Thornton Civic Observatory

Tag: Thornton City Government

  • Council Planning Session Replay for October 21, 2025

    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

    Council Member Sandgren and Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow were not in attendance. Council Member Acunto attended remotely.

    According to the city manager, this was the last planning session before the new council members are sworn in. There are no scheduled council meetings during November.

    Agenda

    Briefings

    E-470 Public Highway Authority Presentation

    E-470 Executive Director Joe Donahue gave an informational presentation on the E-470 tollway.

    E-470 is a self-funded program that does not use tax dollars.

    Council Member Unrein noted that the toll rate has remained flat. Donahue stated a commitment to keep tolls affordable, perhaps even decreasing rates in the near future (26:15).

    Some of the former toll plazas that were abandoned after the switch to cashless transactions are being converted to convenience stores.

    State of the City event research

    Staff reviewed nearby cities and how they program their state of the city events.

    They grouped the events in three categories (page 35 in the packet): public engagement, business-centric, and balanced.

    Local chambers of commerce co-sponsor some cities’ events. Some events are ticketed without any charge.

    None of the event summaries noted time for questions from the audience.

    Council Member Ayala spoke positively on those events that were more community-oriented as being in line with other Thornton events.

    The Thornton Chamber of Commerce is thinking of hosting an event at a hotel if the city wants to partner with the chamber (42:09).

    Mayor Kulmann praised how chambers of commerce do all or most of the logistical work for other cities’ events (43:15).

    Ayala raised concerns that hosting at a hotel may not be accessible to all Thornton residents.

    Kulmann described different purposes for different events: a community meeting is to get the community excited about the city, and a state of the city is to get the business community excited (49:42).

    Note: The current format for Thornton’s community meetings is similar to a business conference where different departments sit at tables and attendees circulate with brief speeches at the start of the event (49:45).

    Ayala points out that there are many Thornton businesses that don’t tend to show up to chamber events and encouraged outreach to make those events more accessible to a wider variety of businesses.

    Thornton also hosts ward meetings where attendees can ask questions of their ward’s council members.


    Thornton Shopping Center Redevelopment Update

    The presenters noted tension between the site vision expressed by community members and the development that the market would support.

    For example, new retail development could require rents that the local market would not support, at least not without public investment.

    Council was presented with five development scenarios, two of which were recommended as achieving the best balance (options C and D on pages 47-48 in the packet): C is an experiential retail/entertainment + food hall + high density residential, and D is a hybrid town center, which has slightly more space for retail and less for housing.

    These options are most closely aligned with the community input but also require the most city investment.

    To make the site attractive to developers, housing must be included with the commercial. This will require amending the site’s zoning.

    About 20% of the community input objected to any housing, but development will not be viable for developers without housing.

    Council Member Ayala raised concerns that new development could price out current residents (1:45:09).


    Introductory discussion regarding affordable (essential) housing assessment of the Development Code

    Staff and a consultant presented on revisions to the new code to expand essential housing options in Thornton.

    Page 120 in the packet provides details on affordability.

    In Thornton, 25% of owners spend more than 30% of household income on housing and 9% spend more than 50%. 28% of renters pay more than 30% of income for housing, and 24% spend more than 50%.

    A project website with community input offerings should be online in a week or two.

    Council Member Martinez suggested that that one measure of success could be targeted at the lower end of the income spectrum.

    Council Member Ayala encouraged the city to use space already within city limits and emphasize more walkable housing so that people do not have to drive far for grocery shopping.

    Organizational Review Update

    The proposal includes three assistant city manager positions as new functions in the city’s organization (see page 141 in the packet).

    The proposal also recommends elevating the role of IT services in the organization.

    The consultant report in the packet includes detailed department reorganizations, including “realigned” roles.

    Page 152 in the packet lists key messages that include “In very rare cases, positions may be eliminated.”

    Amendments to Council’s Rules of Order and Procedure

    Page 305 lists a summary of proposed council meeting rules changes, including requiring audience participants to address council not staff or other audience members and regulations on signage that can be held by audience members.

    Council also discussed moving council comments to after audience participation.

    Council Member Ayala supported the move as it would give council members an opportunity to respond to concerns raised in audience participation.

    Council Member Russell advocated to leaving the order as is so that people wanting to give testimony on public hearings would be able to do so earlier during the meeting (2:56:52).

    Council Member Unrein supported the move of council comments to immediately after audience participation.

    Consensus was to move the council comments but to hold the option of eliminating council comments in meetings with lengthy public hearings.

  • Water Fee Commentary: Pay Now or Pay Later

    Ward 3 candidate and former council member Sam Nizam advocates for a water rate freeze on Next Door.

    Council has heard multiple briefings on the need for large near-term rate increases that will then level off in future years: 7/15 session on rate increase and 8/19 session on alternatives.

    During the presentations, staff explained how Thornton’s water service is an independent non-profit business that must be self-funded by rates and fees.

    The 7/15 presentation includes the initial proposed scheduled rate increases and the 8/19 some alternatives.

    A freeze now won’t make costs go away, but it will shift that cost burden to future residents and councils.

  • Council Candidate Forum Commentary: Political Violence & Political Dialogue

    The League of Women Voters of Adams County hosted a city council candidate dialogue on 9/24.

    The first question had all the candidates condemning “political violence” in response to the statement that Mayor Kulmann feels unsafe at city events.

    The unspoken context of the question is that Kulmann made the claim about safety in regard to her long-running beef with a local protester.

    The question did not ask what should happen when an elected official intentionally creates a violation of her own protection order, using city police to arrest a political opponent only for the district attorney’s office to choose not to prosecute a case that wouldn’t hold up in court.

    The question also did not ask how transphobic and other anti-LGBTQIA sentiments expressed by council members increase the risk of violence against community members.

    If candidates and incumbents want to have an actual dialogue on political violence, by all means. It is clear some do not.

    Incumbent and unopposed Ward 1 candidate Cherish Salazar did suggest that more dialogue between council members and residents would help lower the temperature.

    Why is a more honest dialogue important?

    For one, Salazar is right. Kulmann and her conservative allies consistently dodge engaging their critics in any sort of public, on-the-record dialogue.

    A commitment to dialogue would also stand up to the broader anti-democratic currents in our society, such as Stephen Miller declaring free speech by political enemies of the state as unlawful.

    As Miller demonstrates, the accusation of political violence can itself become a weapon, rationalizing unconstitutional action against political enemies.

    Authoritarianism redefines nonviolent dissent as incitement to violence while justifying its own violence against dissidents as lawful, moral, and necessary.

    When candidates condemn “political violence,” what exactly are they condemning?

    Which candidates believe, along with Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon, that the state should suppress political speech in the name of stopping political violence?

    How do candidates envision democracy and dissent working, and more importantly, where have they demonstrated a public record of engaging productively in dialogue and deliberation across political difference?

  • 60 Day Election Disclosures

    The latest reporting period for city council races closed at the end of August.

    The previous reporting period was covered in this post.

    At the city’s campaign portal, click the “List of Candidates” button and then “View” link for each candidate to see the detailed reports.

    Contribution totals among active candidates in contested races are shown in the table below.

    WardTotal Contributions Through 8/31 Reporting
    2 (3 candidates)$11,587.16
    3 (3 candidates)$17,277.44
    4 (3 candidates)$54,660.00

    The disclosure site does not provide for CSV data exports, and some candidate filings are scanned handwritten documents.

    The spreadsheet collecting overall figures has been updated.

  • Council Update and Meeting Replay for August 26, 2025

    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 Start

    The mayor noted that all council members were present.

    The city manager requested that council move a planned second reading for the sex offender residency restriction ordinance to the September 23 council meeting to provide time for input from area school districts.

    Quasi-Judicial Public Hearing Review

    The city attorney gave an informational presentation on the quasi-judicial decision process.

    A quasi-judicial decision is where the council makes a decision that would then be appealable to court (4:42). These are decisions that require due process and neutrality.

    Decisions must be based on information and testimony given in the quasi-judicial hearing itself. Council members cannot engage in ex-parte communications outside of the hearing.

    City Strategic Plan Update and Council Input on Goals

    Council was separated into breakout groups by ward, the mayor choosing which group to choose, to discuss the four focus areas of the strategic plan in 10-minute increments: Vibrant and Purposeful Development; Connected Communities; Safe, Supported, and Livable Community; and Organizational Excellence.

    The replay video captures some incidental audio from some of the groups.

    Executive Sessions

    Council met for two executive sessions. The first session considered negotiations for an incentive agreement for a restaurant development at 136th and I-25. The second session provided details on security arrangements for council.

    Council Meeting Start

    All council members were present in person for the meeting.

    Council considered resolutions including for recognition of National Immunization Awareness Month and Women’s Quality Day.

    Audience Participation

    9 people had signed up to speak in person.

    The first speaker was Mark Gormley, Ward 3 council candidate, returning to speak on the genocide in Gaza.

    The second speaker continued to voice concerns related to the sex offender registry ordinance being considered by council. He noted that the ordinance would require publishing the locations of school bus stops, potentially endangering students.

    The third speaker returned to thank city staff for listening to their planning concerns shared in earlier meetings. She stated that the August 19 Planning Commission meeting recording shows evidence of lack of preparation by the commission, dismissive behavior toward public comments, and lack of impartiality.

    She asked again why there is not a time period between hearing and final decisions to allow for deliberation. She noted that council has been critical of low public attendance in past hearings but has not praised increase in public participation in recent hearings (38:38).

    The fourth speaker asked whether the entire council votes on issues affecting only one ward or if only that ward’s council members vote.

    The fifth speaker continued his ongoing objection to the land acknowledgment statement.

    The sixth speaker, who addressed the council in Spanish through an interpreter, asked why residents have to come to meetings to beg council members to do their job.

    The seventh speaker, whose comment were also interpreted, asked for assistance with a domestic dispute.

