[0:06] The regular meeting of the
Aurora City Council for Monday,
[0:08] August 10th, 2026 is called to
order with a clear please call
[0:11] the roll.
[0:12] Mayor Kaufman.
[0:13] Here.
[0:14] Council member.
[0:15] Andrews.
[0:18] Council member.
[0:18] Bergin.
[0:20] Council member.
[0:21] Combs.
[0:23] Council member.
[0:24] Gardiner.
[0:25] Here.
[0:27] Council member.
[0:27] Hancock. Here.
[0:29] Council member.
[0:30] Horton. Here.
[0:31] Council member.
[0:32] Jackson. Council member.
[0:34] Lawson. Here.
[0:35] Council member.
[0:35] Medina. Here.
[0:37] Council member.
[0:38] Wallace. Council member.
[0:40] Wiles.
[0:42] Here. There's a quorum.
[0:44] Council member
Jackson is excused.
[0:47] Please join me in an invocation.
[0:51] Uh, our Lord, our
God and our father.
[0:56] We come to you and we ask that
you look upon this particular
[1:00] gathering tonight to keep us
[1:02] safe and guide us
in our decisions.
[1:04] Bless our city with honorable
citizens, industry, sound
[1:08] education and good government.
[1:10] Unite our community together.
[1:13] Even though we come from
different backgrounds.
[1:15] We pray that there will be
justice and peace in our city.
[1:18] Give the City Council and
citizens the wisdom, direction
[1:22] and sensitivity to the business
[1:23] and proceedings
before us tonight.
[1:25] Hear us, therefore, as we
commit this meeting to the help
[1:29] of our entire community.
[1:31] Amen. Land acknowledgement.
[1:34] I'm sorry.
[1:35] Um. Please join me in
the Pledge of Allegiance.
[1:40] I pledge allegiance to the flag
[1:43] of the United States of America.
[1:44] And to the Republic
for which it stands.
[1:47] One nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and
[1:51] justice for all.
[1:54] A land acknowledgement.
[1:55] The city of Aurora acknowledges
that we gather on the
[1:58] territories and ancestral
homelands of the Cheyenne and
[2:01] Arapaho and Lakota
peoples, past and present.
[2:05] We also recognize the 48
contemporary tribal nations
[2:08] that are historically tied
to the lands that make up the
[2:11] state of Colorado indigenous
peoples, and remain committed
[2:14] to the stewardship of this land
over many centuries, as these
[2:18] words of acknowledgement
are spoken and heard.
[2:21] The ties that these nations
have to their traditional
[2:24] homelands and to their vital
place in the ecosystem are
[2:27] renewed and reaffirmed, and we
are called upon to be better
[2:30] stewards of the land we inhabit
as we continue to work to meet
[2:34] the needs of our
entire community.
[2:40] Our motion is in order for
approval of the minutes for
[2:42] July 27th, 2026.
[2:44] So moved.
[2:46] Moved by Councilmember Hancock.
[2:47] Second by
[2:50] second by Councilmember Lawson
to approve the minutes for July
[2:52] 27th seventh, 2026 discussion
and seeing no discussion.
[2:57] Call for the question on
approval of the minutes for
[2:59] July 27th, 2026.
[3:01] Mayor Kaufman.
[3:02] Votes yes.
[3:07] What did you say?
[3:08] Mayor Pro Tem.
[3:09] 13 a but let's see who's
going to make the motion.
[3:13] Council member.
[3:14] Horton.
[3:15] Yes. Council member.
[3:17] Hancock. Yes.
[3:18] The motion passes unanimously
to adopt the July 27th, 2026
[3:22] meeting minutes.
[3:24] Adoption of the agenda.
[3:25] Motion is in order.
[3:28] Mayor.
[3:29] Mayor Pro tem.
[3:29] So moved.
[3:32] Councilmember Wiles
or Mayor pro tem?
[3:34] Was there something that was
[3:35] going to be removed
from the agenda?
[3:39] So we have a motion
to approve the agenda.
[3:42] Is there a
[3:44] second Councilmember?
[3:45] Mayor. I'll or sorry,
City attorney Schultz.
[3:48] I'll make that as a
friendly amendment.
[3:52] Um, so that would be sorry.
[3:56] Scroll down.
[3:56] So, yeah.
[3:57] Um, move to approve the
agenda with item 13 A removed.
[4:02] Is there a second?
[4:04] Okay. Um, second.
[4:06] Move by Mayor Pro tem, seconded
by Councilmember Wiles to, um.
[4:12] Is it?
[4:13] Item is that.
[4:14] I approve the agenda
of removing item 13.
[4:16] A.
[4:16] Uh, approval of the agenda.
[4:19] Uh, minus item 13.
[4:22] Aye. Item number 13.
[4:23] A of discussion.
[4:26] Uh, I'm sorry, Mayor pro Tem.
[4:28] So just to clarify, the removal
of 13 a, um, I have some
[4:32] amendments to the resolution
[4:35] regarding the data
center moratorium.
[4:38] Um, that will would require
significant modifications to
[4:44] the ordinance.
[4:45] So we're removing the ordinance
and, um, going to vote on the
[4:52] resolution, as amended.
[4:54] Very well.
[4:56] Further discussion.
[4:58] Seeing none, call for the
question on the adoption of the
[5:02] agenda, as amended.
[5:04] Mayor Kaufman.
[5:06] Yes.
[5:10] The motion passes unanimously
to adopt the agenda with item
[5:14] 13 A removed.
[5:20] All right.
[5:20] Thank you, Mayor Pete Schultz
and the city attorney.
[5:24] A couple of things.
[5:24] The council has asked me, is
the parliamentarian for City
[5:27] council to read the
the decorum statement?
[5:30] I know we don't like calling
it that, but the public comment
[5:32] announcement, if you guys
have signed up to speak during
[5:35] public comment, please make
sure that it's on items that
[5:38] are not on the agenda.
[5:40] So, for example, if you're
here to talk on the data center
[5:42] resolutions, please don't
talk about that during public
[5:45] comment because it won't be
part of the record to be used
[5:48] on those items.
[5:49] So if anything does end up
getting appealed or later, your
[5:53] comments will not be included.
[5:54] And so if you do start doing
that, either the city clerk and
[5:57] myself may remind you that this
is not the appropriate time to
[6:00] make comments on agenda items.
[6:01] So City Council has established
this public forum to receive
[6:04] input from the community.
[6:06] The public invited to be heard
portion of the meeting is
[6:08] limited by council rules for
a total of one hour, with each
[6:10] speaker allotted three minutes.
[6:12] Speakers signed up to comment
on agenda items are also
[6:15] limited to three minutes,
and comments must be related
[6:17] directly to that item on the
[6:19] agenda that is being considered.
[6:21] All participants are expected
to observe the same standards
[6:23] of decorum as the City Council.
[6:25] Personal attacks, disruptive
behavior, and demonstrations
[6:28] such as clapping, snapping,
cheering, booing or similar
[6:30] actions are not permitted.
