The replay video is available here. Click the agenda item in the right-hand menu to skip to that point in the video.
The only council member absent this week was Sandgren (Ward 2).
At the start of the meeting, the council passed a resolution marking Black History Month in Thornton and heard a presentation from Christyle Russell, currently a member of the Thornton Arts, Sciences, and Humanities Council.
The next agenda item was public comment from 7 speakers.
The first public comment after the presentation was from a person who has appeared at each public comment to object to the city’s land acknowledgment, arguing that the statement is antagonistic toward white people.
The last public comment will offer a counterpoint, and Council Member Ayala will revisit the land acknowledgement in her comments.
The second public comment provided updates on the King Soopers strike, the warming center for unhoused, the role of Thornton Police in the ICE action last week, and he encouraged the council to appoint citizens to advise on the hiring of the new police chief.
The third public speaker speaks about what she sees as unsafe practice for trafffic light maintenance lift trucks.
The fourth speaker read the Niemöller poem “First They Came” and spoke of the need for solidarity and community defense in light of the ICE raids.
Two residents spoke about conflict with neighbors. They seem to be stuck between what the police are able to do and what the city’s code enforcement should be doing but isn’t. Council Member Martinez will address this in his comments later in the session.
The next agenda item was comments from council. Comments from Council Members Bigelow, Ayala, and Martinez related to themes raised in public comment.
Bigelow spoke to how everyone in Thornton should feel safe and included in the city: “Everybody in this city is equal.” She said that schools should teach accurate history, including the Holocaust, which some curriculums are trying to erase.
Ayala emphasized the part of the city land acknowledgement of “the labor of enslaved Africans and their descendants who worked this stolen land for the colonists, and who continue to disproportionately face economic oppression, racism, violence, and exploitation.”
She found it a timely reminder given current events regarding immigrants whose labor contributes so much to our communities.
Ayala also spoke of the King Soopers strike, echoing Bigelow to say that all workers should be treated equally and should enjoy fair bargaining conditions. The current strike is partly about unfair labor practices.
Martinez returned to the citizen complaint about neighbors, asking city staff for help addressing code violations that should be addressed. He mentioned experiencing “roadblocks” with the city in this procsess.
He also noted the next Know Your Rights meeting with the Colorado Poverty Law Center to assist mobile home community members with legal redress for complaints.
The meeting with bo on 2/26 at 6pm at the Thornton Community Center.
Mayor Kulmann mentioned two current openings for city boards:
Environmental Sustainability Task Force: Ward 3
- (The Environmental Sustainability Task Force will set a schedule at the first meeting. It is anticipated that meetings will occur monthly, in the evenings, through 2025)
- Application Deadline is March 6, at 5 P.M.
Thornton Arts, Sciences and Humanities Council (TASHCO) Board of Directors: Ward 2 & 3
- (Meetings are generally held on the second Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m.)
- Application Deadline is February 12, 2025, at 5 P.M.
Thornton Civic Observatory 