Saturday, January 12, 2013
West End Flats
1490 Zenobia (SE Corner, Colfax & Zenobia) – 2nd Floor Community Room
This is a facility of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and home to the West Colfax Cop Shop

HOSTS: Sloan’s Lake Neighborhood Association and Sloan’s Lake Citizen’s Group. 

830am Coffee & Networking
900am INC Business – two voting matters – see below
1000am Featured speaker – Paul Washington, Director Economic Development

VOTING MATTERS
Notice to the voting delegates of INC.  The following four (4) items will be presented for approval at the January 12 monthly meeting.

Item One: Sent with newsletter December 11, 2012)
The ZAP committee discussed and passed the following motion regarding regulations of retail marijuana stores for presentation to the INC Delegation on January 12:

Whereas, the voters of Colorado passed Constitutional Amendment 64 on November 6, 2012, which,  among other things, permits persons over the age of 21 to possess and consume one ounce or less of  marijuana and allows the establishment of retail marijuana stores and other marijuana establishments;
Whereas Amendment 64 requires the Colorado Department of Revenue to adopt regulations to implement the constitutional amendment not later than July 1, 2013;
Whereas Amendment 64 requires local governments to enact ordinances or regulations relating to marijuana establishments and to begin accepting license applications not later than October 1, 2013;
And whereas the philosophy articulated by the proponents of Amendment 64 and the summary of the amendment in the “blue book” indicated that “the use of marijuana should  be regulated in a manner similar to alcohol;” 
Therefore, Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation should communicate with the Governor, the members of the General Assembly, the Mayor and City Council that the following elements should be incorporated into any statutes, regulations and ordinances to implement Amendment 64, based on the manner in  which alcohol is regulated in Colorado and Denver:

1. Retail marijuana stores should not be allowed within 1000 feet of a school;
2. Retail marijuana stores should not be allowed within 1000 feet of another retail marijuana store;
3. Registered neighborhood organizations must be notified of applications for all marijuana  establishments;
4. Criminal background checks should be required of all applicants for all marijuana establishments;
5. Hearings should be required to determine whether a marijuana establishment is needed or desired within the neighborhood of a proposed marijuana establishment;
6. Registered neighborhood organizations and neighborhood residents or business owners or managers should be allowed to testify at such hearings;
7. Consumption of marijuana should not be allowed in parks, sidewalks, streets, alleys or other public places.
8. Any task forces established to consider these issues should include residents and neighborhood organizations

(Item Two: Sent with the newsletter December 11, 2012)
The Board and the Executive Committee approved the following to be presented for approval by the delegates at the January 12 monthly meeting.

 ARTICLE IV. — MEMBERSHIP

A. There shall be four classifications and levels of membership as defined by the Board of Directors which shall include voting and nonvoting members.  Only delegates from Registered Neighborhood Organizations (RNO) as set forth in Chapter 12, Article III of the Denver Revised Municipal Code that have delivered a complete application form with dues paid in full shall be Member Organizations (MO), which shall be voting members.

 Other membership classifications shall be non-voting members having paid the appropriate stated dues.

 “Member Organization” (MO), “Member Organization Patron”, “Associate”, and “Associate Patron”.

1.    “Member Organization(s)” (MO) shall be any “Registered Neighborhood Organization” (RNO) as set forth in Chapter 12, Article III of the Denver Revised Municipal Code that has delivered a complete application form with dues paid in full.

2.    “Member Organization Patron” is any MO as described in Article IV, A, 1 having paid the appropriate ‘Patron’ dues.

3.    “Associate” is any individual, civic group, non-profit group, or government agency having paid the appropriate ‘Associate’ dues.

4.    “Associate Patron” is any entity from Article IV, A, 3 having paid the appropriate ‘Patron’ dues.

5.    “Associate” and “Associate Patron” shall be non-voting members.

B.  Dues.
1.    The amount of dues to be paid, by any member classification, shall be established by the Board of Directors and shall be due and payable annually by January 1, except that the dues for a new Member Organization  joining after the Annual Meeting shall be pro-rated on a quarterly bi-annual basis.

2.    The current rate of dues shall be as quoted in the Membership Application and published in the newsletter and/or other media used to communicate with members.

3.    A grace period, for receipt of MO dues paid in full, shall be given until the start of the Annual Meeting. Any MO not paid in full by such time shall be dropped from membership and their Delegates shall not be allowed to vote or run for offices until such time as the dues are paid in full, thereby reinstating membership.

(Item Three newly advised 1/8/2013)
Proposed Motion from the Education Committee  regarding DPS and interaction with Denver citizens &  taxpayers

Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation
Respectfully requests the leadership of Denver Public Schools to recognize that all Denver citizens and taxpayers should regularly be involved with Denver Public Schools rather than being systematically ignored, and

Strongly urges Denver Public Schools to systematically communicate with RNOs, including INC, as well as other community organizations about any future planning that could affect neighborhoods, and allow opportunity to comment on such plans, and

Recommends Denver Public Schools utilize the existing city list of RNOs and the GIS system the City has in place to carry out such communication and notifications, and

Urges Denver Public Schools to engage the larger community (including INC and other RNOs) in a discussion about the Opportunity School, including possible re-use, and

Strongly protests the application by Denver Public Schools for non-historic status for Emily Griffith Opportunity School with no notice or effort to engage the community at large and the long term users and staff at Emily Griffith in the discussion.

 (Item Four – Submitted 1/8/2013)
Proposed motion by Parks & Recreation Committee regarding Hentzell Park Natural Area
In light of the issues and threats to the Denver Department of Parks and Recreation System posed by the precedent that has been set by the de-designation of 9 acres of the Hentzell Park Natural Area by the Denver Parks and Recreation Department Manager, we call on the Mayor and the City Council to:

1. Regarding the purchase of Denver Public Schools Property at 1330 Fox Street involving payment of cash and deeding over of City owned land;
a. INC urges Denver City Council to table the proposed land swap and payment of $300,000 from the City’s General Fund to Denver Public Schools, and
b. Bring the issue of de-designation of the Hentzell Park Natural Area to a vote of the people.

2. Regarding the potential loss of additional park and/or natural areas;
a. INC asks that the City mandate the immediate dedication of designated but undedicated (and legally eligible) Parkland, including Natural Areas and Parks, and
b. Revise the relevant rules and regulations so that in the future, any Parkland or Natural Areas not yet dedicated cannot be sold or leased or de-designated, without a vote of the people.