[6:32] Please show respect to all
speakers, regardless of whether
[6:34] you agree with their comments,
and allow everyone the
[6:36] opportunity to be heard.
[6:37] Speakers who exceed the three
minute time limit reduce the
[6:39] opportunity for others to speak.
[6:41] Please be considerate of your
fellow residents when preparing
[6:43] your comments, and we do ask
[6:45] that you refrain
from using profanity.
[6:46] As you know, there may be
children watching or others
[6:49] that are sensitive to profanity.
[6:51] So mayor public
invited to be heard.
[6:58] And Schaffner followed
by Agent Anderson.
[7:18] On July 31st, 2026, Rajan Belt
Stubblefield would have been
[7:23] celebrating his 38th birthday
instead of him being here to
[7:28] celebrate that with his family
[7:31] due to him being slain
by the Aurora police.
[7:37] Another chapter of this tragedy
opened itself up because on
[7:42] July 31st, 2026.
[7:46] Instead of there being a
birthday celebration, that
[7:50] family received the news that
the officer that killed Rajan
[7:56] in the street was indicted for
[7:59] murder two and
reckless manslaughter.
[8:05] What I find interesting is
that when the system seemingly
[8:10] affirms the narrative that the
police do no wrong, or that
[8:16] when they shoot us in the
[8:17] street, somehow,
someway it is justified.
[8:21] We don't see hesitation
[8:25] from a chief of police and some
of the leaders on this dais to
[8:31] boldly speak up and
affirm that narrative.
[8:35] But when something shifts
and now there is a sense of
[8:39] accountability coming down
through that same system that
[8:43] you affirm when they
justify killing us.
[8:47] Interestingly enough, we
don't see the same pattern
[8:51] of acknowledging that
something is different.
[8:56] There is seemingly a protocol
of the Aurora police to post a
[9:01] mugshot of someone that commits
a crime in your city, along
[9:06] with a very descriptive
[9:08] narrative on your
social media platforms.
[9:12] I've been scrolling since
July 31st, and I have not seen
[9:17] Matthew Neely's mugshot or
details about the charges of
[9:22] the crime that he has been
[9:24] accused of committing
in your city.
[9:28] So I just want to say that some
of you will likely rationalize
[9:32] in your head of why
that's the case.
[9:35] But I'm here to remind you that
history will not be kind to the
[9:40] A contradiction.
[9:43] You have a police chief.
[9:47] That is a walking contradiction,
[9:50] which simply means that he is
not competent to serve in the
[9:55] position that he is in.
[9:58] So, as we have said before,
and we will continue to say it
[10:02] again and again.
[10:04] Fire Chief Chamberlain,
[10:09] this is a live example of how
this chief pretends to care
[10:15] about everyone, but clearly
only cares about some.
[10:20] Anti Anderson, followed
by Della Jordan.
[10:32] Tonight I have brought
something that Mayor Kaufman is
[10:37] too familiar with a gavel
because this chamber is going
[10:42] to be a courtroom for
the next three minutes.
[10:44] And the matter before us will
be the people of Aurora versus
[10:48] the City council of Aurora.
[10:51] Tonight, you are being charged
with being complicit in the
[10:54] murders of your own citizens at
the hands of the Aurora Police
[10:58] Department, and with operating
and continuing a political
[11:02] protection system that shields
[11:03] police power from
accountability.
[11:06] Let the record reflect that the
people are ready to proceed.
[11:10] Our first witnesses are the
families, the families who have
[11:14] walked into this chamber
carrying photographs of their
[11:17] loved ones murdered by APD,
the families who have come here
[11:21] with questions this government
still refuses to answer.
[11:26] The families who have begged
this city and this city council
[11:29] for accountability.
[11:30] And Mayor Kaufman.
[11:32] Those families know the
sound of your gavel.
[11:36] Your time is up.
[11:38] Please conclude.
[11:40] Sit down.
[11:42] Order!
[11:44] Look at that.
[11:45] Government does work.
[11:47] Just apparently, when it
is, a government does work.
[11:53] Just not when black families
need it to work for them.
[11:57] So tonight, the
roles are reversed.
[12:00] The families are not on trial.
[12:01] But you are.
[12:02] Todd Chamberlain is.
[12:04] The Aurora Police Department.
[12:05] Is the grief of families
entered into evidence.
[12:08] Their testimony
entered into evidence.
[12:10] The names of their loved
ones entered into evidence.
[12:13] The videos of their loved ones
[12:15] being killed entered
into evidence.
[12:17] The protests are entered into
evidence and council members.
[12:20] Your record is
entered into evidence.
[12:23] The people have
presented their case.
[12:25] The city has had years to
present its defense and
[12:29] frankly, the excuses
continue to be repetitive.
[12:32] So now it is time for the
verdict on the charge.
[12:36] On the charge of choosing
[12:37] police unions over
accountability.
[12:39] We charge the city Council
guilty on the charge of calling
[12:43] yourselves law and order while
becoming allergic to the law.
[12:47] The second accountable
accountability reaches someone
[12:49] wearing a badge.
[12:50] We charge the City Council
guilty on the charge of
[12:53] treating black grief like
disruption to municipal
[12:56] business, instead of
recognizing that black grief is
[12:59] evidence of municipal failure.
[13:01] We charge the council guilty on
the charge of having all of the
[13:05] titles, lawyers, staff,
security, the entire machinery
[13:08] of the city government at
your disposal, and somehow
[13:11] repeatedly proving the people
that you are most comfortable
[13:15] exercising power against are
the people who possess the
[13:18] least power in the room.
[13:19] We charge you guilty.
[13:23] No further questions.
[13:24] No motion to reconsider.
[13:26] No appeal to
political convenience.
[13:29] The verdict stands.
[13:30] And with that, the people
of Aurora rest their case.
[13:34] You want to do it together?
[13:35] Mayor.
[13:42] Della Jordan, followed
by Jeffrey McFarland.
[14:09] This place was in compliance.
[14:39] Aurora Regional
Navigation Center.
[14:42] Aurora Police Department.
[14:43] Dominant security.
[14:46] Mayor. Chief of police.
[14:49] Um. The uh Navigation
Center CEO.
[14:53] Security chief.
[14:55] Don't want to meet with me.
[14:57] What about a press conference?
[14:59] Advanced pathways,
male and female.
[15:02] Who refused to tell me
their names but know mine.
[15:06] Melissa Aguila green Marlin.
[15:11] Single. I know your names
and half your pictures.
[15:14] Mayor Kaufman, I
have your picture.
[15:17] Also, it says you are a board
member of Advanced Pathways,
[15:22] whose mission is to provide
pathways to recovery that
[15:26] creates self-esteem, dignity,
and independence for people
[15:30] experiencing homelessness.
[15:33] AP has missed and is
missing their mark.
[15:36] Because AP is nonprofit doesn't
mean that there are no stocks
[15:41] or bonds exchanging hands.
