4-22-24 City Council Regular Business Meeting
Thanks a lot. I called to order.
The regular business meeting of
lakewood City Council on April
22nd 2024. At 7:08 P.m.. To
connect with the City Council
meeting this evening. Please
use for those of you online.
Please use liquid speaks.org or
lakewood.org/council videos for
online public comments. You may
also post comments at any
length on lakewood speaks.org,
and we’ll actually have it open,
not only through the evening,
but tomorrow up to 10 A.m.. So.
If. You’ve got comments through
any portion of the meeting this
evening. You can certainly
continue to add comments to
that through 10. Anyone who
would like To address. The City,
um, will be given the
opportunity. Throughout the
evening on different topics if
we’re going topic related or
for those topics that don’t
appear on the agenda this
evening, we’ve got a space for
that, In the latter part of the
meeting this evening. Uh,
public comment does go for
individuals at three minutes,
three minutes and for anyone
that’s pulling your time with
others for people. You get up
to 10 minutes, so we’ll let you
know when their time is right
for each of those as we move
forward, and in the meantime,
will the clerk please The role.
Strong. Here over here. Mia
guerrera here. Stewart. Here
here. Live your Nystrom. Here,
Here Here Here you have a
quorum. Thank you and at this
point, I will ask that if you
are able to stand, please do so
And we will do the pledge of
allegiance afterwards. Please
remain standing for a moment of
silent prayer. Sorry. Two. The
flag of the United States of
America, for which it stands my
mission. I wonder out into this
one with liberty and justice
for all. I should say mercy.
Going to France next week. All
members of the City Council
have the responsibility to
comply with the terms of
charter 7.2 Prince B an excuse
themselves from voting on any
matter in which they determine
they have a personal financial
or business interest. The City
Council is empire empowered by
charter 7.2 Prince B to agree
by unanimous vote, excluding
the member at issue to exclude
any member or I’m Sorry, excuse
any member of the council from
voting on a matter in which
they determine such member has
a Small, financial or business
interest. So with that, Uh, we?
I will make a a slight change
to your agenda this evening. Um,
some of you that that watch us
fairly regularly may have been
a little bit confused that
typically when we get a
presentation from our esteemed
liquid advisory commission, it
usually lands at the beginning
of a meeting. Um, and this time
it actually was, in the latter
part. So what we’re going to do
before we get started is, uh,
do the formal movement of that.
Advisory Commission permission
Presentation to, um this point
in the meeting, where it
typically resides. So at this
time, I’d like to entertain a
motion to move that item. 14
Point a the presentation from
the Liquid Advisory Commission
to the beginning of the meeting.
If you are a member of the
public who came to speak on
that particular item during
general public comment. You are
still welcome to do so. Mayor
Strom. I move to amend the
agenda to receive the Lakewood
Advisory Commission
presentation before the consent
agenda second OK thank you and
does Council have any comments
or questions on that? All,
right. What’s that let’s go
ahead and vote. OK so that
passes unanimously. And with
that, Uh, will the city clerk
please read item 14 point a
into the record. Item 14 point
a a presentation from the
Lakewood Advisory Commission
concerning green renovation
research. Thank you, Mr Robb
and I will now defer to our
city manager Kathy Hodgson to
introduce this item and our
speakers. Or can they be like I
could just quickly, Mayor, um,
in front of you this evening is
Neil Preer. He’s a member of
the sustainability subcomittee,
one of the four L AC
subcommittees, um, also in
attendance from the L AC
tonight is the chair of the
Sustainability. Uh, Glenn Wedo.
Um, uh, chair of the full L AC,
Melissa Cozman and vice chair
of the full L AC Nate Whiteman.
And with that I’ll just turn it
over to Neil. All righty, Mr,
Priester and company. Thank you
for joining us this evening. As
well as Fred Clifford, who’s
here as well. Hm? Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, the
council mayor. Thanks for this
opportunity. Thanks for this
opportunity to do this research.
It’s important to us, Um and I
wanted to thank all the members
of the committee that have put
this together. Um It’s taken US
nine months. And it’s been hard
work, but it’s been a good work.
Um I will also apologize for
the length of it. It’s 22 pages
I would have liked to made it
simpler, but, uh, it was a
constant struggle to make it as
concise as we possibly could.
Given the complexity and the
far ranging issues that we’re
dealing with, Um We have, uh
Four main recommendations as
well as an additional 25 sub
recommendations again. I’m
sorry this is this is not
simple solutions that we’re
applying to a complex problem.
Um And. I wanted to take a
minute to wish you all a happy
Earth Day and remind you that
we all live on this pale blue
dot together and, um Hope to
hope to leave it better than we
found it. Um, So what we have
with you here is, uh, our green
renovation project. We were
assigned that in July of 2023,
and the goal was to identify
and research, possible policies
and actions by the city to
expedite Green renovation and
lakewoods residential buildings.
Um, So, the issue is is is
multi pointed here. We’ve got
green renovation can help
address 21% of the of
Lakewood’s greenhouse gas
emissions not covered by zoning
requirements. Um, residences
using fossil fuels directly for
heating our locked out of
reducing greenhouse gas
emissions through utility mix
changes. The point of
replacement of existing heating
appliances and furnish furnaces
presents an opportunity for
beneficial electrification. So,
the research we’re covering, uh,
covered cities in Colorado and
elsewhere. Um, and where
they’ve taken efforts and
actions to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions from residences.
We’ve we’ve covered multiple
cities, some in the state. Some
outside the state. Some In fact,
even internationally. Um, it’s
this is a big effort. Like. We
can supplement incentives
offered by utilities and state
and federal entities. Local
governments. Incentives can
drive change. The. Hope there
is that we all put skin in the
game here shouldn’t be left up
to just the individuals.
Recommendations. Um we’re four
fold primarily tax credit and
rebate match to supplement
state and federal funds. Second
was to add to the Enhanced
Development menu article 13 for,
um, targeting homes below 2500
square feet, which are
currently exempt. City
employees to implement and
administer these adopted
recommendations. And outreach
and education by partnering
with relevant organizations, Um
I could talk at length about
these four goals, but I think
the report is is broad enough
that it addresses those, Um So
our summary here is that
reducing greenhouse gasses.
Emissions is urgent. It’s
worldwide and it’s gonna take
all hands on deck to get it to
get it to happen. And. We’re
hoping to, uh, transition
existing liquid homes to
electricity. And, um, the
positions within the city to
benefit from an improved
Utility energy source mix. Um,
what’s on the on the table Here
are consideration is 42,000
existing homes in lakewood?
This issue is complex and wide
ranging and the L AC stands
ready to supplement research if
required, or if needed, Um,
we’d love to tackle this again.
We just felt like, uh, The more
we dug into it. The deeper it
got, um So we could do to, uh,
were available to ask questions
tonight on the report. We’re
available to dig deeper if
you’d like, Um Been a pleasure.
Thank you. Council. Questions.
And. Thank you for mentioning
the report. I’ll actually take
this moment to, uh, let
everybody know that on liquid
SP start. Org. Not only can you
put in public comment, But. We
do also have staff documents.
In this particular instance the
L AC Liquid Advisory Commission
report is also on there as well.
So while this was a very brief
reporting back of the What, did
you say 22 pages? 21 pages? No.
It was great. Uh, very Report
this evening. There’s a lot
more detail that that you do
get into in the report, and so
with that I’ll go ahead and
hand the floor over to
councilor sinks, then Councilor
Mayo guerrero, then councilor
Mayor Pharez. Thank you? Hello?
Um good, Excellent job. Great
report. Let me. Just. Make Sure
I understand correctly And that
is that Any electrification of
homes currently right now, as
you are proposing is strictly
on a voluntary basis. Is that
correct? That’s correct? Yes,
thank you. So. We’re trying to
offer carrots. Um the, uh, The
goal is to try and get broad
participation. Um, but no, it
doesn’t doesn’t do any good to
To force those issues right so
So for those that don’t want to
do it. There would be
absolutely no stick. Just the
carrot? Yeah, I think that’s a
great approach. Thank you. Can
mount Guerrero. Hi and thank
you so much for your time, both
this evening and in in general
in the past many months or so,
on this project, um this
question is Likely you’ll have
Maybe something that first
comes to mind. But, I hope is
then a bit of an ongoing
discussion for us and with
staff, which is do you have, um,
of the list of recommendations?
Anything that you think in
particular needs to be
considered alongside or in in
close. Co ordination with, say,
our affordable housing planning,
um versus our comp plan versus
things that you think are are
very freestanding, um, on their
own. Um and again, I. I don’t
you don’t have to go through
all of the recommendations. But
if you’ve got a top view and
again, I’m hoping that this
helps us us as a body, like
start to think about it that
way. Because. We are not a
stand alone, Um committee
Sub-committee, um, operating in
a vacuum, we We felt it
necessary and critical to
address The. Other
subcommittees, not the least of
which is diversity. Um, we
tried to embed, uh, diversity
equity inclusion into every
phase of this and in
recognition that this is not an
inexpensive prospect that we’re
considering here. And that
there are opportunities here
that are great as the
challenges, but there are some
that cannot rise to the
opportunity and they have to be
given. Uh uh uh uh, equal
access to those funds. And to
that technology. Um, the
concern is that you could
potentially lock them out of
future innovations. If you
don’t If, You. Don’t initiate
that process. Um, I think it’s
probably fair to say the
biggest our first number one
recommendation is concerning
the the rebate match and the
reason for that is because
these costs are not trivial.
And. Um, even though they’re
state and federal funds
available out there If you
can’t rise to the occasion to
to find seed money to to make
that a affordable for all
members of Lakewood. You lose
the opportunity, so just
because the money is there
doesn’t mean you can take
advantage of it, especially
with low and middle income
people. Um Again, Uh, Councilor
Grell guerrero. There’s 24 sub
recommendations. Um Probably
This isn’t the time to cover
all those, but they’re all
relevant, and they’re all fact
and science based group. Thank
you so much. We are P Dam.
Thank you, Mr Priester. This is
great. We’ve had the
opportunity to connect a little
bit more. Uh, I think you’ve
done your tour with many of the
counselors appear to share
particularly around the rebate?
Um, the example that I often
refer to when we have those
conversations is what we see in
Denver with their climate
action and sustainable
resiliency office and I just I
wanted to like flag that for my
peers on council because that
was a funded mandate through,
uh, quarter. Sales tax. It was
funded through a sales tax tax
initiative, but they had
something like $4 million in
the first year to be able to do
some really innovative things
and they offer quite a bit of
rebates in the city and county
of Denver to do some of the
things that we’re talking about,
And, So we’re gonna have to be
very creative to be able to get
this going. Some of it is fed
money, but you have to come
with non fed matching dollars
and that adds a level of
complexity that we are not
prepared to act quickly on, and
so is there ways we know that
there Um, considerable interest
in this from the community. And
I wonder if this is something
we would maybe wanna explore,
And this could be a question
for the budget. Not A, um,
board as well. But we’re gonna
We’re never gonna get here
unless we’re willing to take
some like creative swings at
this, and so I really
appreciate you all have put it
together quite a bit of work on
this, and I think you know, I’m
a real advocate for the rebate
stuff Because it. It is a good
incentive for folks, but I do
think your point is a good one,
particularly for low income
income qualifying. Households.
You do have to put that money
up front and so that it does
become unattainable when we’re
talking about rebates, um, and
refunds on dollars that you
have to invest up front to see
those cost savings, so that
would be something I’d love to
see, And. It’s timely that
we’re having this conversation
on a night that we’re making
discussion and decisions on C
DB G dollars because in past
iterations that has been a
priority for us, and I hope
that we can see that come back
again in in next iterations of
those funding cycles, So thank
you. Um, if I made a point of
clarification. Uh, Councilor
chairs I. Some of those funds
coming from the state and fed,
um will be grants that require
matching funds from the
municipalities locally, But not
all of them are some flow
through directly to the
homeowners we just heard about
today about $8 billion released
from the inflation Reduction
Act. This intended to go
straight to homeowners. But
again. Even those have come
because some of them are are
are tax credits, which aren’t
always available. Um, the state
is about to S to release
Rebates through the inflation
reduction Act all help. But
again. The. The the The
challenges are great, as is the
opportunity. Thank you. And
like To be. The. Other point is
just the workforce need to. So
we know you. You have great
members of your you I know
you’re part of another group
that has, like a very nuanced
understanding because they had
a business in thermal energy.
Well. I just try to get my
furnace replaced and I asked
for a heat pump, and they
didn’t know what I was talking
about. That wasn’t a skill set,
and that wasn’t something they
advocated for. So. All of this
has to be paired with
Upskilling and Reskilling. And.
I know that That’s something
that counselor Lo has a
personal And so you know I’d
love to explore how Lakewood
can be, you know, working with,
uh McLean and and Warren Tech
and some of the other. Great,
um Trade school, uh, focused
areas that we have to sort of
help build this bench out and
that, um, expertise, So thank
you. All of them is high level
expertise. I mean some of that
is just just, um benchmarking.
Energy audits, which can be
done without a whole lot of
training. So yes, absolutely.
Councilor Liber I. Just want to
thank you for coming. Thanks
for the presentation. Really
appreciate it. Um, I’m
wholeheartedly in support of us
trying to look at, uh, figuring
out ways to, uh, you know, get
additional dollars and citizens
back in citizens hands so they
can make you know good
decisions to to become more
sustainable and reduce and help
the city with our long term
plans of reducing our Our GHGS
and I’ve seen a lot of cities.
Um, do really good work in this
space. And, uh, Um We’ve, you
know, seen other cities also
contract some of this work out,
uh, to help them be a sort of
force multiplier. I know, uh,
Boulder does that they have
their the contract with their,
uh, pace, uh, program and they
do all sorts of broad range of
incentives. Um, from solar
panels to cooling and heating
equipment and lighting and, um,
electrification of lawn
equipment and all sorts of you
know things like that. Um, so
anyway, I really appreciate you
bringing this, uh to us. This
is something I’m really
passionate about. And. I Hope.
Uh, you know we can move
something forward to to, you
know, help take advantage of
the opportunities. Thank you.
Thanks. Right any other council
questions? Councilor Nystrom.
Thank you, Mayor. Um Yeah
Thanks again for all of the
information I enjoyed when I
met with you and and and this
report is amazing. Um, I think.
Unfortunately, there’s been a
lot of misinformation that’s
been conveyed via Um lakewood
speaks and I and I really hope
that people take the time to
read this study. Um, you know,
and some of the things that I
learned from you in terms of
personal air air quality in
your home, you know, as we
continue to deal with wildfires
and things like that the
advantages of of a heat pump
Also, you know are Um I
imperative in that So I. I have
a tendency to Get over my skis
a little bit, so I’ve already
electrified my house and I’m
working on the battery backup,
But. I can I can say
unequivocally that my house is
more comfortable in the winter
now and, um you know it. It has
been an amazing improvement, so
I hope people keep those things
in mind when they’re when
they’re, um considering this
and I think yes for the greater
good, the air quality for
everyone in lakewood and the
reduction in emissions that
we’re going to produce as we
continue to up You know, um,
homes as well as hopefully city
buildings and other commercial
buildings in, uh, Lakewood. Um,
I think we’ll really see a a
large improvement in air
quality. So thank you again for
your work. Councilor cruz Yes.
They wanted to echo the thanks,
Mr Priester for your work and
for the L a CS work on this
important topic. Um, I know, I
learned a lot. Um and I think
that I also really appreciate
the clarification regarding the
carrot approaches that this, uh
recommends because I think that
there were some, uh,
potentially different readings
in the community, so it’s just
helpful to have that
information. Um, in the public.
Um, I noticed and the
appreciated the gratitude for
the sustainability staff that
you all worked with kind of in
Developing this report and I
know you talk. You talk about
this in the report, but just
wanted to hear a little bit
more about how some of these,
um initiatives and, um Uh, like
priorities are reflected in
some of the work that our
sustainability depart. Our
sustainability team is doing
now. I think the first
sustainability plan was put out
in 2015 with updates even as
late as 2122. They’ve done a
lot of heavy lifting and the
groundwork um the there are
areas of concern within the, um,
codes that that this is trying
to address as well specifically
for the existing built
environment. Um You sustainable
staff is great one of our main
recommendations is to get him
some help. They say it’s
drinking from a fire hose. Um,
there’s a lot of work to be
done and There’s a lot of money
out there if we could just tap
it. Um We love an opportunity
to to carry through with some
of these recommendations and
and and work with them on it if
they would be willing, um,
they’re they’re, uh, experts in
their fields. So Councilor
stewart then Councillor Lo Yeah,
I kind of actually had similar
questions. So. Thank you for
asking those, Um, we do have
really incredible staff in our
sustainability division. Um and
very supportive of making sure
we get them some more help. I
know, you know, in the past
when we started the rebate
program for the turf
replacement and the water wise
landscaping that was initially
funded through quite a bit of,
uh, work to get That were
available, and I know that
there’s so much money available
that I wanna make sure that
we’re prioritizing in our, um
you know, our grant acquisition
process being able to make sure
that we’re taking advantage of
all of that money that is
available and then just
flagging that this is an
incredible report. I know the
sustainability, uh, and
planning division already, Um,
you know, knows this is a great
report, and it’s very, very
helpful. Um, but This is in
alignment with a lot of our
council priorities for the next
couple of years. And I think
that this is just a great
opportunity to kind of roll in
the expertise of folks in our
community as well as our
sustainability staff to
actually, um, use some of this,
uh, really incredible work that
you guys put so much time and
effort into, um, you know,
putting together our our work
plans for the year and kind of
how laying out how we’re going
to get to some of the council
priorities, I think This is
really well aligned and would
love to see this utilized in
more than more than one more
than just presenting it to
council I. I hope that it is
kind of taken and and pieced
apart and and run with and take
advantage of. Councilor Lo
Don’t want to sound like a
broken record, Mr Priester, but
would echo everything that’s
been said Thank you. We’re
we’re lucky to have you and and
the your other L AC members. Um
this is really good work and
gives us a lot of a lot of good
fodder. Clearly. We’ve got a
council that wants to
prioritize. Yes presentations
and talking, but also action on
sustainability, and we fully
intend to to move the ball
forward on this, Um, on the
first recommendation and all
the subparts to it sort of the
the matching funds piece II I,
My ears perked up with what? Um,
a mayor Pro TEM Shahs eye. He
was saying I. I think she makes
a very smart point that for
some of the so look, I mean I’m
all for matching funds and and
let’s be frank, right? Some of
the federal resources right now.
I’ve had some conversations
with co counselors about this.
Are significant and you make
this point in your report,
right? Like? We want to
leverage these opportunities
Now while there there are
inflation Reduction Act and IIJ
a dollars available right?
Councilor Shez. I makes an
excellent point that some of
these folks some of the these
dollars are rebates that are
paid, you know, after the fact
Given, Frankly, you know,
limited local dollars are
really strategic place to put
some of those local dollars,
maybe some sort of revolving
fund or some sort of, um,
upfront investment that allows
folks to make these retrofits
that they can then pay back or
mostly pay back once they get
the full rebate in hand. Um, I,
don’t I. I. Look I. I wanted to
see whether that you think
that’s consistent with the
spirit of sort of that that
first bucket of recommendations
and how that idea lands for you.
And if if if the answer is
you’d wanna talk about that
further with us. You don’t
wanna Answer. Now. That’s
that’s totally fine. But. I’m I,
I thought as I understood it.
Councilor shares A’s point
makes a lot of sense. I
wouldn’t push back against a
good idea. Um, again the
challenges of financial one in
any way you can assist to that
end, you’re right. The. Upfront
costs are are substantial. Um
and The degree to which you can
lower those up front is gonna
help get people in the market.
There’s plenty of, um, pylon
effects that that the that the
economy is gonna be assisted
and helped by this, so it’s not
like it’s it’s a decision made
in a vacuum. It’s gonna It’s
gonna assist a lot of of
individual homes as well as the
the the industry. Um It would
probably be more of an
administrative challenge to get
those upfront then you know,
after the fact Um I don’t see
the change The numbers, just
the the The term. That it would
be applied in Yep. Well, thank
you again for all these good
ideas, I think I. Think again.
This is good fodder for for
follow up and action and, uh,
Certainly, for my part
committed to doing that. Thank
you. Councilor re Thank you for
the presentation. And Like. A
lot of my fellow counselors. Uh,
I wanna focus on the the carrot
portion of your your report and
going into the last comments
Maybe you can expand a little
bit in your your report and
some of the appendix picks up a
little bit about this. But what
if some of the other cities
done to find the money to make
these matching grants or to to
help with the these incentives
right? Because you mentioned
that some of these money some
of the money is from federal
state. Other sources require,
uh, some skin from the city.
What. Are. These other cities
done to find that money. Um,
the one that was mentioned.
Obvious. One is the, uh, the
tax levied in in the Denver
County. Um, that’s why they’ve
got a good budget for this. I’m
Not sure, I can answer that
question. Dave, I, Mr rein. Um
I don’t know that we’ve done
the research into the budgets
of those other cities. Um maybe
that’s an opportunity to do
additional research. Um, a
point that is fair to say,
though, is that is again. These
are great challenges. The
opportunities are as great as
the challenges. The concern is,
if you Don’t do these costs on
the backside from not doing
these things is gonna be huge.
Um, the the social cost of
carbon is is not at all trivial.
She, um and That’s part of what
we’re trying to address here is
is is to keep those costs from
hitting, hitting the members of
lakewood. And and then the you
know, one of the other points
that I thought it was, well,
well taken in the report, uh,
that maybe it’s not gotten as
quite as much discussion as
just frankly in educational
aspect of it, whether it’s a
website on the city’s, uh or or
Web page on the city’s website
to just say here are all the
different opportunities and
here’s how the, uh you can
navigate some of these, uh,
sometimes tricky grants I. I
know from just looking at cars,
uh, trying to What cars applied
for different grants or don’t
or or tax credits are not
sometimes be a little daunting.
So just having a resource.
Where all these, uh all this
information is located in one
place, I think could also be
helpful. Challenge is not
exclusively that although
that’s a big one because of the
cost, but them in combination.
These are not simple
technologies, Um, and they
sometimes need upgrade
infrastructure within the homes
to to accommodate these new
technologies. So the the the
combination of All of these
challenges are are again just a
multiplier. Um But, their
mature and they’re ready to go
to market at scale. So. Well, I.
Thank you very much to you and
and the L AC for putting
together a report to give us a
lot of points to discuss. Thank
you. All. Right. Well. Thank
you, Mr Priester and to all of
our members of the L AC that
are joining us this evening for
your work, months and months of
work leading up to this and
also for joining us on this
lovely I believe playoff
basketball Game evening, So
thank you for taking your time
out. And. Um so council has
received your recommendations
and counsel what That means
from here is you know, as you
all know, sitting through our
planning retreat last month, Um,
many of Items that were listed
here or that were part of the
research are actually very much
in alignment with our
priorities as we’re looking at
navigating the next couple of
years worth of our goals, so
staff will go in and and work
through this and we look
forward to continuing the
conversation with you all and
seeing what we can put in place
for the city in the years to
come. Thank you. And. Thank you
for the support on that annual
retreat. It was it was apparent.
Yeah. Thank you. Thank you.
Have a good night. All, right.
And with that we will go ahead
and transition over to the
consent agenda for the evening.
Um, I do, um, personally want
to pull one item from the
consent agenda and that would
be resolution What. It’s item
number five Resolution 20 24-23
Does Council have any other
resolution or anything else You
wanted to pull from the consent
agenda this evening. Nope. OK?
Mm. Mayor. Do you want me to
read the consent agenda as
amended? Yeah, let’s go ahead
and read the consent agenda
into the public record as
amended. Thank you the consent
agenda includes the following
items. Item six resolution 20
24-24 delegation of authority
by the City Council to permit
the Planning department and its
divisions to apply for federal
and state grants and proceed as
the applicant Item seven
Ordinance 0-20 24-9. Declaring
the intent of the city of
Lakewood to acquire interest in
property for public purposes
for the replacement of traffic
signals and pedestrian
improvements at the
intersection of West Eighth
Avenue and Sims Street and
authorize the negotiations with
property owners, acceptance of
conveyance, instruments and
condemnation of real property,
subject to further council
approval. Item. Eight Ordinance
0-20 24-10 authorizing the
conveyance to the Public
service Company of Colorado to
non exclusive permanent utility
easements on property owned by
the city of Lakewood and
located adjacent to Civic
Center Item nine Improving City
Council meeting minutes from
City Council special meeting.
Uh, March 25th 2024 and from
the City Council regular
meeting from March 25th 2024.
OK thank you very much, and we
do have one Well, let’s go
ahead and make a motion first.
Sorry I’m going out of my own
order. Uh, make a motion for
the consent agenda, Please
Mayor strong. I move for the
approval of the City Council
minutes Order All ordinances
introduced on first reading to
be published in The Denver Post,
with public hearing set for the
date included in the ordinance
and for adoption of resolutions,
all of which are included in
the consent agenda item
introduced in the record by the
city clerk. Second All right.
Thank you and with that we’ll
open it up to public comment on
the consent agenda. I’ll go
ahead and make a note at this
time, and we don’t have any
public comment online. Uh, I do
have one signed up for consent
agenda. Public comment, Uh,
missing last name, Mike. Mike
Mueller was it regarding the
item that we pulled off? OK,
then we’ll go ahead and hold on.
Um, we’re gonna go through the
consent agenda first, and then
we’ll catch you on the other
side. OK? So. We’ll call you
back up in a minute. Thank you.
All, right. Any council
questions or comments on the
consent agenda as amended. No.
OK, all right, then go ahead
and cast your votes on the
consent agenda. And that passes
11 yeses zero Nos So. Then. We
have item number five. Go ahead
and come on up. Well, Mayor,
I’ll read it into the record.
Out of five resolution 20 24-23
establishing an ad hoc
committee of members of the
City Council to update the city
of Lakewood fair campaign
practices for processes and
procedures. Mr Mueller. I was
gonna ask you guys to pull
number five. And. Uh, thank you,
Mayor for pulling it for me. I
think the citizens should be
well involved in this sort of
project. Because we have Nobody
really trusts elections as much
anymore. And when we have
developers We have trash
companies. We have tech
companies. We have cable
companies. All donating money
to you guys. The citizens need
to have input on how much money
we’re gonna spend on these
elections. I think there was
one election. We spent a
quarter of a million dollars on
a mayor election. That’s
ridiculous. But. It’s blocking
out the citizens they can only
donate $25 to $50. When. You
get a big tech company comes in
and drops $1000 on a on a
campaign. And all of you have
taken money from developers, I
think. Does. Anybody missed
developer money. You haven’t
God. Bless you You’re the only
one but Don’t know don’t No? No.
No? No? No, but anyway, thank
you very much, but I really
like citizen involvement in
that because we need to
straighten this mess out quick.
You know one mayor. He walked
out of here. He used to be a,
uh JC, Penney’s underwear
salesman. And when he left, Uh,
the mayor’s job. He was a
multimillionaire. That’s tough
to do. On the salary of a mayor.
Thanks. Thank you, Mr Muller.
All right. So, um We. The
reason that I wanted to pull
this agenda or the resolution
from the consent agenda. Just a
quick little civics 101 for
those of you that aren’t
familiar with the the motions
of how we go through doing the
business of the city on the
consent agenda. Those are, uh,
specifically for items that are
not, um overly complex, like
meeting minutes. Things that
are, um you know fairly easily.
Yes. We wanna move that through
and do it expeditiously so
We’re not here all evening with
this particular resolution, Uh,
given the fact that we have
gotten quite heavy in committee
work this spring, it was
suggested to me late last week
that we lighten the size of
this committee. So that we, um
aren’t um, being too onerous on
time commitment for counselors
that are working on so many
committees right now, Uh, we’ve
got a pretty, uh, passionate
crew that really wants to get a
lot of work done, And that does
take a lot of I am So. What we
did is, um, based on council
desire and interest went ahead
and and change this over to
it’ll be a committee that is
rather than what’s posted in
the agenda this evening. Um, I
am proposing that we reduce it
to three member committee that
would include Councilor sinks,
Co labure and myself. So. Um
with that I would ask first
we’ll have Mayor pro TEM to
make a motion. Actually. Uh, Mr.
Rob, Do you want to read it in
as amended, or we’re not
amending the title or anything,
though, so we go ahead and make
the motion. OK so we’ll make
the motion. Uh and then
Councilor questions, thoughts
concerns before we vote, so
Mere perm. I moved to a men
resolution 20 24-23 to be
comprised of the following
council members. Mayor Aro
Councilor, La Beer and
councilor sings. Second Thank
you. And with that reminder,
too, that what happens here is
the committee is formed. Work
is done all of the actual
decision making and the actual
end vote that turns laws into
laws. Uh, will actually still
go on here at City Council, so
there’s still very public
process through that. So with
that, Um, let me go ahead and
we need to clear our votes may
hang on and hang on one second.
We’re clarifying. There was an
there was a motion to Adopt the
resolution originally, and then
there was is that correct? And,
then it would just had a motion
to amend the resolution that
was seconded. Did we get? Do we
get both. Do we get the first
motion, OK? We did not. That’s
right. I will remove my second.
OK? Lots of emotions here. Case
anyone thought Robert’s rules
of order was easy. I move for
the adoption of resolution. 20
24-23 Second Thank you. Now,
mayor, there should be a motion
to amend right. All. Right,
Mayor. I moved to a men
resolution 20 24-23 to be
comprised of the following
council members. Mayor Strong,
Councilor labure Councilor sins
Any council questions or
discussion. All right. We’ll go
ahead and open up the vote. On.
The amendment on the amended
Resolution, which would be
authorizing the committee. With.
The three people only. Right,
so the motion is to the
amendment. So. Only the three
people then will authorize the
committee. Correct. Thank you.
Council to mount Grove of
missing your votes. OK, and
that Passes 10 years one. Nay
Nay being CO. Over Okay. Now we
will vote. For the or
Resolution. And wishing to
speak first I have counsel over
Thank you, mayor. Um the only
reason I voted no on that was
Was. I was on that committee.
And. I just found out now. That
I’m not going to be on that
committee and and that’s not
the way to run a railroad. Um,
you know if if somebody’s
getting kicked off a committee
and or it’s changing, and you
guys have all decided that
already that it’s going to
change, you know, a little
advanced notice would be nice.
And I understand you tried to
call me today. But. Even Today
would have been too soon. Um,
since you know you’re changing
something right out from
underneath me. I was on that
committee for the last two
years. And Now I’m not going to
be on that committee. And. That
part is OK. But the notice is
the problem. So. I’m Gonna vote
no again. And. That’s kind of a
protest vote. I. Appreciate
that counselor over you are
very clear in December that you
didn’t want to be on committees
in general, so I thought I was
doing you a favor. Any other
counselors. System. All right.
We’ll go ahead and vote. That
OK and that passes 10 years.
One name Nay being council over.
OK, thank you, Everybody. So.
Then. We move on to agenda item
number 10. Her First Ordinance
on second reading, and this
does have a public hearing
along with it. This is with
regards to the Community
Development Block Grant program.
I will note that there are two
comments on lakewood speaks for
this topic as well. And again.
This is going to be open until
10 a.m. so feel free to add
comments whether you’re
watching this on, um the
television or YouTube this
evening or in the morning on
Tuesday. We’d love to hear your
thoughts and I do not Have
anyone signed up to speak here
in chambers? Is there anyone
that wishes to speak on this
topic this evening? Yeah. I
haven’t May, um Let me go ahead
and read item 10 into the
record. OK, Thank you? I didn’t
want to interrupt you. A 10
Ordinance 0-20 24-6 2nd reading
and public hearing endorsing
the projects and project
funding levels in the city of
Lakewood 2024 annual action
plan for the Community
Development Block Grant program.
Thank you. We will now ask for
a motion. May. I move for the
adoption of ordinance 0-20 24-6
on second and final reading.
Second And with that we’ll open
the public hearing and again
ask if there’s anyone in
chambers that would like to
speak to this issue. And Miss
hodgson. Thank you? Thank you,
mayor. Um but yes, the
presentation is is on liquid
speaks. I’m Sure. You’ve all
reviewed it. But with us here
tonight is our planning manager
Roger Rodell who will give a an
abbreviated presentation on
this, Uh C DB G program. And as
he’s walking up. I can tell you
that Shannon Tyrell is here as
well on the planning staff.
Thank you. Mayor and Council
and Kathy HD and city manager.
Um see if I can OK, um again.
Roger Warnell, Comrades
planning manager. Um we come to
council every year on the
annual Action plan for the
Community Development Block
Grant program and Again, I’ll
I’ll get into a little bit of
detail that should be fairly
quick presentation. But it, um
The Action plan outlines both
the projects and the funding
levels for the program in the
upcoming year. And, this cdbg
as we’re, we’ll call it
Community Development Block
Grant program. Um, begins the
annual The the year begins on
June 1st, so it will Begin on
June 1st 2024 through The 30th
of May in 2025. Again. Um the
program is administered by
Housing and Urban Development,
HUD. In Lakewood has been an
entitlement community since
1974 so their annual
allocations And it. It’s
focused really on, um
Affordability. Serving a lower
income individuals, um and and
the community. With a range of
programs and every year the
funding. Um varies a little bit.
We We don’t have our total
estimate in right now, but it
will be about $900,000 this
year coming up. Every activity
in in the C DB G program must
meet one of these, um, national
objectives. I’ll just read them
benefit moderate and low income
people reduced slum and blight
or a dress an urgent community
need. Um, the vast vast
majority of Lakewood’s program
over the years is addressed.
Oops went back there, Um,
address number one benefit low
and moderate income individuals.
Um, A and an urgent community
need could be like a flood or
or some sort of natural
Catastrophe that has to be
addressed, but primarily Number
one is is where the program is
focused. And. It is also and
I’ll talk a little bit about
there’s a five year action plan
that really identifies, um,
where the program is going to
go for the next five years. And.
Actually. This is the the last
year of the five year program
that was adopted in 2020, so
we’ll also be looking at this
is moving forward here, Um Will
we also looking a T that this
year in terms of identifying
important priorities for the
next five years that will guide
the program. Um, in terms of
benefits. There’s really two
ways of qualifying projects to
two types of ways. One is
direct benefit. So I, uh, a
family or individual needs to
meet certain income income
criteria. For example the
example of on the slide is
family of four must earn less
than $94,650. The other. Um way
of qualifying projects is
through area benefit. And then
you can see on the shaded, dark
shaded areas on the map there.
Those are the areas that are
are kind of pre qualified
because the majority of the
residents earn 80% less or less
of the area. Median income Of
So, really? There are two ways.
For example in a qualified area.
You could build a par, uh, see
a playground in a park is one
example or some infrastructure
improvements that would benefit
In an entire Segment of the
community. Um, If. There’s one
point I’d really like to make
Is that these dollars come with
a lot of strings attached. Um,
they’re federal requirements.
There are requirements within a
cdbg program. Um, so we really
have to balance variety of
other federal I don’t know what
happened there. But. I think
you some some audio on there?
Roger. OK. Where were we, Um OK
with all. Uh, let’s see. With,
our federal, um, making a lot
of requirements, for example.
You can see on the list.
There’s eligible projects not
eligible. For some things like
maintenance are not maintenance
of projects are not eligible.
Um new construction is not
eligible. Rehabbing of a house
is Is, um Eligible. So there is
a lot of requirements that need
to be met. For example. Direct
services can only be 15% like a
counseling service that sort of
thing. Um, program Planning and
administration 20%. So any kind
of admin, so there’s a lot of,
um Requirements, and there’s a
lot of reporting that needs to
be done. So. It’s really a
balancing act in terms of
identifying high priority needs.
And what fits within the
program. What fits within the
budget. Um, well, here are some
of the the rules again. Every
project. Not gonna Talk over
myself again, um, needs to meet
environmental clearances. Um,
for example, so an
environmental study needs to be
done in any project, for
example, on a rehab of a single
family home if it’s in a flood,
plain or anything like that, it
has to be taken into account.
The funds have to be spent in a
timely manner. There’s, um,
requirements that typically you
don’t wanna keep too much of a
balance. Um, a lot of fair
labor standards. For example.
If you’re familiar with
construction. There’s a Davis
bacon wages on any construction
projects. We have an extensive
public participation. Process.
This public hearing is actually
part of that. I’ve talked about
the administrative cap and the
direct services limit, So
there’s just a lot of, um
Requirements that just need to
be met. And, then, um, this is
a reflection of the
consolidated plan for 2020 to
2024. And. These are the high
um High level objectives their
neighborhood improvements.
Housing preservation and in
support of services for low
income people and special needs
those with special needs, so
those came right out of the
consolidated plan, which again
we’ll be looking at again this
year. Again program year runs
June 1st to May 31st The action
plan outlines projects and
funding levels and this will be
Upon council’s approval. This
will be brought to heart for
the annual application. And.
Here’s the budget. Uh, real
quickly. Estimate of the grant.
There’s a bit of program income.
There are some unspent reserves,
and that’s when a project
sometimes takes multiple years
to to build. That’s especially
true on construction type
projects. So that that’s the
total resources and then we
have, um, the list of projects.
I’m not gonna go into detail,
but if there are questions on
each one of them, um a number
of these are kind of on not
ongoing, but program elements
that have been funded over the
years. That, um, would continue.
This is the budget that is
before council And certainly,
um Staff was available to
answer any questions you might
have on the program, so that’ll
kinda that will conclude and
again. The Action requested is
to endorse the plan and improve
the ordinance for council so
staff is now available if you
have any questions Thank you.
Thank you, Mr W. Emotion has
been made and seconded counsel.
Do. We have any questions or
discussion on the motion? Did
we not make the motion. OK?
Councilor LA beer. Uh, thank
you for the presentation. Thank.
You, mayor. Um, I was just
curious. Have we in the past
utilized the section 108 loan
guarantees at all. And. If so
could you just speak to that
history? He has, um yes, there
has been a section 108 loan
that is recently been, um
Almost repaid. Maybe you can
talk chatting. You can talk
about that was yes. So. We had
one from 22,007 to 2021 that
was used for the head Start and
Ray Ross park, So. We have used
them in the past, but it’s kind
of a long year a long amount of
time for repaying that loan.
Great and it’s just wanted to
elaborate a little bit.
Typically the one section 108
program is a loan program where
you where the, uh, community
can borrow against future
funding. Um, and essentially,
it’s done a commonly with
larger projects like the Ray
Ross Pro Park. It’s something
that can’t be done in one year,
It has to be phased, or it’s
just a a larger amount that
can’t be handled in the current
budget. So. That’s just a
little background. Thanks and
do we have anything on the
radar that we’re looking at in
the future for That type of, uh,
Loan. Not currently. Okay. I’m
just, uh, curious. Uh, thanks.
I. Really appreciate. Uh, that,
um One thing. I just want to
comment on is with C DB G funds.
Obviously, I think federal
Grants are challenging I. I
work on a few currently myself,
Um, in my day job. But You know,
I. I think a lot of this is a
lot of C DB G obviously is
geared towards poverty
reduction. Um And and things
like that. So I’m kind of
looking at the list. Of things
is Um I guess. One comment I
have is just sort of Um Park
equipment. I know. Previously.
We funded park equipment in the
past as well with C DB G funds.
I’m just sort of curious How
That comes up. Uh, when you’re
sort of looking at all the
different criteria of You know
potential projects. Did you say
park equipment I That’s the
biggest piece of funding in
this particular plan, and I’m
just curious. About that? Yeah
the well. The process is, um
There is an interdepartmental
staff. That looks at projects
and proposes projects and, um
Then the staff will evaluate
make recommendations. Typically
the park projects are a bit
larger, so Um, in order to
build anything in a park. It’s
fairly expensive so they tend
to be when they come up to the
top of the list, and this one’s
been on the list for a while,
Um They tend to be a little bit.
Um You know a little little on
the more um, cost. Higher end
than the cost. I. Guess. Last
question is energy conservation.
Is that something that’s on
your radar as far as a
potential projects. It?
Certainly it, It can be again.
We have to make sure that it is
serving low to moderate income
individuals and and meets all
the qualifications. But.
Certainly that is a part of
some of the upgrades. Uh, for
example, there can be a furnace
upgrade, and then it has been
done. And that certainly is.
Energy conservation because you
know, more efficient. Um,
furnaces being put in so it
does happen. It probably Um But
again. It has to any of those
objectives have to meet. You
know the low low and moderate
income requirements. Great,
Thanks. Mayor Pro TEM Shaz. I
Uh, yes, thank you. I had a
question. Uh, just on page 12.
