Some Denver City Council members express concerns about $26,000 retreat: "I'm uncomfortable with the timing"

Two Denver City Council members on Tuesday expressed concerns about a two-night Colorado mountain retreat for Denver City Council members next week that carried a $26,000 price tag, even as 171 city workers are being notified that they are losing their jobs.

"I'm uncomfortable with the timing," said council member Paul Kashmann on Tuesday, about the retreat that was spotlighted Monday by a CBS News Investigation. "I don't believe the timing is anywhere close to ideal, and that's an understatement."

Denver city workers began receiving notifications Monday that they were being laid off as part of an effort to help the city address a $200 million budget deficit projected for 2026.

Ten of Denver's 13 councilmembers are scheduled to go on the retreat from August 27- 29 at the Lone Rock retreat center in Park County. 

Council representative Stacie Gilmore was not planning to attend the team building and professional development retreat due to a scheduling conflict, but said, "A camping trip, campfire, and s'mores up at Genesee would help as much. And be way cheaper".

Council President Amanda Sandoval had pushed for the high country retreat saying, "So just because we're having a time of crisis doesn't mean council shouldn't learn to work better together." 

Sandoval said the retreat had been discussed since last December, and a contract was signed on May 8. It called for the city council to pay $16,000 for facility use, meals and rooms, $2,600 for ADA transportation, and $7,600 for a facilitator and assessment tool, bringing the cost to about $26,000.

In April, Sandoval emailed her colleagues on the city council about the retreat, writing, "I truly believe this will be an incredible opportunity for us to step away from the day-to-day hustle, get to know each other better in a beautiful setting, and just maybe have some fun."

She said she had attended an event at the facility in 2024, "and I absolutely fell in love with the facility. I think you all will too".

The money came out of the city council's annual budget.

Two weeks after signing the contract, Mayor Mike Johnston detailed layoffs, furloughs, and cost-cutting that would be needed to address Denver's financial deficit.

"I would never have done any of this", said Sandoval, "had I known any of this information prior to signing that contract." 

She said the city has tried unsuccessfully to get a refund or reschedule the retreat, which will last about 36 hours.

The Park County facility features "breathtaking views," according to its website, 60 individual cabins along with restaurants, meeting spaces, a fitness center, and a yoga room.

Asked if there were less expensive options closer to Denver, Sandoval said, "There aren't a lot of options. We do not have a facility like that in Denver."

She said the retreat will bring the council together to work more productively, "so we can serve the residents of Denver."

Kashmann said he was "not sure" if he would still go to the retreat, in light of the layoffs. 

"I will decide what's the best use of my time," he said. He complimented Sandoval for "trying to make us more efficient" and said he thought there was value in team building and making the council a more effective body.

"I understand people's concerns with the dollars," said Kashmann, who reiterated, "the main concern is the timing".