Mayor Jacki Marsh opened Loveland’s city hall on Sunday night to let up to 15 unhoused residents sleep inside as it rained, a move that sparked sharp criticism from fellow council members and may have violated city procedures.
Ward 3 representative Steve Olson, who said he received a tip about the group’s presence in the building, recorded a video from inside around 10 p.m. Sunday, showing the interior lobby and council chambers with several people lying on the floor or sitting in chairs, some covered with blankets or coats. In the video, Olson can be heard confronting the mayor about her decision. The video was later posted to City Council candidate Zeke Cortez’s
Marsh said she made the decision after spending the previous night outside with people in front of city hall, where temperatures dropped into the low 40s. With rain in the forecast for Sunday night, she said she feared the conditions would become dangerous for those without adequate shelter.
“I do believe there’s a high chance that somebody would have gotten hypothermia,” said Marsh. “I could not have driven away in the rain and left them out there in T-shirts and shorts, without adequate blankets or sleeping bags. I just couldn’t have lived with myself as human being, had I done that.”
On Monday, Olson called the mayor’s decision to open city hall “political” and “not OK.”
“All of us are shocked and appalled,” Olson said, noting that he has spoken with other City Council members about the move. “She can invite people into her house, but she can’t just invite people into city buildings when it’s after hours and it’s technically trespassing.”
One of those other council members was Andrea Samson, who described herself Monday as still “reeling” over the move.
“I was floored when I saw Steve’s video,” she said. “To me, it’s a misuse of city resources. It’s a misuse of privilege. We didn’t take that action as a city, let alone as a council.”
The decision may also have violated city policies and might be considered trespassing according to City Attorney Vince Junglas, who said Monday morning that he was still gathering facts about the incident.
“It is unclear to me what authorization, if any, was provided for this sort of activity,” he told the Reporter-Herald, noting that day-to-day control of city buildings lies with the city manager and not the mayor or City Council.
Loveland police confirmed Monday that they are waiting for direction from city officials on whether the incident will be investigated as a potential criminal matter.
The mayor’s action came three nights after a specially called council meeting, where on a motion to change the city’s rules on temporary land use permits, which could have paved the way for the reopening of the city’s South Railroad shelter. Last week, the city dismantled tents at the South Railroad site, following the expiration of the site’s temporary land-use permit. By Thursday’s meeting, homeless residents had set up tents on the municipal plaza.
Marsh said she texted Junglas and City Manager Jim Thompson around 3:20 p.m. Sunday, asking for permission to open the municipal building to shelter people during the coming rain. She noted that she had done it on other occasions in the past, citing the 2024 9/11 commemoration, a 30-minute ceremony that was moved inside from Foote Lagoon due to rain.
Over several back-and-forth texts with Thompson, Marsh said, she never received a clear “no,” though the city manager did call the municipal building an “inappropriate” setting for overnight shelter, according to Marsh. He also offered to open the Loveland Resource Center, the city’s daytime shelter at 137 S. Lincoln Ave., as an alternative.
“They were not in the dark,” Marsh said. “I told them I was going to do this, and neither one said I couldn’t.”
Marsh said about 50 people were camped on the plaza in front of the municipal building Sunday night and that most remained outside in tents. Inside, she said, volunteers helped monitor the group and ensure everyone remained on the main level.
The group left by about 4 a.m., she said, and the building was cleaned before city employees arrived.
“You could not tell that anyone had been in there,” Marsh said.
Julie Desroches, one of the unhoused residents who stayed inside, confirmed the mayor’s account and said the atmosphere was “peaceful and quiet” until early morning.
“We made sure everybody stayed calm and cool,” Desroches said, adding that the mayor “was an angel helping the community” by offering shelter from the rain.
Despite the pushback, Marsh said she will take full responsibility for the decision.
“If they cite me for trespass, I’ll hire an attorney and fight it,” she said. “These are human beings. For humanitarian reasons, I did the right thing.”