The Participant grid wasn’t
completed. And so wondering if
that’s something that, um we
could just get more clarity on
maybe at a future time, but I
believe that it looks like
everything was completed on
March 5th so just wondering
like how many people did help
Inform this? Yeah. So, um, the
the participation plan gets
updated when we upload it to
HUD. Um and so this this public
hearing is part of that
participation plan, So that’s
why it wasn’t completed on the
plan. OK thank you. That’s
helpful to understand. And then
I just had a question about the
Break down, and I’m looking at
page 16. Um, so follow along in
my math, please, but the head
start 900,000. I understand
It’s a June 1 to may 30th, but
recent decisions made by this
body. What impact does that
have on this expected, uh,
revenue source moving forward.
I don’t know if I if I know the
answer to that question. So I
think I think that what was the
recent decision was to not
Could you? Maybe? So if we’re
not implementing head start
programming and subsequent
years then we probably would
not expect to see this revenue
come back at 900,004 head start
and that is in this next budget
application, But. It was my
understanding that we were Uh,
moving away from that. Well the
funding in this in this funding
source would not be affected by
by that decision, but I think
whether to move forward in the
future on on supporting head
start. I think that That needs
to be discussed further than
But. But at the time this
budget was put together there
was that ongoing Uh, commitment.
So does the 900,000 have to be
earmarked for early childhood
education. Because it comes
from the heads. It’s origin is
head start. The 900. The
900,000 is, um The Federal
Grant that has to meet grant
requirements and can be used
for a number of projects and
that was just one of the one of
the ways it could be used.
Right So I’m under Am. I
Misunderstanding, the number
three on page 16 that copy at
the bottom of the page, which
is reading the lakewood Head
Start Grant, which provides
approximately $900,000 annually
for comprehensive preschool and
family support services. Is
that an inflow or an outflow.
That is an outflow. I’m Sorry.
I was looking for my copy here.
I don’t have it in front of me.
Um But that that would be an
outflow. Yeah, OK. OK, thank
you. Councillor Low Yes, Thank
you? This is helpful. Um You
know, Obviously. There’s a
great list of projects that you
all have. And clearly, you know,
the the needs in our community
for these low and middle income
households are immense. Could
you just briefly remind counsel
like roughly what is the the
time cycle? This is clearly an
annual process Roughly When in
you know, over the course of
the year Does the this project
list get finalized to the
extent that you know our
constituents are folks in
lakewood or councilors. Maybe
wanna have some input with
staff on thank you on the
project list next year like
when is the appropriate time to
have those conversations?
There’s. There’s two things.
There’s the annual program
that’s in front of you now and
and that’s usually developed,
uh, somewhat later in the year
because we have to take a look
at what the funding source. We
still don’t know exactly, but
it’s it. It will be around
900,000. But. I think the
greater opportunity Is I
mentioned the five year plan,
which will be starting and that
really sets priorities for the
next five years, and that has
an extensive, more extensive,
um, public involvement process
and we’re actually the the
staff will be starting that
process. In the next few.
Couple of months. So. I Think
in terms of maybe Best
addressing your question, I
think the five year plan really?
We’ll have a more like, say, a
more extensive and a broader.
Look at what are you know
what’s important, maybe what
was important. Five years ago
is a little bit different.
Community needs haven’t changed
that much. But. Things have
changed within five years.
Obviously. So I. I would, uh I.
Guess urge everyone, including
counsel to, um To get involved
in the in in that process, and
then certainly that will inform
next year’s project project
list. As well. So we complete
the five year plan and again
that will inform next year’s
budget. So. I think that would
be the best. The best way to to
do it and again, um, every year
it is Um carve and internal
process based upon a lot of
priorities that every
department in the city has or
the community resources public
works planning. And, uh, That
kind of comes together within a
few months before Our
presentation like this, and
before the deadline to set the
action plan, But we do have to
have an action plan in place to
apply to her to start the
program. Um, June 1st. Very
helpful so to to put a fine
point to the extent that we
have constituents who have
ideas or input on and want to
have input on that five year
plan process, we can expect
information from from you all
on how to get those
opportunities to provide common
out to our constituents. Yes
and they’ll be obviously a
public process on that, and
that that’ll be coming out soon.
Great. Thank you. Councilor
Cruz, then councilor right
Thank you, um, looking at a lot
of the priorities. I know
there’s a lot of these dollars
that are coming into war, too.
So. I’m excited for, um, a lot
of the work that has been
happening and will continue to
happen in this space leveraging
these dollars. So, um, I’m
grateful for that. And I know a
lot of my constituents are
grateful for that. Um, I had
kind of maybe one question
slash point of clarification.
And then another question. So,
um, kind of to counselor Lows
question regarding like, Let’s
say, a constituent or a new
provider, or whom Wants to get
involved in this process or be
considered as a potential, um,
grantee or applicant for these
funds with the, um, process to
direct them to be this
engagement process, or are
there another means of doing
that? But certainly be part of
this process and also, uh,
directly contact staff. I mean,
you know, we listen. If someone
has an idea and they want to
bring it forward. We. Uh, They,
certainly, um, would have
consideration and could
potentially be put on the list
again. Looking at eligibility.
I keep bringing that up. But
it’s It’s. It’s important It’s.
Well. It’s critical. It’s
critical. But so Being involved
in in the public. Processes. Or
or directly urge people to
directly contact staff with
ideas and certainly we could
take a look at that, and that
could be put into the mix for
potential projects for the next
cycle. Great that’s super
helpful. Um, and then my second
question. I appreciate you, um,
informing us about this, uh,
participation process that’s
coming forward, Um, looking at
the geographic map right of
this, uh, this area and
thinking about Lake was Latino
population. It’s like pretty
pretty aligned. Um and So. I
know that there’s mention of,
uh, involving the Spanish
speaking community, but I was
just curious kind of in this
new in this participation kind
of process for the new plan. Um,
what does that look like
particular with a particular
focus on our Latino community
and in lakewood and for our
Spanish speaking residents.
Well, certainly. Um We want and
we do this in on, Hopefully not
hopefully on all of our
projects as they are intent. Um
To reach out to the community
and If. It’s a Latino
population to have, um, the
appropriate materials, the
inappropriate language or or,
um, interpreters, if if we need
be, so that’s kind of And I say
standard, but that’s the
approach we we take, and and we
have to. We need to take to to
reach all segments of the
community so depending upon Um,
the geographic area or the type
of or the population that we’re
looking at. We would You need
to do that. Councilor re Thank
you for your presentation. And,
uh please, uh, In advance to
put up with my ignorance on on
on these types of funds as I’ve
just been learning about them,
Uh, this year we We heard a
presentation. I think you were
present? Uh by, uh, the
sustainability group that was
talking about what kind of
incentives we can give to our
low to moderate income families
to take advantage of certain
grants that might be available,
and, uh, one of the questions
that I had was where cities
finding that money could these
type of funds Used for that
type of purpose, if if that
should be a priority of the
city. The short answer is yes.
Again meeting meeting
qualifications. You know if it
would serve, uh, the population
with certain income levels. And,
um Yeah. I mean, I think some
of that is is occurring.
Already, but certainly if
that’s a priority that can be
reflected in the program. I
know Shannon, if you have
anything to add to that. Yeah.
I think, um, these funds are
kind of used for nonprofits and
organizations like the city. Um,
and so if there that was an
initiative that the city wanted
to do, they might be eligible
for that. Thank you. Alright
with that we’ll go ahead and
place our vote. So again. We
are voting on endorsing the
projects and the funding levels
for our liquid 2024 annual
action plan for the Community
Development block. Grant
Councilors, Will you please go
ahead and cast your votes. That
passes. 11 yeses zero Nos Well,
the city clerk. Please read
item 11 into the record item.
11 Ordinance 0-20 24-7 amending
Title, five of the Lakewood
municipal code to enact a one
year moratorium on the annual
adjustment of the city business
and occupation tax rate, second
reading and public hearing.
Thank you and I’ll notice.
Point out that there were no
comments on liquid speaks on
this topic. I have no one
signed up in chambers. Do. We
have anyone else that would
like to Contribute or make
comment in the public hearing
for this ordinance this evening.
Alright with that we’ll go
ahead and close. Public comment
and Miss Hodgson. I understand
there is Presentation thank you,
Mayor Strom. There’s not a
presentation tonight. The
presentation was on liquid
speaks, but we do have our CFO
Holly Bjorklund as well as, um
Nicole stare from from our
finance department who are who
are both here to answer any
questions you might have. All,
right. Thank you then And with
that I’ll Ask the mayor Pro TEM
for a motion. May. I move for
the adoption of ordinance 0-20
24-7 on second and final
reading. Second Councilors do
have anyone who wishes to speak
on this topic. We’ll start with
councilor over Thank you mayor.
Uh, I would actually ask that
you give the presentation. It’s
like, Yes. We’ve all seen it.
But. There’s people here that
probably don’t know what we’re
talking about now, and there’s
definitely people at home that
don’t know what we’re talking
about. And. So. If. There’s a
presentation I. I think it
should be presented. Um so I
would request that we actually
Like, run it. Thanks. Thank you,
councilor over. Wh. Um, the pro.
We don’t have a presentation
available. It is available on
liquid speaks, though. Um, we
actually changed our practices
a couple of years ago when um
City council asked us to not
always have presentations and
that they are available on
liquid speaks so that meetings
didn’t last in the In the sake
for the sake of time. So. What
we’ve done is we’ve shifted to
I’m trying to remember the year
and I can’t it’s only been
within the last couple of years.
We shifted to doing a full
extensive presentation on
Lakewood speaks posting that
with a lot of advanced notice
so that you can do that in Ask
your questions in advance so
that staff can um, be really
thorough in their answers and
and complete whatever research
is necessary for additional
questions, so At. This point in
time. We’re not. We didn’t
receive questions from City
Council, so therefore we aren’t
prepared for a presentation
this evening. OK, I But I
understand? OK. So. You changed
it before I would I. I would
wish we could change it back.
Uh and, uh, it’s for the
citizens. It’s not for us, It’s
for them, so they understand. I
don’t think we should be giving
them homework for watching us.
Um Run run our show. Thank you
and we absolutely can do that,
If. That’s, um, something that
the majority of council would
like us to do. We can certainly
do that. We can shift back to,
um, long form presentations
during council meetings. And.
We’re happy to do it. And
counsel over thank you for
pointing out reminding me
gently to, um, let the let our
attendees know that this is
available on Lakewood speaks.
We do have a video. Actually
that is up actually uploaded
through YouTube in addition to
a staff memo and the full
ordinance itself, so that is on
there and, um, has been for the
last 10 days or so. So. Uh, do
we have any other counselors
that wish to speak this evening?
Councilor labure. Yes, Thanks,
Mayor I. I Just Want to thank
uh Our CFO M Bjorkman. Uh, Um,
both for bringing this but also
for, uh, answering my questions
earlier in the week, so I
really appreciate that, Um
Always want to encourage staff
to bring us bold ideas and try
different things and and be
creative, so really appreciate.
Uh, you bringing us uh, this,
um, but also just wanted to, um,
make a note and make a comment
that I personally, Um, even
though I really appreciate you
bringing it I, Don’t. I won’t
support it today. Um I just
feel like we have a lot of
community priorities, uh, that
citizens are asking for, you
know, Bike lanes, sidewalks,
Parkland Incent as we heard.
Out today for conservation and
and all sorts of different, um
Challenges that I think the
city faces and so I don’t
really feel comfortable at this
time. You know doing another
moratorium on this particular?
Um, item, but you know, future
ones come up. I and I suspect
it’ll pass, but future ones
come up. I hope they come back
to us, and we have more
opportunities to weigh in on
these things, but I just
personally won’t be supporting
it today. The councilor low
Thank you? Thank you very much,
Ms Bjork, London And, thanks
for the helpful materials. Um I.
Honestly, II, I Thought about
this a bit over the last week.
I. I Think Councilor beer makes
makes an excellent point. Um, I
also thought you made a very
compelling case for for the
value of doing this on balance
on consideration reviewing all
the materials, I will be a yes
vote tonight. Um, and I think
we should pass this You know we
are foregoing. Um, I think your
numbers were 100 and $81,000
over the next eight months, And
I mean? I just wanna know. You
know, we just, for instance,
had a conversation with some of
our city staff just last week
about you know, some of the
other really important needs in
our community around, you know,
affordable housing around
homelessness. I mean, these
these There are important
priorities. So I. I am frankly,
a little torn on the on the
wisdom of of of just sending
this money back. Um, but on
balance, I’m gonna vote for it,
Uh, for it tonight, I. I think
it makes sense under the
circumstances. Um I. I think it
would be worth just taking a
look, You know next year and
going forward, um, to make sure
that we’re using, um these
funds as strategically as
possible in 2025 and beyond. Um,
but for the moment for this
evening, I will be yes. Vote
and thank you for answering our
questions. Council Mia guerrero.
Um, thank you. I. Think. I have
similar concerns. But I, I I’d
like to frame that as a
question What counselor, Lo
just said I do think that in
particular the study session
that we Just recently went
through about our emergency
shelter. Um, one of the real
constraints about how to make
sure that that Program, which
is literally saving lives every
single time we have a cold snap.
Um and has been, uh, an
innovation and a difficult, uh,
innovation at that that we’ve
managed to do. Um, thank you
for the time. Keep Councilor
over. I appreciate it. Um, but
I think that one of the things
that we heard was OK. It’s
approximately $50,000. If. We
have this many people It’s
approximately $25,000 if we had
a different amount of people
were dealing with
transportation because we have
vouchers. And, so I think in
total we were looking at
somewhere between 203 $100,000
on that program this season. Um,
and this is very close to fully
funding that program as an
example. And so I wonder if
this is a question that you
could, uh, speak to, um, on
that program. In particular we
were able to fund it this year,
and I hope we’re able to next
year as well. But. Those types
of things do come up. So as, um,
a both motivated staff that
works to do really incredible
programs like this. And, um
folks who are trying to be
fiscally conservative, fiscally
responsible and also give back
when we can to our Can. You.
Just talk about weighing out a
bit, and I know that was in the
presentation. But I’d love for
you to speak to that. Um Can.
You. Hear me now, Um so we look
at those in two different ways
in terms of, actually, uh,
looking at what the revenue we
get And. Is it appropriate, are
we, um Uh, chart. In this case.
It’s a fee. So. Are, we
charging the appropriate amount
for that fee. Um, and that’s
what it was evaluated based on
as well as the current economic
situation that we’re in that
there is a lot of inflation and,
um That. Uh, people are trying
to be able to balance their own
budgets. So, um, looking at
that, in terms of what is the
revenue that’s coming in? Um,
is a different question or
consideration than actually
looking at that program that
you were talking about in terms
of, um supporting, um, the
unhoused in that we look at the
entire amount of money that we
have. And. What are the
priorities for all the
Different things that, um the
council wants to consider the
citizens want to consider, um,
that staff have brought forward
as well. Um, so it’s more
considered in a larger bucket.
Um versus saying Well. This
particular item could funds One
other thing? Um, we look at as
in total. How. Do. We want to
support the city as a whole and
the reason for doing that is we
really want to make sure that
we’re, um Considering all the
things that need to be
considered as well as
prioritizing and efficiently
using the funds. That answer
question. Yep. That was that
was exactly what I was looking
for. Thank you so much. And
with that, Um, we have made a
motion in second. And. Are
there any additional
discussions on the motion
Councilor Ryan and Councilor
sinks? Apologize for not asking
this in advance. So, if you
know I love the answer. Do. You
know where we stand in
comparison to other cities for
this fee. I don’t have that
with me, but that’s something
that we can provide, if needed.
I. Mean would you say we’re on
the high side or on the low
side? Is there any ability to I
I believe we were, um We have
been on the higher side. But
with the two moratoriums I, I
think with several cities that
we’re getting to be closer to,
Um, some of the All the cities,
but some of the higher cities
so we’re approaching the
average then. OK. Thank you.
Thank you. Cancer sinks. Thank
you. Not so much a question,
but just to highlight The, um
The extreme concern to be
fiscally responsible, and
there’s so many needs in the
city. So many and yet Let’s
also balance. You know some of
the needs that businesses have
with low income, etcetera, So.
I really appreciate this effort.
I appreciate the fiscal
conservative and responsibility
that the city has, and also
appreciate the, um the wanting
to support businesses with this
balance, so I think it’s a
great idea. All. Right Council.
Thank you so much, And with
that we’ll go ahead and Start
voting. OK? And that passes six
yeses five Nos OK? Mr A, Will
you please read item number 12
into the record. Thank you. A
12 Ordinance 0-20 24-8
repealing and reenacting Title
three Chapter one part three of
the lakewood Municipal Code
regarding imposition and
administration of the city’s
sales and use tax license.
Second reading public hearing.
Okay? And. I’ll note it this
time that we have no comments
on liquid speaks. There is a
staff presentation on lakewood
speaks.org again. We have, um
Holly Borland, our chief
financial officer here and
available to answer questions.
Did you have a You Don’t have a
presentation for this evening,
right, OK? Um do we have a
motion, please? Mayor. I move
for the adoption of ordinance
0-20 24-8 on second and final
reading. Second And. I have no
one that has signed up to speak
on this topic here in chambers
before we move on. Is there
anyone that would like to now
speak on this topic this
evening. No, OK. Alright, then
council will open it up to
questions and dialogue. Do. We
have anyone that wishes to ask
questions or Discussion. All.
Right. Well. We’ll go ahead and
open up the vote. We are
repealing and reacting Title,
three of the lakewood Municipal
Code regarding imposition and
administration of the city
sales and use tax license.
Please cast your votes. And
that passes 11 yeses. No nos.
All, right. And with that we
will go ahead and open general
public comment for the evening.
I will make note that we have,
um, we do now have six public
comments available on lakewoods
speaks.org so quick note to
counsel that we do have at
least one new comment. That’s
come in this evening, so we
will keep an eye on that
through tomorrow at 10 AMI do
have, um, folks that have
signed up here to speak this
evening. This again is for
items that did not, um Fall on
the agenda this evening. So
anything that you otherwise
were wanting to bring to City
Council tonight? We’re now
opening up that karma period
again. The, Um rules of order
are speakers Get three minutes
Unless. You have pulled your
time And with that we would
need a pool time sheet for
speakers will get up to 10
minutes and I will ask that.
You know we wanna be supportive
of of everything, And. I do
know that we have differing
opinions in here. I will ask
that. We refrain from any kind
of laughing, applauding, booing
all of those things. Um, this
is a business meeting and, uh,
welcome to hear everybody’s
comments, questions and
concerns this evening, But. We
do ask that everyone remain
peaceful. And. I will then go
ahead and we’ll start calling
our commenters up this evening
and we’ll start with Mr Mace.
Mr May there you are. Mr James
Mace. And with that commenters
as you come up, Please announce
your name and address or name
and ward and then we’ll get
your clock started. Good
Evening Man Good evening
Council J May for one Um, I’m
here tonight because I have a
major concern. Again. The
elevators. For All over the
city have been used as toilets
again, the homeless are causing
problems I’ve sent in numerous
pictures. Today in Staten. Mere.
I’ve sent in numerous pictures,
and I’m very concerned the
crime is rising in Lakewood.
I’m concerned because the crime
against people with mental and
physical challenges is also
raising. I don’t know if you
guys got my My, uh Pack it to
my little pamphlet today, but
at the same time, I’m tired and
I feel like my safety is being
compromised because this
council will not do anything
about it. You cannot get a hold
of the police department. It is
like pulling teeth out there to
get a hold of like with PE D.
It is You can’t even get a hold
of the police chief. And. I
don’t even know why. The City.
You hired him because the
bottom line is You can’t get a
hold of him. I have tried and
tried and tried. Time and time
again, Guys. I’m tired of
reporting stuff. Do something
about it. Thank you. All. Right.
Please. I’m gonna ask No.
Noises OK, Thank you guys. Um,
thank you, Mr Mace, and next we
have Bernie Renno. Word three.
