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Two years later, City of Denver still working to implement voter-approved recycling ordinance

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Two years later, City of Denver still working to implement voter-approved recycling ordinance


DENVER — In November 2022, 70% of Denver voters approved the Waste No More ballot initiative to require city apartment buildings, businesses and large events to provide recycling and composting services. It would also establish new recycling and composting requirements for large events and construction and demolition sites.

Two years later, enforcement is still on hold as the city works on how to put the ordinance into action.

Earlier this month, Denver7 spoke with city leaders about that process.

“Those big systems changes also come with complications,” said Jonathan Wachtel, deputy executive director for the Denver Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency. They come with costs.”

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“You can have a climate-friendly city and a business-friendly city at the same time, and we’ve been very thoughtful about how we’ve approached it,” said Tim Hoffman, director of policy for Mayor Mike Johnston’s office.

Hoffman added that he “completely” understands the frustration some have with the ordinance not being implemented more than two years after passing.

City of Denver

Brian Loma, an environmental advocate and one of the original proponents of the ordinance, is feeling that frustration. He said Denver is “lagging behind” other Colorado cities that are implementing their own Zero Waste policies.

“The intent was for Denver to be the leader, the largest city in the state of Colorado doing the hard work to show everybody else it can be done,” he said Wednesday. “It’s a matter of civic pride.”

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After discussions with advocates and the business community, the city is now proposing exceptions to the ordinance.

“Making sure that we weren’t putting undue burdens on small businesses, small restaurants, small events,” said Hoffman.

For example, restaurants with 25 or fewer employees who made $2 million or less in revenue the previous year would be exempt from the composting requirement. Loma said that should not be an excuse.

“My business doesn’t do $100,000 a year, and I compost and recycle as much as humanly possible,” he said. “It’s not about how much business you do. It’s about how much waste you produce.”

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City of Denver working to expand recycling and composting

In their own waste management ordinances, cities like Boulder and Longmont have exemptions for businesses facing “economic hardship” situations. Longmont specifically spells out an exemption for businesses whose losses from the prior fiscal year were more than 10 percent of gross sales.

But Loma said an exemption solely based on profits and employee count would be unique and unnecessary.

“The point of Waste No More was to get people to talk about their waste plans,” he said. “Create a plan on how to divert and then look at what the costs are and determine if that would be a hardship or not, not to carve out and just say a whole bunch of people are exempt before you even come up with a plan.”

That being said, Loma clarified that he and the other originators of the ballot measure want to discuss and meet somewhere in the middle with city leaders.

On Wednesday, Denver City Council’s business committee pushed the next conversation to July, but with a sense of urgency.

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“There’s been so much work done and I don’t want the policy to flounder or to take more time when we need to get this implemented in, because stuff is going into the landfill as we speak,” Denver City Councilmember Stacie Gilmore said during Wednesday’s committee meeting.

Ordinance enforcement is slated to begin in April 2026, but city leaders suggested during the meeting that further delays in finalizing exemptions would put that timeline in jeopardy.

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Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Ryan Fish

Denver7’s Ryan Fish covers stories that have an impact in all of Colorado’s communities, but artificial intelligence, technology, aviation and space. If you’d like to get in touch with Ryan, fill out the form below to send him an email.





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Denver, CO

Game Thread: Denver Nuggets vs Sacramento Kings. December 11th, 2025. – Denver Stiffs

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Game Thread: Denver Nuggets vs Sacramento Kings. December 11th, 2025. – Denver Stiffs


Community Guidelines

Welcome to Denver Stiffs! We’re glad you’re here.

Denver Stiffs is a community where sports fans from all backgrounds gather to share their passion. We strive to create a fun and welcoming place for everyone to come fan with us. These guidelines help ensure that happens. Here’s the short version:

  • Be respectful in your interactions with contributors and fellow fans.
  • Don’t be a jerk, and don’t call other people jerks.
  • We’ll remove anything we see that jeopardizes our communities.
  • We ask that you do your best to keep the conversation to sports and primarily our favorite NBA team. Why? Because there are plenty of other sites where you can air your opinions about everything from politics to soup recipes.
  • You can help with that. If you see something that doesn’t align with our guidelines, let us know. Flag any comments or usernames that violate our guidelines so our community managers can review them.

These rules extend to our communities everywhere: in our comments, on social media, and in real life.

