Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Denver

Pedestrians bothered by anti-Trump sign in downtown Denver using profanity
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Pedestrians bothered by anti-Trump sign in downtown Denver using profanity

By Shaul Turner | Fox 31 News A disturbing sign hung from a downtown Denver condominium balcony is causing a range of reactions from residents and passersby. “That’s not the only sign I’ve seen like that,” said one pedestrian. Political signs remain on display in the windows and on balconies near 19th Avenue and Grant Street. While some show support for former Presidential candidate Kamala Harris and President-elect Donald Trump, one uses an offensive word along with Trump’s last name. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Proposed ‘blanket ban’ on flavored tobacco could cost the city of Denver millions
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Proposed ‘blanket ban’ on flavored tobacco could cost the city of Denver millions

By Deborah Grigsby | Denver Gazette via Colorado Politics A bill prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products within the City and County of Denver got the nod of approval from the city’s Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee on Wednesday. The vote was 6 - 1, with Councilmember Kevin Flynn casting the lone dissenting vote. The next stop will be City Council for a final vote as early as Dec. 16, to pass the ordinance by the end of the year, according to District 9 Councilmember Darrell Watson, one of the bill’s sponsors. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
Denver rejects private pool, so the developer may try affordable housing instead
Approved, Denverite, Local

Denver rejects private pool, so the developer may try affordable housing instead

By Paolo Zialcita | Denverite Ilan Salzberg’s decades-long dream of building a private swim club in his neighborhood came to an abrupt end Monday after Denver City Council voted down a rezoning proposal for the project. Salzberg, a developer and West Highland resident, bought 3719 Wolff Street in the West Highland in November 2023 for about $2 million. The 33,000-square-foot parcel of land currently sits vacant, nestled between homes and across the street from a Sprouts grocery store. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVERITE
Denver auditor: City’s college scholarship program failed to implement almost all recommendations
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Denver auditor: City’s college scholarship program failed to implement almost all recommendations

By Deborah Grigsby | Denver Gazette via Colorado Politics More than a year after Denver auditors raised concerns about oversight, data management, and quality assurance with the city’s tax-funded college affordability program, a follow-up audit found that the Office of Children’s Affairs has failed to implement the bulk of recommended changes made in the original report. Of the original eight recommendations, auditors noted that Children's Affairs, which oversees the Prosperity Denver Fund program, had only partially implemented two but had not taken steps to address the risks the other six sought to resolve. Back in 2018, Denver voters approved a ballot measure known as Prosperity Denver, which called for a 0.08% sales tax — less than one cent on $10 — and would be distributed in...
Fmr. Denver Mayor Hancock now a lobbyist for companies that made hundreds of millions during his tenure
Approved, Denverite, Local

Fmr. Denver Mayor Hancock now a lobbyist for companies that made hundreds of millions during his tenure

By Kyle Harris | Denverite Former Mayor Michael Hancock has a new lobbying firm, Hancock Global, serving companies that do big business with the city.  He’s registered as a lobbyist in the City and County of Denver. While a few of his clients are obscure, many were major contractors on projects the Hancock administration oversaw, especially at the airport.  His clients have combined for hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts with the city, according to city data going back to 2017. Some have worked for the city for decades, long before Hancock took office. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVERITE
Denver City Council revisits ban on flavored tobacco products; last one vetoed by Hancock in 2021
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Denver City Council revisits ban on flavored tobacco products; last one vetoed by Hancock in 2021

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News Denver City Council is once again eyeing a flavored nicotine ban, which supporters say would protect children in the metro area, according to council documents. In 2021, then-Denver Mayor Michael Hancock vetoed a measure passed by Denver City Council to ban flavored nicotine sales in the city. At the time, vape shop owners in Denver told FOX31 that the ban would impact over 90% of their inventory and likely put them out of business. However, proponents of the ban said it would have kept nicotine products out of the hands of underage users.' READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Illegal immigrant surges in Denver have cost $356 million, study finds
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Illegal immigrant surges in Denver have cost $356 million, study finds

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette A new study estimated that the nearly 43,000 immigrants who have come to Denver over the past two years have cost $356 million. Conducted by the Common Sense Institute (CSI), the estimate examined the outlays by the city of Denver, as well as associated health care and education costs across the region. Founded in 2010, the institute is a nonprofit organization in Greenwood Village that conducts fiscal and economic research. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Denver spent $150 million in untracked expenses for homeless shelters, audit reveals
Approved, Local, National Review

Denver spent $150 million in untracked expenses for homeless shelters, audit reveals

By David Zimmermann | National Review Denver paid nearly $150 million between January 2022 and March 2024 for non-migrant shelter-related expenses that a city department has not been tracking, a recent audit report found. Denver’s Department of Housing Stability has been unable to provide a comprehensive breakdown of an estimated $149.6 million in taxpayer funds spent in the two-year time frame, according to a 51-page audit published Thursday by the Denver Auditor’s Office. “Although we asked Housing Stability multiple times for documentation identifying all shelter-related expenses from Jan. 1, 2022, through March 31, 2024, the department was unable to provide this information,” the report states. READ THE FULL STORY AT NATIONAL REVIEW
With 11% apartment vacancy rate, its a good time to be a renter in Denver
Approved, Denverite, Local

With 11% apartment vacancy rate, its a good time to be a renter in Denver

By Sarah Mulholland | Denverite Most Denverites have probably noticed all the apartment buildings being built in recent years. It turns out that those buildings are taking a while to fill — and that’s good news for renters. The vacancy rate for apartments in the metro Denver area was 11 percent as of October, according to real estate data company CoStar. That’s roughly double the vacancy rate of a few years ago, according to CoStar, which also owns Apartments.com, one of the biggest online rental portals in the U.S.  READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVERITE
Denver to activate emergency shelters for cold Thanksgiving weekend
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver to activate emergency shelters for cold Thanksgiving weekend

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Denver is activating emergency shelters for five days starting Wednesday as cold weather is expected to blanket the region this Thanksgiving weekend. This week's emergency shelter operation is the longest so far this year. The city's cold weather plan provides additional shelter for people who are not in city shelters or third-party homeless units. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE