WHEREAS Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper recently created an Olympic Exploratory Committee and tasked that group of civic and community leaders to explore the potential merits of Denver and Colorado hosting a future Winter Games; and
WHEREAS the Exploratory Committee was asked to identify ways for the Games to be financed with no direct public funding, while still meeting all the requirements of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and to engage the residents of the State of Colorado to determine what legacy a Winter Games could leave for Denver and Colorado; and
WHEREAS the Exploratory Committee engaged over 30,000 Coloradans – specifically targeting those communities which might be most directly impacted – and discovered that participants (by a 2:1 margin) favored the idea of Denver and Colorado hosting a future Winter Games; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that CLUB 20:
Club 20 embraces the findings and endorses the recommendations of the 2018 Olympic Exploratory Committee which was commissioned by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. Specifically, Denver and Colorado CAN and SHOULD host a future Winter Games that is:
- Privately financed to safeguard Colorado residents from any budget overruns associated with hosting the Winter Games
- Protected by insurance and other risk management strategies to satisfy IOC and USOC requirements
- Structured to provide a level of transparency to the public-at-large
- Designed to prioritize the legacy or temporary use of venues rather than constructing new ones
- Sustainable and explores all options to limit environmental impact
- Sensitive to the needs of all residents, while exploring how the Winter Games could be a catalyst for creative solutions to pressing challenges, such as traffic congestion and affordable housing
- Voted on by the residents of Colorado through a statewide initiative
Adopted 7/7/2018