Denver City Council approved a grant agreement Monday night which will allow $38.6 million in federal coronavirus relief cash to flow from the state’s coffers into the local government.
The cash sparked controversy last week when two council members voted against placing the issue on the agenda as a late addition. A unanimous vote was required and council members Chris Hinds and Candi CdeBaca opposed.
During that meeting, Hinds cited questions of transparency and time constraints for his vote against. He also mentioned the discrepancy between a lucrative batch of bonuses awarded to Denver Health executives and the furloughs frontline staff face.
The councilman clarified multiple times that he had no intention of stopping the cash flow, rather he had questions and wanted clarity on the issue before moving forward.
Monday night, during the council’s second attempt at the issue, the grant agreement passed with unanimous approval.
The agreement releases cash from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is currently held by the Colorado Department of Public Safety. With council’s approval, the money will be split between the City and County of Denver, Denver Health and the Denver International Airport.
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