OK, thank you. And. Then After
that, Connie Reddick. All right,
Bernie Renno. Ward Street. I
get that thing is that, um, on
this general discussion I got
here early tonight so I could
sign up so I wouldn’t have to
wait for but I really shouldn’t
have to. Um IFI found out that
many other of the cities in the
area have either made Non, you
know, people. We are talking
about national and
international issues other than
city issues either not allowed
to speak at all ruled as a
general, non city business or
wait to the end of the line,
and Lakewood hasn’t so now we
are a magnet and I’ve heard
this from some of the actual
people who who are, you know
are the problem is that they
come here because other cities
have not allowed them to do
their international politic
political speech at their CI
City councils. I I would really
like the council to check with,
you Know, City attorney and
find out what can be what can
be done? I think on the sign up
sheets there. There should be a
pecking order, You know first
priority people who are
residents of liquid They were
in the first group. And, you
know for City issues. Second
Group, you know, maybe I Then
you know other You know
non-residents on anything you
know that city related And then
After that non-resident that
are on and if possible on these
internationals just to ban them.
You know I’ve had people that
some of the people they told me
Well, we want to get the city
to donate money to certain
causes. Well. I. Don’t say I
believe state laws and charters
say that I don’t think you can
spend money on political
activity or political causes I.
I don’t believe that’s even
legal. I don’t want it to
happen, but I don’t think you
could. And so I think we really
got? I think you gotta clamp
down? And just either if you
can ban international talk any
non city issues or make them
wait, So th those of us who are
residents who have city issues
to talk about that we Uh, You
know don’t have to wait for
them. And you know, a lot of it
is, I Think imposing a certain
political view. That and and
you got a captive audience.
Maybe Let them say OK the band
stand at bill that’s not being
used at time. You can go there.
Whoever cares enough to hear
you talk week after week on the
same thing can come and listen,
but They’re they’re imposing on
a captive audience, and I don’t
think that’s right. That’s all
thank you, Mr Ms Reddick. This
is Earth Day. So what I’d like
to say that all people should
have the equality to speak and
have a place to live and a and
be able to eat. The thing is is
I. See that you, uh, have
helped the homeless But? My
question is what about me? I
come in every Meeting and bring
up the issues about what’s
going on in my living
conditions I gave you, uh, all
two weeks ago, some paperwork
that they had given us in our
apartment building about the
whole building being invested
with bad bugs. I have beautiful
clothes. I have a service dog,
and I don’t want to have to
deal with this and it is a
public health problem. I don’t
think that’s Jacob. That is
funny. Um And so I wanna see
what you can do about it? And,
um Some of you do think it’s
funny. It’s OK because it’ll
come back on your karma and on
you. Because. I am not asking
for anything that anybody else
doesn’t get as a person that
has lived here all their life
as put money into the system.
My family members that put into
the system I am indigenous. So.
When I see people smirking at
me and treating me
disrespectful. It really
bothers me. I mean it is not
funny, the things that’s going
on in that building because
it’s not only gonna be
affecting me it’s affecting
other elderly people. And the
problem is we have dogs. If.
They walk out, They go into the
public, and if there’s a bug on
them, I actually was gonna
bring you all the little water
bottle with a bug in it that I
found in the hallway so that
you could have it in front of
you to see what’s going on when
you see A public health problem
like that. You do something
about it. I also wanna say I’ve
come here over over and over
and over again about the issue
of my housing, and you heard
this hot man Say about how you
know we have to live in a
healthy environment. We also
have these machines that spurt
out. Uh um like gasses and
black. Where all the runners
are going through and right by
my door practically and nobody
seems to know what’s going on
in the city. I mean this causes
cancer. And so when I bring up
these issues, it’s not only
about me it affects everybody
in that building. Everybody out
in the public, and I want you
to do something about it. I
want you to take me seriously.
I’m not a joke. And when you
treat me with disrespect, I, I
don’t H you that way. I. Don’t,
Uh, tell you it’s OK. Your.
Time is up. I’m living. So I’m
asking you please to do
something about this. Then we
have David Winslow? After Mr.
Winslow. We have Fareed Amin
and then Aisha. Amen and then
Sarah Napier. I’ve been Ward
one and I’m here to protest or
let you know that a lot of
people that are disappointed in
closing the Whitlock outdoor
pickleball courts. And I. Just.
Wanna bring up a few things.
The Pickle ball. I. Imagine
most of you know what a pickle
ball is. Here is Outdoor pickle
ball. Anybody know how loud
that is. How many decibels. Do.
You think that was Well That
was about 80 decibels at 20 ft.
An indoor pickle ball. Is about
70 decibels at 20 ft. I. Don’t
think anybody here wins as I
hit a pickle ball in here. But
Pickle ball courts are being
shut down because they violate
ordinances that are not
designed for big ball. They’re
just Ordinances that have been
set up. Few other things. A
schoolyard. Is 90 to 100
decibels. Remember, these were
8070 decibels. A baseball bat a
wood baseball bat. Is about 80
decibels about the same as a
pickle. A metal baseball bat.
Is 100 and 10 decibels. I.
Don’t See You, shutting down
ballparks with metal bats.
There are a lot of things that
go on. Lakewood used to be a
really popular tennis
destination. Not so much tennis
has died out. Pickle ball is
the number one growing sport in
the world. So number one
growing sport in the United
States. China is building
hundreds of thousands of
pickleball courts. They’re
planning to win the Olympics.
12 years from now. Pickle ball
is growing. We shouldn’t be
shutting down Pickleball courts.
We should be encouraging them.
The Whitlock community polices
those courts. They clean those
courts they clean up after the
homeless when the homeless come
in those courts. We were given
12 days. To leave those courts.
They’re going to be shut down.
Lakewood used to be a
destination where out of
staters came to socialize to
play Pickleball. That’s moving
Nevada. It’s moving to
Littleton. Because Lakewood is
shutting things down. Lakewood
shut down the green Mountain
Pickleball courts because one
neighbor complained over and
over. There was never a hearing
on this. It was a two posters
posted on the fences there,
saying they’ll be closed May
1st Where was the community
hearing about this. Mr Winslow,
Your. Time is up, all right.
That’s 100 and 20 decibels.
Every money. You jumped when I
blew that. Thank you. Thank you.
Trade. I mean, OK? Good evening.
Distinguished members of the
lakewood City Council. My name
is far I mean, as a resident of
Lakewood. I am here to
earnestly ask you to call for
an immediate and permanent
ceasefire in Palestine. My
colleagues have been
frequenting the meetings here
in order to help stop this
ongoing genocide. If You are
sick and tired of hearing about
this genocide. Imagine how sick
the entire the Palestinians are
experiencing it. Trust me it is
not about Hamas or the October
7th. In fact Never! It never
was. There are They. They. They
are used to continue this on
this ongoing genocide. And here
I am trying to convince you of
that. Let’s listen to Yakov.
She, the son of the second
Israeli Prime minister, who
says I am I am collaborating
with a criminal country that
state of Israel and the Zionist
and Zionist enterprise were
born in sin. Israel is the
country occupying and I’m
abusing another people. Our
Nation agenda. Our National
agenda is blood, Death and
violence. Israel lives on the
sword and sharpens it. I am
completely alienated from it.
Unquote talking about Holocaust
the well known Holocaust
survivor. No. I’m Chomsky says
it quote Education is
memorizing that Hitler
memorizing is not that Hitler
killed 6 Million Jews education
is under education is
understanding how millions of
ordinary Germans were convinced
that it was required. Education
is learning how to spot the
signs of history, repeating
itself further at Tel Aviv
University archaeologist
professor Zaf Herzog who seems
to be related to the current
President talks about the
Israeli relation. The Israel
Israelis relationship to the
Land of Palestine saying quote
after 70 years of digging and
excavations in Israel, we have
reached dead end. The Whole
matter is fabricated. We have
not found a single piece of
evidence confirming our
historical presence in this
land. But That said. I wonder
why this why some fall for the
lies the hypocrisy and the
genocidal policies of Israel,
Israeli officials while their
actions are not only criminal,
anti fabric barbaric but also
anti Semitic as they are
imprisoning, beating and
torturing real Jews and
ethnically cleansing their
cousins. The Arab Palestinians,
who are who are also Prophet
Abraham’s descendants. One
beautifully explains the
situation, say, quote as the
world acts as silent Spectators
to Israeli war. It is not
Palestinian who are dying in
Raza. It’s also humanity’s
moral compass that is dying.
Please call for a ceasefire.
Thank you. Ayesha. Please. No
clapping. Hello. My name is
Aisha Min and I’m 12 years old.
Today. I’m here to call on the
lakewood City Council to pass
for a permanent ceasefire in
Gaza. I am not Palestinian. I’m
an Afghan, but I have lived
through the nightmare of
Western bombings tearing apart
my homeland. Leaving behind a
trail of death and unspeakable
suffering. I have witnessed the
dehumanization of my people.
Their deaths have reduced to
mere statistics. So no I’m not
Palestinian, but I’ll be damned
if I don’t stand up for them.
Israel’s genocide campaign has
destroyed at least 70% of
Gaza’s infrastructure.
Including homes, schools,
mosques, churches and hospitals.
More than 70 more than 3637
600,000. Civilians in Gaza have
been killed by Israeli forces
since October, 7th This number
includes more than 15 300,000
Children. 134 journalists and
media workers and at least 490
health workers and at least 244
aid workers. At least 28
Children have died due to
malnutrition and dehydration.
The, youngest. One was one day
old. One child is killed or
injured every 10 minutes More
than seven Thou 77,000 people
have been injured, many of them
critically wounded. C fair now.
Thank you. Thank you. Then we
have Sarah Napier Heather
trainer and then Rick Cresswell.
Hi. I’m Sarah. I’m an educator
and I work with Children and I.
Look at them in the eyes, and I
cry every single day. Because
Children deserve better. The
fact that a 12 year old just
stood up here probably really
scared to speak in front of you
should say something. I want
you to look at her again. I.
Look at those Children every
day, and I tell them that they
deserve better, But it’s a lie,
right? It’s hard to look at
Children these days and tell
them that things are going to
get better. To ease their fear
to make sure that they feel
seen and heard and are act and
they want to know that adults
are doing something right. But
apparently We ease the pain for
certain Children, right? We
make stances when it comes to
Ukraine. We make stances when
there are white Children. We
make stances when they look
like us. Sorry, sir, can you
you guys, please? I’m asking
for quiet. This is a meeting. I
appreciate all of you coming
out, but we do wanna give every
speaker the opportunity to
speak and allow every person
here to hear what they’re
saying. Please continue. Right.
We made stances when it ca me
to Ukraine. We stopped it
immediately. So why So a RE We,
saying that Ukrainian Children
are better that they deserve
more than Palestinian Children,
right? We would never say that
stuff out loud. Would You say
that stuff out loud? No,
probably because I wouldn’t
would come off racist, right?
You don’t want to do that. But.
You have sat here for 200 days
in your comfortable seats and
have done absolutely nothing.
We have tried every single
thing. People are like, Why
City council meetings. Why. Why
should we care? Why? Should, we
come here, right? What can you
do? We elected you? These are
our tax dollars that are going
to aiding Israel’s war crimes
We can stand here and tell you
every single Thing that they
have done, but apparently you
do not care because it’s been
200 days. So we’re asking you
to do your job. To. Look at
those Children they eye to eye
every single day like I do on
the news into care. To do your
job because when I don’t do my
job as an educator, right that
works for Children, I get fired.
Right. So your job right is to
listen to the people that live
in your communities and to do
something When. It comes to the
biggest moral Crisis of our
time. Right? So. We’re asking
you just to do something to
make a stance. Clear. It’s
simple. It’s a moral stance.
It’s not a political stance.
It’s a moral stance. It says. I
deeply believe that all
Children deserve the right to
live. Regardless of skin color,
regardless of where they were
born, because I didn’t get to
decide that. Did you decide
that. No so why do Palestinians
die? For 200 days, but
Ukrainians we did it instantly.
We stopped it instantly. Just
to think about. I. Don’t know.
Thank you. Here, Heather
Trainor. Hello. I’m Heather
trainer, Ward two. Um and I do
want to connect some dots.
There’s been really great
speakers and just discussion in
general. Uh, yes, Today is
Earth Day, right? And? I wanna
highlight? Um, we see patterns,
right? Even chaos if you let it
run long enough, it finds a
pattern and oppression has a
pattern worse than chaos
because it happens even quicker,
right? We heard from
constituents that are saying
they’re being neglected, And.
We know that our disabled
population in America is fodder
right in the same way we
Overseas Palestinians. It’s the
same. It’s rising tides.
There’s a lot of talk about
money. We have to find money.
We always find it for war. And
we can choose to shower less,
and we can absolutely make
inclusive green spaces and get
rid of invasive species. But if
we do not stop the US military,
and I am talking about the
contractors, not the people.
I’m bases living paycheck to
paycheck off of donations. OK.
I’m talking about where our
bunny gets spent right? We have
blank checks for genocide, and
we cannot take care of our
neighbors. And abroad, right
thoughts and prayers don’t save
Children in schools. We still
have that challenge. I get it.
It’s scary as other people have
decided. These are all of our
Children. We are part of a
community We talk about land
pack. We talk about stewards of
the earth. The. Palestinians
are stewards of the earth. We
need to learn from them before
it’s too late. They have shown
up for us for those that do not
know when there was uprisings
in this country and there was
tear gas. In people’s faces
mainly black and brown youth.
Do, You know who is telling us
how to save ourselves. It was
Palestinians saying Your
government has already done
this to us. Please put milk in
your eyes run to the wind. Do
not use water. It will pass the
stinging passes if you do it
correctly, you can retain
eyesight right? They have been
teaching us how to care for
ourselves and we cannot
reciprocate if we do not wanna
listen. At least try. It is a
first step, but if we don’t
make it, how do we move forward?
Thank you. Thank you. Rick
Cresswell, then Valerie
Passerini and then Mr Miller
Europe again after valor. Oh,
OK. Uh, Valerie Pastorini. Hi
there. Valerie Passerini, Uh,
Ward two. And, um Lakewood as
Colorado’s fifth largest city
has its share of problems. Lack
of affordable housing, a
plethora of derelicts and
abandoned businesses, which, if
you know anything about me, you
know that’s I. Just. It drives
me nuts, Um, high property or
high property crime rates,
check, check and check. And I
know that People would argue
that city Council, you have
your hands full with all of
these problems and that you
shouldn’t take any time to
weigh in on anything that
concerns you as foreign policy,
But I disagree. As, the famous
saying Goes. All politics is
local. And. I have four reasons
why I’m standing before you
tonight. Asking you to use your
voice? City Council members.
You share constituents. With
your congressional delegation
here in Colorado. There’s a lot
of overlap. City Council
members. You possess a unique
ability to be proxies for these
shared constituents. We have
run into a situation here in
Colorado, where We do not
appear to have any
representation for those
members in Congress. I am very
thankful that here in lakewood,
we have public meetings. We
have lakewood speaks. We have
some face to face time with our
city Council members, um, you
know, many of you have made
yourselves available. You’re in
the community. I can’t say the
same for a congressional
delegation and I know that
there are conversations had
between our congressional
leaders. Um Congressman. Uh
Peterson, for instance, is a
Lakewood resident. I know that
elected members here in
lakewood, do, um, speak and
have a way to say you know we
are. We are listening to our
constituents. Unlike our
congressional, um
Representatives in Colorado,
who emails go into, you know
some sort of purgatory. They’re
not available for any public
facing, um Events at all. They
have refused to meet with us
and, um I, I did wanna say that
while you may think that we
don’t have any ability to
directly change US policy
within the four walls A rounded
wall and the other three behind
me. Um, but we are sending a
message. Uh, That, not in our
names and never again means
never again for everyone and
those of us that are active in
local politics will remember
what our city council did
during this time. And, So
that’s why I think it’s
important and to answer the
question of You know why you
should take a stand on this.
Like 100. Other cities have
done so far in the US. So, um,
ceasefire now. Mr Miller. Good
evening. My public servant. You
know I was I was gonna come in
tonight. Do a recap of all the
homeless problems that we’ve
got, and all that stuff and And
I’ve been listening tonight and
I thought No. I’m gonna talk
about something else. And, then
I’ll have one question at 10. I
mean and three of my friends.
Three, all three of which have
died. We? We had a little group
together that we went and took
care of Families that were poor
fixing their hot water heaters
or fixing their furnaces or
fixing their toilets or fixing
sinks. Fixing decks. And
seniors were the worst because
they they took such a beating
this year. I mean we got a 3%
increase 9% cost of living
increase, but we only got a 3%
increase. And. Then. They
raised Medicare up three. So we
got So seniors are taking a
beating. I mean, terrible,
terrible beating. Any time.
Right now, especially with the
cost of food. The cost of gas
public service They’ve taken so
many hits on natural gas and
electricity. These seniors are
getting run out of their houses
because they can’t afford the
bills. So. Every time you say
we’re just gonna take another
$50 out of their pocket? It
really hurts these people and
it hurts me. You know I’ve been
retired for I don’t know. 12
years. 13 years now. And. I’ve
helped so many people that that
just needed their decks fixed
or Or rails put up so they
could go outside. Bathroom
holders. All the stuff we
donated our time to But when
you raise prices. It kills
these people. It kills these
low income people. They don’t
have the money to even buy food
and and your raising their
taxes and their fees. Storm
water fees you double them, for
Christ’s sake. I had one little
old lady. I had to fix her
toilet. She says. Why. I just
paid this bill. No. No. I got
another one. I said. That’s the
city of Lakewood. They’re
greedy. They think they can
spend their money but your
money better than I You can I
need to spend it on food. I
think that would be a better
option. Then giving it to the
city. You’re taxing seniors to
death. You’re putting fees on
them that are killing them.
We’re taking a beating. What’s
the cost of living. It. It’s
horrendous to they can’t fix
their cars That’s completely
out of the question. I have one
lady said. Can. You, fix my
transmission. No, I can’t be. I
took it to a dealer and he said,
it’s gonna cost $12,000 to
replace the her transmission.
It’s just called junk dealer.
Tell him to come and pick it up.
You C. You can’t afford it, and
that car’s not worth it. Why.
Are you doing this to these
seniors in the low income
people? You’re so worried about
them, and it’s nothing anyway,
my last question. Your time is
actually expired. Mr Muller.
Can. I Ask one question your
time’s expired. You can email
it IN and thank you for the
reminder. Public comment is is
way. Um, we are not, um, able
to answer questions this
evening. If. You do have direct
questions. Feel Free to email
your City council and we’d be
happy to help you there. You
always get an answer. Yeah. All
right, Miss Weathers, You’re up.
And. We have also can you point
out for me, Bruce, Morrison and
Tom T. I’m sorry, Tom Gottlieb.
Yeah. Thank you both. Thank you.
Hello. Everyone, My na me is
Andy Weathers I live in Ward
three. Dear esteemed members of
council. I Come before you
today exactly Three months
after my last ask for counsel
to pass a ceasefire resolution
three months ago, I submitted a
letter with my concerns that
our congressional delegation is
ignoring its its constituents.
They’re continued. Sidestepping
is why I renew my call today. I
want Lakewood to set an example
of listening and addressing the
concerns of its constituents.
During the last three months. I
want to call attention that
there have been an additional
10,000 deaths in Gaza. I want
that to sink in for a second so
since the last time I submitted
my request, 10,000 additional
people have died. I also want
to mention I did have the
opportunity to have this
conversation with councilor low
before he was even sworn in at
that time, the death toll for
Children was 1000 200. Today.
We’re at 14,000 dead Children.
Please let that sink in as well.
For, those of you who say it’s
not council’s place to weigh in
on foreign matters. I disagree.
When our tax dollars pay for
the £2000 bombs used to kill
innocent Children. We should
all weigh in $2 million from
Lakewood. We are all guilty. Of
committing this genocide. This
does not sit well with me and I
refuse to be complicit in all
of this. So for the past six
months. I’ve done everything I
can to get my congresswoman’s
attention. This is included.
Send sending emails calling
meeting with their staffers.
Protesting outside of her
office and disrupting
Democratic party fundraisers.
None of this has worked.
Congresswoman Peterson, a
lakewood resident continues to
vote for Israel to receive
money for weapons. In fact.
Just this weekend voting yes.
