A resolution approving a proposed Amendatory Agreement between the City and County of Denver and Universal Protection Service, L.P. d/b/a Allied Universal Security Services, LP to add fund requirements, increase the maximum contract amount and extend the term for security personnel at homeless shelters and facilities during the COVID-19 health crisis. Amends a contract with Universal Protection Service, L.P. doing business as Allied Universal Security Services, by adding $1,500,000 for a new total of $5,500,000, adding three months for a new end date of 12-31-20 and adding required CARES language to the contract to allow the City to seek reimbursement for service related costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic for security personnel services at congregate and non-congregate shelter locations (GENRL-202054453-01). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 11-16-20. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 9-29-20.
Has been moved and seconded questions or comments by members of council. Council members say the pocket. Thank you, Madam President. Just wanted to call this one out because we've talked about it at length. And I believe that we as a city have to repair the harm that we've done, and that starts with our contracting choices. For that reason, I think it's highly inappropriate for us to approve this contract as it reflects that we do not take murder and security seriously in this city. We approved a $4 million contract earlier this year in an emergency pinch for Allied, as we needed the staff to for the new congregate shelters. Most of us thought that we needed some special security company to provide these security services. And because there was no company large enough to compete for the emergency contract we approved Allied, knowing that as contractors for RTT, another public entity paid for by tax dollars that they nearly murdered a black man at Union Station simply for for being black. They beat him within inches of his life and refused to make him whole in the courts. In fact, it came to our attention during committee that Allied not only continues to deflect real responsibility for their actions with this gentleman, they attempt to get a gag order to prevent the victim and his attorney from speaking publicly about the victim's brutal beating because of the current heightened race relations. Now, that seems a little backward to me, if you ask me. They tried to silence the victim. And that, I feel like, is something we need to be taking into consideration. And now we're considering a $25 million contract that doesn't actually require special talent or training during the $4 million contract earlier this year. We know that there was a murder on their watch after we approved that contract. Nobody was fired. Nobody was held accountable for allowing insecurity under a $4 million security contract. And it turns out that allied security scope it it doesn't actually require special training. All it requires is observing and reporting, never intervening. So it sounds like a job we should be allowing others to do, not necessarily a global security firm known for egregious harms ranging from gender discrimination, child abuse, racism. The list goes on. And so I'm a passionate no on this contract tonight. And I hope those of my colleagues who care about safety and dismantling racism will join me in a no vote. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman Hines. Thank you, Madam President. I know we've had conversations with safety before about how they bring before us votes that authorize funds for things in the past. And I'm frustrated that here we are again. I know that Mr. SAP took one for the team. And I you know, the last time we talked about this and I said, I understand, Mr. Sapp, that you're the messenger, but I really don't. I think it's confounding to the political process. We're supposed to vote for things before the money is spent. And this contract is starting May 7th. And I'm just I'm frustrated that we're that we're again, voting on contracts that that are in arrears. So I just want to put that out there. I hope that we can that we can have three functioning branches of government if we are supposed to authorize funds. I hope we can do that before the funds are actually spent. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilmember Hines. Madam Secretary, roll call. CDEBACA No. Clark. All right. When? I. Pendant. I. Hi. No. Cashman. I. Can I? Ortega. I. Sandoval. I. Where? Now. Taurus. No. Black. I. In the box. No. Madam President. No. Madam Secretary, closed the voting and announced the results. Six, nine, seven, nine. Six nays, seven I's Council Resolution 922 has been adopted. The next item up is Resolution 1163. Councilmember Torres, please go ahead with your comments on Resolution 1163. Thank you, Madam President. I just want to thank you, Madam President, for your support on this. This change would add a land acknowledgment to our diversity council agenda to be read after the Pledge of Allegiance. Why is this important? One of the a bit of background I have been involved in something that was pretty meaningful to me and my husband, which was the Sand Creek Spiritual Healing Run Walk. For the past several years, thanks to my former agency, the Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships, which supported the event over many years and commemorated and ensured that we don't forget the Sam Creek massacre. It begins near where the Fort Lyons location was. Over the weekend, my husband and I stopped to look at a state landmark in my district on Eighth and Vallejo because we had never seen what the plaque said before. And we found the plaque recognized that the neighborhood of Lamar Lincoln Park was the site of Camp Weld or Fort Weld. The industrial part of District three was the site in September 1864, where leaders from the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes met with the U.S. Army representatives. So I last saw Commander John Shillington, Governor John Evans and Major Edward Wynkoop for peace talks. The tribe believing they had reached and complied with peace with the U.S. Army, set up camp at Sand Creek near Fort Lyon.