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RNC city gives more details on purchases than Denver

Denver keeps mum on how security grant to be spent

By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 6, 2008 at 1:28 p.m.
Updated August 6, 2008 at 11:23 p.m.

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City Councilman Doug Linkhart.

Photo by Special to the Rocky

City Councilman Doug Linkhart.

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Denver is keeping under wraps how it's spending more than half of a $50 million federal grant for security at the Democratic National Convention while the city hosting the Republicans provided a much fuller accounting Wednesday.

Denver has provided a "broad overview" of how it is spending $18.2 million of the $50 million, but the city of St. Paul, Minn., released a breakdown including such things as $20,000 for latex gloves, $200,000 for office supplies and $2,500 for bullhorns.

"I can't tell you why Denver chose not to (release more detailed information), but I can tell you that this is kind of the way we operate," said Tom Walsh, a spokesman for St. Paul police.

The Republican National Convention is being hosted by the Twin Cities - Minneapolis and St. Paul - but the event will be held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

In a news release, the city of St. Paul also disclosed that more than 3,500 law enforcement officers from other jurisdictions will be helping with security at the RNC.

In Denver, that's a number that even the head of the council's safety committee doesn't know.

"They don't want that kind of information to get out because it is a security matter," said Denver Councilman Doug Linkhart.

Katherine Archuleta, a senior adviser to Mayor John Hickenlooper and his convention liaison, said the two host cities simply decided to use a "different format."

St. Paul provided "a lot of less important information about supplies" and Denver released "a lot more detail about safety-related equipment purchases," she said.

"I don't want to be critical of their budget release in any way, shape or form," she said. "It's just that we formatted it different, and we thought that the information that we provided under equipment was of most interest."

When asked if Denver could provide a budget breakdown similar to St. Paul, Archuleta said, "I think we feel comfortable with the information that we've provided."

Some of the information that Denver released on equipment purchases was the result of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Even then, other questions remained.

Linkhart fired off a letter to the mayor July 31 asking for specifics about how $27 million of the $50 million was being spent. Linkhart said the council had only seen $23 million in expenditures. As a result, city officials attended a council committee meeting Wednesday to offer an explanation.

They said that about half of the security-related equipment purchases and contracts haven't gone before council because they don't meet the thresholds that require council approval. The thresholds are $50,000 for equipment and $500,000 for contracts.

"An item may cost $800, but we buy a lot of them and the total agreement with the vendor would be $100,000. That wouldn't exceed the $50,000 threshold for equipment nor would the contract with the vendor exceed $500,000, even though it's a significant purchase," said Mel Thompson, deputy safety manager.

After the meeting, which included an executive session behind closed doors, Linkhart said the information provided to council members was "very helpful."

"I think I had a misunderstanding, frankly, that any equipment expenditures, even if it's an equipment expenditure to buy 100 of something, I thought we would see that," he said.

Comments

  • August 6, 2008

    1:48 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    LoneTreeLady75 writes:

    Until this is over, they and many others will still find something to cry about.

  • August 6, 2008

    2:17 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    COLibertarian writes:

    Why is everyone worried about this? This is really no big deal and we all should mind our own business. What if they are fleecing the system? Hickenlooper and the DNC know what they are doing with the money. If we overspend, we will find ways of covering the additional costs. To question that fact is not the right thing to do in this instance. They need our support.
    Crimeny we are only talking 50+million dollars here. Get over it.
    Look at what the Republicans are spending? If you want to blame anyone blame the redardicans. Until Hickenlooper and the DNC p!ss away anything close to what the Republicans are spending, then it is not worth our time or energy.
    Vote Obama 08
    ps. Beware. Retardicans will try and sell you tickets to Invesco. Dont do it, my prices are much better.

  • August 6, 2008

    2:52 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    COLibertarian writes:

    Do you think a few council people can tell us how well the Woodshed is stocked? From many issues to right on track..........

    Wonder who has the most splinters?

  • August 6, 2008

    3:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    LoneTreeLady75 writes:

    RickyLee,
    $450K is miniscule compared to the deficit the Bush adminstration has thurst upon us. I'm one of those rare people that tend to not get so overworked over things I have no control over, so the DNC really isn't a big deal to me. Hickenlooper wanted to host the DNC, and he would have made sure it happened whether the citizens liked it or not. Its politics, and thats just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Yes, the gasoline fiasco was deceiving, however has been nipped in the butt and we do not have to pay for it, so build a bridge and get over it. I'm a Libertarian voter, but this is all very exciting to me. If the RNC was coming, I would still be excited because the entire world will be watching -its time for our beautiful city to shine.

  • August 6, 2008

    3:33 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    COLibertarian writes:

    Yes RickyLee any amount less than the Retardicans have wasted is nothing that you should worry about. Who cares if it is 450k or 50 million. The rups have spent way more. If you would just leave the DNC and Hickenlooper alone there would be less trouble. This is supposed to be fun and we are all going to reap the rewards of the DNC being here. If we need to raise more money, then lets do it rather than worry about what we are spending our money on. That is counterproductive. Be a team player :-)

  • August 6, 2008

    3:33 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    LoneTreeLady75 writes:

    Cry me a river Ricky. The country needs alot more people like me around. PC would be out the door and frivulous lawsuits, among other things would be no more. It would be a completely different situation if ballots were sent out, we voted against it, and Hickenlooper still decided to do what he wanted. The fact of the matter is Hickenlooper saw an opportunity to make a bigger name for Denver, and he seized it. Try to think positive, and think about how good this will be for our local economy. History (whether you like it or not) will be made in our city. Stop being such a scrooge and take it in stride. The DNC is a few weeks away, do you really think Hickenlooper will all of a sudden stop everything, just because RickyLee and a few other daily posters on RMN doesn't think its a good idea? Also, I see you dropped the whole gasoline thing. I see truth and logic scare you. LOL, its been fun Ricky, try and have a nice evening.

  • August 6, 2008

    4:35 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    wisdomwriter writes:

    Wow, I have been waiting to see a response from Ricky but have not seen one in more than an hour....Lonetreelady and COlibertarian must have really made him so mad he couldn't respond or he really had nothing else to bring up so he could do nothing but shut up....

  • August 6, 2008

    4:43 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    COLibertarian writes:

    So you agree with us Wisdomwriter? What parts do you agree?

  • August 7, 2008

    1:16 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Mayor_Quimby writes:

    LoneTreeLady75 writes: "$450K is miniscule compared to the deficit the Bush adminstration has thurst upon us. I'm one of those rare people that tend to not get so overworked over things I have no control over, so the DNC really isn't a big deal to me."

    Yeah, and LBJ did twenty times the Bush could do in just one term. Roosevelt did ten times the damage to the deficit than Bush in 4 terms. Its all relative.

    P.S. Bush aint running!! You're messiah is, and he WILL lose. hhaaaa!!