Category: Uncategorized

• PDF packet – Page count 967 (most of those pages are the development code update attachments)
• Video replay of planning session – Recording length 3:48:03

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.

Meeting Start

Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow attended the meeting remotely.

The city manager reported that council would be receiving a more in-depth update on joint work between Thornton and Northglenn on clearing encampments and remediation in the Badding Open Space with an estimated cost of $40,000 to the City of Thornton.

Council asked how much of that cost was the responsibility of Thornton versus Northglenn. The city manager reported that it was entirely the responsibility of Thornton.

The open space borders both municipalities, but the bulk of the property resides within the City of Thornton along with some property belonging to the Adams 12 Five Star School District.

The Badding Open Space is just down the road and across I-25 from the Thornton City Hall and police department headquarters.

The city attorney noted an email she sent to council regarding the executive order from Governor Polis regarding land use/zoning and affording grant priority to municipalities that follow state guidelines. Thornton had previously asserted that those state guidelines infringed on the right of municipalities to set their own guidelines.

Six municipalities have filed suit against the governor, and the city attorney requested an executive session meeting with council to discuss the city’s position on that lawsuit.

Adams County Regional Economic Partnership (AC-REP)

Adam Krueger, economic development director for the City of Thornton, introduced Lisa Hough, president and CEO of AC-REP, who briefed the council on an overview of the new regional chamber of commerce.

Hough described AC-REP’s vision as not just supporting businesses but also residents, such as with workforce development.

Hough described a program to cultivate business leaders and encourage them to run for elected office.

Hough name checks Meati as an example that, even though that company has had “issues,” shows how Adams County is a space for business growth and innovation.

(Meati’s “issues” include their investor seizing their funds, leading to a shutdown and fire sale of its industrial property that Thornton had supported with incentives.)

Hough explained that because Thornton is such a large business supporter, the city gets a number of perks at AC-REP, including board and committee members and a gratis foursome at the AC-REP golf tournament.

The city’s annual dues to AC-REP are $15,000.

Development Code Update

Staff presented an overview of the final drafting stage of the code update process, which started in July 2023. The changes focus on new development and re-development.

The presentation included a number of revisions to address developer comments on the proposed changes.

There was discussion between council and staff about seeking compromise between developer preferences and resident preferences on different levels of housing density.

Staff reminded council that the zoning updates in the code are intended to align with the already agreed upon comprehensive plan.

There was a request to reduce the amount of tree equivalents required, which staff rejected given the lower turf requirements set by state law.

At an earlier meeting, staff had proposed requiring detached sidewalks on all local streets. Council countered with a request for detached sidewalk requirements only on streets leading to parks and schools.

Staff requested council reconsider given the role detached sidewalks play in supporting the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan. Council agreed to do what is best for Vision Zero and staff will reinsert requirement for detached sidewalks on all local streets.

Council Member Martinez asked about increasing height in transit-oriented development zones to above the current five story limit (to six or seven stories).

Staff explained that developers can make requests for waivers as part of the application and hearing process for specific sites but that council could consider zoning changes specific to TOD. Council Member Sandgren predicted considerable resident pushback on raising height limits, naming the Eastlake and the 104th and Colorado rail stations as examples.

Staff describe commercial districts as job-producing areas. No data is shared on what percentage of retail workers in Thornton are also Thornton residents.

Volunteer Recognition

Staff presented on best practices for volunteer recognition, including practices in other municipalities. Many of those municipalities host an annual volunteer recognition event, which was staff’s recommendation to the city.

Thornton does recognize volunteers within the city government. The recommendation is to recognize Thornton community volunteers.

Severe Weather Update

Staff reported on the city’s policies for severe weather.

Staff noted that there are more fatalities from lightning than from tornadoes in Colorado.

The city hosts an annual National Weather Spotter Training, though the most recent offering was canceled due to federal budget cuts. The city also offers Community Emergency Response Training (CERT).

Staff explained that landlines are automatically added to the city’s CodeRED service but cell phones require individual opt-in. The presentation did not discuss traditional copper landline service that has been replaced by VoIP service.