    The eight speaker objected to council members wearing campaign material at a city meeting. He thanked the water department for their work. He expressed concern about reports of vermin on public transit and hypodermic needles in public parks.

    The ninth speaker talked about the missing middle issue in housing, advocating for more development of housing like duplexes and garden homes. She referred to a housing plan that emphasized medium density housing and encouraged the city to follow through on that plan.

    The tenth speaker was Eric Montoya, candidate for Ward 2 city council. He encuoraged all city council members and residents to work together to address issues.

    Public Hearing on Thornton’s Participation in Denver Regional Council of Governments Regional Housing Needs Assessment

    State law requires local governments to conduct a housing needs assessment unless they participate in a regional assessment that complies with the law’s methodology requirement (1:00:12).

    Thornton conducted its own assessment that requires further revision to meet state requirements. The city’s assessment will remain the primary tool for planning in the city.

    The city can participate in the regional assessment by reviewing the assessment and providing comments that will be incorporated into the final assessment. This participation would support better data, regional collaboration, and quicker compliance with the state law.

    The regional plan would not supersede city needs assessments and will not require new funding beyond staff time to review and provide feedback.

    The regional assessment projects about half the amount of housing units as Thornton’s assessment projects. The projections for rental units were closer between the two assessments.

    There was no public comment on the hearing.

    Council Member Martinez spoke to the number of Thornton community members who struggle with affordable housing.

    Council Member Sandgren blamed the lack of housing on state regulations regarding housing defect liability (1:18:24).

    Council unanimously voted to participate in the regional assessment.

    Council Comments

    Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow urged the city to improve the communication process regarding development planning. She encouraged residents to provide feedback to the council on city charter updates that are needed.

    Council Member Ayala spoke to the systemic causes of and solutions to homelessness.

    Mayor Kulmann reported meeting with Congressman Gabe Evans.

    Monthly Financial Report for June 2025

    As of the June 2025 report, the city has a $2.1 million income variance over budget (1:55:10).

    Building permit revenue has slowed as the year has gone on.

    Operating expenditures were slightly under budget across all reported categories.

    The 2026 budget review is scheduled for September 4. The review agenda packet is available.

    Consent Calendar

    Council unanimously passed the items on the consent calendar.

    Action Items

    Council unanimously passed an ordinance amending the 2025 budget (first reading). The amendment would fund traffic enforcement, homelessness and housing services, police body cameras, Thornton Water Treatment Plant solar improvement, traffic signal installation 104th and Washington Plaza, and the Big Dry Creek Trail project from 136th Ave. to 144th Ave.

  • Council Planning Session Replay for August 19, 2025

    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

    Council Members David Acunto and Karen Bigelow were running late at the start of the meeting. Council Member Unrein was absent.

    Adams County’s Approach to Housing & Homelessness

    Adams County staff, joined by some of the county commissioners, presented on the county’s approach to housing and homelessness.

    The county reported growing numbers of people receiving services related to homelessness, reaching 3,739 in 2025 to date.

    Of those 3,700+ individual, 32.78% identify as minors aged 17 or younger (12:16).

    Inability to pay rent or mortgage is a growing factor in homelessness since 2023 (14:10).

    The county presented an eviction filing heat map (page 15 in the packet). The highest eviction numbers were in the 80233 zip code.

    The county reported that outreach staff across the region communicate, share data, and collaborate (23:40).

    The county provided a table of different departments and their responsibilities for addressing encampments (page 18 of the packet and 27:30 in the replay).

    The county has noted a reduction in encampments and campers, which does include people who lose contact with the outreach staff (28:16).

    The county described the variety of services provided for economic mobility, poverty, and homelessness reduction.

    One program moves people from closed encampments to housing (33:12). Other programs proactively intervene before housing is lost, such as assisting with asset building or mediation tenant-landlord disputes (37:53).

    The county’s presentation poses the question “What is the political will to accept transitional/supportive/affordable housing?” (page 25 in the packet and 44:00 in the replay).

    Council Member Sandgren asked if unhoused people were being pushed out of Adams County and into Thornton (45:45).

    She suggested that the county was advertising the Thornton warming center but not paying any money for the services Thornton needs to run the warming center program and address related issues.

    The county described successful programs that are lowering the homeless population.

    Commission Steve O’Dorisio explained that his understanding of collaboration among the county and municipalities meant that unhoused people were not being shuffled around (56:54).

    He also explained that encampment clean-up costs for the county went down when they were able to transition people out of encampments earlier, which did require inter-governmental agreements with state groups to authorize the county to act on affected properties, such as RTD land.

    The county discussed the success of their safe parking program (1:28:00).

    Council Member Russell recommended that future discussions provide for better communication to the public about what programs are in place and how they help address homelessness (1:36:07).

    Organizational Review Update

    While the city’s population has grown, the city’s organizational structure has not changed recently.

    A consultant group, Blackline Consulting, is working with the city to review and propose changes to its organization (the departments and employees of the City of Thornton).

    One finding is that more departments report directly to the city manager than the consultant would expect in a city Thornton’s size, raising concerns about sustainability (1:43:00).