For $23 billion in funding for
them to buy our weapons. She
condemns pro Palestinian free
speech She voted against UN R
humanitarian aid funding and
continues even after October
7th to accept donations from
the American Israel Public
Affairs Committee. Today. I am
begging for your help. Please
take a stand against genocide
and call for a ceasefire
resolution. We need to
demonstrate to our morally
bankrupt congresswoman that her
constituents do not share her
pros. Real values She works for
us, not them. I am well aware
that the 10 of you in front of
me. 10 out of the 11 are
Democrats and You’re in action
on this matter. You for
whatever reasons you you have
to not bring a cease forward
for forward has just let led me
to believe that party politics
are behind this decision. I’m
getting the impression that
loyalty to Britney Peterson is
more important than the cries
of your constituents. I know
many of you personally with my
heart of hearts. I do not
believe that any of you agreed
to run for office because you
wanted to be loyal to the
Democratic party. I truly
believe each and every one of
you are up there for the right
reasons, So, I will ask you
again. I, beg of you. Please
put forward a cease fire
resolution. I know you’ve rec
received a long document
outlining an in depth
resolution for you to review if
this document is too
overwhelming I ask you to
please do what Glenwood Springs
did they decided to vote vote
on the first sentence, which is
an immediate and permanent
ceasefire in Gaza and occupied
West Bank. Immediate unhindered
humanitarian aid to Gaza and
release of all the hostages and
arbitrarily detained
Palestinian civilians in order
to work towards a long term
lasting peace. It’s that easy.
All we need is two people one
to make the motion and the
other to approve. We want
everyone to go on the record
for this? Other than upsetting
the congresswoman. I don’t
understand the risk. I. Really?
Don’t, Um please be on the
right side of the of history.
Please stand with us your
constituents and not on the
side of our freshman
congresswoman. And and I do
wanna end saying a few things.
I do empathize for all of you.
You guys have to listen to us.
Our Congresswoman doesn’t
obviously she prescreened her.
Her town hall meetings and has
staged Um callers So I. I get
it. It’s not fair. It’s not
fair a lot of this, but we
don’t have a choice and we’re
not just gonna sit still idly
by while this is happening on
our watch. Um I also want to
mention I was grateful for the
L AC presentation because it
reminded me about Earth Day if
we’re concerned about climate,
we need to stop funding the
military industrial climate. Um,
excuse me Military Industrial
complex because they’re a big
cause of our our climate crisis
and This money. You know
they’re saying we want, you
know, I heard the guy. He’s
like we want money to do this,
and we can’t because, well,
where’s our Where’s a lot of
our money going? It’s going to
war. It is our tax dollars from
here are going to war. It’s not
OK, um Have a video that, um
I’m gonna ask Mr Rob to play in
just a second Hold on just a
second. This video. I. Just
wanna preface it just a little
bit because as I mentioned we,
me and my friends have been
working really hard to try to
get the congresswoman’s
attention. We did go to her
office hours in Edgewater
recently and we presented her a
letter. Um, we had delivered
this letter. I am going to give
you a copy of this letter. If
you’d like to sign Please be my
guest. I’d like you to see this
in the video that’s gonna play
is us giving her this letter.
So thank you. You know why
she’s And the congresswoman, Um
Very concerned about the On OK?
Concerns should be neatly. Is
in Coming into the That’s
hardly Wasn’t That Men. To me.
Wanna be careful. OK? I was
told I Argue that So I don’t
know how That I That I. I
certainly And, um and I Israel
has killed me. 3000 44 We are
Children. Work over Now. My
Children injured over 70. So
many people. Nearly Sure, OK.
200 Human You. 70 Yeah. Not a
trucks from Much need. Life and
medicine. A refugee camp
churches, kindergarten and
university. Time every hospital
in Gava. Kidnapped and tortured
doctors. So To receive food
rhees What was that? Type two
has nothing to do with sugar.
Was that did you know that
every single organ of your body
needs sugar to function. Here’s
the truth. If you I’m guessing
you’re done. Are you done OK,
Thank you. Right. Um, Next. We
have Doctor Mohammed Kue. I’m
Sorry. I’m sure I didn’t say
that right? Respect the council
members before I start. I’d
like to have, uh, Richard stand
up and show us all the shirt he
chose to wear as we are here
discussing the council taking a
stance and council members
already taking a stance. For
the rest of the people here who
are interested in actually
hearing what we have to say.
I’m here to make an argument as
to why we need to pass a
ceasefire resolution, not just
for people in Colorado, but
specifically for the people in
lakewood. As. We gather here
today. Our hearts are heavy
with the weight of the traumas
unfolding in Palestine and Gaza
where innocent people are
caught in the crossfire of
Israel’s unjust and relentless
assault on humanity. And yet
even as we moored the lives
lost in the name of Zionist
colonialism, we must confront
the uncomfortable truth. Our
own government is complicit in
these atrocities with our tax
dollars funding the terrorist
state of Israel, the running
total of $300 billion since its
foundation in aid to Israel is
not just the number. It is a
testament to our government’s
prioritization of military
might over human rights of
oppression over justice, but
the injustices we Not confined
in distant lands here in
Colorado, our own communities
are grappling with the crisis
of homelessness and migration,
with individuals and families
struggling to find shelter,
support and solidarity in the
system That too often fails
them as Martin Luther King
Junior once said the bombs in
Vietnam explode at home. They
destroyed the hopes and
possibilities for a decent
America. The sentiment rings
even more true today as we
witness the devastating impact
of our leaders misplaced
priorities, while some would
have you believe these issues
are foreign and have no
relevance here, we speak
publicly at multiple city
council meetings and protests
precisely because this issue
affects us all. According to
recent data, the number of
homeless individuals in
Colorado continues to rise year
on year, depending on the
season. There’s about an
average of 9 to 10,000 people
experiencing homelessness on
any given night in lakewood.
That number goes up to about
2000 when the weather improves
as I’m sure you guys know in
addition to the currently
pending $26 billion bonus
package to Israel, which will
cost one of 330 million
Americans $100, So all of you
guys today invested $100 or
what? This Week we will be
investing $100 this year. I
really hope it pays off for you,
which Um and sorry in Colorado
alone, Um in Colorado, a loan
from the Three from the Oh, my
god. Um in Colorado alone,
nearly $76 million of our heart
of our hard earned tax dollars,
4 million of which come from
Lakewood have been allocated to
Israeli weapons funds that
could be used to make a
tangible difference right here
in our communities. I was here
when we were discussing the
navigation center, arguing over
a fund of $1.5 million y’all a
tiny drop in comparison. Why do
Americans and American citizens
always come second when it
comes to funding and action
instead of fueling violence and
oppression abroad. Imagine what
we could do with so much money
right here at home. We spend an
average of $25 per day per
person to provide housing.
Think about it. We could house
over nine. And mothers, fathers
and Children, um, effectively
ending homelessness in Lakewood
and Colorado streets, But we
don’t because our system and
some leaders prioritize murder
and profit over humanity. A
call for a ceasefire today in
the future is a direct
repudiation of this broken
system it it’s clearly an
unequivocally that the
Honorable Council and people of
Lakewood are tired of the death
and destruction in our name
that we are tired of wasting
our money feeding and bombing a
captive population of Children
to further the goals of a
terrorist foreign nation. It is
a strong statement that you
stand against injustice
anywhere and that you stand
with people and recognize their
humanity wherever and whomever
they may be. I encourage you to
call for a cease fire and as an
aside speaking on my own
personal experiences, certain
members of Council have
disrespected me, um,
specifically outside of this
council, but it is
inappropriate for anyone who
claims to represent this
council to behave in that
manner. Thank you? Hannah. Are
you now you that that’s not how
this works, Please. I don’t
wanna ask you to leave I we’ve
got folks that are here to
we’re not here to have an
argument. OK. Thank you Hannah
Simons, You’re up next. And. I
do have three people seating me
their time. Um so I should have
10 minutes. Thank you. Thank
you. My name is Hannah. I’m
here today On the three month
anniversary of my younger
siblings suicide as an
exhausted, disabled young adult
who is tired of the reality. Of
having my free speech impinged
on from all sides. From, the
national government trying to
ban our communication apps in
the name of data protection. To,
a local government who allows
the rhetoric rhetoric that we
should quietly accept the
status quo of violence,
violence that each of you is
making the conscious choice to
perpetuate. Sitting atop the
pedestal of privilege that a
position of power provides. I
wonder if many of you have
forgotten the concrete ways
that your lack of moral
integrity in a taking a stance
against the act of genocide
being committed against the
people of Palestine affects the
most vulnerable individuals
with their own within your own
population here in lakewood.
The same people of this city
who express being made
uncomfortable by the idea of
Lakewood taking action to aid
the local migrant crisis are
emboldened by your lack of
support for displaced people
abroad. While your citizens who
are most at risk of being
targeted by violence due to
their minority status most at
risk of houseless due to job
insecurity, discrimination or
medical debt from disability
are made to be more unsafe. The
point of difference here being
that the people with the most
wealth and power are being made
to feel uncomfortable and the
people who are in the highest
risk groups are being made
physically unsafe. This paints
a clear analogy with the
dynamic between the settler
state of Israel in the country
of Palestine. And impresses
upon us how silence and the
enforcement of politeness
culture gives power to the
cruel people who take advantage
of a power vacuum to echo their
hateful falsehoods over the
facts of an oppressed
population. My family is Puerto
Rican and the violence I have
witnessed upon Palestine and
using our tax dollars mirrors
in many ways that of which has
been done in Puerto Rico as
well as against black and
indigenous Americans. The
violation on women by the
Israeli occupation forces is
well documented. A recent case
of a pregnant woman being raped
by an Iowa soldier in an in
Alsa hospital during the IOF
raid of the hospital, her
family members forced to watch
under threat of death.
Historical case of forced
sterilizations of black
Ethiopian Jews within the
borders of Israel itself, make
clear Israel’s goals not to be
a safe haven for Jewish people,
but to be a white ethno state.
The fact that Palestinian Jews
are being murdered alongside
the Palestinian Muslims and
Christians living in Gaza
reinforces the fact that this
is not a religious war. Trauma
from violence like this goes
beyond the physical. Aside from
bloodlines being wiped from
existence with what we know
about trauma being passed down
genetically even those who were
spared come out of this with an
inescapable shadow of these
wounds and of cultural loss. I
mentioned that I lost my
sibling to suicide three months
ago today. Within, my family
the wounds of a cultural
genocide Generations ago are
more than invisible. The
violence of Christopher
Columbus in the Catholic Church
showed up through the hands
that my grandfather lied laid
on my mother. And. It shows in
my 22 year old sibling being
being alienated from a colorful
history of gender, non
conforming indigenous ancestors.
It shows in my family’s lack of
access to ancestral homelands
and how we feel displaced in
the very country of which we
were born into. It shows in the
fact that money is flowing from
my taxes in the form of at
least $2,500,000 from lakewood
alone into funding Israel’s
weapons of war instead of
programs for our communities
here. I. Don’t think I need to
elaborate on how much that
money alone could accomplish in
the hand of community minded
citizens like myself. I close
today with the request that you
pass a resolution supporting a
ceasefire in Gaza, which
includes the immediate and
unhindered. Passage of a
humanitarian aid into Gaza. A
release of all arbitrarily
detained Palestinian political
prison prisoners and an end to
all US funding and weapons
support to Israel. Support that
has been used indiscriminately
by Israel to support violence
in which 44% of their
casualties about 15,000 out of
40 of nearly 40,000 murders
have been Children. I beg of
you to not just call for an end
to the funding but to do
everything in your power to
bring our tax dollars back home
to the US to support community
care programs that can
eliminate the eliminate the
need for city discourse about
houseless and migrant crises.
Because these subjects should
be a national issue being
addressed with the billions of
dollars we are instead sending
AB abroad to support a genocide.
And. If you should pause it
that my vulnerability here
today comes from a from a place
of naivety childishness or
mental illness. I ask if you
what kind of mental illness is
it to hear The news that
Israeli drones have been luring
Palestinians in with the sounds
of crying Children. Before
shooting them. And still choose
to put your future potential
political career. Within, this
crumbling system overtaking a
stand with the power that you
have right now. Right now, at
this very moment, I just saw
the news before I came up here.
The US Consulate in Istanbul is
working to prevent the freedom
flotilla from reaching its goal
to deliver age to Gaza. A fleet
carrying hundreds of
international human rights
observers transporting 5500
tons of humanitarian aid to
Gaza. Every day. Our country
takes further actions to
continue This forced famine on
the besieged population of Gaza
and without national pressure
from all levels of our
government. This violence will
continue. Sandy said. We are
having our voice silenced,
unable to communicate with any
of our higher represent
government representatives in a
meaningful way, and if you
continue to refuse to stand for
us, we will have no choice but
to organize to replace you with
people who will If. You take
one thing away from my words
today. I hope it is a better
understanding on the complex
ways with which these local and
international issues are
intertwined and why the
responsibility lies in your
hands to take take a stance and
fight for us your constituents.
Displaced people. I See them
here in lakewood. I. See
Venezuelans. Desperate Children.
I see two women with a little
girl who can’t be more than
seven years old on our own
streets. We have the funding.
We’re just putting it towards
the wrong places, and all of
you are complicit in not taking
a firm stance against this. And.
I Hope. You realize how painful
it is to people who have
already gone through so much
pain so much unnecessary pain.
My non binary sibling. They
went through so much from
Religious violence to violence
against them for their
sexuality and their gender
presentation. And all I can
think of now is the students
like next Benedict and Alex
Franco, who were murdered here
in the US. The anti trans
sentiment, which has become so
prolific that same idea of our
politicians refusing to
solidify rights for trans
people applies for our houses,
people for our disabled people
for our immigrants. Every
single group is at risk right
now. Thank you. Cease fire now.
Thank you, Miss Simmons. Next.
We have Had trees, either
Patrice or Patrick BC Fox, then
Laura Gonzalez and Doctor Patty
Foster. Aguilera is after that,
um, for anybody that’s come in.
If you wanna speak this evening
have not signed up yet, Mr Rob,
or do we have the sign up
sheets with you? Okay over here
On the end of this table,
Anyone can sign up and again.
Lakewood speaks.org is
available if anyone wants to
sign up, and, um, just make a
comment directly towards that.
Miss post and I do have yours.
Do. We have a Patrice Patrick.
OK, Laura Gonzalez. Thank you.
Time. Minutes. OK, just give me
Second When I start this
Quality of Cat. Good afternoon.
My name is Lara Gonzalez and I
identify as Maya moan and it’s
an indigenous woman. I am here
to speak on behalf of only
myself as a descendant and
survivor of one of many settler,
genocidal Colo colonial
projects. In total I Island,
which is now known as the
Continent of America. I
acknowledge that I’m standing
on Apache in a indigenous lands.
That means that you’re not
indigenous. You are a settler
as the land we’re currently
standing on is a 500 cellar
Colonial project, which is an
almost copy page method for
what Israel is doing in
Palestine. My demands are
passing in Maria and permanent
ceasefire resolution defund the
almost 2.5 million City tax
dollars that you sent to Israel
assured that our freedom of
speech is protected in our city.
Let me tell you why I’m here
today I will try my best to
speak in three minutes about my
personal connection to the
Palestinian cause as a non
Palestinian indigenous woman
unearthing and Howard
liberations are bound with each
other and not against each
other. Again. I’m, a Mayan
person. I come from Guatemala
and the south of Mexico. We
survive. The silent Holocaust
which a lot of you, I bet Don’t
know right now that Holocaust
lasted more than 40 years from
the 60 ended in 96. Almost a
million of my people were
murdered. My mother remembers
what happened. There was 17
bullets in my grandma’s house.
It’s not just that I’m trying
to heal the inner generational
trauma of 500 years of the land
that you’re standing on, But
I’m still just trying to heal
my mama’s trauma, and you know
what I feel when I see these
Children? I know that if this
genocide were to end tomorrow,
we have caused so much harm for
so many generations and you’re
still silent living a settlers
and there are some settlers
that are trying to do good work.
But there are settlers that do
not care like Richard Oliver.
Also Today is Earth Day. What
is the point of having Earth
Day if we’re not doing anything
while we’re watching an ECI,
we’re not just what? Seeing a
genocide. We’re watching an
ecocide live. Let me give you
some statistics 97 90% of water
Sources of gas are contaminated
the planet warming emissions
generated during the first two
months of the war in Gaza were
greater than the annual carbon
footprint of more than 20 of
the world’s most climate,
vulnerable nations. This will
eventually impact Lakewood. We
did not live in an isolated
global community. 40% of
agricultural land is destroyed
one third of greenhouses is
destroyed. 90% of agricultural
land destroyed in northern Gaza
the legal right to phosphorus
indiscriminately thrown at
Palestinians and Lebanese
people have a long term effect
in the environment, which
leaves 10% of its toxic
properties in soil and water.
70% of gas infrastructure is
destroyed. Schools March
universities, one of the oldest
Christian churches, if we have
Christian people, why are you
not saying anything right now?
99% of the world’s CO2
emissions come from from the
first Days of Israel’s genocide
in Gaza. 50% of the missions
come from the US cargo plane,
sending Israel weapons for its
massacre. There is plenty of
evidence that Israel’s
intentionally commuting eco
site and genocide with the
intent of destroying all hope
of life and future Palestinian
in Gaza being Al Nahar el al
Bahar from the river to the sea,
Palestine will be free. There’s
Del Rio as Delmar Palestinia
Cerra libre, and I No. You are
not allowed to answer questions.
You are not allowed to Tell me
who you stand with. And. You
are a settler and let me tell
you that as a seller, you don’t
get to tell in Don’t point at
me. What kind of disrespect is
that do you not have any rules
for your city Council members
to be hit that way and to laugh
at that. That is a huge
disrespect. You’re an old man
your name to be trying to argue
with a constituent that you’re
not representing? No, you don’t
get to speak right now. That’s
the rule. I get to speak. You
get to listen. You. Don’t Get
to answer you don’t get to
Monday when I’m cut because I’m
an indigenous woman, and you’re
standing on a stolen and that
is what’s happening in Israel
right now. So, you shut your
mouth. Dr Aguilar. Then we have
miss Joan Poston and then Brad
Bruce. Hello. Uh, my name is
Doctor Padi Fuera Guerra. I’m
here to ask you to send a
message from the people of this
city to our federal officials
that they need to stop funding
the genocide that Israel is
committing against indigenous
peoples of the occupied
territories of Palestine.
Rather than condemning war
crimes and collective
punishment or stopping the
transfer of arms. Jonah Gus and
the rest of Congress have
instead moved to condemn a
phrase that calls for the Ali
uplifting and liberation of
people. This is extremely
dangerous, and if people don’t
rise against these against
these now it will only get
worse. They want to try try to
stop us from showing solidarity
with the Palestinian people.
From the river to the sea.
Palestine will be free calls
for the dignity and humanity of
Palestinians for the end of
occupation and the end of
apartheid from the river to the
sea. Palestine will be free
does not call for the ethnic
cleansing and oppression of
Jews from the river to the sea.
Palestine will be free does not
call for the bombing of
hospitals, schools and Children
playing in the street from the
river to the Sea Palestine.
Will be free. That’s not call
for the massa the massacre of
hungry people trying to get
flour from a truck. From the
river to the sea. Palestine
will be free. There’s no call
for the destruction of
universities, farms and entire
towns from the river to the sea.
Palestine will be free does not
call for the assassination of
eight workers, journalists and
doctors. Your Silence in this
matter makes you accomplices to
these murder, including 14,000
Children killed in the past 200
days. We need to listen to our
Palestinian people. And
indigenous siblings showing up
here trying to help the rest of
us understand how misled this
is This all is Do. You not see
that our complicity in this
genocide and our and your
inaction in the face of it will
come to haunt us all of us. Do.
You not see that anything other
than an immediate and permanent
cease fire makes us all all of
us, Palestinian, Israelis and
Americans less safe. Those that
push for these condemnation of
words of freedom and claim
their fear and victimhood
justifies the murder of
Thousands, including 14.
Children do so because the only
view they understand is the
colon colonialist paradigm in
which the freedom and dignity
of a people needs to come at
the expense of another. The way
that you vote on the ceasefire
resolution betrays that you
feel the same. The House of
representatives have already
approved of $26 million
supplemental package to Israel
and tomorrow the Senate is
voting on this package, stand
up and speak against these
genocide or we will do anything
in our power for you to not get
elected again. Don’t post in Mm.
I’m Joan post and my address is
10642 West vor Place lakewood,
Colorado. Um And. I’m here
today for to speak about
something totally different.
