Inside CIO This Week

July 25, 2025

By Kyle Dyer on July 25, 2025

Summer 2025 could be nicknamed the Summer of Spin — starting with the spinning of new stories in Washington. But this week, there was also spinning from the Governor’s office with Jared Polis’ interesting reaction to the failure of his proposed pedestrian bridge in an online poll. There was more “spin” regarding the State of the City — I’m referring to Denver, and the accomplishments and goals presented by the Mayor this week. Our Insiders had a lot to address for this, our last show of July 2025. (Can you believe we’re almost in August?)

City of Denver’s Hopes & Dreams… and the Reality: Layoffs within the City of Denver could begin as early as Friday, August 1. The cuts, along with furloughs, are needed to deal with the city’s $250 million shortfall. The Insiders noted how Mayor Mike Johnston didn’t mention these financial challenges during this week’s State of the City address.

  • Patty Calhoun, Editor at Westword, said, “I really thought it was like whistling in the dark. You’re just like ‘nothing to see here. Just keep moving along. Pay no attention to what is going to be a very hard time for this city, for the employees who’ve been working here.’”
  • Krista Kafer, Denver Post columnist, said she appreciates how Mayor Johnston is an “optimistic guy… but he also tends to kind of gloss over or ignore the bad news. That’s what politicians do. I don’t blame him for that. But between the money issues and the crime issue, I think these things need to be addressed. The homicide rate has gone down… that’s great, but… if you look at Denver, our crime rates are higher than the national average and higher than comparable cities.”

While money is tight and issues remain, Mayor Johnston is promoting his $935 million Vibrant Denver bond package — originally estimated at $800 million — to repair and improve infrastructure and community spaces.

  • Adam Burg, Senior Policy Advisor at Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher law firm, said, “Vibrant Denver feels very scattered in a lot of ways… and it’s almost $1 billion. The state only has so much borrowing room or borrowing limit. And amidst all of this, there is a $250 million ‘budget reckoning’ that the city has to deal with.”
  • Laura Aldrete, city building consultant with Hatch Urban Solutions and Former Planning Director for the City and County of Denver, added, “Before we even get to the $250 million deficit, we’ll recall that the mayor spent $155 million over 18 months on homelessness and spent $79 million of city money on the immigration issue… so all that money has been spent.” She added, “‘Learned hopefulness’ is what the mayor used in the State of the City. And I just thought it was a subtle way to say ‘stop complaining.’ I feel like it’s toxic positivity that is not needed at a time when we really need to look at our future straight in the face and get some real solutions.”

 

Governor Polis’ Spin on the Pedestrian Bridge Fiasco — and ICE Transparency: Governor Polis’ proposed pedestrian bridge outside the State Capitol was overwhelmingly rejected in an online poll — with 94% of Coloradans voting against it. The $28 million bridge, intended to commemorate Colorado’s 150th anniversary in 2026, was his idea. Yet following the backlash, Polis posted on social media: “I will commit my time and effort to prevent this walkway from being built, even if I have to chain myself to the Capitol Plaza to stop it!”

  • Krista Kafer, an avid gardener, suggested “more aesthetically pleasing and beneficial alternatives like beautiful gardens that showcase Colorado native plants and low-water gardening to inspire people.”
  • In response to the Governor’s office acknowledging that the state had turned over personal information of Coloradans at least four times this year to federal immigration agents, Krista Kafer defended Polis, saying he was “trying to keep Colorado out of the vision and sights of the Trump Administration and doing what he thinks is best for Colorado.”

The panel noted that national politics are trickling into Colorado as the 2026 midterms draw closer.

  • Adam Burg said, “You have Attorney General Phil Weiser looking into Mesa County and some of their deputies in the handling of a case around turning information over to immigration officials. And you have the Congressional District 8 race, where we’re seeing money getting dumped into current Representative Gabe Evans’ race and challengers Shannon Bird, Yadira Caraveo, Manny Rutinel… and whoever else decides to jump in. Then Gabe Evans is in the national media for his heritage and immigration story, which he’s talked about on the campaign trail.”
  • Patty Calhoun criticized Evans’ story, which was fact-checked and found to be inaccurate: “This is a man who ran for public office who has stood up in the House of Representatives and said things about immigration, which it turns out are not true. You have to be careful about public comments.”
  • Laura Aldrete offered a more compassionate view: “Latino families are a mix of this grey, black, and white experience… and you may have family on both sides of the border.”

 

Bicycle Safety and Road Infrastructure: Nearly half of Colorado’s bicyclist fatalities since 2020 have occurred during the summer. Colorado is one of the most bicycle-heavy states in the country — with Boulder ranked the top bike-to-work city, followed closely by Fort Collins and Denver. Still, accidents continue. Earlier this week, a bicyclist was killed in a hit-and-run at an intersection in Denver where a bike lane was expected but never installed.

  • Patty Calhoun noted that the Vibrant Denver bond package includes a proposal for bike lanes at that intersection along West 38th Avenue.
  • Adam Burg added, “Across Colorado, pedestrian deaths surged 77% since 2018. In 2023, they made up nearly 19% of all roadway fatalities in the state. We saw around 742 bike crashes in recent years, resulting in 11 deaths and 135 serious injuries — about one-third of them in Denver.”
  • Krista Kafer shared that her brother is still recovering from a hit-and-run bike accident that left him with 33 broken bones. “We need to prosecute people who drive carelessly and hit bicyclists.”
  • Laura Aldrete was also hit by a car while biking in Denver last year — another hit-and-run. While faulting the driver, she also emphasized shared responsibility: “Most of our roads have been designed around the car. When you introduce bike lanes without educating drivers or cyclists, it creates problems.”

 

Let’s Go Denver Summit FC: Denver’s new women’s professional soccer team — the Denver Summit FC — was named this week. The team will play in a new stadium planned for the former Gates Rubber Factory site.

  • Laura Aldrete, a passionate soccer fan and urban planner, expressed excitement over the $70 million public investment: “There have been at least three development attempts on this property, and they never got off the ground — even during the two hottest real estate markets we’ve had. So the fact that public investment can help bring private development afterward is a win-win for the city and all metro area residents.”
  • Patty Calhoun recalled historic preservationist Dana Crawford once calling that area her biggest regret in Denver: “If this could work, wonderful. I think we want to look at the timeline and the money a little more.” The stadium is slated for the 2028 season.
  • Adam Burg added, “I worry the city is taking on so much. This is a big commitment. Will it get lost in the money shuffle? With so many massive projects trying to launch at once, getting this done in a timely, cost-efficient way feels like a big hurdle… but I’m rooting for them.”

 

EXCITING follow-up to something I mentioned in my blog last week: My co-executive producer of CIO, Rachel Farha, won a Heartland Emmy for the documentary she directed, “Rebecoming Me”, which aired on PBS12 in 2024. The film features five courageous young adults sharing their experiences growing up in Colorado’s foster care system.

Rachel Farha holding Emmy trophyRachel Farha holding Emmy trophy