Church volunteers, residents ask Northglenn to suspend enforcement of new park rule after citations issued

Several local pastors and residents urged the Northglenn City Council to suspend enforcement of a recently adopted parks rule known in public comments as “CR 54,” saying it is being used to stop recurring church-run lunches that serve people who are unhoused and other vulnerable residents.

Pastor Dustin “Dusty” McIntosh of Next Step Church told the council his congregation has served lunch at E.B. Raines Park for about five years and said the gatherings include longtime park users, LGBTQIA+ residents, immigrants and people without housing. McIntosh said a new rule barring groups of five or more from “monopoliz[ing] all or part of park facilities on a recurring basis” has been enforced against his group and that he and two other people recently received criminal citations.

Ralph McIntosh, speaking on behalf of Brent Denny of Brave Church, and David Baca of The Crossing Church described the outreach as volunteer, ongoing and non-disruptive. They told council members the gatherings provide food, clothing, phone and mail services and help connect participants to other services; they asked the city to stop enforcing CR 54 and to repeal the rule.

Speakers said city staff and public-safety leaders discussed the lunches with volunteers in a Sept. 24, 2024 meeting attended by then-Chief Jim May, Deputy Chief Randall Darling, Parks Director Amanda Peterson and Crisis Response Unit manager Jessica Hulse; they said City Manager Heather Geyer was invited but did not attend. They described warnings given after that meeting and said non-uniform enforcement had resulted in citations for some volunteers while other recurring groups in the park were not approached.

No formal council action on CR 54 was recorded at the Sept. 20 meeting. Council members thanked speakers for comments during the public-comment period, and the matter was left on the record for possible future council or staff follow-up.

Speakers emphasized that the gatherings are motivated by religious belief for some volunteers but also serve secular community needs, and they framed the citations as a restriction on protected religious exercise and public gathering. Several speakers invited council members to visit a lunchtime event.

The transcript shows the city clerk called public comment at the start of the meeting and that the speakers’ remarks about CR 54 took place during that portion of the agenda. Council did not take a motion, direction or vote on CR 54 during the meeting.

Council members later in the meeting acknowledged public comment and thanked speakers; no staff report, placement on a future agenda, or mayoral directive about CR 54 was recorded in the meeting minutes that accompany the transcript.

Ending: The council did not act at the Sept. 20 meeting to suspend enforcement or repeal CR 54; community members and church volunteers indicated they will pursue further advocacy and, if necessary, legal or public-record actions.