The Denver City Council is considering over two dozen potential additions to the proposed 2022 city budget, totaling more than $22.21 million for the $1.49 billion spending plan.

Each council member presented their desired budget additions Thursday to the panel, which  completed 10 days of budget hearings Monday, meeting with 16 city agencies to discuss their spending plans for the year.

More than $18 million of the proposed budget additions came from Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca, who asked for 15 new budget allocations on Thursday.

“My proposals are not because these don’t exist in the budget, my proposals are because it’s not enough,” CdeBaca said.

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CdeBaca’s wants $5 million to establish a community grocery store in northeastern Denver and another $5 million to create a mental health and substance abuse treatment facility at a city building now used for storage.

CdeBaca’s other proposals included $3 million to renovate a city building as service center for residents, $2 million to purchase the CoreCivic building on Elizabeth Street, $2 million to expand cooperative business models in the Department of Economic Development and Opportunity and $1 million to better track and distribute motel housing vouchers.

Councilman Paul Kashmann asked for $1.5 million in additional cash for Denver’s Safe Routes to Schools program, giving the program $2 million next year rather than  $500,000.

Kashmann said the money is needed since a single project to improve sidewalks around the Cory Elementary School and Merrill Middle School cost more than $400,000, leaving little funding for other Safe Routes to Schools projects in the city.

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“We’re well below the national standards for safety around school zones,” Kashmann said. “We need to be more aggressive in addressing that.”

Councilwomen Jamie Torres and Robin Kniech partnered to request $500,000 from federal stimulus funds to hire fellows for Denver’s legal defense program for immigrants. The funding would be split in half over two years, taking up one-quarter of the $1 million of next year’s unallocated funds from the federal American Rescue Plan.

Kniech also asked for $400,000 to provide legal support for Denver’s housing team, funding the salary of one full-time employee specialized in housing finance policy and paying for outside help.

“It will result in quicker housing and quicker homelessness resolution contracts,” Kniech said.

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Other budget additions presented Thursday included the following:

• $350,000 to hire an engineering firm as a subject matter expert for railroad safety analysis — Councilwoman Debbie Ortega
• $270,000 to the Office of Human Resources for a full-time contractor to provide trauma response services for staff — Councilwoman Robin Kniech
• $200,000 to study converting York Street and Josephine Street from one-way to two-way between East 46th Avenue and East 40th Avenue — Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca
• $200,000 to expand the Denver Day Works program that employs homeless residents — Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca
• $200,000 to study flood prevention for the 38th Street underpass — Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca
• $150,000 to establish a health equity director position at the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment — Councilwoman Jamie Torres
• $150,000 to make the Denver Public Library’s four digital navigators full-year positions, instead of half-year — Councilwoman Jamie Torres
• $132,038 to hire an assistant city attorney associate for the City Council — Council President Stacie Gilmore
• $100,000 to establish an equity monitor position in the Department of Community Planning and Development — Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca
• $100,000 to fund portable restrooms and hand washing stations in Denver outside of downtown — Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca
• $90,000 to the Office on Aging for technology, yard clean ups, food insecurity programs, sponsorships, staff conferences and events — Council President Stacie Gilmore
• $35,000 to sponsor the Denver Municipal Band and fund free, outdoor concerts — Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer, Councilman Paul Kashmann and Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca
• $35,000 to study the potential establishment of an Office of Community Engagement in Denver — Councilman Paul Kashmann

The council will rank each of the requests by Friday when they will will meet again to vote on the proposals.