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Should Denver allow exemptions for “Waste No More” ordinance? Initiative’s backer objects to changes.

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Should Denver allow exemptions for “Waste No More” ordinance? Initiative’s backer objects to changes.


Two and a half years after the vast majority of Denver voters approved an initiative requiring apartment buildings and restaurants to recycle and compost more of their waste, the city’s implementation of that mandate has hit another snag.

City officials, after convening a task force and soliciting input, have proposed ordinance updates that would result in enforcement finally beginning. But the initiative’s chief backer says the changes include too many exemptions from the rules that risk thwarting voters’ intent.

A City Council committee, citing those concerns, decided last week to postpone a vote advancing the changes to the full council.

While the requirements technically have been in place since they were approved in the November 2022 election, city officials have been working to formally implement them since then. Now, they’re recommending some changes and exemptions in an effort to balance the climate-friendly goals of the ordinance with business interests.

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“The mayor has been clear on this point. He believes you can be both a climate-friendly city and a business-friendly city, and those are not in conflict,” said Jonathan Wachtel, the deputy executive director of the Denver Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency.

But GreenLatinos, an environmental advocacy group whose leader put the “Waste No More” measure on the ballot, says the suggested changes aren’t in line with what voters approved.

“This isn’t what the Denver voters want,” said Ean Tafoya, who was campaign director for the initiative. “Denver voters want action now, not delays.”

Following a presentation by the Office of Climate Action on May 7, Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez raised the concerns from GreenLatinos and asked to postpone the item until May 21.

Under the new recommended city rules, enforcement — which initially was supposed to roll out in phases on long-passed dates — would begin all at once in April 2026.

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The voter-approved ordinance, which passed with about 71% of the vote — requires apartments, restaurants, commercial buildings and permitted events to provide recycling and composting services. Construction and demolition projects are also required to separate and recycle all recyclable materials, including concrete, asphalt and scrap metal.

The entities in charge of a property or event are required to pay for the access and pickup of recycling and composting.

The city provides composting and recycling pickup only for single-family homes and residential buildings with up to seven units.

In 2023, the mayor’s office convened a task force to make recommendations on how to implement it. It’s typical for local and state governments to make tweaks to citizen ballot initiatives once they’re approved to ensure they’re pragmatic or enforceable.

But Tafoya says many of the city’s new suggestions weren’t included in the group’s final report.

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Under the city’s recommended guidelines, restaurants that bring in less than $2 million in revenue and have 25 or fewer employees would be totally exempt from the requirements. About 16% of the restaurants in Denver fall under those thresholds, said Tim Hoffman, director of policy for the mayor’s office.

That’s one of the biggest points of contention for GreenLatinos, Tafoya said.

“Businesses can be profitable and small businesses and do the right thing with waste diversion,” he said.

The city also suggests construction and demolition sites would be required to divert 50% of the waste generated on their sites away from landfills. Small projects, like construction sites of less than 500 square feet or interior remodels of less than 2,500 square feet, would be exempt. Other exemptions would include projects involving hazardous materials or emergency orders.

Multifamily residential buildings would be able to apply for exemptions for challenges like space constraints and the inability to secure a service provider for the waste.

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Several categories, including multifamily residential buildings and special events, would offer exemptions if the property or event produces extremely small amounts of waste. Tafoya said he wants that to be better defined.

Special events drawing fewer than 350 people would also be exempt.

Properties and events would be required to create a compliant waste management plan and put up signage. They would also be susceptible to a fine of up to $999 for failure to comply.

“This is an education-first approach to enforcement,” Wachtel said. “There is an action the city can take if we have someone that just doesn’t want to respond to education and outreach.”

Most of the entities impacted would be able to claim that they couldn’t meet the requirements because they posed an undue financial burden and apply for an individual exemption.

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Tafoya and GreenLatinos planned to meet Wednesday with council members to discuss their concerns further ahead of next week’s meeting of the Business, Arts, Workforce, Climate and Aviation Services Committee.

