Councilman Kevin Flynn

HIGH POINTS

News from Denver City Council District 2

Council District 2 has the highest natural point in Denver

March 2023

A note from Councilman Kevin Flynn

Apprentices needed for construction trades

On a recent drive going from Adams County south through Denver on I-25, I was struck by the number of cranes dotting the skyline. Construction is happening throughout the city, creating jobs and the need for more workers in the construction trades.

Apprenticeships are an excellent way to “earn while you learn.” Most of the construction trades — electricians, plumbers, carpenters, pipefitters — have apprenticeship programs that provide well-paid, on-the-job training, often with benefits. There is typically a small cost for the apprentice, enough to cover training materials.

Anyone who has ever had to call a plumber or electrician for repairs or a carpenter to build a deck or a garage understands these jobs require specialized skill. Apprentices can learn these skills, take home a paycheck and build a trades career without incurring the debt that comes with attending college.

To help encourage the use of apprentices in construction, the City of Denver’s Workforce Services launched a Denver Construction Careers pilot program in 2019 to test and identify best practices for connecting Denver residents to city-funded construction jobs. Because of the success of the pilot program, we are evolving it into a permanent Denver Construction Careers Program that helps recruit and train construction professionals.

Today, many of the City-funded construction projects that are in the Construction Careers Program require a certain percentage of the workforce to be registered apprentices.

There is a virtual briefing followed by a questions and answers session about the Construction Careers Program on two days this month. If you or anyone you know is interested in the program, plan to participate:

Monday, March 6 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. http://bit.ly/3k7TBG9

Wednesday, March 8 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. http://bit.ly/3Iz2UZd

HANDS-ON CONSTRUCTION TRADES EXPO

I want to help connect young people in southwest Denver to these apprenticeship opportunities so I am hosting a hands-on Construction Trades Expo on Thursday, March 9 at 6 p.m. at Lincoln High School. There will be demonstrations and information about what an apprenticeship can offer. There will also be free pizza. Please help spread the word!

Printable flyers:

English

Español

For more information about apprenticeships, visit https://work-now.org/

Kevin Flynn

Flynn is sparking interest in construction trades

There is a need for apprentices in the construction trades. Councilman Flynn talks to a pipefitter who went through an apprenticeship program.

Kevin Flynn talking to spokesperson for the Clerk and Recorder's office.

A Look at City Council Action

Here are a few actions I voted on at City Council last month that you should know about:

23-0038 — Council extended an agreement with the Regional Transportation District to offer the EcoPass program to qualified city employees. Employees get a free EcoPass and can ride free of charge on all RTD bus service, call-n-ride service, commuter and light rail service, service to and from Denver International Airport and the Flatiron Flyer.
23-0078 — An agreement with the Community College of Denver was extended for six months to continue activities in WORKNOW, a collaborative workforce development initiative to recruit, support and train local residents in construction and construction-related careers.
23-0120 — Council added $12,821 for a new total of $581,152 for a cost-of-living adjustment and quality improvement activities related to providing comprehensive Head Start services to 60 children in Council Districts 1, 2, 3, and 7.

Highlights

Police chief to speak at public safety meeting

Join Police Chief Ron Thomas and Commander Brad Qualley for an informative meeting about plans to enhance safety in southwest Denver.

Thursday, March 30

5:30 p.m.

Levitt Pavilion

11380 W. Florida Ave.

In case of bad weather, the event will be held at All Saints Church.

This event is free and open to the public. Public participation is crucial to improving public safety.

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Printable flyer

Ballots arrive in March

Ballots for the 2023 municipal election are heading for mailboxes starting March 13.

Denver will be electing a new mayor, council members, auditor and clerk and recorder. In addition there will be local ballot measures to be decided.

Here are the dates to know:

March 13

Ballots mailed out
24-hour ballot drop boxes open
22-day Colorado residency deadline

March 27

Last day to send your ballot back by mail
Last day to register to vote and receive a ballot by mail

April 4

Election Day
Mail ballots must be returned by 7 p.m.
Voters must be in line by 7 p.m. to cast a ballot in person

April 12

Military and overseas and cure deadline

Election information

St. Patrick's Day Parade set for downtown Denver

More than 300,000 people are expected to attend the world-renowned St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Denver on Saturday, March 11 at 9:30 a.m.

The parade features award-winning pipe bands, Irish step dancers, fun and magical floats, military units, animals and local celebrities. This year’s featured honorees will be Denver’s police, fire and EMS first responders.

The parade route starts at 19th and Wynkoop, proceeds up Wynkoop to 17th, turns up 17th to Blake Street and then heads down Blake to 27th. The parade is scheduled to wrap up by 1 p.m.

Parade details

Another round of e-bike rebates coming this month

Another round of e-bike rebates is Tuesday, March 28 at 11 a.m. A limited number of e-bike rebate vouchers are available every other month. Rebate vouchers are an upfront discount on the sale price of an e-bike from a participating bike shop.

Standard Rebate: As a Denver resident, you can save up to $300 on the sale of an e-bike or up to $500 on the sale of an e-cargo bike.

Income-Qualified Rebate: If you meet our income-qualified requirements, you can save up to $1,200 on the sale of an e-bike or up to $1,400 on the sale of an e-cargo bike.

Adaptive Rebate: If you are a person with a disability and you are unable to use a standard e-bike, you may be eligible to save up to $1,400 on the sale of an adaptive e-bike. Adaptive e-bikes are designed to meet individual and specialized needs of their specific riders. The adaptive rebate has a separate application process.

Rebate information

Electrify your kitchen with Chef Mark

Join Denver's office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency for a brief presentation and cooking demo on induction cooktops.

CASR is excited to host Celebrity Chef and cooking instructor Mark Kalix, who will discuss the benefits of electrifying your kitchen and offer helpful tips on using induction cooktops. He will walk participants through an easy vegetarian dinner recipe and make you fall in love with induction cooking!

Wednesday, March 8

5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 28

Noon to 1 p.m.

Info and to register

Local libraries provide food boxes and snacks for youth 18 and under

The Denver Public Library is a recipient of the Healthy Food for Denver's Kids grant for 2022-2023. The grant, launched by the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment, supports healthy food access and food-based education for youth.

The Hadley and Bear Valley branches are distributing healthy food boxes full of fresh produce and pantry items for households with youth 18 and under.

In addition, both branches are also distributing healthy snacks to youth 18 and under through July 2023.

For information about the food boxes or snack distribution hours, contact the library branches directly.

More library events

Denver Arts & Venues accepting applications for two boards

Denver Arts & Venues is accepting applications for the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs and the SCFD Denver County Cultural Council.

Both groups are comprised of dynamic arts and culture advocates and are committed to the mission and goals of Denver Arts & Venues and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.

Denver Arts & Venues is seeking candidates for the mayor-appointed Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs who represent Denver’s diverse community, and is specifically looking for leaders with the following backgrounds and experience:

Artists, arts administrators, cultural workers, creative entrepreneurs, etc.
Board development and leadership
Equity, diversity and inclusion
Marketing and communications
Nonprofit management
Philanthropy
Real estate and built environment
Strategic planning and implementation
Community engagement

Additional information on the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs, including application details, can be found at www.ArtsandVenues.com/DCCA.

The Denver County Cultural Council is a board authorized by the State of Colorado and appointed by Denver City Council to distribute Scientific and Cultural Facilities District Tier III revenues to art, cultural and science organizations in Denver. Interested individuals should be active within the community and have professional, volunteer, participant or advocatory experience in arts, culture and/or history. Applicants should have a citywide perspective and be willing to commit at least 15 to 20 hours per month to the Denver County Cultural Council during the annual grant application review period from April through June. Additional information on the SCFD Denver County Cultural Council, including application details, can be found at www.ArtsandVenues.com/SCFD-DCCC .

Applications for either board are due Friday, March 31, 5 p.m. and applicants must reside within the City and County of Denver.

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Safe Outdoor Spaces being moved into the zoning code

Safe Outdoor Spaces and Safe Parking Spaces were tested during the pandemic and were temporarily allowed in the Denver Zoning Code as "unlisted uses." The City is proposing to move the rules for these temporary spaces into the “Temporary Managed Communities” section of the zoning code.

These services for those experiencing homelessness have operated at eight locations across Denver, providing critical shelter to more than 515 people who would have otherwise been sleeping on our streets. The stability of these spaces have helped people obtain and keep jobs, and more than 180 people have moved into more permanent housing.

This proposed change would also allow continued temporary use of this model beyond the expiration of the current unlisted use in December of this year.

Learn more about these two programs and review the proposed changes. You can submit comments or questions to Libby Kaiser, principal city planner.

More about SOS sites

Food truck symposium coming in April

Do you or someone you know operate a food truck? If so, don't miss this free symposium on April 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The symposium offers food truck and/or trailer operators the unique experience to communicate directly with the Denver agencies responsible for regulating their industry.

