DENVER — Mayor Michael Hancock said on Thursday that his administration has decided not to submit to City Council a contract to outsource migrant sheltering, saying "there is much more work to do."
Last week, Denver City Council members received a copy of the proposed contract with GardaWorld, better known for its armored cars and security guards. The up-to $40 million contract would have required council approval by July 10 to build a shelter with a 1,000-person capacity.
Under the contract, GardaWorld also would have taken over intake, food service, medical care, security and transportation for migrants arriving in Denver.
Hancock said in a statement Thursday that he still believes that contracting migrant services is in the best interest of migrants, taxpayers, city employees and operations.
“While we had hoped to conclude negotiations, community engagement and City Council approval prior to the change in administrations, there is much more work to do and therefore we will not be submitting the proposed contract to Council for final action at this time," Hancock said in a statement.
Hancock said the city is currently helping more than 500 migrants from Central and South America. Since December, Denver has provided shelter and other services to more than 12,500 migrants at a cost of nearly $20 million, according to the city.
"This contract was intended to alleviate the current staffing pressures on city operations and to provide a more financially feasible strategy to managing the challenge of migrant arrivals, many of whom experienced significant trauma on their journey to the United States," Hancock said. "The current financial and operational burden is not sustainable."
Mike Johnston, who will be inaugurated as Denver's new mayor on July 17, said in a statement that his administration is already working to determine the best way forward.
"Denver has always been a city that cares for immigrants, refugees, and new arrivals, and I’m committed to continuing that work and addressing the migrant crisis starting on day one. I’m incredibly grateful to the city and the city employees who have done a great job to help support migrants as they arrive in Denver. We know that this is a critical and complicated issue, which is why we specifically created a standalone transition committee on Migrants and Immigration that is working with community leaders to collect feedback on how our administration can best care for and serve migrants. As we work collaboratively to identify an equitable and fair solution to this crisis, we will continue to partner with local nonprofits and community members to support the migrant population in Denver.”
City spokesperson Mike Strott told 9NEWS in an email last week that there were 45 city employees dedicated to migrant support, diverting their attention from their standard city duties.
Last week, Jamie Torres, president of the City Council, said she didn't support the plan to contract with GardaWorld, citing concerns with the outside vendor's approach and the upcoming transition of power in City Hall.
"We’ve taken a lot of care as a city that welcomes migrants," she said on Friday. "There’s a care that comes with a local response that may not always come with an outside vendor that doesn’t know Denver, doesn’t know Colorado and maybe doesn’t even know this population."
Yoli Casas, whose nonprofit Vive Wellness has been a part of the city's migrant response since December, criticized the city's push last week to hire GardaWorld.
"It feels like an insult," she said. "They just ignored all the people and all the organizations and businesses that have helped from the beginning."
Torres also expressed concern about the size of the proposed shelter and said she believes local partners like Casas should be included in the ongoing response.
This story includes previous reporting by Cole Sullivan.
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