevelopment agencies. These funds were that were once legally protected for development, for quality affordable housing should be returned to this department for continued investment in our housing community. We ask the Council to protect in the budget 20% of tax increment that is critical to financing improvements and development of affordable housing stock. Affordable housing is important because it's about giving people a dignified place to live. It protects families, working citizens, children, disabled and elderly from homelessness. Many of these elders and disabled are often on fixed income, and this income may not be sufficient to sustain a quality living. Others are working locally and trying to provide for their family. Yet the abundance of low wage jobs requires a housing stock for this sector of our workforce. Improvements and community development is critical resources for healthy communities. This is a proactive approach in putting our citizens forward at the center for these developments, improving and preserving existing stocks of affordable housing support. Once again, campuses even more so families, veterans, children, disabled, frail, elderly and working citizens to be reduced at risk for poverty and homelessness. Today, we gather to help our leaders align with the intent on investing into our healthy communities. We have dialog with community members about affordable housing. Please prioritize to set aside 20% tax increment dollars into affordable housing just as other regions of California has. Oakland, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Clara. And I have the list in terms of who has adopted this through. Through the community partnerships. We can realize this. Please take this conversation behind the rails tonight and behind and begin the movement toward protecting the boomerang funds tax increment dollars for affordable housing so we can lead improvements in housing that represents the needs of the whole community. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Hello. Good evening. My name is Jonathan Razer and I'm here with Housing Land, which is well and there were earlier there were nearly 100 folks sitting in there. Some had to leave. However, we wanted to let you know that community cares about language access and they also care about affordable housing and the poor fund. I'm a student at Castle Long Beach getting a master's in social work, and I'm also a resident of Long Beach at 94 Redondo Avenue, 90804. And I'm here today to urge you to discuss venture funding a lot. 20% of the Boomer Fund for the development of affordable housing. So after high school, I joined the military and there I learned about saving money and spending money. And, you know, I was able to buy my first car and I was I realized that the importance of spending money in a daily basis to make sure that my car was functioning, such as the tune up oil change or otherwise, you know, in order to avoid an engine breakdown later on in the future. Every year you're given the opportunity. To develop a budget, to spend money to avoid an engine breakdown. Today, many residents of Long Beach live in housing with infrastructure issues and affordable housing. Production needs are being ignored. If not taking care of this today, these issues will lead to public and health issues, as well as a significant reduction of quality of life for Long Beach residents. Within the past few years, the city of Long Beach has borne money from the redevelopment. 20% has been set aside. Today, the mayor is proposing to pay the money back, which we are really thankful for. However, we must acknowledge that this money was legally required to be paid back. Therefore, the city must continue to proactively find ways to permanently create a local source to invest in affordable housing. In California, there are cities like Mars Mansion, which are dedicating funds for affordable housing such as San Francisco, L.A. Tremens, San Jose and Oakland. San Jose has dedicated over 20 million over 20 million of them in funds to affordable housing. And Oakland has proposed has protected 25% of working women funds for affordable housing trust fund in addition to 10 million in one time dollars. San Jose in Oakland are cities which are about the same size, about the same size of Long Beach. So it is possible to make this happen here in Long Beach. You can see this. Well, Marcus, we're going to pass a sheet of paper where you can see these these numbers. One step to get there is by addressing the women fund as representatives of Long Beach. You move this because of a man fund. We understand that tonight police and fire budget are the focus. However, we urge you to discuss the women fund. There was a large supporters here present tonight waiting to hear from you. Thank you very much. Time's Aaron. Thank you for your service. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Hello. My name is Nicholas Commander from the second district. I'd like to speak to the issue of the $2.2 million request for discretionary overtime. By way of example, at 735 Gavin Avenue, recently, a well-known gang moved in and they were armed and adult in a variety of drugs, and there were at least two multiple shootings spread apart by approximately ten days. The PD stepped in with increased patrols, surveillance, multiple arrests, and they work with other city departments to eliminate the remaining gang members from this address. Another location nearby? I can't say the address because it's still under investigation. Dealt with methamphetamine and other drug dealing and had two marijuana grow operations and drug use, of course, and somebody was stabbed in the head there recently. PD responded with the same things increased surveillance patrols, arrests and working with code enforcement, nuisance abatement and the city attorney's office to address the problem at that address and in other address . Hills With even higher levels of crimes that I can't mention the location of, it's under surveillance currently. So I would implore the City Council to grant this $2.2 million request so that they can continue to respond to urgent situations that arise. And since I have a few moments left, I'd like to thank Chief McDonald, Deputy Chief Luna, Sergeant, I'm sorry, Commander Rocky and Lieutenant Michael Pena for their caring, their work and their accessibility. Thank you. Q Sir, next speaker them. It's been Rockwell who's above after Mexico. And then if there's no other speakers, I'm closing the speakers list so the speaker list will be closed. Ms.. Chico I'm her Linda. Chico My address is on file. Mayor and Honorable Council. I want to thank you for asking such thoughtful questions. They really did help the audience members to the residents here understand and break down the proposed changes and issues and opportunities that we have. I'll make this brief. I support both budget recommendations, but I really do want to put an emphasis on the increase in Prop H support, especially the $400,000 for Schroeder hall costs, because we've been waiting for that for a very long time and we want to get it right the first time. And then the the other thing is the technology and increasing the capabilities of the technology that we have. Mayor Garcia has been wonderful and been a champion of technology here in in the city. And I think that this these departments really do need attention when it comes to increasing the efficiency that we work. So thank you. Thank you, Mr. Rockwell. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Council. I want to say that and going about through the various cities and our state and other cities throughout our United States, I've yet to feel as comfortable and a downtown of any city in our whole state of California as what I feel right here in the city of Long Beach. We have police officers and firefighters, paramedics that have been here in this city for well over 20 years. These men and women are some of the best public service officers anywhere in our nation. They have been there when I've needed them. They're there when the rest of us need them. And they are there to help and make sure that our lives, our help and our homes are safe in the event of any emergency. And I want to say they all deserve a round of applause from all of us here in the auditorium. Thank you. Fire and police. Men and women. Thank you, Mr. Rockwell. Councilmember Richardson. Just quickly, I know that we talked about police and fire, but a couple of people talked about the the housing issue. And one person brought up something that stood out to me. I know that we're taking on department by department. Are we do we have a plan to hear from? So where would what apartment, what department? Would that be appropriate? Would that be? Development Services? What department is it? Oh, somebody's got it. Mr. West. Probably Development Services and Health and Human Services. So I know I know that health is next, right. Where they were going to be tonight. Would it be would it make sense to have that conversation at health when they come back at the next budget hearing? We can certainly have the health portion of it. And if we can squeeze in the development services, we will as well. But we'll work that out through the mayor's office in the next week. Thank you. And obviously always, regardless of the topic, we can always any item on the budget can be discussed at any meeting. So ignore the comments and the public hearing is now. We're going to move. Can I get a motion to adjourn and postpone the next hearing then to the next meeting? Because the motion in a second to move the hearing forward to the next meeting, please cast your votes. Motion carries eight zero. Okay. We have a we have a time certain item that we need to get to. I do have if we can do this real quickly for speakers on the speaker public speakers list, that was obviously going to be a long a while ago.
AN ORDINANCE related to cable television; authorizing the Mayor or the Mayor’s designee to enter into a renewed Cable Television Franchise Agreement with Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC; and authorizing the Chief Technology Officer to enter into other agreements for the purpose of implementing or administering the renewed franchise.
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Agenda item 11 Council Bill 118549. Related to cable television authorizing the mayor or the mayor's designee to enter into a renewed cable television franchise agreement with Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC, and authorizing the chief technology officer to enter into other agreements for the purpose of implementing or administering the renewed franchise. The committee recommends the bill pass. Thank you, Councilmember Harrell. Thank you very much. So basically, this legislation after, I would say months and months of negotiating and and hearing community concerns and advocates for the underrepresented communities and all those who use these kinds of con cap services that we can regulate. This legislation approves a renewed cable franchise agreement. This is a ten year Comcast franchise agreement. And I'll sort of go through the benefits that were struck in this kind of renewal, I should say, in the context of this, is that the city's goal is always to improve competition and have stronger customer service and consumer protections at the core of what we're trying to do. We're trying to protect our consumers from all kinds of practices that would result in their detriment. The key benefits of this particular agreement are that Seattle will join Comcast's pilot program, where low income seniors now are eligible for the Internet Essentials discounted Internet program. Now, I think you summarized from my discussion this morning that after actually our committee meeting, we continue to look at what Comcast does in other cities. And there were where there was an agreement reached in Philadelphia, where, of course, Comcast is headquartered that we continue to look at. And based on that, we actually modify through a letter agreement, a letter representations, other benefits. And that was one of them, making sure that the Internet Essentials program now is extended to low income seniors. So we're very happy to have that part of this this presentation. Comcast will also increase its previously announced digital equity grant offered to Seattle a from a one time 50000 to 100000 per year for five years grants for a total of $500,000. Again, these are investments from Comcast to programs and organizations that are help us helping us reach the digital divide. Comcast will partner with the city to help at risk youth obtain devices such as laptop computers for accessing the Internet. In terms of public educational and government access channel or P.G. or Peg's, we will be looking at at $8 million in revenue over the course of this contract. Again, that was negotiated very hard by our team and I'll thank them at the conclusion of my remarks. We will have free cable connections and TV service to city buildings and schools that's valued at approximately $2 million will have a 30% discount on basic Tier two low income subscribers. We'll have 600 modems, two nonprofit organizations that's about valued at approximately $10 million. So basically, again, to put it in the context of what we do as a city, we cannot control prices on what Comcast charges customers for cable modems or cable TV. And that's one of the things that people want us to do. And we all often concern ourselves with the prices that some of these large corporations can charge our consumers, but we can increase competition. And by increasing competition, they drive down prices, drive up service, and we regulate or we have three cable franchises, CenturyLink, Wave and Comcast , just again, to put it in the in the context of what we can or cannot do. So again, this particular set of community benefits, I would do want to thank Michael Matt Miller, director of the Department of Information Technology, and Tony Perez, who's actually nationally respected for his ability to advocate on behalf of consumers. We want to thank you for this negotiation. This package does come recommended by our Citizens Telecommunications and Advisory Board as well. And so we want to thank you for that work. This did pass out of committee and we recommended adoption of this ordinance. Thank you, Councilmember Harold, did we receive and maybe you distributed this and I just missed it. But did we have the letter from Comcast pledging these additional benefits? Yes, we have the letter. I, I was I was hopeful that everyone received a copy a letter. We did receive the letter and we sent our staff has reviewed it. And that becomes I shouldn't say not mislead anyone. That is not part of the legislation. That is sort of a side agreement. We have had side agreements like this before. We believe that the executive, a lot of people would suggest that this is a tool we can use to. I don't want to extract, but to gain the benefits that we do want. Questions or comments here. Councilmember Licata. Right. Thank you for jumping on this. And Mayor as well. At the last moment when we found out what Philadelphia. Had received from Comcast. I don't have that document in front of me. I thought it was a summary. I wasn't sure if it was actually a letter from Comcast, but I did notice and you read pretty much, I think from what I have seen that in particularly in the areas of greater assistance to seniors in particularly in low income areas for for youth, it seemed very aspirational and didn't seem as if there were any real measurements attached to it. I appreciate that being a door opener, but at the same time it doesn't seem that. I'm not sure how much leverage is provides us going beyond what we've already had per expectation. So if you could give me your impression what you think you and the mayor have received in those particular areas. Just so I understand the concern I have here, which is an attachment B, which is an attachment, a letter agreement to the document. I think that's the tool that was passed out. And I'm sure my my staff are following this conversation now and are preparing document to have you. So here's sort of the the short of it that we contact. I want to think since your staff contacted, a lot of parents really understand quite candidly, is this binding? I think that's the issue. Can we rest assured that these are the community benefits that are part that are part of this deal? And my interpretation of that opinion is this, that it is not nearly as ironclad as it could be in an ideal situation, that it is a letter agreement. And obviously, as policy leaders, we are relying on that agreement. But we may be hard pressed to prove that if there's a violation of the side agreement, we can revoke or penalize, if you will, the Comcast for a violation of the franchise agreement. That is not part. However, having said that, based on the experience of Do It and the executive on prior dealings and prior representations and our reliance as policy leaders, I think that they were comfortable enough that this side agreement, this letter agreement, sort of meets our needs and we can suspend the rules and hear from Michael Matt Miller directly, since they were sort of in an offhand comment on this issue, if you like, and maybe that might be a wise way to go. I would, because in particular, if we did allow Mr. Mettler to speak from what you said, it appears that even with the side agreement, that's not the same as a door opener for going back to and going back to these issues. Is that correct? Yes. So should the councilperson like to move this? Unless there's objection? Mr. Matt Miller feel come to the center microphone, please, Harry. No objection. And members of the council. Councilmember Carter, to answer your question. This letter we have received with additional commitments from Comcast represents several benefits, as Councilmember Harrell was describing, in particular for the low income seniors discount program. But Comcast has committed us to do is include the city of Seattle in a pilot program nationwide where the company is expanding the benefits or excuse me, expanding the populations eligible for their Internet essentials discounted Internet program to include seniors who are over the age of 62 and eligible for one of 13 federal, state or local programs. And one of those programs is the City of Seattle Utility Discount Program. So we expect to work with Comcast to implement this between now and mid 2016. And at that time, just as an example, if you are a senior who is enrolled in the utility discount program here in Seattle, you would be eligible for an Internet connection for $9.99 per month. And the other area. I believe we're dealing with youth in particular and what is happening with that particular program. So this weekend, as we were working with Comcast to increase their commitment to us for digital equity in the city, we recognized that one of the areas the Council on the Mayor are very focused on right now is homelessness and the state of emergency that has been declared on homelessness. We worked with Comcast to say if the city could put some of our franchise fee revenue into a commitment and Comcast could also make a commitment, what could we do together? And we thought one of the more impactful areas that we could focus on is making sure that housing insecure, housing insecure youth and youth who are at risk could get easier access to devices to help improve their educational outcomes. So what we've committed to do with Comcast is to work out the details because we couldn't get through everything this weekend, but to develop a program where the city and Comcast together would supply laptops to housing insecure youth over the next five years of the franchise. I don't want to go back to sound, but I'm curious, in the first program you mentioned it was a nationwide program that they had with seniors. So we did one of a number of cities participating in it. But what I find unusual is that this came up literally in the last 48 hours. Did we not know that they had this national aid program? I mean, what did it take for us to get access to it? When we worked with Comcast over the past several months. We put together a series of benefits that we found to be very good compared to other cities like Seattle, who have recently negotiated franchises that include cities like Denver and Portland that we benchmarked ourselves against. There were some things like the senior pilot that we were aware of and we asked Comcast about, but were unable to obtain as part of our package. What happened on Friday is Councilmember Harrell and Mayor Murray saw the franchise package that Philadelphia received and we asked Comcast to go back and look at their commitment to our community and to recognize that digital equity is one of our core values and see how they could improve the package of benefits offered to us. And it was in going back and reviewing the benefits offered that Comcast agreed to make us part of the senior citizen low income pilot. They also increased the value of the digital equity grant from a one time $50000 to $500000 or 100,000 each year for a five year period. And to develop this commitment to put together a program to increase device access. Mm hmm. And if there is any disagreement about the execution of the areas that we don't have measurement time, but we'll pursue with the assumption of goodwill, do we have any recourse? If there's a disagreement, this is a set of benefits that is separate from the franchise agreement itself. So we would not be able to use the mechanisms of enforcement in the franchise agreement in the same way we could if Comcast did not follow our Consumer Bill of Rights, like when a customer has an issue that they would call the cable office about. So so no, we wouldn't have that recourse. But I should point out, in the programs with which we've worked on Comcast in the past, we've found them to be a good partner. And Comcast has participated in our digital equity initiative over the last year to develop a sense of how we roll out more Internet service to different populations in the city. So we do expect them to continue working with us on that front. Other questions or comments? Councilmember Hill I'll. Just sort of close comments by saying I appreciate, as always, council member Lakatos concerned. If I were to be candid for the moment, we're prepared. We were prepared to pull the legislation. Comcast knew that we were I was prepared to move to late today to hold it if necessary. I think the executive and the Department of Information Technology are very comfortable and very proud of the benefits we were able to get. This is an ongoing working relationship, but I think that Comcast knew very clearly that certainly we were ready to hold the franchise agreement because these are ten year agreements. But we're comfortable with the representations and the commitments that are now made by Comcast. And with that, the committee recommends approval. Are the other benefits that are separate from the core franchise agreement. The other offers that Comcast made to us, are they part of the franchise agreement and therefore enforceable by the city? I could take a shot at Michael. You could come up and try to give a shout. The commitments Comcast is making to us that are directly related to cable television are included in the franchise legislation. So those would be benefits such as the PEG fees, franchise fees, commitments to the Seattle Channel and a low income discount for cable television service. The other benefits like the grant, the $500,000 digital equity grant, the device program, and the low income discount for seniors, as well as a program through which Comcast makes available 600 free cable modem connections to nonprofit organizations in our community are in that letter that are separate from the franchise. And how does the city memorialize those additional benefits? Those additional benefits in the letter are sent to do it, to memorialize that they will be provided to us. And in particular, the grant will need to be received by the Council through a supplemental budget, which is in process, I believe, for Q4 of this year. And what I would ask. In in asking the same question that Council President Burgess asked. I've made it clear at least, and there are theory of promissory estoppel that they have made promises, they made commitments. We are relying on these commitments in a letter of agreement, in my mind, that establish a contractual relationship, perhaps not as stringent as can be in the franchise agreement. But it is very clear that I look at this as consideration for us passing legislation today, and I must say that Comcast has stepped up to this. Two, what we need and what's happening in other cities as well. And but these are all great, great, great issues and great concerns. Comment. So whether it's Comcast or any other company, I just wonder, Councilmember Harrell, if that letter of agreement should be in our because we do not have that today. We have an offer letter from Comcast saying here's the things we'd like to do with you, but this would not be binding on them. I wonder if there's any any way that we could obtain that letter of agreement between the city and Comcast that would give us a stronger position going forward. In addition to the December 7th letter that you have. Yes, this is a letter that's from Comcast to the city. So you want to see it. But the city is not a party to this letter. Correct. We can do that. There's. Did you want to say something like. So we when we worked with the law department on this approach, our intent was to recognize these benefits in a letter from Comcast that would be separate from the franchise because the city is not putting up consideration per se. The letter was determined as the best way to memorialize this relationship. There is, as the council members have pointed out, some risk that without consideration, Comcast could change these benefits at some point. However, I should note that some of the benefits, like grants like the cable modem program we have been receiving since the last franchise, and we do not see we do not anticipate a change to these benefits. And again, it's. Is this what's the best business practice here? If we pass the franchise agreement and then next week, when you're trying to figure out this letter of agreement and Comcast says, well, that's not what we meant by that, then where are we? So that's my only question. Is there any time issue here in terms of whether this is executed today, whether we act on this legislation today or next Monday? From a timing perspective, we are getting close to the 30 day window in which the legislation we need to pass before it becomes effective and the current Comcast franchise would expire. That's right. I forgot about that. So that expires in January, right? It does. I can't say at the moment if wait until next Monday would put us over that deadline, but we would be very close. I would I would actually I. I first of all, I very much appreciate the effort Mike Lee put in. And because we are here on the mayor in recognizing what was being done with Philadelphia and trying to get a better deal. My concerns are very much reflective of the concerns of council. A member council president Burgess I personally I couldn't vote for this right now. If I my preference would be to hold it a week at least, then we'd have presumably time to get something in writing. Of course, our discussion of this is certainly a signal to Comcast and why our feelings about this. So I don't think and I'm not worried per se about this particular vendor. But Lauren, I just wonder if it's the right approach here. Councilmember Gonzalez Thank you, Counsel. President, I also want to express appreciation to to you, Michael, and to the mayor and to Councilmember Harrell for identifying this as a as an issue. I do think it's a significant issue. And that that I think those of us who sat in on committee last week would have benefited greatly from that particular information. In terms of the deal that was struck between Comcast and Philadelphia, I think that would have been helpful information to have during committee. Grateful that we have it. Now I share Councilmember Lakatos. Concerns with regard to. The enforceability of the particular December December 7th letter that was just handed out to us. And I'm also feeling discomfort in being able to have a clearer understanding of whether this is this is in the city's best interest. So what I'm hearing is a request for at least a one week hold on this. And I'm formal, if you. Why. Sure. I'll make it right now. I'll move to hold this for one week until I just moved. I'll say it's been second. It moved in second and that we hold item 11 until next Monday in the discussion. All in favor of the motion vote I. I oppose vote no. So this item will be held until next Monday. We'll move now to item 12. Please read this item into the record. Agenda item 12 Resolution 31637. Recognizing the obstacles faced by previously incarcerated individuals that often result in recidivism and the potential to reduce recidivism rates, criminal justice costs and incarcerations. Negative impacts on individuals, the community and the city of Seattle.
A bill for an ordinance amending the Denver Zoning Code. Approves text amendment #6 to the Denver Zoning Code to add a new Temporary Tiny Home Village use and associated regulations and procedures, updates and clarifies outreach procedures related to Large Development Review, and amends regulations for an affordable housing parking reduction. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 8-20-19.
DenverCityCouncil_10072019_19-0834
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11 eyes. 11 eyes, Constable 817 has passed. Councilwoman Gilmore, will you please? What counts? About 834 on the floor? Yes, President. Clerk, I move that council bill 0834 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. It has been moved and seconded. The required public hearing for accountable 834 is open. May we have the staff report? Try and get technology to cooperate here. There. Much easier to see. Thank you. All right. Take it away. Great. Thank you. Members of the council, Andrew Webb here from Community Planning and Development to present on a text amendment number six to the Denver zoning code, which would establish a new temporary tiny home village use and associated use limitations and regulations. It would also make some small updates to large development review procedures in the zoning code, as well as a clarification to a cross-reference on parking reductions for affordable housing, which I'll detail further on in the presentation. And I'll invite the sponsor as well to jump in at any point during the presentation if she has anything else she'd like to add. So first of all, I'll just briefly set the stage here with an overview essentially of what tiny homes are. These are communities of small, individual sleeping units, typically arranged on a site with common facilities in single in a separate structure, common use structure. Kitchens, bathrooms, that sort of thing there. They exist around the country. And they've gained popularity as as one of many tools in the toolkit for addressing homelessness. They are particularly of interest to vulnerable populations such as the LGBTQ community, veterans, people with pets, couples and others that have challenges accessing conventional shelter systems in cities. So we're doing this text amendment, proposing this text amendment because tiny home villages are not currently addressed at all. The Denver Zoning Code, the rising popularity is something that the larger group Living Project noted over the last year and a half. And we do have, as I'm sure most all of you are aware, a community, tiny home community here, beloved community village. That village has operated on unlisted, temporary use permits. This text amendment would take some of the lessons we've learned during that pilot project and codify them into clearer regulations and use limitations for future applicants and create transparency and predictability. This slide shows the actual proposed use definition for this temporary use. Again, we're talking about multiple relocate of all structures on foundations just sleeping in. It's not full dwelling units located on a single zone lot with common facilities. The zoning use permit for temporary tiny home villages would be aligned with whatever building permits were issued. Building permits will vary in length based on the permanency of utilities and facilities. So, you know, chemical toilets and temporary utilities are permitted. But in those cases, building permits and zoning permits would be shorter. The maximum permit duration is up to four years. And then upon expiration of those zoning permits, no new temporary tiny home village could be permitted on a exist on a subject site for at least four years. The slide highlights how this particular use is different from a kind of a permanent, temporary or a permanent tiny home village concept that we're working on as part of the Group Living Project. The intent here is to grant some flexibility from the zoning codes, building form and site design standards, especially as they address the public realm, the pedestrian realm. For operators that are seeking to address this very important need in the city to address homelessness. We are working on the group Living Project on a permanent version of this that would require at least one common structure to be built up at the at the primary street and meet the city's typical build to transparency and active use requirements so that it would so that a permanent use would fit in better with the fabric of the community. This slide shows the zone districts that would be where this temporary use would be permitted. It's essentially all zone districts in the city except for open space districts in the lower intensity residential zone districts. So the single unit to unit and row home districts, that would be permitted only on properties where there is an existing civic or public use like a church or community center. And there would also be a limit of 30 sleeping units in a tiny home village in those lower intensity residential zoned districts. For all implementations of this use of community information meeting is required and I'll detail that in a subsequent slide here. This slide shows the requirement of applicants. They include an operational plan that details how the how the facility, how the village will be operated, a required community input information meeting prior to a zoning permit application and a site plan that demonstrates compliance with the siting and design standards of this temporary use, which I'll detail here shortly. The community information meeting is a is a new process that we developed with other stakeholders for this use and also for the large development review use. It is a pre application requirement where the applicants would go to the community and gives an opportunity for them to begin building a relationship with the community. There are expanded notice requirements from some of our typical zoning code requirements for this community information meeting that are new as part of this amendment. They include the typical mailed notice to affected city council members and property owners. We're also expanding the requirement from the typical 200 foot buffer to 400 feet. So R.A. is within 400 feet. Other community organizations that are not registered are knows within 400 feet. And not only owners of properties, but also tenants of of of rental properties, both residential and commercial. So as a part of this, CPD has worked with a vendor to, to create a new database of about 135,000 apartment unit address data. So it's essentially all the apartment units in the city so that postcards can be sent to those units as well as commercial units where, where businesses might rent space to allow for us to to implement that new requirement. The operational plan requirements are listed on the slide. I won't go through every single one of them, but generally speaking, we're will be asking upfront for details on how residents will be selected for a tiny home village, how the facility will be maintenance, how housekeeping facilities will be provided, things like laundry and health care, that sort of thing. We'll ask for details on community governance procedures and how how community will deal with members that have violated those requirements. Single point of contact for emergency and mitigation of external effects, among other requirements. The slide shows the the zoning requirements that would be established for temporary tiny home villages by this text amendment. So the primary street or front setback in lower intensity residential zoned districts would be 20 feet, which is generally aligned with typical requirements in residential districts, and it would be per per the zone district minimums elsewhere, side and rear setbacks requirements would be five feet. Entry features would be required on common use structures if they're located within 25 feet of a primary street. An entry feature is essentially a door that is accessible to pedestrians and is an obvious point of entry to the site. We're not requiring off street parking, minimum off street parking for this use. We've heard from operators that there's generally not really a demand for vehicle parking for this use. The number of units permitted on a site would, as I mentioned, in the lower intensity zone districts would be capped at 30 sleeping units on on all other sites . It would be determined by lot size and and required building separation requirements. Those are. Part of the of a recent building code amendment that the council adopted in July, also setting up some building code requirements for tiny home villages. The building separation requirement is ten feet, though there are allowances for smaller separation distances if buildings are built to meet certain fire suppression standards. And I'll also highlight here that accessory uses like pets and gardens would be allowed as they are and regulated as they are for typical residential uses. The slide just highlights some of the additional accountability mechanisms for temporary tiny home villages above and beyond a typical residential use in the city and county. So I mentioned the operational plan and its set of requirements. If there is public funding being used to assist or pay for a tiny home community, there would be contract requirements for that funding. While we're not requiring good neighbor agreements, the community information meeting is the opportunity for an applicant to have that conversation with neighbors and potentially enter into that. Adding another layer of accountability between the operator and the community. And then the the Pre-Application outreach, the community information meeting provides an opportunity beyond a typical residential uses to to make the community aware of what's happening and answer get their questions answered. This slide shows some some possible development scenarios based on different lot sizes, accounting for building separation and typical structure sizes on a on a do so on a typical, very small lot of 4000 square foot lot inclusive of common structures. You could fit about five sleeping units and that goes up exponentially as you get larger on a 12,000 square foot lot, you could get about 24 units. This slide highlights some of the changes to other sections of the code that would be made by this text amendment. The first is too large development review. As I as I mentioned, that process was adopted into the code on in July and did include the community information meeting requirement. However, at that time, that meeting requirement was included in the section of the code that actually deals specifically with a large development review. This amendment would move the community information meeting requirement out of the older section and into a standalone section in the code where it can be cross-referenced by upon this text amendment. Elders in temporary tiny home villages but potentially future uses as well. It also adds the expanded notification buffers and the renter and business occupant notification requirements to the LDR process. Additionally, this amendment makes a small change to a parking reduction section of the code to clarify a cross-reference that allows for reduction of parking to for affordable housing projects that meet the requirements of the inclusionary housing ordinance, which has since been repealed and replaced. This amendment updates those references to the city's current affordable housing standards so that current new developers of affordable housing can take advantage of this parking reduction. This line details the process for for this project. This has been going on for for quite some time. We really started talking about the whole universe of group living and kind of these unique and emerging uses in March 2018 as part of the group living process or project. And we've had many public meetings about this type of use and many other related uses. In spring of this year, it was we decided to pull this project at the request of the sponsor out of that larger project and send it through on its own. And we had several meetings at that time with inter neighborhood cooperation and a public meeting to present on the proposal and take some community input. We put a summary and red line draft of the text amendment out in late June for review planning board hearing took place on August 7th and received a unanimous recommendation of approval. The Land Use Transportation and Infrastructure Committee considered this on August 27th and did send it to the council. And that brings us to where we are today at the council public hearing. This slide just highlights a few of the changes that we did make based on some of the public input that we did receive. They include the limits of of the tiny home village use on sites in low intensity residential districts to those sites that already have some sort of civic or public use and limiting them to 30 sleeping units in those lower intensity districts as well, allowing the or requiring that for years past between establishment of a new tiny home village on a subject site after one vacates the site and then notice the new notice to renters and non R.A. community entities that serve an area. We have received quite a few letters about the project and providing feedback. Those have all been included in your in detail, in full detail in the staff report. These are the criteria for adopting a text amendment to the zoning code. This text amendment is impacted by three adopted plans the Comprehensive Plan Blueprint Denver and Housing and Inclusive Denver. This amendment is consistent with the goals and strategies from two of the two key comprehensive plan elements. It would advance several of the equitable, enforceable and inclusive element goals enabling by enabling a range of a range of housing types, promoting flexible options to and and promoting flexible options to meet the needs of people transitioning out of homelessness . It would also advance the strong and authentic neighborhood element by introducing the new renter outreach requirement and expanding outreach requirements in general. In general, such as expanding the the boundary in which we have to actually send notification to two community members and residents. The Sixth Amendment is consistent with many blueprint goals and strategies aimed at responding to the city's unique housing needs. It would enable a new housing option, essentially to be part of the toolkit for addressing homelessness. And this text amendment was developed through a robust public process as detailed previously. Implement several of all three of Blueprint's three equity concepts by expanding options for low cost housing that can help stabilize people's lives and improve access to jobs and services. And by permitting the use citywide, it helps contribute to the diversity of housing types citywide. And finally, this text amendment implements policies and recommendations from the housing an inclusive Denver that's the city's housing plan by adding a flexible new housing use that can help address homelessness and by establishing new outreach and public engagement opportunities. With regard to the second criterion. This text amendment would further public health, safety and welfare by implementing adopted policies for enabling affordable housing and options for people experiencing homelessness, and by creating more predictable, transparent city processes. And it would address the third criterion by resulting in uniform processes and regulations for temporary tiny home villages that are uniform within each zone district in which this temporary use is allowed. So with that, staff recommends the council adopt this text text amendment based on a finding that all review criteria have been met. And I'm happy to stand for any questions. Thank you very much. We do have 16 individuals signed up to speak on this issue this evening. So I'm going to call five at a time up when I call you up, if you could come up to this front row so that you're ready to jump up to the microphone when I call your name. Charles Allison Godfrey and Elizabeth James. Ron see Paul Bendell and John Hazen, if you could come up. And Charles Allison Godfrey, you are a first. Thank you, counselors. My name is Charles Allison Godfrey. I live at the cross streets of 30th and Zuni, and I'm here on behalf of myself, the University of Denver Law School's Land Use Law Society and the National Lawyers Guild. I have gathered about 50 signatures here from the law students that support the tiny home village zoning amendment. For years, the homelessness crisis in our city has existed at unacceptable levels. Metro Denver Homeless Initiatives Point in Time survey documented a 14% increase in the total homelessness population from 2018 to 2019. The crisis will continue to grow as homeownership has become increasingly unattainable for the majority of our city's residents, as rental rates skyrocket and as funding for housing assistance decreases. With the tiny home village zoning amendments. Denver has an opportunity to make a low cost investment. Will having an immense impact on the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness. As the beloved community village has shown time and time again. These village can villages can exist side by side with welcoming neighborhoods. The villages help foster an environment where formerly homeless individuals can have a space of their own, something many have lacked for years. The villages also allow time for people to develop skills that will help them stay housed in the future. We urge you to vote yes to expand housing opportunities for homeless individuals in our city. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, an Elizabeth. I'm an Elizabeth. Located at these 50th and Washington very near East 50th and Washington in Globeville. And I want to thank the council for having this public hearing. I'm here not to speak for or against the amendment, but to ask that the process be a deeply well-considered process, given the residual of the pain that continues to linger in Globeville because of the manner that this came to Globeville, out of which came many of the lessons that are now being brought into this piece of, I guess it's legislation. One of the things I'd like to ask is that all all city council members really recognize that this is a citywide problem that can be resolved by creating an inventory and it can be a matter of talking, looking quickly, going to find where the many diverse needs of homelessness solutions can be found. But I do feel like this process has not generated the deep learning that I think needs to happen for operators of these facilities, the tiny home projects, to be vetted for their their cultural sensitivities and ability to create the bridges between the residents of tiny homes and the residents in the neighborhoods. Globeville. I'm here as an individual, by the way, not affiliated with any of the Arnaud's I've worked with, not on behalf of anyone else, and quite aware of many people in Globeville that are not here, that are wishing that that there there could be more constructive empathy. The situation, the process was mishandled both by the city council person at the time and the staff that came in from the DCC. I don't have any questions about where people's hearts are at. I wish that this was the type of process that could be audited. Through the city auditor sociologically. I think there's a great deal to discuss. I would like it to be looked at deeply without it being politicized. I think Globeville has all of the elements in concentration that have to be considered in every neighborhood when bringing in the mixture of populations that have a variety of combined stresses and and and aspirations and hope. A lot of what the stress was in Globeville was because the clover was the first neighborhood where the neighborhood planning was rolled out, deploying the planners. And there was there was a blow in relationship to that, too, and with the love for the tiny home residents, which should be respected. I would just ask the City Council to rise up to a deeper evaluation of what this process has been. Do a debriefing, look for best practices, use the standards that are used when National Science Foundation grants come in with programs come in. We need to look more deeply at this because. Just listening I'm sorry. Was your time is up. Thank you very much for full. Next up, James Ramsey. Thank you. My name is James Ramsay. I'm a resident of Denver. I own my own home in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. I'll just be brief. This thank you for considering this amendment to the zoning code. It offers a regulatory environment that allows individuals and members of the community to provide the sort of attainable housing that is not otherwise provided through higher costs and private development. I, for one, as a homeowner, would welcome a tiny home village on my block and in my neighborhood without question. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. Next up, Paul Mindel. Hi. Thank you for having me. I'm here to speak in favor of the support of tiny home village tax amendment. I'm grateful for all the work that the Community Planning and Development Agency has done, and I've been a part of that group Living Advisory Committee the whole way. Um, so I'm also speaking on behalf of Quinn City Cooperative in Capitol Hill. I believe these forms of housing strengthens Denver's community by providing an opportunity for shared governance and micro solidarity. So micro solidarity is the act of small groups of people banding together and supporting each other economically and emotionally. It's not a particularly new kind of thing. People have done that since Indigenous resistance to colonization all the way through the Underground Railroad to today. You know, small groups of people trying to survive. So in this context, though, I think it's very necessary in the face of Denver's real estate, runaway real estate values and also just the neoliberal policies that we've inherited. And so I believe it's amazing that tiny home villages can allow sort of small groups of people to come together. And in the case of a beloved community village, support each other to create jobs and access to permanent housing. I also see it providing shared governance, which is also an important thing. I worked in a homeless shelter in Flagstaff, Arizona, and saw firsthand that, like moving dozens and hundreds of people in and out of a building each night created high pressure, and it also reduced the amount of autonomy and dignity that individuals received. And so I believe that, you know, these communities, which do allow an aspect of shared governance, of people having a say in a in the circumstances and decisions that affect their lives. I think shared governance is just a huge asset to Denver's community and to building out greater resources to those who are, I guess, most excluded by our current economy. Could you state your name for the record? Paul Bender. Thank you. Next, John Haden. Hello. Members of council. My name is John Haden. I live in the Five Points neighborhood and I have a property at 34th and Lawrence, which is just a few blocks from where the first community village, beloved community village was located. And so I'm here to testify firsthand as a neighbor about how extraordinary that experience was to have the village in in our neighborhood and what a difference it made for the people in that village to have that sense of community versus what we've seen in the larger shelters on the other end of of our own neighborhoods. So we had kind of this view of of two very different ways of treating people who are experiencing homelessness. And the village, the tiny home villages really are something I would love to see our city embrace. And I'm here to actively support that because I believe they are beneficial to the people who who live in the village . And also and perhaps more importantly for you, because I believe they're beneficial to the neighborhoods where the villages are located. And this amendment does something very important, which is provide the opportunity for these villages to be located throughout the entire city. And I, I really believe that if we have these villages in, in neighborhoods across the city, even in high income neighborhoods, that it will help reduce the sense of the homeless are other from us. People need to understand that people who are experiencing homelessness are in fact their neighbors, that they are people just like them. And by reducing the segregation of our city, by providing housing types from people of all income levels, we do we're taking a step in the right direction to do that. I would like to recommend one thought for you. There is a piece of land outside the city county building that was recently considered for a park, for art, for a museum that's not coming. It's owned by RTD, and I think it would be a fantastic site for a tiny home village right in the center of downtown, where our city can speak loud and clear. These are our neighbors. This is something to be proud of. Thank you. Thank you. I'll call the next five if you could come up to the front. Duane Petersen, Tyrese Howard Cole. Chandler, Jesse Paris and Julie Patino. Duane Petersen. Europe. Hi. Updating the zoning code for the tiny home village would allow for the expansion of tiny. Homes to be built in other locations. Providing opportunities to more individuals experiencing homelessness to achieve housing. Having a secure place to reside is important to one's self-esteem. Tiny homes offer safety and stability while providing an individual. With independence and dignity. Thank you. My name is Dwayne Peterson. Thank you very much. Tyrese Howard. Hello. My name is Patrice Howard. I'm going to speak with two hats. Now, most of y'all know me as an organizer with Denver homeless out loud, but I'm also a part of the Village Collaborative as a board member and original founder of this village. And I want to speak a little bit to the history which brings us to this place. So back in 2015 and 2016, I and others were in this very council chambers asking you all council members for support for legalization of tiny home villages, which were not yet legal at that time. 2017 that legalization came came about through a variety of supports, mostly from community planning and development and others. And and the beloved community village. Was able to open up. For the first temporary temporary site. That struggle of. Of three or four years to just legalize the villages themself did not end. In 2017. When the village became legal. The unlisted temporary use permit process that the original village was under. Well, it was a great initial pathway was filled with flaws and and struggles that made it extraordinarily difficult to find other sites to to to go through the zoning process in. A streamlined and efficient manner. And so passing this zoning is is a critical step forward to streamlining the process to enable more of these villages to go up throughout the city of Denver in an efficient way and in a way that can build that community connection that is being talked about, and most importantly, in a way that faces the reality that housing is a basic human need and that right now we have thousands and thousands of folks who are homeless, sleeping on our streets, our alleys, our parks, our abandoned buildings, our busses, our shelters, and will continue to be. So this is a pathway just to make this a little easier to have a place to call home. So I am grateful for the support of Councilwoman Kennish in bringing this forward and in all her work that has made this a law that we can now vote on or that you can now vote on. And I don't have a vote, and I ask you all to please support this and moving forward. