[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6625421,"mediaKeyId","2757426-6cb8f47f5a70d17ea7c479cd35ebae95","parentId",2757426,"title","Homeless advocates praise council contract decision, allege neglect and misconduct at Aspen shelter","audioSeconds",236,"startMs",1548000,"endMs",1784000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2757426-6cb8f47f5a70d17ea7c479cd35ebae95&start=1548&end=1784","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2757426-6cb8f47f5a70d17ea7c479cd35ebae95/thumbnail_1548000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6625421/Denver-Consolidated-County-and-City/Colorado/Homeless-advocates-praise-council-contract-decision-allege-neglect-and-misconduct-at-Aspen-shelter","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625421-2f8498d0f7a68974ddc52ba1cb272bfc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162118&Signature=jPgGvxcJRB2gKX5SVcsjgNDIZgymH8d66YtOkMsJxqc4931Xj3~OvpD3xYyhd8joxOaP46ZvGgsW-B~AxRDqUxIBcip9DFO9dbe5NEWk~AQTDXvEOq~BNQt8F0tnKZhen958lQ99h1Y8T7bqkb3uBVi-p7FFHj3G65Jm5eEMOriIeQg~BkmRGJ4b~EIWYDmWF00-xfc5ZytHvXg4ct1afyibvwmnern7dp9obI1o5QQYADfkWa89Ad1y5mNro0jLznLqeRTpF08YadRTFQPZateGoox5L0JPwCfMwJMrE093VWVGMZtIiD97Q6gzt1UWh48rUgP5CEnBpwY8JIsdSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Denver CO","date","2025-03-24T00:00:00Z","article","During public comment on March 24, an advocate who identified herself as Mariana, a longtime homeless-services advocate and someone with lived experience, told the Denver City Council she welcomed the council's decision not to extend a contract with the Salvation Army for youth shelter services and described multiple allegations about conditions at a facility she called the Aspen.

Mariana said advocates and residents had reported alleged misconduct and poor conditions, including solicitation of sexual favors by staff, drug sales in the building, repeated lack of hot water, security staff sleeping on night shifts, and case management shortfalls. \"Residents there for 2 years. No vouchers, no case managers. We are warehousing folks,\" Mariana said, and she called on the council for accountability and transparency.

The speaker thanked the council for not renewing the Salvation Army contract and said advocates had been raising concerns for years. She alleged two deaths had occurred at the facility while criticizing staffing turnover and poor living conditions; those claims were presented as allegations by an advocate and were not corroborated within the meeting record.

The council transcript records these claims as public comment; no follow-up statements, investigations or formal findings by city staff or the council were included in the session record provided.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Denver General Public Comment Session on 2025-03-24 ","oneSentenceSummary","At the March 24 Denver City Council public comment session, a homeless advocate said councilors' choice not to renew a Salvation Army youth contract was welcome and raised allegations of neglect, solicitation and staffing problems at a shelter known as the Aspen.","taxTitle","Denver (Consolidated County and City), Colorado","taxId",3557,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6625426,"Protesters allege excessive police force at Denver rally; activists urge removal of Lockheed Martin and Palantir from city",671,1164000,1835000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2757426-6cb8f47f5a70d17ea7c479cd35ebae95&start=1164&end=1835","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2757426-6cb8f47f5a70d17ea7c479cd35ebae95/thumbnail_1164000.jpg","/articles/6625426/Denver-Consolidated-County-and-City/Colorado/Protesters-allege-excessive-police-force-at-Denver-rally-activists-urge-removal-of-Lockheed-Martin-and-Palantir-from-city","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625426-99f652929a29b356a78b73b741875495/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162118&Signature=Q72EkY8Ec1zQyNNH~w3Y3p-NF4SqTVqa2G54beq6IAVD8Fi4M7Ax-SU1HGj4CYdIqhkYG1dYoPBvPTgGv-kjeyFrK7f8dZXESpI1Q~7vduwy7AvOBi4q-Tq39o6jOi7yhHmcwk02I4QK0QCV-f3x0iQph3gUuPQSYZT9oMwUFGzLs19E39ii52DqFA80TWUU1CPI07vH5wzIG9nnEWaIhTCLc55l6UkmuJSpEZFk1mIXivzS8ivsnp2bvVUuFKMZNFtzdwSTK-V0tFlnGveSmxQmSpddKAAEwSwhE3pzFKxd4uJhxKsc6zGWfYlPpeWZ8eVAp8fff3heTOyIWSpDvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the March 24 Denver City Council public comment session, members of Denver Antiwar Action and other advocates alleged that Denver Police Department officers used excessive force during a recent protest and that the city should cut ties with companies they described as \"war profiteers.\"

Elliot Howe, who identified himself with Denver Antiwar Action, said two protesters were detained and \"slammed to the ground\" after a march and alleged the arrests lacked clear explanation. He also read quotations from a journalist in Gaza and said that Denver should not \"harbor these war profiteer companies.\" \"Denver needs to stop harboring these war profiteer companies,\" Howe said, naming Lockheed Martin and Palantir.