[15:43] Or has things changed
since I studied law?
[15:46] Aurora residents use the
use of internet research.
[15:51] This company.
[15:52] There is corruption in that
[15:54] company in that
navigation center.
[15:57] Okay. Leave.
[15:58] Alicia. My African son.
[16:00] Kofi. Christian.
[16:02] And essay alone.
[16:03] If you want to attack me,
go ahead and attack me.
[16:06] Because I'm at the age where
I'm 70 years old and I can
[16:10] fight back.
[16:12] There is so much corruption
[16:13] going on in that
building and there.
[16:16] I'm beginning to think that you
are part of it because you are
[16:20] a board member.
[16:21] But when I studied law, you
could not be a public official
[16:26] and then be a part
of a private company.
[16:29] And you think that
Feingold is a good guy?
[16:35] Not in that building.
[16:37] Not in that building.
[16:38] He's a little snip.
[16:40] He's a little snip
that walk around.
[16:43] Um, manhandling females, old
females like myself, chasing me
[16:48] around the building and asking
me about my financial, uh,
[16:52] business and stuff like that.
[16:53] Why is that?
[16:54] Even any of his business?
[16:56] Then he had the nerve
to say something stupid.
[16:59] Like, if I can't afford to buy
an egg for 30 people, I can
[17:04] afford to get out and pay
for transitional housing.
[17:08] I had to school the little fool
because he didn't understand
[17:13] the difference between taking
food stamps and spending $4.50
[17:18] for 30 people for one aid.
[17:21] And then he's talking about,
well, if you can afford to do
[17:26] that, then you can afford to
pay for transitional housing.
[17:29] Then he's going to tell me I
cannot take my personal profit
[17:33] out there.
[17:34] I've been on my medication
for over 30 days.
[17:37] My body is shutting down.
[17:39] My doctors have tried every
which way they can to get my
[17:44] medication back.
[17:45] Then when it comes to my
thyroid, a personal thyroid is
[17:49] between 2.5 to
4.0 9.1 every 100.
[17:58] I'm in the process right now to
where I could have a stroke or
[18:02] a heart attack.
[18:04] Oh, and I have a package that's
coming for each and every one
[18:08] of you, plus the police
department key and the city
[18:14] attorney and the whatever, the
attorney and the lawyers and
[18:20] whatever, whatever.
[18:21] But they have messed with the
wrong person and they are about
[18:25] to find out.
[18:31] Jeffrey McFarland,
followed by Cassandra Hill.
[18:46] She did?
[18:50] Oh, no.
[19:03] Good evening, Mayor
and city council.
[19:04] My name is Jeffrey McFarland.
[19:06] As you know, I'm a
resident of Ward one.
[19:08] I speak for no one but myself
this evening, but I do.
[19:11] I would like to pass a
message along from the AFSC of
[19:14] Colorado, Casa de Paz.
[19:16] Shut down Geo and pulse.
[19:19] They've put together a public
health order they call the
[19:21] People's Public Health Order.
[19:23] Colorado state agencies, the
governor and our city council
[19:26] have yet to use every tool
available at their disposal to
[19:28] protect the best interest
of the public health and
[19:30] Coloradans detained within
the Aurora Health Facility.
[19:34] The inaction and lack of
urgency from the governor's
[19:36] office and the CDF have
lost our trust for the
[19:39] well-documented medical neglect
inside the Aurora facility, it
[19:41] is clear that the for profit
detention model will not keep
[19:44] people safe at the Aurora
or the Bighorn facilities.
[19:48] We, the people of Colorado, are
issuing a public health order
[19:51] to compel the Geo Group to
allow a proper public health
[19:54] investigation of potential
tuberculosis infection and
[19:57] disease spread within the Geo
Aurora Ice Processing Center.
[20:00] A third party laboratory
confirmed an active
[20:02] tuberculosis case on
the June 22nd, 2026.
[20:06] This public health order is
necessary as the Geo Group,
[20:08] under contract with the
Department of Homeland
[20:11] Security, has denied entry
since June 25th, 2026, to the
[20:14] Adams County Health Department.
[20:16] The Colorado Department of
Public Health and Environment
[20:18] requested Geo comply with
the order by July 17th.
[20:21] Jio has yet to grant access.
[20:25] On the 22nd, an active case of
tuberculosis was confirmed at
[20:29] the Aurora Ice
Processing Center.
[20:31] The Geo Group defied the Public
Health Order of Adams County
[20:34] Health Department issued
on June 25th, blocked the
[20:36] tuberculosis investigation,
and has since confirmed another
[20:41] active case and noted up to
61 people who have potentially
[20:44] been exposed to date.
[20:46] The Geo Group and the
Department of Homeland Security
[20:48] and Ice have not provided any
contract tracing location data
[20:51] or access to the people who
have potentially been exposed.
[20:54] I'm going to take the last
minute here to kind of tie the
[20:58] threads together.
[21:00] If we can't call the cops to
let us into the health facility
[21:05] where there's a there's a
tuberculosis outbreak like a
[21:08] steamship era disease, uh, the
type of disease that used to
[21:12] have a past tense
Wikipedia entry.
[21:15] And now there's an outbreak
of it and we can't get in.
[21:20] Why? Because they're feds.
[21:21] Because we need to
comply with federal law.
[21:24] And make sure you think
about that when you hit that
[21:27] dispensary on your way home.
[21:29] Uh,
[21:31] I really don't understand the
the notion that the good guys
[21:35] want to put people in
cages and keep them sick.
[21:37] The good guys keep you out of a
[21:39] facility so that
nobody can be treated.
[21:42] Nobody can be quarantined.
[21:45] Nobody could be isolated.
[21:46] Symptoms can't be recorded.
[21:48] Uh, they had a press conference
where they read that public
[21:51] health order down at the
Capitol here this evening,
[21:53] about an hour or so ago.
[21:54] And I would like to reiterate
the messages of shut down Geo
[21:57] fired Todd Chamberlain, and no
[22:00] new concentration
camps in Colorado.
[22:02] That sounds like
a good one to me.
[22:03] Thank you.
[22:06] Cassandra Hill, followed
by Hashim Coates.
[22:22] Hello city.
[22:23] Council. My name is Cassandra
and I am here with the Denver
[22:26] Community Action Committee,
otherwise known as the CAG.
[22:30] We recognize the charging of
former Aurora police officer
[22:33] Matthew Neely is a
victory for the people.
[22:35] But the fight is far from over.
[22:38] This indictment of this killer
cop was won not by the goodwill
[22:42] of anyone in the government,
but by the relentless
[22:45] organizing, protesting, and
[22:47] demand for justice
from the community.
[22:50] While the formal charges
against Matthew Neely are a
[22:53] necessary step towards
accountability, true justice
[22:56] requires more than a
single court proceeding.
[22:58] It requires complete
dismantling of the narrative
[23:01] and structural protection
[23:02] provided to violent
officers by APD.