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Cole Chandler. Good evening, counsel. I'm Cole Chandler. I live at 3024 Elizabeth Street and Denver's District nine. And I'm a co-founder of the Carter Village Collaborative. I'm also here on paternity leave. I just welcomed a new baby into my life. So I've gotten to talk with lots of you about the specifics of this text amendment. And I'd like to talk a little bit higher level this evening. And I think many of you will be familiar with this history. But we know that throughout the history of many of America's great cities, that certain zoning ordinances have been used as tools to exclude certain groups of people from accessing certain parts of town. We've regulated a lot sizes, home sizes, built forms, etc., in order to in order to produce well formed cities that serve to increase and preserve the wealth of a few while others are excluded. This historical reality has been one of the primary points of tension since the beginning of our effort. The history that Teresa was just remembering from back in 2015, when people were standing here in these chambers asking for a dignified resident led, tiny home communities. As soon as we started that process, we immediately found ourselves immersed in the power and access that has land accessibility in the heart of our city. Utilizing city planning tools, we have segregated our neighborhoods and communities based upon race, class, religion, gender, sexuality and more for generations. And we are weaker for that. The work of creating an equitable city is to take an honest look at that reality and find places to use the tools at our disposal to change that reality and rewrite that history, thereby liberating the land and the people who live on the land. This is what we have the opportunity to do tonight. We have the chance to make it permissible to build more community based housing, to put more houses on his own lot, to move outside of our traditional build to requirements in order to make space for a group of people in our city that are currently being excluded. We have the chance to rewrite just a tiny bit of history as we make a powerful statement that we all belong in Denver, regardless of our wealth, our racial background, our educational attainment, or the depth of our various struggles. This bill takes steps to make land access a bit more possible for those that don't otherwise have that right. And for that reason, it makes our city a bit more just and equitable, and thereby it makes all of us a bit more free. If this bill passes, the Colorado Village Collaborative looks forward to utilizing the tool, this tool, as we work with Denver's historic neighborhoods to find attractive ways to integrate our brothers and sisters on the streets into these historic communities. Together, we can weave a strong, robust social fabric that will make Denver an equitable, resilient and beautiful city for future generations. So thank you for your support and vision as we move together to free the land and free ourselves so that we may enter into deeper relationship with one another. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Jesse Pearce. Good evening. Jesse Pierce represented for Denver Home, a sellout Black Star action moment for self, defense and positive and commitment for social change as well as universal African people's organization. We are in favor of this rezoning. As my colleagues have already stated, this has been a long fight with the city to allow for these things to be even possible. This fight has been going on since 2012, since the urban camping ban was passed and we are currently asking for a repeal of that ban. So somebody sponsor. But back to this, there's been a long fight and now the city is coming to grips with the reality that we have a homeless crisis, even though we have 23,000 vacant apartments. Because it's a real estate deal that the city refuses to do and members of this council. But I'm permitted to just trust the council as a whole. So I'm just going to leave it at that. With that being said, City, don't sit up here and try to take the credit for these villages, nor for the repeal of a ban that has been inhumane in 2019. We're still dealing with these type of laws, these sundown. Okeydoke. Jim Crow laws in a supposedly progressive, liberal city. So I don't even know where my city is anymore. I'm a native, long term native, and I don't know where this is going, but this is not my home and I do not feel at home here. So this is a start of we can do better and so on. The public actually what that looks like. But this is just a start. There's much more that's needed besides this. This isn't even scratching the surface, especially when we have 23,000 vacant apartments. So, yes, I'm in favor of this rezoning. Please pass this. It's a step in the right direction, especially since we could do better and we had the money and the resources to spend to program the public into thinking that it's time to show improve. I just came from the Show Me State, so you got to show me where and you can tell me. And that being said, I'll be running again in 2023. You could stay on the topic of this hearing. And we ask that you vote in favor of this. Thank you. Thank you. I'm not done yet. Thank you. Clinician others for your. Please address the councils of all individual council members. This is pushing this to actually get us this far. And like I said, there's more need. So since we can do better, let's do better and show us exactly what that looks like. Hold Council. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Julie Pitino. Good evening, honorable counsel. My name is Julia Patino. I serve as the director of Basic Human Needs. How's that for a job title for the Denver Foundation? I'm here tonight in support of the zoning code update relative to tiny homes. The Denver Foundation is a 95 year old community foundation which invest very heavily in this community. We support not only community based organizations and individuals through grantmaking, but also through partnerships. The Tiny Homes Village, the Interfaith Alliance, a number of organizations that have been involved in the involvement of tiny homes, villages. Are all organizations that we've supported over the last five years alone. We have invested over $5 million in housing and homelessness and meeting basic human needs for this community. This is another cornerstone to ensuring that we have housing stock that is otherwise not available in the barren landscape that we have before us, particularly for individuals experiencing homelessness or other vulnerabilities. We have a two fold relationship with the Tiny Homes Village. Not only have we been a funder and funded, not forks or excuse me, shovels in the ground, but really villages who came to us looking for funding relative to navigation and services that villagers sought out to help find jobs to attend school to meet health needs to address another an array of needs. We have various nonprofit partners like Bayside Enterprises who are involved with that. We also have a role in terms of partnership in advancing housing policy and addressing homelessness from a grassroots level. Recognizing that people experiencing homelessness are the experts when it comes to addressing homelessness, and that even our well-intentioned efforts are not served unless we are including their voice and leadership. Thank you. Thank you. And recall the next group up. Tanya Sully. Mark Foul. Loretta Koehler. Chairman Sekou Kate. Bridget and Jeff Baker. Hello. My name is Tanya Saleh. I am a co-director of the Colorado Village Collaborative. I want to thank you all for your continued involvement and support for the Tiny Homes Village and finding a solution to the housing crisis in Denver. I would just like to start by saying you got a background of the Tiny Homes Village, but really what we see it as is transformational housing. We really seek to transform the lives of every resident that comes through our gates and our doors and give them a house and a key and a place to feel safe and dignified and unified in a community that they're not an outsider. But we are all one in the same space. Our goals are to expand and allow more people to have this sense of dignity and feel this sense of community. And due to their unfortunate situations of, you know, impossible rent in Denver and all the other factors that contribute to the housing crisis allow people to have an opportunity outside of shelters, outside of the limited other options for housing, and to provide a unique solution, not the only solution, but it is one. So we want to pave the way for expansion and fill a gap in this continuum of housing and to have an opportunity to expand on our women's village that we've already put the groundwork for. But this will allow a more streamlined path for that to happen and for more villages to come. So the personal transformation that I've seen in the village, through the residents, through people who have even supported this, is this sense of community, through even the success of us being in a part of a community. So we've we've seen crime go down in a neighborhood. We've seen either a positive impact or no impact at all. And so allowing this to take place in different neighborhoods outside of District nine and other districts in other places across the state, this is going to be the first step. This is a model for the city. This is a model for other organizations that are looking to find solutions for housing and clearing. Things such as permitting will allow us to focus on what we really seek to do, which is provide transformation, to provide healing, to provide community, and to provide a sense of ownership in the House , in the places they live in and feel part of it moving forward. Having this stability is the main factors that see success. So having a long term, a longer term place on the site will allow more stability and that'll be more success within our villages. This will be an opportunity for other organizations to implement similar model models. The biggest piece is equitable community engagement. As you can see, we've had some we're still healing from past community engagements with not enough time. So this will allow us to approach it in a time where renters, homeowners, businesses, Arnaud's we can all get together and collaborate to see what we want our city to look like. So thank you all and I hope you can support this. Thank you. Next up, Marc, Val. Thank you. My name's Mark Fall. I'm a resident of Douglas County, unincorporated. And I want to speak tonight on sort of the technical aspect of the tiny home village I've been involved in the in the process since 2017 and being familiar with the design of the tiny homes and also how the community, Denver Community Planning and Development Department has supported this. There's been great concern for the quality of construction and the quality of the built environment. So I think that expanding the length of time that these units are in place is a doable and reasonable thing. I don't think that it's a substandard building for that kind of stay, and I think that that's very, very important because to let someone stay someplace for an extended period of time at all, the environment has to be built safely. And I think that the CBD has shown great concern for that. They've required a builder with a Class A license to do the construction and oversee the construction of these tiny homes. And the designs have been done by, you know, registered architects, profession, very professional manner, all that's been done. The other aspect of this is that if the tiny homes can stay in one location for six months, you need a new location every six months. If they can stay in a location for four years, then that decreases the number of new locations you need to scale this effort up. And it's a very successful effort, but for a very small segment of the homeless community. So to make it a more effective solution for a larger group of homeless people, a longer stay is important to accomplish that. Lastly, I think there's a proactive measure where the city of Denver will not be reacting to problems that come forward with that that other cities have seen in other tiny home communities. So I applaud the city of Denver for looking at this in a very proactive manner, and it's a great opportunity to be out in front of this and prevent problems that might occur with these villages in the future. Thank you. Next up, Loretta Koehler. Hi. I'm Loretta Kaylor, and I live in Baker historic neighborhood. And and I'm part of the group Living Committee. And and I want to just talk about a little bit about me and why I think this is a really appropriate First Amendment. And I think we should you should go ahead and vote for this. I've worked most of my adult life with in in low income resource kind of areas. So I still do. And so I see the needs that aren't being met by a lot of different communities and I see where we're failing for our city. I would like to see I've worked a lot in in housing in the past and a lot with transit, transitional housing and a lot with domestic violence. And I think there's a lot of people who end up finding themselves homeless. We know because of medical needs, because of bills, because of domestic violence, for whatever other reasons. And I think this is a means for some people to have some other kinds of housing. When I worked for Boulder County Housing Authority, we worked on ways to work for housing for all kinds of individuals. And it was difficult because housing is so prohibitively expensive. And we know that Denver's become prohibitively expensive. We see this on a daily basis. When I see Homeless off of Broadway coming into our neighborhood and I see people everywhere. I am very supportive of this because there are benefits for somebody having a roof over their head. And we all know that. We all know that having somewhere safe to go to that you can call your own is very important. We know that those kind of supportive services that have been offered for those people in tiny home villages have been beneficial for those people. And the goal is that they can move on and have. Something more permanent. We need to have transitional housing across the city. As James said, I think the one thing that I would do is I would support it in my neighborhood if they are the industry said they wanted to have that down the street from me. I more than welcome. It because I think it's appropriate. I'd rather have people off the street. The other thing is I want my city to be forward thinking. I don't want is to be. Regressive and not look at what the needs are of people. I think we need to find. New ways to fit those needs. And this is one. Of those ways. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Chairman Sekou. Okay. Contrary to popular belief, my name is not Notre Dame. I'm not Jimmy the Greek. But I'm telling you flat out, this is going pass. 100%. It's not because all of a sudden there's been a moral change here. You have seen the coming. You don't pass this, Jack. You're in trouble. And I'll tell you how I knew I was going to pass. I saw Herndon outside Lehman. I knew. I knew it. I knew it because if I was. Brooks had been sitting there when you came up. But there is a caveat here. I want to pay attention. It would go. There used to be a sitcom called The Little Rascals. And there was a young kid in there. That they call missed data. And she ended up being the advocate for the group, like the lawyer. But lawyers talk out of both sides of their neck because they always create the loophole for the pendulum swing because they always want to be getting paid on both sides. They don't get. So watch this here. The caveat and the loophole in this one is what? Temporary. Hmm. Not permanent. Temporary. That means it is subject to change when there is a regime change. Uh huh. Yeah. So there's no closer to that. But that's all right. In a morning, I'll be meeting with Michael to change this and give back to make it permanent. Permanent? If it's not permanent, it's not real. When that last zoning change came up, was it temporary that you could temporarily build another house inside your backyard? No. So now we've got two standards one for the privileged, one for the poor, and they're diametrically opposed to each other. So you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time. Age Data. Please refer to the counsels of all but individuals. As a whole. Little rascals. You need to grow up. You're too old for this. Acting like children. I'm sorry, but your time is up. Thank you very much. Next up is Cricket. Good job. I. My notes. My name is Kate Rigo. I am not in any formal role with CBC, but I have some background working with CBC informally, and I also have a number of friends who live our beloved community village. So I spent some time just hanging out there as sort of a part of the extended community connected to that village. I'm also an urban planning student at UCD, so I've done a little bit of study related to planning and zoning best practices around townhouse villages. I don't have anything comprehensive prepared for that, but I just wanted to speak about one thing I hadn't heard mentioned. Yeah, I mean, fortunately so far everyone has been pretty supportive, but I wanted to encourage members of council to not listen to any whatever naysayers might be out there who are going to say things like, well, you shouldn't, you know, shouldn't be bothering with Tanya's village stuff because it's not going to end homelessness. You can only house, you know, 14 to 30 people or whatever at a time. And there's however many thousands of people here who are experiencing homelessness and done it right now. So there's really no point. It's only a tiny drop in the bucket, so therefore you shouldn't do it. So I just wanted to I mean, hopefully no one is thinking along those lines here, but at least wanted to say it's I haven't heard anyone here say that we think this is going to just end. Homelessness across the board is just an important piece of lots of solutions and things that that we're all part of supporting across the board. So I want to put that out there cause folks to go ahead and pass this, recognize that it's not the be all and end all of something that's going to end that's going to end homelessness or anything. But then once that is passed, continue to look for further ways to be proactive and brave in addressing homelessness and more and more creative ways. I'd also wanted to and just real quickly echo lots of other things that folks have said about the importance of these of of this type of housing, the diversity of housing type that it adds to cities as well as positive impacts on communities around them. And most importantly, I think the kind of dignity that does just that is part of this form of housing that that brings to people who are living in it. And I think that it's all time for. Thank you. Thank you. Geoff Baker Hello Council. I'm representing Curtis Park Neighbors and president of Curtis Park Neighbors. And we are fully in support of this because it is a small step in the right direction. We would like to see this go to a more permanent down the road. So hopefully we'll be back again to talk about getting this into permanent. But this is a great step. One piece of the puzzle for solution towards homelessness. There's many other things that need to be done, of course, but hopefully with this moving in the right direction, we will see these popping up in neighborhoods and down the road . We won't even think anything of it. They'll just be part of the the housing stock that we have in Denver. So that's really all I got. We are in support of passing this. Thank you very. Much. Thank you. That concludes our speakers. Are there questions from members of council on this item? Councilwoman Ortega. Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to ask, first of all, CPD, if we have seen any other applications come through just knowing that this is pending legislation and possibly now includes, you know, other sites around the city. While we've heard some interest in coming forward with an application, we have not heard of any anything formalized yet. We have not received any specific applications. Okay. And would you mind coming up for a minute, please? Can you just share whether or not the tenants who live at the beloved tiny home village are expected to contribute financially towards their housing? And if not, what other kinds of contributions they're making? So the current residents of the beloved community village are not required to make financial contribution. They are required to participate in upholding the community agreements and participate in community life, including coming to meetings that occur weekly at the village and then also participating in upkeep and chores around the village. So those are their community requirements. All right. Thank you. Have no further questions. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman CdeBaca. Thank you, Mr. President. Cole. Can you come back? Sorry. I almost jumped on there to ask you earlier. Quick question about the cost of setting one of these up and. What do you have options with the types of material you use? So when we first built this pilot project, we built 11 units for $145,000, which was an amazing thing. And it was done by 6000 hours of volunteer service and lots of just community involvement all around. We think that was awesome and we think as we try to scale, that's really difficult to replicate. So we've been working on a financial model, working with social impact solutions. And Ken, while on that and what we've found is that our startup capital costs for creating a tiny home village of 25 units, which is really the goal that we're trying to get towards, would be $600,000. And so that would include all the staff time, construction, time, design time, all that kind of stuff for $600,000 and a community building with water and sewer hook ups like what we're trying to currently do in Globeville. So that comes out to $30,000 per unit, but the material costs for the unit within that are 15,000. And so that's with what we're doing right now, a stick build that's gone through a traditional permitting process. You know, there could be possibilities for innovation with shipping containers and other kinds of things like that over time. But right now what we're looking at is that stick build $30,000 per unit kind of price point. And so when since these are temporary, when the time is up on one of them, you guys had a unique situation and I think you kept the materials from the original one. What happens to the materials when the time on this one is up and is there a commitment to keep the materials circulating? Yeah. So everything that we have on that site at 4400, Pearl would go to to a future site. The only loss, so to speak, would be whatever pipes we put in the ground and any improvements that we might make to the fence or those kinds of things. And so our move costs factor it out over four years. Time is something like $160,000. When you figure out the cost to move the buildings, the cost of that piping and infrastructure. So we build that into our operation costs for $40,000 a year over the four year time period. Awesome. And Andrew, can I ask you a couple of questions. About the material? Does this does this amendment. Say anything about what we can use, what we can't use for these villages? It does not. As long as the materials meet the the building code requirements, which are essentially the international building code and the international residential code requirements for a structure. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Councilwoman Councilman Cashman. Yeah, thank you, Mr. President. Yeah. Following up a little bit on what Councilwoman CdeBaca said. Andrew Sorry. Not trying to take it easy on your knees. So this particular zoning would not allow things like are these? How about prefab mobile homes? It would not. This anticipates purpose built sleeping units that are not full dwelling units that don't have, you know, kitchens and bathrooms in them built for this specific use. This does not permit the use of RVs or mobile homes which are regulated separately in the zoning code. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman Cashman. Councilman Hines. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. CHANDLER. Yeah. I just want to follow up on something you said a minute ago. You said there's no financial contribution, is that right. From the residents themselves? That's correct, yes. Thanks for read my mind. So no one has to contribute like $17 a day. They don't have to contribute at all financially. Correct. Do you require residents to do some of your residents work? Yes. Do you require them to surrender their paychecks? We do not. Do you require the residents to get permission to leave the premises? No. I'm just thinking of reflecting back to another kind of marginalized community that we've had discussions about recently. And you're not a for profit corporation, is that right? That's correct. Who are your investors? Who who gives you money? So we're back to Colorado 501c3 We fundraise from individuals and from foundations like the Denver Foundation and the Colorado Health Foundation. And we would love to see a third leg of that investment strategy be the city investing in us as well. Thank you. And congratulations on your little one. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Flynn. Mr. President, I. Andrew, a couple of questions. The. Are the civic, public and institutional uses in in the low density residential zones single unit, twin unit and row house. The use tables in the zoning code don't have a lot of them listed something. A lot of them are not permitted like a postal processing center and and a museum and things like that. What are what are examples of those types of uses that are permitted with limitation in those zones? Can you in. Those in those church density. Churches. What else? Community centers and schools. So what is it? I didn't see a good definition of community center in the zoning code. Could that be a private one? Like. Like a VFW hall or. Or does it have to be open to the public? That is a great question. I believe. I only ask great. Questions. I believe it would. I believe it would include something like a like a Fraternal Order Hall kind of thing. Like you like you mentioned not just a publicly operated. Okay. So the one and one problem that I see and I don't know if this is something that came up during the vetting and I'm just seeing it during the hearing as I'm listening. Is that in the zoning code, in the zone, in those residential zones, community centers, overnight accommodations are prohibited. Does this need to be addressed or is this something that this text amendment overrides intentionally? This would be a separate temporary accessory use to. The primary site. That's right. So the primary use does not allow overnight accommodations, but the accessory use can. That's correct. Okay. That's all I have. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Flynn, seeing no other questions. The public hearing for Councilman 834 is closed. Comments by members of council counsel managers, the sponsor. Did you want to go first? Yes, I did. I'm sorry. I'm stuck on the wrong screen. Go ahead. Thank you so much to all of the speakers for coming out tonight. We have, if you think about an analogy for this project, is like the Olympic torch. It's really those who are experiencing homelessness who lit the torch and really said, this is what we want to try and this is what we need. And then that torch got passed at one point to city agencies with a directive that said, figure out how to do this. And one of the people who spent the most hours I'm really pleased is here tonight, which is Jill Jennings Golic, who is our former she was our deputy director of planning at the time. She was an acting director for a portion of this conversation. And she and many staff members took the torch and figured it out. It wasn't a sprint. It was like a worldwide marathon. Like you imagine the torch having to go around the whole globe maybe several times. And I think that that was hard. It was hard for me and other council members to watch how long it took. It was hard for the staff who once they thought they figured something out, found another piece. And I want to share that. One of the things that was hard about it was the tradeoff between safety and the same standards for folks experiencing homelessness and speed. And I personally had a few rounds on that with, you know, the building official particularly saying, you know, can't we sacrifice this for speed? Can't we sacrifice that for speed? And then the question of, well, you know, do we want to, you know, for example, sacrifice the safety risk of a floodplain for the speed of putting a village in. So this was not easy. And I want to thank all of the folks who took the torch next, which is many of you who are here from the group Living Zoning Code Group. So I may miss someone, but I got Loretta James, Paul, John, folks who spent a lot of hours and many folks who aren't here who took the torch to say , what are we mostly as residents who have not experienced homelessness? We had some work groups that had folks with lived experience on them. But what do we as groups feel like our obligation is and thinking about making our city more flexible. And so all I really get to do is carry the torch across the finish line like a foot and a half. Right. So I'm pretty humble. It's not my ordinance. I just I'm just here to help at the end, the staff. I also want to just thank Andrew and Tina Axelrod, who's not here for spending all of the hours they did as long along with Polly in my office. So I put up a visual because one of the things that folks ask me a lot in the community is what are we doing to address homelessness? And I've tried to find a one page thing that visually demonstrates the continuum. And what I say to folks is some of the things on this list we're working on making better. So emergency shelter is on the far left end of the spectrum and. We're trying to make it work better by moving it to the right so that it's more oriented towards housing navigation. And so that's something that's happening. A lot of what we do is we try to move our way to the right, we try to get out of the red and into the blue. And so one of the things that for me is really important when I when I came to the decision, I spent almost all of my time on the blue, right end of the spectrum, my time in office. That's what the housing fund was about. That's what doubling the housing fund and bringing forward $50 million for land, for supportive housing and those below 30% of median income was about and I was passionate and that's where I thought I needed to spend all of my time and talents, because that's the end of the spectrum. At that point, you're housed and you're safe and you're stable. It doesn't mean you don't need other supports, but it means you're no longer homeless. And for me, the moment where the realization occurred was when we had one project come forward for supportive housing in 2018, only one, and they did not get state tax credits. The city had all of our money sitting there and waiting to fill the gap, but our money's little and the tax credit money is big. And when the tax credit money fell through, we didn't have a new project in all of 2018. And that for me was the line that we had this big gap right in the middle where tiny home villages sits, right? We're trying to make all the things, all the shelter better and move people along. And we have the solution that we know works. And I just have to say it every chance I get. 300 folks chronically homeless, some for decades were offered housing for supportive housing, and only one person turned it down. People don't turn down supportive housing. It's just not common. And so what we know is folks want to be in this housing, but I can't build it fast enough. I couldn't make up all by myself for that 2018 project that went away. This proposal for me was about understanding that there was this gap right in the middle and that we had to put more energy into it . And I appreciate the willingness of the community planning and development to take this piece out and move it faster. Because even if we don't have an application pending, we do have sites. There is fundraising already done for a whole new village and they are looking for sites. And so we would have been six months behind the game if we had waited to do this ordinance. But we're doing it tonight to move faster and to have more creative options. So what I often say to folks is the things on the blue end of the spectrum, especially even in the middle, they work. The challenge is getting them to scale. And that's what this ordinance is about. This ordinance is about saying we need a whole bunch of land to choose from because it's really hard to get. And I want to just address one question about why temporary. I agree that we should have permanent tiny home villages, too. But in order to build a building attached to the ground and hook it up to plumbing and hook it up to electricity, you need to own the land. If you're going to build it forever, it has to be your land. And that is hard to find and it's expensive to find. So the most important thing was to get any land quickly. So this was one of those speed things. It was about saying if there's a piece of land that's needed for a rec center in three years, let's use it. Now. If there's a piece of land that's needed for a grocery store in five years, let's use it now. If there's a condo project, that'll come someday, let's use the land now. So temporary land is not saying that folks don't deserve permanent homes. Everybody, I hope, will move out of that tiny home village and to the supportive housing that comes next and to the permanent affordable housing that may not have any of her services because they don't need them anymore. But the land itself is hard to come by. So while I'm working to get people into permanent homes, this is about creating spaces for villages as quickly as we can so we can get to scale. It's about the most people we can serve. And then I just want to close by saying that this is about more than just this ordinance doing the work. The ordinance is really the easiest part. As long as it took to get that torch around the globe three or four times, it is easy compared to finding that land . So we need to call upon our civic institutions, our landowners, those folks sitting on something and ask them to step up. Our city has stepped up. We're going to keep doing that, but we don't have a lot of we don't keep a lot of unused land around, but we all need to think about that. Secondly, most of you know, I've proposed and the council has graciously agreed to put forward a request that our budget include support services. Folks can't move from tiny homes to the next step on this scale without housing navigators, who can help them make the applications and do the work to get that permanent step next. And so I hope that we're able to get support for that change in the budget, and we need to do more than that. Right. So we heard the $600,000 cost. The best practice research was presented last year at the Housing and Homelessness Workgroup, and we know that cities are often contributing to operations, sometimes to capital, not always . But we can be thinking about other financial investments. We can only grow the scale if the resources are aligned. And then lastly, our neighborhoods. This is a new use. There were a lot of questions, which is why it is so important that we have the community informational meeting in here. That is not the sum total of community outreach, but it happens before the application goes in and the application has to note what feedback came from that meeting and how it was addressed. That's a first for those of you keeping track of our land use process. We don't require anyone else in our land use. So I got questions about that. Actually from Inter Neighborhood Cooperation, they said, Is it fair to ask our most vulnerable project to do more than we ask other developers and others to do? And the answer for now is yes, because this is a new use and people need more time to learn about it and understand. But it is incumbent upon our neighborhoods to engage in this conversation with good faith and with open hearts. Everybody in our city deserves a chance to live in a home. It might be next door to you. The desire for something to always happen somewhere else is not realistic. And so I ask our neighborhoods to think about learning about these homes now, maybe before a project is proposed tour, a supportive housing project now and get to understand why those services create a greater amount of safety, both for the residents who live there as well as for your neighborhood, than it does when you're living in an alley right in your vulnerable and you are a potential victim and you are highly traumatized on a daily basis. So I call upon our neighborhoods to help make the final step of this possible, which is by engaging in good faith and helping to welcome these and learning about them and preventing rumors from spreading and using your sincere desire to shape how you can be related to this. There is a lot of room to shape the relationship here. I do commend Globeville for being at the table to help say, here are some things about how this site could be designed and how these things could be shaped. And I hope every neighborhood will step up and engage with those ideas. With that, I thank my colleagues for their consideration and urge a yes vote tonight. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman Hines. Thank you, Mr. President. It's kind of difficult to go after Councilwoman Kane each those very powerful. Thank you. Denver. We can do better. As we heard last November, we can do better. So thank you, Councilman Kane Cannick, for your foot and a half of movement, which is a lot of work to move it a foot and a half. And thank you all of all the people here today who spoke in support of it and all the people who aren't here today who did a lot of work to make this happen as well, that you're bringing this text amendment forward. I also want to thank the district ten residents who are here today who came tonight and support call it perfect ten for a reason. And you're helping me realize how perfect perfect ten is. Mr. Ramsey, I hope I pronounce that correctly. It's specifically you who stated that you would be happy to have a tiny home village on your block. As Councilwoman Kennedy said, we need our neighborhoods to come forward. And we need to all of us, we need to make make a commitment to all of us as humans. And I would make the same commitment. I would be happy to have a tiny home village on my block as well. I think diverse neighborhoods are make better neighborhoods. And and I think that the some of the neighbors who who have concerns are in neighborhoods that have that are very homogeneous. And as we as we diversify our neighborhoods, I think we we've become healthier as a city. We've become healthier as a neighborhood. And frankly, I think that we've become healthier as individuals as well. So. This is as Councilwoman Kennedy showed in her and her visual. This is just one more tool in the toolbox. I look forward to considering additional tools as we in Denver continue to do better. As we do better. I'm excited to see a model that that treats residents as partners and success. And and I wish you success with my yes vote. Thank you, Councilman Consommateurs. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I also just want to thank everyone for coming out in support of this ordinance and the work that Councilwoman can each and CPD all put into this? Mr. Hazen I think it was it's something around who would love to see this, the city embrace this, and I would like to echo that. It is going to take all 78 of our neighborhoods to really embrace the potential of what this has and the potential it has to change people's lives. Mr. Chandler reminded us how zoning in our history in Denver was used to exclude people, and it will only change when we actually use zoning to include folks. So thank you so much. We still need a number of solutions. I love Councilwoman Nature's Spectrum of all of the housing solutions that are required and all of the parts that play a role in trying to address this true crisis. I really want to thank also the Denver Foundation and Ms.. Virginia for helping to fund these efforts. These are not free. These are not easy and they are temporary. So it does take investment and and belief that this actually makes a difference. This isn't a singular solution. It's one way to give stability and peace to a small group of people who only need a chance to figure out their next step. Tiny home villages may not be for everyone experiencing homelessness. They are for those for whom it does work a roof in a place of their own that can and will change their lives. So thank you all so much. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilwoman Councilman Cashman. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank our members of our unsheltered community and their allies for for the grace and courage with which you've leaned into this topic, especially in recent years. You've created a movement, and it wouldn't have been done without you. I want to congratulate Cole Chandler on the addition to your family. Hope your child is healthy and happy and carries your spirit of service. Thanks for what you do. Councilwoman Canete, his outstanding work. Thank you for your leadership on this. So this is an amazing evening. President Clark and I and maybe some others on the previous council will remember a gentleman named Bob Sperling who came around to council four years into the planning department lobbying for accessory dwelling units. And when he first came around, he was just shoot away. You know, it was kind of like, what are you even talking about? He, unfortunately, some months ago passed away after a brief battle with ALS and now on a somewhat regular basis. Now we're talking about this new tool to increase our housing stock, and I find that very exciting. A number of us went to Austin, Texas, this summer to visit their community first village, and they had 51 acres on the first 24 acres. They've got 225 tiny homes and mobile homes and RVs, and they're just started developing the remaining 27 acres for another 300 units. And they have a they're building a 20,000 square foot health center, etc., etc.. So we came back very motivated and wondering how do we replicate that? Does it have to be on 51 acres? Can it be done high rise? Can it be done in different just a different format? And what we're getting ready to vote on tonight provides us at least a shot at that. You know, and I like so much the idea of of individual homes rather than apartments in buildings. You have a you know, while they're certainly not large, they're your own. The door locks, there's space around it. You can sit on your porch and, you know, look out at whatever you care to look at. This is just a wonderful tool and it's such a fitting thing that we're talking about these both of these new additions to our housing stock. And as I would say to Mr. Chandler and say to our tiny homes, may you multiply. Thank you. They just mean cash and Councilman Ortega. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to piggyback a little bit on what Councilman Cashman was just saying. I was one of those council members who got a chance to go to the Austin community first. Residents. And to see how they have incorporated social enterprises into their living environment was was pretty exciting. But really what we saw was a community and that's what we see at the beloved tiny home village as well. And that is so much different than putting an individual in a unit because sometimes they lose that sense of community that they've had, that camaraderie, that that that has been built with the people they've been living on the streets with. And by creating what's more of a community environment, it it gives the individuals that support that is needed. Yes. The all the support services are important, but that sense of of community and belonging is equally as important. And that's part of what I have seen that our beloved tidy home village has created. Sokol I want to thank you and your board for really moving the needle on this conversation, being part of the group living conversations and elevating this to be part of that agenda and making sure that the committee that worked on on this particular section just kept moving the needle on it. Councilwoman, for for taking it across the finish line as you. Articulately elaborated on. But I think the importance here is that we have a shelter system. We have some supportive housing. We've got a lot of market rate housing. We need the layers in between so that we have all the right options for people that are coming out of our shelter system, that are working, that need to get into stable housing, that people who leave the tiny home village can get into housing that's affordable. And again, yes, it does take a while to get through, you know, the tax credit process in making sure that we've got the affordability built in, but really having the continuum of options for people at different stages in their life so that we're ensuring that we don't have people returning to the streets because we have it address that continuum of options. So for everybody who's been involved with this, I just want to say thank you to our our staff at CPD. Andrew, Jill, Tina. You guys have played an important role in, in shaping all of this and moving the needle as well. So I'm going to be supporting this tonight. I'm excited that we will have the opportunity to show folks that this really works. And, you know, we've got people in the Lincoln Park neighborhood who will be seeing, you know, something happened with the Burnham yards. And they're one of the communities that said, pick me. We'd like to have a tiny home village in our community as one of the options on this site, assuming she doesn't take the whole site when they're talking about, you know, creating some new route for the I-25 corridor. But I think this gives us the opportunity and the fact that we have so many large churches around our city that are being underutilized, that have huge parking lots, I think this creates tremendous opportunity for options all across the city where it's not just one neighborhood or one part of the city being asked to, you know, to do their part in helping make sure that we've got these opportunities here. And the last thing I'll say is. In Austin. I know when I've had a chance to travel to Europe and saw a tiny home village. These are communities that the larger community is very proud to have in their neighborhoods and to be able to say this is ours. And I think Denver has one and can have others, and it's not going to be for everybody. But having that as one of the options will give all those people who get to take advantage of them the opportunity to stabilize their lives. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Gilmore. Thank you, President Clark. You know. There's really no. Opposition. So congratulations on on a really robust community engagement process and want to support and acknowledge the work of the community first and foremost, because you do that work every single day. I want to also acknowledge, you know, Cole, Andrew, Jill and Councilwoman Kenney each and hopefully, you know, being one of the council. Members who attended the trip when we went. To Austin, Texas, and toured the community first village. You know, a lot of that. Education and experience will always stay with us. That being said, I think there's benefit to other city individuals or other council members going and visiting and kind of seeing that model. Because one of the things with their. Model was that they were also generating income for the residents. And that was so meaningful because you were validated that if you're creative or you make artwork or you make sculptures. Or you make jewelry or whatever it is that is. Your livelihood that you know in your heart is your life livelihood. They were able to really foster that. And I'm hopeful that with some time under our belts that we could look at more permanent solutions for these villages, because it's not unheard of that somebody might do improvements on a parcel of land that they never intend to own. They are only making those. Improvements so that they can operate and then someone else owns that land into perpetuity. It could be a corporation, it could be a developer. And right here in the permitted. Zone districts, we have churches, community centers and cultural. Facilities. And so what would. That model look like that. This investment. That is not a small. Investment could be valued for years and years to come. And I'm just curious as to. You know, following this trajectory and hopefully, again, we get a little bit of time under our belts and so that we can look at this maybe in another way after we see how this one works and where there might be others through the city. But, you know, it's troubling to me that we might have a significant initial investment that would be moved around every four years throughout the city without truly being able to realize and and really partner with maybe those churches or community centers or cultural facilities to support more individuals for a longer term duration. So congratulations again to everybody. Looking forward to seeing how this moves forward. And my one ask would be, please allow us. However, we might invite our registered neighborhood organization leaders, our community leaders in a respectful manner again. But just people need to see it and they need to meet individuals and really, truly understand. And so I make that ask and I'm here to always help and support. So congratulations again. Thank you, President Clark. Thank you, Councilwoman. And thank you all for coming, for being here, for engaging in the process and for sticking with us as the night gets late. Madam Secretary, roll call. CDEBACA I. FLYNT All right. Gilmore, I. Hinds High. Cashman. Kenny Ortega High. Sandoval High. Sawyer, I. Torres, I. Mr. President. I. Madam Secretary, please close voting in those results.