A speaker who identified herself as Dr. Badi said she witnessed a large police presence at the protest, including multiple patrol cars, undercover vehicles, motorcycles and a drone. She told the council that the following day she observed officers at a coffee shop and said officers pointed firearms at patrons before releasing the person they had targeted. \"The display of police force was so out of control,\" Dr. Badi said, and she urged the council to take action on what she described as excessive surveillance and force.

Both speakers linked their concerns about policing to broader demands that Denver not host or do business with defense and surveillance contractors they say are tied to human-rights abuses overseas. Those demands were framed as activist policy requests; the speakers did not cite a specific council motion or city contract change during the comment period.

The allegations reported during public comment were not corroborated in the council record presented at the session; no Denver Police Department response or formal investigative result was included in the meeting transcript.","Speakers at the March 24 Denver City Council public comment session alleged that Denver Police used heavy force and surveillance at a recent pro-Palestine protest and called on the city to end ties with defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Palantir.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6625431,"Montbello, Green Valley Ranch residents urge Denver City Council to approve Peña Boulevard NEPA study",1329,300000,1629000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2757426-6cb8f47f5a70d17ea7c479cd35ebae95&start=300&end=1629","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2757426-6cb8f47f5a70d17ea7c479cd35ebae95/thumbnail_300000.jpg","/articles/6625431/Denver-Consolidated-County-and-City/Colorado/Montbello-Green-Valley-Ranch-residents-urge-Denver-City-Council-to-approve-Peña-Boulevard-NEPA-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625431-43958355d6ded46cf4a17d6ca9fbd1a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162118&Signature=SirRXhVUJ3lUNH9EYo-dBV0MA2A8tUuMaUjBuXEPWxN0Tk8jWgvkbbpsPw0fM~ErXIulh~M~gKJIZZkgEVxXr4mYxcCjuGqlx4vykqs4Kq-r0YuoEByFlHJkE7yg-sdrNuSW~SeogxMYPaFhbQvWnRtBgM2HuGlBPxV3slV2WE59BpcQyuITYwlcIgbfHs4NYkYA3oeWjaXLcSS4RibxI44dFS5uQofvOyW0Meiin7F6os4DnAkuDuAShJb-u7LZQN-GdN2onjagKbcdoproLtWkFgookVfv-J3P2Tr~h~FP4PXcxBrv-1fISc13KaO2slpSo56aXgm91K-o0J7DKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Denver City Council general public comment session on March 24, multiple residents who live near Peña Boulevard urged the council to approve a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) study to address severe traffic congestion linking Montbello, Green Valley Ranch and Denver International Airport.

Speakers said congestion on Peña Boulevard impedes emergency response and everyday travel, and they asked councilmembers to prioritize a comprehensive NEPA review that considers both roadway improvements and transit alternatives. \"We need both better roads and better transit,\" said Christopher Urias, a Montbello resident. \"We need smart, community-informed solutions that serve everyone, not just airport traffic.\"

The residents said Peña Boulevard used to be primarily an access route to Denver International Airport but has become a main artery for homes, businesses and warehouses as growth in the corridor accelerated. Anne White, a 48-year resident of Montbello and the Far Northeast, asked the council to \"vote fully to have this study done on Peña Boulevard so that we can get something started now,\" saying she did not want to wait several years for results. Judith Cole, a Green Valley Ranch resident, said council delays frustrated neighbors and warned that study timelines can be long; speakers repeatedly cited planning estimates ranging from \"about five to seven years\" for major construction projects if work is not started promptly.

Other speakers pressed specific short-term fixes and design concerns. John Hayford, who said he represents limousine and black-car companies serving Denver International Airport, recommended extending or modifying the Tower Road ramp to reduce backups that sometimes reach Fortieth Avenue. Hayford said a longer on-ramp would help trucks and commercial vehicles accelerate and reduce spillover onto local streets. Jeremy Stewart, a frequent airport traveler, argued the NEPA review should explicitly include mode-shift strategies such as expanded rail capacity and improved bus connections. \"The only solution to congestion is viable alternatives to driving,\" Stewart said, and he criticized any study that would consider only widening the road without planning transit improvements.

Speakers cited specific bottlenecks and connecting streets, including Tower Road, 56th Avenue and Fortieth Avenue, and said local roads that were once used as alternatives are now congested as development has intensified. Several speakers said new housing, warehouses and hotels in the corridor have increased daily traffic and that unreliable transit options make private vehicles the default choice for many residents.

These comments were delivered during the public comment portion of the council meeting; no formal council action on Peña Boulevard was recorded during the session. Speakers urged the council to proceed with a NEPA study that evaluates both roadway and transit solutions and to consider interim fixes such as ramp improvements where feasible.","Multiple District 11 residents told the March 24 Denver City Council public comment session that Peña Boulevard has become a congested main artery and urged the council to move forward with a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) study focused on safety, access and transit alternatives.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Homeless advocates praise council contract decision, allege neglect and misconduct at Aspen shelter

Protesters allege excessive police force at Denver rally; activists urge removal of Lockheed Martin and Palantir from city

Montbello, Green Valley Ranch residents urge Denver City Council to approve Peña Boulevard NEPA study