The Denver city council on Tuesday night will consider a new contract for the beleaguered Great Hall airport project, plus a move forward from the surprise vote last year to end community-based corrections services by two private prison operators.

Not on the agenda is a vote to override Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s veto of an ordinance to allow for the lawful ownership of pit bull breeds. On Friday, Hancock issued his first-ever veto of the ordinance, which passed on a vote of 7-4, with two members absent. Nine votes are necessary for an override. The council will take up the matter on Feb. 24. There will be no public comment on the item.

On the docket is a $195 million contract with Hensel Phelps Construction Company to complete Denver International Airport’s Great Hall project. Last year, the city terminated its contract with Great Hall Partners after delays stemming from problems with construction materials and change directives. In all, Denver will pay approximately $200 million in termination costs to its former contractor.

The Hensel Phelps agreement will include expanding level 6 check-in and ticketing areas, building new airline counters, laying out the new level 6 security checkpoint, modernizing the escalators, adding new restrooms and upgrading various building systems. The company will also perform pre-construction work for future modifications to the terminal. In a related resolution, the council will take up a nearly $2.5 million contract with Bombardier for heating and air conditioning upgrades to 15 cars on the underground airport train.

As a result of the council’s summer 2019 decision to end contracts with GEO Group and Corecivic for halfway houses, a 12-member working group was formed to decide how to replace those services. As a result, before the council is a request from the Department of Safety to extend the Corecivic contract by one year, until the end of June 2021, to operate 250 beds.

A presentation from Greg Mauro, director of the Division of Community Corrections, describes the extension of the contract as “a strategic separation” that minimizes adverse impacts for those in the criminal justice system. The division’s goal is to review new proposals for community-based corrections services by June 2020. The city wants to avoid longer wait lists for placement, a shortage of prison bed capacity and fewer sentencing options for defendants, Mauro’s presentation explains.

There are multiple proposals related to homelessness for consideration, including a resolution to increase by nearly $300,000 the city’s contract with the Salvation Army to provide emergency transitional shelter for homeless families, along with case management. An additional $182,000 to Volunteers of America would go toward housing for homeless adults who cannot stay in shelters. Finally, an additional $400,000 is under consideration for Mental Health Center of Denver to provide housing and treatment for homeless adults with substance abuse and mental health disorders.

Finally, the council will consider a change to its own procedures, voting whether to allow public comment at every council meeting. The proposal has limitations, setting aside one-half hour prior to each meeting and requiring registration with the council’s office between noon on the Friday before the meeting and 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting. The council will give preference to individuals who did not speak at the prior week’s meeting. This change is in contrast to other councils in the metro area, many of which do not require registration or impose an aggregate time limit.