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Kalshi Promo Code DENVER: Claim $10 Bonus for July 4th World Cup, MLB Trades – Denver Stiffs

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Kalshi Promo Code DENVER: Claim  Bonus for July 4th World Cup, MLB Trades – Denver Stiffs


Take advantage of a $10 sign-up bonus by signing up with Kalshi promo code DENVER and making $10 in trades on the World Cup, MLB or any other available market. Start the registration process by clicking here.


This introductory bonus applies across the full slate of July 4 knockout round matches, featuring Canada against Morocco and France taking on Paraguay, as well as any other World Cup match scheduled for the week. Not to mention, there are tons of options for baseball fans with a full slate of MLB action this weekend.

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Kalshi Promo Code DENVER: Trade $10, Get $10 Bonus

Eligible new Kalshi customers receive a clear path to a $10 sign-up bonus designed for the full slate of World Cup Round of 16 matchups. Whether users are analyzing Morocco taking on Canada or evaluating France against Paraguay, this introductory bonus provides additional capital to trade on any of the scheduled knockout stage matches.

To utilize this promotion, users must be at least 18 years of age and make a first-time deposit of at least $1. The $10 bonus successfully unlocks after the user executes $10 in total trades on the prediction markets. Kalshi operates in all 50 states, giving soccer fans a regulated, nationwide platform to trade on World Cup outcomes.

World Cup Matches: Win Probabilities

The Saturday World Cup matches look lopsided on paper. Morocco and France are massive favorites against Canada and Paraguay, respectively. However, knockout stage games can be unpredictable. All it takes is one moment of brilliance, or a terrible mistake, to completely flip a game on its head. Take a quick look at the current probabilities for Saturday’s games.

Matchup (Home vs. Away) Home Win % Draw % Away Win %
Canada vs. Morocco 17% 28% 57%
Paraguay vs. France 5% 13% 84%

It’s also worth noting that there are tons of options for MLB fans. Start making trades on games like Yankees-Twins, Mets-Braves, Dodgers-Padres and more. All it takes is a $10 trade to unlock the $10 bonus.

Getting Started With Kalshi Promo Code DENVER

Claiming the introductory offer requires a straightforward, sequential process. Follow the steps below to secure the sign-up bonus ahead of the opening whistle for Canada vs. Morocco and Paraguay vs. France:

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  1. Create an Account: Register by providing standard personal information. Users must also upload proof of identification to verify their identity and comply with platform regulations.
  2. Enter the Promo Code: During the registration workflow, input the Kalshi promo code DENVER to officially opt into the welcome offer.
  3. Make a Deposit: Fund the newly created account with a first-time deposit of at least $1.
  4. Trade on Predictions: Execute $10 worth of trades on Kalshi’s prediction markets. There is no requirement to place a single trade worth $10; the total cumulative volume of all trades simply needs to reach the $10 threshold to qualify.

Once these steps conclude and total trade volume hits $10, the $10 sign-up bonus unlocks and appears in the account balance. Once activated, this bonus provides the flexibility to trade on any of the upcoming World Cup matches scheduled throughout the week.



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Out-of-order elevator at Denver Housing Authority property leaves disabled tenants looking for answers

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Out-of-order elevator at Denver Housing Authority property leaves disabled tenants looking for answers


Carlos Soto has an added 100 feet and two flights of stairs on every trip to his front door. He says he has to carry his walker every step.

“My whole routine has changed,” Soto said. “I try to not go down as much. If I need groceries or something, I try to hold off and not do it.”

Soto claims the elevator — just steps from his second-floor apartment — has been out of order for over three weeks.

▶️ WATCH: Soto shares the impacts of the out-of-order elevator with Denver7’s Alex Dowd

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Out-of-order elevator at DHA property leaves disabled tenants looking for answers

Despite the difficulty, he walks the path three or four times every day.

“I have to take out my dog, so she can go potty and stuff,” he said. “I need to go to the store, get groceries, and I gotta go to work in the morning, and in the afternoon, I gotta come back up.”

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Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, landlords must make reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities. Colorado’s Safe Housing for Residential Tenants law says owners and landlords have to repair uninhabitable issues within two weeks.

Sen. Tony Exum Sr. — one of the prime sponsors of the bill in 2024 — said a place is “considered uninhabitable when there’s conditions that are unhealthy or unsafe.”