The city’s website has this guidance for VoIP services:

“You do not need to update information for landline telephones at your home, if your landline is with a company that reports your number for 9-1-1 services. Some cable and VoIP providers do not subscribe to the 9-1-1 database. You must inquire from your phone company.”

Staff explained that installing the CodeRED phone app does not automatically enroll the phone for notifications. The manual sign-up must be completed. Alerts can be received just through phone calls or texts; no smart phone app is required.

In addition to CodeRED, there is a federal system that signals all cell phones within a target area.

Staff reported that 5 of 43 metro area jurisdictions have tornado sirens and that other jurisdictions had sirens in the past but discontinued them. Sirens are intended to only alert those who are outside.

Council Member Salazar noted how older residents may not know what CodeRED is, suggesting more outreach at the Active Adult Center.

Council Member Martinez noted that only a small percentage of Thornton’s population is enrolled in CodeRED and suggested that the city set enrollment goals, keeping sirens as a backup plan if goals are not met.

Federal Legislative Agenda Meeting Planning

Staff reviewed which council members will be covering which topics to be discussed with the federal delegation on their June visit to Washington, DC.

Council’s Policy on Electronic Participation

This discussion followed up from the discussion in the last council update meeting.

Current policy limits members to four meetings attended remotely per year (excepting any requirements for state or federal law). Members cannot participate in executive or quasi-judicial sessions electronically.

In response to the point raised by Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow in the previous meeting that the mayor should not preside while participating remotely, staff interpreted the charter to indicate that the mayor cannot be treated differently than other council members and thus is able to chair meetings.

Historically, there were no provisions for remote participation before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Council Members Ayala, Unrein, and Sandgren voiced support for keeping the procedure as is.

Council Member Martinez described the challenge of getting recognized by the chair and other communication issues when the chair is remote and suggested following the model of some other municipalities where the mayor does not chair the meeting if remote.

Thornton’s city attorney stated that in her opinion, that model would not be consistent with the city’s charter.

Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow advocated for getting outside legal counsel to articulate the rationale behind the model and whether Thornton could implement the same policy.

Mayor Kulmann determined that the consensus was to leave the current remote policy in place (with four on council supporting that position).

• PDF packet for update session
• PDF packet for council meeting

• Video replay of update session
• Video replay of council meeting

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

The mayor announced that Council Member Acunto would not be attending and that Council Member Sandgren would be late. The mayor attended remotely.

Council Member Martinez asked why the council code of conduct was scheduled to be voted on as a seprate action item rather than as part of the consent calendar package.

City staff explained that there was a change in the wording between the first and second reading (the change from a simple majority to a two-thirds vote to find that a violation has occurred).

Parks and Open Space Advisory Commission Interviews

Note: council members identified themselves verbally so that the mayor, attending remotely, would know who is speaking. Usually, council members do not do this during the update meetings even though it can be difficult for those viewing the recording or attending remotely to identify who is speaking.

Three commission applicants were scheduled for interviews. Only one was present for the interview process.

All candidates were to be asked the same questions (available in the meeting packet).

The candidate asked council what were the largest challenges they see for parks and open spaces in Thornton.

Mayor Kulmann mentioned funding and access. Other council members mentioned the environment (e.g., water consumption for grass), the number of parks available, and homeless encroachment and safety.

Council agreed to reschedule interviews and keep the call for applicants open because the commission currently has no Ward 1 representation.

Council Remote Participation Discussion

Council Member Martinez invited the council to consider whether it was time to revisit remote participation in meetings by members of the council given how conditions had changed since remote participation was first established at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Martinez stated that his perception was that remote participants had challenges engaging in-person participants during meetings and that remote participating was contributing to communication challenges between council members.

Mayor Kulmann suggested adding the issue to a future planning session, at which point Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow accused Kulmann of trying to dodge the issue (27:59).

Council Member Sandgren argued that if the council ends its remote participation, then all boards and commissions should end their remote participation.

Bigelow stated the position that the council could either amend the remote option or follow the city’s charter guidelines that the Mayor Pro Tem chair the meeting if the mayor is not participating in-person.

