Sam Mamet, executive director of the Colorado Municipal League, said about half of the 800 or so bills that will be proposed this year in Denver will affect the authority of municipalities in some way, and he used rules regarding medical marijuana as an example, The Durango Herald reports.

A slew of potential mayoral candidates has emerged to succeed Hickenlooper if he wins. “Who’s eyeing the race?” political consultant Eric Sondermann told The Denver Post. “Get out the Denver phone book.”

By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS
Parks officials will take a mixed-bag of public comments to city officials this morning concerning a proposal to allow admissions-based events in several of the city’s parks.
The comments come from a spirited Denver Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting held Thursday evening at the La Alma Recreation Center. Comments are divided between people who believe parks are for the public and therefore should remain free and open to the public at all times, and those who believe an admissions-based policy would be a good way to activate the city’s parks.
The advisory board has 45 days to vote on a recommendation for city officials. A vote is expected in February.
Supporters point out that more than 60 major cities across the nation have an admissions-based events policy.
The proposal identifies 10 parks, four facilities and five special occasion sites to be considered for admissions-based events. The parks have been the most controversial, including City Park, Civic Center Park, Confluence Park, Denver Performing Art Sculpture Park, Skyline Park, Sloan’s Lake Park, Central Park — Stapleton, Parkfield Park, Ruby Hill Park and Lowry Great Lawn.
Under the proposal, a party or organization would only be allowed to obtain an admissions-based permit once every 30 days. Also, only once every 15 days would an admissions-based event be allowed to take place in any one park.
The draft also calls for 80 percent of the park to remain free and open to the public when an admissions-based event is taking place.

Controversy started in 2007
The controversy began in 2007 after local AEG Live concert promoter Chuck Morris attempted to hold his two-day Mile High Music Festival in City Park. Concerns were immediately raised over noise disturbing nearby zoo animals, traffic interfering with neighbors and residents being unable to access their free and open public park. The festival was soon moved to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.
A task force was then convened — including citizens — which examined fees, site plans, locations and policies.
Those on the opposing side believe parks are meant to remain free and open to the public at all times. They point to the City Charter, which the group says prohibits any admissions-based events at city parks without a vote of the people.
Former City Councilwoman Cathy Donahue read a sentence from the City Charter, which she believes proves the point.
“The sale and leasing of parks without the approval of a majority of those registered electors voting in an election held by the City and County of Denver, no park or portion of any park belonging to the city, as of Dec. 31st 1955, shall be sold or leased at any time,” Donahue said the City Charter states.
“If you as a body want to suggest to the City Council, or to the elector that we should vote on whether or not to lease part of our parks, you are certainly welcome to do that. But it is not your prerogative to decide what the electors of this city are to decide,” continued Donahue to a room full of applause.

Wavering opinion
A candid Morris took to the microphone where he bounced back and forth between being in support of an admissions-based policy and wanting to leave the decision up to voters. His wavering opinion came as a surprise to opponents of the proposal, who pointed out that Morris was the impetus for the proposal in the first place.
But the iconic concert promoter said he is torn between activating parks to raise money for the city, and leaving them free and open to the public at all times.
“We’re having a very tough time in this city É we all know the limitation financially of what’s going on with the city, so I have a lot of sympathy for the people on the board and the committee É But I don’t want to interfere with the beauty of our parks, I love our parks,” said Morris. “But I do think that what they came up with É I can’t argue with that, I really think that it’s the way to go.”
“But I do want to insist that if this is against City Charter, I will be opposed to it,” he continued.
The City Attorney’s office says an admissions-based policy would not require a vote of the people.
“The manager of Parks and Recreation has authority to grant permits to private individuals and groups to conduct events in city parks, and does so all the time,” David Broadwell, assistant city attorney, told the Denver Daily News in an e-mail. “The Denver Charter does not require a vote of the people every time the manager grants a permit for an event in a park. The fact that a fee or admission price may be charged to participate in an event in a park does not change the analysis. The admission-based event policy under discussion by the city complies with the city charter.”

Great way to activate parks?
Curtis Park resident John Hayden said he is supporting the proposal because he believes it would be an excellent way to activate many of the city’s parks.
“I would like to see the parks in my city used and enjoyed and as beautiful as they can be, and what I expect as a citizen is that my parks and rec department would be managing that resource in a way that would optimize the use and the beauty of the parks, and to me admissions-based events could be a way to raise additional funds to continue to make our parks a beautiful place and an active place,” said Hayden to jeers from opponents.
Donahue pointed out, however, that the money generated from the policy would need to go back into the general fund, which means it would not be earmarked for parks, according to her interpretation of the City Charter.
Meanwhile, Councilman Chris Nevitt said he is in support of the proposal as a means to activate his community’s Ruby Hill Park. Nevitt is actually calling for a less restrictive policy by lowering the number of days organizers would need to wait to obtain a second permit within a period of time. He also believes a park should be allowed to host an admissions-based event every other week, not every 15 days.
But Dave Felice, who for many months has been leading the charge against the policy, said the issue is about free and open parks, and any policy that would compromise that is not a policy the city should adopt.
“It is my mission to oppose fee-based events in city parks,” said Felice. “The parks are to be open and free to the public at all times.”

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

For Colorado cities, dealing with the issue of medical marijuana in 2009 is a lot like being offered that first joint back in the 1960s – do you join the party or just pass it on? Pueblo City Council is stuck in that predicament at the moment, hoping that if it imposes a seven-month moratorium on licensing any medical marijuana businesses until July 1, the Legislature will get busy this spring and adopt statewide regulations on how to do just that, The Pueblo Chieftian reports.

Read the Colorado Municipal League’s survey of cities here.

By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS
Denver’s Department of Human Services is handling child-welfare cases better since two tragic incidents in 2007 sparked a review of the agency’s practices, according to a report released Tuesday.
Since the deaths of 7-year-old Chandler Grafner and 3-year-old Neveah Gallegos – who investigators say died tragically at the hands of their adult caregivers, despite reviews by Human Services – the department is doing a better job of assessing the essential area of “risk and safety” when investigating incidents of child abuse, the report states.
The third-party review, conducted by the non-profit Annie E. Casey Foundation, found that the department has made “significant progress” on eight recommendations stemming from the 2007 review with recommendations made in 2008.
But the foundation said the department still has work to do and outlined where additional progress is needed, as well as made suggestions.
“We at Denver Human Services are very proud of the progress we have made thus far in implementing change in our child welfare division, especially in the most essential areas that directly impact children and families,” Deputy Manager Jay Morein said in a statement. “With that said, we recognize there is still work to be done and we remain committed to continually improving our practices to best meet the needs of our community.”
The report, however, says budget constraints may impede on some of the progress the department is making. Denver is facing a $120 million budget shortfall.
“The review team found that despite best efforts to restructure management responsibilities, the current economic climate and budget situation have negatively impacted organizational culture exacerbating an ‘us vs. them’ environment,” states Human Services.
Despite the budget constraints, the department’s leadership shows a “commitment to put the reforms in place,” the report states.
Human Services says it has been working on “extensive” reform since 2002. The efforts have impacted several services, including hotline calls, investigations of allegations of abuse or neglect, voluntary services, filing of dependency and neglect petitions, follow-up services to children and families, organizational culture, and relationships with the community and court system.
In the cases of Grafner and Gallegos, the department was primarily accused of not doing enough in the way of follow-up services. Much of that was addresses in the recommendations made concerning risk and safety assessments.
“The Review Team found the department has made significant progress on the goals related to risk and safety assessment,” read a news release from Human Services. “The department implemented new protocols, a checklist and trained staff on use of the new system.”
The report states that Human Services still has work to be done in the areas of voluntary agreements and team decision-making.

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

The margin fell just below the threshold mandating an automatic recount, according to Weld County Clerk and Recorder Steve Moreno, The Greeley Tribune reported.

By Joshua Wolpe, SPECIAL TO DENVER DAILY NEWS
Today marks the deadline for Denver’s November mail-in ballot election, which features the DPS School Board vote as well as a decision on the controversial initiative that would require Denver police officers to impound the vehicles of unlicensed drivers.
Initiative 300, which exempts rental car companies and victims of theft, aims to add a stipulation to the impound issue that Denver voters approved last year, which directed police to impound vehicles of unlicensed drivers while charging a $2,500 fee to get the vehicle out of the impound.
Whereas last year’s measure left it up to the officer’s discretion on whether to impound the car, this year’s measure makes it mandatory unless the driver has “convincing corroborating evidence” of their identity such as an insurance card or social security card.

For
I-300 supporters claim the ordinance is about traffic safety. The Future Denver Committee, run by I-300 founder Daniel Hayes, says that current estimates show one out of every 10 vehicles is driven by an unlicensed driver, and they are responsible for about half of the fatal accidents on the road.
Future Denver goes on to say that the victims in these “costly” accidents are the general public who must carry uninsured motorist coverage, liability insurance for passenger injuries, and health insurance for injuries to oneself.

