A resolution approving a proposed Agreement between the City and County of Denver and Downtown Denver Events, Inc. to operate the skating rink and beer garden at Skyline Park in Council District 9. Approves an agreement with Downtown Denver Events, Inc. through 2-28-22 to operate the skating rink and beer garden at Skyline Park in Council District 9 (PARKS-202053400-00). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 6-15-20. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 3-10-20.
Thank you, Councilmember. All right, Madam Secretary, the next item on our screens and Councilmember Flynn. This one we need to put on the floor. So will you please put Council Resolution 231 on the floor? Yes, I move that council resolution 20 dash to 31 be adopted. Thank you very much. It's been moved. Can I get a second? Thank you. It's been moved and seconded questions or comments by members of council. This one was called out by Councilmember CdeBaca. You wanna go first? Yes. I wanted to encourage my colleagues to challenge DPR, not to put this kind of agreement in front of us. Next year there is a short fuze on this agreement. Skyline Park is our downtown park. That is often a space where a lot of our unhoused individuals congregate. And we have a partnership here in Denver called the Downtown Denver Partnership, which is very anti homeless and very much behind criminalizing poverty. They have taken the initiative to activate this park without this going to an RFP and creating equal access for other members of the community, other community organizations to have access over deciding what happens at this park. It's a problem. This is a public park that is essentially operated by a private organization that prioritizes business interests. So we have a skating ring and a beer garden that is going into this park and has gone into this park year after year without being open to the public to decide what should go into this park. And so I am a no on this tonight. I understand that they need to program for this year. And so I'm just challenging you all to recognize that private entities are our. This is exactly why we're introducing our other charter change with Park Hill Golf Course, because there's a way for us to maintain ownership and still relinquish all control to the private sector to run our things. And this is not an appropriate way for us to use our park, especially when community organizations have such significant challenges when trying to activate their local parks. So I'm a no on this tonight. Thank you, Councilmember Councilmember Hines. Thank you, Mr. President, because we have so many people who aren't typically engaged in city council. I want to also bring to your attention this is a little bit of the education that Councilmember CdeBaca was talking about. Our job, one of our core jobs in city council is land use and planning and the relationship between land use and how to get to and from it. So basically we have a committee called Ludy and that stands for land use, transportation infrastructure and inner urban core. It is tough to get around. However, you choose to get around by car, by foot. And and so as a city, we are prioritizing where we're rethinking the way we get around our city. We have the opportunity we have the the the potential to totally reshape. So 70 right now, 73% of Denver workers commute to and from their job by single occupant vehicle. And particularly downtown, we have options because RTD may come back soon in full shape. You know, RTD, it's a hub and spoke model, but it's hub is downtown. And I talked a lot about in my campaign because mobility is more difficult for me because I use a wheelchair to get around. I talked about how we all need the freedom to get from A to B, regardless how we choose to get there. So why am I bringing all this up with Skyline Park? I would say I am frustrated with Skyline Park because the vendors that would be activated by this contract constantly and consistently use the bike lane and the sidewalk to park their vehicles. And and so I have talked a lot about how we need to ensure that we have access, that we all need access to get from A to B. We should all have the freedom to get from A to B. By foot. By a wheelchair. By bike. And so I, I, I hope that if this were to be approved, that we would strongly consider ways for vendors to get their their stuff to and from wherever they're vending without having to. To have cyclists and pedestrians constantly dodge parked vehicles on the sidewalk or in the bike lane or have cyclists go into traffic. That's the whole point of protect the bike lane is to keep cars where they are and keep bikes in a in a safer place. So because we're talking about this contract and I see almost every time I go by Skyline Park, I see vehicles parked in the bike lane or in the sidewalk. I wanted to call that out. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilmember. All right. Thank you very much, Madam Secretary. Roll call on this item. CDEBACA No black eye. For an. Eye. Gilmore I can't. Hi. Cashman I can each. Ortega y Sandoval. Sawyer, I. Torres, I Council President. Hi, Madam Secretary. Please close the voting, announce the results. You have a nice one day. 11 days, one day. Council Resolution 231 has been adopted. That concludes the audience to be called out. We are almost to the end of our business. Thank you very much for your patience and for sticking around. All of the bills for introduction are ordered published councilmembers remember that this is a consent or block vote and you will need to vote. Otherwise, this is your last chance to call an item up for a separate vote. Councilmember Flynn, will you please for the proclamations, the proclamation and resolutions for adoption, and the bills on final consideration for final passage on the floor?