From what we’ve heard the last
hour. Um and I do wanna stand
with rich Oliver in saying that
I would have liked to have seen
the presentation from the, uh,
green recommendations, um,
presented to have presentations
and not have them presented is
just not right. Um, I’m here
today to speak out against the
recommendations of the green
Research summary. Um, this is
basically an incentivizing of
taxpayers’ money for An extreme
Left agenda in July of 2023 I
brought to the sustainability
committee that they cannot
mandate the electrification of,
um Residential homes because
there is federal laws, Um,
Public Utility regulatory
policy Act of, uh, 1978 and I
would recommend that you have
the city lawyer. Look at this
before you start making any
kinds of, um Spending of money.
Um This is a copycat of the
city of Denver agenda, which
the taxpayers have said they
want to fund and I think that
you should put it to the
taxpayers if they want to fund
this kind of thing. I am not
certain where you will find the
funding. Um, rebate are through
certain, um, businesses in
Denver and one of the questions
I have is how will you be
picking winners and losers for
who is going to, um, do the
rebates? Uh, And once again,
I’m asking is Lakewood Uh,
Denver or boulder And maybe you
should take a little concern
about that as well I posted on
next door and there were 3000
views and the most interesting
part of that was the lack of
public input on this. Um, there
are major questions that we’ve
heard tonight to be asked as
how you should be pursuing some
of these recommendations at
this time, like more staff, Do,
we have money for more staff.
I’m just curious about that. Um,
I believe that there um are
other priorities that need to
be addressed. And For. Those of
you Who think that, um federal
and state money is free. Um, I
like to remind you that it is
taxpayer money, and we just
paid our Last Monday. Um Martin
Luther King used to say Sunday
is coming, and I would like to
say to you November is coming.
Thank you very much. Brad Bruce.
Hi everyone. Uh, my name is
Brad. Bruce. I’m, a Colorado
state employee and a resident
of Ward two. I am here to urge
the City Council to pass a
permanent ceasefire resolution
in Gaza. A genocide is
currently occurring in
Palestine with our tax dollars
and with weapons created right
here on the front range. 35,000
plus Palestinians have been
killed in the last six plus
months. Most of those killed
have been women and Children.
This is a genocide where the
World Health organization has
reported that a Palestinian
child dies every 10 minutes. Um,
in the last Hour or so that
we’ve been listening to public
comment. That means about six
Children have died. Over the
weekend, the House of
representatives voted in favor
of giving an Israel an
additional $26.38 billion in
aid to Israel. The Senate is
scheduled to vote on this bill
tomorrow. I’ve heard from a lot
of people that this city
Council is not the correct
place to talk about
international issues such as
this. Let’s think about the
local implications of a bill of
this bill by doing a little
math. Let’s assume that every
American paid an equal amount
of that tax dollars that comes
out to, uh, out of with every
every one of the 333 million
Americans, every single one of
them gave about $90 to to
Israel, assuming this bill will
pass. According to Census data.
Lakewood has about 100 and
50,000 residents. Now. What if
we were to instead take all of
the $90 from 100 and 50,000
residents, um, and use that for
local issues that comes out to
about $13.5 million, and that
is on top of the 2.5 to $3
million that Lakewood residents
give to Israel annually. Um,
I’m willing to bet that every
single person on this council
has a better idea on how they
would use $13 million here.
Lakewood to help their, uh your
constituents. We have people
living on the streets and you
were letting our federal
representatives get away with
giving millions of dollars away
from this community without
even a word of condemnation.
The people sitting on this
council did not vote directly
to give millions and of aid to
Israel, but I’m sure that it
was an easy decision for my
federal representative Brittany
Paterson to vote in favor,
considering that none of her
counterparts in local
government seem interested in
pushing for a cessation of
hostilities. In Palestine by
the Israeli apartheid regime. I
can confirm that reports from
others who have spoke before me
stating that Brittany Patterson
does not care about our
concerns, and it is incredibly
difficult to even get a hold of
her if we can at all, we are
only at the City Council
meeting because that is the
case. We need her to listen to
us. And. I hope that, uh, you
can help us get her to listen
to us. Please pass a cease fire
resolution to show our federal
representatives that we do not
want our tax dollars going to
genocide and instead want them
go to fixing local issues. Sign.
Thank you. And. Then we have
Jim Washer. Washer. Jim here.
On Arizona place. Does that
help help! OK, uh, Amber Vig.
Let me turn the light up on my
Here we go. Is it a better over
here. Either. Either way. Um
Amber Barwig Ward two. And
we’re just I’m sorry. Amber var
World War two better. I have
something going on with my
throat? Sorry about that. Want
to start by saying that 40% of
agricultural land has been
destroyed in Palestine. A.
Third of all greenhouses have
been destroyed. So one in three
90% of all agricultural land in
Palestine has been destroyed in
northern Gaza, which is where
all the food has to be grown
because Israel won’t Let food
in so that’s important to note
that now the only place they
could get reliably get food
from Pretty much gone, so
that’d be like if every grocery
store except for like, one for
every 10, Miles is just blown
up in America. But, you know,
good luck to you. We’ve all
killed Palestinians today
because our tax money whether
we liked it or not went to do
that. Whether we liked it or
not? We did that. Because
Brittany. Patterson won’t even
listen to us when we ask her if
maybe she could look at not
agree to send our tax money to
kill Palestinians. Eco
destruction of Palestine is
ancient in origin 17 years in
the making, and morally and
largely illegal by pretty much
any any standard. You wanna
look at Aid workers have been
killed. Chefs People all along
the humanitarian corridors like
those exist, um, predetermined
co-ordinated aid efforts
because accidents happen
hospitals because Right. I’m
not clear on that. Mosques
water sources. Homes, cropland
monuments. You know the sorts
of things. You’re not supposed
to be able to attack or kill or
destroy. Have all been attacked,
killed destroyed. They have tw
Israel has 28 violations of
international law and apartheid,
according to the United Nations
Security council just in case
we were unclear about that, but
you’re all really smart and
intelligent moral people and I
actually don’t really need to
stand here and tell you that
any of this is wrong. I don’t
believe any. I believe almost
not one of you. Almost not one
of you believes that this is
wrong. Some of you have made it
clear that that’s not how you
feel, but that’s cool. You, do
you? I’m not asking you to pick
a side between Palestinians and
Jews, though I understand some
of you may be Jewish. Lots of
you know Jewish people. I have
Jewish people I love in my life.
I understand this is a nuanced,
complex issue beyond just
Killing all Palestinians is bad.
I mean, that’s You can’t argue
that but I understand that this
isn’t something where you want
to say without any nuance
whatsoever, But I’m not asking
you to pick a side. I’m asking
you to say that killing
everything that you see is
wrong, no matter what The
reason is, and because if you
look it up and you check it out,
we would stand with Israel if
they committed October 7th, we
would say that we had to get
Hamas accidents happen the same
things we’re saying Now, we
would change absolutely nothing
except it might be less
controversial than we might
actually end up giving more
money to Israel. You know, we
We should legalize Palestine
realize Palestine recognize
Palestine and Free Palestine.
But. Let’s just agree to let
him live. Let him exist every
time you drink coffee, a kid’s
ding. It takes a motion and a
second. It takes two of my
friends. Ceasefire now. OK? We
have next, Um Linda Bad one.
And. I have pooled time. Uh, is
Ryan Leong still here? Thank
you and David Weissman. OK.
Thank You. All right, Linda?
You’re up after Linda. We have
Khalid Ali and then Flanders
Norton and then Stevie Hendrix.
Linda. You have T, Uh, 10
minutes. I’m sorry I missed
Baldwin. So a peace be upon you
all. I just wanted to for today,
Um, be able to yield my time to
a video that I wanted you guys
to be able to watch. I really
hope you will take the time.
Including yourself, Mr Oliver
to really be able to pay
attention to what’s being said
in this Well. Mr Labour be here
too. That was a restroom visit.
At. This point. We’re almost
three hours in. Thank. You guys,
I appreciate it. Excellencies.
It is with the the heaviest
heart that day. I appear before
you today. To deliver my phone
report as the special
rapporteur on the occupied
Palestinian territory.
Following nearly six months of
unrelated Israeli assault on
occupied Gaza. It is my solemn
duty to report on the worst of
what humanity is capable of.
And to present my finding. The
Anatomy of the genocide.
History. Teachers of the
genocide is a process, not a
single act. He starts with the
dehumanization of a group as
Zaba. And to denial of the
group’s humanity. And ends with
the destruction of the group.
All the part. The demonization
of Palestinians as the group as
a group is the hallmark of
their history of ethnic
cleansing, dispossession and
apartheid. In the words of
Edward Side. Palestinians were
made orphans of the homeland by
the creation of the state of
Israel and its continuous
policies intended to erase
their presence from their land.
Did aside, is defining
international law as specific
sets of acts committed with
intent to destroy in whole or
impart. A, national, ethnical
racial or religious group. As
such. It is often referred to
as the crime of crimes due to
its complexity and because of
the challenge of doing the
specific intent, as I mention,
requires, And. Yet this
complexity is not about the
creation of a hierarchy among
atrocity crimes. It’s rather a
reflection of a different
nature and scale. The re
threshold for intent. Namely to
destroy a group as prescribed
by optical, two of the genocide
convention. Must be proven
directly or inferred from facts,
which are made of no other
reasonable inference. But when
genocidal intent is so
conspicuous, so ostentatious as
it is in Gaza. We cannot avert
our eyes. We must confront
genocide. We must prevent it
and we must punish it. The.
Catastrophic situation I
investigated is known. As. It
has been broadcast to the world
in real time by its victims.
Astoundingly rather than hing.
Its momentum. A minority of
powerful member states that
provide a military, economic
and political support for the
atrocity. Compounding, the
devastation it has worked for
the Palestinians. And. These
assault, the sixth and most
egregious. In 16 years Israel
has killed More than 30,000.
Palestinians, including 13,000
Children more than the Children
killed in all conflicts
worldwide in four previous
years. Journalist doctors,
nurses, artists, academics,
engineers, scientists and their
family members. Whole society
as integrated. A third year to
1000 Polys started working
missing most presume that Some
some some 71,000 Palestinians
that are working in missing
Sorry. Most will Sorry. Some
71,000 are injured, most with
life changing wounds made worse
by the decimation of the health
care system and overwhelming
unsanitary conditions created
in Gaza. In the first week,
Cesar prevented all monetary
aid from entering Gaza and the
ensuing months it has imposed
extreme restrictions on water,
food, electricity and fuel.
These run has blocked the entry
of metal supplies, including
anesthetics, incubators and
even baby formula. For boys and
hardly reached northern Gaza.
The delivery policy has induced
the rapid and sustained very
few insecurity in the entire
population with those trapped
in the north, forced to eat,
I’m not I’m not feed and grass.
The occupying power is also
undermining Andra, the main
lifeline to Palestinians in
Gaza. Growing numbers of
Palestinians are dying of
starvation as we speak. And the
hostages in the families and
also not escaped this
devastating circumstances. The
collective scars of those who
survive are certain to last a
generations. In the initial
weeks of the assault. The
Israeli forces killed around
250 Palestinians day through an
apocalyptic ar of weaponry on
one of the most densely
populated places on earth. 20
to 25,000 tons of explosives
equivalent to two nuclear bombs,
unguided munitions and hundreds
of £2000 bunker buster were
used to let the entire
neighborhoods The ground
offensive changed the pattern,
but not the scale of
destruction in less than six
months, Israel has destroyed
Gaza, erasing goods or severely
damaging almost civil
infrastructure and agricultural
land, most of home health
facilities, telecommunication
infrastructure, every
university most educational
facilities, municipal services,
mosques and churches and
innumerable cultural heritage
sites, which are integral to
the social fabric of Palestine.
Israeli soldiers have published
footage boasting about their
killing of families, mothers,
Children. The bombing of homes,
mosques and schools. Self
incriminating videos show them
sadistically mocking and
humiliating the Palestinian
victims not only by violating
their physical integrity and
right to life, but also their
dignity, their most intimate
possessions and spaces that the
soldiers had entered and looted
and by degrading cemeteries and
places of worship. When. They
were offensive started the
number of daily casualties
seemed to reduce, but in fact
the atrocities increased. Must
dis appearance and arbitrary
detentions, widespread and
systematic torture and inhumane
treatment After the experience
of endless death and loss.
Desperate people had to search
through rubble with their heads.
Many have been unable to bury
and grieve loved ones. These
acts of genocide have been
motivated by the event. Anti
Palestinian discourse, which
characterizes the entire
Palestinian people in Gaza as
enemies to be eradicated or
forcibly removed. This rhetoric
has been pervasive across all
segments of Israeli society
that Israel inheriting
officials command the authority
routinely called on soldiers to
annihilate the people of Gaza
is compelling evidence of
explicit and public incitement
to commit genocide. Evidence
further indicates that these
are an incitement has been
internalized and about by
soldiers on the ground. One of
my key findings is that
Israel’s executive and military
leadership and soldiers have
intentionally distorted rules
of international humanitarian
law, distinction,
proportionality and prep in an
attempt to legitimize genocidal
violence against Palestinian
people by deliberately
stretching the definitions of
human shield. Evacuation orders
warnings, safe zones,
collateral damage and medical
protection. These runners use
their protective Humanitarian
camouflage. The effect of
conceiving patterns of conduct
from which the only inference
can reasonably be drawn is a
state policy of genocidal
violence against the
Palestinians. Blurring. The
distinction between protected
civilians or city
infrastructure and combatant or
legitimate military targets.
Israel has effectively
characterized the whole
civilian population in Gaza as
human shields or terrorist
accomplices as a matter of
legal policy. Those who managed
to evacuate to areas that
Israel defined as safe
humanitarian zones have been
met with further attacks, their
deaths and injuries justified
as collateral damage. By making
repeated claims, which have
been systematically discredited.
The Hamas used hospitals as
operation centers. Israel
appears to be on the premises
on the premise that if you tell
a lie long enough People will
believe it. Israel has used the
camouflage of humanitarian law
to characterize the entire
Palestinian people in life
sustaining and life saving
infrastructure of Gaza has
target Key destroy. These
runners attempted to legitimize,
for example, the devastations
of Gaza’s medical
infrastructure, which has led
to potentially thousands of
additional deaths, like
changing injuries and trauma.
Are. You chill as done as that
being distorted to justify a
war of manipulation. In light
of this I find that there are
reasonable grounds to believe
that the threshold dedicating
the commission of the crime of
genocide against Palestinians
as a group in Gaza has been met.
Specifically, Israel has
committed three acts of
genocide with our visiting
intent, causing seriously
serious bodily or mental harm
to members of the group
deliberately inflicting on the
root conditions of life
calculated to bring about its
fiscal destruction in whole or
in part and imposing measures
intended to prevent births
within the group. The genocide
in Gaza is the most extreme
stage of a long standing
settler career process of Asia
of the nine native Palestinians
for over 76 years, this process
has oppressed the Palestinians
as a people in every way
imaginable. Sing there in the
in a right to self
determination, demographically
economically territorially,
culturally and politically.
Israel has attempted to
displace them expropriate their
land and not the resources and
ultimately replace them. The
colonial amnesia of the West.
As condo, Israel’s colonial
secular project from the
climate history of the very
birth of the state of Israel to
its oppressive occupation.
Since 1967 the crippling
closure of Gaza since 1993 and
its military assaults on Gaza
since 2007 The world now sees
the bitter fruit of impunity
afforded to Israel. This was a
tragedy foretold. While the
International Criminal court
will have to deliberate the
international green sorry. Well,
the International Court of
Justice will have to deliberate
International criminal court
will have to investigate. It is
my responsibility to remind you
that the genocide convention
includes a you ho against, nor
and their government’s
obligation to prevent the
commission of a reality. There
is a national Court of justice
recognized as plausible exactly
two months ago. The time for
states to act was then. And
that they did not. The time is
now. And. It’s not CASS sour.
The international community
cannot continue to ignore that
it’s Israel’s project to read
Palestine or Palestinians in ne
of international law in the
world sphere to go to Israel to
account It has led to genocide
laid bare in Gaza. Denial of
the reality and the
continuation of Israel’s
security and exceptionalism is
no longer viable. Mr. That’s
time resolution. I implore
member states to abide by their
obligation. Thanks, ma’am.
Khalid Ali. A respected council
members. My name is Can. We
have a recess. It’s like three
hours into this. My name is
Khaled Ali and I. Assume. The
Pro Zionist here can spell my
name cause if you know some
Hebrew, you always speak. Ha Ha
Ha ha Like Hamas. You Call
Hamas. Can, you say Khalid, Can
You speak Khalid allow the
speaker time And then if you
want to, I’m trying to speak,
so don’t don’t interrupt me. I
have the right to interrupt me.
Yeah. Yeah? Yeah Change your
shirt first, OK? No. The time
You restart the time I have not
even started. Yeah. Can. I
start again or go ahead and
start again. Thank you My name
is Callie Dal Ali and I am here
to pass a ceasefire resolution
for Palestine. But it is said
that despite many attempts,
this council has failed us to
Pass a resolution which is the
bare minimum. We are asking. We
should ask for way much more
after those genocides and
killings of those babies and
women. But. Even that is not
even going anywhere. The city
of Gaza was wiped out because
of silent co members like most
of you, So thanks for your so
called support for this cause
Last week the how the US House
of Representatives pass a
resolution that whoever says
from the river to the sea,
which is what I’m wearing right
now. I hope Richard watched
that, um, are considered anti
Semitic. Let me explain what
from the river to the sea means
from the river of Jordan to the
Mediterranean Sea, Palestine
will be free means given
Palestinians the right to
return to their lands that were
And from them the right from
the indigenous people of the
land to exist. It does not mean
elimination of Israel or as
they are claiming, Also On.
That. Same Day, the United
States vetoed Palestine to have
a full membership at the United
nations, obviously to continue
the Israeli genocide against
our people in Gaza and the West
bank, including occupied
Jerusalem, which we call Al
Quds. Then, surprisingly, two
days So. The. United States
House passed a bill of $100
billion to Ukraine, Taiwan and
Israel instead of funding the
people of this nation who needs
uh, that help the most Condemn
this veto and every veto that
the United states has placed
against Palestine and I Promise
everyone here specifically,
Richard. I. Promise You OK that,
uh Our. Palestinian. People
will continue their struggle
until they defeat the
occupation that, uh, take away
their rights just like they
took our rights from us and
establish an independent
Palestine with Jerusalem the
capital of it. I promise you
that will happen. Lastly, last
week was a national day for
Palestine Palestinian prisoners
over 10,000 prisoners, most of
them without charges, charges
and hundreds have lost their
lives from torture from the
Zionist regime. I would like to
take a moment of silence for
all those prisoners who are
mistreated under international
law. Thank you. Thank you. OK
counsel. We have five speakers
left. I. I do have a point of
order. I do just wanna say that.
Technically, we can move for a
recess at any point. We do need
to vote on the matter Correct.
We have five speakers left. Six
speakers left. Is anyone making
a motion? All. Right. Let’s
Continue Flanders Lorden, then
Stevie Hendrix, then RIA. Naga.
I’m sorry. Sure. I didn’t get
that right. Thank you? Um Thank
you council. Good evening and,
uh, first I wanna say thank you
for listening. I have spoken
before a couple different city
councils in Colorado and I feel
that this one is the most, uh,
attentive and it is not to be
Frank. The only council I feel
actually does, uh, actually
listen to what we have to say.
However. I am very disappointed
that, uh, this council has not
been able to put forward a
cease fire motion. We are six
months into the most well
documented genocide in history.
Um A lot of younger people, but
a lot of other people,
especially like see these
videos on their phones every
day of like dead Children and
dead women, dead doctors dead
hospital workers, ambulance
workers. It’s really horrible
and I think seeing videos like
that on a daily basis like
really is is not good for your
mental health, and I think, um,
it’s it It shakes you to your
core and it it forces you to,
uh, acknowledge that that’s the
reality of the world that we’re
living in. Even if that’s not
what we’re seeing in our
personal lives, Um The world
has become so interconnected
that that is what we’re seeing
across the globe, and
unfortunately it is the US that
continues to support this. I
wanted to read a CNN headline
from today. Um Specifically
that says, uh, Mass grave was
found it says nearly 300 bodies
found in mass grave at Gaza
Hospital. This is a Nasser
medical complex. Um, and this
is not to be confused with the
mass graves that were found
outside of, uh, the other
hospital. Um Al Schefer
Hospital, uh, this mass grave
had owned for 300 bodies, many
of them missing skin, many of
them wearing, um, medical
scrubs and with their hands zip
tied behind their backs. Uh,
there were patients that had
catheters and IV still in their
bodies that were buried in this
mass grave as well as many
having their organs removed,
which is a very common practice
by the Israeli military and
they bring these organs back to
Israeli organ banks. Um, Israel
has the largest Oregon bank in
the world. Of them taken from
Palestinians. Um, the things
that we have seen in the past
six months have really been
horrendous and horrible. And.