    The report noted “a disconnect between tactical execution and unified direction on big-picture goals” and “weak strategic collaboration towards shared goals” (page 38 in the packet).

    The consultant reported duplicated efforts across teams (1:49:15).

    The consultant proposes creating assistant deputy city managers to focus on specific areas and deputy city managers to focus on collaborative efforts across the city (1:53:15).

    Alternative Solutions to Propose Utility Rate and Fee Increases

    Staff followed up on a previous planning session where council objected to the proposed utility rate increases.

    As discussed in that earlier meeting, Thornton’s utilities are self-funded through rates and fees. Water rate increases since 2018 have been between 0% and 7% to adjust for inflation. The proposed increase addresses inflation and the cost for PFAS mitigation.

    Staff reported on scenarios for spreading out the water rate increase over time, each of which would result in a higher total percentage rate increase between 2026 and 2029 than the original 11% increase for 2025 and 2026 but with lower rates in the near-term years.

    Staff also discussed potential reductions to the water capital plan, including reducing contingency budgeting for the Thornton Water Project, delaying a 10-million-gallon capacity upgrade to the Thornton Water Treatment Plant, terminating the Cooley East Resiliency Project (flood mitigation and reservoir reinforcement), shifting treatment sludge disposal from landfill to composting, and reducing lake management and algae control budget in future years.

    Each of the options was described with pros and cons.

    With those capital reductions, the original proposed increase would decrease from 11% to 7.3%.

    Another option is to perform the capital reductions and terminate the solar installation at Thornton Water Treatment Plant. That plan would place the original decrease at 7.2%.

    Council Member Martinez stated concern that the individual capital reductions may be low risk but that the combined risk would not be worth the savings.

    Council Member Sandgren voiced support for the original 11% option. Council Member Russell voiced support for the original option. Council Member Ayala voiced support for the original option. Mayor Kulmann agreed with Martinez on the risks and supported the original option.

    Preliminary 2026 Budget Recommendation

    Staff presented on major investment areas for the budget, noting that the city continues to experience under performing revenue from sales tax and that growth and development are lagging (2:41:50).

    Investment areas included reducing traffic congestion and enhancing safety, enhancing trails and open spaces, revitalizing priority areas of the city, fire & emergency medical response, enhancing code compliance, creating community and gathering spaces, water quality and availability, future planning, and current employee salary and benefits.

    Council will be given a detailed budget review September 4 (2:00 pm to 9:00 pm) and September 9 (5:45 pm to 7:00 pm).

    The budget will have its first reading and public hearing on September 23 and the second reading on October 14.

  • Council Update and Meeting Replay for August 12, 2025

    • PDF packet for update session – 205 pages
    • PDF packet for meeting – 1,581 pages (including development code changes)

    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 Start

    Council Members Sandgren and Acunto were not in attendance for the update meeting. Council Member Martinez participated remotely.

    The city attorney followed-up on fees for use of city facilities for potential municipal election candidate forums. Staff propose a fee of $150 for use of facilities outside of standard operating hours.

    Council Member Ayala reported working with city staff to host a Ward 2 candidate forum.

    2024 Auditor Reports

    The report found one “material weakness” in financial reporting on the restatement of capital assets in the Water Fund. That error is being corrected.

    Two deficiencies were identified in how federal grant funds were being reported, but the deficiencies did not result in any noncompliance.

    The general fund reserve at the end of 2024 was 38%. Current policy sets a minimum reserve of 17%.

    Thornton Area Chamber of Commerce In-kind Sponsorship Agreement

    The Thornton Chamber of Commerce (TACC) is independent from the City of Thornton. It was founded in 2023.

    TACC is requesting space from the city for luncheons and the Women’s Brunch and facilities and services for the Bites on the Block: Taste of Thornton Meets Eastlake Street Fair.

    The chamber also requested space for a proposed candidate forum, but the city would not be a sponsor for that event.

    Council Meeting Start

    Council Members Acunto and Sandgren were absent at the meeting start. Council Member Martinez joined remotely. Council Member Acunto took his seat at 13:13 in the recording.

    Audience Participation

    The first speaker was Ward 3 council candidate Mark Gormley who spoke on the genocide in Gaza.

    The second speaker cited the council’s code of conduct and Council Members Acunto and Unrein turning away from an audience participant in a previous meeting.

    The third speaker continued his ongoing protest of the land acknowledgment statement.

    The fourth speaker, Eliza Namazi, criticized council members to pretending to engage in discourse while actually engaging in avoidance.

    She thanked a Thornton police officer for distinguishing between offense and assault and refusing to arrest her husband at the demand of Council Member Unrein. She accused supporters of council candidate Devin Byrd of attempting to assault her husband and stealing materials at a recent protest.

    Namazi reminded council that her husband’s protests are nonviolent and that he says the “quiet parts you [conservative council members] try to hide out loud.”

    The fifth speaker was Dariush Namazi. He described his experience of protesting Byrd at a Ward 3 event.