A MOTION approving the implementation plan for investment of Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account proceeds, in compliance with Motion 15492 and the 2019-2020 Biennial Budget Ordinance, Ordinance 18835, as amended by Ordinance 19022, Section 1, Proviso P1, as amended.
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By your vote. We have given a do pass recommendation to ordinance 2020 279 and will expedite it to full council. So it will be in full council next Tuesday. Thank you very much. And with that, we move on to item six, a motion that would approve the implementation plan for the Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Act or Posture Process proceeds. We were first brief on this item before recess. And today, Erin Area and Patrick Hamacher from central staff are here to provide a refresher briefly on the on the legislation and also to brief the amendment that I have compiled based on input from you, my colleagues, this area. Mr. Hamacher, the call is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Erin Area Council staff materials for this agenda item begin on page 81 of your packet. As a reminder, motion 15492 passed by the Council last August, directed the executive branch to allocate pasta proceeds with a specific funding structure for the implementation plan designed to support early learning facilities, King County Promise and the work of community based organizations. Proceeds are estimated to be 318 million over a 15 year period. Per the implementation plan, 7% of proceeds over the life of the account are set aside for evaluation and administration costs. Of that, up to 10% of those dollars each year may be used to provide for technical assistance and capacity building. The remaining proceeds would then be distributed among three funding categories. 52% is allocated for funding category one early learning facilities. Of these trends, seven and a half percent is dedicated to family and child care home provider facilities. The plan notes three investment types one maintain and improve existing family child care homes to renovate existing non home based facilities. And three invest in partnerships that results in the construction of new facilities. 38% is allocated for funding category to college career and technical education, also known as King County Promise and distributed as follows 45% to K-through-12 education, 45% to post-secondary education, and 10% to community based organizations. This funding structure will be used to fund two programs Promise Partnerships and a system supporting organization with the intent to foster collaboration between school districts, colleges and community organizations to create a pipeline of support for youth or pardon me, for young adults through post-secondary completion. And then 10% is allocated for funding Category three K through 12 community based organizations in the plan, a three year pilot administered by United Way, King County, known as Love and Liberation, will utilize participatory grant making to fund member organizations of the Racial Equity Coalition to provide direct services to the prioritized populations ages ten through 19. And if there are no questions on the background information, we are ready to move to a discussion of the amendments that you directed staff to prepare. Questions on the background are where would be starting from with the plan before getting to the amendment? And please continue. Okay. Now I will go over Amendment two. To be clear, the amendment that we are discussing is the one sent out this morning by Patrick Hamacher at 9:54 a.m. Includes one change from your packet that I will highlight in the Promise section and is also described in the email. For ease of discussion, I will walk through the changes in the red line version, which is attachment seven in your packet, but the final version being considered is consistent with what Patrick said. Note that a small but small technical corrections like spacing and standardizing terms will appear throughout the document, but it will only describe substantive changes. The first on page 319 of your packet in the Early Learning Facilities section. The word extreme is stricken before child care, access, deserts and ads or other types of areas after zip codes to broaden the definition of child care access deserts. This also appears on page 336 and for consistency on page 357 of your packet on three, page 359. The changes are consistent with the ones I just mentioned and add identification of other areas where there are statistically significant gaps in access to high quality learning facilities into consideration and development of analysis areas to be funded. So this change would give the executive authority to fund early learning facilities in areas that were not child care access deserts if there was a statistically significant gap in availability. There's no questions on that. The next section is promise. These amendments clarify the role. Are these changes, I should say, clarify the role of the system supporting organization? The first change in this section is on page 365 of your packet. But I also note that includes the modified language that Patrick sent this morning. The change sent this morning was a request from the executive branch to remove the word oversight to avoid confusion with the oversight role of the subcommittee. The change clarifies that the system supporting organization will work with King County to co-develop and oversee the implementation of promised related investments and to raise private funding. Next on page 366 of your packet. The amendment clarifies that the systems supporting organization will work with c y y a d staff on the development of our PS and contracts. Also on page 366, revised language designates a system supporting organization to review, edit and incorporate system and program commitments based on the initial commitments created by the Promise Work Group prior to funding promise partnerships in the original language CIA ADD staff would have brought the funded entities together after they were selected to co-develop a set of commitments. And then on page 367 of your packet, the sentence indicating intent to issue the first RFP in the in the first half of 2021 is struck in the next changes in the 11 Liberacion section on page 375, it directs Y ADI to develop an interim plan to address any gaps between the end of the three year 11 liberation pilot and the time at which it is replaced by another program. Lastly on page 388 of your packet, table 15 is added so that the evaluation timelines already noted in the plan are listed together in one section. And that concludes our summary. We'd be happy to take any questions you might have. We also have Sheela Kappa Sani, director of CROI Adi. Jackie Moynihan, Deputy Division Director of Housing, Homelessness and Community 12 Community Development Division, and Hannah Furber, Makani Post Implementation Manager with us. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Question, colleagues. Mr. Chair, since nobody's saying anything, I have a comment. Well, yes, Councilmember. Do see. Thank you. I just want to say how delighted I am that we have a person whose title is pastor implementation manager. At the distance we have traveled from that first public meeting in Kent to today is remarkable and I just really look forward to doing the implementation plan and starting to be able to push funding out to these great organizations that are going to do the work. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. All right. Seeing no further questions and knowing that councilman, rebel councilman brought the growth. I feel bad. This is a big deal that we. Thank you, Mr. Chair. You're welcome. Councilman. Brotha, go. Oh. I feel that it's such a big deal that someone needs to make a comment. I think that I think this is really building upon the work of best starts for kids and the Veterans and Human Services levy by implementing a really community focused model of driving money out different than we did 20 years ago. Not we wasn't here, but in each of these categories we really are relying upon processes where those that are most impacted by inequities are going to be leading the work to address those issues, both with the racial equity team and K-12 and both with the partnering organization and the promise part. And just a reminder that we I think we did really good work as a council to focus our dollars, I think, where the legislative sponsor hoped we would at those students who fall behind the most kids of color, immigrant refugee students, LGBT kids, foster kids, homeless youth, and focusing where the data shows us the gaps are the greatest on K-3 readiness and post-college post-high school success. And so I just wanted to take a moment and celebrate how far we've come. Thank the executive branch, Sheila Kafka standing and her team for their good work. And you, Mr. Chair, for shepherding through these the complex details and committed to peer support. In you. Thank you. So I agree this has been a long time coming with a lot of good work and leaving it in the very beginning and everybody having such amazing input over the process. So I think I think Dave's right. We should be celebrating that. We've done a good job here. One of the things I wanted to point out is one of our categories is disproportionality and kindergarten readiness. And with what's happening with COVID and a lot of kindergartners not being able to go to kindergarten, and I know that I had in my garage, much to my husband's chagrin, my old classroom is sitting in there and all of a sudden people were interested in my old teaching supplies, which are now out in other homes, which is lovely, but a lot of people don't don't have the supplies, don't really know exactly what to do, and would love to have more feedback. More opportunities are easily presented. So as we look at some of the things that we're doing, if we could put them online for other parents who have now been thrust into becoming teachers to even be on the people that we're directly serving but have the resources available, I think that might be a really good thing at this point. And COVID to be able to help even more families than we ever dreamed we would be reaching. And I see Sheila nodding her head and taking notes. So thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Mr. Chair. Council Member Coles. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, I am very, very appreciative of all the effort that's gone into this legislation in terms of their presentation of pasta. I do not know how many meetings have taken place over the last three or four years on this. Does anybody have a record of that? Any staff person, perhaps a Sheila? There have been so many Sheila just in terms of council meetings, committee meetings. I think Claudia Balducci was chair of the committee of the whole and we started off. Does that come? You're muted, Claudia. I believe I was, yes. So long ago it was. And we had, I think, our first meeting out in the community in Auburn. And we've come so far from there. And there's been an incredible amount of work on our part, but also, of course, with staff and community organizations. I think also of the committee of the hall meetings we've had this year when we've taken up pastor and a very huge amount of individuals who are providing public comment, some of them not happy with what the language was at that time. And we have worked with everybody and council and council committee of the whole chair. McDermott, I think has done a fabulous job in terms of pulling all this together, and that's reflected in the striking amendments before us. But I notice today when we had public comment, we did not have that dismay, opposition concern, you name it. People have really come on board and I know that there have been a great number of meetings with the organizations involved who have been visiting us, emailing us, giving us recommendations, speaking at the committee, the whole public comment periods. I agree this is a real success. I think we can all be very pleased with what we're going forward with. So I just wanted to express that and how pleased to be able to vote on this today. Even better next Tuesday. All right, then. If we want to vote on it today, I'm not going to let anybody else think we're going to take a motion. Councilmember Colwell, would you be kind enough to put the item before us? Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move a motion number 2020 0249 to give an object as recommendations to the council. Councilmember calls has moved adoption of Motion 2020 249. Councilmember Caldwell's Will you be kind enough to move Amendment two? That was emailed to us at 954 this morning by Patrick Hamacher. I'd be glad to. Mr. Chair, I move the amendment number two. Thank you. And this is the email that Ms.. Area briefed just moments ago. Senior Discussing an amendment to all those in favor. Please signify by saying I. I opposed nay. The ayes have it. Amendment two is adopted. The motion 2020 249 as amended. Further discussion. Saying none. I'm happy to call. Asked the court to please call the Royal. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Bell Duchin, I. Councilmember Bell due to votes on Councilmember DEMBOSKY I. Councilmember DEMBOSKY and then I. Councilmember Diane Dodds, i. And Councilmember and Councilmember Colwell spoke to Councilmember Lambert. I. Councilmember Lambert. Both i. Councilmember after the high. Councilmember of the grove outside. Councilmember one right there i. Councilmember bond my fellow votes i. Council members online. All right. Council members on line votes. I. Mr. Chair. By. Mr. Chair, votes I. Mr. Chair, you have nine eyes on us. By your vote, we've given a unanimous to pass recommendation to motion 2020 to 49 as amended, and we will expedite that to full council a week from today. And we have Madam Clerk of mistaken. We have nobody. Have you missed any votes due to technical reasons? Throughout our meeting today, we have a a full roll call on all items. Is that correct? That's correct, Mr. Chairman. And knowing of no other items to come before us today, the committee of the whole is adjourned. We will see you all. Committee the whole two weeks from today and at full council one week from today and on is in.
A bill for an ordinance approving a proposed Amendment between the City and County of Denver and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to extend the term for the Denver TSSIP 2012 Project. Amends an intergovernmental agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) by extending the term by up to five years for a new end date of 12-31-2021 to allow the City to continue to expend federal funds to procure and install a citywide traffic control system. No change to contract amount (201103095-01). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 1-3-17. The Committee approved filing this bill by consent on 11-8-16.
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And we may want to, you know, make a reconciliation on on second reading. So thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilwoman. Madam Secretary, if you would, please put the next item up on our screens. Councilwoman Ortega, you've called out Council Bill 1069 for a question. Go ahead. Yes. So this is. A proposed amendment between Denver and the Colorado Department of Transportation. And I looked through the documents, the cement in IGA, and I was trying to. Determine. If this had. Any. Direct correlation to the I-70 project. And I'm not sure if there's someone here that can answer that question. Angela, I see you stepping forward. I Angelica system of public works. I believe this does not is not associated with the I-70 projects at all. So this has nothing to do with the IGA. Okay. Thank you. Okay.
A proclamation celebrating La Raza & Barnum Park Day - Cruise Down Fedz on August 25th, 2019.
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Thank you, Councilwoman Sandoval. Any other announcements? All right. So, you know, the announcements, there are no presentations, there are no communications. But we do have one proclamation this evening. Councilwoman Sandoval and Councilwoman Torres, are both of you reading? All right? Will you please read Proclamation 838. Thank you. Proclamation number 838. Celebrating August 25th, 2019, as La Raza and Barnum Park, a cruise down Fed Day in Denver, Colorado. Whereas Denver has been home to a thriving and vibrant Chicano community for generations. And. Whereas, Chicano communities have enjoyed cruising along Federal Boulevard since the 1980s, when, as Cynthia Throw founder and executive director Tony Garcia wrote, The cruisers connected the immigrant communities of South Federal with the Chicano communities of the North Side and the suburban expats of Federal Heights in a symbolic trek through the city's Latino dysphoria. And. Whereas, Denver's communities of color have long suffered from racial disparities and have taken the burden of involuntary displacement, notably to build a very a campus targeting by police of young Chicano men in the 1990s who cruise their vehicles down federal boulevard. And recent gentrification in Denver. And. WHEREAS, Cruising Culture, Lowriders and car clubs collectively install a sense of pride and community resilience within with within many North and West Side Denver families and neighborhoods. And. Whereas, a new generation of leaders have learned from and been inspired by Chicano movement leaders, including Rudolfo Corky Gonzalez, the Gonzalez family, Toni Garcia, Dr. Ramon de Castillo. And I'm going to add my father this late, Senator Paul Sandoval, and recognizes Denver Police Department's chief of Police Pop Hasan's recent efforts to rebuild within communities of color , along with the recent election of five Latinas to Denver City Council. Now, therefore. Now, therefore be it. Proclaimed by the city, though the Council of the City and County of Denver, that in the pursuit of the shared goals and responsibilities of promoting knowledge about Chicano culture, cultural traditions. Unifying communities, and combating prejudice and eliminating discrimination. City and County of Denver, Colorado does hereby proclaim August 25th, 2019. As La Raza and Barnum Park a cruise down feds day that the clerk a thank you and the clerk of the city and county of Denver self-test and affix the seal. Of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation that a copy be transmitted to the Denver Latino Commission, the Denver Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships. Ben Upton Chavez. JOLTS of Get It. Get to Your Garden. Armando Janeiro, Juan Fuentes, Bobby La Free Beret and the governor of Colorado, Jared Polis. They club. Thank you, Councilman Sandoval. And Councilwoman Torres, your motion to adopt. Sorry I wasn't trained in. One of you like to officially make the motion to move the proclamation. Three eight be adopted. So moved. Thank you. It has been moved and seconded. Comments by members of council. Councilwoman Sandler. Thank you. So I would like to thank several people here. And first, I would like to note, most notably, thank Ben for bringing this to our attention. And Ben, then Councilwoman Torres, myself, Senator Gonzalez, Julie Gonzalez and State Rep Sarina Gonzalez Gutierrez together on federal for a meeting to come up with this idea of how we could all collaboratively work together to show what our culture is in the north side and the west side. And as a native of North Denver, I will admit that when I was in high school, I closed down federal. I had a great time. I met a lot of people. I went to North High School and I met people from different high schools along that time. And I just want to say that with the gentrification and the displacement of the North and West Side, this is an honor to sit up here and proclaim this day and have all of you backing us up here in council. So as I said, a lot of times when I was running, it takes a village. And honestly, this is both our village is coming together to support us as the Latinos up here. And you're elected to support Senator Gonzalez and support Rep Gonzalez Gutierrez. So thank you. And I'll pass the mic to Jamie. Thank you, Councilwoman Councilwoman Torres. Thank you so much. It's a reminder. Amanda really kind of set up the framework for how. We ended up here. But for me, there's this visceral reaction. For car culture and lowriders, and it's about art. And I found this wonderful article written by. Alicia Inez Guzman in New Mexico that I wanted to share a bit of what she wrote about, because it really does speak to why this is so important to Chicano. Communities. Lowriders have a certain magic about. Them perched. Just inches off the ground. They cruise through the streets in that Sunday drive. No hurry kind of way, catching the glint of the sun and turning heads. The glistening custom paint jobs, chrome embellishment, spoke tires and white walls forge a work of art on. Wheels that often. Inspires a well-timed. Dam. And if you stare long enough, the driver will likely give a slight nod of the chin, as if to say, Oh, really? Oh, really? Who wouldn't want that work of art? I just want to thank Ben Jolt, Councilwoman Sandoval, Senator Gonzalez, Representative Gonzalez Gutierrez, everyone on this council, because this is a turning corner, I think, for how. We appreciate. This particular form of art. It isn't something that inspires this fear of trouble. This is something. That we value in artistic expression and creative endeavor. And it's wonderful to be here, to be able to put this forward. So thank you so much. Thank you, Councilwoman Torres. Councilwoman CdeBaca. Just one. Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to thank my colleagues up here, my proud Chicana sisters, for bringing this forward in a time when our communities really are feeling the pressure of being policed and raised by their neighbors. And this is a strong stand to say, we're here. We're not going anywhere. This is our culture. Enjoy it with us. And so for any of you insiders out there, I would love to see us caravan down 46 through Globeville, up through 38 to get on Fed. So if anybody's down to do that, reach out. Thank you. Thank thank you. Councilwoman comes from Santa Barbara. You back. Up? Yeah. So I forgot to give everyone details as we were talking. So this is happening on Sunday. We're meeting at La Raza Park. And if you get confused in Denver, the actual name is Columbus Park. But we don't national centers don't call it that. It's called La Raza Park. And so we'll be meeting at La Raza Park at 1 p.m. and Aztec dancers will give us an official blessing at 130, and then we'll be cruising up 38th and we'll hang a left. We'll head south on federal and we'll end up Barnum Park in the Culver SAC and we'll have speakers at four and we'll have some festivities. So please join us anytime through that time. And if you have any questions, please feel free to call Councilman Torres or myself and we'll be happy to answer them. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. All right. Well, thank you so much for bringing this forward. And I like this tag team because, you know, I'm not sure where you guys are coming from on either side. So thank you so much for bringing this forward excited. To support it. Madam Secretary, roll call. Sandoval. Hi. Torres. I black. I see the Barca. I. Flynn. Hi. Gilmore. I. Herndon. Hines. I. Cashman. Hi. Kenny Ortega. Sawyer. I. Mr. President. I. Madam Secretary, please. Because the voting announced results. 1313. As proclamation 838 has been adopted. We do have 5 minutes set aside for proclamation acceptance. Councilwoman Sandoval. Councilwoman Torres, is there anyone you'd like to bring up to the microphone? We'd like to bring up Ben and Joel to accept the proclamation. What are they? Thank you for having us this evening. Council Members. Before I get into my little spiel that I have, I want to acknowledge the indigenous peoples of this land the Arapaho, Cheyenne and the Ute. First of all. Secondly, movements are not faces. Me and Joel and the other brothers that have had the blessing and the opportunities to help organize this are just servant leaders. We are standing on the shoulders of our ancestors and people who've come before us and in the Chicano movement, in the low riding scene. And we just want to go ahead and acknowledge those individuals. Standing behind me are OGs in the Denver low riding scene, and that is going to be final. And Sam and these two men, if you could stand up and I could get a little round of applause for them. His men are staples in this community and have been building lowriders from the ground up for years. Other than that, the only thing I can say is thank you to the council members. You know, you get up here, you think you're going to have a beautiful thing to say. Any kind of flees your brain, you know? But thank you for allowing us to be here and working with us and collectively collaborating on this. And we'll see you on Sunday. Slow and low already. All right. Thank you very much for that. So there's not much that I can say that hasn't already been said. Other than acknowledging how proud I am to be a part of this generation and to see the young men and women of my generation doing things from the heart, from the passion that represent this city, that has, has, has brought us and grown this culture within our hearts. And to continue that and have the support of you all to do so is beautiful. I think that we are in a time where Denver needs this. Denver needs to celebrate what it is because at times we kind of have a bit of an identity crisis and forget about what has been going on here for so long. So the opportunity to celebrate that and stand among all these amazing people and be before all these amazing people is just something that I feel very fortunate and very proud to be a part of. So thank you all very much. Thank you. Thank you. Also, one thing I didn't get to say was thank you for all of the car clubs and presidents and members of car clubs that are here right now coming and standing in solidarity with us here in chambers. Thank you. Instead. All right. Thank you very much. That is our only proclamation this evening. So that brings us to the bills for introduction. Madam Secretary, will you please read the bills for introduction.
Approves a rezoning of 3226 W. 19th Avenue from P.U.D 81 to G-MU-3 in Council District 1. (LAND USE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE) Approves a rezoning of 3226 W. 19th Avenue from P.U.D 81 to G-MU-3 in Council District 1. The Committee approved filing this bill at its meeting on 3-11-14.
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And the target date now for the public hearing and final consideration is May 5th. CPD neglected to send the neighborhood notification out in time, so we had to postpone these. Oh, shoot the messenger. Okay. What do you want? To make your motion to take them out of order? Yes, Madam President, I move that council bill 134 and Council Bill 155 series of 2014 will be taken out of order. Secondly, it's been moved and seconded. Councilwoman Robb has already made the comments. Madam Secretary, roll call what you were voting on taking them out of order. Rob I Sheppard Brooks hi brown. Hi fights I Herndon can carnage. Lopez Monteiro Nevitt. Hi, Ortega. Hi, Madam President. Hi, Madam Secretary. Close of voting, not the results for Vice 12 eyes. They may be taken out of order now. Councilwoman Rah, would you like to make a motion to postpone them? Yes, Madam President. I move that council bills 154 and 155 series of 2014 be postponed with their public hearing until Monday, May 5th. Monday, May 5th. Thank you, Councilwoman Robb. It has been moved and seconded. You've already made comments about it. See no other comments, Madam Secretary, roll call. Rob Shepherd. Brooks. Hi, Brown. Hi, Fats Herndon. Kenny Lopez. Hi, Monteiro. Leavitt Hi. Ortega. Madam President. Hi. Madam Secretary, close to voting nounced the results for Vice 12 ies. These two bills will be taken, will be postponed. Let's go back to bills for a final consideration. I think it was Council Bill 244 and Councilman Councilwoman Foxx said. 244 excuse me. And Councilwoman Fox had called it out. What would you like us to do with this, Councilwoman? Please put it on the floor for a vote. All right, Councilman Brown, will you make the motions for us this evening? Great. Thank you. Will you please put Caswell to 44 on the floor for a vote? Thank you, Madam President. I couldn't find the page. Hey, Jake, it's two for four. Yeah. I moved the council bill to 244. Be place on the floor for final consideration and to pass. Thank you very much. It has been moved and seconded comments by members of Council Councilwoman Fox. Thank you, Madam President. This is a goal we discussed last week. Sadie, I. A contract for a market survey and analysis idea is asking the right question. Who are our customers? But they're paying a premium price to get the answer. They have already admitted that if they were to do follow up surveys, this group would probably be too expensive to do the follow up surveys. And I'm willing to save money right from the beginning. Thank you. Councilwoman Fats, are there any other comments? A seeing none, Madam Secretary. Roll call. Fats No. Herndon can eat. Lopez Hi, Monteiro. Nevitt Hi. Ortega No. Rob, I. Sheppard. Brooks. Hi. Brown.
AN ORDINANCE proposing to amend the King County Charter to utilize ranked-choice voting for the election of county officers, including the King County executive, the King County assessor, the King County director of elections, the King County councilmembers and the King County prosecuting attorney, effective January 1 following the council's adoption of an ordinance approving protocols for ranked-choice voting; amending Section 610 of the King County Charter; and submitting the same to the voters of the county for their ratification or rejection at a special election to be held in conjunction with the November 2, 2021, general election.
