INC Delegate Meeting Minutes

October 8, 2016

Forefront Church

2112 S Patton Ct.

Denver, CO 80219

Meeting called to order at 9:03 a.m. 30 members signed in.

Introductions:

Brett Crimmel – Lead Pastor of Forefront Church (video)

Cathy Heikkinen, President, Harvey Park Improvement Association

Councilman Kevin Flynn, Denver City Council District 2

Meeting minutes for September 10, 2016, delegate meeting: Approved: 20 yes, 1 abstain.

Tom Mobley, President of Harkness Heights, nominated to fill one of the vacant Board of Director positions replacing Luchia Brown who resigned earlier in 2016. Vote:      22 yes      0 no     1 abstain

INC Committee Reports

ZAP:  Margie Valdez, Chair:

5315 Montview Blvd. Motion: To approve a resolution which respectfully requests the City to honor the Greater Park Hill Community Inc. and deny the application to rezone the property at 5315 Montview Blvd. Rationale: Greater Park Hill Community Inc. has voiced strong opposition to an application to rezone 5315 Montview Blvd (at Glencoe) and also to split the zone lot, which would allow the construction of an out-of-character 6,000 square foot home on the garden portion of an existing home at 5315 Montview (which will remain). The application is under review by Community Planning and Development.

Homeowner states: Not planning to build 6,000 sq. ft. home. Would like the delegation to send this back to the ZAP Committee before making a decision because they didn’t find out the meeting scheduled for today until 6 pm last night and don’t feel they had enough time to formulate any response.

RNO delegate states: Does not believe we should “chip away” at the character of the community. Believes “spot zoning” is causing too many problems.

Delegate agrees it should go back to ZAP for further discussion.

Motion to table the denial until a thorough discussion has occurred.

Vote:               24 yes              0 no                 1 abstain

Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Affordable Housing is seeking applicants. Application due by Friday, 10/14/16. Applications are available online.

Board of Adjustments Zoning Appeal re: 16^th & Humboldt rezoning. Email Justin.Gumo@denvergov.org if you support the RNO’s administrative appeal filed with the Board of Adjustment.

Position on Initiated Ordinance 300:

Motion on the floor: Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation strongly opposes Initiated Ordinance 300, the Cannabis Consumption Pilot Program Initiative.

Ballot language: “Shall the voters of the City and County of Denver adopt an ordinance that creates a cannabis consumption pilot program where: The City and County of Denver (the “City”) may permit a business or a person with evidence of support of an eligible neighborhood association or business improvement district to allow the consumption of marijuana (“cannabis”) in a designated consumption area; such associations or districts may set forth conditions on the operation of a designated consumption area, including permitting or redistricting concurrent uses, consumptions, or services offered, if any; the designated consumption area is limited to those over the age of twenty-one, must comply with the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act, may overlap with any other type of business or licensed premise, and cannot be located within 1000 feet of a school; a designed consumption are that is located outside cannot be visible from a public right-of-way or a place where children congregate; the City shall create a task force to study the impacts of cannabis consumption permits on the city. The City may enact additional regulations or ordinances to further regulate designated consumption areas that are not in conflict with this ordinance; and the cannabis consumption pilot program expires on December 31, 2020 or earlier if the City passes comprehensive regulations governing cannabis consumption?”

There are no caps on the number of these applications that could be approved even though there are caps on retail/medical licenses. There is also no requirement for needs and desires type hearings.

RNO Delegate: Opposes the opposition of the ordinance. Feels this is an opportunity for us to seize the day and really represent our communities. This is just a four-year pilot program, not permanent. We need to ask ourselves if it meets the intent of the voters who voted for legalized marijuana.

RNO delegate: How many of us who represent our communities have really had a discussion with a majority of the community regarding these types of big issues?

RNO delegate: No single RNO represents an entire neighborhood. Need to keep lines of communication open among community members.

RNO delegate: How does this work/not work with the constitution regarding public consumption of cannabis?

Response provided by Cannabis sponsors: Private property owners have the right to regulate use on their own properties. Believes use in private company property is included in the right to use.

Vote:               18 yes              5 no                 abstain 7

Transportation: No updates from the committee.

Education: No updates from the committee.

Public Safety: No updates from the committee.

Charity: Jane Lorimer, Chair

Contributions of school supplies to Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver went really well. In November 2016, we will collect men’s socks.

PARC: Maggie Price, Co-Chair

The last meeting had a discussion of Denveright. Greater need to increase Denver’s acres of parkland of one (1) acre per 1,000 citizens. Continue park designation process to avoid another Hentzel Park fiasco. As of 2010, Denver’s Director of Parks has total control of everything that happens in the parks, making it unnecessary to go before city council for changes. Citizens deserve to have an elected official make those decisions – wants City Council to take back that responsibility. Next Meeting: 10/18/16. Discussion of Green Plan and how to address environmental changes in Denver and all of the parks.

Denver Residents’ Issues Survey: Jane Lorimer presented some of the findings of the survey. More information will follow at a later date. 503 responses received, representing all City Council districts in Denver.

Meeting Adjourned: 11:00 am