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Wrapping up my last term in office
As my tenure on Denver City Council comes to an end, I want to thank you – Denver residents, businesses, and especially our city employees – for blessing me with the privilege and honor of representing you for 28 years as a district and at-large Councilwoman. I would be remiss not to acknowledge my former boss and mentor, Councilman Sal Carpio, for helping me to understand and emulate his servant leadership.
As I look back, over my 42 years with the city, which also includes several years as Executive Director of the Denver Road Home Program; what I value most are the partnerships and friendships forged as we worked together toward the betterment of our city for our citizens, our neighborhoods, and our businesses. I value the partnerships we forged as we worked together for our neighbors. Highlights include doubling fines for speeding in school zones; clean-up of the ASARCO smelter hazardous waste site when I represented District 9 and years later as an at-large member; my office worked to demand mitigation measures for impacted property owners as I-70 was widened in the GES neighborhoods. I pushed for Community Benefit Agreements in large development projects and made sure all un-dedicated parks were identified and ultimately dedicated to protect from ever selling valuable park land. I was proud to lay the groundwork for the adoption of a plastic bag fee that is reducing pollution in our waterways and costs at our recycling center. I am also proud of the role I played in assuring city taxpayer dollars were spent wisely, especially on projects like the Great Hall at Denver International Airport, a costly trash fee, and the Hentzell Park land swap, to name a few. I worked hard to establish equity in the city’s purchasing and contracting practices. Our efforts have led to significant opportunities for women and minority contractors to bid on and participate in city construction projects. Just last month, working with Councilwoman Kniech, we passed an ordinance establishing targeted hire and apprenticeship hiring goals for city projects valued at over $10 million.
Throughout my career, I fought time and time again for race, social justice, and inclusion in our city. All these initiatives were aimed at making Denver a city that welcomes and works for everyone. Over the years my staff and I assisted thousands of constituents with city services and attempted to share valuable information through these newsletters. All and all, it’s been an opportunity of a lifetime. I am grateful to you for entrusting me with the privilege to be your representative. I hope we did you proud and look forward to seeing you around town.
Sincerely,
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Deborah "Debbie" Ortega
Councilwoman At-Large
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Community News & Information | |
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Property Tax Relief Program: The Denver Property Tax Relief Program is now open! Eligible applicants could receive an average refund of $1,000 from property taxes paid in 2022, or the equivalent in rent. Apply today or share with family and friends who might qualify! Learn more here.
Home Energy Rebates: Denver wants to help you make the switch to electricity to heat and cool your home. Stack Denver’s Climate Action Rebates with Xcel Energy’s electrification rebates and incentives offered through the Inflation Reduction Act to save thousands when electrifying your home. All qualifying projects installed after January 1, 2023, are eligible for the City and County of Denver’s rebates. Start exploring options at www.denvergov.org/homeenergy.
Eviction Assistance: Free legal services are available for low to moderate income households facing an eviction. Information on free legal services can be obtained from:
For more information click here
Affordable Connectivity Program: The Affordable Connectivity Program is a federal program that provides eligible households with discounted broadband service and connected devices in partnership with area providers like Comcast. Check out Comcast's program and Century Link's program.
Healthy Homes Program: Denver has launched a program to help income qualified homes install electric heat pumps, weatherization, and other indoor air quality improvements. More information can be found here. Improvements may help ease breathing problems individuals may be experiencing while reducing their energy bills. Learn more by calling (303) 226-5065 or emailing healthyhomes@energyoutreach.org
Need Help Paying for Trash Pickup? Denver will provide rebates on waste services for low-income households. Customers may qualify for 50%, 70%, or 100% off their bill based on their income and the number of people in the home. You can apply online here.
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Denver Motor Vehicle Registration Renewal Kiosks: Denver Motor Vehicle has added another opportunity to skip the trip to the Motor Vehicle office by adding kiosks to the menu of services offered online, by mail, and by phone. Denver residents can renew their car registration at kiosks. Find locations here.
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DenverTrack Program: Denver Police has launched a program to help stop vehicle theft called DenverTrack, that works with any vehicle with an installed tracking device, GPS, or Bluetooth to track stolen cars in real-time. You must register for DenverTrack to preauthorize DPD if the vehicle is stolen.
1. If a registered vehicle is reported stolen, DPD will then confirm consent from the vehicle’s owner to access the tracking information in real time, with the goal of quickly locating and returning the vehicle to the owner and arresting the suspect(s).