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Thank you. That takes us to high school around. I'm six on their agenda, which would place a proposition on the November ballot that, if approved, would amend the King County Charter to allow the use of ranked choice voting for county elected positions, including King County Executive, King County Assessor, King County Director of Elections, King County Council members , the King County Prosecuting Attorney Brenda Wilson and from the Council South will provide the briefing is less than I'm the one is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good morning, members of the committee. For the record, Randall is in with council staff. I'll note that the materials for this item begin on page eight of your meeting packets for today. I'll start with some background information. So first, regarding the election of county officers. Section 610 of the county's charter. Currently directs that the nominating primaries and elections for the offices of the county executive assessor, counsel and Prosecuting Attorney shall be conducted in accordance with general laws governing the election of nonpartisan county officers under current practice. The winners of single member offices in jurisdictions throughout the state are determined using the plurality system in which voters select one candidate and the candidate who receives the most votes is declared the winner. And if there's a tie, then the winner is chosen by lot. So regarding ranked choice voting, ranked choice voting is a system of voting that allows voters to rank candidates for a single office in order of preference. So first choice, second choice, etc. The votes are tallied based on the first choice on every ballot. If a candidate receives over 50% of the first choice preferences, then that candidate will be declared the winner. If no candidate wins a first round majority of votes, then the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated and another round of vote tallying would then commence. If a voter's first choice is eliminated, then their vote is transferred to their second choice preference. And then this process repeats. And the last place candidate is eliminated in each round until one candidate receives a majority and win the election. So when ranked choice voting is conducted to elect one candidate, the result is similar to traditional runoff elections. And in those situations the terms are ranked choice voting and instant runoff voting are used interchangeably. And there's a few illustrations provided in your staff report materials illustrations one through three, starting on page ten that provides some hypothetical scenario examples for this process at the request of members from last month's briefing. So in each of these scenarios, I'll just note that it would entail four candidates vying for one office. So you'll note in scenario one on page ten of your packet that of the four candidates, Candidate B in this situation receives the majority of the first choice preference preference votes in round one of vote tallying and would therefore win the election. In other words, no additional rounds of vote tallying would be necessary in scenario two. Also, on page ten, no candidate, none of the four candidates in the situation receives a majority of the first choice preference votes in round one of vote tallying . As such, the candidate with the fewest number of votes in round one, which in this illustration would be candidate D would be eliminated and candidate these votes are redistributed based on the voter's second choice preference. And as you'll note in the second bar, in the second round of vote tally, candidate B receives a majority of the votes and wins the election. And then in scenario three, on page 11 of your packet materials, in this situation, of the four candidates, no one receives a majority of the first 4/1 choice preference votes in round one of vote tallying. As such, again, the candidate with the fewest number of votes in round one is eliminated, which would happen to be candidate D and then the candidates votes are redistributed based on the voter's second choice preference. So in the second bar, no candidate receives a majority of votes in round two of vote tallying, and similarly, the candidate with the fewest number of votes in round two in the situation, candidate seat is eliminated and their votes are redistributed based on the voter's second choice preference. Or if that person, that candidate has been eliminated, then it would be their third choice preference and the third bar. You'll note that in this situation, Candidate B receives a majority of votes in round three of vote tallying and would therefore win the election. So again, those are just hypothetical illustrations, but kind of explains how that process would work. So regarding use of ranked choice voting in the United States, municipalities in several states have used ranked choice voting in the U.S. elections. One state, Maine, has used ranked choice voting in statewide and federal elections. Additionally, Alaska voters approved a ballot measure last year that will require the use of ranked choice voting in state and federal elections beginning next year. One example that's been in the news recently is the city of New York. The city beginning this year is using ranked choice voting for primary and special elections for the offices of the mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president and the city council. And this is due to an amendment to the city's charter that was approved by voters in 2019. So a little closer to home in Washington State, the city of Vancouver voters in 1989. Approved an amendment to its city charter that allows the city council to authorize single election, instant runoff, voting for the election of city officers. Additionally, Pierce County voters approved an amendment back in 26 to its county charter on phrase ranked choice voting, which was subsequently implemented in the 2008 and 2009 general elections for county elected officers. I'll note, however, that this authorization was later repealed by King County voters in 2009. The question had come up during last month's briefing regarding proposed state legislation. So multiple bills relating to ranked choice voting have been introduced in recent years in the state legislature that would have expanded the use of ranked resulting in the state. Most recently, during the 2021 session, House Bill 1156 was introduced, which would have permitted ranked choice voting in elections for offices in counties, cities, towns, school districts, fire districts and court districts, and also would have established certain requirements for ranked choice, voting, ballot design and vote tabulation at a high level. The bill would have allowed implementing jurisdictions to either eliminate or hold a primary when using ranked choice voting to narrow the list of candidates to appear on the general election ballot. Ballot two five. Additionally, for offices in which there is more than one position with the same name, district number or title, the bill would have allowed implementing jurisdictions to choose whether the positions would be addressed as separate offices or as a multi-member office. If the former. A separate office says the bill directed that ranked choice voting would be conducted using instant runoff voting if the latter as a multi-member office. The bill directed that ranked choice voting would be conducted using the single transferable vote method just by way of status. Ultimately, the legislation did not advance out of the House of Origin during the 2021 session. So moving to the King County Charter Reviews, Charter Review Commission's recommendation regarding ranked choice voting and this was something that was mentioned during last month's briefing. In the 2018 2019 term, Hughes Commission's final report to this council ranked choice. Voting was an issue recommended for further study as described in the report. The Commission did invest significant time during its deliberations regarding a proposal to move the county to ranked choice voting for county elected offices. But ultimately, the commission could not reach a consensus on whether the move should be pursued or what model should be implemented. Specifically, the Commission recommended in its report that the Council study the issue by forming a task force to determine if it's in the best interest of the public. So moving on to a potential for impact of ranked choice voting on underrepresented populations or communities. So a study in 2016 analyzed the candidates running for office after implementation of ranked choice voting in four different cities in California. The study found that the voting structure increased descriptive representation for women of persons of color and women of color. And just for context, descriptive representation refers to the idea that a body of elected representatives should reflect the outward characteristics such as occupation. Race, ethnicity. Of the populations they represent. Just for context, the study analyzed races in 11 California cities for various citywide elected positions between 1995 and 2014, including the four cities that did implement ranked choice voting and an additional seven cities that did not implement the new structure but were similar in terms of population size and racial makeup and income. I won't go through the highlights of the study findings just for sake of time, but I will note that those are discussed in your staff report on page 13 of your packet materials. So moving to the topic of ballot exhaustion, so an expressed concern regarding ranked choice voting is the potential for ballot exhaustion. And this refers to when a ballot is no longer countable in a tally such as when there are still remaining candidates, but all the candidates that a voter ranked have already been eliminated. So just for illustrative purposes, in the case of the 2009 election of the Pierce County Auditor that was conducted using ranked choice voting and the algorithm results showed that about 3% of ballots were exhausted in the last round of vote tallying. Just to highlight the potential for full range for this issue, another example is the 2011 San Francisco mayoral election. I then also conducted using ranked choice voting, and the results showed that approximately 27% of ballots and due to ballot exhaustion did not rank the final two candidates who reached the last round of vote tallying. So again, just for illustrative purposes to highlight potential range. So now turning to the analysis section of the staff report and this starts on page 14 of your packets. As noted, the proposed ordinance would place on the November ballot a charter amendment proposal to utilize ranked choice voting for the election of county officers, including the county executive assessor, director of elections, county council members and the prosecuting attorney. If approved by voters and subject to Council's adoption of an ordinance approving protocols for ranked choice voting, the amendment would take effect on January 1st. After Council's adoption of the Ranked Choice Voting Protocols Ordinance, the ordinance directs that be that ranked choice. Voting again, if approved, would give voters the option of ranking candidates in order of preference and would be conducted in rounds in each round. Each voter's ballot would count as a single vote for whichever continuing candidate the voter has ranked the highest and the candidate with the fewest votes after each round would be eliminated and the eliminated candidates votes would be redistributed to the next ranked continuing candidate. The process would repeat until one one candidate receives a majority of votes for all remaining candidates. Per the ordinance, that candidate would be deemed elected at the time of election certification. Additionally, when ranked choice voting is conducted, there wouldn't be a primary for the impacted office or offices, and all qualified candidates would appear directly on the general election ballot. Lastly, in a scenario where there were no more than two candidates that have filed for a particular county office, the ordinance the ordinance permits that the election for that office could either be conducted by a ranked choice voting or according to general laws governing nonpartisan offices. So just regarding some implementation, timing and cost considerations, according to the county's Department of Election staff, approximately 3 to 5 years is the estimated time frame needed for the department to prepare for ranked choice voting implementation. Staff note that the time frame is primarily driven by the amount of time necessary to develop, certify and test updates to its ballot tabulation system capable of handling ranked choice voting, including extensive internal testing by the department. While a comprehensive cost estimate for implementing ranked choice voting isn't available, staff expect and again this is subject to change that the media costs associated with implementing or CEV ranked choice voting would entail the following. So updating the ballot tabulation system, voter education campaign, potential costs relating to multiple page ballots and then potential additional staffing needs. I won't run through the itemization of all of these items, but for sake of time. But we'll just note that they are discussed on page 15 of your packet materials. So turning to potential policy issues, a summary of some potential policy issues is provided in the staff report. I will run through them very quickly. The first relates to effective dates as currently drafted. The proposed charter amendment, if approved by voters, would take effect in January following council's adoption of an ordinance approving ranked choice voting protocols. It's important to note that the proposed ordinance is silent regarding when or whether the council would be required to adopt that ordinance. So hypothetically, as currently drafted, if voters were to approve the charter amendment but the Council didn't adopt an ordinance approving request voting protocols and the charter amendment wouldn't take effect. The effective date for the proposed amendment basically presents a policy choice regarding definitions. I'll just note that the proposed ordinance currently lacks a definition section which presents another policy choice for the Council as to whether to keep the language, as is to include a definition section in this proposed ordinance or to provide some sort of direction in this ordinance regarding specific terms to be defined in the protocols ordinance. Lastly, regarding the direction for the Protocols Ordinance, the proposed ordinance currently does not provide direction as to the process for determining whether ranked choice voting would be conducted in the event that only two or fewer candidates were to file for a county office. This presents another policy choice as to whether to provide this direction in this ordinance or wait to address this issue in the protocols ordinance. I'll just note also that it's important to note that a proposed ordinance just generally does not provide direction on specific issues to be addressed in the ranked choice voting protocols ordinance. Last. I'll just note some important next steps and a key information. So basically, in order to place this potential charter amendment on the November ballot and the last regular council meeting for adoption as a non-emergency, it would be the July 20th council meeting. Lastly, very last thing. There are amendments. Amendment one was included in your pocket materials. It's on page 22. And then additionally, Amendment two was emailed to members yesterday morning at 11:45 a.m.. Mr. Chair, I'm happy to brief those amendments or concluding remarks here. Let's conclude there, and I'll invite the prime sponsor to make remarks if he chooses, and then fill the questions on the presentation. Council Members. Hello. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Also, thank you, Miranda. I know you said lastly multiple times, but it's a complex the legislation and I know there's a lot to analyze there. But thank you so much for all the exceptional work colleagues. Our state continues to be at the forefront of voting innovation. At every step we've taken in that evolution has created a better system and allowed more people to have their voice heard. The next step of our voting evolution can address not only who's able to vote, but also how we vote. Right now, we have an either or electoral system where voters are limited to choosing just one candidate. And too often, people have to resort to voting for someone they're not that passionate of, passionate about. Winner takes all, voting is at the heart of many of our political problems. It creates negative partizanship and polarization, where the different candidates and their supporters attack each other in hopes of becoming the one candidate who's selected. And also, voters don't have their full voice or their full preference or enter ranked choice voting. This system has a lot of benefits. Number one, it captures more of a voter's preferences because they get to rank their candidates. It makes candidates campaign to everyone rather than just their base. It helps better capture the will of the electorate, since someone who appeals to broader coalitions is more likely to want to win than someone who just campaigns to their base. It incentivizes coalition building among like minded candidates and communities rather than toxic infighting, as Henry Mar from Public Comment mentioned. Imagine you're a campaign volunteer. You're knocking on doors for your candidate. A voter opens their door who's supporting someone else. Under our current system, that voter might end the conversation immediately because your candidate comes at the expense of their own. Under ranked choice voting, the conversation continues because your candidate doesn't come at the expense of theirs. This voter can continue supporting their favorite candidate and still hear you out for a second place vote. In this way. Ranked choice. Voting helps us listen to each other, helps us show empathy and helps us form coalitions. Additionally, ranked choice voting makes more candidates viable and thus a more competitive race, which leads to higher voter turnout. As Carol Sullivan, someone else from public comment pointed out, that in our current system, if your candidate doesn't make it through the primary, that might have a depressing effect on the general, where people are less excited to turn out to vote for someone that isn't the most exciting candidate for them personally. Imagine if everyone in November comes out and gets to vote for their candidate, the one that they're most passionate about, and they also get to vote for their second and third choice candidates. That could increase voter turnout. It would increase the excitement about about our democracy. It would make people feel like their voice and their vote really matters. Finally, my last point, just to remind my colleagues that we wouldn't be making this choice unilaterally. We would be putting this on the ballot. We would be asking our constituents if they want to head in this direction. And so even by voting for this ordinance, we would be giving voters more choice. So thank you so much. Happy to have this conversation and continue the dialog. Questions of masking to. Mr. Chair. Councilmember Dunn. Councilmember Dunn. Thank you very much. I thank you very much for the remarks. And Miranda excellent staff report, as always. You know, it's really the first time I'm looking at this with my legislative cap on watching some of the stuff that's happening in New York and trying to understand what the effects on the ground would be. I see good things and bad things. The question I have here is, you know, there are still no matter whether you agree or disagree with them, there are still political parties that exist out there. And I'm kind of I'm a little worried about the idea of eliminating a primary that windows down the field. And here is why, in a scenario where, for example, let's say one political party, super well organized, decides to run just one candidate from that political party for an office, and the other party has five candidates running. And maybe that one political candidate from the one the strong party ends up getting 47% of first place votes, but a whole lot of second place. What does the filing that occurs and the lack of a winnowing primary create a situation where the political parties can control largely the outcome by filing their one preferred candidate. Any thoughts on how that might work? Within the language of the ordinance would be appreciate. Well, as you said myself, thank you, Councilmember Dunn. So I will note that in the States RC ws that primaries are required for partizan elections, but in the counties charter, the county offices are described as nonpartisan positions, and currently the elections are conducted in accordance with the process for nonpartisan elections in general law. So I don't think that the proposed ordinance would kind of. Be impacted by the scenario that you just explained it, if that makes sense. Well, yeah, I appreciate the response. I just as a as a reality. Yes. They're nonpartisan races, of course. But as a practical matter, I think everyone on the dais knows that parties play heavily in those races. And so I'm just trying to understand a little bit more about whether there can be gaming of the system, and I'm happy to discuss it more fully. And then the second question, last question and I'll stop is again the timing of this. We have how much time until we have to make a decision on this? My police. The July 20th Council meeting would be the last to act on the issue on the item as a non-emergency. Thank you. And Reagan. One thing I wanted to respond to your initial question, Miranda, correct me if I'm wrong, but nothing in what we're voting on today requires us to eliminate a primary. We could talk through that in the subsequent protocol ordinance that Miranda described. Is that true, Miranda or. So in a situation where there were two or fewer candidates who have filed for a county office, the ordinance provides a choice essentially for either using ranked choice, voting or whatever is currently prescribed in state law regarding elections for nonpartisan officers. However, barring that scenario, the ordinance would direct that there would not be a primary for impacted offices. Just in one scenario. Got it. Thank you. Yeah, and I'm glad to hear that. I'm more than happy to talk about that. I'm just. Just a little history lesson on right power and others will remember Lambert. We have this Montana primary system. And initially what happened was the the parties were able to begin to hold nominating conventions to determine their preferred candidate. It would be then sent forward to the King County Council. And and. And so what you got during that process was a candidate who was strongly preferred by their party in a very small nominating convention. And there was this one guy named Reagan Dunn, who barely lost his nominating convention. It was like 51 to 49 or something. And then the federal judge threw it out and allowed for the top two system to come through. And so you just got to be mindful that parties will do what they can to control the outcomes no matter what we want to do. At the King County Council. I was fortunate to win that election years later. But anyway, that's a little factoid that I just want us to be a thoughtful of as we move through this process. I just want to point out for the record, we were while the legislation was informally here, we prepared for briefing. We had a briefing on the topic and knew the legislation was introduced last time. The committee of the whole met for the questions discussion. Dombroski on the point of the primary. Councilmember Dombrowski. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was a little confused by the last answer. I apologize, but I was reading lines 38 and 39 of the ordinance, page 19 of our materials. And as I read it, it says When ranked choice voting is conducted, there shall not be a primary for impacted officers and all qualified candidates shall appear directly on the general election ballot. I think, you know, the issue of a primary is one that's of interest and concern to me. So again, it seems to me and I'm unclear as to when there wouldn't be a. Primary or when there would be a said only when there's two candidates, or is that an open question in and of itself? So thank you, Councilmember Dombrowski. So currently the proposed ordinance directs in a situation where there's two or fewer candidates that have filed for a county election, that there's a choice to either use the ranked choice, voting, telling a system or defaulting to state law regarding elections for nonpartisan offices. I will note, though, just for a little bit of context, that per state law, primaries can also be held for nonpartisan offices, except when there are two or a few fewer candidates that have filed for the position. In that case, the names would be on the general election ballot. So I think essentially the net effect would be the same and that makes sense. I'm sorry, it doesn't. I'm confused and it's probably just me. I guess the basic question is how would you use ranked choice voting when there's only two candidates? You said there's a choice to use it or not. There is. Yes. Would ranked choice voting work with two candidates in terms of having a potential different outcome? It would essentially it would be similar to if there's a last round of vote tallying and there's only two candidates, whoever has the majority and the vote tallying wins would win. I'm not sure if I'm making this clear, as my. Guess is how. Would that be different than our top two system today day the general election where we have two candidates. Sure. So I don't understand. Sure. So essentially the net effect would be the same councilmember. Those two names would advance to the general election ballot and would appear on their ballot. So it'd be kind of the same in process. It would be those two names that would be on the general election ballot. Okay, let me put it a different way. Under ranked choice voting with two candidates, is it possible to have a different outcome than we would have today with no councilmember WG shaking her head okay, she gets. I didn't think so. I was trying to figure that. Is there's a huge write in. I mean there have to be like you need to inject a third thing or else you get 50 somebody gets 50% plus one and there's only two. Okay. Thank you. I mean, it's just math, I think. I mean, I could. I could be corrected. You sound right to me, Claudia. Thank you. Okay. Further questions. I have a I have a quick question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Please. So as we discussed at the last briefing, one of the concerns that I have, so I feel like for those listening because there's so much interest in this topic, I just want to say a quick thing. I'm very intrigued by this option. I think it works. It does achieve a lot of the goals that the folks advocating for it suggest. If you haven't, I will circulate. There's a podcast that I'm forgetting which one, but it walks all the way through arranged choice, voting election day in Ireland. And it's well worth listening to because it's hard, I think, to grasp how it works until you've walked through it once. And if you've walked through it once, then it makes perfect sense. But but there's a lot of a lot of hope that there will be great outcomes in terms of increasing voter choice, increasing the number and diversity of candidates, and making people feel more connected and like their votes count. Responding to racial imbalance. I mean, there's a lot of claims here, but I don't know that we've dug into very deeply to know whether they pan out in all ways, in all places. I really think the jury is out on the New York City experiment because the problems may not have been due to ranked choice voting as a system. They certainly were. They certainly did occur in the context of doing a big change and in running the test ballot that came along with the new voting system. Things went awry, as far as I can tell. And so you do take a risk in shifting. And I just want to say on behalf of King County that our founding method works really pretty well. I mean, we have had record turnout votes in a couple of recent years. Including in including. In 2017, I believe, which was an odd numbered year. So that's that's quite something. So I'm intrigued by the potential and do not want to break or do anything to our current voting system to cause confusion. And I'm also a little bit concerned because I'm hearing this new but growing interest in a slightly different form of choice voting, which is the approval voting we heard about today. And so for all of those reasons, my hope was that if we put this out to the voters and I absolutely agree that asking the voters to be the ones to tell us they want voting, evolution and, you know, and different and more flexible ways of voting, that we not lock ourselves into doing something, making a promise that we will do ranked choice, voting at a certain time. Because I think we should take the wisdom of our charter commission, who advised us that we should convene a diverse and inclusive task force to examine implementation of ranked choice voting and issue report and findings. I think we should do that. So I want to make sure that if this gets put on to the ballot that it clearly, clearly says it allows for this system doesn't require or commit to the system so that we can do the work that we need to do in order to implement something new. I really heard the testimony of some folks who said there's been not much process around this. I know in Seattle area we have a reputation for over processing things and this has not been processed. It's not been over processed. It's barely been processed at all. So I would love to have that opportunity to have that happen if this is to go forward. I know there are different thoughts on this, but it was really important to me. So all that to say when I look at the language itself. If you read it closely, it says we shall go to ranked choice voting after after adoption of piece of legislation. It doesn't say we must adopt that legislation, but I think it implies that we will and potentially sets up an expectation in the voters minds that if they vote yes on this, they are going to definitely get ranked choice voting and it's going to happen, you know, relatively soon. So I just want to ask Maranda, what is your reading of that section? I can point to the line, but you could probably find it. It's not a long piece of legislation. I would love if that were a little clear. Like I would love that shell was a me because I really think that that's just speaking for myself as one of nine. That's what I would be looking for. So, Miranda, can you. I can point to the line your viewers are. Oh, sorry. I made myself there. Thank you, Councilmember. So I think that's one of the policy choices for the council. So, as I've mentioned and as currently drafted, you're exactly right. Regarding effective date is that the proposed amendment would go into effect by January after council's adoption of the ordinance approving rancorous voting protocols. What the ordinance is silent about is the the when and the whether that council would approve that ranked choice voting protocols ordinance. So again, just hypothetically, if the voters were to approve the proposed charter amendment but council didn't approve the protocols ordinance, then the charter amendment would not take effect. So kind of council with the impetus would be on council to approve that ordinance. But the ordinance does not specify when or whether council would need to do so. I hope it helps. It does help. And so it says what I what I thought it said and that's helpful confirmation. Thank you. But I guess I will just say to my colleagues. Again, just speaking from my own position here, I would prefer that it be clear to the public that what they were doing was a stepwise process and step one would be sending the signal via the charter amendment that that they wanted to see us move towards ranked choice voting with the understanding that there was more work to be done. And I think that this might need a little a few more words, which I will if if we get past this point today, I will propose that final adoption. Thank you. Madam Chair. It's not me today. Sorry, I got used to it, Mr. Chair. No worries, council members. Hello. Thanks, Joe. I wanted to ask for central staff if they could provide some clarity on the process for what language goes on the ballot. We're voting on an ordinance, this exact language that's in the ordinance with no explainers. Go into the into onto the ballot. If this were to pass or could we do what Councilmember Balducci is suggesting and provide more clarity in a lead in language that says, hey, if you if voters if you pass this, this is just step one of two. And if this would not happen, we would not have ranked choice voting immediately upon your vote to approve that you would be giving the council the green light to implement a protocol's ordinance. Sure. So thank you, Councilmember, for the questions regarding your first question. The language that would appear regarding the language is that it would appear on the ballot that is outlined in the proposed ordinance in section two, which starts around 940. So that's basically the substantially the language that would appear on the ballot itself. Regarding your second question, if the council members wanted to offer an amendment to add to make a change to the proposed ordinance, you could certainly do so at full council as well. So that is an option for the council members. Thank you. Councilmember Balducci, I would support a clarifying amendment for Section two that would actually clarify for voters that this is step one of two and step two is not guaranteed something. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember. I would work with your office on that. And after we see what happens here. Thanks. Emotion point. Number. DEMBOSKY. Thank you. Just engaging in this kind of dialog here with colleagues, I to read the Charter Review Commission special memorandum on this. And looking back when we had what Councilmember Dunn talked about, the turmoil around the litigation and our PARTIZAN primaries and that kind of stuff. Then Secretary of State Ralph Monroe traveled the state and had nearly a dozen community meetings to talk to voters about what the new system should be. And I think that's kind of the recommendation that the Charter Review Commission gave here. Ultimately, by the way, our voters approved a top two system in King County by 55%, 60% statewide. I think we've got to be real careful about making changes to that, particularly when there's a lot of open questions in this ordinance. Goes to this two step notion I have concerns about. Turning over, if you will, the details of developing the final system to US politicians. I would be much more comfortable with a public process that comes forward with a more specific recommendation on how to do either rank choice or the the other the other varieties of voting. But I'd like that explored more in dialog with the community as recommended by the Charter Review Commission. And so then go to the voters with a more specific proposal that they knew what they were buying, if you will. I feel like we're kind of talking a little bit about an advisory ballot here. And by the way, our charter allows for that. One option. If we wanted to take the pulse of the voters, might say, hey, on an advisory vote, would you like us to convene a commission and develop a ranked choice voting system or other system that has been talked to, to send forward? That might be something we could consider. Bigger picture. I really want to commend the advocates for this because I see their motivation and I agree with it. And I think it's even broader than this system of voting. I think we ought to look at issues of public financing. And campaigns. We ought to look at issues of whether or not we expand the right to vote beyond citizenship, since a lot of folks who aren't citizens pay taxes and are subject to our systems of laws here, and I wonder if we wouldn't be advised to convene this this workgroup here and have them look at these broader issues. I think there's also value in putting a charter amendment of this magnitude on an even year ballot when there is more participation by a broader set of the electorate. In our off years, we have traditionally lower turnout and we would be listening to more voices if we did some more work between now and a year from now and maybe send these questions to the to the voters, then I have some concerns about the substance. I like our primary system. I think there's real value in winnowing. We going to have ranked choice in a way it's not as precise. But I think there's value in debate and vetting candidates between our primary and general, and I am concerned a little bit I'd like to know more about in terms of having voices heard this San Francisco experience where 27% of the voters in the final count there had no say. Right, 20, 27% didn't make a choice in the top two. They were gone with our top two that that doesn't happen. So those are kind of some of my concerns, but I am very, very intrigued by the possibility that the system could achieve some of the results in terms of increased diversity of candidates. But ultimately and I think everybody she articulated this better caution for me is the word here. We have built, I think, the best election system in the country. Do not forget the governors election where that led to these reforms, where it was not good, we were not performing well. And that public distrust that grew out of that and that stayed with us for a long time, it's hard to overcome. So I think, you know, we've got to be careful here when we're doing these changes. They should be done in consultation with the public in our elections. Expert I see Julie Wise has joined us and I think if this comes to Washington and maybe Julie could talk to this director, talk Douglas, I think we ought to do it here in King County because I have confidence that we'll do it well. But there, I think, remain for me a bunch of unopened specifics that I would like the voters to weigh in rather than give us a general direction and have us figure it out in an ordinance. So that's kind of where I am. I wouldn't be prepared to proceed today and would prefer that we have a further public process and explore some of those broader issues. From the discussion. Lambert Council member. LAMBERT Thank you, sir. Well, I too agree with the things I've been hearing from the last two speakers. I believe that we do need to do this cautiously and that we do have a very good system right now. And, you know, the people are mostly feeling confident in the good work that our elections people do. But it is confusing as you listen to this system and how do you audit it and. I think that when you start putting on some ballots, some things that are ranked and some things that are not. It becomes even more confusing for the voters. And I was on the canvasing board for a year and I did see and hear a lot of things about voter being confused and such. Even with turning the ballot over and making sure that there was marks on that. So we we really need to be cautious about how confusing we make this. And I look at the costs and just with the very basics, you know, 30,000 foot level is over $1,000,000. We have a lot of needs in this county and $1,000,000 is a lot of money to be putting into something. But we couldn't even implement for 3 to 5 years anyway. And we're spending a lot of time on right now. As was mentioned earlier, the situation in New York recently didn't go smoothly. And so in many things, I like to be at the front of the pack, but this is one I think that we should allow the other areas in the country who are doing this to work out some of the bugs. So that being the 13th largest, it's much easier to figure out some of the bugs when you are that 2,467th largest county in the United States than it is to be the 13th largest. So I think this is this is something that I think we should look at. But study and I don't see any rush to get it on by November. I do have a question. Do we know why Pierce County repealed it? And then in looking on page 13, where are they able to have went over the ballot exhaustion in reading that section? It's a little confusing about the nearly 3% that were exhausted. And if we could go over that and then you, our candidates reach the 12th round of vote tally, how in the world would you be able to audit back for 12 different rounds and how long would it take? Okay. So thank you, Councilmember. Regarding your question on oh, actually, let's start with your question regarding, um, Pierce County example. So from what I read, there were a number of reasons that were cited. I think a couple that stood out are in 2008 five members were recall, I think. I believe that was the same year that the state Supreme Court reinstated or upheld the state's top two primary system. If members will recall, there was a period in the early 2000 that there there was a partizan primary that was used. And then in 2008, the top two primary was reinstated, which coincidentally was the same year that ranked choice voting was implemented in Pierce County. So that was one thing that was mentioned. Another is, if I recall correctly, the way that it implemented is that in Pierce County, when ranked choice voting was implemented, voters, I believe, received two ballots in the mail. So one, regarding the ranked choice voting impacted offices, and then another ballot for all of the other offices or measures or etc., everything else that was on the ballot. So that was another thing that I recall reading in terms of the potential confusion for voters. But again, there were a number of things, issues or variables that were cited. Those are just a couple of examples. On your other question relating to ballot exhaustion. So as I mentioned, ballot exhaustion occurs when a ballot is no longer countable in Italy. So, for example, if there are multiple rounds and a person, all of a person's ranked candidates have already been eliminated, then hypothetically in the final round of vote tallying, if all of a voter's ranked candidates have been eliminated from their ballots would not be counted in the final round just because they wouldn't still have a candidate ranked candidates in the in the results, if that makes sense. Another reason could be if a voter just decided not to rank voters ranked candidate if they just selected their. Top. Candidate and that was it, then that would only be factored as long as that candidate was still a continuing candidate. So those are just a couple of variables that could factor into ballot exhaustion. I hope that speaks to your question, Councilmember. Excellent. Point of order. Thank you. And I'm sorry to to just get on to procedural stuff, but we do have another very important, very time sensitive item from my district on the agenda today, and I really hope we can get to that. And just as as the council chair, I would offer that if we can't vote one or more of these charter amendments out today, we have multiple options to continue moving them forward and meet our timelines for the November ballot. We can pull them from committee. We can we can do an emergency if we don't make the deadline for the maximum processing time. Well, we can allow for less than the maximum processing time and we can do an emergency. I'm not suggesting any of those are ideal, but I really do hope we can get to the land transfer, purchase and sale agreement today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Councilmember? No, she makes a good point. The chair is very aware that we have another charter amendment and a landfill that is essential. We do take up today or would need to move to full council in and and take action at full council next week without with or without committee work. And I believe that members would want the briefing and committee work and exposure to the issue, to the. Further discussion action on this item. Mr. Chair, council members, all. I, I just wanted to put out there an option. I think the next item on the agenda is also one that I'm sponsoring. I would be happy to move it down and the agenda or hear it at another point. If that means council member do cheese legislation gets to be heard sooner. Great. And thank you. We have been briefed on ordinance 2021 232. Is there further discussion, further action? I would like to move to. Discuss members of life. I would like to move the legislation. Is that in order right now? Yes. Okay. Council members are hereby has moved adoption of ordinance 2021 to 32 council members. Hello. Do we need to. Listen to the amendments to the legislation before we vote on it. We will take it, brief them and take them up. Yes, to the ordinances before us. If you wish to speak further to it now or brief amendments now. We can brief amendments now. My last concern, if you can bring us amendments one and two for sure. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So Amendment one, it's included in your packet on page 22 that would correct the reference to the election date and the ordinance just to align with state law regarding general elections that are held an odd number of years. Additionally, it would make a technical correction when referring to a scenario where there is no more than two candidates that have filed for an office by changing the verbiage. Only two candidates have filed two. Two or fewer candidates have filed. That is Amendment one. Amendment two, again, that was emailed to members yesterday morning. That relates to effective date. What it would do is change the effective dates from January 1st following council's adoption of the ranked Choice Voting Protocols Ordinance to January 1st. Following the Council's adoption of that ordinance or January 1st, 2026, whichever occurs first. That's Amendment two. And that completes. Thank you. So the ordinance is before us. Amendments would be in order. I move both the amendments. Mr. Chair. Council member has always moved adoption of Amendment One. Further discussion. I believe this is just a technical one. All those in favor of Amendment one please signify by saying I. I am. Opposed. Nay, the ayes have it. Amendment one is adopted. Council members all. Way I move. Amendment two. Mr. Chair. Amendment two is before us. Discussion. Mr. Chair, according to our King County Elections Department and their technology vendors, it would take 3 to 5 years to get the system up and running. So this amendment would give us a timeline at the top of that range. If we really do want ranked choice voting, I think it's important to have a timeline to give us more of a sense of urgency. The alternative of no timeline, which I have for the record, I would still support. The alternative would be asking our communities to invest a lot of time, energy and resources into getting something passed with no reassurance that we're actually going to act on an ordinance. I understand all of the concerns that my colleagues have shared, and like I mentioned before, even if this amendment doesn't pass, I would still move forward without a timeline either. But I think it's important to at least attempt to have a timeline for this. Thank you. Thank you for the discussion. Dombrowski Councilmember Dombrowski. Because this seems to implicate implementation in our elections department and we have Director Wise here. Would it be appropriate to have her views on this timing issue? Ms. ways. I don't. Ed Sheeran was there. We go his ways. Mr. Chair, council members, it's great to see you this morning. For the record, Julie Wise, County director of elections. It is true we believe a 3 to 5 year implement implementation timeline is necessary. Mostly due to that, we want our current vendor clear ballot or tabulation system to add ranked choice voting to that system and software. So they have given us that timetable as they need to develop it, implement it into their system, test it thoroughly, and get it certified at the federal and state levels prior to us implementing. Parallel to that 3 to 5 years, we could do voter education and outreach and make sure we have all of the resources in in-house to successfully conduct ranked choice voting. Thank you for the discussion on Amendment two. A group council member of the group. Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is I apologize. Just getting some clarification. This says it will be implemented by 2026, even in the absence of ordinance by the council. Is that correct? Miranda That's correct. Council member at the Grove. I'm sorry. I need some clarity on that question and answer. If this amendment is adopted and the charter amendment is out with this amendment is adopted. It doesn't require ranked choice voting by a certain date. Certain? Yes. Councilman McDermott, essentially it would say that ring true if if the charter amendment were approved by the voters and ranked choice voting, it would direct that ranked choice voting would be implemented by no later than January 1st of 2026. Thus there would be binding a future council to take to adopted an implementation ordinance, or would be left with resolving what to do with the implementation ordinance and a requirement in the Charter. So it wouldn't it would not require council to adopt the protocols ordinance. However, if council did not do so by January 1st of 2026, then ranked choice voting would still take into effect. It would still be implement. Thank you for the discussion. Asking councilmembers in Belsky. How would that work? Given the open questions in the. Ordinance here if there's no protocol ordinance adopted. And I think there are some legal questions about binding future councils. Sure. So thank you, Councilmember Tobolowsky. So the directions that are included in the ordinance right now in terms of voting won't be conducted in rounds until one candidate gets a majority of the votes that it would default to that direction. In addition, if Department of election needed to adopted public roles regarding to the administration of ranked choice voting, then perhaps Director Wise could speak more to that. But that may be required as well in the absence of a specific ordinance that would lay out those details. Mr. Chair, council members outlined the intent of this amendment is only to provide the communities and the supporters who want to see evolution in our system some reassurance that we're actually going to act because it's going to take a lot of energy resources, public education, to actually inform voters about what ranked choice voting does, and a lot of energy and resources to ultimately not get anything if the voters approve it. And we don't act on that. So that's the intent of this. But if it's if it's not doing what the intent is for my colleagues, I would be happy to table this one and discuss further at another time. So I'll go ahead and withdraw the amendment amendment to withdraw. And we have ordinance 2021 232 as amended before us. Discussion. Mr. Chair. Sorry, this is Miranda. There is a corresponding title amendment that would be needed. Title Amendment 81 members can find where Ms. less than in. Page 23 of your packets and start. On page 23 repack council members. Hello. These are without surgery. Taiwan is before us. I've seen no discussion of this in favor of adopting Taiwan. I oppose. No, the ayes have it. Ordinance 2021 to 32 as amended. Discussion. Councilmember Carl Wells. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to mention my support and glad to be a co-sponsor of this ordinance. I had worked on this issue for many years while in the state Senate. One of the biggest advocates for it was Krist Novoselic from Nirvana Band. And John became was extremely engaged over many years. And in many delving into this issue, I found that there are so many reasons to have ranked choice voting that could be very helpful, especially when there are a lot of candidates and people otherwise can become very disappointed with the person who came in first and would have preferred to have the opportunity to support their second choice. And it could be even a third choice, but I think overall it provides for and promotes a greater participation in our democratic system. And I think we're taking a very good approach on what we're doing here. And I look forward to seeing councilmember member delegations amendment, which I think could be very helpful. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the discussion. DEMBOSKY Councilmember DEMBOSKY. Thank you, Mr.. For the concerns I've raised before, particularly the rushed nature of this, the open questions and the elimination of the primary. I can't be supportive. Today, I'd like to have more dialog and more specificity, particularly on an issue of this magnitude. So I'm going to be a no on this. And I just it's very regrettable to me that we would. Rush this on this schedule and and not follow the recommendations that were a charter review commission. I just think there's a lot more work to do. This has some promise and I'm interested in it, but not on this not on this kind of approach. Thank you, Councilmember Gardner. Thanks. It's an interesting area in subject matter and I am always looking for improvements in the process. But my concerns are twofold. Your first is is it does feel rushed. And there's there's some work that I think we can do. Basic questions that need to be asked in ways to mitigate this amendment. This is coming pretty fast. I appreciate, Mr. Chair, that we had a briefing out of this. That's good. But this is a heavy piece of legislation. Yes, it is. We kind of work at the county level in improving our system of elections, going all the way back to that critical election. Okay. So how did the patients get this stuff? Too much just yet. That really thoughtful process. I'm intrigued by some of the concepts that are here and that I can't support it today, but we are committed to that things. Thank you, Councilmember again, Councilmember Balducci. Thank you, Mr. Chair. If I find myself in the really unenviable position of agreeing with pretty much everything everybody is saying, I there's nothing that has been. I particularly want to acknowledge Councilmember Dombrowski is concerned and his thoughts and ideas that he's expressed today. I feel that a vote against this today would put a stop to the discussion right here and now. And I know that we're on a very tight timeline. I also feel that there hasn't been as much process as one would like. However, I want to continue to allow the opportunity to move the discussion forward today. So I'm going to vote yes today, but I do believe that there is work to be done between now and getting to the place where I could vote for this to go on the ballot on final passage, as I've said, but as I've said previously, I won't reiterate those concerns, but I look forward to working with a couple key colleagues here, the sponsor and possibly Councilmember Dombrowski, to see if there is something we can do that would be responsive to the really good and legitimate work that's been done around voting. I keep saying evolution because I don't believe we need reform. I don't believe I voting system is broken, but it can always grow and improve. I really want to advance that work and support the folks who are doing it. And maybe there's a there's a way to do that while not risking the system that we have. That really does work pretty well here in King County. So I will vote yes on this today, but I think there's work to be done before final passage. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the discussion. Sure. Council member Von Rector. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate all the comments that have been made. I think that we're all coming from that. Each one of us is coming from a corner of the room. But I think we all want to get to the right position. It is a frustrating issue because the arguments have been extremely well outlined by the proponents. I just want more time, but I'm going to take the to route and move forward the motion, the action to the next full council meeting. But I feel very strongly that we need some more input and more discussion and hopefully a lot more work. Thank you, Councilmember, for the discussion. Council members are allowed to close. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to thank all of my colleagues for all of these thoughtful and very valid, all the thoughtful and very valid feedback. I think we're going to get the ordinance to a much better place because of your input, and I look forward to doing that work if this passes out of committee today . So thank you again for listening and I look forward to working with each and every one of you on this. If this were to pass, I urge your support to send this to full council so that we can continue to sharpen and make it better and deliver a much better system of voting, in my opinion and in the opinion of many for our constituents. Thank you so much. Thank you. And with that, Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Bell, DG I. Councilmember DEMBOSKY. No. Councilmember Dunn. No. Councilmember COLAs. Councilmember Lambert. So. Council member of the Grove I. Councilmember Bond right there. I. Councilman Brazile. Mr. Chair. I. Mr. Chair, the vote of six ICE Council members, Dombroski Dunn and Lambert voting no thank you. By your vote, we have given a do pass recommendation to ordinance 2021 to 32. We will advance into full council and I believe, expedited to next Tuesday's meeting. With that, we will advance to item eight on today's agenda.
