Denver council members on Monday night advanced a bond package worth $450 million, covering more than 80 projects, that voters would see on the November ballot should it survive one final vote.

But first, the council heard from numerous residents of the Globeville and Elyria Swansea neighborhoods protesting the $190 million destined for the nearby National Western campus, mostly for a new 10,000 seat arena. 

“Unfortunately, community benefits have not been identified yet after eight years of talking about it,” said Nola Miguel, director of the Globeville Elyria Swansea Coalition. “We don’t feel like a real partner in this development….We have lost homes and businesses.”

Others, including Spanish-speaking residents, described in stark terms the false promises, displacement and the “pattern of systemic white supremacy” targeting the largely Hispanic neighborhoods north of downtown. Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca was one of multiple members who warned against ignoring the wishes of neighbors.

“Tonight there was not a single GES resident that spoke in support this,” she said. “This is the most marginalized community and the most impacted for these projects.”

Representatives of multiple organizations spoke of the importance of a new National Western arena, with stock show president and CEO Paul Andrews calling it “the centerpiece that makes everything else work on this site.” The facility is intended to be a year-round destination with a public market and a Colorado State University campus, among other features.

Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer bristled at the suggestion that Denver residents should not have a say over the bond measures. “Whether I agree that the package in front of us is worthwhile or not, it should go to the voters,” she said. “That’s what we do in America. That’s democracy.”

In addition to the National Western Center, the 2021 “RISE” bond measures would include $104 million for Denver facilities, $38.6 for housing and sheltering, $63.3 million for transportation, and $54 million for parks and recreation.

Brendan Hanlon, the city’s chief financial officer, told the council that the bond issues were part of the COVID-19 recovery effort. Some members wondered why the city was exploring another bond issue, given that two-thirds of the 2017 “Elevate Denver” bond program remains unspent.

CdeBaca voted against referring all of the bond measures to the ballot, and Council members Paul Kashmann, Amanda Sandoval and Robin Kniech joined her for the National Western Center measure.

“I do think that not everything is appropriate to be referred,” said Kniech. “I trust the voters to make sound decisions, but they also trust me and the people up here to do some vetting.”

The council also split 10-3 on a vote to take the Office of Special Events, which currently is part of the mayor’s office, and establish it as a standalone agency in the municipal code. Principally, the change would allow the office to issue a special event permit and mandate community notifications of events. It would also enable the office to require emergency management plans for events, covering scenarios from hailstorms to drive-by shootings.

“Our agency was set up as a coordinate agency so that the maze of agencies and requirements that an organizer would be faced with, that we can help them through that,” said Katy Strascina, the director of the office. She said her organization is only involved with temporary events on public property in which more than one city agency is involved.

Voting no on the proposal were Councilwomen Jamie Torres, Sandoval and CdeBaca.

“I just don’t like the added fee on top of everything,” said Sandoval. “My constituents don’t want added bureaucracy.”

The new agency would charge an application processing fee starting with events in 2023, which would range from $25 to $250 based on the size of the event. The city estimated the fee would increase the budget for events by less than one-tenth of one percent.