Speaker 0: Ten Eyes Council Bill 20 1-553 has passed. Thank you to the staff and our speakers and community members who joined us both in-person and virtually. Our last hearing this evening is coming up. Council members say to Barker, Will you please put Council Bill 532 on the floor for final passage?
Speaker 6: I move that council bill 20 1-53 to be placed upon final consideration and do pass.
Speaker 0: Thank you. It has been moved and seconded the required public hearing for Council Bill 532 is open. May we have the staff report? I see we have. Well, Fenton joining us and we will go ahead, Laurin. How so? Go ahead and introduce yourselves and you can bring up the presentation.
Speaker 6: Great. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Lauren Howe, and I'm the program administrator for the Healthy Food for Denver's Kids Initiative out of the Department of Public Health and Environment. And tonight, I'm going to be talking about our proposed modifications to Ordinance 302. So just to provide some background information on healthy food for Denver's kids. It was created as a result of a citizen led ballot measure that was approved by Denver voters in 2018. It resulted in a small increase in the sales and use tax about a penny on a $10 purchase. That's created a special revenue fund for healthy food access and food based education for Denver's youth. Funds are being distributed through competitive grant making to nonprofits, city agencies and schools in Denver aimed primarily at serving low income and at risk youth. After almost a year of grant making activity completed, the Healthy Food for Denver's Kids Commission and staff have developed some proposed language changes to our ordinance. Currently, we've found the ordinance is both restrictive for organizations and commissioners, so the Commission is recommending the following language to improve our ability to disburse funds in an effective, equitable and wider way across the community. So a summary of these proposed changes include changing under 18 to 18 and under. That is to be more aligned with standard age cutoffs and include high school students of all ages. We are proposing to change a majority of activities to qualifying programmatic activities that would allow organizations in Denver that are feeding youth or providing education as only a small part of their work to be able to apply for our funds. We would like to clarify that distributed grant funds, rather than organizations overall need to principally benefit Denver residents, since it is a taxpayer fund. We would like to clarify that public schools in Denver can apply in addition to DPS as an entity. So that would also include individual schools and charters in the district. We would like to change the requirement that Commissioners be a resident of Denver to live or work in Denver. To recognize there are many folks that are highly invested in our community but may not be able to live here. We can still express a preference for Denver residents through our application materials. And lastly, we propose removing the commissioner minimum age requirement of 21 years in case there qualified and interested youth would like to apply to serve on the Commission. So we expect that these proposed changes, if passed, will allow more organizations across the city to be eligible for our funds impacting nonprofits and schools and neighborhoods across the city because the grant program may become more competitive. We hope to be able to invest in the most impactful projects. We also anticipate greater equity and inclusion and diversity among our members in terms of age and residency. Still, while expressing a preference for Denver residents overall, we hope that these proposed changes will improve the consistency and accessibility for community members, allowing us to better serve Denver's youth. Overall. So staff have given numerous presentations over the last two years about this fund to registered neighborhood organizations, other city boards and commissions, city council groups, Denver Public Schools and the Sustainable Food Policy Council about the fund and the ordinance in these various meetings. We've received feedback that our eligibility requirements are there confusing. Folks often aren't sure if the organizations can apply. And so this year we received 49 responses to our eligibility form, and approximately one in three of those organizations is not currently eligible under the ordinance right now. So I just wanted to share a couple of specific examples of organizations that could become eligible if these proposed changes are passed. So those that provide wraparound service and basic supports like Jewish family service, mental health, like the mental health center of Denver, affordable housing like hope, communities and youth empowerment and leadership like Project Voice. And those are just a few examples of many. We really believe that the programmatic work of these example organizations exemplifies the spirit of the Healthy Food for Kids initiative. And collectively, they're reaching thousands of children in Denver that these funds were meant to serve. So that is the presentation, and we're happy to take questions. Thank you.
Speaker 0: All right. Thank you. We have two individuals signed up to speak this evening, both of them online. Our first speaker is Jesse Perez.
Speaker 2: Yesterday evening, members of council, those watching at home, those that are in the chambers. My name is just sit with some comparison. I'm representing for Blackstar, some movement for self defense, positive action for social change as well as the Unity Party of Colorado and Frontline Black knows and I will be the next mayor of Denver in 2023 . I'm in favor of this ordinance change tonight. I supported the citizen based initiative back in 2018, and I still support it to this day and 2021. This is something that is needed for our youth. Are you need to have access to free healthy food, especially in areas where there are food deserts where we do not have access to free and healthy food. So I would ask that members of this Council please pass this ordinance to my and thank you for finally giving me something to be in favor of for tonight. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Right on. Thank you, Jesse. Our second speaker is Tess Dougherty, and she's online. But it looked like Tess was gone. And I just want to make sure we're calling her name in case. Okay. All right. Looks like Tess has had to leave the meeting. And so that concludes our speakers this evening. Questions from members of Council on Council Bill. Five, three, two. CNN. The public hearing is closed. Comments by members of Council on Council Bill 532. Counsel Pro Tem Torres.
Speaker 9: Thank you, Madam President. I just really want to thank the team, especially Lauren and Paige, who have been shepherding all of our conversations through for the committee. It's my honor to serve on this committee and be a part of the incredible funding decisions that are made. And I look forward to the impact that can be made over the next several years. And I can't believe I'm finally seeing you two in person for the first time. But but I do recognize that what you're responding to and I want to make sure folks know and leave. I didn't see you over there is is the very real challenge that was faced brought to light by the pandemic in getting funds out to organizations that were originally not qualified to receive funds under the original language. And this gives an opportunity for organizations that have real reach into communities, but who may not have had food as a priority focus of their organization. But they may have children or youth or child care or families, whole families where the the objective is still met. So I really appreciate all the work that's gone into this, and I look forward to supporting.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Counsel Pro Tem Torrez and not seeing any other speakers. I will also give my thanks to the staff because this is something that was really exciting when we were able to gather these funds, but we knew that there were gaps. And I just appreciate you doing the outreach and then the follow up to make sure that we could widen the availability to make sure that folks were getting food, especially now, but going forward as well. And so thank you for your work on that as well. And Madam Secretary, roll call on Council Bill.
Speaker 7: 532 Black Eye CdeBaca. Flynn.
Speaker 3: I.
Speaker 7: Herndon.
Speaker 1: I.
Speaker 7: Cashman.
Speaker 1: I.
Speaker 7: Can teach. I. Sandoval. Sawyer. I. Torres. I. Madam President.
Speaker 0: I. Madam Secretary. Close the voting and announce results.
Speaker 7: Ten Eyes.
Speaker 0: Ten Eyes Council Bill 20 1-532 has passed again. Thank you to the staff and community members who both joined us here in chambers and virtually to hear our hearings this evening. Our pre adjournment announcement on Monday, August 2nd.
A bill for an ordinance amending Section 2-242 and Section 2-243 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code regarding the Denver Food Commission.
Amends Chapter 2 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code concerning the Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids Initiative to improve the ability of the Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids Commission to disburse funds more widely and equitably. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 6-30-21.