A resolution approving a proposed Agreement between the City and County of Denver and Northeast Denver Housing Center, Inc. for administration of the Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance (TRUA) Program. Approves a contract with Northeast Denver Housing Center, Inc. for $1,533,600 and through 12-31-21 for administration of the Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance (TRUA) program (HOST-202157450). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 3-8-21. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 2-3-21.
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Ten Eyes. Council Resolution 20 1-0084 has been adopted. The next item up is Council Resolution 20 1-0088. Council Member Cashman. Can you please put Council Resolution 20 1-008 on the floor for adoption? Yes. Council President and I moved that resolution 20 10088 be adopted. I get. All right. You've got to attend the fair. Friends of family member Ortega. Thank you, Madam President. I asked for this to be called out for a vote because I am on the board of one of the organizations that is not an actual signatory to the contract with the city, but they're a subcontractor. And so just to be completely transparent, I want to abstain from the vote on this particular bill tonight. All right. Thank you, Councilwoman Ortega. In other hands raised. Madam Secretary, roll call. Ortega abstained. Sandoval. I. Sawyer. I. Black. I see tobacco. I. Clark. I. Flynn. I. Herndon. I. Cashman. Hi. Hi, Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce the results. One abstention tonight. Ten I's Council Resolution 20 1-008 has been adopted. The next item up is Council Resolution 20 1-0090. Council Member Cashman, will you please put Council Resolution 20 1-0090 on the floor for adoption?
Recommendation to declare ordinance approving and adopting the official budget of the City of Long Beach for the Fiscal Year 2018-2019, creating and establishing the funds of the Municipal Government of the City of Long Beach and appropriating money to and authorizing expenditures from said funds for said fiscal year; declaring the urgency thereof, and providing that this ordinance shall take effect at 12:01 a.m. on October 1, 2018, read and adopted as read. (Ordinance No. ORD-18-0023). (A-17)
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It's just a quick vote if there's no objection with the council we have. Can you please read the item? Report from Financial Management Recommendation to declare Appropriations Ordinance for FY 19 as an emergency ordinance read and adopted is read in later in the next regular meeting of City Council for Final Reading. Thank you. This is our final vote on the budget. Can I get a motion in a second? Thank you. And thanks to our finance team and thank you to OPEC and council. Please cast your votes. Motion case. Thank you. Thank you. Budget staff. You guys are awesome. Thank you so much for all your work. Really amazing job again. So let me let me go ahead and go back to our discussion. I think I had just I was just about to call in cuts from your rank. I think that's where we were. Yes. So cut somebody, Ringo. Thank you, Mary. And congratulations to us all for tonight's success in getting this merger through. And it's it's a wonderful feeling. It's always good when you have a balanced budget and a good, strong one like we have this time around. But getting back to the item at hand, I have to agree with my colleagues in terms of where we're at with this this issue. The most important one for me is that we have a measure on the ballot that's coming up. And the last point that Councilmember Gonzalez made, it's one that really concerns me, is that given that we have a ballot measure, I'm already coming before the voters and we're addressing pretty much the same issues here as an ordinance. What would impact would. I'd have a city attorney. Okay. Okay. Okay. Mr. City. Attorney, sorry you had a council question. I'm just following up on that council member Gonzalez's issue regarding that. We already have a ballot measure coming before the voters and Iseman and the city council bringing this before the body as a ordinance for you to draft. And you have gotten you you admittedly have gotten it. Yes. Got it Friday or saw it yesterday. Whenever is there. So is there is there an internal conflict that is is being put before us here in terms of having to deal with a an ordinance or a request for you to do an ordinance when there is something already on the ballot that addresses a lot of these issues. Clearly, you're correct that this ordinance does address an item or a part of an item that is well before the voters on November 6th. I don't know that, and I haven't done any legal research on this, but I don't think that that's a legal conflict or where there is some sort of ethical issue that it raises for the council in considering an ordinance such as this. The the issue here is a panic button applied to all hotels and motels. You have a measure on the ballot that would apply to a certain criteria of hotels, and it has other items included in that initiative that go beyond what this proposed ordinance would cover. So there is a difference and there's a significant difference. If you were trying to pass something identical, I think you could even do something like that if you wanted to. But whatever, as the mayor mentioned, whatever the initiative had in it, if it was stricter, it would control. And even if it wasn't stricter, if the initiative passes, it may control anyway, depending on how that initiative is written. Some citizens initiatives allow councils to take action that are more restrictive than what the voters passed or more in conformance with what the voters passed. In others, you can only amend it or change it by a vote of the people. So I, I don't think that there's that legal issue that you're bringing up, whether it causes confusion or not, obviously, that that's always a concern to. But I don't I don't think that that would be an issue, a legal issue that we would be challenged on or there would be a success. We could always get challenged on everything, but they would be successful on that. Well, as you said, you know, there may not be an ethical issue here, but it certainly doesn't pass the smell test for me because we like to there's been a process the there was a petition that was distributed. Over 40,000 people signed on to the petition. It's going to be on a November ballot. And I think that this measure that we have here today or this proposal that we have here today basically is to a great extent circumvents what's already been out there in terms of the other people that send out a petition expecting to vote on that in a in November. And then we have this ordinance here that if we were to adopt before the vote, would basically make that WW null and void, although there are some considerations there about if one was more restricted and the other the more restrictive one would take over or would take precedence. Is that correct? Or only as to if. I think the assumption here is that Measure W will pass. If it doesn't pass, this ordinance obviously would be in place and protect or would require all hotels to have to provide panic buttons to their employees if measure WW does pass. It's it seems to be more restrictive in certain areas as identified by some of the speakers, and that would apply to those hotels. Yeah, from my understanding, what I saw on the on the draft is that it's basically hotels with 100 rooms or more and it doesn't address the the the smaller hotels or the or those that are that are as as a Councilmember Richards put forward in the nuisance hotels those that are they're smaller than or less than 100. So the question comes back, I mean, how much vetting was done before bringing this item forward today in terms of discussing this or sharing this with the other hotels or those at lesser of 100 rooms? And although there's still some definitions about. Airbnb and these other types of of businesses that that have these these opportunities for people to to get a room at at a at a at a lesser rate or more of a personal experience being in a smaller location. You know, I still have to to have that information as well, that that that type of of vetting and charito. How much are those types of facilities used and what the impacts are and how the how do they get cleaned? I mean, how I mean, there's got to be some contracting that goes out for these facilities, for these other optional lodging experiences that people people have. I'm you know, I'm not. A lot of these are rentals. People buy them and then rent them out and then get people to get in there to clean them. And and and the complaints that I've heard and this is an issue that that I grew up and down the coast where there's a facilities or there is Airbnb opportunities out there that just get abused, especially along the coast. People have parties. They in fact, I think a councilmember asked and brought it up a few a few weeks ago about, you know, the these big houses that that go multi rooms and people, fraternities or or wedding parties or whatever, rent them out, trashed the place, trashed the neighborhood, and provides another opportunity for for somebody to get hurt, especially when they're going in there to clean it up. So, I mean, this just this all this isn't make any sense to me at this at this point, at this juncture of the process of getting the the measure on the ballot and then having the voters vote on it and then confusing that whole issue, whether it's true or not. But it will be that what the city already has something like adopted something in this ordinance where I and voted on it. So I mean, that's a concern I have. And I'd rather that we let the process continue that we receive and file this. I'm not making the motion right now, but I mean, I think we need more discussion take place. Has the other ideas queued up as well? So I'm not going to making a motion at this point. But the bottom line is that there's still more information that we need. And there was we didn't that 60 days or 30 days that we requested for a physical study to come back, we haven't gotten there yet. So we really don't know what the impacts are going to be on this. And especially when we're talking about law enforcement being involved in this, we're talking about getting some city staff also involved in this. And we just haven't had a physical study on it. So I'm very, very reluctant at this point to to support this motion. Councilman Richardson. Thanks, Mr. Mayor. Okay. So a few questions. I think the response to the first question is going to the timing. Whether I need to ask the question is not so. Councilwoman Pryce making the motion. I mean, the author of the of the motion. So are you open to modifying this so that we can get it passed tonight. Depending on the modifications? Absolutely. I've heard at least three people talk about the most critical thing is doing this at the same time as an open election that we just certified a couple of weeks ago. So my question to you is, are you willing to allow staff to begin doing research? And then we actually, like turn this into a feasibility motion and then we begin the process of the ordinance once we have results from WW. No, I'm not, and I appreciate you asking. And although I'd love for us to reach some sort of consensus on this, and I'm amenable to whatever modifications people want to make, I am submitting this for consideration as an ordinance with the limited purpose of establishing panic button policy to address the public safety concerns that have been raised at multiple council meetings. Okay. Then I'll ask the rest of my questions. So so to be clear, is this a motion? This is not a motion about feasibility. This is a motion to direct staff to create an ordinance. The City Attorney. Yes. Okay. Mr.. ACTUALLY, Mr.. City Manager. When's the last time you saw this recommendation? Was the first time you saw this recommendation? Are you familiar with this? I thought this morning. I know Mr. Modica got it on Friday afternoon. Okay. Now, when I bring an idea to city council, having worked here for quite some time, typically I get a little pushback when a little a little pushback or staff may suggest, hey, would you mind making this and we've had this conversation. I don't know how many times would you mind making this a feasibility? Give us some time to come back and tell you how we approached the issue. Did you have that? Do you have that same concern here? And did you express that the council to Councilman Price upon seeing the item? No. So you don't have any concerns about timing or meeting it? Well, things come up on supplementals and once it's on a supplemental staff is kind of pushed out of the process at that time. So you don't want more time. You want to move. Forward with this one? We serve at the will of the council. Nice. All right. I look forward to a, you know, consistent answer moving forward on items like this. Okay. So speaking of supplemental. Councilwoman Price, why was this brought on supplemental? Well, there's. Really. Gosh, a multitude of reasons. Like I said, this item was drafted by me in November of 2017, but I decided not to bring it at that time. I felt compelled to after the last hearing that we had to bring it. I will. I was told that next week's meeting was going to be canceled potentially, and I'm not going to be here on the 18th. So for me, this was the right timing. And and while I appreciate your recommendations on process and I could learn certainly a lot from my colleagues on process and sometimes some of us, you know, we learn from one another all the time. What I would say is, is highlighting the deficiencies in the process is that's one approach. But I'd ask that we focus on the content. Is the content objectionable in regards to whether the city manager would ask for more time? My understanding is that the police department is already doing the recommendations that are listed here because they reported on that in October of 2017 at the public safety meeting. And I did provide a memorandum for the full Council highlighting their presentation that Deputy Chief Conant provided to the Public Safety Committee meeting in October of 2017, highlighting what they're doing, the panic button item that it would be up to the hotels really well. I asked about why he brought it on Labor Day. I don't want to deviate too much since I have the floor from that that question. Okay. Well, you let me know when my answers are beyond the scope of your question. I will. Think so. In my opinion. In order to have a full, fair. Conversation, I try to try not to utilize supplementals unless there's, you know, a deadline, a time frame that we're looking to meet, particularly when there's a three day weekend, a Labor Day weekend, in order to give a just a fair opportunity to the council to think about it and come prepared for the meeting. No. And so. Yeah. And so, you know, obviously that wasn't presented. So I guess my question is, it doesn't matter on this issue. Does it matter to you to have consensus on the council or is this something that you're very comfortable moving forward on? A split vote? A very divided vote? You know, I would always love to have consensus, but on this particular issue, I think that's been a challenge from the very beginning for us to get to. So although I would love to have consensus, I think we have to be realistic and I think people feel very strongly about this this item. You know, I know that when we had these discussions in September of 2017, I, I talked with the folks that were advocating for it and I said, I really would love to support this. Is there any way we can bifurcate it and just address the panic button issue since there's no nexus and there just wasn't a willingness to do that? So I want to be realistic in the answer to this question is yes. I would love to have consensus. Do I mind a split vote? Sometimes I think you just have to do what you think is best, even if it means you're not voting with everybody else. I get it. So in the way you envision this. Most ordinances like this that reach out to both the smaller business, the larger businesses, they've had a period of outreach. Did you envision some outreach on this? I did, and I believe there was some outreach done with the motels. I don't have too many of them in my own. Diversity or. I believe by some of the council members. But like I said, we can certainly implement a phasing for the motels that gives them the time to I would venture to guess most motels are not going to want to pick up an additional cost for something like this because they're small business. Probably a lot of hotels aren't going to want to do this either, but it's really about public safety. And sometimes when we establish policies like we do to help the environment or whatever the case may be, we will phase in because it's the right thing to do what. The. Policy is, the right thing to do. We can phase in the implementation to address their concerns, but this is the start of the process of drafting an ordinance and again of all of your comments about process are absolutely noted and I don't disagree with them at all. Great. So in terms of the outreach, so with this outreach, be in favor of the ordinance or oppose the ordinance, did you envision any educational materials to go out as a part of this outreach? No, I did not. Okay. I would just mean. Like written material. Anything. Any material for outreach? No. I mean, I don't I don't think so. It's not a very complicated issue. Hotel workers are afraid of being in a room with a customer and a panic button. What I think is a. Little more. Flex than that. Well, yeah. With regards to panic button. Yeah. Okay. Tell me what aspects. Of the panic buttons you'd include on an information. Well, I mean, first I would conduct outreach and like you mentioned on the the health. Reach the homelessness. 50 Gay Outreach. I think that those materials should come back to council so we can review outreach materials just like. Oh, but I. Was saying I wouldn't do any written materials. I'm saying. What is your letter written? I think that's even better. I mean, what I think a fair thing to do is to be honest about the fact that the way this has been presented with, you know, on Labor Day weekend, no outreach or interest to reaching across the aisle to a member of the council who's been engaged in the issue. I mean, that would have gone a long way just to help bring the council together. Then expressing at the very beginning of this that you're not willing to talk timeline. It appears to me that this is more politically motivated than actual policy conversation. And then there is the appearance and you know, city attorney, I'm not sure if city attorney or if PC would have issues with this, but I do have a problem with conducting outreach during a public election, conducting outreach. So I would say that all the outreach and all that should not happen until after the election. I think that's the simplest way that you can clear clean this up. All right. Number one, we just came through a circumstance all measure M when three members of the city council were accused and then, you know, you know, went away with three members of the council, were accused of using public resources during campaign season to campaign for one way or the other on a measure. Now, PC cleared it, but it became an issue. And frankly. We need to learn from those experiences and operate and behave a bit differently during election time. The last thing I would say here is that this is a real opportunity to turn the page on this issue. And the way that we do that is maybe by taking a step back from our egos and honestly saying, is this what's best for the city to engage in this conversation right now? Because it's not. I personally believe that the public has going to begin a conversation citywide. The integrity of that conversation, I think we should be. We're already conducting a feasibility study or a financial impact analysis. I think it's very simple to to ask city staff, while you're going through this process, begin to prepare for should we be in the position to implement WW then or not implement a WW one way or the other? We want to be able to pick up the conversation right then and move it, move it forward. And I think that will do it. I think that with unanimous support, he'll be less political. And then people, people could feel comfortable not thinking this politically motivated or unethical or whatever it is. And so that's my honest heartburn about this. I wish we didn't have to talk about it this late. And I wish that, frankly, I wish you had a lot more sunshine to it. And I wish that we could just leave the council meeting feeling good. But it seems like we always end on this issue. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember, let me go back. Let me I know we're going back to Councilmember Pearce in a minute. Let me maybe ask a couple questions that could fill in some of the questions that have come up. I know there's other questions, but just so that I'm clear, too, and I know that when we go through an ordinance process, regardless of when it's brought up or what have you, there is a process that happens and that that basically is an ordinance gets presented and put onto the agenda. Then it goes to the city attorney. The city attorney spends an unspecified amount of time, depending on whatever amount of time you need for the issue that's in front of us. And then that issue, of course, then comes back to the council, and then there's got to be two separate votes post that. And so I know there's some conversations happening about like the timing or when it's going to when it's something going to happen or not happen. But I also think we have to also all recognize that we don't know the timing because a lot of is dependent on the city attorney's schedule. And when he would bring the initial draft of that back to the body. And then at that point, the body has to begin having conversations on the initial draft of the ordinance. And so I just say that they know that there's been some conversations about the timing. And I mean, I know that the election was brought up a few times, were, you know, 60 days away from that. We're close. And so I'm not sure that anyone here on this body should be convinced one way or another that somehow this is going to happen for sure before or even after that period. And this is my assumption it could be wrong. But just just from a first and just ask the city attorney putting aside the multiple readings that would have to happen at the Council for for an ordinance like this. I mean, how much minimum time would you need just to bring back the first ordinance back and you guys doing your work? I, I don't think we could come back excuse me before 30 days, at the minimum. There's been a lot of I've taken a lot of notes here and some legal research that we have to do in addition to the other work we're currently doing. So, you know, we could try and get back 30 days, but I don't see it coming back before then. So are you saying that at a minimum you would need 30 days? Yes, at a minimum. Okay. And I just say that because so now we're we're into the beginning of October and then there still has to be two conversations of this body that's we're talking about minimum here. So at a minimum, it's early October. That's if everything. Goes that's if everything goes perfectly with your office. And once it's minimum once we're past minimum of October or now we're in mid or late October where this is coming back to the council, depending on on where it is. And then there has still has to be two separate conversations. And if there's and if there's research that's gained or a discussion that that that that is different at one of those conversations and we have to restart the whole process. So I only say that because I think this is just my personal take, that regardless what the Council did tonight, it seems to me. That too. For this process to be completed even by that date would be very difficult. That is just my my reading of this. And if someone disagrees with that, let me know. But I think it'd be very hard. I have never seen an ordinance would go this fast on on a topic like this. And so the agenda item doesn't say it has to be back like next week. It says start the process of the ordinance. So if there's disagreement on that, I'd like to hear that. But that's the way I'm at least interpreting what's in front of us is there is no time limit for this to somehow come back before the election. So I just want to put that out there. I know there's other people that are that are queued up, but I would think that to do an ordinance that is I mean, listen, this is this is an important issue. I think there's not anyone on this body that doesn't recognize this as a huge, important issue that's in front of us. And I agree with with with Councilman Price. I think it is going to pass when when it's in front of voters and in November as well. And so and so, I think that this will take some time regardless of the vote tonight, if that's the direction that council goes in. And I want to just add that to the mix as we're having this conversation. So it. Mr. City Attorney. Right. Is that sound accurate or my off here? No, I think that's accurate. And then if everything went perfect, obviously it doesn't go into effect until 31 days after you sign it. So you're probably into the year somewhere in there. Okay. Okay. So let me keep going through the speakers list. Councilmember Pearce. Okay. I'm not going to continue to harp on the well, I'm going to say one last thing about the process. I think the comments of, yes, I have told you that I would support panic buttons and all motels. When I said that, I fully expected that we would partner on something because this policy, I spent five years of my life writing this policy. And so to be able to to draft up a different type of language around sexual assault in hotels disregards the work and the effort that we've done. So I appreciate the efforts. I in no way do want to hold back from panic buttons reaching the housekeepers in these hotels. So I first want to say, outside of a policy standpoint, we have worked with Rose Park Neighborhood Association, AOC seven and many of our neighborhood groups around getting access to not the ideal panic buttons that I would like to see in hotels, but something similar. And I have no problem with using my divide by nine monies to go out there tomorrow and make sure that we have those in our motels while we draft this policy. So I in no way want the conversation to be that we didn't support getting panic buttons to housekeepers immediately, because that has always been my my effort on the conversation around the around the policy language that's drafted. There was a lot of effort put into thinking about those issues that I brought up earlier, the policy questions. And so, you know, those those were just ones off the top of my head. Again, I think the challenge with the timing was that even if we had even if it was a regular week and not Labor Day week, we would have had a day to do this, whereas we had our budget meeting today and we saw how smooth that went. So that's what happens when we juggle big policy discussions very last minute. So I'm in fear. That there's. More language than these four questions that I have, which is subcontracted workers notification of guest retaliation language and hotel workers ability for legal remedy. Would you be opposed to what I mean? I mean, yeah. Would you be opposed to taking the language from Claudia's law that only pertains to sexual assault safety and asking the staff to act in the city? Attorney to draft an ordinance for hotels of 50 rooms or less using just that language instead of reinventing the well because we have already done that work. I would not be opposed to that, although I don't have that language in front of me. I will tell you that in respect for the work that has been done, again, I've said from day one, if we could separate, I said, I see no nexus between several of the items that were in the provision that was submitted to us. And if we could separate the public safety piece, I would have voted on it over a year ago. But what I did, because I know that the work that was done on this was extensive, was tried to include a lot of that same language. So if there's something that's missing out of here that you'd like to see included, totally open to that. So I guess slightly, yeah. I mean that just I don't have the ordinance in front of me, so I don't know what the components would be, but it. Was all kind of rushed on it. So I think instead of doing it line by line is asking the city attorney to use the language in Claudio's law, not only around. The sexual assault protections. But the issues that I mentioned here, who's covered that there's legal remedy for them, that it's the same thing minus the square footage that's included in WW. Think I I'm hearing just so I'm clear, I think Councilman Price is is is fine with that. I'm seeing her nod to Mr. City attorney. I think the big ask right now of Councilman Pierce is if we were moving forward, could we just take the language that's currently in the in the WW ordinance and just use that for the under 50 motels that are laid out in this item? Is that. Correct? That's my first question, yes. Okay. That's that's number one. Is that possible as you draft the ordinance, you could take that direction. Certainly use that as the starting language. Yes, it would eliminate the entire motion except request city attorney to draft an ordinance for panic buttons. Right. Okay. Great. So the second. Although I would like the provisions that ask Long Beach PD to include information on their website and everything other than item three to be included in there. So establishing regular outreach to hotel and lodging workers to make them aware of their rights and the process and directing them to have more prominent information on their website and that ensure that language access policy is followed in regards to the dissemination of information should be included. Okay. And then the second part that's important to me is the feasibility, the fact that we've spent years working with the largest hotels, but we have not done that work with the small mom and pops that everything from. Yeah, of course they probably won't be supportive, but it's a very different feasibility conversation versus a, you know, company that can spend 60 K in a election should they choose. So I think that there is a different feasibility conversation that we need to have and that that needs to happen well before we see our first draft. So while you say it might take 90 days, what does a 60 day engagement process look like with hotels? I mean, with hotels under 50 rooms? Is that something that staff could. Well, I think I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think they're the motion is to direct the city attorney to prepare the ordinance. And I think the city attorney's office in their preparation of the ordinance, whether or not they conduct outreach. And in this case, I think it'd be difficult in the amount of time. But whether or not they conduct outreach, I think is is up to you and your office. Right. Depending on what information you need to craft the ordinance. I wouldn't be doing outreach. No, this would be staff. I mean, if the council wants me to direct write an ordinance, I'll write the ordinance and bring it back if if you want to do some sort of outreach, I don't have the ability to do that. I recognize that that's a different item. So I guess if there was a substitute motion to do outreach for, he says, yes, okay, I'm trying to interpret this. If there is a substitute motion to spend 60 days doing outreach before the to these entities before city attorney drafted it. That if I may if there is a substitute motion something like that and we've done that on other items, right, that there would be some sort of a study or outreach. Feasibility study. To craft the ordinance. We would wait for that information to come back and then craft the ordinance if and that's we've done it that way too, that's acceptable. So I guess I'm working backwards because yes, I want the language from WW. I think that makes sense. But I also think that that makes sense without us having any knowledge about how these motels and smaller hotels operate. So and I if I could add, I agree with you, I think that the the intention of the outreach would be to we would use that as a starting point. But maybe some of that language doesn't make sense or maybe it needs to be tweaked and then it would come to you as kind of a package. They'd have the outreach and you'd have the draft language, and obviously the council could put all that language back in or change it back or do whatever it is they want to do to it when you get it, when we finally get something in front of you. Thank you for that. And I guess my last point and then I'll hear from my colleagues would be understanding because, you know, we've got, like I said, many small motels or hotels. The cost might be a bigger issue for them versus the Marriott of the world. And so if that is one of the challenges that come up from our engagement with them, just like we did with polystyrene, what does that phase in program look like? Is there some type of city funds that we can use to try to get them panic button sooner? Or like what? What can we do to try to get those in their hands sooner rather than later and that the city plays a role in that. So. I did some I made that substitute motion. That's right. It was 130. Okay. Okay. That that's a that's a substitute motion. Do I have a second? Is that what it says? Ask. Emotion motion over here. My laptop's hiding it. Sorry, guys. Okay, that's a substitute. That's a substitution. Do we want to see it? That's if we can first. If we can maybe fold that into the the agenda item. May it may not be possible in the item itself. I think the request and I could be wrong. I think the request is to have some outreach, to ask to direct or direct this. So we're still directing the city attorney to begin the process of importing the ordinance. But before it comes back to the council that staff do some outreach to those that are being that would be that would be impacted by this and that that that outreach inform the city attorney in his crafting of the ordinance as it comes back and that and that when it came back, we would have that information in front of us. Now, I'm not sure if that's possible or acceptable to obviously the make the motion. I think that's what I heard that's a friendly I know she substituted I was trying to see if that was possible to do as a friendly if not I think that's okay but just want to. Tell you what Charlie's not. So. Mayor. Members of the council. No way. Well, I'm not sure that's possible, but the way I just understand it is that the substitute motion would request staff to conduct outreach, slash study of this issue. 60, 90 days of the study. Then I would start preparing the ordinance 30, 45 days. I was I when it would come back. I mean, that's true, as I understand. That's right. In the spirit of I think what I heard earlier, I was trying to I was trying to see if there's possible to get to a place where we could, you know, build them on the same page. So, you know, maybe it's not possible. I was just I was just putting it out there as something for us to consider as we as we move forward. Councilwoman Price. You know, I'm going to actually I do have a few comments, but I'm going to queue up at the end because Councilwoman Mango was the second year of the original motion, but we went to public comment and didn't go back to her. So I'm going to turn it over to Councilwoman Mongo and then I'll come back up. Thank you. And when I was cute, I was laying on the back rail. And unfortunately, little Samantha has been kicking me like crazy, and it has been just really tough. But so I appreciate you saying that. When Councilman Price approached me about this in September 2015, I was a supporter of it at that time. And I appreciate all the work that many councilmembers have done, and I think that everyone's work is valid and we've all had very different approaches. Many remember my comments related to working with the Defensive Tactics Training Academy that works with L.A. County Sheriff's Department and providing free training for a lot of those hotel workers. Additionally, that came out of a discussion from a leader in the motel chain industry whose wife serves as president of one of the motel chain associations. And so that outreach did start back in 2017. While Councilwoman Price approached my office last Monday about signing on to this item and I was amenable at the time, I'm still amenable , and I know that unfortunately it is a holiday weekend, but with her, not with the potential of the 11th being canceled, her being not available on the 18th, me going into pre labor on Friday and thinking I might be having a baby sooner than later and wanting to be a part of this discussion. We're here and it is what it is. So with that, I was not very supportive of the friendly to strip out the language that Councilman Price had stated she'd be open to from Councilwoman Pearce. So I'm going to make a substitute substitute to the original language submitted and signed on by me and some other colleagues. I feel that the 2017 outreach that was started including but not limited to talking to some of the motel associations. I appreciate that outreach is important and necessary. I appreciate that process could be improved. At the end of the day, whether I agree with it or not, a group of people came before us and asked for a button. And whether it's today or 30 days from now or 60 days from now or through a vote, there's. An opportunity to put it through and give them what they've requested. And for that, I hope that we can have a united vote and. Provide what was requested, and I wish it would have happened in 2017. I wish the vote could have been bifurcated before. I wish that there were times when I was outreaching on my own that I would have been supported by the original community in committee. On several occasions in meeting with different advocacy groups including but not limited to unite here. I asked for support accommodation support of minor changes to watch every single time. Any request, even if supported by hotel workers, was told to me that this is the way it is in other cities and and this is what we're moving forward with and get on board or watch out. And unfortunately that was not great. And I wish that this could have been a better example of what we should do. But with the circumstances and the timelines that we're up against, I'd just like to almost everyone who's on the speakers list has already spoken. I hope we can call for the question shortly and not repeat ourselves, because otherwise I might be having this baby at this dais any time now. So if we could appreciate that everyone has a different perspective and I appreciate the work that everyone else has done and so forth. There has been outreach. I know it's not the same kind of outreach, but not every item that comes to council has had that. And any group that's wanted to weigh on it on this has had at least four council meetings to do so and so for that, I appreciate everyone's input. Mayor, I was going to go to the city attorney really quick. Thank you. I'm not sure that that's a proper substitute. Substitute. You just repeated the main motion. The main motion was stripped. So the. Original. Motion. There's original motion, then a substitute motion? No, the original motion. Then there was a friendly amendment that stripped it completely. There was just there was never a friendly that was accepted. It was a substitute motion to add the study. 