January 10, 2023
Jerry Guida, the president of the IPNA, called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
Denver Police Department. Ofcr. Michelle Cooper discussed the neighborhood crime statistics, which she said looked really good. She said that auto theft had increased, but that that was true city- and state-wide. She informed us that the next monthly Commander’s meeting would be the following Thursday. Starting that month, those meetings will be held the third Wednesday of each month. People are welcome to attend those meetings in person.
Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval. She told us that her office made a donation to the IPNA as part of her commitment to Registered Neighborhood Organizations, as her way of thanking us for having meetings like this. She told us that municipal elections were coming up and that ballots would drop on March 13. Councilwoman Sandoval is running for re-election. She told us that the Council was proposing Charter changes dealing with Board of Adjustment, which decides zoning disputes. The current Charter provisions for that Board date back to 1925. Council wants to modernize the Charter provisions to deal with sustainability and environmental issues. Other potential ballot issues include one about Park Hill Golf Course. She also noted that CDOT’s work on the Harlan/I-70 interchange is way behind schedule. She is continuing to push for a sidewalk on Sheridan between West 48th Ave and 52nd Avenues. That was followed by a discussion about the pathways on Sheridan and where new sidewalks would be built.
Councilwoman Sandoval said she wants to coordinate on some issues with Adams and Jefferson Counties, but was told she’d have to wait until a new mayor is sworn in. She said she’s told the mayor about the importance of having someone coordinate with those counties. For example, we can’t get a new, modernized stop light at West 52nd and Sheridan because we don’t have anyone to coordinate with those counties. Another issue is trying to get the City of Edgewater to help with cost of dredging Sloan’s Lake, since some of the sediment in the lake comes from that city.
Jerry announced that Bob Lorenz, a Board member, is very sick with pancreatic cancer and started chemotherapy the week of our meeting.
Treasurer’s Report. John DeLisa told us that we had 46 members, with $695 in revenue during 2022, donations of $245, and newsletter advertising revenue of $330. Our bank balance, as of the date of the meeting, was $3,487.09. Our primary expense is the newsletter. We paid $882.46 for newsletter printing in 2022, with the last two newsletters costing $271 and $254, respectively. We paid $40 in dues to Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation and $75 for an ice cream truck for our August picnic.
Secretary’s Report. Matt Ryan moved that we approve the minutes of our meeting on October 11, 2022. Paula Guida seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously.
Board Election. Jerry announced a slate of candidates for the officer positions in IPNA: Jerry Guida for president, Matt Ryan for vice president, Ingrid Stiver for treasurer and newsletter editor, and Barry Roseman for secretary. A motion was duly made and seconded to elect that slate of officers. That motion carried unanimously.
New Business. Matt moved that we oppose an extension of the City’s permit for the Squeeze Inn’s use of external space on the property on which it is located. Matt reported at least a dozen incidents of noise issues, including people who revved their motorcycles in the parking lot before peeling out. He said that the Squeeze Inn has refused to sign a good-neighbor agreement, even though we have presented proposed agreements to it several times. Matt stated that he opposed the City’s permitting the outdoor space without a good-neighbor agreement.
Matt provided information about the public art being planned for Inspiration Point Park. He said the spot where that art will be placed is near two benches about two-thirds of the way toward the Point. The call for entries was put out the week before our meeting. The City wants that art to be tactile, for children to be able to play with it and for people generally to be able to interact with it. The idea is for that public art to reflect what’s around it. More information, he added, will probably be in the next newsletter.
Debbie Ortega. Councilwoman Ortega passed out election flyers for her candidacy for mayor. She told us that she is serving her last term on City Council, since she is term-limited. She told us that the construction careers ordinance would be coming forward. The Council has been working to make sure that all the big contracts, for $10 million or more, will have local-hire provisions. She added that a pilot program has helped people get into the skilled trades. She said that this will come before City Council for final adoption soon.
Another initiative, which was scheduled to be heard by the Council’s Land Use Committee the Tuesday of the week following our meeting, involves rail safety issues. Councilwoman Ortega pointed out that some developments are as close as 18 feet from railroad tracks. She said that she would present findings from a risk analysis study, especially about the risks of a hazardous materials release, which would identify the most vulnerable locations along the rail corridors. She added that she will be sharing that study with other Council members before moving the ordinance forward.
On Monday of the week of our meeting, Denver City Council adopted a wage-theft ordinance. City Council has learned that wage theft happens in many industries outside construction, with people not getting paid for the work they did and for their overtime. She said that the City didn’t have the tools to deal with wage theft. The ordinance will be important, since it will enable workers to go after the general contractor if a subcontractor doesn’t pay wages.
That was followed by a discussion of Councilwoman Ortega’s candidacy for mayor.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:06 p.m.
Sincerely,
Barry Roseman
Secretary