The Denver City Council on Monday named Rosemary Rodriguez its new president and elected Michael Hancock president pro tem.
The two took over after a unanimous vote of their colleagues, presiding over a meeting that included a vote to raise fees for appealing some development decisions and approval of plans to redevelop the former Samsonite campus.
Rodriguez replaces Elbra Wedgeworth, who remains on the council but decided to step down as president. Wedgeworth said she looks forward to 2 1/2 more years on the council, and she hugged Rodriguez before the two traded places.
Supporters said they look forward to Rodriguez’s leadership.
“Issue after issue, she brings intelligence, calm and focus,” said Shepard Nevel, who worked with Rodriguez during Wellington Webb’s tenure as mayor.
The president runs the council meetings, assigns colleagues to committees and works closely with the mayor’s office.
After choosing the new leaders, the council unanimously approved a bill to streamline the workload of the Board of Adjustment by putting more work under the administrator. The board handles permitting for development and home-improvement projects.
After a half-hour discussion, the council also voted 11-1 to raise some of the board’s fees for the first time since 1993. Administrative appeals will double to $300, while some other fees will remain the same or go down.
“The fee increases are prohibitive for small nonprofits and neighborhood groups,” said Karen Cuthbertson, representing the Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, an informal network of neighborhood associations that opposed the bill.
But Councilman Charlie Brown told Cuthbertson: “Government isn’t free, and the cost of government is going up. That is the cost of living in this city, and I don’t think it will harm so many people as you think.”
Still, Janice Tilden, director of the board, said the highest increases would apply in very few instances.
For instance, she said, last year only 11 of the 450 appeals the board heard would have fallen into the category that has been raised to $300. In addition, waivers are available for those without adequate means to pay the fee, she said.
Tilden also pledged to develop and publish a waiver policy appropriate for neighborhood groups.
Also Monday night, the council wholeheartedly welcomed California developer Panattoni to town with final approval of its plans to develop the 100-acre Samsonite campus in the Montbello neighborhood. Panattoni, which bought the site in March, plans to develop a modern industrial park on the site, which is partly bordered by Interstate 70 and East 47th Avenue.
Councilman Hancock praised the company for its plans to extend East 45th Avenue through the project, saying that would help with congested highways.
“It’s the end of an era but the beginning of a new frontier,” Hancock said.
Staff writer Michelle Wallar can be reached at 303-820-1201 or mwallar@denverpost.com.
