A resolution approving a proposed Agreement between the City and County of Denver and Denver Civic Ventures, Inc. to fund the Urban Forest Initiative grant program. Approves an agreement with Denver Civic Ventures for $3 million and through 12-31-24 to fund the Urban Forest Initiative grant program to expand and enhance downtown’s urban tree canopy by planting new trees and improving existing planting areas in Council Districts 9 and 10 (201952681). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 1-6-20. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 12-3-19.
Eight. Yes. Thank you, Mr. President. And I actually apologize. I wasn't here during public comment, actually got the answers to some of my questions. I do want to make a quick comment, though. Constituents of Denver's have said trees are the top issue facing in the survey responses for the central area plan. And we were excited. We still are. We we were then and we still are excited about the planting of additional trees because downtown central business district has 4%, urban canopy uptown has 14% urban carry canopy, which a lot of uptown is part of this plan. And and so we have heard from public works that they're going to make even more clear in their documents that any 5G provider, as they as they install fiber in the city, that they have to put it at least three feet deep. And as we understand it, and forestry and parts are here if if necessary. But as we understand it, three foot depth is a minimum depth to make sure that we can have urban canopy with a proper root system. So I want to thank public works for for making sure that that is clear in our documents as we as we continue to evolve our standards for for 5G installation. So. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman Hines. Councilman CdeBaca. Thank you, Mr. President. I wanted. To I'm glad you called this out, because I wanted to call it out. Because I think it deserves a separate vote and a separate, separate conversation. It's very important that we're addressing our tree canopy in this city, specifically in the areas that we know have been identified as the most deficient areas. I'm concerned about how this came about without a public process or without open access for other neighborhoods to be able to access this $3 million. And so with the Downtown Denver Partnership being able to drive a process without it being open to others, especially when we know there's great inequity in this city, I think it's an inappropriate way for us to allocate those taxpayer dollars and not having a community process, not having an open up. Open process is going to lead me to not support this tonight. Thank you. Councilman Hines had just called this up for questions, but you would like to call it up for a separate vote. All right. So, Madam Secretary, we'll need a motion to put it on the floor. Yes. All right. Councilman Rogers, will you put 1291 on the floor to be adopted. And move the council resolution 1291 be placed on the floor for a vote? All right. For adoption has been moved and seconded. Any other comments on this item before we vote? See none. I will just add that I said this in committee so I won't go too much into it. But when we put to a in front of the voters to increase funding for our parks, one of the key tenants of that was that that funding would be spent on our urban canopy and on trees through our forestry department. And one of the other things that we talked about in our conversation with voters when it came to $2 was that they were approving a tax increase and it was about $40 million. I think it ended up being more like 35 this year because of how sales tax goes up and down by $35 million a year. But that we were going to work hard to leverage those dollars to get matching dollars to make that go even further so that we could make an even bigger investment in our greenspaces and all the value that trees and parks and open space bring to our city. And so I was very excited to see this move forward because it is an area where for every dollar we spend, it's being matched with $2. And so we're taking that investment and we're growing it and leveraging it as we're building this urban canopy and trees in our urban core. So I was excited to see this coming forward and I will be happy to support it today. Councilwoman CdeBaca, did you have something else that I. Just want to also. Point out that this is in a bid where I think that the expectation is that these entities will figure out how to leverage dollars among themselves and use the taxes that they're levying upon themselves to do this kind of work. So just wanted to also point that out. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. All right, Madam Secretary, roll call. CdeBaca no black eye. When I. Gillmor, I. Herndon, I. Hines, I. Cashman Kenny Ortega, I swear I. Torres, I. Mr. President. I. I'm secretary. Please. Because Voting Notes Results. One ni 11 ais. One nay 11 AIS Resolution 1291 has been adopted. All right, Madam Secretary, if you please put the next item on our screens. And Councilman Hines, you had to comment on this one on 1330.