2. Visit www.denvergov.org/DenverTrack to register a vehicle and learn more about the program.
3. Once registered, DPD will mail DenverTrack stickers to owners to place on their vehicle’s windows to deter potential thieves from stealing their car.
| Cook Park Neighborhood Nights: Cook Park Neighborhood Nights are back! This event takes place every 4th Tuesday from May-September at the Cook Park parking lot located at 7100 Cherry Creek S. Drive. From 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. In partnership with Councilman Paul Kashmann’s Office and Hand to Mouth Events, the CPNA will host a community gathering and food truck rally at Cook Park. Each night will highlight Denver’s tastiest food vendors. For more info click here. | |
First Friday Jazz in the Park: Jazz in the park returns to Sonny Lawson Park from May – Oct 2023 on the first Friday of each month from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. It features food trucks, family-friendly activities, and much more! For more information click here.
South Pearl Street Farmers Market: The South Pearl Street Farmers Market features dozens of vendors and food trucks. This event is free for the public to attend and is located at 1569 S Pearl St. between the 1400 + 1500 blocks of South Pearl Street (between Iowa and Arkansas). The farmers market will run from May – Nov 12, from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. For more information click here.
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Civic Center Eats: Bring your appetite and a friend to Civic Center Park and enjoy a variety of food truck cuisines all summer long. Civic Center Eats returns from May 17 – Sept 14. This food truck event, will take place every Wednesday and Thursday from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. For more information click here.
City Park Farmers Market: The City Park Farmers Market features multiple local vendors, fresh produce, food trucks, and much more. This event is free for the public to attend and is located at City Park Esplande between E Colfax & Columbine St. The farmers market will run from May – Oct 28, every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. For more information click here.
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Free Summer Meals for Youth: School is out for the summer! Did you know Denver youth have access to free meals at recreation centers and libraries across the city? Denver invites youth, ages 3 - 18, to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and/or a nutritious snack at Tasty Food sites across the city. No ID or registration is required, just show up and eat up, and YES, you can bring a friend. To find a Tasty Food site near you: Click here for more information.
Workforce Center: A Workforce Center featuring job coaches, education specialists, and career pathway navigators is open and ready to serve youth and adult job seekers. The Workforce Center is located on the ground floor of the Webb building at 201 W. Colfax. It is open from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Access to services is also available by calling 720-337-WORK (9675) or workforce@denvergov.org. Denver Workforce Services offers free workshops regarding job searches, resume writing, interview preparation and career pathways every week.
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Denver Police Youth Academy: Denver Police is hosting a free Youth Academy. This event will take place on Saturday, July 15 at the Denver Police Academy located at 2155 North Akron Way from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. This academy is open to Denver teens ages 15 - 19. Join DPD for a day of fun and interactive learning at the Denver Police Academy. Officers and other experts assist with lectures and demonstrations. Upon completion of the program, participants will receive a certificate and then are able to participate in two (2) “ride-alongs” on patrol shifts and are invited to consider joining the Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) unit. Click here to apply or scan the QR code below.
If you have questions, please reach out to Technician Zeonnia Parrish at zeonnia.parrish@denvergov.org or call (720)913-6218.
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Kids get free admission everyday to the Denver Art Museum: All visitors ages 18 and under receive free general admission to the Denver Art Museum every single day! The program extends free general admission to school field trips and other youth group visits, too. The program also helps support a transportation fund for school bus trips and enables the museum to offer $5 youth pricing for all ticketed exhibitions. Learn more about the program at here.
Free days and nights at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Visit the Denver Museum of Nature & Science for free on Monday, June 19; Wednesday June 28 (night); Tuesday, August 16 (night). You can purchase tickets here.
Free days at the Denver Botanic Gardens: Visit the Denver Botanic Gardens on Saturday, July 5 and Tuesday, August 15 for free. Click here to get tickets.
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Free days at the Denver Art Museum: Visit the Denver Art Museum Tuesday, July 11; Sunday, July 30; and Tuesday, August 8 to enjoy free general admission. Free Day tickets may be reserved in advance here or at the front desk upon entry.
What's On Your Mind?
Every week, starting at 5:00 PM, the Denver City Council hosts a 30-minute public comment session before the meeting of Council, inviting members of the public to address the full Council on any topic that is not scheduled for a public hearing. Each speaker gets a maximum of 3 minutes to speak on any topic of his/her choice. Sign up starts at 12:00 PM on the Friday before the next scheduled general public comment sign up here or by calling 720-337-2000.
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