Uh, I know a City council again.
You guys, um, cannot stop this.
You don’t have the power to but
what you do have the power for
is to, uh speak out against it
and to make it clear to our
higher up government officials
that at a local level we do not
stand for this kind of violence.
I also wanted to make it clear
that this is an entirely
intersectional movement. Um, at
every event we We have Muslim,
Arab people, Muslim, non Arab
people, Jewish people,
Christian people, atheist
people, gender, queer people,
all types of people Yesterday.
I went to the, uh, Jewish voice
for peace. Passover, uh, cedar,
and it was a very lovely event.
I. I’ve never been to a cedar
before. So. That was a really
cool experience for me to be
able to engage, Um, with the
Jewish traditions, a Liberator
context and, uh, that’s the
future. This intersectional
movement is the future that
we’re building and we’re not
gonna go anywhere. So. Really
your options are, uh, speak now,
uh, speak later. Or, uh, Never
speak, but this movement will
continue. Regardless Thank you
for listening. Thank you.
Stevie Hendrix. Hello and Good
evening. Um So. My name is
Stevie Hendrix. I was born and
raised in the Denver Metro area.
I am now located off 3335 South
Clarkson Street. I would like
to start off with saying how
appalled I was to hear people
that are standing for the
Palestinian cause to be called
internationalist. I. Think. If
our tax dollars our military
resources if Israel is allowed
to have a lobbying group in the
US, we should definitely be
speaking on that on all levels
of the government. We are
currently on day 199 of the
ongoing US taxpayer funded
Israeli genocide of the
Palestinian people. 34,000 have
been killed more than 78,000
injured and over 8000 are
missing since October 7th out
of the 34,000 killed more than
13,800 Children have been
killed. I’m sick and tired of
seeing my community and the
people around me struggle all
because our government would
rather fund a rogue state to
complete a genocide on
indigenous population. A
ceasefire in Palestine is the
bare minimum and I’m urging the
council to at least start with
the bare minimum. All life is
precious and all life
inherently has so much value to
it. Violent settlers states
such as Israel would never be
able to understand that Richard
Oliver. You are guilty of
aiding and abetting a genocide
on the Palestinian people to be
clear when you stand with
Israel. This is what you are
standing for. You are standing
for genocide. You are standing
for ethnic cleansing. And. It
is not right ceasefire now and
the occupation and halt all
military funding to is not real.
Thank you. RIA. No. On in Green
Meadows. Then we have Jeanette.
Finia Valencia. And. Then
Joshua calmed him. Hello. My
name is Rokia. And. You Think
that by now I know better as a
black person not to come to a
bunch of white people and tell
them about my struggles, but I
will once again but this time
hopefully I’ll be able to die
it just a little bit to
yourselves just so that you can
think about beyond yourself
today, hopefully So. Let’s
Compare the police here in the
United states to the police in
Israel. If, you’re a
Palestinian in Israel right now.
You’re shit scared of the
police. Just like me. I am
terrified of them. You know why?
Because. They’re just shooting
people that look like me in the
street. Same thing with the
Palestinians just so happens
that I’m also Muslim, So That
just brings another reason for
them to bring their gun up and
shoot me while I’m in the
street. Thankfully I have
scripts to wear, which
sometimes can be a good grace.
So. They’re like, Oh. She’s one
of the good black people, not
of the bad ones, so maybe we
wouldn’t have her at this time.
Unfortunately in Raza. It’s the
opposite If, You are wearing
scrubs. You are targeted.
You’re a reason to be killed.
Why because you’re saving lives
and they don’t want you saving
lives. Second thing. Children
in America are being killed,
left and right, whether in
schools in parks in their homes,
if you’re black, same thing
that is happening in Palestine
right now Children are getting
bombed in their homes in their
schools in churches in mosques
anywhere anywhere where
civilians can be. They’re being
killed. Third thing is prisons.
We’re like filled. We’re
filling the prisons in America,
Black and brown people. Why
because we’re getting
discriminated against. We’re
getting literally profiled in
the streets, and that’s the
exact same thing that is
happening in Palestine. They
Profile Palestinian using a I
you would think a I helps you
write emails? No. They use it
to literally profile
Palestinians so that they can
bomb them. Health care. I work
in health care, So I maybe I
know a little bit. My patients
suffer every single day because
insurance refuses to cover
certain things. Why because we
give insurance that power while
in Israel, they have free
health care. Wouldn’t you want
that right to have co pays and
have to have to pay insurance
just so that when you do go to
the office, you have to pay yet
again. While in Israel. They,
get free health care something
to think about. Housing. You
know, I’m not gonna talk much
more about that. Food and water
and food. We have contaminated
food in water around the
country, and that’s something
that is just OK to have around.
But in Israel. They have
Healthy organic food. And that
is affordable compared to here
and I. Well. I have one last
second all I hope for you is
everything that has been
happening to the Palestinians
happened to you. Jeanette
Valencia. Good evening and
thank you for hearing me out. I
know it’s been a long night. My
name is Jeanette and I live in
Ward one. I’m here in support
of an immediate permanent
ceasefire in Gaza, the level of
casualties and scale of
destruction in the occupied
Gaza Strip is unprecedented.
Brothers and sisters. We are
all part of the human race. We
all breathe the same air roam
the same planet and need the
same essentials to survive. How.
Many more catastrophic videos
and pictures Do we need to
witness before we put an end to
this genocide. I cannot fathom
the amount of human suffering
I’ve witnessed on my phone for
seven months now and most of
the time. My own brain has a
difficult time processing what
it has just seen. Just when I
think I cannot get any worse,
it does. This morning I opened
up my phone and see that
doctors are extracting babies
from dead mothers in Gaza. And
more than 300 bodies were found
in a mass grave in Gaza,
including Children executed
with their hands tied behind
their backs. Hear that again.
Children executed with their
hands tied. This is not
Self-defense. It is a genocide.
More Children were killed in
just over three weeks in Gaza
than in all of the world’s
conflicts combined in each of
the past three years, let that
sink in. This is not a cry for
my own suffering for what I
witnessed. This is a
humanitarian cry that is in
dire need of a resolution for a
permanent ceasefire. Please
consider pushing immediate
humanitarian assistance and
establishing safe zones in the
Gaza Strip. Safe passage of
humanitarian aid and resuming
access to water and electricity,
as well as fuel for medical
facilities in the Gaza Strip.
We’ve all failed at life. If,
these words remain words. This
must end. Thank you and free
Palestine. Joshua Compton.
Hello. If. You, take some time
and watch the cameras that are
looking at Washington DC right
now and just turn off the sound.
You’ll notice that everyone is
working together in a very
bipartisan manner. They’re
working towards genocide. And
when you turn on the sound and
listen to it. The quarrels are
over one side once genocide
quicker. The. Other side wants
genocide quieter. But. That’s
what they’re arguing over. I’m,
hoping as a nonpartisan body
here. That. We can actually say,
maybe just maybe. Genocide is
not good. Maybe. It’s bad and
we shouldn’t be doing it
because we’re participating. I
had something else to say. But
I’ve forgotten that. Please, uh,
cease fire now and send in the
eight. Thank you. Mm. Mr A.
That’s the last one I have here
to you more down there. Thank
you may I just have one more
blurry, blurry. Z. Thank you.
I’m So. Sorry that by now you
don’t know my name, but I’ll
Say it again. Thank you zenith
Sharif Belkin Ward for Good
evening, Councilman Ryan Good
evening the rest of the council.
Thank you for having me up here,
and I know it’s been a long
evening. Been a long evening
because there is a genocide
happening. It’s been a long
evening because your
constituents need you to hear
them. We need you to hear us.
We’re not you heard from the
United Nations. You heard from
Palestinians. You’ve seen
television. You’ve watched
countless countless Children
and mothers being killed. And.
I. Guess my question is how
many is enough? I mean, really,
That’s what it comes down to
right if it’s not 34,000, is it
34 2? Is it 17,017 2 like what
is the number? What is the
number that is enough. At what
point Will. We, As. Individuals
say Enough is enough and not in
my name. Today is is a high
holiday for the Jewish people,
which is why, in fact, many why
many Jewish folks are not here
tonight? Jewish folks who stand
in solidarity with me and I
know I speak on behalf of my of
my husband, Mark Belkin, who is
also standing in solidarity
with us here, But they are not
here because it’s the one of
the highest of holidays and
it’s a holiday of peace. It’s a
holiday when you don’t stand
around Watching other watching
humanity suffer. So. I’m here
to say if you as a body Frankly
don’t have the courage or the
wherewithal or the ability to
stand up against a genocide.
I’m gonna actually challenge
each of you individually. Each
of you individually will be
hearing from either myself or
the rest of my group, our group
to say. Why. Won’t you stand
individually? Against a
genocide. I. Hope you have a
really good evening, but it’s a
really heavy thought that I’m
sending you home with. I hope
the numbers have not just been
numbers to you. These are human
beings so Ceasefire now. And
free Palestine. I think Sure. I
can Yeah. Keep going.
Discussion up here is whether
we now want to recess for a few
minutes Restroom break. Do. I
have a motion. All right. My
first Maybe. Alright, I’ll
motion for five minute recess.
All right, Everybody vote five
minute recess. From the river
to the sea and that pass 10
years one day the day being
Councilor Stewart. It will be
free from the river to the sea.
All, right? I called back to
order the Lakewood City Council
meeting on Monday April 22nd at
10:29 p.m.. Thank you everybody.
I hope everybody had a chance
to stretch legs and we are
close to done. Um first one
item we have this evening in
general business is a our
council request for action
councilor over I will defer the
microphone to you to Um, bring
that forward as you’ve
submitted. OK, Thank you, Mayor.
Um OK. So. I put in a request
for us to have a study session
or or workshop. With, the topic
being open meetings and open
records laws. So the motion. Do.
You want me to make a motion? I?
You can explain your intention
behind it, and you can make the
motion if you want, OK? Um,
yeah, Basically. We are all
subject to these open meetings
and open records laws. And.
We’re pretty much just
civilians and and, uh,
especially as new people. Come
on. They’re not sure what’s
going on, and it’s confusing,
and I think it should almost be
a buy in not a bi annual thing,
an annual meeting. Um so that
we get to learn more about open
meetings. I’ve. I’ve heard a
lot about open meetings and
open records. But. There’s
still a lot more to be learned.
Um, there’s confusion. There’s
certain Top. Um it seems like
the laws are such. But then
they’re also seems like case
studies are different. Uh and
I’ve seen a lot of people not
just on this council, but other
councils and other government
entities that are And fear of
of three people being together.
At any time and that’s
definitely not a problem. I
mean you can. We could we could
have a party with everybody
here and we wouldn’t have to
call it call a meeting not have
an official meeting and
something like that. So. I
think it should be. I would
like to have this so it’s
cleared up. Especially for the
newer people, Uh, after you’ve
been here while you kind of
learn a little bit more, Um I
wrote down. Um, I would like to
invite an outside experts along
with our own, um and people who
have real world experience with
those laws. Um, who have been
lawyers or judges and have
tried cases in Colorado. Or,
someone whose area of expertise
is open meetings and records,
and it sounds like CML should
have people like this that we
can invite in. Um And. There
might be other people. So
that’s just wrap it up like
that. It’s just, uh, I think
that would benefit everybody
here to know a little bit more
about the open meeting laws and
the open meeting for the open
records laws. And. I move that
we, um That Council schedule a
work state work, a study
session or a workshop with the
topic being open meeting. And
open records laws. It doesn’t
sound like we have a second. Um,
why don’t we open it up for
discussion? Um Mayor Pro TEM is
I Yes, Thank you, mayor. I’m
Gonna Vote No on this. I think
you probably could have guessed
that, though, I. I’m feeling
frustrated that we’re using
this is like your personal
research project. I would point
you to the Eovaldi case that
was out of our purview that for
some of us who have school age
Children to sit through a study
because you were interested to
know how the police handle
school shootings has nothing to
do with us. You have to own
your learning. This is
something that if you have
questions about open Laws and
the fact that you’re speaking
on behalf of others who haven’t
articulated this need, you know,
At some point we’re gonna have
to take those steps. The CML
resources are available to
everyone. There was a request
that you shared today It was a
personal research project like
that is not the purpose of
staff is to research things
that you’re interested in. We
have these, uh, immense study
sessions with multiple topics
and so to add something like
this on there when this is
something that people can
access on their own, I think is
not judicious with time and
it’s not Opportunity and how
we’re using Stas time. It’s not
a great resource for those of
us who have full time jobs and
don’t enjoy the perks of being
retired. So. I’ll be a no on
this. Thank you. Councilor Matt
Guerrero. I have a similar
sentiments and I also in
particular recognize that this
is not something that happened
for, um All of the folks who
are who have more recently been
elected, but we did, in fact,
have AC ML training at a, um
City council. Uh, retreat and
annual plan a few years ago. Uh,
that included actually
conversations about the
Sunshine Law and how to make
sure that we were building that
into how we think about leading
and how to be really cautious
about that, in particular in
order to be the best possible,
transparent yet effective
leaders and that was actually a
portion of that training that
you missed. Um and so Not only
is this something that feels
very Searchable like something
that you can find out that you
can request from CML and that
you can learn more about but it
is also something that in
particular I did receive a
training on it, and you chose
not to be there. Um, And so I
will also be a no vote.
Councilor low Uh, All I was
gonna say is I. I appreciate
the spirit in which this is
being brought forward. Um, I’m.
I’m not opposed to learning
more about an issue but in this
particular case like I think we
have a number of different ways
to get this information. I feel
that in the on boarding that we
had with city staff, this was
covered. Um, if there are
specific questions about open
meetings, I mean it is a very
complicated topic. So I. I
fully appreciate that. May. I.
Just respectfully suggest maybe
we we ask our city attorney for
some follow up information. A
memo an email if there are
specific questions, I mean it
is a complicated topic. I
wouldn’t be opposed to reading
more about it. I just I think,
given how crowded the calendar
is I. I don’t think it makes
sense to add this to our
already very packed schedule,
but I appreciate bringing the
motion forward. I’m going to be
a no vote on it. Core. So. I am
very interested in hearing more
about the open records open
meetings, but I think we do
have an expert, uh, in the city.
I mean there are issues. I
think that I would agree that
it would be good to bring an
outside person, But. I do think
we have an expert within the
city. Um, so whether if you’d
like to amend it so that we
have AAA session. That’s an
optional, uh, workshop, uh, in
which we can attend, uh, to
learn more about that. Or if,
uh, resources are made
available, uh, so that there’s
an outside group like CML is
presenting something on open
records, open meetings, uh,
that we can attend. Uh, that’s
made available to us. You know
I’m always in favor if I have
the time to be able to attend
something like that, I just
don’t know that I wanna bring
in an outside person for this,
you know, with at a retreat,
there was a discussion about,
uh, the Bob’s rules of order
and having I forgot his name,
Bob. Buddy, uh, to to come back,
Uh, perhaps and give a more in
depth discussion about the The
rules, which could include open
records, open open meetings.
I’d be in favor of something
like that. If there. Is that
follow up. Uh, Councilor over
Yeah, I. I’m really Sorry. Uh,
that, uh It Mayor Pro TEM
Shehzad doesn’t want to know
what the police are going to do
in case of a shooting. I
certainly wanted to know. And,
uh, As for this. I I’m Gonna, I
already made the motion If. We.
Don’t get a second. We. Don’t
get a second. That’s the way it
works around here, Um I. I did
say, by the way that We could
bring in an outside person to
complement our expert. And. So?
Yeah II. I think it if you
wanna do it, you can do it. If.
You don’t you don’t I’m like
trying to help everybody here.
I’m. Not. Really. It’s not all
that necessary for me. I just
see confusion. Um And Yeah.
That’s enough really about the
and so as for Having A lot on
our calendar. You have to
remember that I was on council
last year where we canceled 10
study sessions, So. We’re doing
a lot more this year. That’s
for sure. Uh, And. Maybe the
calendar is full, but I’m still
looking and going and we don’t
always have something to do. So.
Maybe here’s something that we
could do, and we don’t have
something else to do. That’s
All I have to say. Thank you,
Councilor over and thank you
for being so considerate to
your new counselors. I will
also add to any of our new
counselors. Especially that, um,
our city attorney, Ms McKinney.
Brown has offered to be a
resource ongoing for one, You
know questions that come up, um,
as well as to sit down and and
have a little bit more of an in
depth conversation. And. In
fact, the Colorado Municipal
League conference is coming up
in June. We’ll have a
presentation on this exact
topic as well. So lots of ways
that we can learn about. That.
Um, I’m happy to help guide
people in the right direction.
If, You’re looking for anything
and, um so we’ll go ahead and
we’ll consider that one not
moving forward for lack of a
second. And with that, then we
will shift over to our ward
meetings. Um or our ward
reports this evening. Who would
like to go first one or five.
Ward one or five. Miss Glenda
Sinks. Jump there at it. So we
had A combined Ward Wards one
and two meeting on Saturday
Saturday morning and, um, it
was very well attended, even
though we had some snow and are
very excellent sustainability
manager Jonathan Wachtel
presented and I think it was,
um Again. Very very
enlightening. Very good.
However. Some attendees wished
for more time to discuss issues
in the community, uh, which
would be common to North
lakewood, and, uh, so I’ll just
make the point that you don’t
have to wait until Ward
meetings to tell us your issues,
and in fact, it’s really good
to know the issues ahead of
time, especially me. I. Now. I
have a wonderful co counselor
that she’s got it, But I, Don’t,
and so if you will tell me
ahead of time, what issues and
then And besides that, I love
agendas at meetings and so, um,
we set the agenda and we can
set the agenda with your issue
on there that I’ve had time to
completely research and, um so
I Just. Ask for your
understanding in the way that I
have to work and have an agenda
set and I know, and I’ve I know
that I’ve prepared so, um, I
hope that helps those that were
disappointed and not having
enough time to just bring up
issues so please let me know
issues and we can handle them
appropriately. Um, we will be
back in May with, um Ward one’s
regular schedule, which is the
first Saturday of the month and
we will talk about the comp
plan New comprehensive plan.
That’s all I have. No. I’m
sorry. I have one other thing.
I’ll just say it. So. Um, when
I heard, Um Councilor Olver say
that last year we canceled 10 I
went. Wow. How is that happened
And, so I looked him up and
it’s like, Oh Memorial Day is
one of them and all of these
holidays and so, actually, I
said, Well. It’s really that
they’ve never been scheduled
when their holiday ones Labor
Day, et cetera. They’re not
even scheduled, but we still
use the word canceled. And if
we check the calendar this year,
there’s probably also 10 or so
that are canceled, which really
means never really scheduled
because their holidays, so I
just wanted to bring that up.
Thank you. Thank you? I Just. I
Wanna recognize everyone that
came out tonight and shared in
public comment. I really
appreciate that. Uh, you know,
there’s some of us who’ve had
the opportunity to connect with
leadership in your group quite
frequently, and I. Don’t need
Zenne to contact me. You all
know where I stand on this and
so I continue to, uh, offer the
small sphere of influence that
I have, um, to help support
this cause my liberation is
tied to your liberation. I
recognize that my identity is
so much in this space. You all
and so I just appreciate the
sort of heartache that you face
every day. My rage. Equates to
your rage as well. And I’m
disappointed with our
representation in Washington,
and I hope that these moments
are helping them realize, uh,
where their constituents land
that is, you know also where I
share my space with you. And.
So you know, Please hear that
from me, and I hope that we can
continue to have these
conversations. I recognize that
you’re here because you’re
screaming into a void and we’re
a space that’s listening to you.
