City Council Update and Meeting Replay for July 8, 2025

• PDF packet for the update session – 49 pages
• PDF packet for the full council meeting – 354 pages

• Update session replay – 1:02:01
• Council meeting replay – 2:42:38

Click on the agenda item in the menu to the right of the video to go to that part of the playback.

While the summary below is intended to be fair, it may contain errors and is ultimately one person’s interpretation. All interested parties are encouraged to view the relevant portions of the meeting recording to come to their own conclusions.

The summary is not comprehensive but notes highlights from the session.

Update Meeting

Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow joined remotely late, and Council Member David Acunto were absent for the update meeting.

Charter Amendments Briefing

The city attorney provided a follow-up on a previous discussion of possible city charter amendments for the November 2025 ballot.

Currently, citizen-led initiatives require 10% of city voters obtained within 21 days.

According to 2017 data from the Colorado Municipal League, most municipalities require between 10 and 15% for signatures for initiatives (30 and 39 cities/towns respectively). Only eight cities/towns have a signatures gathering time frame shorter than 30 days.

Referenda, which would be petitions to repeal current laws, require 10% in most municipalities with 30 days.

Council Member Ayala expressed that she still supported lowering the number of required signatures, noting along with Mayor Kulmann that the city has not had many citizen-led initiatives. The ones in recent years have failed to meet ballot eligibility due to not having enough signatures.

Council Member Sandgren was open to increasing the time but not lowering the percentage, citing negative outcomes in Lakewood. She was concerned that a no growth special interest group could get an initiative on the ballot (20:12). Sandgren suggested 180 days for initiatives while keeping the 10% requirement.

Council Member Martinez was open to keeping the 10% if the time period increased, explaining that it would be meaningful for 10% of voters to be in support of a proposal. He suggested 90 days as an average of comparable municipalities.

Council Member Russell suggested 120 days to split between 180 and 90. Council reached consensus to leave the 10% requirement in place but to propose changing the initiative timeline to 120 days. The referendum timeline will stay the same.

Fourth of July Fireworks Response Debrief

The police department identified the top 10 historically high-report areas for illegal fireworks and met proactively with residents in those areas.

This year, six of those 10 locations dropped off the high-report top-10 list.

Five summons for illegal fireworks were issued during this year’s enforcement effort.

Council Meeting

The council unanimously passed a resolution “supporting home rule municipalities in litigation against the State asserting home rule authority over local land use and zoning.” The Colorado Sun reported on the law suit at issue.

Audience Participation

The first speaker, Dariush Namazi, satirically spoke in favor of the Trump administration’s military attacks on Iran.

The second speaker thanked Thornton police and fire for support with a family member’s medical emergency during the 4^th of July celebration.

The third speaker continued his months-long protest of the land acknowledgment.

The fourth speaker raised concerns about traffic safety near 123^rd Ave. and Harrison, noting that he had spoken at previous council meetings and with city staff to no avail. He also complained of inconsistent enforcement of fireworks laws and property codes.

The fifth speaker thanked Thornton’s sanitation department workers.

The sixth speaker, State House Representative Jacque Phillips (D, HD-31), spoke about youth engagement with city government and in support of the home rule litigation.

Council Comments

Council Member Martinez discussed attending two restaurant openings and the successful Thornton Juneteenth and Pride celebrations. He also spoke about the Colorado Municipal League conference events he had attending, including on housing.

Council Member Salazar spoke of attending a fire graduation and a block party in Ward 1.

Council Member Ayala thanked city staff for their work during the 4^th of July celebration.

Ayala remembered the lives lost in the recent Texas floods, thanked the two Thornton firefighters traveling to Texas to help with the recovery, and emphasized the importance of emergency and disaster planning for the city.

Ayala also spoke about different understandings of leadership, from a pragmatic approach that strives to maintain the status quo to a visionary approach that works toward change to help those who are struggling. She also mentioned leadership that aligns itself with business interests over working families: “We don’t need caretakers of broken systems; we need builders of a just future.”

Council Member Sandgren thanked various city departments for their work. She continued her factoid protest of the land acknowledgment.

Council Member Unrein noted the recent legal ruling on the Thornton Water Project.

Council Member Russell spoke of his experience at the Colorado Municipal League conference and the Rocky Mountain Partnership Community Leadership Council meeting on civic influencers. He voiced appreciation for the youth involvement work Representative Phillips has done.

Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow also thanked city staff for work at recent events.

Mayor Kulmann reported on her lobbying trip to Washington DC, which she described as a “productive trip” and stated that she was “optimistic about the relationships we are building to support our city’s future” (1:05:26).

Commercial Projects Quarterly Update

Staff provided an overview of recently opened and upcoming retail locations. New employers were also described, totaling over 700 new jobs.

Council Member Martinez expressed interest in more council tours of primary employers in the city.

Consent Calendar and Action Items

The first action item dealt with creating a new health plan for city employees. Council unanimously approved all resolutions related to the health plan.

The second action item was a resolution designating the “Syndal Residence” at 12545 Second Street as a local historic landmark.

Currently, there are only two designated historic properties in Thornton: The Reitzenstein Barn (locally designated) and the Eastlake Grain Elevator (nationally, not locally, designated).

The city’s historic designation code only “encourages” preservation of designated properties; it does not place any requirements or restrictions on the property owner (1:55:26).

During council questioning, Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow urged that the vote on historic designation be delayed until December as the current home owner is a candidate for city council and was concerned that the designation could be used for campaign purposes.

Council Member Sandgren responded that it was “ridiculous” (2:00:11) to be concerned with the application as a campaign effort because it was submitted some time previously and approved by the Thornton Arts, Sciences, and Culture Council (TASHCO).

Several council members asked questions about the nature of the city’s historic designation code, raising concerns about properties being encumbered by designation. Staff indicated the the current code was “preservation light” and places no requirements.

This property would be the first residential structure in Thornton to receive historic designation.

Council Member Sandgren spoke in favor of the resolution. Council Member Martinez voiced concerns that the historic designation code was too ambiguous to decide during the meeting.

Council Member Russell agreed with Martinez about there being too many questions about the historic designation code to move forward at this time.

Council Member Ayala spoke in favor of the resolution in order to honor the recommendation of the TASCHO.

Council Member Sandgren described the objection to the resolution as “political retaliation,” to which Mayor Kulmann reminded her to remain on topic (2:18:35).

The final vote on the historic designation failed on a tie: Yes (Unrein, Ayala, Kulmann, Sandgren) No (Bigelow, Salazar, Martinez, Russell).

Council voted unanimously to consent to the dissolution of the Lambertson Lakes Metropolian District.

Council voted unanimously to approve the designation of a project of economic significance for the Thornton Commons project at 114^th Ave. and Washinginton St (retail, dining, convenience and hospitality).

The staff representative describes the porposed development as including a “nice public space” (2:35:38).

The council voted voted to move audience participation to earlier during council meetings.

Council Member Sandgren and Mayor Kulmann voted no. Kulmann stated that her no vote was because the issue should have been discussed in a planning session. The ordinance was put on the agenda by Council Member Salazar at a previous council meeting.