    The sixth speaker reiterated her concerns with the development code revisions. She indicated that residents don’t receive notifications of public meetings and hearings. She asked that resident comments be considered at follow-up meetings before final decisions are made.

    The seventh speaker was former council member and current Adams County Commissioner Kathy Henson. She asked about the charter amendments scheduled for the consent calendar vote later in the session, questioning why we should create special election for mayoral vacancies.

    She also expressed safety concerns with construction on Washington St. She concluded by stating that turning backs on residents was not how public officials should act.

    The eighth speaker returned from a previous meeting where Spanish interpretation was not provided by the city.

    At this meeting, her comments were summarized in English. She repeated her concerns about inconsistent enforcement of code violations. She indicated that repeated efforts to engage in communication and schedule meetings have been ignored.

    The ninth speaker also spoke to the council in Spanish. The interpreter summarized his concerns about trying to file complaints with the police about a person entering his premises and about thefts but has not received any follow-up.

    The mayor indicated that a police officer was available to talk. He responded that he is an older man with a small property and feels that he is being abused by his neighbor.

    The tenth speaker expressed concerns about a neighbor about whom complaints had been made for about two years. She was told to come to the next city council meeting to ask about why nothing has been done under nuisance laws. The mayor directed city staff to meet with her.

    The 11th speaker was with the previous speaker. He reported that police had been called to the problem residence 60 times.

    The 12th speaker followed up on critical comments on the planning process voiced at an earlier meeting. He discussed reviewing 2021 and 2023 campaign contributions to council from people and corporations affiliated with developers.

    The 13th speaker’s words were translated from Spanish into English. She stated that she was there to support her neighbors. She asked council to be more dependable in their support for the community. She invited council members to engage more in the community.

    The 14th speaker was Ward 3 council candidate Devin Byrd. He complained about Namazi’s protest and accused council members of hypocrisy for criticizing Acunto and Unrein but supporting Namazi.

    Public Hearing on Stormwater and Floodplain Regulation Amendments

    After staff presented, there were no public comments on the hearing.

    Council passed the amendments unanimously.

    Public Hearing on an Amended Planned Development

    The Parterre Subdivision project requested to move the site of a planned recreation center on their development site, which would result in 8 additional housing lots being added to the site.

    Two people signed up to speak in opposition to the project. The first just had a question that had been answered during the presentation.

    The second speaker had earlier spoke during audience participation. She asked questions about the development and notification process.

    Council unanimously passed the development plan amendment.

    Council Comments

    Council Member Martinez reported that he was participating remotely due to testing postive for COVID.

    Martinez thanked the community, city staff, and police department for work on the National Night Out, building stronger connections between police and community.

    He provided an update on the Family Justice Center with a location planned for Westminster.

    Council Member Salazar thanked the city’s emergency services for a quick response to a fire in her ward.

    Council Member Ayala expressed appreciation for the National Night Out. She thanked TASHCO for the first Dino Fest held recently.

    She discussed work coordinating a presentation to council with the code enforcement department regarding the Pine Lakes Ranch mobile home community. She hoped the presentation would address questions about enforcing code on private property and support available for residents to make required repairs. Ayala emphasized the need for an equitable approach to enforcement.

    Ayala encouraged the community to consider mutual aid. She recommended people carefully consider candidates in the upcoming city election.

    Council Member Unrein expressed appreciation for the National Night Out event support, which was echoed by Council Member Acunto.

    Council Member Russell expressed appreciation for the National Night Out event as well as other programs and events. He commended a resident who has lifeguard training through the city for her actions saving a four-year-old.

    Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow expressed appreciation for the National Night Out event.

    Mayor Kulmann praised an event dedicated to bipartisan support for Colorado.

    Staff Reports

    The police and fire departments provided their quarterly public safety reports.

    The police report included an update on Vision Zero and statistics on traffic accidents. An update was provided on the Blue Envelope Program as well.

    Consent Calendar

    Council Member Salazar removed Item 12E from the consent calendar, placing it on the action item agenda for later in the meeting. 12E was the second reading of the proposed charter amendment ballot measure to clean up outdated language, add clarification, and make minor updates to various charter items.

    The rest of the consent calendar items passed unanimously.

    Action Items

    Council considered multiple items related to the development code updates. All development code items passed.

    Council Member Salazar moved to amend one of the charter amendments to restore deleted language from Charter Section 5.9 specifying that the city attorney “shall be responsible solely to the Council.”

    The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

  • City Council Planning Session Replay for July 29, 2025

    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.

    2025 Water Efficiency Plan Update

    Staff reported on the draft 2025 Water Efficiency Plan.

    Community Volunteer Recognition Program

    Staff reported on proposals to create an event to recognize non-city employees who volunteer in Thornton.

    Council Member Martinez supported the ideas proposed and also asked if there could be a non-award recognition, such as volunteer spotlights published in the City Voice newspaper.

    Activity Guide ”Going Green” on-line campaign with opt-in direct mail recommendation

    Staff reported on a proposal the transition the quarterly city recreation activities guide print publication to an electronic version, allowing residents to opt-in to receiving a print version.

