🐶 This councilmember wants to pay your pet deposit

We’re back with more recommendations from City Cast Denver Neighbors about their fave local people, spots, and organizations in the Mile High, so they can become your favorites too 💕

📣 Peggy K. wants to give some love to The LoVVe Project. “Neighbors helping neighbors in Denver — a local solution to food insecurity.”

📣 Gabby S. is shouting out GoodKid Collective, a vintage shop at Highlands Square. “It's like walking into a 80s-90s time capsule!”

📣 Becca O. says, “A massage from Sarah at LIMN Skincare just changed my life — highly recommend!”

Become a City Cast Denver Neighbor today to share your own shoutout in this newsletter and on the podcast 🎤

🐶 Should City Funds Be Used To Pay Pet Deposits?

A new pilot program launched by Denver City Councilmember Chris Hinds intends to cut costs for pet owners who rent. Up to 100 people in District 10 (or a zip code that overlaps with the district) can apply to receive up to $300 to cover deposits for their furry friends. But in a time of budget belt tightening on city spending, is this the best use of taxpayer money? [City Cast Denver 🎧]

🚨 Aurora Police Department Redistricting

The Aurora Police Department has announced new police district boundaries, effective Feb. 14. The three districts will now run east to west across Aurora, with East 6th Avenue and East Jewell Avenue serving as the separation points between the North, Central, and South Districts. According to the department, this redistricting will help balance police workloads and support more consistent response. [Aurora Police / X]

💰 Lakewood vs. TABOR

Bad news for Lakewood: The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the city violated the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights by not obtaining voter approval for two tax ordinances, one of which was enacted in 1996. So, Lakewood must return $42 million — 13% of its 2026 budget — to 177 telecom companies. No word yet on which city projects may get the axe because of the ruling. [Denver Post 🔒]

• What's the deal with TABOR? We did a deep dive a few years ago. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

🧑‍💻 Move Over, ChatGPT

Colorado State University is partnering with Microsoft to pilot a university-wide AI system. While the custom-built CSU-GPT and the forthcoming student-tailored RamGPT are built on a secure network and therefore won’t be used to train Microsoft’s large language model, CSU faculty members and students have mixed feelings about this "all in" approach to AI. [Denver Post 🔒]

Everyone's got Broncos fever these days 🏈 And with Blucifer on our side, we got this … right?!

Empower Field at Mile High might just be among the "top three loudest [outdoor] stadiums in the league," according to former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, when talking about how hard it is to play in Denver. So if our thin air doesn't get 'em on Sunday, maybe our roaring crowds will? 🤞

Have you seen something odd or curious around town recently? We want to see it too!