Committee delays action on $15 million sidewalk services contract, asks DOTI for benchmarks

Denver's Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday postponed consideration of a proposed on-call professional services contract that would give the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) up to $15,000,000 in capacity over three years to support the city's new sidewalk program.

The committee's request came after DOTI staff described the contract as covering program management, public communications, a citywide sidewalk master plan required by ordinance, and preconstruction and design services. DOTI legislative liaison Elena McWhorter said the master plan will “kick off this summer” and that the contract would let the city move prioritized corridors into design. Geneva Hooten, the city's sidewalk program director, said the contract would fund a range of services including “program management services, master planning services, communication support, design and pre construction services.”

Committee members pressed DOTI for specifics on what the $15,000,000 capacity would buy in 2025 and for measurable benchmarks. Members asked for a matrix of other contracting mechanisms that will be used to deliver construction, and for clearer interim deliverables tied to the funds. Councilmember Torres and others asked when the committee should expect deliverables and suggested quarterly benchmarks; DOTI said program-setup deliverables such as a charter, a RACI, and a governance plan are expected by year-end and that the master plan would likely take about a year to complete.

DOTI officials said the sidewalk program is already collecting revenue. Hooten reported that the city has invoiced $8,100,000 and received $3,700,000 so far in 2025 and that the program's operating budget for the year is $28,500,000. She said the $15,000,000 ceiling on the professional services contract is a capacity limit and that the full amount is unlikely to be spent just on planning. Staff said the first two task orders will be program management/communications and the sidewalk master plan. Hooten also said DOTI plans to award the contract to HNTB.

DOTI staff described related delivery mechanisms: a spot-repair contract selected through 311 calls was said to have roughly $3.5 million available this year for spot repairs; DOTI also identified an intended integrated construction procurement with up to a $75,000,000 cap to be used for construction awards and expected to come to council in the coming months.

Council members repeatedly described the contract as complex and large for an on-call vehicle. Council President Anna Sandoval moved to postpone consideration and Councilmember Torres seconded; the committee voted in favor. The committee set a date certain for DOTI to return to the Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on April 1 with additional detail and requested the department share the RFQ, an inventory of related contracting mechanisms, and proposed benchmarks or deliverables for 2025.

Committee members also raised legal and liability questions for prioritized repairs and asked how 311 requests will be used in prioritization; DOTI said 311 reports will be the starting point for spot repairs and that liability considerations are part of prioritization. DOTI emphasized the program is an enterprise fund distinct from the general fund and that an ordinance requires a citywide sidewalk master plan be updated every five years.

The committee's postponement means the $15,000,000 on-call contract will not advance to full council until after DOTI returns with the requested details on April 1.