    Council raised concerns that without a universal print mailing, recreation sign-ups would plummet.

    2025 Financial Update

    Staff reported that the budget shortfall reported in the May update has been eliminated, largely due to one-time cost savings.

    Sales tax revenue projections remain down, and the city budget office has concerns about long-term sustainability that council will need to address in the 2026 budget process.

    Ken Freiberg Fire Museum Budget Update

    Staff reported on the Ken Freiberg Fire Museum project, which has now exceeded its budget due to construction cost increases (tariff-related) and unpredicted asbestos mitigation of the project site.

    Council members supported the project continuing, and staff will investigate funding options, including reallocation from other budget items and possible grant funding.

    Police Department’s Policies Related to Immigration Enforcement

    In response to council questions, the police department provided an update on policies related to federal immigration enforcement.

    After recently appointed Chief Baird stated that the department wantted to “provide reassurance” to council and the community and reminded everyone that “immigration is a federal issue,” Deputy Chief Reeves spoke for most of the presentation. An assistant city attorney was also present.

    Police policy is published online and information about policy has been shared through information campaigned, including hospitals. The department does not want people to avoid seeking medical treatment for fear of arrest.

    He reported that the department does not detain individuals based on civil violations of immigration law; TPD will arrest on criminal warrants.

    Reeves reported that the department does not inform the federal government of immigration status of people who are arrested; those people are transferred to Adams County for holding; the county may report.

    Reeves mentioned the combined ICE/DEA criminal raid in Thornton, which he described as targeting drugs and weapons. That was the only time TPD has rendered assistance to ICE.

    Reeves indicated that during the raid, the department allowed for 1st amendment rights to be exercised. Reeves claimed most of the protesters were not Thornton residents; claims residents complained about protesters.

    Reeves emphasized the safety of the community, the safety of police department personnel, and the safety of federal agents, noting that it was the department’s duty to stop people from crimes such as obstruction of justice.

    Reeves did not comment on reports of illegal actions of federal agents.

    Reeves did express concern for federal agents “who are just doing their job” getting doxxed.

    Reeves indicated that outside of exceptions for health and safety and under cover operations, the police department does not allow for masking of officers.

    Either the city manager or attorney reminded the police representatives that there was a question from council about potential ordinances prohibiting any law enforcement office operating in the city from wearing masks but that more detailed research would be needed to provide information. She also reminded that the city can’t set federal policy.

    Council Member Ayala asked if a woman and child were arrested in the ICE/DEA raid; police indicated that that was not the case.

    Council Member Martinez requested more outreach and interaction with the Spanish-speaking community.

  • City Council Update and Meeting Replay for July 22, 2025

    • PDF packet for the update session – 90 pages
    • PDF packet for the full council meeting – 1,376 pages (including documentation for the Development Code changes)

    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

    Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow was absent for the meeting; Council Member Martinez joined remotely.

    Stormwater Code Revisions and Program Upgrades

    Staff briefed council on changes to changes to Chapter 22 in the city code governing stormwater, which are being made in conjunction with the Chapter 18 development code updates.

    New permits and fees will be required for developments with a planned disturbance of one or more acre or that are part of a larger common plan of development (8:00).

    Surplus Property Declaration

    As part of the permitting process with Larimer County for the Thornton Water Project, the city committed to divest all six city-owned farm properties in the county and contribute proceeds to the Poudre River Enhancement fund (13:15).

    Environmental Sustainability Task Force & Master Plan Update

    Staff reported on the timeline of the sustainability project, which is currently in a strategy development stage and collecting community input.

    Some emerging themes include gaps in current energy management strategies and measurement and reporting of energy use, a mobility priority among community input, and need for alignment on city goals and inter-departmental coordination (18:50).

    Staff reported that the community survey has about 130 responses so far.

    Update on Proposed Changes to City Code Regarding Special Elections

    Staff discussed proposed changes on the special election process applying lessons learned from the recent special city council election in Ward 1, which was the first special election the city has conducted in a long time.

    Council Discussion

    Staff alerted council to an inquiry about organizations using city facilities to host council candidate forums.

    Staff indicated that in 2023, the procedure was for organizations to be granted free access to the facility but required to pay for staff time used to open and operate the facility.

    Council Member Ayala emphasized that all groups should be treated equally. Staff indicated that groups might make different use of facility staff, resulting in different fee amounts. Mayor Kulmann proposed a minimum facility use fee.

    Staff suggested that the council adopt a uniform administrative procedure. Kulmann asked if that could be in place by the end of August when candidate petitions are due.

    Council Meeting

    Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow and Council Member Sandgren were absent.

    Council passed two resolutions: one commending Jacqueline Phillips for her service on the Thornton Local Licensing Authority and one conveying appreciation for city employee Scott Twombly on his retirement.

    Public Hearing on Resolution Approving the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan and Associated Development Block Grant

    These approvals were discussed in the 7/15/2025 planning session.

    Proposed priority goals for the plan include rehabilitation of owner-occupied units, increase of obtainable housing, expansion of home ownership opportunities, and expanding or improving public facilities and infrastructure (25:39).

    HUD has granted $811,711 for the 2025 program year (running 10/1/2025 until 9/30/2026).

    Four applications are being recommended for funding from the grant for two City of Thornton programs (code compliance clean-up and fence repair cost assistance and the homeless outreach program) and two programs by Brother’s Redevelopment, Inc. (home repairs and exterior painting) (29:00).

    One person had signed up for testimony.

    Dariush ‘Dan’ Namazi used up the three minute testimony time as performative protest against the audience participation portion of the agenda being placed after the public hearings. Mayor Kulmann asked several times for him to speak on the topic of the public hearing.

    The plan was approved unanimously.

    Public Hearing on the Development Code and Zoning Map Updates

    This hearing was part of the final stage of the two-year process to update the development code (40:25).

    There is an affordable housing code review project getting under way in the city, but this is separate from the development code process (1:00:45).

    Three people signed up to give testimony.

    The first person spoke in opposition to the decrease in the proposed lot size standards and increase in building height standards (1:24:26).

    She also objected to having only one hearing for proposed development projects and that hearing being scheduled for the same day that the decision would be made. She described the public input process used for the development code revisions as inadequate.

    The second speaker spoke positively of development standards he had enjoyed as a city resident since 1999. He objected to the lot size standard changes.

    He also objected to the community input process: “Apparently this whole process is to please our rich developers” (1:29:10). He encouraged the council to vote in the interests of current residents.

    Both speakers won rounds of applause from people in the audience.

    The third speaker was Namazi again doing a performative protest of the placement of the public hearing portion of the council agenda.

    A fourth speaker supported the proposed changes, saying that the new variety of housing types and lot sizes could help with affordability. That speaker also got applause.

    A fifth speaker also supported the changes, echoing the previous speaker on housing diversity.

    Staff responded to the comments by saying that smaller lot sizes would enable greater housing density and availability in the future (1:40:00).

    Council Member Ayala asked if staff could prepare a shorter precis of the changes, such as a 1-2 page document. Staff agreed that could be done but may take awhile; staff acknowledged that people do not have time to review the 800 pages of codes changes (1:45:40).

    Council Member Martinez expressed appreciation for the work that has gone into the code revision process through the past two years and looked forward to more housing availability in the future with the changes.

    Council Member Ayala encouraged people to look at campaign finance disclosures if they are concerned about undue influence of developers but that the city has to make policy to increase housing inventory (1:52:00).

    Mayor Kulmann acknowledged the concerns of the residents who spoke, suggesting that their concern was driven by a specific development project and stating the the code revision process is intended to serve the city as a whole (1:53:00).

    The code revision resolution (first reading) passed unanimously.

    Audience Participation

    The first speaker continued his long-running objection to the land acknowledgment.

    The second speaker from Ward 1 expressed appreciation for the Thornton Fire Department’s assistance to the search and recovery work in the recent Texas floods. She requested that the city should invest in an outdoor warning system for disasters.

    The third speaker was Namazi, in his guise as right-wing caricatures Danny Kulmann, expressed sarcastic gratitude that Mayor Kulmann follows homophobic public personalities like Ben Shapiro on Twitter.

    He amplified claims by Trump and his allies that the Epstein sex trafficking criminal enterprise was not about deal. He displayed a slide show showing Trump and Epstein together at various events with Trump’s infamous interview audio about his ability to sexually assault women without punishment.

    Note: As reported by Ward 3 candidate Sam Nizam on Nextdoor, during Namazi’s comments, Council Members Unrein and Acunto turned their chairs so that they were facing away from the speaker’s podium and the audience.

    The video replay shows only the camera on the audience participation podium, so the recording does not archive the council members who turned their back.

    A fifth speaker addressed the council in Spanish. A companion translated that the speaker was very upset about inconsistent enforcement of laws applying to mobile home community property owners.

    The companion expressed concern that there was no action until they took part in audience participation, and she feared that there would be no actual action. They voiced concern that racial bias was behind the inconsistent enforcement (2:07:10).

    The city manager noted that because code enforcement is largely complaint-based, it takes time for the process to complete between initial complaint, a warning, and then any potential enforcement action. She indicated that due process was applied evenly in all cases.

    Council Member Martinez asked if staff and the council could address what he sees as a growing issue in terms of the city’s code enforcement department being able to keep up with complaints (2:10:50).

    The resident stated that she had tried to set up an appointment with the mayor and had been denied. The mayor offered her direct contact information to set up an appointment.

    Council Member Salazar stated that the delay in addressing the resident’s concern was unacceptable. Mayor Kulmann countered that they need time to collect all the information about the situation (2:12:48).

    The sixth speaker noted how council protocol used to allow response by council to audience participation and felt that the council should return to that process. She asked why council did not have a Spanish translator for the city’s large Spanish-speaking population (2:14:45).

    The mayor stated that Roberts Rules of Order doesn’t allow for dialogue.

