A proclamation in honor of Stella Madrid upon the occasion of her retirement from Denver Housing Authority.
Thank you, Councilmember Flynn. We echo those accolades for Angela and wish her best of luck in this new chapter of her life. And so thank you. All right. Seeing no other hands raised for announcements, we will move on. There are no presentations this evening and there are no communications. There is one proclamation being read this evening. Councilmember Ortega, would you please read Proclamation 20 1-0531 for us, please. Happy to do so, Madam President. Proclamation number 20 10531 in honor of Stella Madrid on the occasion of her retirement from Denver Housing Authority. Whereas, Stella Madrid has been a proven leader for 30 years of success in areas of affordable housing, community development, sustainability, community involvement, resident civic engagement, communications and leadership. And she has retired as intergovernmental and Community Affairs Officer from Denver Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver. Whereas Stella has worked on many of the A's in Denver housing and community initiatives that provided safe, affordable housing and community engagement. And. Whereas, Stella led changes including staffing, all of DHS, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, oh six and HUD Choice, Community Revitalization and Transformation Efforts from Newton Homes in 1994 to 95 and Curtis Park Homes in 1998 to Benedict Park Place in 2002. And. Whereas, Stella helped lead the successful team that was awarded a $22 million oh six grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, leading to the transformation of the former South Lincoln Homes in West Denver and into the award winning mixed income Mariposa District, preserving 250 units of public housing and addressing over 300 workforce and market rate units in 2010. And. WHEREAS, Stella worked on a team that was awarded a $34 million choice neighborhood implementation grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to transform the Sun Valley neighborhood as a transit oriented development, preserving 333 units of public housing and creating over 800 units of workforce and market rate units in 2016 and 2017. And. Whereas, Stella has been a community and civic leader in the city and county of Denver, serving on numerous community boards, working with the Colorado congressional offices and state and local elected officials. And she was active in community campaigns for the complete count U.S. Census and voter registration and outreach. And. Whereas, Stella was lead staff for COVID 19, funds for onsite testing and vaccinations to reach the most vulnerable residents in partnership with Denver Public Health and Environment and Denver Health and Hospitals Authority. And. Whereas, Stella's colleagues, DHS residents, the Board of Commissioners and her city friends and associates will miss her compassion, empathy, dedication, tireless work and leadership on behalf of the Denver Housing Authority. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Council of the City and County of Denver, Section one, that the Denver City Council hereby recognizes Stella Madrid's years of service to Denver citizens and her professional and personal dedication to the housing authority of the city and county of Denver and thanks her on this occasion of her retirement on April 30th, 2021, that the clerk of the city and county of Denver shall affixed the seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation and a copy be transmitted to Stella Madrid. Thank you. Councilmember Ortega, your motion to adopt. Thank you, Madam President. I move for the adoption of proclamation number 20 10531 second titled. All right. We've got the second there by Councilman Hines. I heard him first. Their comments by members of council. Councilmember Ortega Thank you, Madam President. I also want to thank Council President Pro Tem Torres for co-sponsoring this proclamation with me. I've known Stella for all these years that she has worked for the Denver Housing Authority and had the opportunity to interface with her on many of the projects that were just read aloud. Stella is an amazing individual who has been just an incredible champion for the residents of Denver Housing Authority. She has done that with the utmost professionalism and advocacy on their behalf, many times interfacing with all of us, but also her work with the congressional delegation and with the state in in her work of trying to speak out on behalf of the residents. There was an event held on Friday for Stella. I was unfortunately not able to be there. I had a plumbing problem at my house and the plumber was here and they just had things kind of torn apart. But. So, Stella, I texted you expressing why I couldn't be there, but I'm really sorry. I know it was a great event. I talked to people who were there. You're going to be missed. And I know you and I will have a date on the golf course where we'll get a chance to go out and play some golf. And to the comment that was made earlier about individuals in our city who dressed to the nines. Stella is one of those individuals and she doesn't really do that in her professional life. You could best assure she's the best dressed person on the golf course as well of Stella. You're going to be missed. Thank you for your many, many years of service to the citizens of the city and county of Denver. And I know this isn't goodbye. You and I will continue to be friends for many years past. You're leaving the city, but I wish you all the best. And God bless. And your retirement. Thank you, Madam President. Luke, you council member Ortega. Next up, we have Council President Pro Tem Torres. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you so much. I think the ordinance gave just such a great synopsis of your influence. You have. Been such a a commodity for me as I'm kind of coming up in the city and getting used to the way things work and challenging things and just really appreciate your guidance and leadership and getting to know you even better. Through the DOJ board. I want to just quickly thank you for the work that you do and probably will continue to do for the River Sisters Organization in connecting Denver's River Network. To that of. Our community and our ancestry in Mexico. And so it's just really appreciate that and giving that it's not in the Sun Valley Park planning and really looking forward to that coming to fruition. So just thank you so much, Stella, and you will be missed. Thank you. Up next, we have Councilman Flynn. Thank you, Madam President. I want to second what Councilwoman Ortega and Torres have just said. Stella has the Stella and I actually met many, many, many years ago when I was at the newspaper and many, many executive directors of DHS ago as well as well, most likely. And it was a pleasure to work with you all that time. And now, especially even before I got on council working with you here. Stella and I were chair and co-chair respectively of our House District one Democrats, and we worked well together. We were a great team. Ben and I and Councilwoman Ortega. I was able to get up to the to the reception up in that up in northwest Denver on Friday and say my personal thanks to her and my and my wife as well. And I think, Stella, you told me and you can confirm publicly here that your intention in retirement, when a lot of people say, you know, what are you going to do now that you're retired and and you're going to follow my wife's footprints and say, I'm going to do nothing? That's what retirement is. You know, go play golf, just enjoy yourself. But if you choose to re involve yourself in any social or civic activities, you're most welcome back. And as a constituent of Council District two, especially, we would we would love to hear your voice continuing. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you. Councilmember Flynn. Councilmember Kenny. Thank you so much, council president. Thank you to Councilwoman Ortega for sponsoring this. And Stellar. I'll just be brief and say thank you. You know, I was saying to someone else who is departing the city today that their legacy that sometimes public servants leave behind is the impact they have on lives who may never know their name and may never know the impact. And so but but we here can bear witness. And I actually do wish for you that you get to have fun and continue to stay engaged right in your retirement. I think you deserve both. And we're you know, just I was blessed as I learned about housing and the world of affordable housing before I was elected. You were in that world already someone that I met in that pre council life. And so I just want to thank you in particular for the dedication you've had to housing for our residents from so many different walks of life. So thank you and good luck to you and congratulations. Thank you, Councilmember. Up next, we have Councilmember Sandoval. Thank you, Madam President. And Stella, you'll be greatly missed. So our families go long back in northwest Denver. And as I was learning to navigate being a council aide and figure out this city and not long right after I had started working, my dad had just passed. And you always just allowed me that grace and consideration because I think you probably saw it on my face during those first couple of years of how much I missed him. And you missed his guidance and you were just so kind and loving and always just reminded me that he was watching. And so that I always think of that when I think of you and I always talking about my mom and the work that you did. I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there on Friday, but I know that it was a great year, said Northwest Denver. And as everyone else said, Please don't be a stranger. I know that you're not going now. I'm going to call you and we'll catch up and I'll see you around because our paths crossed prior to council and the do it after that. Just you've left a legacy on me and my family and all of us. And so thank you for always considering everyone else in my family. When you talk to me and what was going on, it was so helpful and enjoy your retirement. It's well-deserved. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilmember Sandoval. And see no other hands raised. I'll go ahead and chime in. Congratulations, Stella, on a job well done. And it's been an honor to get to know you and work with you. And it all works out in the end. It's such an honor to have you celebrating your retirement through this proclamation. And you also helped craft some of the exemptions for the rental license policy that we're also hearing tonight. And so I appreciate your partnership and your legacy. Your legacy will definitely live on and hopefully we will be able to see you around, if not in a housing capacity, in some other community capacity. And so sincere congratulations to you as well. Madam Secretary, roll call, please. Ortega, I. Torres. I stand all. I. Sawyer. I. Black. Hi. CdeBaca. I, Clark. I. Flynn. I. Hi. Hi. Cashman. Hey. Can I? Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, closed the voting and announced the results. 12 days. 12 eyes proclamation 20 1-0531 has been adopted. We have 5 minutes for an acceptance speech or proclamation acceptance. Councilmember Ortega We'll go ahead and start that timer if you'd like to call up who you would like to accept this proclamation. Absolutely. So as you can see, we've got Stella Madrid with us. And so she got a chance to hear all of your comments. So stellar. Now your turn to make some comments. So thank you for being here with us tonight. Oh, well, thank you. I'm honored to have this proclamation tonight and certainly honored to hear all the words and kindness that you've all expressed. As was mentioned, I. Joined that housing authority in 91. And I have worked with every single city council office through those years. And each of your office does. And I want to thank you, all of you personally, council, council, as well as your staff. They have always been accessible and responsive. You know, I know Councilman Flynn mentioned his work through all the past executive directors, but I also want to acknowledge my work with with them specifically Kevin Markman, who was our former HUD assistant secretary for public housing. In addition to the DHS director and our wonderful dear friend Salvador Carpio, former Denver city councilman, oh, God bless his soul and his smile. Get a little who all of those executive directors believed in community and the residents. So there was a natural match for us to move down the path of. Serving our community. And meeting the needs of our residents. And I will say, you know, working for DHS was one of my most. Rewarding and enriching work. Since the eighties that I've been in public service with the state, with the city, the Mayor's Office of Employment and Training, DHS, and all my work in the community. And in closing, because I know it's a short it's a short night tonight on your agenda, and I don't want to lengthen it. But in closing, I really want to thank my family, all of you and all of us in public service. We know what a sacrifice our families make. I want to thank my sons for all their support, all their understanding and their encouragement. They shared me with my work. Right. And they share, you know, just like your families. My sons shared me with all my work in all these years, the many nights, the early mornings, the many, many, many community meetings during the week and on the weekends. We all know what we do, and we all do it because we do it from our corazon and we do it because we believe in what we're doing and who we're serving. Not for the accolades. But again, I'm humbled and I thank you all so very much. I will be around. And like many of us say, it's not goodbye. It's just we'll see you down the road. So thank you. Thank you again, Stella, and congratulations. And enjoy that retirement. It's well-deserved.