ARTICLE III. REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS

Sec. 12-91. Legislative intent.

It is the intent of the council to increase access to the various agencies and departments of the city for neighborhood organizations; to improve the flow of information between these groups and agencies of the city; and to enable such organizations to present their positions before certain decisions affecting their neighborhoods are made by agencies and departments of the city. For these reasons, the council hereby intends to extend official recognition to neighborhood organizations and/or coalitions of neighborhood organizations registered with the city; to notify such organizations in advance of occasions when decisions are to be reached on certain matters affecting their neighborhoods; and to afford representatives of such organizations the opportunity to present the positions of the organizations at such times. The council encourages neighborhood organizations to work cooperatively with any adjacent or overlapping neighborhood organizations to determine positions on issues affecting the neighborhood and to conduct business in an organized, representative and fair manner, which is designed to obtain informed participation from as many neighborhood citizens as possible. Neighborhoods are also encouraged to cultivate neighborhood membership and participation that reflects the ethnic and socio-economic composition of the neighborhood they represent. Registration of organizations with overlapping boundaries is allowed but the formation of numerous overlapping neighborhood organizations is strongly discouraged.

(Ord. No. 634-00, § 3, 8-14-00; Ord. No. 53-05, § 1, 1-31-05)

Sec. 12-92. Definitions.

"Neighborhood organization," as used in this article, shall mean a voluntary group of individual residents and owners of real property, including businesses, within a certain prescribed area of the city, and/or a coalition of such groups formed for the purpose of collectively addressing issues and interests common to and widely perceived throughout the area.

(Ord. No. 634-00, § 3, 8-14-00)

Sec. 12-93. Eligibility and boundaries.

(a)   Eligibility standards.  To be eligible to register as provided in this article, neighborhood organizations shall meet the following standards: 

(1)   They shall be formed by residents and owners of real property within a certain prescribed area. Coalitions of neighborhood organizations are limited to those organizations with registered boundaries contained within the City and County of Denver;

(2)   They shall hold meetings at which all members may vote, not less than once in each calendar year. A list of those attending the annual meeting shall be kept, and at least twelve (12) members must be in attendance at said annual meeting;

(3)   All meetings, including the annual meeting required hereunder, shall be open to the public;

(4)   Notice of all meetings shall be posted in advance of such meeting, in public places and/or in readily obtained publications such as newsletters, within their boundaries, as permitted and prescribed by law, and a record of said notice shall be maintained by the neighborhood organization;

(5)   Membership shall be open to any owner of real property or resident whose property or residence is located partially or wholly within their boundaries;

(6)   Neighborhood organizations shall have established boundaries, which may include one (1) or more neighborhoods within the city; provided that the boundaries of a neighborhood organization may not encompass the entire city, and provided further, that the boundaries of a coalition of neighborhood organizations may not encompass the boundaries of another neighborhood organization without prior notice to such organization.

(b)   Overlapping boundaries.  The boundaries of adjacent neighborhood organizations may overlap, and such overlapping shall not render any neighborhood organization ineligible hereunder. However, such overlapping is strongly discouraged. Further, the requirements of subsection (a)(6) of this section shall be met prior to registration of such overlapping neighborhood organizations. 

(Ord. No. 634-00, § 3, 8-14-00; Ord. No. 53-05, § 2, 1-31-05)

Sec. 12-94. Registration.

(a)   Any neighborhood organization and/or coalition of neighborhood organizations may register by filing with community planning and development the following information:

(1)   Official name;

(2)   Current boundaries, utilizing public rights-of-way to describe such boundaries;

(3)   The names, mailing addresses and telephone numbers of its current officers;

(4)   The name, mailing address, telephone number, fax number and email address (if available) of a current member whom the city or a member of the public may contact;

(5)   The number of persons the organization represents, number of paid members, if any, and number of active participants;

(6)   Whether the organization publishes a newsletter and, if so, how frequently, number of copies and method of distribution;

(7)   Methods used to communicate with members and the neighborhood;

(8)   A copy of the organization's articles of incorporation and/or bylaws if any. New copies need not be provided with each annual registration if no changes have been made;

(9)   The time and place of the meetings; and

(10)   The schedule for electing officers.

