| 2.A. Are you familiar with Denver’s ordinance for Registered Neighborhood Organizations (RNOs)? Yes/No | 2.B. How would you propose revising this ordinance to improve the working relationship between RNOs and the city? | |
| MAYORAL CANDIDATES | ||
| Matt Brady | Yes | I would add rules for neighborhood resident patrols to combat crime and improve safety and reporting results and progress. Then add an outline for RNO meetings to communicate frequently the concerns brought up by residents of each neighborhood to the Mayor, Council members, and also department heads where applicable. |
| Jim Walsh | Yes | This Ordinance is over 40 years old and in need of updates. I like some of the proposed changes brought forth recently about RNO position sheets and processes to renew or organize RNOs. It is imperative that RNOs represent the economic, cultural, and other forms of diversity of their constituents. This includes voices from unhoused neighbors, renters, and others who have been historically marginalized and not represented in RNOs. |
| Trinidad Rodriguez | Yes | Use and make open big data in order to make surveys more efficient and statistically rigorous; Develop and expand the use of a community engagement app (like 311) for a range of operations: solid waste, snow removal, street sweeping, infrastructure operations and proactive crime prevention operations, identification of hazardous conditions, planning feedback and engagement in volunteer opportunities, which my administration will systematically increase. |
| Mike Johnston | Yes | Yes, I am familiar with Denver’s ordinance for Registered Neighborhood Organizations (RNOs). As an elected official, I believe it’s important to have strong and effective partnerships between RNOs and the city. I would propose revising the ordinance to include regular check-ins between RNOs and city officials, and ensure that RNOs have a voice in important decisions that affect their communities. Additionally, I would work to provide resources and support to RNOs to help them better engage with their residents and address their needs. |
| Chris Hansen | Yes | As Mayor, I will make sure the city supports RNOs by assisting them with scaling up their outreach and communications. RNOs need help with digital communications and engagement. I will work to strengthen the RNOs–they have volunteers who are not IT experts and need to do a ton of work to reach members–if the city could provide some of those services, it would make participating in RNOs easier for busy Denverites. As Mayor, I’ll make sure the city provides website and outreach support. |
| Lisa Calderón | Yes | RNOs are one of many community organizations that play an important role in convening and communicating the interests of Denverites, and I would include them in the extensive community engagement that will be a trademark of my administration. In order to advance equitable participation by underrepresented groups I will create an Office of Community Engagement to provide support and resources to RNOs to elevate the voices of the communities most commonly excluded from political decision making. I also would work to improve equal access to information that currently favors some RNOs over others, and RNOs over other types of community organizations. RNOs receive city notifications and invitations for participation that should be broadened to other groups to ensure all communities have the opportunity to contribute to important decision-making processes that shape Denver. |
| Kelly Brough | Yes | Comments: Providing for neighborhood voice and perspective in all that the city does is critically important and RNOs are the current vehicle to ensure that happens. I’d be interested to hear from RNOs about what is working and what your ideas are for strengthening and improving communications and collaboration with the city, including any potential changes to the RNO ordinance. |
| Renate Behrens | No | patrolling neighborhood policemen (walk only) know every body and their situation, problems. |
| Deborah “Debbie” Ortega | Yes | This ordinance was created by my predecessor, Councilman Sal Carpio. We have citizen advisory groups with DOTI and Parks and Recreation. I would advocate for a similar body to our Planning Department. Many of the people serving on these two existing bodies represent active people from our neighborhoods. |
| PAUL NOEL FIORINO (write-in) | Yes | STAR awards ceremony and dinner include food from the Neighborhood. Sister Cities could be induced for more international connections with feasts of Arts Participation. Art Houses in the neighborhood be a place for mental health services with the post Pandemic actualization that ARTS ARE ESSENTIAL. RNO has been by the developers use and the now Municipal Districts being established by way of manipulation of parcels and self governing. Fiorino for Denver Mayor has our interests in dealing with the sort. |
| Thomas Wolf | Yes | Sharpen the city’s antennae for this input, by formalizing a more orderly dialogue, recording agreed deliverables, tracking accountability and outcomes. Listen critically, engage and serve, this should be baseline. |
| Dr. Abass Yaya Bamba | Yes | Yes, I am familiar with the ordinance. I am the only candidate proposing the public people forum which will meet every 90 days to discuss issues and find common solutions. |
| Terrance Roberts | Yes | RNO should have more say in major developments occurring in the community they represent. |
| AUDITOR | ||
| Timothy M. O’Brien | Yes | I know RNOs serve as an essential connection between residents and city officials on important projects and issues. I completed an audit of how the city handles public notice in neighborhoods in part because of concerns I heard from the community about inconsistent or inequitable engagement with RNOs and community groups. My recommendations included consistent and documented outreach, including to RNOs. The city needed to do more than the bare minimum to ensure people had meaningful opportunities to weigh in on issues impacting their neighborhoods. Denver needs to raise the bar to achieve more comprehensive and inclusive public notice and engagement. When you’re building a bike lane or doing road work, for example, those are projects residents want to know about ahead of time, not find out about when they’re already commuting home. The city isn’t asking enough of itself. The city should raise its standards permanently so meaningful inclusion and engagement aren’t ‘above and beyond.’ A transparent government seeks to ensure community members affected by government decisions can both influence and actively participate in making those decisions. By providing more access to public notices and structure and guidance around public engagement, the city could ultimately provide higher-quality services to residents and business owners. |
| Erik Clarke | Yes | I will highly engage our RNOs as a major vehicle for neighborhood insights and feedback. |