Bigelow agreed with Sandgren that council policy should align with boards and commissions, which should include the council having a code of conduct like the boards and commissions do.

Council Member Ayala indicated that she would not be comfortable making a decision in the meeting and suggested a future planning session for further discussion. She noted that she advocated for the virtual town hall to meet the needs of residents who can not participate in person.

Council Member Unrein echoed Ayala’s request for more time, and he noted that people on boards and commissions regularly make use of remote/hybrid participation.

Council Meeting

The mayor continued participation in the council meeting remotely. Council Member Acunto continued to be absent. All other members were present.

The council passed resolutions recognizing the following: May 2025 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, May 2025 as Jewish Heritage Month, May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month, May 18-24, 2025 as National Public Works Week, May 26, 2025 as Memorial Day, and the 2025 National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.

25-year-old Thornton resident Peter Duong spoke on behalf of the Asian American Pacific Islander community. He invited council and the community to participate in metro area Asian American events and celebrations throughout the year.

During discussion on the Mental Health Awareness Month resolution, Council Member Ayala shared her experience as a survivor of domestic abuse and spoke to the mental health challenges she has faced over the past year.

Council Member Russell spoke of his work with veterans and the mental health challenge they face. Both Russell and Ayala urged people to reach out for support and to check in on those in their lives.

Public Hearing on Building and Fire Code Revisions

The city staff presented on the code revision process. Key revisions are highlighted in the meeting packet.

No member of the public had signed up to speak in favor of or opposed to the hearing items. Per standard procedure, the mayor invited anyone who was present but had not signed up to speak.

Thornton resident Dariush Namazi came to the podium to criticize the council for moving the audience participation portion of the meeting agenda to after the public hearings, explaining that it wasted the time of public who wished to speak.

Audience Participation

Staff reported that 7 people had signed up to speak in person and 2 online.

The first speaker talked on the theme of “we are all one” and spoke out on the genocide in Gaza.

The second speaker spoke on poor internet service in Thornton through Comcast and looked forward to hearing more on fiber availability in the city.

The third speaker from Ward 1 asked the city to install Tornado warning sirens despite the cost and “not wait for a death to happen” (1:01:14). The speaker claimed that the city’s Code Red phone/email notification system does not work all the time.

The fourth speaker condemned the transphobic comments from council members in a meeting the prior month. The speaker called out Council Member Sandgren for misusing an opportunity to recognize transgender community members as a way to talk about “predators” (1:03:35).

The speaker criticized the mayor for amplifying the online posts of an unnamed man who describes the LGBTQ community as mentally ill.

The speaker played a clip of Sandgren’s comments at a meeting where Sandgren talked about national sloppy Joe day as a way to trivialize the city’s land acknowledgment.

The fifth speaker was Daruish Namazi, this time speaking in his right-wing persona “Danny Kulmann.” He sarcastically thanked Kulmann and Sandgren for speaking on women’s sports, presenting an over-the-top caricature of an anti-trans fanatic.

After taking off his MAGA hat, he condemned Sandgren’s disregard for the city’s land acknowledgment and presented a brief history of the KKK’s takeover of Colorado governments in the 20th century.

In contrast to Sandgren’s implications that trans people in Thornton are predators, the speaker referred to reports of a Thornton Christian youth pastor, Joshua Lucero, who has been arrested on sexual assault on a child.

The sixth speaker also reported problems with the Code Red notification system. She also spoke about student school attendance being affected by limited service from RTD in the 120th and Washington area where there are several schools.

The seventh speaker was the on-going complaint about the land acknowledgment.

The eighth speaker asked how the new city logo was decided. The mayor reminded him that audience participation was not a time for dialogue. The speaker expressed disappointment with the new logo.

An online participant also spoke on tornado sirens, noting how many sirens neighboring municipalities have compared to Thornton’s 0 sirens. The speaker expressed frustration at having reached out to the city last year and not found a resolution.

Council Comments

Council Member Martinez discussed constituent concerns with crime on 88th Avenue. Residents want to see more police on patrol in the area.