(b)   A neighborhood organization may register with community planning and development during December-January and July. This registration must be renewed in writing annually during the December-January registration period. This annual renewal may be accomplished either through the completion of the registration form or, if there have been no changes in the information required, through a letter to community planning and development requesting continued registration for the coming year.

(Ord. No. 634-00, § 3, 8-14-00; Ord. No. 53-05, § 3, 1-31-05)

Sec. 12-95. Duties of community planning and development.

Community planning and development shall have the following duties in connection with all registered neighborhood organizations:

(1)   To maintain a current map of the boundaries and a current list of the official names, boundaries, officers and contact persons of all registered neighborhood organizations;

(2)   To maintain and update in a timely manner the map and list of registered neighborhood organizations on the city's official website, DenverGov.org.

(3)   To notify all registered neighborhood organizations each December of their requirement to re-register by January 31st, that the list of registered neighborhood organizations is available on Denver's website and that a paper copy of the list will be furnished upon request; and

(4)   To maintain a file of sample current forms used by agencies of the city to notify the neighborhood organizations as required in section 12-96.

(Ord. No. 634-00, § 3, 8-14-00; Ord. No. 53-05, § 4, 1-31-05)

Sec. 12-96. Notification.

(a)   Registered neighborhood organizations shall be notified of certain matters affecting areas within, or within two hundred (200) feet of, their boundaries. They shall be notified by mail, or, if the organization and the agency agree, by fax or e-mail. Such notification shall be made within ten (10) working days after receipt by the responsible city agency of the proposed action. Notification shall include, where applicable, the location and general description of the proposed action; and the process to be followed, including the date, time and place of any public hearing and/or public meeting relating thereto, if such has been scheduled. The failure of an organization for whatever reason to receive a notification required hereunder shall not invalidate any action taken by the city.

(b)   The following agencies of the city shall be responsible for the following notification:

TABLE INSET:

In the event that the Code provisions corresponding to the notification requirements listed above should be amended so that the requirements are changed or eliminated or the responsible agency changed, the Code provisions shall supersede the requirements of this list.

(c)   The council shall send, each week, to each registered neighborhood organization, one (1) copy of the meeting schedule of the council for the succeeding two (2) weeks.

(d)   The responsible agencies of the city, upon receiving an application or plan relating to any of the matters listed in this section, shall inform the applicant of the registered neighborhood organization or organizations whose boundaries encompass or lie within two hundred (200) feet from the location for which application is made, and of the officers or contact person thereof.

(Ord. No. 634-00, § 3, 8-14-00; Ord. No. 1111-01, § 13, 12-17-01; Ord. No. 263-05, § 4, 4-25-05; Ord. No. 53-05, § 5, 1-31-05)

Sec. 12-97. Public hearings.

(a)   At any public hearing on matters listed in section 12-96, except malt, vinous or spirituous liquor license applications, testimony shall be accepted from members of each registered neighborhood organization whose area is affected by the proposed action. A person authorized by a registered neighborhood organization and/or coalitions of neighborhood organizations to present the position taken by the organization, shall begin such testimony with a verbal or written statement that shall include:

(1)   The name of the organization and/or the names of the organizations which comprise the coalition;

(2)   The boundaries of the organization;

(3)   The number of people, households, institutions and businesses represented by the organization and the basis for determining membership;

(4)   The time and date of the meeting when the organization decided on its position;

(5)   The nature of the meeting, whether the same was a meeting of the board, of a membership subcommittee, or the general membership;

(6)   The number of members present;

(7)   A description of the process for reaching the decision, including if and how neighborhood citizens were informed and if and how they were invited to participate; and

(8)   The votes cast for and against the proposed position.

(b)   If the person testifying on behalf of an organization does not disclose the information listed above, the person presiding at the public hearing may require the person testifying to provide the information.

(Ord. No. 634-00, § 3, 8-14-00)

Sec. 12-98. De-listing and re-listing.

Any registered neighborhood organization which does not meet, or ceases to meet, the eligibility standards of section 12-93(a), the requirements of section 12-94(a) or which does not re-register as required by section 12-94(b) shall be no longer considered a registered neighborhood organization and shall cease to be listed. Upon demonstrating that it has corrected the deficiency that caused its de-listing, a neighborhood organization shall, at that time, be re-listed as a registered neighborhood organization.

(Ord. No. 53-05, § 6, 1-31-05)

Secs. 12-99, 12-100. Reserved.