With the Christmas season approaching, Denver Councilman Charlie Brown thought he had hit on an uncontroversial measure.
He thought relaxing city laws to allow the “occasional sales” of Christmas trees by churches, nonprofits and religious institutions would sail by members of the Denver City Council.
Already, the city allows churches to sell pumpkins, which are classified as agricultural items, he stressed in the weekly council meeting with the mayor.
But Christmas trees are more tightly regulated by the city and barred for sale by churches, he said. Still, getting Brown’s ordinance past the other council members may not be as easy as he thought.
Councilwoman Marcia Johnson said she feared some unscrupulous people in residential areas would argue they were a church just to facilitate Christmas-tree businesses that would become a nuisance. And Brown found out from the city attorney’s office later in the day that even the sale of pumpkins is barred under city laws.
Brown still is forging ahead with his plans to relax the laws for pumpkins and Christmas trees. He said that last year the city granted an exemption for one church in his council district that allowed it to sell the trees. He said he hopes the city will relax the standard for all churches in the city.
The idea will come before the Blueprint Denver committee of the council today.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