Against
The opposition, which includes the group Coloradans for Safe Communities, claims that police officers are already given the ability to impound a vehicle if they feel it is in the best interest of public safety, and I-300 is an “unnecessary initiative that micromanages police efforts” by forcing them to tow vehicles.
I-300 opponents also include the Denver City Council, which passed a proclamation last month urging voters to kill the measure because it would be too expensive for the city and tie up police resources.

School Board candidates
At-large seat: Mary Seawell and Christopher Scott
Seawell, who lives in Stapleton with her husband and three daughters, has professional experience in non-profit management and community engagement, and is on the Boards of Directors for the Odyssey School, the Denver Language School and the Bluff Lake Nature Center.
Scott, who grew up in Arvada, has two children who attend DPS, is a founding member of the Denver Education Advocacy Network and a past member of the Board of Directors of Northwest Parents for Excellent Schools.
District 2: Andrea Merida and Ismael Garcia
Merida, who has one son, has lived nearly her entire life in Southwest Denver and serves as a House District Captain in House District 2. She studied music at Metropolitan State College and enlisted in the U.S. Army, where she received an honorable discharge.
Garcia is Coordinator of Leadership Programs at Community College of Denver who has lived in District 2 since 2002. He served as a founding board member of West Denver Prep, a Denver Public School charter established in 2005. Garcia is an ordained minister who lives with his wife and their three boys who all attend Castro Elementary.
District 3: Jeanne Kaplan (uncontested)
Kaplan has lived in Denver for 33 years, and has worked in television news part-time as the director of the Colorado Electronic Election Pool, as well as a serving as PTSA president and many school committees. She and her husband have two children who attended DPS.
District 4: Alton Clark, Nate Easley, Jacqui Shumway, Andrea Mosby and Vernon Jones
Clark, who served in the U.S. Army for 16 years before being honorably discharged as a disabled veteran, was born in Denver and graduated from Metropolitan State College in 1996. He is the Associate Director for the Veterans Upward Bound Program and works part-time as an Addictions Counselor.
Dr. Easley serves as Deputy Director for the Denver Scholarship Foundation, a non-profit public charity that seeks to empower DPS students to “achieve their postsecondary goals.” Easley, who has also served as an Upward Bound counselor and an assistant director at Colorado State University, is a graduate of Montbello High School.
Shumway, who moved to Denver in 1988 and earned her master’s from the University of Northern Colorado in 1998, has advocated for healthier communities through physical fitness, music and art. She serves as Chair for The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity and on the Colorado Governors Council for Physical Fitness. Shumway and her husband started the Tai Chi Project while she directed fitness education at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
Mosby, who has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver and a master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado, currently works as a consultant and speaker. She has spent the past 30 years working in the Denver metro area, specifically in Park Hill. Her son has attended Knight Academy, Hamilton Middle School and George Washington High School.
Pastor Jones, who has three children currently in DPS and one future DPS student with his wife Jaymie, is the son and nephew of DPS educators. His mother has been an educator for nearly 20 years, and currently works at Marrama Elementary School, and his aunt teaches at Maxwell Elementary School. Jones has been on the Family School Linkage team, the Collaborative School Committee and the PTA.

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS
The Denver City Council hosted a quiet public hearing last night on the budget as the city looks at cuts aimed at closing a $120 million shortfall.
The City Council is now in the process of offering amendments to Mayor John Hickenlooper’s proposed $855.6 million budget.
Councilman Doug Linkhart — a champion for city-funded youth services — intends on offering an amendment that would add $700,000 to the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program, which was partially funded this year by $1.8 million in federal stimulus dollars. The one-time federal funding allowed the city to increase the number of young adults served from about 400 to 1,100, said Linkhart.
But he said because federal dollars will run out and the city is facing a budget crisis, the mayor is only willing to allocate about $700,000 to the program next year, scaling it back to only assisting about 200 young adults. Linkhart is calling for another $700,000 to be added to the program, bringing the city’s total funding to $1.4 million and allowing the city to serve the average of about 400 young adults.
“In this economy, kids need job opportunities, they need to learn how to get into the workforce and to get the training they need to be able to get a job,” Linkhart told the Denver Daily News prior to the Council meeting Monday, pointing out that kids with jobs means less of them finding crime or needing welfare, which equates to savings for the citizens of Denver.
Several residents, including at least two young adults who benefited from the youth employment program, spoke to council last night about the importance of keeping such a program.
The council can amend the mayor’s budget if seven of 13 members back the change. The mayor then reserves the right to veto any such amendments; the council can then override a veto with nine votes.
The last meeting at which members can offer amendments is next Monday, Nov. 2.
Hickenlooper last month presented the City Council with a budget that represents a general fund expenditure decrease of 1.14 percent over this year’s current budget and a decrease of 3.9 percent over 2008.
In doing so, the budget calls for laying off 176 city employees. The mayor had also proposed closing the Byers Branch Library and passing operations of the La Alma Recreation Center and others over to a private entity. But following an outcry from residents, Hickenlooper reconsidered and decided to reverse about $910,000 in cuts for the system.
The mayor’s revised plan calls for scaling back general fund expenditures for homeless services, as well as scaling back funding for business recruitment in order to pay for the library and recreation center services.
Denver resident Kenny Lovato, a former city employee at La Alma Recreation Center, asked the Council to never give consideration to transitioning or closing that recreation center or any others.
“It will heavily impact some of the programs that it took us a long, long time to develop to the levels we’re at today,” he said of such a transition.
The city was actually facing a shortfall closer to $160 million, but it used $40 million of reserves to limit the gap to $120 million.
The Hickenlooper administration last year cut $86 million from the budget, bringing the combined two-year cuts to $206 million.
Officials are looking to find the savings through $23.3 million in personnel savings and $75.7 million in efficiencies and program savings.