    The seventh speaker was Eliza Namazi who expressed appreciation for the city staff who work late hours during public meetings. She stated that she believed council turning their backs on speakers should not be allowed.

    The eighth speaker called out Council Member Acunto for turning his back and demanded that the council find him in violation of the code of conduct.

    Council Comments

    Council Member Ayala spoke about the owners of the Pines Lakes Ranch mobile home park, which was the subject of the earlier audience comment, has a history of stating that its duties are actually the responsibility of the city, leading to extended back-and-forths.

    Ayala remarked on the mural painted by an unknown community member at the Grand View Ponds underpass. She displayed images of the mural and expressed appreciation for the artist’s work.

    She reported on her trip to the Local Progress conference.

    Council Member Salazar stated she was “disgusted and ashamed” with how the council members had acted earlier (2:31:22), and she apologized for the council not having a translator available.

    Council Member Martinez reminded about the mobile home legal clinic program hosted by the city, but he acknowledged that the program was not as well-attended as it could be due to residents’ fear of retaliation.

    He asked if the city could calculate how many residents would be affected by the coming Medicaid and SNAP budget cuts.

    Action Items

    Council passed 6-1 the second reading of the ordinance to move audience participation before public hearings on the council meeting agenda with Mayor Kulmann being the sole no vote.

    Staff presented on an intergovernmental agreement of area municipalities and Adams County on a transportation program for residents age 60+. The resolution passed unanimously.

    Council unanimously passed the first reading of amendments to stormwater and floodplain regulations discussed during the update session earlier in the evening.

    Council voted on several first readings of proposed city charter amendments to be placed on the November 2025 election ballot.

    Council unanimously passed an ordinance to place on the ballot a charter amendment to provide that a partial term of office of less than two years served by a council member or mayor does not count as a term in office for purposes of term limits.

    Council unanimously passed an ordinance to place on the ballot a charter amendment to fill mayoral vacancies by special election when more than one year of the term remains.

    Council unanimously passed an ordinance to place on the ballot a charter amendment to increase timeframes to gather signatures on initiative and referendum petitions.

    Council unanimously passed an ordinance to place on the ballot a charter amendment to eliminate superfluous, obsolete, outdated, and ambiguous language; clarify the applicability of anti-nepotism provisions; clarify authority related to intergovernmental agreements and revocable permits; clarify provisions related to budget procedures and control; correct grammar and citations; conform to changes in the law; and make other non-substantive revisions.

  • Thornton Decides 2025: July Update

    A fourth candidate has filed in Ward 3: Mark Gormley.

    According to TRACER filings, Gormley has contributed to the Adams County Democratic Party and various Democratic candidates.

    Contribution reports for the municipal race up to 7/2/2025 are now available through the candidates list (click the “View” link to access the reports at each candidate’s detail page).

    Some notable donors for Ward 2 candidate Eric Montoya include Colorado state Representative Jacque Phillips, current Thornton Mayor Pro Tem Karen Bigelow, current Ward 1 Council Member Cherish Salazar, state representative and 8th congressional district candidate Shannon Bird, and Adams County Commissioner and former Ward 1 Council member Kathy Henson.

    Some notable donors for Ward 2 candidate John Alge include current Ward 2 Council Member Roberta Ayala, state representative an 8th congressional district candidate Manny Rutinel, form Adams County Commissioner Eva Henry, state representative candidate Gabriel Cervantes, Adams County Commissioner Emma Pinter, former Thornton Council Member Julia Marvin, Colorado State Board of Education member Kathy Plomer, Adams County Commissioner and former Ward 1 Council member Kathy Henson

    Montoya’s contributions totaled $3,785.00. Alge’s totaled $4,777.92.

    Ward 2 candidate Rebecca Berner did not file a contributions report.

    Some notable donors for Ward 3 candidate Devin Byrd include current Thornton Mayor Jan Kulmann, current Ward 3 Council Member Tony Unrein, and current Ward 2 Council Member Jessica Sandgren.

    Some notable donors for Ward 3 candidate Sam Nizam include Ward 2 candidate Eric Montoya, current Ward 1 Council Member Cherish Salazar, Jacque Philips, and Shannon Bird’s Leadership Fund.

    Byrd’s contributions totaled $3,718.76. Nizam’s totaled $8,768.97.

    Ward 3 candidate Peter Duong filed a termination notice with all campaign funds raised donated to the Thornton Arts and Science Council.

    Some notable donors for Ward 4 candidate Drew Morris include Mayork Kulmann, Council Member Sandgren, and Council Member Unrein.

    Some notable donors for Ward 4 candidate Jason Anaya-Ledeboer include Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow, Kathy Henson, Kathy Plomer, Eric Montoya, Jacque Phillips, Sam Nizam, Eva Henry, Cherish Salazar, Shannon Bird’s Leadership Fund, Kathy Henson,

    Contributions for Morris totaled $16,087.00, for Anaya-Ledeboer $25,537.00, and for Pedrianes $4,616.00.

    This tag collects earlier election 2025 updates.