90 days or so for a study, then draft an ordinance using the language from W.W. as a substitute motion. So what was the friendly. Decision made by. Because I thought Australia was accepted without the second approval. So. So what I will do is my substitute, substitute motion is that we pass the item as originally submitted with an addition of a one year implementation opportunity for motels. I can right. That that. Is a timely point. Of clarification. Does that include number four and not include number four? Not include number four? Thank you. Thank you. That is a substitute. Substitute. Councilman Gonzalez. Yes. And I'm going to defer to Councilmember Pierce. I withdraw my substitute motion. It's not on the floor. Dang it. I think that there's a subset of you can't. Which are you got to you got to go work back of this now from the. We've got to. You have to work from that. You have to work from the subs on the floor. Okay. So I. Well, she had him. Just listen to let me just say one more thing as we're moving forward. I'm hoping that as we're moving forward, that we're out, we're still focused on getting the getting the best outcome as possible. And I think that there's been some I think from those who have made the motion, they accepted some things and there's been some good conversation. And so I don't want that to get lost in our frustration at that, that we're all tired and everything else. And so let's just keep let's let's please keep going. And we do have the motion on the floor which they subsub, which is essentially the main motion striking number four with a one year implementation. Okay. So that is that is currently the motion that is on the floor. And if obviously you're still able to make fun of this, if you would like, but that is the motion that we will be voting on. Councilwoman Gonzalez. Okay. Think we got to handle a little bit. So I would just like to reiterate the need for the impacts. So whether that's the legal implications, I know you had mentioned we need to do a little bit more legal research, which I think would be important given the circumstances of what this may or may not look like , perception or not, what whatever that might be. When do you think you can get that back? I know you had mentioned. Maybe 60 days or. We would work as hard. You know, we can try and get this back as soon as possible. I'm not sure. I mean, obviously, I understand the timing, but that it's a public safety issue. But generally speaking, a lot of these ordinances have been challenged. And so we'd want to do some research on what it is we're doing. And now that we're back to this language, there may be some questions in this language we're going to have to research also as a substitute. Substitute motion is being considered. So we will try and get something back to you in 30 days, but it may be a little longer than that. Okay. And thank you. And then I think the only other thing that was my main thing, because I know we had address the public safety issues, but I would still like just to report on. But I believe Councilmember Price mentioned that there was a two from four sent over to us based on the Public Safety Committee meeting. Did that include information about public safety resources and what we're currently doing with hotels? I just want to make sure that's clear. Yeah, and it wasn't a two from four per se. It was just I do a summary when the public safety committee meets. I usually do a written summary for all the councilmembers, and that's what it was. And yes, it was Deputy Chief Conant and it's available on audio because we listened to it today just to go through what was discussed. But Deputy Chief Conant talked about the outreach that they do with hotels, the data in regards to calls for service and, you know, some of the collaborative partnerships that they were creating around public safety, not just at the hotels, but in the downtown area, including the hotels. Okay. Thank you. I still you know, I'd love the information to come back first, but I don't know that I can support this today, but I would just like more information. I think that's a big deal. So thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilmember Ringo. Thank you, Aaron. We have a lively discussion here where things that I brought up obviously before is that I think this is going to be confusing to the electorate. They did a petition. They put it on the ballot. It's going to be coming up as WW in November. What we're doing here is basically, like I said earlier, circumventing that vote that the people have already put there. Given that, would it be possible? And and just to to paraphrase what we done before. We talked about a month ago about making a study to determine what would be the. Fiscal impacts of such an ordinance to the city. We haven't gotten that yet. So would the makers of the motion to make such a motion be amenable to holding off on? Processing this audience now until we get that fiscal impact report back to us and then go ahead and request a city attorney to proceed with any kind of a one ordinance. It's a friendly. Basically saying, can we hold off until we get the fiscal information fiscal report? I appreciate the option. But I would just say that in in echoing the comments of the original motion that there's no need for a delay. I mean, we know that there's going to be a fiscal impact. We've said that when when previously it was commented on, it was said not to be of a value at that time . So I'll only repeat that. Thank you anyway. But I, I, I was kind of serious about my call for the question do I get a second on that? But I thought I had heard the but I could have been wrong. Usually the one who says yes. Well, I mean, if there's a second on that, we've got former speakers. Mr. Anthony, was there a second on that? Yes. On a call for the question? Yes. He came back and asked me why it didn't work. That's not debatable. We need a two thirds majority to call for the question. Okay. So so we're going to go take a vote and call for the question. Yes. It's okay to two thirds vote. Yes. Okay. So are we are we voting on it, you people? It is lots of people. Okay. I will send my call for the question. Okay. I hope the speakers list won't be extended. Okay. So we're back to Councilor Richardson a second. Thanks, Mr. Mayor. So can you elaborate on the one year implementation? What what is that? So what I am hearing from my council colleagues is that they believe that outreach to the motels needs to be more extensive and that if this came back to council, it would take a while to know whether the requirements. And so I'm just creating a one year implementation so that it gives city staff the option to help ensure compliance. Okay. And but if you felt a shorter period was appropriate, I'm open to it. You do more outreach to that group. But I personally just think there's a there's like a good government model for crafting ordinances. When the American Planning Association wars left and right, I've worked on many of them myself, argue with planning about who should get the trophy just saying. And most of them, frankly, have same format. Either they start with some kind of a pilot or the award winning ones. They start with some kind of pilot. They all have outreach that informs the crafting of the ordinance. I just think that this is there is no reason, there is no valid reason to push this through without conducting that process. And I just think I appreciate your feedback. And I believe that outreach process should just not happen at the same time as the election. I don't think that's an and I'm. And that's why I said a year instead of six months, so that the outreach can start after November. Okay. So you're saying outreach starts after November? Great. That's what you're saying. Yes. All right. So no outreach between now and November. Great. Okay. There's a number of issues here. So we're passing this motion without evaluating the fees, without putting the flexibility of staff to evaluate the feasibility. At 2 a.m., the day after Labor Day. Those are those. Respectfully, sir, we have to discuss this since 2017. And I appreciate. Respect, respectfully, and nobody knew this was coming. But make sure Councilor Richardson has the floor. So let's look. Continue. It is it's I'm just stating the obvious. Here is 2 a.m. is Labor Day weekend. And I still have a I still have not heard a legitimate reason on why we're rushing rushing this through. If the intent is really to if everybody on the council just expressed that they're okay go and panic button the citywide and it's all about process then there's no threat for this being killed or shut down to where after people aren't at council meetings or whatever. And it's a little less politically charged with the election season. And that's why I have a major problem with this. It has nothing to do. I just want to be clear. It has nothing to do with expanding panic buttons. The other thing is I think we do need to actually talk to motels. I'm engaged with talking to a lot of motels was a different conversation is completely different. It's about, you know, cracking down on just outdated uses and all that. And I want to have a, you know, a way to just think through how it all integrates. Right. And I just don't think that this flexibility is being given here tonight with this. So, Councilwoman Margo, I appreciate the steps that you made in that direction. But just fundamentally, I just can't I can't I can't support this, but. I appreciate that and I respect that greatly. Thank you. And. This reaches everyone. And so other hotels who are prepared and have the resources would be implementing them sooner. And if that saves even one potential assault, then that's a win. So thank you. Thank you, Councilman Price. Thank you. So I appreciate all the comments tonight. I think it's been a great discussion. I will say, Councilman Richardson, while I understand the awards and I know you've had a lot of experience in politics, but I just want to make sure we're clear. We're not really trying to win any awards here, but we do have a public safety issue that was brought to our attention. And in September of 2017, this council stated very clearly that we were all in favor of panic buttons when those of us who voted against it voted against it because we believe there was no nexus between some of the provisions and panic buttons. Our colleagues allowed the implication to be had that we did not support panic buttons and they allowed person after. As leaders of this Dyas, as colleagues of ours and leaders of this issue, they allowed people to come to the podium and say that we did not support safety for women . I have handled I cannot tell you how many rape cases and sexual assault cases in my career. I will not go on record as being accused of not supporting panic buttons. So tonight I am supporting panic buttons loud and clear. You don't have to vote for it. I understand all your reasons. Put policy process. I mean, I'm sorry. Not policy. Put process aside. Put, put all your. I value your opinion. Honestly, I do. I learn from you all the time. You're absolutely right that the process could have been better. And there's not a day since September 2017 that I haven't thought I should have brought that panic button earlier because I drafted it in November 17. Jack knows he's here. I circulated it to people in November of 17, but people said, Oh, you know what, the issues behind us, let's not bring it back to council. We don't want to have long meetings. And I said, okay, okay. But then when person after person came in here and said, You don't care about the safety of women. That to me, that's unethical to sit back and allow your colleagues to to be accused of not caring about public safety when they've devoted their entire career to it. Just put yourself in the shoes of someone else. It's all I've ever done. It's all I've ever done. And to have people come up to the to the podium and say, I don't care about public safety and have my colleagues who are supposed to be maybe not allies in everything, but at least supporting each other in this fishbowl that we all sit in, not stand up and say, you know what , it's not about public safety. Maybe that she doesn't like this aspect of it or that aspect of it. But tonight, this is about voting in favor of panic buttons. Because if there is. A woman that gets assaulted and the next few months or in the next week or whatever, I don't want to be going on record as someone who voted against panic buttons because I didn't and I'm not going to tonight. I respect and appreciate everyone's vote. You have the right to have your own opinion, but really, let's try to separate the election from this issue. And the issue tonight is who's going to go on record as supporting panic buttons. So thank you. Guys. Were having a discussion at the council. Take us to one place. Councilor Pearce, I think is not here. Vice Mayor Andrews. Yes, thank you, Mayor. And I echoed those sentiments for my councilwoman, you know, Price, because the fact that an individual said to you and I would never go on the record is never, ever, you would never, ever any city. And I would never vote for the safety of females, because here the individual has buy, you know, have three daughters and one mother. So you would never, ever see me city and I would not talk about the safety of females. So you can definitely put me on the record as saying I would definitely be supportive of panic buttons. Thank you. Thank you. There there's a motion and there's a motion and a second on the floor. Members to escort and Castro votes. Did you do public. Places for Suzy Price's mission? Well, that's. Motion carries.
A resolution approving a proposed Amendatory Agreement between the City and County of Denver and SMG to provide management and facility services at the Convention Center to support use of the CCC as a medical care facility on a temporary basis during the COVID-19 health crisis. Amends a contract with SMG by adding $9,547,000 for a new total of $9,997,000 and 56 days for a new end date of 6-30-20 with an additional possible extension through 9-30-20 to provide facility services and management of the Colorado Convention Center while it is being used for medical services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (THTRS-202054282). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 5-4-20. Councilmember Flynn approved direct filing this item on 4-9-20.
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Thank you, Councilmember. And I don't see anybody else waving at me and I'm going to move on. Madam Secretary, if you please, go to the next item on our screen and counter terrorism to go back to you for your questions on 348. Go ahead. Go ahead. Okay. My question was, what is the funding path for this particular contract? Who initially pays the 9.9 million is for the city budget and from rents until we reverse the Federal Government's answer as part of our lease agreement for the state to lease the Colorado Convention Center. The state will pay 1.8 million per month or a total of 10.8 million. For the full term. Of the agreement. And these costs include reimbursement for SMP facility management. During that period, the 9.9 million paid to SMG will be fully covered by the state's overall agreement with us because the state is reimbursing us through this. We will not seek reimbursement. Period. Thank you, Mr. President. They were all right at the next screen and then yourself. And then for accountability for.
Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending Chapter 9.16 in its entirety, relating to abatement of public nuisances caused by illegal conduct involving sale or manufacturing of controlled substances, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
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Item 19 Item 19 Report from City Attorney Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending Chapter 9.16 in its entirety. Relating to the relating to abatement of public nuisances caused by illegal conduct involving sale of manufacturing of controlled substances, read and adopted as read citywide. The items being moved and seconded. Is there any member of the public that wish to address Council on Item 19? Please come forward. State your name. Yes. My name is Patrick Brody of the American Patients Rights Association. I have a specific concern over the definition of controlled substances, because that may apply to medical marijuana within the city of Long Beach. Now, if that is the case, this action is not in compliance with federal or state law. I should bring it to your attention. The Department of Justice did recognize California's Proposition 215 last month, and that. By Proposition. 215, restricting the growing of medical marijuana within a person's domicile is illegal. The city may not prohibit that because that that is recognized by federal law and it is state law. So. Yes, thank you. Thank you. My name is David Zink. I live in the seventh district. Our city doesn't have a very good history. Of dealing with this issue. I'm afraid it's sad. But at the July 17th Planning Commission meeting, our chief of. Police stated that his men have. Watched dispensaries and they determined that the people didn't look very sick going in and out of these places. That is the most absurd assertion I have ever heard him make, and it angers me. No doctor. Doctors? No doctor. Ah, but. But why would a bus load of doctors would not sit and try to diagnose people from afar? But this is the kind of leadership and example our department is getting. It's not right. As long as the unreasonable attitude of the prohibitionists that exist in our city government. Continue. Their unreasonableness. There will never be a reasonable resolution because we have a 48 page document produced by the City Attorney's Office that is the most atrocious thing. And after they looked at the task force that had put together some work look, looked at their work, they only had 41 pages. They added seven more pages. They thought of more ways to restrict and choke this. They're following the lead set by our former attorney general when he called them together after the police chiefs and the sheriffs to discuss how they could undermine, circumvent and otherwise scuttle this law. That's not the job of any police officer. They are not to make judgments about the law. And that's why I say our department is poorly led, poorly disciplined, poorly trained and out of control. Thank you, Mr. Zinke. Distinguished Long Beach City Council Mayor Garcia again. It's Richard Eastman, former HIV AIDS commissioner, county of Los Angeles, friend of Dennis Peron, the author of California, Proposition 215. And I sat on the committee that drafted S.B. 420, which was Mark Leno. Paul Koretz and the state legislature and a man living with AIDS for 20 years. It was 77 years ago. Mr. Mayor, you don't want to look at me now that this government made marijuana illegal. 77 years. July 12th, 1937. I've been coming to this council now for quite a few years, except for when Mayor Foster asked me to leave. And, you know, going back to that last point, I'm glad you saved those records, because we need the Justice Department of this great nation to subpoena the city of Long Beach and get Mayor Foster's records. And every record from the fake lottery and the taxation and everything in corrupt cities in the state of California that stifles the demand of the voters of the great state of California. In 1996, when they passed this historic law that saved my life. I'm a gay man, Mr. Mayor. So are you. There's a lot of people in your town living with AIDS. I don't like to yell at anybody, but, you know, I don't know how many more years I'll be able to come down here. I'm 61. Mr. Brown was on the phone with me a few minutes ago. He's 68. He's going to his doctor tomorrow to find out if he can come down here, maybe want to talk to you in person, because obviously you don't listen to the people of this great state of California and the federal government, because everything you're done is against federal law. You can't tax marijuana. You can't lottery. Is it? You can't say that patients can't grow 12 plants because it says and does before 20. They can. And you're actually putting yourselves all in jail eventually because marijuana is hemp and hemp is rope and rope can heal you or hang you and marijuana can heal your hand you. And sure, it ain't perfect. But we saw somebody in here earlier. I don't want to say the man had alcohol problems or he was a stroke victim. But, you know, you just approved an alcoholic beverage place. How many people in this town die from automobile accidents and vomit on your streets and piss in your gutters? Pardon my English. AIDS patients don't do that. They vomit. If they can't eat, they choke on their vomit. They die if they don't eat. I'm asking you for a final time, Mayor Foster, in this council before I go to Washington again and demand Eric Holder to issue all subpoenas. And my friend Senator Patrick O'Leary of the Judiciary Committee is holding hearings on September 10th in our great nation's capital. I hope to be there and maybe, perhaps they will give me some good information about when they're going to indict you guys because you need to be indicted for corrupting a law that saved my life. God bless you. And may God bless the city of Long Beach, because when we're done with you, some of you are going to jail. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good evening. My name is Melissa Techno and my address is on file, nestled right in the middle of this ordinance. And between all the legal jargon, it talks about heroin and methamphetamine and cocaine, and then it says or any other controlled substance. So everybody's already talking about medical marijuana. I'm curious if that is what's being talked about in the ordinance itself. And if so, where are the way? I'd like it stricken from the audience. I'd like to know what exactly we're talking about, what clarity in the ordinance. It's way too broad in overreaching. It just feels misleading as well. And in addition, I'm curious if there's any appeal provision in this ordinance. It's giving way too much power to a city attorney to work hand in hand with the police officers with no appeal provision. So anybody could go in there, say, this person is doing that. And there's nothing you can't even appeal what's going on. And I'm curious if the citizens of Long Beach, if this city council is ready to give that much power over to the city attorney who's been here for a long time to within a new city council . I mean, it's it's moving quickly and I feel like. Intentionally. Thank you very much. Okay. Thank you. To additional public comment. Please come forward. Petitioning Mayor Price and City Council. Council. My name is Madeline Johnson. I have one more thing to say, and this is directed to Charlie Parker. And then neither of you to think that the patients in Long Beach are going to get away with this. Just so you know, you have to direct all questions to the chair. So if you can directly. Us, we are not going to allow you as patients to put this ordinance and put it through. We will sue the entire city. And this is not collective owners. This is not dispensaries owners. We are patients that's going to come after you and we're not going to stop until you are in jail. There is a motion on the floor for the ordinance council. Are you Kira? Go ahead. Yes. I just wanted to get some clarification before we vote on this. I know this came before our council last week and this is the second reading. Am I correct? Mr. City Attorney, can you just give us just went through briefly what the intent of the ordinance is. Yes, Mayor. Members of the council, as you recall, last week on the first reading of this ordinance, the city of Long Beach has been conducting this program for over ten years as part of a pilot program authorized by the state of California under the civil code. We are now enacting our own ordinance, which mirrors the civil code, and it uses the unlawful detainer process to allow us to remove those individuals who are dealing narcotics from residents. And we've been able to use this program very successfully without challenge for the last ten years. So the intent is not to to prosecute people who are using medical marijuana in their homes legally. That's that's correct. I understood the intent to be to go after dealers and apartments and homes that have been reported by by by other residents, correct? That's correct. Or from police reports. It's, for example, in the last year, we probably reviewed approximately 3000 police reports and only applied this program in approximately 250 situations. All right. Thank you for that clarification. I'm ready to vote. Thank you. Please cast your votes. Well. Motion carries nine zero. Thank you. Item 20. Item 20 Report from City Attorney Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending Section 5.46.060 relating to the public posting prohibited, read and adopted as read citywide.
Recommendation to either A.) adopt resolution pursuant to the provisions of Long Beach Municipal Code Section 1.21.070, providing for the appointment of Daryl Supernaw to the Office of Councilmember, Fourth Council District for the term of four years commencing on the third Tuesday of July, 2016; and the cancellation of election in Council District Four previously called by the City Council on November 10, 2015; or B.) receive and file this report.
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Thank you. Next up, Madam Court, do you want to read the next item? Please report from City Clerk recommendation to adopt a resolution providing for the appointment of Darryl Super nine to the Office of Council Member for Council District for the term of four years and the cancelation of election in Council District four, previously called by the City Council or receive and filed this report. OC with the motion and a second Councilwoman Price. Although I'm tempted to ask a lot of questions on this one, I'm not going to. Count some Councilmember Ringa. Congratulations. Council member Supernormal. Well done. Councilmember Richardson. I guess we can go ahead and bring them back to the council. He's done an okay job. Thank you. Councilman Mongo. I'll have to disagree with Councilmember Richardson. I think he's done a fantastic job being a council member who borders my district. I have significantly appreciated his partnership on a lot of our business initiatives, and so I'm going to give him an A-plus. And we've been filling out a lot of reviews. I'll give him a five out of five. Councilmember Austin. I'm just going to call him Lucky. Councilman Gonzalez. Is it possible to do this for all of our elections, by the way? I'm just saying. No, I it's been a pleasure working with Councilmember Super now. So if this is any space to do that, I want to say a great job. And Council member. Andrews Council member who. Thank you. Vice Mayor Lowenthal. So does he have to stay in the back if we don't act? Is that is that why he left? Yes. I just want to congratulate him. Thank you. Yeah, let's not vote with delay. I just want to add before we go to a vote, Councilmember Super now has been a complete delight to work with. He is has high integrity. He's a hard worker. He's got a good staff. And I think he's been a great addition to this council and body. I think we've all really enjoyed working with him and we want to congratulate him. He was clearly doing such a great job in the district that no one chose to run against run against him. And that, I think, says a lot about his his first year or so that he's been on the council and it even been a year, it seems like. So congratulations council member Superman and any members of the public on this item seeing none members, please go out and cast your votes. The motion carries for the first time.
A bill for an ordinance approving and accepting the Far Northeast Area Plan, which plan shall become a part of the Comprehensive Plan 2040 for the City and County of Denver pursuant to the provisions of Section 12-61 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code. Adopts the Far Northeast Area Plan, as part of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 5-21-19.
DenverCityCouncil_06032019_19-0477
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Thank you, Councilman Brooks. All right, Madam Secretary, if you please, for the next item on our screens and Councilwoman Gilmore, go ahead with your comment. Thank you, President. Clerk. I just wanted to remind community members that we have. A courtesy public hearing next week for the far northeast area plan. And this is a very important plan because it will set our our zoning and growth for the area, we hope, at least for the next 20 years, if not further out. And just wanted to remind neighborhood members that this took 20 months for us to complete the plan and get it to this place. We had a steering committee of 18 community members or excuse me, 20 community members that met 18 times during the 20 month process and five community wide public meetings with hundreds of residents who attended . And I want to also thank the CPD staff. I see Cortland here, but also Eugene and Lily and Val. We spent many, many hours with them over quite a few months. And then Councilman Herndon as well for your partnership and this is for the communities of Montebello, Parkfield, Green Valley Ranch, High Point and all of Denver International Airport. So just wanted to invite community members to come to the courtesy public hearing next week. Thank you, President Clark.
On the Ordinance, referred on April 28, 2021, Docket #0600, to Create a Task Force to Address Literacy Rates in the City of Boston, the committee submitted a report recommending the ordinance ought to pass in a new draft.
BostonCC_12152021_2021-0600
688
Thank you so much. Dr. 1275 will be placed on file and we will now move on to reports of committees. And Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0600 Docket 0600? The Committee on Government Operations, to which is referred on April 28, 2021. Docket number zero 600 Ordinance to create a task force to address literacy rates in the City of Boston, submits a report that the order ordinance ought to pass in a new draft. Thank you so much. The chair recognizes Councilor Edwards, chair of the Government Operations Committee. Councilor Edwards, you have the floor. Thank you very much. This legislation is the hard work of our colleague, Councilor me. The proposal to establish a task force on literacy rates in the city of Boston. And the. Purpose would be to study rates. Of illiteracy across the city, to develop a plan to help adults, as well as children who are not able to read or write or access city services and to recommend programs that not, um, that help to eliminate illiteracy, but also help to advance and make our city more accessible to those individuals. It establishes a membership of a task force and terms. The ordinance also provides that members of the task force who are not employees of the city will receive a stipend of $100 per meeting not to exceed $50,000 per year. Highly unlikely that we'll get that many meetings in, but the proposal also outlines the responsibilities and authorities of the task force. I would like to turn it over with your permission, to the lead sponsor and advocate for this proposal, and I recommend that this task force pass in an amended draft. Thank you so much. The chair recognizes councilman here. Councilman here. You have the floor. Thank you, Madam President. So good to see you. Back in the chamber. Caught me off guard here. So I just would like to first say that when we filed this ordinance back in April, we all need to acknowledge the tremendous privilege we all have that allows us to communicate with each other on a daily basis through emails , text messages, city forms, and other paperwork. Both my mom and I came to this country from the Dominican Republic not being able to speak, read or write in English. My mother never got beyond an education past the third grade and to this day even struggles to read and write, even in her own native language. This is a reality for many families across the city of Boston. But this conversation is so much bigger than just what is going on with our immigrant friends and neighbors. We also need to be talking about the school to prison pipeline and those who experience interrupted education. The data is clear across the U.S. 85% of juveniles who interact with the court system struggle with reading and writing. And 60% of the nation of our nation's inmates who are incarcerated have little to no literacy. We need to be asking ourselves, as elected officials, what are we doing to ensure that folks reentering our society are set up for success in all aspects of life, but especially when it comes to reading and writing. A little bit of history as to who as to how we got here when we filed that ordinance, our language access efforts, which passed earlier this year. We wanted to put into that policy a set of standards for how to engage people who cannot read or write in any language. We received word from the administration that the city was not ready to implement these standards because we did not know enough about literacy rates in Boston. And sure enough, we did the research ourselves and found that and found very little is known or compiled about literacy rates. The most recent data provided by the National Center for Education Standards for Literacy Rates in Suffolk County was in 2003. That's almost 19 years ago. We need to do a better job in this city to understand the scope of literacy in order to find new and creative ways to provide services. We also need to know that there are currently organizations across the city, organizations like English for New Bostonians, the Meet Up Coalition, and others who do amazing work for English language learners. But this city needs to play a role in making sure that these services are coordinating and collaborating with each other to ensure that as many people as possible are receiving these services. Since filing this ordinance, we we have made very few changes. We have made a distinction between community members and administration members who are listed as ex-official. You guys got to Google that word. Other changes have been made to ensure that this ordinance is compliant with our city's charter. Overall, we have been lucky in that in this issue everyone is ready and willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work. I know people tend to look down on task force, but in this instance we literally don't even know what we don't know. So reaching out to people who cannot read or write to learn more about how to provide care for them is a challenge because our whole institution of gaining knowledge is based on written surveys and emails. I also want to give a shout out to Edith Bazil and Elizabeth Santiago, who worked incredibly hard on this project alongside our office. So thank you to both of them. I'm encouraging my colleagues to vote in favor of this ordinance, and I also just kind of like want to acknowledge and thank the administration for their support in moving us along in this process. There was a lot of point of tension for me. I'll always talk about this work being personal and professional, but if we're really serious about dismantling the school to prison pipeline and addressing the issues that so many of our students are facing in the classroom, then we're going to need to lean in to some of the root causes. And if we're really serious about looking at the issues around reentry, we need to make sure that our incarcerated loved ones are being set up for success and can actually fill out job applications. And if we're really serious about supporting immigrants, then this, especially those who have had interrupted education. I think literacy is a fundamental human right, and I think we have an opportunity to just do more than just be a task force, but to really invest. And so I do hope that my colleagues will all vote in favor. And thank you to Counselor Edwards for shepherding us through this process. I really do appreciate your support and thank you very much. Thank you so much. Counselor Edwards seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of Docket 0600 in a new draft. Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll? Thank you. Councilor Arroyo. Councilor Roy. Oh yes. Councilor Baker. Councilor Bond. Councilor Bockius. Councilor Brady. Councilor Brady AS Councilor Campbell. Councilor Campbell. Yes. Councilor Edwards. Councilor Edwards. Yes. Councilor Savage. George. Councilor. Sorry, George. Yes. Councilor Flaherty. Council Flaherty. As Councilor Flynn. Councilor Flynn. Yes. Councilor Janey. Yes. Councilor Janey. Yes. Councilor. Me here. Councilor me here. Yes. Councilor Murphy. Councilor Murphy. Yes. And Councilor O'Malley. Yes. Councilor O'Malley. Yes. Councilor Baker. Thank you, Councilor Baker. So report. It. Thank you so much. The committee report has been accepted in docket zero six. Zero zero has passed in a new draft. Before we move on, I want to acknowledge that we are joined in the chamber by councilors elect Tanya Anderson and Ruth C, who Jean, thank you so much for being here. Madam Clerk, could you please read docket 0638 at this time?
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary for a Lease with an Option to Purchase, by and between the City of Long Beach and the Jenni Rivera Love Foundation, a California 501 C (3) corporation, for City-owned property located at 1850-1862 Atlantic Avenue for a day care center, community room and Jenni Rivera Museum. (District 6)
LongBeachCC_08162016_16-0759
689
Councilman Price motion carries. Thank you. We've already heard item number 20. So let's take item 21. Report from Economic and Property Development and Public Works recommendation to authorize a city manager to execute a lease with an option to purchase buy in between the City of Long Beach and the Jenni Rivera Foundation for city owned property, located at 1850 through 1862 Atlantic Avenue, District six. Thank you, Mr. West. Mike Conway, Vice Mayor Richardson, members of the City Council. This item replaced the city owned property at 1852 1862. Atlantic Avenue contains a 4800 square foot building, a former playground and an adjacent parking lot, all on a total of 14,600 square feet of land. Property was acquired by the Environmental Services Bureau with the objective of developing an educational environmental recycling demonstration depot to educate elementary school children on the benefits of recycling. Project implementation was hampered by budget constraints and the property has remained in its existing condition for a number of years. Representatives of the Jenni Rivera Love Foundation approached the city with a proposal to rehabilitate the property for use as a child daycare center, community meeting space, space and a Jenni Rivera museum. To pursue this objective, the foundation would need to invest approximately $200,000 to address the deferred maintenance and capital improvements to the building, the playground and the parking lot, and additional funds for tenant improvements. Staff proposes at least the property to the foundation for five years, with two five year extensions plus nine months for early access during due diligence. Rent will begin on the 16th month. Rent shall be a dollar 35 per square foot. A building or about 60 $480 per month rent shall be increased every five years by the cumulative change in the CPI, but rent shall also be abated dollar for dollar based upon the value of daycare services provided to the community that are below the market rate for such services , all on a non-cumulative basis. The lease will also include an option to purchase the property at today's value of $850,000, and that option will expire in ten years. So staff request City Council to declare the property surplus. Authorize City Manager to execute all necessary documents for the sale of the future development property and the lease of the government. Use property except categorical exemption. C 16 dash 190. Thank you, Mr. Conway. Mr. Andrews. Thank you, Vice Mayor. You know, I'm excited to see this come into the sixties. Not only with the late Jenni Rivera, but will create a service needed in our community. I will be 15,000 square feet of land as a daycare community room. And imagine I was nothing but a success for Jeanne Rivera's love foundation. Finally, I want to give a special thanks to you, Mike Conley, the director of Economic Property Development, who is retired for helping this project and many others in the sixth District. I wish him well on his retirement, and I want to thank all of you for the hard work. I know that voice. When you just hear it, you listen to it because this is the last time you're going to hear this individual. Sounds like Vin Scully. You will never, ever hear this voice again, you know, because. He always said, when we say why, he. Say why not? Thank you again, my love. And you very much. Yes. Thank you. Councilwoman Gonzalez. Just want to congratulate Councilmember Andrews. I know he's very close to the family and I know his hard work is now coming to fruition. So great job. Thank you. Thank you. Any public comment on this item? Seeing none. Let's go ahead and cast our vote. Councilman Price. Motion carries.
AN ORDINANCE providing for the submission to the qualified electors of King County, at a general election to be held on November 3, 2020, of a proposition authorizing the county to issue its general obligation bonds in the aggregate principal amount of not to exceed $1,740,000,000 or so much thereof as may be issued under the laws governing the indebtedness of counties, for the purpose of providing funds to pay for public health, safety and seismic improvements for Harborview Medical Center.
KingCountyCC_05192020_2020-0176
690
Further questions when we have Mr. Daley, I'll be here for your next two topics as well. So. All right. Thank you. Thank you very much. Appreciate your briefing. And that takes us to item six. Our next item is proposed ordinance 2021, 76, which would place a 1.7 $4,000,000,000.20 year capital improvement bond on the November 2020 general election ballot for health and safety improvements at Harborview Medical Center. In order to put the item on the ballot for US regular council meeting to adopt the proposed ordinance with maximum processing time is July seven. Today. We'll get a preliminary briefing to begin our deliberations. Undecided. We have Sam Carter and Nick Bowman from council central staff in the meeting to brief us and answer questions. There's Carter. Mr. Bowman. The line is yours. CHAIR Thank you, Mr. Chair. Sam Porter, Council Central Policy Staff. I am on page 11 of your packet. As the Chair mentioned, proposed ordinance 2020 20176 would place a 20 year $1.74 billion capital improvement bond on the November general election ballot, the proceeds of which would go toward new construction, renovation, seismic retrofitting and other health and safety improvements of Harborview Medical Center facilities. Attachment of the proposed ordinance provides a high level overview of the improvements which may be funded with levy proceeds. These improvements were based on the Harborview Leadership Group recommendation report that was transmitted to council on April 8th of this year. This report, requested through Council Motion 15183, provides background and detail on the Harborview Leadership Group efforts and summarizes the size and scope of the bond recommendation. Under the proposed ordinance, this bond would result in an average rate of approximately $0.08 per thousand dollars of assessed value over the life of the bond. According to executive staff, a median value home would see an average increase in property taxes of approximately $68 annually over the life of the bond. In order to meet the Elections Department deadline to include the proposed fund on the November ballot. The last regular council meeting to adopt with maximum processing time, which is 25 days, is July 7th. As you know, Harborview was founded in 1877 as a six bed King County hospital in South Seattle. It is now licensed for 413 beds and is located on the western edge of Hurst Hill in Seattle. Our review is the designated disaster control hospital for the region and it serves as the only level one trauma center in the four state region of Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Montana. Our review prioritizes serving the non-English-speaking poor, the uninsured and underinsured people who experience domestic violence and sexual assault. Incarcerated people in King County jails. People with behavioral health illnesses, particularly those treated involuntarily. People with sexually transmitted diseases, and individuals who require specialized emergency care, trauma care and severe burn care. Our review is owned by King County, is governed by a 13 member county board, county appointed board of Trustees and operated by the University of Washington . Our reviews capital facilities have evolved over the years, and while Harborview has funded much of its smaller capital improvements through annual budget and capital facility planning, as the owner of the hospital, King County has provided for major capital facility improvements and expansions through voter approved financing. The most recent, which occurred in 2000 and that was $193 million bond to fund seismic and health and public safety improvements for the facilities. As by way of background. In July 2018, the Harborview Board of Trustees sent a letter to council identifying six areas for focus for a capital plan and acknowledged that there needed to be a need for a wider planning effort. In response, Council passed motion 15183, which created a planning process for a potential bond to support capital improvements at Harborview. That included composing a leadership group. The Harborview Leadership Group consisted of representatives from county executive's office, county Council, Harborview Medicine for the first Hill community and her review's mission population. The leadership group fulfilled their charge when they transmitted their final recommendation report after 13 months of analysis and deliberations on the issues outlined in the motion. And they are they appear on page 13 of your packet and include an evaluation of the size and scope of a potential band effort, exploration of the possibility of private philanthropy, and evaluation of inclusion of the needs of the Department of Public Health and evaluation of Housing needs for the Mission Population. Evaluation of the needs for the Involuntary Treatment Act or court. And evaluation of how best to address behavioral health needs. Whether bond proceeds should be invested in public health facilities beyond the campus of Harborview. And whether bond funds for other public safety infrastructure needs should be included. The final recommendation report was approved by the Harborview Leadership Group, the Capital Planning Oversight Committee of the Board of Trustees, the Board of Trustees themselves, and the King County Executive, in accordance with motion 15183. It was transmitted to council in April and provides background and detail on the efforts and summarizes the size and scope of the recommended bond. Table one on page 13 of your packet outlines the different components recommended in the Harborview Leadership Group report. And they I can go through each one of these and then and then I will hand the presentation over to my colleague. So the first item on this table is a new bed tower. This would increase the bed capacity, expand and modify the emergency department, meet privacy and infection control standards, disaster preparation and the plan infrastructure in this would be $952 million. The next one is a new behavioral health building. This would house the existing behavioral health services and programs and the new Behavioral Health Institute. These would be under one building, and this is proposed at $79 million. Next line is existing hospital space renovations, which includes expanding the idea court and the most appropriate location move and expanding the gamma knife program, moving labs and moving the public health, tuberculosis and STD clinics. And also modifications to the medical examiner's office and a number of other offices. This would be $178 million. The next line is Harborview Hall, which would include seismic upgrades and improving and modifying the space and creating space for up to 150 respite beds. This would also include maintaining the enhanced homeless shelter in the most appropriate location. And this would be a $108 million. Next would be the center tower. This would include seismic upgrades and improving and modifying the space to be used for offices. This would be $248 million. Next line is the Pioneer Square Clinic. These improvements would be seismic and code improvements and modifying the space to allow for better clinic space and office space. This would be $20 million. $9 million would go toward demolishing the East Clinic building and $146 million fall under site improvements and miscellaneous expenses. Those are outlined in the last line on page 14. And attachment to the proposed ordinance provides a high level outline of the improvements which may be performed with from bond proceeds. The contents of Table one, which I just went through, are reflected in an attachment which can be seen on page 31 of your packet. And now I will hand things over to my colleague Mekonnen, who will provide you more detail on the financial analysis and the timing of the proposed ordinance. Afternoon Council members again. Nick Bowman, for the record. As Sam stated earlier, the proposal would place a $1.7 billion capital improvement bond on the November general election ballot. The executive envisions issuing a series of 20 year bonds over several years to finance the proposed improvements to the agents. Council staff analysis finds that the average rate across the life of the bond would be approximately $0.08 per $1,000 of assessed value. This translates into an average increase of $68 annually annually on a median value. Again, those are averages over the life of the bond. The actual tax rate in each year of the repayment period will be based upon the annual debt service for the outstanding bonds. At the beginning of the project, the rates will be comparatively low as the debt has not been fully issued yet. At the end of the repayment period, the rates will also be comparatively low as the initial step would be nearly repaid. During the years when construction is at its peak, the debt service load, and therefore the debt service costs will be at its highest, and so will the annual rate. While staff estimate has estimated that the average annual rate will be $0.08 per 1000 hours of assessed value, the actual annual rate will vary between less than $0.01 to 12 and a half cents. Additionally, as the debt would be issued in a series over several years, the levy will remain in effect until the principal on the last series of bonds has been paid in full. Current estimates from the executive envisaging the last series of bonds being issued in 2029, as the proposed ordinance limits any bonds issued to a maximum duration of 20 years. The rate may continue in effect until 2049, though the proposed ordinance does not prohibit the early repayment of bonds or the issuance of debt maturing maturing earlier than 20 years. Table two on page 15 of your package shows the estimated debt issuance schedule and its impact on the annual tax rate. As the table below shows under current estimates. Interest payments over the life of the bond would be approximately $643 million, bringing the total debt service cost to approximately 2.4 billion. Table three on page 16 of your packet illustrates the estimated change in rates over the repayment period. You can see in table three that the rate rises in line with the issuance scheduled to peak at about 12 and a half cents in 2029 and then gradually decreases as more of the debt is repaid until the final several years where the rate drops off considerably. It should be noted that these estimates are based off of the August 2019 Norwegian forecasts. As such, the economic data does not include the financial impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic. The financial analysis for the proposed bond will surely change as the economic impacts of the pandemic are realized and accounted for. According to the executive, an updated with a forecast will be available in late May or early June, and the revised fiscal analysis could be provided to the council by June 15. Before I move on from the financial analysis it was, are there any questions you'd like me to go over? Colleagues. Counsel. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So a couple of things. The 2000 bond for $193 million. What is the payoff date on that bond? The it was last payment. Was made. 1/2 here. So is this then taking us to $68 above what people were paying back then or is it on par? Plus, it's going to be 3.2 as opposed to 193 million. Is it $68 more or can we subtract what was part of the payment before? My understanding is that we are in the final year of the repayment period for the initial 2000 bond, and so this would be additionally $68 on top of that. But as you look at the table, the the actual I think the average impact to the median home value the first couple of years is in the first five years combined is less than $100. And then so that initial 2000 bond will be completed and we will start paying on the new taxes will start paying on the new bond for the approved development. And then as people achieve 5% interest, still the best interest rate even at this point post-COVID. That is my understanding from executive staff. But expand upon that should be like. Okay. And just one last thing on the medical examiner's office, I'd like to know more. I am concerned about the fact if co-located the birth certificates, it's very difficult for somebody that's going in to get a certificate for their child to be standing next to somebody without seeing their baby getting a birth certificate. I'm interested in surge capacity and also proper storage, which I believe is not up to what we're detected. So I more information on that. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Dan Belsky. Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. Following up on Councilmember Lambert's inquiry that the table shows a three and a quarter percent interest rate, which that on top of the principal drives the estimated mill rate per thousand assessed value. And I'm just wondering, I was looking at the case for the Conference Board and Financial Report and our current portfolio looks like it has a range of two and a half to 5% for bonds. I'm wondering what Dwight or our central staff sees. I know it's hard to predict that far out, but what do you see today, given that that was last fall's estimate? What do you see today on on borrowing costs? I think we would defer to Dwight. He's available. Yeah, I've. I've been unmuted. You know, I'm you. Okay. So obviously, right now the interest rates available in the market are significantly lower than that. You know, we're looking at interest rates probably on 20 year bonds of less than 2% if issued today, particularly for voter approved bonds. Now, over the life of several Bond series that we would be issuing, as your staff explained, it's unlikely that rates will stay that low. So three and a quarter was kind of conceptually an average over that period of time. It probably is a little higher than we would do it if we'd set out to do it today. But still, something like 3% is probably a reasonable average. So the results would be a little lower than what you're showing here, but probably not a lot. Further questions. Please proceed, Mr. Bowman. Okay. Moving on to bond, timing and voter turnout requirements. Table four at the top of page 17 in your packet provides the November 2020 general election processing deadlines. At the last regular council meeting to adopt the proposed ordinance with a maximum processing time of 25 days is July seven and with minimum processing, time of ten days is July 21st. Under state law, a general obligation bond ballot measure requires at least 40% of the turnout in the preceding election and a 60% yes vote to be approved, according to the King County Elections. Validation Summary for 2020 bond measures, a turnout of approximately 180,000 voters would be needed to meet this 40% participation threshold. Lastly, I just wanted to touch briefly on the construction timeline and permitting Table six on page 18 of your package shows the executive's estimate of project phases and timelines should the voters approve the bond measure? Phase one Selecting the project management and design teams would occur in 2022, 2021, Phase two and three, which involve design, space planning and sequencing as well as permitting, would occur in 20 2021, 2023 and phase four construction would begin in 2023, though it should be noted that these are just initial estimates and all timelines are subject to change. That concludes the staff report. A staff and legal counsel analysis is still ongoing. And with that said, we're happy to take any questions. Thank you very much. It was really my honor and pleasure to be able to serve with Councilmember Dombroski on the Harvey Harborview Leadership Group that, as Mr. Lewis said in his public comment today, initially gathered information about various needs and priorities, weighed those, and unanimously made a recommendation to the Harborview Board of Directors Board of Trustees who has made the recommendation to the executive that is now before us. While we always knew that seismic upgrades and some of the other work included in the proposal was going to be vitally important. We know now, in the middle of a pandemic, even more about the life saving work and imperative need that Harborview provides to our community every day, in particularly infection control and in converting hospital rooms to single patients so that they don't lose access to some number of licensed beds for infection control purposes. We've seen since we finished our work in Leadership Group exactly how imperative that is. And we were very mindful of the eight year court and her would be hall on providing those rested beds so that again the maximum capacity of the hospital was preserved probably remains a gem in our community and this is a great opportunity to brief and introduce the bond measure to us and then look for surface questions. Staff indicated staff work and research is still going on with the goal of taking action on this in time for the November ballot. Councilmember Bousquet was a pleasure to serve with you on the Harborview leadership team, and I'd be happy to turn it over to you for any comments, questions as well before we open it up generally to our colleagues. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and the privilege of serving with you as much appreciated and really enjoyed the joint collaborative work. I want our colleagues to know how serious this group of experts under two took this work to be over an extended period of time. We really went and got the best help we could get. We brought patients and clients to the table in a meaningful and equal way. Frankly, some of their comments and inputs were the best. From my perspective, they really helped shape this package. It was a very impressive process. We use some outstanding consultants to help cast this out. What this does is it brings this critical piece of infrastructure into the 21st century and will prepare it to carry on for the number of decades ahead that we need it to. It is the only level one trauma facility for the whammy, right. The Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Montana area. So if someone's hurt seriously in those areas, they come here. As you know, we have the incredible burn unit there. We have the wonderful clinics. What's exciting to me about this is a number of things, but it is I want to highlight for you the investment in the Behavioral Health Institute. It sets us up to have really the leading comprehensive system of clinical care and research in the behavioral health arena in the country. It's a great partnership we have with the University of Washington Medical School, and I think it's a really key point. I thought a lot about Councilmember Dunn and his leadership in this area as we worked on that and and this institute, I really commend it to you to look at it builds on the investment this council has made in recent years and getting Harborview Hall, the old nurse's dorm, partially open, as Customer McDermott noted. This COVID crisis has really demonstrated the need for this resource, for example, on the going to single patient rooms, but also for handling folks who are at the edges coming in or out of the medical care system. We've used the shelter space in our view hall for surge capacity. The where the leadership group made a recommendation to preserve 100 shelter beds, which is what about what we've delivered there? About 85, but about 100 shelter beds in the most appropriate location, but then add 150 respite care beds. In our research, we identified respite care and that's folks that are coming out of medical care but don't really have secure housing or stable housing to go to that respite care that transitory bed need as a high priority. So they don't fall back into the cycle of needing the more costly medical care that takes up beds and emergency room space. We put 150 respite care beds into this proposal, and I think it will really pay dividends. There is a new tower here, a new emergency room, and it preserves the Pioneer Square Clinic a very important footprint. So it's a it's not a small tab. I think there is a silver lining here in that the timing, while I would normally be reluctant to go in this time where we have approaching 20% unemployment and serious economic disruption, go to the voters with a request for more revenue. The revenue on this and the charts important doesn't really come on for three or four years. I think Nick noted the first three or four years, the total impact might be $100 cumulatively. So that's that's something to keep in mind as you assess this. And I really want to again wrap up by saying the whole process was robust. I have a high degree of confidence in the results, and I encourage you to look at it as hard questions tested against your values and goals, and I think it'll come out favorably. So thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank. Thank you. As I said, a pleasure. Colleagues Questions for Ms.. Porter, Mr. Bowman now. Questions we can bookmark for a future committee meeting. Right. I think they love our work. They're speechless. I I'm not that. I'm not. I'm not that ready. Are optimistic. I think they're just preparing the hard questions. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Member Lambert. Thank you. Yes, we were speechless. But I want to say also that I really appreciate the fact that you put in as a dedicated caregiver in the room. I think that is a very important thing. And I think that many nights in a chair, in a hospital, I mean, dedicated caregiver space where you can actually lay down is a very good thing. So I think you really part of that whole needs of the people being cared for as well as the people caring for the people who care for them. Thank you. Thank you. All right. See no further discussion on this item today. We will look forward to taking it up further. And that takes us to item seven on our agenda. Finally, the proposed ordinance 2020 186 with rates and charges related to sewer disposal.
A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 4750 Zuni Street in Sunnyside. Approves an official map amendment to rezone property from U-SU-C to U-SU-C1 (allows for an ADU), located at 4750 Zuni Street in Council District 1. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 3-3-20.
DenverCityCouncil_08102020_20-0201
691
13 Eyes Council Bill 162 has passed. We're on to the next 120 dash 0201. It's a bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 4750 Zuni Street in Sunnyside. Councilmember CdeBaca Would you please put Council Bill to zero one on the floor for passage. And move that Council bill to zero one be placed upon final consideration and do pass? It has been moved again. Thank you. The required public hearing for Council Bill 20 dash 0201 is open. May we have the staff report, please? Afternoon. My name is Jim and I'm an associate city planner with community planning and Development. And today, I'm going to send you an overview of a MAP amendment for 4759. Subject property is located in Council District one. In the Sunnyside neighborhood. Properties located in the property is located just south by 70 along Sunni street north of 47th Avenue. It's approximately 7720 square feet, and it's currently occupied by a single unit home. The property is currently in the urban single unit C Zone District and the applicant is proposing to rezone to urban single unit C1 to allow for an accessory dwelling unit. The U.S., U.S. one allows for the Urban House and the Dutch accessory dwelling unit forms. The maximum height for a house is 30 to 35 feet and 24 feet for the 32 year. Existing zoning is urban single unit C, which allows for a minimum zone load of 5500 square feet. Most of the surrounding properties are also southern U.S. U.S.. So it is occupied by a single unit residence and it's surrounded by mostly other single unit residences. This slide shows the existing area. You can see in the top left, that's the property and then the other one. So to give you an idea of that, it's a very residential area. Speaking of the process, information on notice of the application was sent at the beginning of December 2019. The public hearing was initially scheduled for April 13 and had to be rescheduled for June 1st and then rescheduled a third time. Today's move to property was probably noticed every time and as a result no comments had been received by the public or registered native neighborhood organizations. The Denver zoning code has five review criteria which I will go over. The first criteria is consistency with adopted plans. Therefore, plans are applicable to these rezoning. The first one is comprehensive plan 2040. The second one is in Denver. Then we have housing and inclusive Denver. And the last one is Sunnyside Neighborhood Plan of 1992. The rezoning is consistent with several of the strategies in comprehensive plan 2040, but I'll go just over a couple of them. This MAP amendment will promote equity by creating a greater mix of housing options in every neighborhood, and it will lead to an environmentally resilient Denver by promoting infill development where infrastructure and services are already in place. I want to implement the subject properties mapped as part of the urban neighborhood context. This context is described as containing small, multi-unit, residential and mixed use areas that are typically embedded in one unit of two unit residential. And this look patterns are generally regular with a mix of early access, and they have been described as having a high degree of walkability ability and good access to transit with less reliance on cars . The future places map designates the subject property as low residential place status. Displaced types have predominantly single and two unit uses, and accessory dwelling units are appropriate. Sunni Street is designated as a residential collector, which is mostly characterized by residential use. The growth area in bloom in Denver is all other areas of the city. These areas anticipated to see 10% employment growth and 20% housing growth by 2040. Lupine also includes specific policy recommendations. Housing policy number four talks about diversifying housing choice through the expansion of accessory dwelling units throughout all residential areas. Now looking at housing and inclusive Denver. It encourages expanding the development of accessory dwelling units to incentivize affordable and mixed use housing and as a wealth building tool for low and moderate income homeowners. The proposed rezoning is consistent with the recommendations and comprehensive plan in Denver and housing in Denver because it will expand housing options and allow the development of an accessory dwelling unit in this location. Finally looking at the Sunnyside neighborhood plan that was adopted by city council in 1982. It identifies the serious residential. The goals of the plan refer to maintaining and stabilizing the residential character of Sunnyside while encouraging small scale shops and offices, particularly in the commercial zones along 44th Avenue and different street. So that will enhance or serve. The neighborhood does not have any particular recommendations for the area where the subject property is located. But it says are the key to a safe, stable neighborhood will be in providing decent, affordable rental housing. Since the proposed Southern District would contribute we'll continue to reinforce. The residential character of the area is consistent with the applicable recommendations of the Sunnyside Neighborhood Plan. Stuff also finds that the requested Sony meets the the next two criteria. The rezoning will result in uniformity of the regulations and will further the public health, safety and welfare primarily through the implementation of adopted plans. Stuff does find that there is a justified circumstance for the MAP amendment, with the newly adopted vision for accessory dwelling units in all residential areas in Philippines. Under. Lastly, the proposed rezoning is consistent with the urban neighborhood context residential district and the intent of the USOC once owned district stopped us to recommend approval based on finding or review criteria has been met. And that concludes stuff. Presentation. Thank you, Fran. If we could ask you to stop sharing your screen for us. Thank you. Tonight, council has not received any written testimony on Council Bill 20-0201. We do not have any individuals signed up to speak this evening. And so we'll just go ahead and go to questions by members of council. Any questions of my colleagues? All right. CNN the public hearing for council bill 20-0201 is closed. Comments by members of council. Councilwoman Sandoval. Thank you, Madam President, and thank you, friends, for this great presentation and if the applicants are on the line. I would just like to acknowledge the fact that at the very beginning of this presentation, they were not just postponed once, but they were, I think, postponed twice or maybe even three times. And so I was looking back over this report and we heard it in February, and that just trying that is telling of our the very trying times that we're in right now. And so I usually go on about accessory drying units and what we're doing. And I'll say that because I feel this application meets all of the criteria, the five criteria, and I would just ask my colleagues to please vote in favor of this. And once again, to the applicant, thank you for your patience. Well, we figured out virtual and had some other protests in our city about other things happening. So thank you. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you. Councilwoman. So, you know other comments by members of council. Madam Secretary, roll call. In the bar. I. Sawyer. I see. Torres, I. Black. I will mark you as an I think you see tobacco. I can't. I. When I. Heard it. I kind I. Cashman. I can eat I. Ortega. I. Madam President, I. Madam Secretary, please close the voting and announce the results. 13 Eyes. 13 Eyes Council Bill 201 has passed. Or moving on to 20-05, four or five. It's an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 4228 Kalama Street and 40 to 60 Kalama Street in Sunnyside. Councilmembers say to Barker, Will you please put Council Bill 545 on the floor for passage?
Recommendation to declare ordinance approving approving Resolution No. WD-1441A, A Resolution of the City of Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners Establishing the Rates and Charges to be Charged For Water and Sewer Service and declaring the urgency thereof, and providing that this ordinance shall take effect at 12:01 a.m. on June 1, 2022, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
LongBeachCC_05172022_22-0533
692
Thank you as the emotions are second here. You know this isn't the item on the screen. Can we pull up item 26 on the screen? There is motions that can police. Thank you. Any public comment on this? If there are any members of the public that would like to speak on item 26 in person, please line up at the podium in Zoom. Please use the raise hand feature or dial star nine now. See none. That concludes public comment. Thank you. No staff report is requested here. Councilman Austin, Miranda, anything? Well, I want a staff report. I think this is very good news that we need to make sure that our public knows about. Mr. Gardner, will the staff report? Certainly. So as you know, with Measure M in the court settlement, there were three components. One was a refunding of $9 million within 30 days to the water fund. Our water board took the action to return that money to the ratepayers as quickly as possible. We did that through a approval of a $100 per customer credit. Another component of that is we were told to we will receive $21.8 million back from the general fund within six months, hopefully sooner. And our board last week approved returning that money also to the rate payers. And so that will be done on the basis of meter size. And so larger customers will receive a larger credit. Smaller customers will receive a smaller credit. That will probably take place sometime in the July time period. The third and final component of the settlement or the lawsuit was we need to remove from our budget in error rates anything related to measure. M So right now in our rates, we collect money that goes towards the measure. AM Transfer to the general fund. With the lawsuit, we that has to stop. And so we're taking that component out of our rates going forward. And so that would be the equivalent of reducing our rates by 2.54% going forward. So that will be from I think it's April 25th. It'll go into effect June 1st and it will go through the end of the year. Then when we do our budget for FY 23, we will obviously have no measure m costs associated in our revenue collection. So the rates will reflect that. Great. Thank you. Can't say enough. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Gardner, for that detailed explanation of this item. You know, obviously, we come to the to this with mixed emotions, but we're doing, I think, the right thing by my returning. Turning the money back to the ratepayers. And so, you know, the courts have decided and we're moving forward accordingly. I think this is a responsible move on behalf of the water commission. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember, you want to go further? All right. I don't see any hands, virtually anything. Okay. I'll just say I concur here, and I think timing is incredibly important. And at least we have resolution to this controversy before we move forward with a major change to both of the utility departments. So I think I think timing is key here. Thank you so much. And may public comment on this. If there are any members of the public that would like to speak on this item in person, please line up at the podium in Zoom. Please use the raise hand feature or dial star nine now. See. Now, that concludes public comment. Thank you. Let's have a roll call vote. District one, district two I, district three. I. District four. I. District five I. District six I. District seven I. District eight. Hi. District nine. Hi. Motion is carried. All right. Now we'll move to general public comment. Any members of the public would like to address the city council. Now be the time. All right. Seeing none. Right here. Okay. Come on. Forward. All right. Thank you. You have 3 minutes.
Recommendation to adopt resolution declaring The Long Beach Community Investment Company owned property located at 4151 East Fountain Street (APN 7253-026-029) as "exempt surplus land" as defined in Government Code Section 54221(f)(1)(A) and/or 54221(f)(1)(F), and authorize City Manager, or designee, to take any actions and execute any documents necessary to ensure compliance with the Surplus Land Act and State regulations relating thereto. (District 3)
LongBeachCC_02012022_22-0111
693
Thank you. And item 24 in motion, please. Councilmember Price if I can get a second on that. Vice Mayor Richardson, go ahead and do a roll call vote, please. First District one. Oh, I'm sorry. Before we begin the vote, is there any public comment on this item? On 24. If there's any members I would like to speak on this item, please press star nine or use a raise hand function. And this is the table and not on the item. Correct? See? None. That concludes public comment. We'll continue the vote District one. And. District two. I. District three. I. District four. I. District five i. District six. By District seven. I. District eight. Hi. District nine. Hi. Motion is carried. Thank you. Can I get a motion on that calendar, please? Motion by Council member Alan Secondary Council. They ask any public comment on.
Recommendation to review draft ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Part IV to Title 5; and by adding Section 5.06.020.A.7, all relating to a Long Beach Minimum Wage Ordinance, and provide further direction. (Citywide)
LongBeachCC_08232016_16-0796
694
Thank you. Next up is Kathy Lynn, please. It's Kathy here. Kathi Lynn. Okay. We're moving on to item 18. Madam Clerk, please. Well, wait. I'm sorry. We're moving to automate. So let me before we go there, I actually need a motion. There's been a a request by Councilwoman Pryce, who is not is not able to be here tonight to postpone this to the next item. So if someone would like to make that motion, there is a motion any second to postpone this item to the next meeting, which is there's no meeting next week, so it actually be two weeks. So that's the motion on the floor. Is there any public comment on the motion to postpone? Yes, there there is. Please come forward. And please, this is only so if you're going to speak to this, only speak to the postponement, not to the issue. Thank you. Hello, fellow council members. My name is Joshua Jimenez. I'm a member of On a Bay, Long Beach and the Filipino Migrant Center. I was born and. Raised, is still living in the second district. Of Long Beach. I'm a native, born and bred on this Long Beach soil, and I went to lobby's poly high of 23 years old. So I'm a Jaguar Ibiza. I'm 23 years old and I currently work in retail sales at a shoe store as a cashier and have been part of my company for. Two years and I support. Passing a minimum wage policy. The Lowndes Way meeting a city led $15 local minimum wage, a strong wage enforcement policy. I support this because I work directly with high school youth who are brand new to the job market. The cost of living is rising, so the youth bear the brunt of the lack of economic opportunities for their loved ones. A learner's wage for youth is an inequality. For new youth workers, their hours are already so low for the first couple of months. On top of that, do we really think it's fair to only pay them 85% of the minimum wage? Okay, just just cause I know that the city attorney is looking at me right here as well. We have to speak only to moving this item. The motion is not on the minimum wage. The motion is on whether or not to postpone the discussion for two weeks so you can make an argument for or against postponing the discussion. That's what the that's what the public comments for. Okay. Well, I think it's it's not the postponing. It is just making it it's a bureaucratic process. And I'm seeing what's going on in this city. You know, people like me, I work hard. I take my time off. It's my day off today. And I'm going straight back to work for the next week for the back to school season. Kids are going back to school, are going back to shopping for shoes, backpacks, what have you. But me coming here, taking my sweet time, taking my day off. I'm here because I'm in support of it, but I'm definitely not in support of keep in on pushing back this date of this ordinance. It needs to be talked about. It needs to be addressed because I'm tired of coming to these meetings and definitely all the workers of the city of Long Beach, they need you guys, the city council members. We put you in these seats. You should be able to represent the urgent needs of the working class people of this city as a youth, as a person of color. I feel like we need to be heard, but you guys are not responding back with the proper way. So I think that you guys need to really respond to the needs of the working class lives of this city, because this is the we are the ones that put you in the in these seats. So you guys should be responding and really taking actually the standard with us. You know, I'm coming here. Ever since January, I've been coming here speaking to you guys about this issue. So why need to push it back more, be more bureaucratic about this process? It's only it's only right. It's only fair. We need to be transparent about this issue. I'm talking to my fellow coworkers. I'm talking to, you know, other workers that I work with. And we're just going to keep coming. If you guys keep pushing this bag, we're going to keep really putting our voice out there in support. But I'm definitely not a. Supporter pushing this back. We need to make the decision now. And you guys already heard the testimonies and the stories and my story as a worker. So I think that you need to stand with us. So thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker, please. I don't agree with the postponement. So my name is Frank Trejo. I'm a fast food worker at McDonald's. I started working for McDonald's three years ago. I started working there because of the difficult financial situation my family was in. If I didn't get a job quickly, we would have been we will probably be homeless. I have three sisters and six brothers. My family counts on me to make to be able to make ends meet. I've been with five for 15 for a year because as a young worker, we deserve to be treated with respect and dignity , just like any other worker. I joined the fight when I when I saw how many of my closest friends and family were living in poverty. And I saw how fighting in $15 can help. Everyone should be. Everyone should be making livable wages, including students who have to pay for classes, books, transportation to go to school, work and home while still supporting their families. Things are expensive nowadays. And in order to make in order to care for myself, I have to work. I work. I work to sustain myself and my family. I work to survive. Not for fun. Young workers like myself should be should be compensated just like any other workers in the city. We deserve to be paid 100% for all the work that we do. The learners wage is just another loophole for wage theft to occur. The learners wage is wasted at. Raising and enforcing the wage raising and enforcing wage in Long Beach way will help workers like myself recover stolen wages. I support raising and forcing the wage and the wage in Long Beach way. The learner's wage needs to be stricken, stricken out. We need to. In the wage lift now. Thank you, sir. Next speaker, please. And again, just if we can try to just to stick to the issue of moving or not moving the the agenda item, that's what's on the table. Thank you. Next speaker. Hi. My name is Gabrielle Sabol. I live in the seventh district of Long Beach and I am against postponing this agenda item. I'm here today as a member of Gabrielle in Los Angeles and as an organization that advocates for the rights and welfare of Filipina women and their families. We think that this minimum wage policy needs to happen now, $15. Now, with strong wage enforcement, there are over 30,000 Filipinos living in Long Beach, and we shouldn't have to make them wait for this to happen. Gabriela Ella actually partnered with the Filipino Migrant Center to knock on 110 doors on the West Side in order to get to know Filipinos. Their stories and why 96% of them were in support of raising the minimum wage. They told us that many of them had earned college degrees and worked as professionals in the Philippines. The problem is that when they got here, their credentials in transfer over. So we have doctors working as nurses, teachers working as daycare personnel, engineers working as mechanics. Why the downgrade? Why do they choose to work laborious jobs with long hours and low wages? The overwhelming response was that they wanted a better life, not even for themselves, but for their children. It's no wonder that they want to raise the wage now. In addition, these workers, as they wait, are being exposed to exploitative working conditions. 62% of those surveyed experienced at least one form of wage theft, being underpaid, denied breaks, working unpaid overtime. And it wasn't those we spoke to either. Just. It wasn't just them. 41% of them said they knew someone else who had experienced wage theft, too. And this so-called learners wage that's being proposed would just contribute to the prevalence of wage theft in the workplace. This is not right. And it's not just and it's not just to postpone this issue. If people are doing their work, shouldn't they be able to collect the wages that they've rightfully earned if their labor is being exploited? Shouldn't workers be able to voice these concerns without fear of losing their jobs? A higher minimum wage today could radically change the lives of these workers. Now, parents would be able to see their children more often if they didn't have to work two jobs to make ends meet. That could happen today. Women trapped in abusive relationships due to lack of economic means could escape to safety with her children soon. Today, if this discussion were to continue, the bottom line is that workers need this money now. Their bills are coming now. Their children are growing now. And food needs to be on the table now. Why make them wait when we could do this? The Long Beach way? Rejecting this wage theft trust up as a learner's wage and $15 now with funding for a robust wage enforcement bureau and workers protections. Thank you. Q Next speaker, please. Hello. So I'm here tonight with two hats on one. I'm a member of Black Lives Matter, Long Beach chapter. And two, we are a member of this coalition around wage theft to to to increase the minimum wage and to protect and collect and enforce wages for workers here in Long Beach, because we all know good jobs are important to all of our folks. And so we are against and I am against pushing back this item once again. What it feels like is the tone is being set of disregarding certain types of people in our city. Right. So people have been waiting for their wage increases since January of this year. And those impacted by wage theft have been fighting for and waiting for. Each of you are two pathways enforcement policies like collections of their stolen wages for at least about two years. Now, the tone being said is a projection or an image or a culture of not caring about or not prioritize certain groups of people who you are representing, who placed you in these seats. It's it's inconsiderate, frankly, Ryan, it feels pretty disrespectful as apparent attempts are being made to continue to kick people's economic and financial livelihoods, which are right now in your hands, further down the road or to the state to address what you can address today. We are Long Beach residents, many of whom are impacted by Long Beach employers, shortening wages so that we so we Long Beach need to protect, collect and enforce and not just rely on the state to do the jobs that we all you all can do here today, though, one of the last time I was here was to talk about the impacts in our communities from police violence. As I mentioned, on With Black Lives Matter. Right, and the harassment and murder committed by Long Beach police, specifically around cases like Tyler Woods, who was shot in his back 19 times where the officer reloaded his clip, where he was witnessed stating that niggers should not have moved. Right. So when we were here talking about those issues around Hector Morricone and Dante Jordan and Lionel Gibson, to name a few hours, were being spent giving accommodations and a lot of space for someone who could have received those accommodations that they're going away party afterwards. But then when some wanted to very quickly cut off some speakers who were conveying concerns for black lives being taken, not as much love or consideration was given. It was the prioritization of a different group of folks. They felt like, So you say you want the community to be civically engaged and part of the decision making processes. And so they prepared to do that, arrange to leave work early, arrange to pay extra childcare, to be here tonight in the evening, prepared to overcome their fears of retaliation for publicly sharing about the ways their wages are being shortened and stolen. And then again with what's being protected is a culture of disregard. And so you wonder why people are being forced to resort to very different tactics and approaches to get to to get you to take care of people who are hurting like victims of police violence or people who are waiting for you to help them get their stolen wages back more seriously. Thank you, ma'am. Appreciate that. And see no other I don't I don't think I see any other public comment. I a sure. I have. No problem. I'd approach the bench. But actually just. Yeah. Just just go and present that will present it after we'll give it to the clerk. All right. So I'm just very quickly, I want to address everyone. My council member isn't here, but I wrote her directly. The hallmark of any honorable representative of any district in Long Beach should have a record of challenging ideas. Could you. Would you mind speaking to the mike? Can you hear me say. Hi. Hi. The hallmark of any honorable representative of any district of Long Beach should have a record of challenging desk ideas act informed instead of not. You got it. Okay. We also expect our representatives to be an independent voice in local affairs. You must be familiar with proven design methods of citizen participation and also the identifiers when citizen participation is limited. There isn't that much dissent allowed. I have a question for my council member. Usually what made her leave the lucrative career of a legal practitioner to serve the public, usually private interests or their aims devoted after a legal , successful career as a district attorney and not a position of city council member because they don't wield that much power. Historically, the local arena is where many areas of concern are to be addressed in that act of ignorance. So just really quickly. Well, it just has to be on the agenda item, which is whether. Or not to pay. What about I question what local legislative service y'all wish to provide your constituents if you are complicit in violence against residents of Long Beach? You're helping protect this house. This house? Wait. Yeah, man, this has to be on the agenda item, which is on whether or not complex. Are you guys talking about complexes? This isn't a complex issue. What about your path? Your path of willful ignorance will not continue to alienate people from their services. This is not on the item we. Have standing. Here. We can only here on the item in front of us, which is not by that darky. So you can provide the. Document civil rights era. And I am wondering where the maturation of that is. Ma'am, this is this is not the item. And of course, Black Lives Matter. I was like. There. Okay. Thank you. So with that, we've closed public comment on and the item in front of us. There's a motion there's a motion by Councilman Andrews and a second by Councilmember Austin, which is to move the item two weeks. Councilman Andrews, you want to speak to this motion? Okay. Councilman Austin, you wanna speak to your motion? Yeah, sure. I join with Councilmember Andrews in. And in support of Susie Price's request that this be held over. I think there is a precedence on this council that has been actually established, particularly when we have large citywide, major citywide issues. We're not going into effect until January one, 2017. And so there is time to 2 to 2 to allow for the council to weigh in on this in a in a manner that that would be. Inclusive of us all. And so I second a motion. Vice Mayor Richardson. Thank you, Mayor Garcia. So I just wanted to chime in and acknowledge all of the community members who have come out today and have come out at the last point that we were going to take this up and just acknowledge and encourage you to continue to, you know, fight the good fight. Sometimes these things happen. And, you know, I think it was articulated well just a moment ago that it's sometimes it's okay to take your time and get it right and make sure everybody has a chance to weigh in on it so that, you know, when there's some finality to it, when it when it does happen. I do want to ask a question of city staff. Just could you just clarify whether pushing it back two weeks would delay or affect or impact the timeline whatsoever? It will not. So so that said, I totally understand the frustration when you come back, but we want to make sure that this is you know, this is something that we can all be proud of and that we did it the right way. So I'd rather take a much slower win then than a rushed, a rushed experience here. So those are my comments. I'm going to support the motion. Thank you. Councilmember Pearce. Thank you, everybody. I wanted to also recognize the time that you guys took away from your family, from work, to come out tonight and really recognize that your engagement in this process is not. You know, it's a big deal to sacrifice all of that. And I you know, this is my first time with minimum wage and there's been a lot of work that was done prior to and recognize that in the future, we want to make sure that should we have a request to move something, that that request be done with enough time so that we can engage residents, so that we can make sure that those stakeholders that want to be a part of the process have enough time to make adjustments. And so recognizing, you know, as our city attorney has said, that it wouldn't affect implementation, that I encourage you guys to, no matter what happens with the vote tonight, to continue to be engaged as much as possible. Thank you, guys, for your sacrifices. Thank you, Councilman Ringo. Thank you, Mayor. You know, when we put something on the agenda, it's our responsibility to read it. To look at it to determine its implications and to determine whether or not we want to be here. I see a lot of people here who are ready to discuss this issue, who have taken time off from their jobs, taking time off from their families, taking time off from their personal time to be here, coming to council meetings isn't isn't fun. You know, you have to sit here two or 3 hours at a time listening to boring council members who have opinions about nearly everything and sometimes saying a lot with saying absolutely nothing. So in that respect, I know there are there are people on both sides of this issue. Employees as well as employers who are ready to talk about this and have taken the time from their calendars to be here tonight. So in acknowledgment of that, I'm not going to be I'm not in favor of postponing this discussion because I think people are here ready to talk about it. And I think that we need to hear it. So I'm not a I'm not here to be supporting this motion. Councilwoman Mongo. I'd like to make a friendly that boring council members only get to speak on items for 30 seconds. A second that. There's a I think everyone's made their comments there's been a motion and a second the motion is to postpone for two weeks and please cast your votes. Motion carries. Okay. Motion carries. I will be able. We'll be back to discuss that. Let me go ahead and take item 21. We take a couple of items before we do the budget. So we're going to take item 21, please, Madam Kirk.