‘Revenue enhancements’
City officials are looking to add another $21 million through “revenue enhancements,” including increasing the biennial sales, use and lodger’s tax license fees from $20 to $50 and implementing a new biennial registration fee of $50 for occupational privilege tax registration. The budget proposal also seeks to increase vehicle registration violations, implement a Web record search fee for those seeking information pertaining to case history, and eliminate the 0.5 percent vendor’s incentive fee for timely filing of sales and lodger’s tax returns.
The Council backed separate legislation last night to address some of these “revenue enhancements.” Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz and Councilman Charlie Brown, however, opposed the bill that intends to increase tax license fees and implement a new fee for occupational privilege tax registration.
The city points to the most historic economic downturn since the Great Depression in defending the budget cuts.
Sales tax revenue is projected to decrease 7.8 percent, or about $33.8 million this year, and total revenues are anticipated to decrease 5.6 percent, or about $48 million.

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

By Gene Davis, DENVER DAILY NEWS
Following an outcry from fired-up Denverites, Mayor John Hickenlooper Wednesday announced that his revised 2010 proposed city budget has spared the Byers Branch Library from immediate closure while also postponing the transition of the La Alma Recreation Center to a private entity.
However, the revised budget will slash $350,000 in funding that was supposed to attract new business to Denver in order to keep the facilities open. The city is currently facing a $120 million shortfall.
The revised 2010 city budget allocates $910,800 in additional funds to Denver libraries. Around $600,000 of that will go towards keeping the Byers Branch Library in operation, and the remaining amount will go towards restoring some, but not all, hours to the Central Library and five other branch libraries.
“I am extremely delighted,” said City Librarian Shirley Amore.
Hickenlooper’s revised budget also restores $260,000 back to the La Alma Recreation Center so the facility can maintain operations as a city entity for another year. The 2010 budget originally proposed to hand off operational duties of the center to a non-profit like the Boys and Girls Club.
Wednesday’s decision came after Denver City Council President Jeanne Robb sent Hickenlooper a letter urging him to reconsider his stance on libraries and La Alma. In turn, Robb’s decision to send a letter on behalf of city council came after a series of heated community meetings that protested the closure of Byers and the transitioning of La Alma.
Meanwhile, Denver City Councilwoman Judy Montero — who has Byers and La Alma in her district and has helped lead the fight against the entities’ proposed closures — says she’s cautiously optimistic because she knows that the recreation center and library could be on the chopping block again next year.
“We have to continue to prove the value of these amenities and work hard to avoid the chopping block,” she said. “I still stand that they’re viable facilities that are contributing to the community.”
Montero said the proposed transitioning of La Alma to a non-profit upset many in the community because they didn’t see it coming and felt left out of the process.
Denver Parks and Recreation Manager Kevin Patterson said Wednesday that the city would use the extra year to try to right those wrongs.
“We want to give them time to understand what we’re trying to do with the transition (and) also let them have a voice in what that transition will look like,” he said.
The next year will prove crucial to the fate of Byers. A press release sent Wednesday stressed that the Byers branch will remain open and operate for one more year, not forever. Amore said the library system must use the next year to talk with the community about what Byers means to them. Afterwards, the city would likely have to redefine the library’s services to reflect the community’s needs for the library to have a chance of staying open in the long term, she said. A final draft of the 2010 proposed budget will be delivered to City Council on Monday, and a public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 26. The City Council will consider final approval of the budget in early November.

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

The Denver City Council has identified about $3.4 million in budget cuts it wants Mayor John Hickenlooper to consider reversing in his proposed 2010 budget, with an emphasis on restoring library hours, The Denver Post writes.