And, So I appreciate that, and
thank you. Word. Two. OK. I am
going to start with, um A
couple of just logistical
updates, and then I will also
recognize the people that have
spent a lot of time with us
this evening and some other
evenings as well. Um So last
week, I was able to go to the
Iber annual meeting and got
really useful. Updates from
Iber sustainable from various,
uh, topics that are important
to IB, including on some of
their thoughts on the on the
comp plan, and the next phase
of, um, being a part of
committees that will get more
in the weeds as residents of
lakewood on our long term
zoning planning, um, even some
cultural levels. Uh In Lakewood,
and so I wanna really encourage
anybody who is interested? Um,
it doesn’t maybe yet know how
to apply for those things If,
you reach out to anyone here on
the bench, but also really
anyone on staff. Everyone can
direct you to how to apply to
be on one of those committees.
We definitely wanna see some
good war. Two representation,
um, to make sure that the next
10 years of liquid grows in the
way that we all want to see it
happening. Um the Iber. The
sustainable Iber neighborhood
also is doing a lot of really
great projects. And so now in
Ward two, we have active,
sustainable neighborhoods in,
uh Morse Park iber, Uh, OK and
then two creeks doesn’t
technically have a separate,
sustainable group. But they do
a lot of sustainable work and
are hosting a clean up as they
do every year alongside, Um The
City for the Colfax Marathon.
So on May 11th, which is the
weekend before the Colfax
marathon you can sign up to
help to clean up Colfax for the
runners the next week, and it
is a really interesting and
strange experience. I highly
recommend it as a way to get to
know your city. Um, and to make
it a little bit more beautiful.
And then Let me. Just. Make
sure checking notes. Oh, and,
um, the Mint and Sara has
reopened in their new location.
They had their grand opening
this weekend. I was
unfortunately not able to
attend either the the Joint
board meeting in the morning or
their grand opening, Um,
because I had a cold this
weekend. And in an effort to
not spread that germ throughout
the community. I stayed home,
but I heard that it was a
really great event, and I
highly recommend that people go
and check it out. Um and I will
leave our next board meeting to
Councilor cruz. Talk about I
can talk about it. It’s May
18th is our next word, meaning
we’re specifically looking into
locations because we think it’s
going to be too big, probably
for our normal location of the
Clement center. So, um, this
arm may word meeting is going
to be a Town hall or community
conversation. Um, alongs, uh,
talking about public safety and
sort of all of the aspects of
that, so we will have some
members of, uh police. The CAT
team. Um And. We will really be
looking to think about sort of
the Upstream crime prevention
and thinking about the quality
of life the support for people
that we can to help prevent
people having to take Petty
offenses or survival acts. Also
thinking about like what is the
current full strategy of our
police force? We have a new
chief. As of not that long ago,
And so, um and we, of course,
have a lot of that tension come
up in our word meetings in our
neighborhood association
meetings, and I’m sure in every
word, but in war two in
particular, we have a really
high percentage of the
pressures. Um of of a city life.
But with the infrastructure of
lakewood and so really trying
to think about how we are
wrestling with, um our values
as compassion and inclusion our
values of public safety and how
those things actually can work
together. If we’re really if we
really try, so that will be. I
think a dynamic and interesting
conversation but hopefully The
first of lots of good
conversations to come on. Like
what that gets to look like in
the community. So. Lastly. I do
just wanna really acknowledge
the people that were here today.
Um And. I Wanna say I
absolutely appreciate the way
that I hear your rage and your
anger and your frustration and
your distrust and I also heard
compassion and love and I wanna
especially shout out that the
critique of some calls for
ceasefire being anti Semitic
the way that you all have
chosen to respond to that by
being really clear that you are
hoping for peace and for safe
For all people in that region
and that a ceasefire has to be
how that happens. Um, and I
appreciate the way that you all
are persistent and consistent
in the way that you keep
showing up in lots of different
places. I think that this is
one of many issues as you all
talk about that. It’s it
doesn’t make sense for us to
really have to address this
here and I personally, too.
Feel frustrated that I have to
think about it and talk about
it all the time in this role
when I have lots of things.
Want to be doing, but that is
not a frustration. That is
because of you. Um And that
there are really a lot of
Important issues. That, the
largest amounts of progress are
happening at the local level
right now, and that is true for
our local resources and
emergency shelters. It is true
for the way that we are feeding
people and this is just another
thing that people aren’t
feeling hurt and not seeing the
movement nationally. And I know
that that is you coming here
with your frustrations? I.
Think as counselor share as I
shared is because you were
screaming into a void, and you
think that we might actually be
listening to you? And? I know I
certainly am And so So. Thank
you all for Your energy and
sharing your frustration and
continuing to care when it is
very, very easy to stop caring.
And I absolutely feel aligned
with you all and continue to
let us know and to let me know
specifically like how I can be
helpful in this conversation.
Make a motion I cannot make a
motion at this time of the
meeting. It is not actually
within the rules. I’m happy to
talk to you all about this. In
the future. But. That is not
how this this process currently
works. But. We can have these
discussions. Um And. I. Also. I
also wanna just recognize the
way that in general on lots,
Lots and lots of these heart
issues. I see people who
started coming to the City
Council meetings on other
issues showing up and the way
that that intersectionality is
so clear to me, not just on
issues of peace. Um, I was
raised in a household that
believed that Calling for
global peace was actually very
necessary and important, and
that is always the philosophy
that I have had. But the
intersection in recognizing
that all things are local,
because all international
things all national things they
are happening to us as
individuals where we live, and
that is just a fact that we
have to address and deal with.
So. I don’t have that large of
a sphere of influence at this
juncture, but, um, I do thank
you all for continuing to help
it grow. And I will pass it to
my co counselor. Thank you? Um
I will mirror your structure
and do some procedural updates
and then speak to what we’ve
heard tonight. Um, so just to
put a finer point on, Um
Councilor Maya Guerrero’s point
on the advisory groups for the
comprehensive plan. The
application for that was, uh,
extended to April 25th so you
can have a voice in shaping the
future of housing in the
economy. Um, quality of life
and community and Green
infrastructure and
transportation. I Think I got
those three right ish. Um so
please, please. Um, these are
gonna be really helpful in
shaping the vision for what we
want to see in our community.
Um, Additionally, speaking of
representation of Ward two,
particularly because many of
you mentioned you were in war
two, which makes me very
pleased. Um, we do not have
representation on the Lakewood
Advisory Commission. Um and we,
um, are still waiting on and
hoping for applications to
represent community. Trust and
move forward. Um Uh, from our
our ward to compliment, um,
very robust representation for
Ward one and from some of the
other wards. Uh, to, uh, to to
inform what we’re speaking
about. Like. We saw the
presentation earlier, so I
would encourage you all to
apply. Um, that will be on
lakewood dot org. Um So. Yeah
and I. Think speaking to events
we attended last week, I was
really honored to be a Panelist
at, uh, the what? What is
called A Passage at the Jeffco
Open school. Um, so that is
that’s at our, um, that’s in
War two. But. It’s a resource
and a kind of a choice of of a
school for people across
Jefferson County, Um, and
instead of some of the testing
kind of regime, a lot of us are
used to, um, they do these
projects. Um And so I had the
pleasure of, um, walking around
with a student who showed me
the school taught me about the,
um, model, um, and spoke in her
project. Um, kind of about her
learnings on missing and
murdered indigenous women, um
in our country, and she said, I
recognize you, isabel and I
said how I’ve never seen you
before I was at a City council
meeting asking you for a cease
fire several months ago, and I
in the in that room, there were
other student Who were there
who recognized me in that
capacity, too, and asked me why
we hadn’t done anything. And so
I just want to recognize that
our young people in our schools
are watching us and I know, and
I’ll be honest, right? Not all
of the the outreach that I’ve
gotten from constituents is is
positive on this issue, right?
Um not all people want us to do
this. We can be honest about
that. But that moment of the
one City council meeting that
people go to school a couple of
blocks away from me was on this
topic. Um, I. Think really
highlights a lot of the themes
that you all spoke to tonight
and really, um, does connect
for me my role in this local
capacity in which I have a very
limited sphere of influence, um,
to these larger themes that you
were speaking to and I, I do
want to reaffirm right which I
know some people brought up
that tonight is a is a very
high holy day, um, for our
Jewish residents and Folks who
are, um, observing this and so
I do want to wish a blessed and
meaningful Passover to folks.
Um, and recognize that that for
a lot of the the Jewish people
in my life today is is really
bittersweet, right? Because of
what this holiday means for,
folks. Um, and that this is yet
another holiday on the heels of
Easter. Just a couple weeks ago,
Ramadan and just a couple weeks
ago, um, where the Israeli and
Palestinian hostages are not
with their families. To
celebrate where people in Gaza
are subject to deplorable
violence, horrendous living
conditions watching their homes
and communities get destroyed
and seeing their neighbors,
including over 14,000, Children
and counting die in front of
them. This is another holy day
where members of our community
Remind us that even though this
conflict may feel far away for
some our fates across the globe
are connected. And. So, the
student, um, whose passage I
was kind of listening to you. I
quoted Dr. Angela Davis in her,
uh, her presentation, So I will
quote Doctor, Angela Davis and
saying our history is never
unfold in isolation. We cannot
truly tell what we consider to
be our own histories without
knowing the other stories and
often when we discover that
those stories are actually Our
own stories, So. Thank you for
bringing your stories and those
of our siblings across the
world to focus to focus to shed
light on how the tragedy
unfolding every day in Gaza is
deeply connected to our lives
here in lakewood, our federal
government’s choice to value
international war and weapons
over funding to solutions that
we see here every day and are
trying to tackle as a city
council like homelessness and
lack of affordable housing,
food insecurity, inequitable
access to health care. That’s
my other job. Um, and, uh, so
much more makes us all
complicit. As was mentioned in
the harms perpetrated by the
Israeli government and prevent
us from meeting our community’s
needs. I have been publicly um,
standing as an individual and
calling for a bilateral and
permanent ceasefire as again
for months, and many of our
federal representatives have
come to that table, too,
including the president and the
vice president, but notably,
not the majority of our
congressional delegation and
not our own represent. Live
here in Lakewood. Um So it
again. It pains me that with
the limited power I have as a
member of this body that we
have not done more to listen to
all of you and send this
message more formally, but I do
commit to continuing to listen
to being here to listen to your
voices and to push on our
federal government by our
federal delegation to listen to
you at and to us as their
constituents and do everything
in their power to end this
suffering ensure humanitarian
aid can enter Gaza redirect our
precious tax dollars to so Most
pressing problems and pave the
path forward towards a free
Palestine. 43 Well. Good
evening, I will do the same
thing. Then, um We have a ward
three breakfast coming up this
week on Thursday, as I’m like
thinking through this at 11
p.m. making sure I get the time,
right? Uh, we will be having
breakfast at sunrise Sunset.
8:30 a.m. Thank you 830 to 9:30
A.m. for our ward Three
residents. Uh, we’re doing a
rotation where we have kind of
a more town hall style meeting,
Uh, a breakfast and then office
hours just because different
times and different formats
work for different people, and
we wanna hear from as many of
our constituents in Ward three
as possible. So, counselor Lo
and I will be, uh, doing that
this week and Would love to see
folks there for Eggs and
pancakes or whatever, Um
they’re very accommodating. Um
the other thing that I just
want to flag is that the 25th,
which is this Thursday is also
the deadline to fill out the
community survey that the
budget and audit board has put
together Anna’s working with a
firm to put out into the
community. This is an
incredibly important piece of
understanding what the prior
That are community has for the
way that we spend our dollars
as well as, uh, our future
funding and our revenue sources
and the sustainability of that
as a city. So if you have not
filled that out, as, um,
somebody who cares about how we
spend our money and what our
priorities are in lakewood. I
would really, really urge you
to. It’s going to be incredibly
instrumental in helping us kind
of shape. What the Future, Uh,
funding and and our funding
priorities in like what are
going to look like? So? Um, you
can go to a lakewood dot org
backslash funding survey. Uh, I
believe there are a couple of
different ways to find it. You
can also go to lakewood
together.org. It’s one of the
first hyperlinks on there, So,
please, Please do engage, Um
You know? This is gonna
potentially shape You know
whether or not we have an
affordable housing fund in
lakewood and our long term,
sustainable funding for things
like our navigation Center,
which I know we all care very
deeply about our investments in
sustainable infrastructure like
we talked about tonight and
sustainability and equitable
access, um to all of the spaces
in our community that you know,
I know, we all care about the
future of this community and I
think There’s actually somebody
in this room who, uh, is a dear
friend of mine. Who said that,
um One thing they appreciate
about me is that even if we
don’t always totally agree that
I’m I’m honest, So. I’m gonna
do that. I think these Issues
that we just spoke about and
and heard about tonight. You
know around sustainability
around serving our, um folks in
our community who are unhoused
and making sure that people
have access, um to housing,
which is a human, right? Um are
are the things That and the
places where the 11 of us up
here working together can and
have already had an incredibly
significant direct impact on
our community. Um and Quite,
frankly, are the things that as
a body I do believe should
continue to be our focus as a
body. I’m not speaking to our
individual capacities as people
who are elected with power and
spirits of influence. Um So in
that regard, though, I’m going
to take this moment to say
Thank you all for coming. I
know that it’s Incredibly
frustrating to feel like the
people who can do something or
not listening. And This
humanitarian crisis is
incredibly dire and I am up
here today, urging our federal
government to do absolutely
everything in our power to
ensure that aid is getting to
the people who desperately need
it and that we are working
towards peace, which everybody
deserves, especially right now
in this region. Um I know. I
know. And I am going to
continue to commit to use the
small sphere of influence that
I do have to Make sure that our
elected officials who do who do
have the power to do something
or hearing what our community
is saying. I’ve been I have
been doing that I committed to
doing that months ago. And. I
just wanna make sure that
everybody up here knows that. I
believe very deeply that
everyone deserves to be heard.
So I’m gonna continue to make
sure that that happens. Um, I.
Just. Wanna, Uh, logistics.
First. I. Wanna Second one
councilor, Um Stewart said
about, um The war three meeting
coming up this Thursday We hope
you come 830 at sunrise Sunset
1424 South Wadsworth, Um and
I’ll second, her plug as well
to weigh in on the budget and
audit board process we really
need as much feedback from
across Lakewood and or three
and the rest of the city as
possible. You know? With, your
indulgence. I This is a A tough
enough issue that I actually
took the liberty of of drafting
some thoughts. Earlier, um, and
over the last few days just to
kind of sort my own thoughts
out because I I, Frankly just
don’t trust myself to get this
quite right on the fly at 11
p.m. So bear with me here. So.
Far I have declined to speak
publicly on the ongoing Gaza
conflict for a few reasons.
First with council facing many
urgent and regional issues, it
does not make sense for us to
act where we have no authority,
jurisdiction or agency. We’ve
also seen an alarming rise in
documented anti-semitic
incidents over the past year
nationally and in Colorado,
I’ve spoken to Jewish friends
and community leaders about
this. They do not have
monolithic views, but some have
expressed heartfelt concern
that public criticism of Israel
platforms and fuels that anti
Semitism I take those worries
extraordinarily seriously.
Further. I worry that enshrine
tonight to acknowledge
injustice. I will inadvertently
exacerbate trauma elsewhere.
That that is the maddeningly
zero sum calculus of hurt anger
and pain swirling around this
issue in our communities.
Having said. All of that we
have heard repeatedly from
passionate activists from all
of you here tonight. Um, some
of them from lakewood, who have
asked us to speak out, and I
really did listen
extraordinarily carefully to
each and every word that you
said tonight. The situation in
Gaza has reached a point where
I personally believe, saying
nothing in response is
increasingly problematic for
all the reasons that you
eloquently articulated So,
having been asked repeatedly
for my two cents here is what I
believe First. Hamas is a
terrorist organization in a
region with a complicated and
long history. Nothing can
justify the horrific rapes and
murders of civilians, women and
Children that Hamas per
perpetrated on October 7th.
Hamas deliberately triggered
the current conflict. I call
for Hamas to immediately return
all remaining hostages safely.
Having said that second The
violence. The Netanyahu
government has unleashed in
response has been horrifyingly
disproportionate. The. Precise
counts are hard to verify aid a
chaotic war. Tens of thousands
of Gaza civilians have died as
a direct result of the
Netanyahu war cabinets
bombardment. Many are innocent
Children as we have heard
tonight, many more civilians
have been badly injured. The
Netanyahu government and its
agents have also deliberately
intercepted and blocked food,
humanitarian aid and medical
supplies at the Gaza border as
a direct result, as many as 1.1
million Palestinian civilians
face catastrophic food
insecurity. Children have died
in agony undergoing surgeries
without anesthesia. This is
sickening. I. Think about how I
would feel if my family were in
Gaza right now. It has to stop.
There is no justification for
the horrors that the Netanyahu
government has unleashed on the
people of Gaza. We do need a
ceasefire. We need a permanent
ceasefire and we need it now.
President Biden said this in
the state of the union and I
was glad he did, but I will go
further. In my opinion, it is
time for President Biden and
our Congress to deliver a clear
ultimatum to Netanyahu’s
government, making clear that
if critical food and medical
supplies continue to be
intercepted, or if the
Netanyahu government continues
mass attacks on civilians or
attacks Rafah the US will cease
aid and support for any Israeli
offensive weaponry until the
situation changes
satisfactorily. I also join
Senate Majority leader Schumer,
the highest ranking Jewish
official in the US government
in denouncing Prime Minister
Netanyahu as a barrier to peace
and then calling for new
elections, hoping Israeli
voters will choose less cynical,
less destructive leadership. In
truth, the Netanyahu government
and Hamas are both fundamental
barriers to peace. Turning to
closer to home. I. I do wanna
note again. The recent spike in
anti Semitic incidents and
acknowledge the enduring
Islamophobia. So. Many of our
Muslim and Arabic neighbors
face In speaking about this
tragedy, I think we have to do
better to avoid racist,
xenophobic or anti Semitic
rhetoric and treat our
neighbors of all faiths and
creeds with respect and
compassion. As. It happens as
we already heard. Our Jewish
neighbors are celebrating
Passover this week. As a result.
I am honestly concerned that
some Jewish residents of
Lakewood may not have been able
to speak this evening on this
important topic. I will soon
release a written version of
the statement out of respect
for those neighbors. I will
wait until the end of the
celebration of Passover to do
so. Finally while acknowledging
the gravity of the situation. I
note again that this city
Council, this body does not
have a foreign policy role, and
rightly so, having taken a few
minutes to clarify where I
stand this evening. I’m not
planning to address this topic
again as a lakewood City
councilor. We need to leave
foreign policy to our president
or Congress and focus on all
the important work that some of
my other co counselors have
already referenced and that
lakewood elected us to
prioritize. I Really do thank
you for your passion. Your
activism. I know this is some
of what I said is probably
disappointing. Um, thank you
for being here and thank you
for your passion and your work.
Word for Thank you, mayor. Uh,
uh, first. The Counselor sinks.
I’ll send you a I’ll email you
the list of all the times the
10 and yes, there are others. I.
Actually, I. Actually, I went
through. I went down that list
One time in council I. I read
off all the dates. Uh so I have
a list and I. I can’t find it
right now, but there was like
five other days. With holidays
additional days and so it felt
like we were meeting like once
a month for a long time, and
and you’ll probably get that
feeling around in the summer
and then around the holidays,
and it just it’s just we didn’t
seem to be doing much. And so
that was part of my thinking on
the The motion tonight is like,
well, there’s always something
out there. We can do it and and
some of the, uh you know, they
were not canceled the day
before they just would never
scheduled. And, So we’re
supposed to have a study
session twice a month or
workshop or something, and they
just were not scheduled. OK so
turning to our people who came
in tonight? Uh, isn’t it great
that we can do this? You know
where you can come in and speak
and I can I can take the other
side and and and we have a
conversation. And. Um, I think
you know That’s one of the
Advantages of of living in
America. And, uh, No, you
already did. You already did,
uh, you can come back in some
other time and respond. Um, now
here’s the problem. And what
you’re doing wrong. I have to
give you some advice the the
from from the river to the sea.
You said that many times.
Callie. You, have it on your T
shirt. Collie. Yeah. I already
showed you so any rate. OK, so
you want to keep arguing here?
Is that what you want, or you
gonna listen. Mayor for mayor.
I make a motion to adjourn. Do.
I have a second Second. We’re
done with you, Councilor over.
Yeah. You guys. Well, you know,
my Harvard one in this horrible
time, I have been more that
We’re open for a vote to
adjourn. Councilors adjourn.
$550 So. If. You can buy the
marrow. That passes, six yeses
and five Nos Yeah, thanks. Mine.
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