The Denver Fire Department will be present to promote and educate operators about the new safety inspection and permitting changes that go into effect this year.

Attendees can also meet members of the Denver Department of Public Health and Excise and Licenses and network with peers on best practices of the industry.

A variety of food truck industry businesses will be in attendance, including food truck fabricators, suppression system inspections companies, hood cleaning companies, restaurant food and equipment suppliers, commissary operators and more.

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Food truck license information

Save the date for citywide park clean-up

Mark your calendar for the Denver Park Trust's Parks, Rivers, Trails & Trees, a citywide stewardship day and community celebration.

Scheduled for May 13, the event will feature 12 simultaneous park cleanups across the city from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a community celebration from noon to 3 p.m. at City Park.

The celebration will include food, drinks, music, games, and more! All park cleanup volunteers will receive a free food voucher.

About the Denver Park Trust

Denver District Attorney Scam Spotter:

Sheriff's office won't request payment for missed court date

There is a scam going around in which a caller claims to be from the Denver Sheriff's Department. The person tells you that you missed a subpoena to testify or that you missed jury duty.

The caller then directs you to come to court to pay a fine. The scammers are spoofing the Sheriff’s Department information line, making it look like a legitimate call.

The Denver Sheriff's Department wants Coloradans to know that they will never request payment for not appearing in court, nor contact you by phone. If you receive a call like this, hang up and call the Denver DA's Consumer Fraud Hotline to report it 720-913-9179.

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Read the Scam Spotter newsletter

Quick resources

Councilman Flynn's office

3100 S. Sheridan Blvd.

Unit D

Call 720-337-2222

denvergov.org/district2

Councilman Kevin Flynn

kevin.flynn@denvergov.org

Senior Aide Dana Montaño

dana.montano@denvergov.org

Senior Aide Stacy Simonet

stacy.simonet@denvergov.org

Police District 4

Call 9-1-1 (emergency)

720-913-2000 (non emergency)

denvergov.org/police

Help with City services

Call 3-1-1

denvergov.org/pocketgov

Animal control
Graffiti removal
Neighborhood Inspection Services
Noise violations
Parking management
Permits and licenses

Report encampments

People experiencing homelessness are Denver residents. We owe it to all our neighbors to treat them with respect and dignity. Outreach teams are working diligently to connect people living on the streets to resources and shelter.

Please report unsafe or unsanitary conditions:

Call 911 — If somebody is in physical harm or there is an active fire or crime in progress
Call 720-913-2000 — If there is a situation that is a non-emergency but still violates the law, such as trespassing
Pocketgov — To report an encampment

Mega phone saying "Your Opinion Matters"

Make your voices heard southwest Denver

Monday nights from 5 to 5:30 p.m. City Council holds a general public comment session that gives speakers three minutes to talk about any issue that isn’t scheduled for a public hearing.

Sign-ups open at 11 a.m. on Fridays and close at 3 p.m. on Mondays. Council hears as many speakers as it can in 30 minutes. New speakers automatically go to the top of the list!

Participation is either virtual via Zoom or in person in the Council Chamber at 1437 Bannock St., Room 450.

You can also submit written comments to:

dencc@denvergov.org.

Find your RNO

Interested in learning about Registered Neighborhood Organizations and to know if an RNO represents your neighborhood? Visit the District 2 RNO page to learn more.

Find your RNO

Don't miss a free day at the Denver Art Museum

Everyone can visit the Denver Art Museum for FREE on Tuesday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Everything currently on view at the DAM is included in general admission! Explore the brand-new exhibitions Speaking with Light: Contemporary Indigenous Photography and Near East to Far West: Fictions of French and American Colonialism or the new Community Spotlight, Las Adelitas Living the Arts: Community, Creativity, and Empowerment, which showcases paintings, poetry, video art and more created by members of local nonprofit Las Adelitas Living the Arts.

Free Days at the DAM are made possible by Your 6 Front Range Toyota Stores and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD).

Reserve tickets

It's time for the annual restaurant week

Denver Restaurant Week is March 3-12. It's a great time to visit an old favorite or try something news.

Participating restaurants will showcase creative to-go and in-person menus at three price points: $25, $35, and $45. Come on out and support the local restaurant industry!

Eighteen years ago, Denver Restaurant Week was created to showcase Denver’s growing culinary offerings during a traditionally slow time of year. The annual event has evolved to highlight what is now an award-winning, nationally recognized dining scene.

Details and menus