[23:06] We must address the role of
Aurora police leadership,
[23:08] played in the attempt to cover
up Rajan Rajan's death at the
[23:12] hands of Neely, Particularly
the words and actions of Chief
[23:15] Todd Chamberlain.
[23:18] Chamberlain unconstitutionally
led a campaign to smear Rajan's
[23:22] character immediately
following his murder.
[23:24] In press conferences, he
presented unverified claims as
[23:27] facts, attempting to justify
Neely's needless violence by
[23:31] asserting that Neely's sucker
punch was a de-escalating
[23:35] maneuver and recklessly
speculating about Rajan's
[23:37] intent when he disarmed himself.
[23:40] Chamberlain's attempt to twist
the facts, craft a protective
[23:44] narrative for his officers,
and slander an unarmed victim
[23:46] before a full investigation
was conducted is unacceptable.
[23:50] This behavior is consistent
with Chief Chamberlain's long
[23:53] track record of controversy
stretching back to his tenure
[23:56] with the LAPD, which includes
high profile anti-Black
[24:00] discrimination lawsuits
and systematic biases.
[24:03] Under his leadership, APD
continues to violate the spirit
[24:06] of the state consent decree and
demonstrate why public trust in
[24:10] this department remains broken.
[24:13] The Denver Award Community
Action Committee demands
[24:15] justice for Jon's
family and loved ones.
[24:17] Our charge is only the start,
[24:19] conviction and
empowering the community.
[24:21] Control their police must
follow so that wave after wave
[24:26] of police killings and crime
[24:27] can finally be
stopped in Aurora.
[24:30] We demand you fire Todd
Chamberlain, the next police
[24:33] chief selection.
[24:34] Be open to the community
and democratic and give the
[24:37] community control
over the police.
[24:39] Thank you.
[24:42] Hashem Coates, followed
by Kristen Mallory.
[25:06] Before I begin, I want to
recognize something bigger than
[25:08] any single one of us.
[25:10] Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act is one of
[25:15] the founding civil rights
protections for people with
[25:18] disabilities, and those
protections are once again
[25:21] under attack.
[25:22] Nine states currently are
challenging the update five
[25:26] section 504 protections, and
the integration mandate that
[25:31] helps guarantee that people
with disabilities have the
[25:33] right to live and participate
in their communities, rather
[25:36] than being unnecessarily
[25:38] segregated or institutionalized.
[25:40] That should matter here in
Aurora, because we've discussed
[25:43] disability access repeatedly
in this very room.
[25:47] We saw an issue of that
happening today, and in
[25:50] shameful truth, is that this
chamber itself does not meet
[25:54] current Ada
accessibility standards.
[25:57] Aurora's own consultant
confirmed that civil rights
[26:01] can't be something that we
celebrate nationally, or when
[26:05] we decide to give
a proclamation.
[26:08] It has to be something that
we recognize while people are
[26:12] struggling and provide
them with the bare minimum.
[26:17] I don't want to.
[26:18] I do want to recognize that
Aurora is finally moving
[26:21] forward with accessibility
improvement process, including
[26:25] a public meeting that
will be this Wednesday.
[26:28] Um, the power of voting and
[26:30] elections has caused
this to happen.
[26:32] Um, and this work is necessary.
[26:35] That meeting will be this
Wednesday, August 12th, 6 to
[26:38] 7:30 p.m..
[26:39] Right here.
[26:41] Um, but I also want to give a
shout out to encourage people
[26:43] to go see the movie, the play
504, um, to the Family Theater
[26:48] company 500 for the musical is
playing right now down at the
[26:51] Denver Center Performing Arts,
and it's going from now until
[26:54] August 23rd.
[26:56] And it tells the story of
disabled, excuse me, of
[26:59] disabled activists who are
supported by the Black Panther
[27:02] Party and how they occupied a
building in San Francisco for
[27:06] 25 days, and you all complain
about us holding you here till
[27:10] 1 a.m..
[27:12] I encourage people to utilize
their First Amendment rights to
[27:17] the fullest extent that they
are granted to you, while we
[27:20] still have them, before some
of your leaders erode away the
[27:24] 14th amendment.
[27:26] I encourage you all to stand up
and let your voices be heard.
[27:31] Additionally, I want to echo
what was said as it relates to
[27:36] the Aurora police officer
being charged with murder.
[27:39] About damn time.
[27:40] And I want to give a big
shout out to the 18th Judicial
[27:44] District D.A., Amy Patton,
because that is what leadership
[27:48] looks like when we
ask for these changes.
[27:50] And the people get out and they
vote in their representation,
[27:53] this is what we get.
[27:54] I encourage people who are
listening right now understand
[27:57] that elections are
coming up for 2027.
[28:00] There is some trash that
needs to be cleared out.
[28:03] There is a better way
that needs to be made.
[28:06] I encourage you all to do so.
[28:09] Kristin Mallory followed
by Aaron Futrell.
[28:19] Hello, Kristen.
[28:20] Mallory Ward three.
[28:21] Good to see you all.
[28:22] Um, I actually don't
have anything written.
[28:25] I agree with everything that
everyone has said so far.
[28:28] Um, but the reason I wanted to
talk in open comment was about
[28:32] the Great Lawn and the fact
that we took out all the turf.
[28:36] And now to replace the turf
with a water wise solution, it
[28:40] will require us to use more
water than we had to to get
[28:44] grass re-established.
[28:46] And I just find it really
ironic that our mayor is
[28:49] driving around the city
pointing the fingers at APS
[28:52] while we had a big, healthy
lawn out front here, and
[28:56] instead of just letting it die
naturally and then replacing it
[29:00] with a water wise grass, you
did the most extreme thing
[29:04] possible and then
posted videos about it.
[29:06] And so instead of a great lawn,
we now have a great dirt pit.
[29:10] And I understand that the plan
is to be a water wise solution,
[29:14] but there was just like a
better way to go about it.
[29:17] And it's super irresponsible
in the middle of the drought.
[29:20] Like, I went up to the
mountains a couple weeks ago to
[29:24] where the reservoirs are
supposed to be, and they're dry
[29:27] like, and now we're going to
spend how many thousands of
[29:31] gallons to get our great lawn
re-established, when we could
[29:35] have just let what was out
there live until it couldn't
[29:38] live with water anymore.
[29:39] So that was a very
extreme choice.
[29:42] And I don't know if it was the
mayor or the city departments,
[29:45] but I'm very unhappy
about that also.
[29:50] Yeah, Geo shouldn't exist.
[29:52] We need to hold our cops
accountable, all the things,
[29:55] but we also need to be more
responsible with water.
[29:57] And that will come up again Uh,
[30:00] here very shortly, so thank you.
[30:04] Aaron Futrell.
[30:06] Aaron Futrell, followed
by Juan Marcano.
[30:19] All right.
[30:21] Good morning.
[30:21] Or evening Council.
[30:23] Mayor, thank you for the
opportunity to speak.