On the Ordinance, referred on February 2, 2022, Docket #0240, Amending City of Boston Code, Chapter XV Section XI Creating a Commission on Black Men and Boys, the Committee submitted a report recommending the ordinance ought to pass in a new draft.
BostonCC_02162022_2022-0240
695
Thank you, Mr. Clark. Docket 027940289 will be placed on file. Reports of committee. Mr. Clarke, will you please read. 02400240 the committee in Government Operations, to which was referred on February 2nd, 2020 to Dr. Numbers 0240 in ordinance amending City of Boston Code Chapter 15, Section 11 Creating a Commission on Black Men and Boys submits a report recommending that the ordinance ought to pass in a new draft. Thank you. The chair recognizes Counsel Arroyo, Chair of the Committee on Government Operations Counsel. Rael, you have the floor. At 11 2022. This docket would amend the current ordinance establishing the Commission on Black Men and Boys by adding provisions relating to an executive director and defining the role of the executive director. The Executive Director would be appointed by the Mayor to oversee the daily operations of the Commission. This person would have the powers of a department head to execute contracts, to manage personnel and to advise the Commission and would be an ex-officio voting member without additional compensation. I'd like to thank Councilman here for sponsoring this matter as well as my council colleagues who joined us. Councilor Bach, President Flynn, Councilor Louis Gen Councilor Fernandez Anderson, Councilor Worrell and Councilor Murphy. I'd also like to thank members of the administration, Frank Farrow, the executive director of the newly announced Office of Black Male Advancement and Chief Marion Daly. So the Savannah of the Office of Equity and Inclusion for also joining us. This amendment will ensure that the Commission is properly staff and equipped with the budget it needs to operate. The administration testified that a change to the original ordinance passed last summer was needed so that someone on the commission has the ability to execute contracts and manage personnel as required by the ordinance. The amendment before us would implement this change by creating the role of executive director who will be a paid employee of the city. During the working session, we will get some clarity about the relationship between the Office of Black Male Advancement in the Commission, how compensation would work and whether there would ever be a case where the Executive Director of the Office, Black Male Advancement or the Commission would be two different people. Mr. Farrow explained that though he will have the titles of Executive Director of the Office of Black Male Advancement and Executive Director of the Commission, he will only receive one salary under the Office of Black Male Advancement, which will grant him the powers of department head for the Commission. Mr. Farrow further explained that the intent, the intent of the proposal is to provide transparency and to ensure that the Commission is fully functional with a budget and an office. In order to provide clarification around this compensation piece, the committee suggested that a change in the language was necessary. The administration was presented with two options either to introduce a separate new ordinance codifying, codifying the Office of Black Male Advancement and stating that the executive director would have a seat on the commission as a director or the addition of language to this amendment as it stands, specifying that the Executive Director of the Commission must be a paid city employee. The administration agreed to amend the first sentence in Section 1511 to D to read as follows. Quote, The mayor shall appoint an executive director of the Black Boys and Men Commission that shall be an existing paid employee of the city of Boston to oversee and run the daily operations and administration of the commission, end quote. Passage of the docket will ensure that the Commission has the necessary tools and resources to function. The new draft of the docket eliminates confusion concerning the compensation of the Executive Director of the Commission. I recommend that this docket ought to pass in its new draft. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Counsel Royal. The chair recognizes. Counselor, me here. Counselor, me here. You have the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you to Counselor Arroyo for working so quickly to get this working session scheduled. We filed this amendment to the Black Men and Boys Commission ordinance to ensure that our commission was set up for success in every way in order for their work to have the major impact that is so desperately needed . We need they need to have the staff and they need a budget in our order in order to obtain those things. The best way to provide them is with an executive director who can serve as their administrative liaison. During the working session, we made small changes to the amendment to ensure that the person currently appointed to the Executive Director of the Office of Black Male Achievement is able to legally serve as the executive director of our commission. This will help us get our work done by the office and our commission to be lockstep with each other. I also just want to really quickly acknowledge and give a shout out to Council Worrell for stepping in and his leadership and joining us on this work and all the feedback that he's provided our office to ensure that we get this right. So thank you all for your support as well as Councilor Flynn, who really helped us expedite this entire process. So I'm encouraging my colleagues to please vote in favor of this ordinance so that we can get down to business. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Here. The Chair of the Committee on Government Operations Council seeks acceptance of the Committee report and passage of Docket 0 to 4 zero in a new draft. All those in favor say I oppose any. The ayes have it. Docket 0 to 4 zero has passed in an amended draft. Mr. Clarke, please read docket 0 to 3, please.
A bill for an ordinance approving a proposed Intergovernmental Agreement between the City and County of Denver and The Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver, to launch the new Lower Income Voucher Equity (LIVE Denver) program. Approves an $1,180,000 intergovernmental agreement with the Denver Housing Authority (DHA) through 12-31-23 to launch the Lower Income Voucher Equity (LIVE Denver) program to create immediate affordable housing options for employed workers by connecting vacant rental units with income-qualified Denver residents. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 5-23-18.
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Councilman Flynn again has called out for a comment council bill 660 and so has Councilwoman Black. Updating election procedures to include creating a fiscal impact estimates pro and con information for citizens on municipal initiatives. All right. Under pending, we have nothing called out. So let's put the first item up. Madam Secretary. Thank you. 592 and come. Yes. I'm sorry. Did you say something? Okay. Castle Martel, will you please put a 592 on the floor? Mr. President, I move that council vote 18 059 to be ordered published. All right. It has been moved and seconded. Councilman Flynn, would you like to make a comment? Yes, Mr. President. And with all due respect to Laura and the folks in the housing office and to Ishmael Guerrero, who I just noted in announcements, is doing a great favor in my district. I wanted to call this out because as well, when we talked about the five year housing plan, I also brought this up. I believe that this program, well structured as it is, and I believe that it would work in what it is attempting to do is the wrong approach to trying to to attempt to address the affordability of rental housing in the city. The principle is that we have empty units at a higher rate, not luxury apartments necessarily, but apartments that are for rent at a rate that they're going vacant. And so what we are doing is we're raising money from the city and maybe from some corporate sponsors to subsidize those higher rents. It won't necessarily be the rent that the landlord has opposed to that right now. It's what they call a reasonable market rate rather than fair market rate. But the principle is that we are perpetuating the problem of high rents in this city when we help to subsidize the occupancy of vacant apartments. When the market principle would be that the landlord ought to lower the asking rent until it gets filled. And I don't believe we will ever. Have affordable rents in this city as long as we continue to fill vacant apartments with subsidies. The corporate sponsors, the corporate partners that are recruited through this program, I'm not going to name them. I know who some of them might be. Instead of contributing to this program. Why don't they pay their workers more? Why are they contributing to a fund where we're going to subsidize higher end apartments for these low paid workers when these companies should be paying their workers a living wage? That's the answer to affordability ultimately in this city is that people earn a living wage. And so I wanted to call it out to vote no. Thank you, Mr. President. All right. Thank you, Councilwoman Ortega. Thank you, Mr. President. I think Councilman Flynn raises some valid questions and concerns. We know it takes a long time to bring these units online. And having been on the board of a nonprofit housing development organization that has gone through the low income tax credit process, sometimes three and four and five times, to secure part of your financing to ensure that you have the affordability in your development. This program actually makes units available that makes them available to lower income people today because they're available today. I share the concern about some of those that are at the higher end. I do know that they have identified units across the city. They're not all downtown, brand new top high end market units there. They're across the city. And I think just given the time that it does take to bring these units online, it's important that we have as many options for people who are struggling to live in this city today as possible. And this is just one of many programs that Denver will have. And as you all know, we now have $30 million to work with to that date. Will will bond upfront and be able to ensure that we have the resources to to fast forward those projects that are in line to get their tax credit funding. And we know that it just takes a lot more subsidies for these developments to reach lower income populations. And this is one of those one of many options available to people in our community. So I will be supporting this tonight. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Ortega Well said. Councilman Espinal Yeah, I just wanted to explain my vote as well. I think I'm going to be sort of abstaining because there are some there's some administrative aspects of this that that are worthwhile creating that will actually help us, at least me in my imaginations, about what we can do better. On the housing affordable housing front that's actually benefited by this, this, this effort and not unlike the 30th and Blake and none of this what I'm saying right now makes any sense other than maybe to a few that I've actually spoken to on sort of my big picture ideas on how we can sort of more robustly help address this effort. And I promise you, I will be coming forward with something much clearer on that. This program, the Live Denver program, this money on this effort is creating the structures that that I want to tap. And and so for that reason, I can get behind it. But to to to my colleague, Councilman Flynn's point, this is not a sustainable approach. It is nice because it sort of addresses an immediate need. But I have long sort of railed since the linkage fee that our multifamily apartment building businesses are existing in a sweet spot. They are not taxed as businesses on property tax. They pay a 7% tax, not a 29% commercial tax rate. And yet they are very much businesses at the scales that we're talking about in the sort of types of businesses where we're we're we're sustaining by maintaining high rents in the market, by subsidizing vacant units elsewhere. So this is not programmatically the right way to address affordable housing. And so but it is unfortunately the best we're being given at this point. But I am still committed to working with this administration, with others in this industry, within the apartment industry and the contracting industry and the development industry, to actually help us take a different and more Denver unique approach. And and again, more on that very soon. I'm working on a video to sort of try and explain my ideas in a nutshell, something that you can take with you and understand that there is a tool out here. We just haven't created it or used it yet. Thanks. All right, Councilman. Thank you, Mr. President. It's no secret that I had some real concerns about this program since it was announced in a very political and media oriented fashion without the input of the impacted residents, it was intended to help. And so. It's, you know, tempting to say I don't want to reward poor process and poor decision making with support at the end, because I think, honestly, it is it is one of the worst examples of how policy has come about in my time in terms of making promises without data, not having equitable access to the information for this council or for members of the community until most of the details were finalized. So that's it's it is hard, but I'm not in the business of, you know, trying to to judge retrospectively. I have to judge the price, the product, the final product that's in front of me. And this program is a risk. It is a risk that it will reward, you know, market behavior of high pricing. It also has the potential to capture some folks who aren't captured with our current voucher programs. And so I will say to Councilman Flynn's concern that we do have a longstanding practice in housing of providing scattered site housing and market rate housing that's vacant and in downturns. It does help to bolster, you know, a market that, you know, might have, you know, apartments might have gone under. They you know, Section eight vouchers are are sometimes an important part of a business model for apartments in hot markets. They start turning residents away. So we have a history of of using, you know, payments that follow an individual rather than a subsidy to a building. And one of the benefits of that type of an approach is that it does mix incomes. So there is a lot to weigh on both sides here. I think where I come down and it's a tough call is that they the staff that has has has shepherded this program over the last few months has been very serious about taking input. And so a number of changes were made to this program, both ensuring that it would serve a distribution of incomes, not just folks at the highest level, making sure that people would have to have the same income verification requirements that we have very low income people do in the Section eight program, which is you have to verify your income every year. If you get $100,000 job, your subsidy shouldn't stay the same. So all of those types of changes that were made and I outlined some of them in the committee meeting, I think demonstrate an attempt to really be responsive here at the end to making this a more moderated program that mitigates some of those risks and creates more equity between this program and other programs. I'm still concerned I did check the contract and it still just has a resident of the subsidized units as a participant. It doesn't have a representative of renters interests. And I will say that not every resident has the same policy ability. And I think it's important to have both voices. It's important to have someone who's receiving the subsidy and knows how the process works, who can speak from the lived experience. It is also important to have someone who on a daily basis has policy and analytical experience with policy outcomes. One of the things we were concerned about in committee with this program is that it did not have a clear set of guidelines on which it would be evaluated. So for example, what happened to the market rate pricing in the unit, in the buildings where these units are located that should be tracked? Don't just tell me what happened to the resident, but tell me what were happening to the rents in the remainder of that building. Did they go up? How did they change? How did that differ from the rent we were paying? Did they go down? I mean, there's a lot of speculation about what's going to happen to market rents. And so if we lock in a two year contract and we do end up in a downturn, I want to know if the rents around that unit are going down. So there's a lot more work that needs to be done. I this contract doesn't obligate this board to come back to this Council for approval in the future. It is kind of a we give the money over and then this advisory board operates through the contracts that are put in place. I would encourage you to seek input beyond the contract requirements. I would encourage you to come back and take input on how the programs should be evaluated, since that was not yet concluded. We need to get that on paper and you need to have all the criteria by which we will be looking at success. I am one more thing. Just that sets me at ease in this in this careful balance is that this is a one time infusion as far as we've been told at the Housing Advisory Committee, where I represent this council, there are no funds allocated in 2019 into this program until they have a chance in 2019 and 2020 to see the results. So I think that's an important way to manage the risk of the city and potentially unintended consequences. I frankly, I'm voting for it because I hope it succeeds and I hope that it doesn't have the unintended market impacts, but I hope that it will house families who would otherwise be struggling. And that is why I think it's worth taking some of these other risks, because the need is so great. So I appreciate all of the work over the last few months, especially to to get a public input process. Back on track. And I hope that that input process remains more transparent and more inclusive of the impacted communities then than we had in the first in the first chapter of this program's development. So with that, I will be supporting it tonight. All right. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman Black. Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to thank Councilwoman Coinage for staying on top of this and really advocating for it to make sure that it had a lot of improvement. So thank you for your vigilance. Excuse me. I will be supporting this because it's going to help 125 families who don't have a place to live. And helping 125 families get into an apartment as soon as possible is not going to change the market of the apartments in the Denver metro area. That is not a game changer. There are tens of thousands of apartments, so 125 of them. Getting some help is not going to change the market. I'm also pleased that many of the apartments that step forward are in my district and they are no in no way luxury apartments. And they're going into some nice mixed neighborhoods with some nice schools. And we have transit and grocery stores and parks, and it will be a nice place to live for a lot of people. And I have a lot of confidence in Denver housing authority managing this program. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Councilwoman Black. I'll just make a couple comments. Number one, I think, Councilwoman Ortega, you said something that's really important and a lot of folks don't know. From conception to completion of an affordable project years 2013, Walton took eight years to get done. That's far too long for a crisis. We need units now. We need them right away. And it's one of the things, one of the reasons I'm so supportive of this. I appreciate Councilman Flynn's concerns and hurt them in committee. But I am supportive of this because I think we can help people now. Thank you for saying 125. Councilwoman, can each thank you for your your vigilance in this. And I would just ask that the program maybe come back to our housing committee, you know, to to report back on how the program's going so that we can keep keep keep up with it. All right. So no other comments. Madam Secretary, welcome. Flynn Now, Gilmore, I Herndon. I can reach lopez. I knew Ortega. I Sussman by black clerk by Espinosa. Mr. President. I please. I was wondering about the results. I'm just making sure to tonight's one nay, one abstention tonight. One way, one abstention, five, 95, 92 has been ordered published. Okay. We now have 66. So can you bring that up and have comments by members, by council? Councilman Flynn and Councilwoman Black.
A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 18300 East 66th Avenue in DIA. Approves an official map amendment to rezone property located at 18300 East 66th Avenue from C-MU-20 with waivers and conditions, AIO to S-CC-5, AIO (urban center, multi-unit to suburban commercial corridor with airport influence overlay) in Council District 11. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 9-24-19.
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Yes, Mr. President. I move the council bill 967 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. Thank you, Councilman. It has been moved and seconded. The required public hearing for Council Bill 964 is open. May we have the staff report? Jerusalem. Sara with community planning and development. This is another map amendment. Located at 18300 East 66th Avenue. The request is to rezone from a former Chapter 59 Zone District, CMU 20 with waivers and conditions. Air which is the airport overlay to suburban context. Community Community Corridor I'm sorry commercial corridor five stories air which is the airport overlay and I'm you aren't seeing and I have no. Reference to technical difficulties on the display here. Arrow so I'm going to use. So this is in city. Are you not seeing us? No. We have it in our system. But we're seeing this in the years. You know. The public seeing it, though? I don't think so. Maybe it will wait. So maybe here. Does that help, huh? Here we go. Thank you. Okay, so, city, this is in Council District 11 in the DIA neighborhood. Again, the request is to rezone to suburban commercial corridor five stories with an airport overlay, and the only building form allowed would be a general building form. And the airport overlay. I don't know if you're familiar with, but does accommodate airport operations and impacts to surrounding properties. So the existing zoning again is a Chapter 59 zone district with waivers and conditions and waivers and conditions. You have a copy of that ordinance in your staff report, but most of them are related to airport operations and impacts to surrounding properties. So the subject property again CAMUTO with waivers and conditions. To the north and east and west. The same zone district to the south is CMU ten. Another Chapter 59 zone district with similar waivers and conditions and the airport overlay. So a lot of vacant land in this area currently is property is vacant. To the north is a hotel and to the southeast is a new 7-Eleven that isn't even showing up on this map . South and west vacant. And on this map, you do see the 7-Eleven down in the corner here. So. That's what it looks like out in this area. The pictures also show you very much vacant. There is that, again, a hotel to the north and to the southeast, a new 7-Eleven. So informational notice on this went out in June of this year. Planning Board Notice was posted for a August hearing. At that hearing, there was unanimous support for this rezoning. And then we were at Liberty in September, and it was passed on to the full council. And we are here tonight with a properly notified public hearing. So there are several RINO's in the area, but no one has written in a letter, a comment letter, no R.A. letters and no other public comments. So, you know, the criteria, the plans that apply our current plan, 2040 Blueprint, Denver 2019 and the New Far Northeast Area Plan, the same year this year, 2019. So there is support for this in plan 2040 to build a network of well connected, mixed use centers and corridors to facilitate growth of a diverse business sector, to support our airport as the gateway to Denver and the world, and to promote infill development where infrastructure and services are already in place. The Blueprint. Denver The future context is suburban, as we said earlier. Single family, multi-family, residential on commercial corridors and centers, a mixture of land uses generally curvilinear streets. Although in the Gateway area or this area, the air area, we are actually getting some grade streets. So that's a good thing. And then of course, the DIA overlay future please type in Blueprint. Denver is community center, which is a mix of office, commercial, residential and different varying scales large to small. And then again that I o which is the overlay and a recommended height of five stories. Street classifications for 66th Avenue is an underserved needed local Yampa Street to the west is a commercial corridor and then tower half a street. Half a block to the east is a commercial arterial. Future Growth Strategy from Blueprint. Denver is community centers and corridors anticipated to see 25% of new housing growth and 20% of new employment growth. Far Northeast Area Plan again suburban suburban context which speaks to commercial development focused along main corridors and centers. Community Corridor Future Place, which is a mix of retail, food, beverage, entertainment, hospital, hospitality and office uses and oriented along streets. Far northeast area plan growth strategy is the same community centers and corridors with most growth going to greenfield areas and existing community centers and corridors such as Tower Road maximum recommended height in far northeast area plan is eight stories and the DIA neighborhood corridors are are seen to be on major through streets and major at major intersections. There is also a GDP for the area that is a 2000 to document. That speaks it's a very simple two or three page GDP speaks to development of the CMU 20 mixed use zone district two. Those standards, which are very similar to our SCC five that's being proposed with that staff, believes this is consistent with our adopted plans that we are by using a standard zoned district, we're furthering the uniform application of our zone district city wide by allowing new development on vacant property that's consistent with our desired character. As described in our adopted plans, we're furthering the public health, safety and welfare justifying circumstances changed conditions. We are zoning out of a Chapter 59 zone district. We have three new plans with new direction for this area. So staff believes change conditions is a correct justifying circumstance. And then we did already discuss a little bit about this being consistent with the suburban context and the intent of the CC Zone district for our corridors. With that Stafford. Approval. Thank you very much. We have three individuals signed up to speak this evening. First up is Mark Throckmorton. Of the four of you, if you could just come up to the microphone, introduce yourself and just say that you're here for questions. Mark Throckmorton with Elsie, full and whiner representing the landowner, and I'll defer for questions. Thank you. Next up, Jesse Pearce. Good evening. Members of Council Council President Clark. My name is just Paris. I'm representing for Denver Homicide Lao Black Star Action Movement for Self-defense Positive Action Commissioned for Social Change, Unity Party of Colorado and the Universe of African Peoples Organization. Denver Chapter. We are neither for or against this. I really want to know exactly what the army level is going to be for the housing proposals house and that is going to be in this area. I was just out in this area recently, about a couple of months ago, and I seen rapid development going on. It looks like this is going to become another Denver Tech Center. This would be Texas in our number two because we have Panasonic and other tech companies out there as well. So I would like to know what the AMA level is going to be for the proposed House in this area and exactly who is going to occupy this space. Thank you. Thank you. Next up for both. Good evening, Council President and Council Member Thanks for having this. Ferdinando 725 17th Street, Denver, Colorado. I am president of LC Film and Writer Inc the landowner and the applicant. I think I'll just keep this very simple. We were in the old zoning code and we're looking at flexibility uses and SCC seems to be the best rate along town road and commercial corridor. And over time we will probably come in with other land to try to get out of the old zoning code into the new code. So marker or I are here for any questions. Thank you. Thank you very much. That concludes our speakers on this item. Are there questions from members of council? Councilman Ortega offered, if you wouldn't mind, coming back up. So where is this in proximity to the the development that is closer to the transit stop? So it's about just over a mile north, probably a mile and a quarter north. It is a long tower road. Long tower road. We're experiencing more auto and type uses. And right around the rail stop, we're saving that for more dense uses. We have a hotel that's going to be opening soon and we're working with additional users to have a densify closer to the rail shop. Any idea on what percentage of housing might be included in this proposed site? According to the airport overlay district, we cannot have any housing north of 64th Street, so we will know. That was going to be my next question about the noise contour. Yeah, I'm looking at this contour map right here. And so I was just trying to understand this map is not showing me the actual street grid of where the southernmost part of the noise contour is. That and I know we've already encroached into that with the development that is part of the 64th and pioneer area. So so this will not and cannot have any housing at all, is what you're saying? Correct. There's no no housing north of 64th on our land and there's no single family housing north of 56. And this being north of 64, there will be no housing. Okay, great. Thank you. Thank you. Councilwoman Ortega, I'm seeing. Oh, Councilman Hernan. Teresa, is this the first rezoning where we are using the far northeast neighborhood plan? I would just. It is. Wonderful. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Herman. All right. Seeing no other questions, the public hearing for Council Bill 967 is closed. Comments by members of council. So I'm Gilmore. This one's in your district. Would you like to go first? CHAIR Thank you, President. Clerk I will be supporting this rezoning tonight. This was this entire tower road corridor was the point of many, many conversations during the far northeast neighborhood planning process and folks really wanting to see commercial corridor businesses along this area and you know, looking at some collision repair auto uses is something that the neighborhood really wanted to have close to home. We a lot of times have to go to Aurora or outside of Denver to get those services. And so I see that it meets all the criteria and I'll be supporting it today. Thank you, President Clark. Thank you, Councilman Gilmore. Seeing no other comments, I'll just add my thanks to staff for all your hard work on this report. I think it clearly shows that it meets the criteria and I will be supporting it this evening. Madam Secretary, roll call. Gilmore I. Black I. Said about that. I'm going to abstain. Flynn. All right. Gilmore. I earned it. I. Hinds. High Cashman. Kenny Ortega. I. Sandoval. I. Sawyer. Torres. I. Mr. President. I. Madam Secretary, please close the voting. Announce the results. 12 Eyes one abstention. Provides one abstention. Council Bill 967 has passed. Right next up, the council will recess and reconvene as the board of equalization. First up, Golden Triangle pedestrian mall. Though a protest letter was filed for the Golden Triangle Pedestrian Mall because no speakers have signed up to speak, council will forgo holding a public hearing on this local maintenance district
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary for a Sublease to Lease No. 9351 between Million Air North, Inc., a California corporation, and the City of Long Beach for office space at 4401 Donald Douglas Drive, to house the Engineering, Accounting and Security Divisions of the Airport Department; and Increase appropriations in the Airport Fund (EF 320) in the Airport Department (AP) by $303,036. (District 5)
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Report from Long Beach Airport. Recommendation to authorize the city manager to execute a sublease between millionaire north and the city of Long Beach for office space at 4401. Donald Douglas Drive, District five. Canada Motion to second in his Motion at a second. Any public comment? Seeing no public comment back to the council. Councilman Andrews Nope. Councilman Austin Nope. Vice Mayor Richardson. I'd like to just to get a staff report and if the city attorney could just weigh in on if there's any potential conflicts of interest. Thanks. Just Romo can give the staff report for the airport. And then we'd like to hear from the city attorney. Mayor Garcia, members of council. The item before you is a proposed five year lease for office space at Long Beach Airport to help support functions including our accounting group, engineering group and security group. We're in dire need of additional space to house these functions that are critical for the airport. The council letter lays out the process under which this lease was developed, including rental surveys and identifying space that was both competitive and convenient for staff. Answer any questions you have relative to the lease terms itself. Otherwise, I defer to the city attorney on the other question. Mr. City Attorney. Mayor, members of the Council, thank you. As you recall, on December 13th, the city council requested the city attorney to seek an opinion from the SPC on this lease. We did so in writing on December 19th and then we have followed up with the PPC since that time and as the date of this evening in this Council letter, we have not received any information from the PPC subsequent to the request. Mr. Glen Ray notified the city that he had stepped down from the A.S., the Airport Advisory Commission, and at this time we advise the PPC of his decision to do so, and we are still not received any official word or opinion and have no indication from FBC when that might be forthcoming. That being understood, this office, we do not believe that there is a conflict or that this country creates a conflict or is prohibited. We have a similar issue or had a similar issue with a city employee and we received written correspondence from the see that this was appropriate contract to enter if the individual did not have or act in his capacity while with the city to process or to approve the contract, the AJC does not receive or these items of contracts do are not presented to the AC. So even his sitting on that was not part of the process. So therefore, we believe we can legally move forward with this contract. Thank you. Okay, that's fine. Okay. There's a motion and a second. Please cast your votes. Motion carries 12, please.
A bill for an ordinance setting the salary of the district attorney for the second judicial district. Amends Section 18-95 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code to amend the salary of the District Attorney for the four-year term beginning 2021 through 2024. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 12-15-20.
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Thank you, Councilwoman. And thank you, Matt and Rachel, for fielding those questions. The next item up is Council Bill 20, Dash 1553. Councilman Hampton, will you please put Council Bill 20, Dash 1553 on the floor for final passage? Yes, Madam President, I move that council bill 20-1553 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. It has been moved and I think I heard the second from Councilman Hines first on there. And so comments by members of council. Councilwoman CdeBaca. Nope. That that one handle. Thank you. All right. Madam Secretary, roll call. CdeBaca. Sorry. Click that one on and off too quickly. No. Thank you, Clark. All right. Flynn. I. Herndon. I. Hines. I. Cashman. I can h. I. Ortega. I. Sandoval. I swear. I Taurus. I. Black eye. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce results. One need 12 eyes. One there, 12 eyes council bill 20 dash 1553 has passed. That concludes the items to be called out. All other bills for introduction are ordered published. Council members remember this is a consent or block vote and you will need to vote I.