Residents press Thornton Council over neighborhood safety and warming-center hours; council seeks follow-up from staff

Several Thornton residents used the Audience Participation segment at Monday’s City Council meeting to raise safety and shelter concerns tied to homelessness, neighborhood nuisance activity and the limited hours of the city’s warming center.

Carl Sayers of Ward 1 told the council he has been dealing for years with drinking and parties, suspected people living in a camper and drug activity in a neighbor’s yard. He said code enforcement and police responses have not resolved the issue and asked for guidance. City Manager Tansy Hayward apologized for the lack of an update and said staff will follow up “imminently” and that administrative due-process steps are underway for enforcement.

Jonathan Davidson, assistant manager at a Stinger gas station on East 120th Avenue, told council the store often becomes an unintended overnight shelter in severe cold because the city’s Carpenter Recreation Center warming center opens only from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. He asked the city to consider extending or staffing additional warming-center hours; he said businesses are not equipped to be shelters and that frozen sidewalks created by displaced water present safety hazards.

During council comments, multiple council members took up the subject. Councilmember Martinez said she visited a concerned resident and requested a follow-up from city attorney and manager’s offices. Councilmember Ayala urged the council to pursue long-term solutions rather than “band-aid” measures, warning against criminalization, sweeps, or anti-homeless infrastructure; Ayala advocated for affordable housing, tenant protections and better use of county, state and federal resources alongside city efforts. Councilmember Sandgren said he does not support using the recreation center as a long-term warming shelter and emphasized county responsibility for many human services, while thanking staff and partners for outreach efforts.

City staff commitments: City Manager Tansy Hayward said staff would follow up with the resident who spoke. Tammy Yellico (identified in the meeting as staff) said she would send council an email listing legal considerations relevant to enforcement and policy options within about a week.

Why it matters: Council and staff said warming centers keep people safe in extreme cold but acknowledged the limited hours create gaps that push people to businesses and public spaces. Council discussion emphasized separating immediate safety measures from long-term policy choices (affordable housing, outreach services and intergovernmental coordination).