[30:26] Probably going to sound like
a parrot because it's been a
[30:29] week, especially with the
news regarding John Bell
[30:33] Stubblefield and the officer
being charged with second
[30:36] degree murder and
reckless manslaughter.
[30:40] Uh, that development
is significant.
[30:43] But tonight, I want to address
something that has been
[30:46] consistently,
conspicuously absent.
[30:49] An apology from chief Josh or
Chief Todd, whatever you like
[30:52] to call him, if you
know, you know, um,
[30:56] to the to the community
activists who witnessed this
[30:58] incident recognized that
something was wrong and had the
[31:02] courage to livestream
what they were seeing.
[31:04] Let's be clear the community
[31:05] activists did not
create this situation.
[31:07] They did not cause
the confrontation.
[31:10] They did not pull the trigger.
[31:11] They simply documented
what they witnessed.
[31:14] And yet, instead of
acknowledging their role as a
[31:17] witness and treating them
with dignity, A-p-d and its
[31:21] leadership spent far too much
time attempting to undermine
[31:25] their credibility.
[31:26] And yet, instead of not now,
I understand that the police
[31:30] chief has an obligation to
stand behind our officers,
[31:34] especially when officers are
doing their jobs professionally
[31:37] and honorably.
[31:37] And I have no problem giving
APD credit where credit is due.
[31:42] When officers remove illegal
guns, drugs, counterfeit money,
[31:45] find hit and run cars.
[31:48] They deserve recognition.
[31:49] But leadership cannot mean
unconditional loyalty.
[31:53] Where is that same unwavering
defense when a police vehicle
[31:56] was stolen during a burglary,
and APD became the subject of
[32:00] national and local
ridicule ridicule.
[32:03] Where was it when a school
resource officer was accused of
[32:07] using his his space as a
[32:10] personal dating
environment for years?
[32:12] In those situations, the chief
appropriately condemned the
[32:16] conduct that was embarrassing
and unacceptable.
[32:19] So why was this community
activists treated differently?
[32:22] The grand jury report
ultimately corroborated the one
[32:26] account there, the account that
the activists had been publicly
[32:30] reporting that it is all
paused for two years.
[32:33] We have heard community
leaders, organizers, residents
[32:36] and yes, myself included,
call for chief Josh Chief Chad
[32:40] Chamberlain to step down.
[32:41] Frankly, that conversation
is becoming stale.
[32:44] Tonight, I'm asking for
something far simpler and far
[32:46] more consequential.
[32:48] Todd Chamberlain needs
to apologize publicly.
[32:51] Apologize to the community
[32:52] activists who
attempted to discredit.
[32:53] apologized for the rhetoric
that contributed to the
[32:56] mistrust, and acknowledge that
community members should not
[33:00] have to choose between speaking
up and being publicly vilified
[33:03] when they witness
something going wrong.
[33:04] Chief, you cannot rebuild trust
while simultaneously dismissing
[33:07] the very people who
stress you need.
[33:09] If APD wants a fresh start
with this community, then let's
[33:13] begin with accountability,
humility, and transparency.
[33:16] You can stand with your
officers when they are right,
[33:18] but when an officer crosses
the line, when their conduct
[33:21] becomes reckless, excessive,
and indefensible, you have an
[33:25] obligation to the
community and the truth.
[33:27] Thank you.
[33:29] Juan Marcano, followed
by Zachary Cotton.
[33:43] Good evening.
[33:45] My name is Juan Marcano, and
I'm a resident of Fort Ford.
[33:48] I'm here to speak with you all
tonight about the rules changes
[33:50] that y'all were discussing
during study session.
[33:53] I want to begin by thanking
you all for taking the time to
[33:55] review the council
rules in their entirety.
[33:57] I know that there's been a lot
of damage done to how this body
[34:00] conducts this business since
2021, and I'm really grateful
[34:03] that y'all are taking the
time to repair that damage.
[34:07] I just wanted to highlight a
couple of things that I think
[34:09] would make the people's House a
little more inviting for all of
[34:12] our community members.
[34:14] For starters, I'd like to see
the one hour limit on public
[34:17] invited to be heard removed.
[34:19] Listening to members of the
public about items that are not
[34:22] on the agenda is an
important part of your roles.
[34:24] If you're concerned about the
length of public testimony, I
[34:27] encourage you all to address
[34:29] the items that you're
hearing repeatedly.
[34:31] We've had, for example,
families, grieving families who
[34:34] have been coming up through
public invited to be heard for
[34:36] the better part of,
what, three years now?
[34:39] If you want to get that to
stop, I recommend that you
[34:41] actually address the grievances.
[34:44] That means take time to
formulate a plan, add it to the
[34:47] agenda, and address
those issues.
[34:49] That solves the problem.
[34:50] Number two, I'd appreciate,
uh, I appreciate that y'all are
[34:53] trying to require council
members to, and I quote,
[34:55] endeavour to appear in person,
unquote, at council meetings
[34:59] while still allowing for
remote participation.
[35:01] I think that's fair.
[35:02] Although I really want to see
council members required to be
[35:06] on camera while they are
participating remotely,
[35:08] especially when they are voting.
[35:10] And I would also ask that you
extend that same courtesy to
[35:12] members of the public who wish
to speak on agenda items, or
[35:15] for public invited to be
heard, let them join remotely.
[35:18] We already have the technology
to do that, and three, I would
[35:22] love to see y'all get rid of
the stanchions and the security
[35:24] theater outside.
[35:25] Y'all should take a look at how
much that contract is costing
[35:28] the city, and consider what
message it sends to the public.
[35:31] None of this existed until
after 2023, and I haven't come
[35:34] in to city Council
meetings since 2015.
[35:36] None of that existed before.
[35:38] I have never felt
unsafe in this chamber.
[35:40] You guys are about two
feet higher behind a bullet
[35:42] resistant dais than
anyone else out here.
[35:45] Y'all have nothing
to be afraid of.
[35:46] Please get rid of
the security theater.
[35:48] Save this a little bit.
[35:49] Save the city.
[35:50] A little bit of money.
[35:51] The only use I've seen come
out of that is to selectively
[35:54] harass members of the
community over water bottles.
[35:56] That's unacceptable.
[35:57] We can do better than that.
[36:00] And I want to end with
a separate topic here.
[36:03] I encourage you all to check
out the Denver Post today.
[36:05] They wrote a pretty scathing
op ed about the repeated
[36:08] humiliation that APD brings
upon the city, our reputation,
[36:12] the amount of money that they
[36:13] have cost us out of
our general fund.
[36:15] There are better
solutions out there.
[36:17] I have already spoken at
nauseam, and I will continue to
[36:20] about looking at contracting
with the Arapahoe County
[36:22] Sheriff's Department.
[36:23] They have a fantastic record.
[36:24] It would save you all money
and allow us to make community
[36:27] investments while delivering a
better public safety service to
[36:29] the city.
[36:30] Thank you.
[36:32] Zachary cotton, Zachary
Cotton, followed by Jeff Brown.
[36:42] This is he getting asked
for any station, Jeff Brown.