Council Member Salazar echoed those concerns, noting that police unmarked vehicles was an insufficient response. She also thanked those who spoke in favor of tornado sirens.

Council Member Ayala spoke on her experience with police department’s Citizens Academy program and how community policing works best when residents talk with and actively engage their neighbors.

Council Member Sandgren described the early comments in audience participation criticizing her as “sharing their hate” (1:38:35). She doubled down on her protest of the land acknowledgment, insisting that Colorado never had slavery.

Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow spoke on the virtual town hall scheduled for the next night, which she had wanted to be a hybrid online/in-person meeting and a meeting with a live (not pre-written and submitted) Q&A session.

City Council Code of Conduct and City Mission, Vision, and Values

The council unanimously passed the revised code of conduct (second reading) and the city mission, vision, and values.

• PDF packet for update session
• PDF packet for council meeting

• Video replay of update session
• Video replay of council meeting

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 Session

Council Member Sandgren will join virtually for the council meeting but is not at the update session. Council Members Acunto and Bigelow are absent.

State Legislative Update

The council received an update on state legislation with two weeks left in the legislative session.

The briefing spent time on HB25-1296, which would provide reciprocity for food truck licensing and permitting between municipalities. At the time of the update, the city was opposed to the bill, but the bill has also received late amendments. The person briefing council indicated that the amendments do address previous concerns but that concerns remain.

The mayor reported hearing rumors about a summer session to which she and the lobbyist agreed would be sad if true (said sarcastically).

Update on the Environmental Sustainability Task Force & Master Plan

Staff shared an estimated project schedule with completion for the master plan by the start of 2026.

The city will create opportunities for community engagement and feedback, including a community-wide survey and workshops (with one potentially in May).

Parks, Recreation, & Community Programs Visioning Plan

The plan considers what the department and programs should look like in 20 years.

The city only has one full-time staff for events like festivals. All other staff are taken on an overtime basis from other roles (26:00).

Council Member Martinez suggested that there was insufficient opportunity for the council to provide feedback on the visioning plan (32:00).

Staff explained that there will be opportunity as the process gets underway for council feedback, including feedback on drafts at 50% and 75% completion.

Council Member Martinez suggested that the council do a workshop in a future planning session to give some big picture feedback early on in the visioning plan process. Council Member Russell supported that approach.

Outdoor Pool Update

The City Manager is requesting a budget adjustment to address short-term repairs to the city’s outdoor pools that came to light in recent audits. The pools are also approaching end-of-life. The immediate repairs would provide 3-5 years of continued use.

Council Meeting

Council Members Bigelow and Unrein were absent.

The council recognized May 9, 2025 as Child Care Provider Appreciation Day in Thornton.

Audience Participation

The first speaker praises the city for the Eggstravaganza event the past weekend, which the city at late notice had to move indoors for weather. She also thanks the Parks and Recreation Department for working with the community.

The second and third speakers spoke in appreciation of past support for the Thornton Tennis Association and asked the city to expand lighted courts at the city.

The fourth speaker encouraged the city to continue to work on accessibility for autism. He stated that he supports a code of conduct for the council in general but cannot support the code as currently written for consideration of the council later in the session.

The fifth speaker continued his ongoing condemnation of the city’s land acknolwedgement.

The sixth speaker expressed thanks for the child care worker resolution. She reminded the council of the lack of capacity in the childcare sector due to low wages.

Council Comments

Council Member Sandgren said, “I think we all celebrated Easter last weekend.”

Staff Reports

The fire and police departments gave public safety reports.

Council Member Martinez asked the interim police chief about efforts in the 88th Ave. corridor where residents have reported feeling unsafe. The chief explained that police are engaged in active efforts in that area and that the staff split between south and north Thornton is approximately 66/33%.

Action Items

The council considered adopting a code of conduct, which is the same language as was considered Dec. 3, 2024.

Mayor Kulmann moved to require a two-thirds vote instead of a simple majority vote to censure a council member.

Council Member Ayala supports Kulmann’s motion. Council Members Salazar and Martinez voted against the motion; the motion passed 5-2.

The council unanimously passed the code of conduct.