We do not allow any of the following:

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  • Personal attacks: This includes name-calling, insults, threats, hurtful comments about someone’s appearance, voice, or style, and all other forms of attacks. We want our communities to be welcoming and fun. Personal attacks are the opposite of that.
  • Attacks on staffers: It’s fine to critique a post, disagree with a take, or point out errors. We draw the line, however, at personal attacks (see above) about writers, editors, moderators, etc.
  • Discriminatory or derogatory language: This includes racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or other forms of discrimination.
  • Harassment: This includes, but is not limited to, intimidation; stalking; unwanted photography; inappropriate physical contact; use of sexual or discriminatory imagery, comments, or jokes; and unwelcome sexual attention.
  • Wishing harm on athletes: Don’t root for an injury, don’t root for harm to befall a coach or athlete. You can want someone to get fired or released, but please do not hope for bodily harm.
  • Misinformation and disinformation: Sharing demonstrably false information about news or world events, beyond the scope of reasonable sports opinion or analysis, can be harmful to our communities. These comments will be removed and may result in a suspension or a ban.
  • Illegal activity: Don’t promote, encourage, or make light of any kind of illegal activity, including DUIs, domestic violence, or sexual assault.
  • NSFW images and comments: Keep it PG-13, or you will be removed. This includes language and images that are sexual, violent, or generally offensive in nature.
  • Excessive profanity: Fans get worked up on game days, and we’re fans, too. We understand that. As a general rule, keep profanity to a minimum. Some communities prohibit profanity, so be sure to review guidelines for the individual communities you participate in.
  • Multiple accounts and throwaway emails: These are a signal that you’re not interested in being a productive member of our communities, and we do not allow it.
  • Trolling: We know it when we see it, and we’ll remove it. Don’t go to a rival team’s community for the sole purpose of riling up their fans, either. Moreover, you should never publish any private or personally identifiable information. Doxxing is strictly prohibited.
  • The “first post” rule: If you break any of these guidelines with your very first post or interaction, it signals to our community managers you’re just here to be disruptive. Violators may be banned, blocked, or removed.
  • Spam: We have a zero-tolerance policy on spam, which includes sharing links to illegal game streams or downloads. Spam will be deleted and spammers may be banned, blocked, or removed. 
  • Political commentary: Denver Stiffs is a site dedicated to the Denver Nuggets, not politics. There are many sites available on the internet to discuss politics, Denver Stiffs is not one of them. Please refrain from any political commentary while using our site.

Anyone who doesn’t follow these rules when engaging in our communities will at best be removed from the conversation, and at worst will end up banned from that community. These decisions will be made at the discretion of our community managers and other Mile High Sports personnel. Community managers and moderators have final say on interpretation of violating our community guidelines, and on all decisions resulting in a warning, suspension, and/or ban.

If you see any of these things happening in our communities, please flag it and it will be reviewed. You can also reach out via our contact page.



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Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/11-12/14 – 303 Magazine

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Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/11-12/14 – 303 Magazine


When: Dec 7, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Fight Club – 1959 16th St Mall Denver
Cost: Price varies
The Lowdown: 

Guests have the option of $39 bottomless flatbreads, which includes the price of their oche reservation for Social Darts®. The bottomless flatbread menu features Smoked Salmon Flatbread, Four Cheese Flatbread, Breakfast Flatbread, or Garden Vegetable Flatbread. Guests can also order off the á la carte menu, which includes a fresh-cut fruit plate, breakfast sliders,, avocado toast, and Flight Club’s famous churros.





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Louisiana child rape suspect arrested in Denver

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Louisiana child rape suspect arrested in Denver


DENVER (KKTV) – A man out of Louisiana suspected of child rape is now in custody in Colorado.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force said they arrested 43-year-old James Connolly Tuesday morning in Denver.

The U.S. Marshals Service said Connolly was wanted by West Baton Rouge Parish deputies for first-degree rape of a child under 13 years old.

According to the U.S. Marshals, a full-scale investigation into the allegation was launched, and probable cause was found to file charges.

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After an arrest warrant was issued on August 12, they said Connolly was likely aware of the warrant and had fled the state.

On Monday, officials reportedly received information that he could be in Denver. The next day, the U.S. Marshals Service said the Colorado Violent Offender Task Force found Connolly working maintenance for a company near I-270 and York Street in Denver under the name “Alli” with a changed physical appearance.

Officials said Connolly was then positively identified and taken into custody.

“The success of this arrest represents a culmination of extensive cooperative investigative efforts between the U.S. Marshals in Baton Rouge, U.S. Marshals Colorado Violent Offender Task Force – Denver, West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Englewood Police Department, and Colorado Department of Corrections,” the U.S. Marshals Service said in a release.

He’s currently in the Adams County Jail pending extradition back to Louisiana.

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