[36:49] No,
[36:50] he's after this guy.
[37:03] All right.
[37:03] Good evening.
[37:04] I'm asking you all, especially
council members Andrews,
[37:06] Hancock and Medina on the
Public Safety committee to join
[37:09] the public, state and county
level bodies in providing
[37:12] pressure against the Geo Group,
denying health investigators
[37:15] from looking into the
tuberculosis cases in the
[37:17] Aurora Ice Processing Center.
[37:19] The fact that the Adams County
Health Department is being
[37:22] prevented from prevented from
knowing the full extent of this
[37:25] issue should be
concerning for you all.
[37:27] We cannot trust the Geo Group
[37:29] to take care of this internally.
[37:30] People in this chamber have
brought up the medical neglect
[37:32] that happens in this facility,
and I personally have spoken
[37:35] with two people that have told
me about the inadequate care
[37:37] that they receive or their
door mates have received.
[37:40] I keep coming back to the Shut
Down Geo coalition's report
[37:42] from this spring in particular
that reports people receiving
[37:46] ibuprofen for serious
conditions, especially the the
[37:49] physician who was sued for the
same kind of neglect that he
[37:52] committed in 2024.
[37:54] The same physician is still
working at this facility.
[37:56] So how can we trust this
medical director to treat this
[37:59] current infectious disease with
[38:00] the speed and care
that is required?
[38:02] I know that some of you will
say that this is not your lane,
[38:05] and that there is not anything
that you can do here, but I
[38:07] need you to speak up.
[38:09] Were you at the town hall
meeting that the Adams County
[38:11] Health Department
hosted on Friday?
[38:12] Have you shown any support
for the House bill 261276 that
[38:16] would expand state authority
in these investigations?
[38:19] Have you outlined any
memorandums of understanding,
[38:21] establishing your place in this
process between yourselves and
[38:24] other impacted bodies?
[38:25] Right now, all I see is that
you're willing to be silent as
[38:28] as you, as you usually are.
[38:31] Uh, while the potential public
health crisis is brewing.
[38:34] Um,
[38:36] so that's about the geo.
[38:37] I do also want to mention, uh,
[38:40] the contract with Integra Shore.
[38:43] That $4 million contract over
four years for like 24 people
[38:46] working on that staff.
[38:48] Um, a lot of them were working
with LAPD as well to kind of
[38:51] around the same time
as Todd Chamberlain.
[38:53] So I would love for you all to
ask the, uh, what is it, the
[38:58] city auditor, to
actually look into that?
[39:01] She is able to look into that
[39:02] because it has passed
a $10,000 contract.
[39:04] And when I when I emailed her
about this, she mentioned that
[39:08] she really isn't going to look
into it unless someone finds a
[39:11] conflict of interest.
[39:12] So I encourage everybody in
this chamber, including all of
[39:16] the citizens, to look for
those, uh, conflicts of
[39:19] interest, because I'm
sure they're there.
[39:21] Uh, we know that the blue
line is masculine and.
[39:28] Uh, so I really do encourage
everybody to look into this.
[39:30] I will continue to
look into this as well.
[39:32] But for the meantime,
please shut down Jill.
[39:34] Please help prevent
tuberculosis from spreading it
[39:37] within that facility and
out to the community.
[39:40] Thank you.
[39:43] Jeff Brown, followed by Adam
Shepard and Jeff Brown, has
[39:49] made an accommodation request
that was approved by an Ada
[39:51] coordinator, and he will
have four minutes to speak.
[39:55] Additional. Additional.
[39:59] She said.
[40:00] Four.
[40:00] Minutes.
[40:00] You said.
[40:01] I thought you said one minute.
[40:02] You said one minute
of four minutes.
[40:03] Yeah.
[40:04] Katie.
[40:06] Katie.
[40:09] Yes.
[40:10] Thank you.
[40:10] Gentleman. Is information for.
[40:11] Me? Yes, thanks.
[40:15] Thank you.
[40:15] And good evening, mayor.
[40:17] City council.
[40:18] I'm here to talk about
something different, something
[40:21] that you don't really
talk about much recently.
[40:24] And I just wanted to kind of
overlay a a pertinent fact at
[40:31] this point in time.
[40:33] A few months ago, a few
weeks ago, you approved three
[40:36] increases to the sales tax
or at least approved ballot
[40:42] measures to increase
the sales tax.
[40:46] You did that after this.
[40:49] This body not doing anything
in the past decade, the past
[40:54] decade, the past decade to
improve the retail tax base.
[41:02] CIBC, where I served for
over two years, repeatedly,
[41:08] repeatedly, repeatedly begged
this body to take the lagging
[41:15] retail tax base seriously.
[41:17] And this body
ignored ignored us.
[41:21] I've personally begged this
body to take the lack of
[41:25] entertainment and the impact
to to retail and dining
[41:32] seriously, and I've
been laughed at.
[41:35] I've been defamed Enough!
[41:38] Enough! I submitted two
resolutions to you on Saturday
[41:43] via email.
[41:44] Anyone want to look at it?
[41:46] Right here?
[41:50] I have hard copies.
[41:52] If anyone in the audience wants
to see them, the first one is
[41:57] pretty simple.
[42:01] The retail
[42:03] activity per resident should
be reported regularly to the
[42:09] people of Aurora and
to you all every week.
[42:13] You guys are making decisions
that are hostile to the retail
[42:18] tax base and use
tax base as well.
[42:22] We can't afford it.
[42:24] This city can't punch its way,
fund its way out of a wet paper
[42:29] bag and you're chasing
business away every week.
[42:35] I'm not.
[42:35] Sure if you really, really.
[42:36] Realize that.
[42:37] Do you stop and ask yourselves,
what is this doing to our
[42:40] retail tax base which
is in the toilet?
[42:45] So again, the first resolution
puts that metrics in the budget
[42:52] book every year with a full
analysis every five years.
[42:56] It also states that tourism and
then use our strategic tools to
[43:05] improve the retail tax base.
[43:07] The second resolution
[43:11] articulates City Council's
desire and intent and direction
[43:16] to city staff, to both
communicate to the governor and
[43:20] the legislature that the city
of Aurora wants out of the
[43:24] Denver CFD.
[43:25] We're going to recreate it as a
home rule city, which I believe
[43:31] we can do, And focus on what
we need to fix our retail, our
[43:36] entertainment and our dining.
[43:39] So two resolutions.
[43:41] I have hard copies
if you want to see
[43:46] electronic
[43:48] copies. Here you go.
[43:54] But right now, this group
right now is more interested in
[43:58] having you pay higher sales
tax than trying to get anything
[44:04] to attract visitors
from around the region.
[44:07] Please address the council.
[44:08] Coming to d.A.
[44:11] To spend your taxing.
[44:13] You have us paying higher taxes
[44:17] then than actually
encourage people.
[44:20] To get them.
[44:21] Entice people to come to
our ward to spend here.
[44:24] And enough.
[44:26] Enough. You're caught.