That includes when a disabled tenant is unable to easily or safely access their apartment. However, the landlord must be aware of the issue first. Then, “the onus is on the landlord to make reasonable accommodations to to fix the problem,” Exum said.

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Carlos Soto climbs down the stairs, carrying his walker. He says he feels like he could fall at any moment.

Are reasonable accommodations being made at Sol Apartments where Soto lives?

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Denver7 reached out to Denver Housing Authority — which announced the Sun Valley apartment’s grand opening alongside its partners a little over a year ago — but they said they couldn’t accommodate the request for an interview or statement due to the Fourth of July holiday. They did offer to respond the following week.

DHA employees told Soto in an email that they were “working to resolve the elevator issues.”

The issue, Exum said, is common in apartments.

“There can be an extension [for landlords],” he said “For instance, if they’ve contacted a third party to do the repairs.”

Soto says the housing authority told him they had contacted a third party for repairs, but that they offered no repair timeline or alternative options.

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“Maybe make [the building] more accommodating,” Soto said. “Plan A didn’t work, so let’s try Plan B now, and get me up here somehow.”

Under the Safe Housing for Residential Tenants law, landlords are able to move tenants to hotels or nearby properties until the issue is resolved.

Soto says until the elevator is working again, he’s forced to use the stairs or use the elevator and the sky bridge next door, adding even more time to his already long commute.

Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Alex Dowd

Denver7’s Alex Dowd covers stories that have an impact in all of Colorado’s communities. If you’d like to get in touch with her, fill out the form below to send her an email.

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Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.





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Nations Cup in Colorado another showcase for Denver’s bid to host the 2031 Rugby World Cup

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Nations Cup in Colorado another showcase for Denver’s bid to host the 2031 Rugby World Cup


Think of Saturday’s rugby match at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park as a very physical audition.

The Nations Cup showdown between the USA Men’s Eagles and Portugal on the Fourth of July is another chance for Denver — long an epicenter for American growth in the sport — to showcase itself as a host city for the 2031 World Cup.

“We had that great moment at Dick’s last year where we qualified for the World Cup (by beating Samoa in the Pacific Nations Cup),” said national team captain Jason Damm. “Any opportunity to get out here, sort of in the middle of the country, feels like a connection point for the nation. It’s a good way to kick off this Nations Cup.”

Damm’s professional rugby roots are in Colorado. The Georgia native played for a team in Vail and for the Glendale Raptors, a now-defunct Major League Rugby franchise. Damm thinks Denver would be a “great fit” for hosting the 2031 Men’s and 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cups, the first time the tournaments will be held in the U.S.

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“We have a lot of guys now, and I’ve had the pleasure of playing with a lot of guys who went through that American Raptors program that was here for such a long time and really wanted to look after the development of some transition players (from other sports),” Damm said. “There’s just so much great rugby out here and good competitions.”

In addition to the legacy of the Glendale/American Raptors as well as burgeoning club and youth scenes, Denver is home to “Rugbytown USA,” the city of Glendale, which boasts the first rugby-specific stadium in the U.S. at Infinity Park. That’s where Colorado’s pro women’s team, the Denver Onyx, plays. The Onyx are the reigning champions of Women’s Elite Rugby.

And the college scene is solid, too, including strong performances by local women’s squads at this spring’s sevens Collegiate Rugby Championship, where CSU and CU placed in the Division I-AA tournament, Colorado Mesa was the Division II national champion and Mines was the Division III national champion.

Scrumhalf Ethan McVeigh tosses the ball behind his back during practice for the United States men’s national rugby union team at Infinity Park in Glendale on Friday, July 3, 2026. (Photo by Harmon Dobson/The Denver Post)

All of that background makes Saturday another important milestone for rugby in Colorado. The Eagles have two locals in their player pool in prop Kaleb Geiger (Castle View High School) and lock Sam Golla (Denver East High School), but both players are coming off surgery and are not on the Nations Cup roster.

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Golla, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLR Draft and the league’s 2023 rookie of the year, sees Saturday as another chance for Colorado to prove its support of the sport amid World Rugby’s ongoing selection process for the 2031 World Cup.



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