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Denver councilman wants community input on possible Olympic bid

Top concerns revolve around cost
Posted at 10:00 PM, Feb 27, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-28 00:27:43-05

DENVER -- A push for Colorado to host the 2030 Olympic Games has been met with some excitement, a lot of questions and a heavy dose of skepticism. Long-time residents still vividly remember when voters said no on the 1976 Olympics, and many of them showed up to voice their opinions at a meeting Tuesday night.

Denver City Councilman Paul Kashmann hosted a listening session for his constituents. He previously criticized the exploratory committee and filed a complaint saying it lacked neighborhood input. His priority now is to let the public discussion unfold. 

"But it goes deeper into the fabric of what does the community want to do as far as its priorities? Is this where they want to focus their interest over the next 12 years?" asked Kashmann.

There was time for questions after a presentation from the Denver's exploratory committee. The top concerns revolved around cost and transparency. At times, the mood in the room was contentions.

When asked about hosting the Olympics, Kashmann said Denver's landscape has changed since voters turned it down some 46 years ago. He said the city is more capable of hosting the games but had this to say when asked if he supported it.

"I have my concerns, I’d love if the mayor had put together a committee of this caliber to solve affordable housing," said Kashmann.

The next session will be held March 10. More information about the meeting can be found here.