[44:28] We're not.
[44:28] We're not voting for
three taxable cases.
[44:31] Not going to.
[44:36] Adelina Shepard
followed by Robert.
[44:38] Louis.
[44:51] Robert. Louis.
[44:52] Followed by Louis.
[45:12] I'm. Robert.
[45:12] Louis. Louis.
[45:14] Father. The one
that y'all murdered.
[45:16] Well, your little
officer murdered.
[45:18] And you didn't get no justice
[45:20] for my son, but he
will get justice.
[45:23] Um, I think I don't really to
much have anything to say to
[45:27] y'all, because there's nothing
that you're going to listen to
[45:30] anyway, to y'all
burning in hell.
[45:32] But, um.
[45:34] I'd be ashamed to
live in Aurora.
[45:36] I was ashamed when I was
[45:37] little, when I used
to live in Aurora.
[45:39] Because y'all some racists,
no good, prejudiced bastards.
[45:43] And now I see all the other
[45:44] stuff that y'all
are not doing right.
[45:47] You poor little
helpless elderly lady.
[45:50] Y'all not even
going to help her.
[45:52] But it's just a shame to see
[45:56] y'all sit up there like you're
high and mighty and don't do a
[45:59] damn thing, but sit there and
get paid by the state or city
[46:03] or whatever you work for.
[46:06] It's just a shame
[46:09] that none of y'all seemed to do
the right thing, but you keep
[46:12] wanting to do the wrong things.
[46:15] But one day it's
going to clash on you.
[46:21] And I just wish that I could do.
[46:22] Be the one to clash it on you.
[46:24] Because I'd make you pay.
[46:28] I make you pay real deeply.
[46:31] And not just for the mess y'all
doing, Aurora, but just for the
[46:34] murder of my son.
[46:36] Because you backed this little
murder and ass cop that should
[46:39] be dead or in prison.
[46:44] You know, and every other week
I come down here and express my
[46:47] little emotions to y'all, which
you don't even understand,
[46:51] because I wish I could get a
clan of people together and
[46:53] just take your ass out
[46:56] and start all over again,
[47:00] you know, with somebody that
would give a damn about their
[47:02] community and what's really
going on and how you let these
[47:06] murdering ass cops have their
jobs and still do what they
[47:09] supposed to not be doing.
[47:14] But I just wanted to let y'all
[47:15] know that a little bit about it.
[47:16] And the rest of y'all, the ones
that don't have nothing to do
[47:20] with it, I understand, but
y'all just really irked me and
[47:24] I really hate coming down here
every other week, but I will.
[47:28] Because it's standing
up for my son.
[47:31] And like I said, he didn't
deserve to die like that no
[47:34] matter what the
hell was going on.
[47:36] You don't shoot an unarmed
man and the punk ass cop.
[47:40] Like I said, if I ever come
across him, I killing myself.
[47:46] That's just a shame that I have
to live my life like that and
[47:49] wonder why I have to deal with
the little murder and ass cop
[47:52] that runs around here.
[47:53] Free as a bird
[47:55] and ain't paying nothing.
[47:58] Why y'all sit there and laugh?
[48:01] I'm not laughing.
[48:04] Sure. Dina Lewis.
[48:09] Sir Dina Lewis,
followed by Paul Nelson.
[48:14] My name is Dina Lewis, and I'm
the grandmother of Aaron Lewis.
[48:21] And Aaron Lewis was a calm,
cool and collected person, and
[48:26] he was human when he said
pledge allegiance to the flag
[48:30] of the United States of
America, to the republic for
[48:33] which it stands.
[48:34] One nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and
[48:37] justice for all.
[48:38] They need to take the liberty
and justice for all off that.
[48:41] Yes, they've been killing
black, unarmed black men and
[48:45] women, and they're
getting away with it.
[48:48] Some of them are.
[48:50] So I
[48:53] graduated from Metropolitan
State College with a degree in
[48:58] law enforcement and criminology.
[49:00] And I'm
[49:03] the professor that taught
[49:06] a class.
[49:08] And, um, her name
was Joyce Stevens.
[49:11] And she said that there
are a lot of gangsters
[49:21] Applying for the police force
and getting a badge and hiding
[49:25] behind that badge and doing
evil, and that they used to
[49:30] have boards a long time ago
to check out the police force,
[49:34] what they were doing.
[49:36] And so there are racist police
[49:40] officers hiding
behind the badge.
[49:43] And the thing is, you got to
be careful around them because
[49:47] they're not to be trusted.
[49:50] And especially with
black people, they don't.
[49:53] They can't be trusted.
[49:56] So I, I just say, um.
[50:00] They said they wanted to talk
[50:02] to him about attempted homicide.
[50:06] So we asked.
[50:07] I asked, what's the
attempted homicide?
[50:09] Were you threatening to kill
somebody or you killed somebody
[50:12] and they missed that.
[50:14] And Kylan was not that way.
[50:17] But how?
[50:18] Why would you kill them?
[50:19] You want to question why?
[50:22] Why would you
[50:24] talk about.
[50:25] You want to question him, and
[50:28] you kill him before
you can question.
[50:31] What kind of questioning are
[50:32] you going to do with a dead man?
[50:34] He has no no defense for
himself or what's going on.
[50:39] But they just killed him.
[50:41] Another thing.
[50:42] He was six foot two, very
handsome, tall young man.
[50:47] And when they asked them, we
saw the police cam, they asked
[50:50] them to get out of the car.
[50:51] And he got out of the car and
his hands were up in the air.
[50:57] Up in the air like that one
hand had a cell phone, so they
[51:01] wanted to say that
might be a gun.
[51:03] A gun would be down here
when you have a gun.
[51:07] Not way up in the sky.
[51:11] So the guy that shot me had
other police officers there?
[51:17] Notice of the police officers
being shot with just this, one
[51:20] officer thinks that it
fits at the same time.
[51:24] Then when there's hands up in
the air and they shot him in
[51:27] the stomach and he went down.
[51:28] He kept saying to them.
[51:30] Then he had his
hands up in the air.
[51:31] I don't have anything,
I don't have anything.
[51:35] I don't have anything in this.
[51:37] That one shot him when
he went to the ground.
[51:41] It's just terrible.
[51:42] It's horrific.
[51:43] And I'll never forget that.
[51:46] So we have some good police
officers, but there are quite a
[51:51] few police officers out there
that's hiding behind the badge
[51:55] races and doing
their dirty work.
[51:57] So I pray I will of God that
they get those type of police
[52:03] officers off the street, and
don't let them be a police
[52:07] officer any anymore, no
matter where they come from.
[52:11] Thank you.
[52:17] Paul Nelson.
[52:19] Paul Nelson, followed
by Tristan Hirst.
[52:35] Hello, Council.
[52:35] Thank you for the time.
[52:37] My name is Paul Nelson.
[52:38] My friends and
associates call me Nels.
[52:40] I want to first address the
fact that it's a damn good
[52:43] thing that this killer
cop was indicted.
[52:45] And it wasn't because
any of you did anything.
[52:48] It was actually because of the
brave people in this room who
[52:51] have showed up for three years
[52:52] and have continued
to demand justice.
[52:55] Justice has never
been handed to people.
[52:57] It has to be one in struggle.
[52:58] And the people have struggled
[52:59] real hard for this
small step forward.
[53:02] But it is an important one
and it needs to be continued.
[53:05] Use. The Council should offer
support towards the indictment
[53:08] of this criminal cop, and
should call for the indictment
[53:10] of the other killer
cops in the community.
[53:13] Um, it's plain and simple.
[53:15] You know, the Aurora Police
Department is killing many
[53:18] black fathers.
[53:19] They're killing many
children in our community.
[53:22] And it.
[53:23] And, you know, Todd Chamberlain
is running rampant, destroying
[53:27] due process for people where
they don't have innocent until
[53:30] proven guilty.
[53:32] Um, like we would all want
under the accusation of any
[53:35] sort of crime.
[53:36] Right. That's that's supposed
to be the rule of law.
[53:39] He has trampled upon that.
[53:41] He has abused his position to
slander these people who have
[53:44] been murdered by the police
department, using the media,
[53:47] using his his position as a
[53:49] police officer, as
the chief of police.
[53:51] He has done this.
[53:51] It's irresponsible.
[53:52] And now the winds are changing
and they're blowing in the
[53:55] other direction.
[53:55] He's been indicted.
[53:57] What are you going to do?
[53:58] The political
winds are changing.
[53:59] A lot of you careerists up here
ought to see that and recognize
[54:02] that it's time to call
for his resignation.
[54:05] At the very least, you should
[54:06] call for Todd
Chamberlain's resignation.
[54:07] He has no business
being in this.
[54:10] Being in this community.
[54:12] You should do that.
[54:13] You're free individuals.
[54:13] You can make statements.
[54:14] You should at least be
brave enough to do that.
[54:16] Add a little spine to this
council because he was
[54:19] complicit in what is a cover up.
[54:21] These are cover ups that he
he's engaging in after the cops
[54:25] kill, and he gets on the screen
and begins to slander the
[54:28] people, slander the children.
[54:30] You know, he called it trans
confusion as the basis of why
[54:33] that child was shot.
[54:35] The Mason child.
[54:37] And that's shameful enough
to warrant a resignation.
[54:40] But there's been a
dozen more cases.
[54:42] You should take
this very seriously.
[54:44] And to reiterate some
basic demands here.
[54:48] Neely needs to be convicted,
not just indicted.
[54:50] We want to see this all the way
to conviction and lock them up.
[54:53] He needs to be put away where
[54:54] he's not going to
harm people anymore.
[54:56] And the same thing needs to
be happening to the people who
[55:00] killed Kylen Lewis.
[55:01] That's Officer Deke needs to
happen to the two cops who
[55:04] killed Corey Dillard.
[55:05] Needs to be happening to the
cops who killed Rashad Johnson
[55:08] and the Mason child, as
well as Cordell Richardson.
[55:12] Um, the same motion should be
happening there, and you should
[55:15] call for it.
[55:16] You should call for an apology,
for an apology from the APD and
[55:20] a resignation by this Tod
Chamberlain individual who's
[55:22] complicit in crime.
[55:24] He's a criminal, and he's
running a criminal organization
[55:27] of murderers when he
covers up for him.
[55:29] Insofar as you allow that to
persist in your community,
[55:32] that's what's happening.
[55:33] They talked about the
op ed earlier, right?
[55:34] Maybe you should read that and
finally, give us a community
[55:37] control over.
[55:38] The police department.
[55:39] It means.
[55:39] To hire and.
[55:40] Fire these crooked cops, give
the community the power to hold
[55:43] them accountable.
[55:44] But currently, the power that
nobody has, we're relying on
[55:46] police to police.
[55:47] Police? That's ridiculous.
[55:49] And it's never going to work.
[55:50] So we demand community control.
[55:53] Tristan Hurst, followed
by Kiowa Lewis.
[56:10] Good evening, mayor
and council members.
[56:12] My name is Tristan Ward,
one resident of five years.
[56:15] I'm here with one request
tonight, and I'll keep coming
[56:18] back until you hear it clearly.
[56:20] Fire! Todd Chamberlain.
[56:22] Not next month, not
after another review.
[56:24] Now let's talk about
who this man is again.
[56:28] Before Aurora hired him, Todd
Chamberlain was turned down by
[56:31] at least three other police
departments, rejected
[56:34] specifically because he was
considered too racially biased
[56:37] to lead.
[56:37] Not inexperienced, not
unpopular to racist.
[56:42] In fact, there was outrage in
Chattanooga that he was even
[56:44] considered to be a finalist
for their police chief.
[56:47] And yet our city manager, Jason
[56:49] Batchelor, handpicked
him anyway.
[56:52] No community input, no town
halls, no transparency in the
[56:56] most diverse city in the state
[56:58] one under a consent
decree, no less.
[57:01] We had zero say
in who polices us.
[57:04] That is not leadership.
[57:05] That is contempt.
[57:07] Since Chamberlain took
over, what has changed?
[57:09] Nothing. The names
keep piling up.
[57:12] Kylan. Lewis, Corey.
[57:13] Dillard, Rajan.
[57:14] Stubblefield, Rashad.
[57:16] Johnson, Avi Bal.
[57:17] Mason, Omar.
[57:18] Garlington. This didn't even
start with Elijah McClain and
[57:22] the botched consent decree
that arose out of it.
[57:25] A vast majority murdered by APD.
[57:27] Are our black and brown
neighbors all unarmed?
[57:29] All deeply loved.
[57:31] Their families have shown up
to every single one of these
[57:34] meetings faithfully, painfully,
while you sit behind the dais
[57:37] and talk about decorum.
[57:39] Let me be blunt.
[57:40] You care more about procedure
[57:41] than about dead
robins in the streets.
[57:43] And that is not an accusation.
[57:44] That is a fact proven
by your refusal to act.
[57:48] We are asking for
more than a liaison.
[57:50] We are not asking for a study.
[57:52] We are not asking for
another committee.
[57:55] We are asking for his job
because the single most
[57:58] powerful thing this council can
do to restore trust, to show
[58:02] that black and brown lives
actually matter here is to
[58:05] remove the man at the top who
should never have been hired in
[58:07] the first place.
[58:09] You have the votes.
[58:10] You have the authority.
[58:11] You have the moral obligation.
[58:13] So I'll end this where I
started fire Todd Chamberlain.
[58:17] Or explain to the people of
Aurora and to Kaitlyn Lewis
[58:20] family why you chose to protect
Chamberlain instead of, oh, I
[58:23] don't know your
actual constituents.
[58:28] Kiowa. Lewis.
[58:32] Kiowa Lewis.
[58:33] Followed by Laura McLaughlin.
[58:58] So tonight, I'm gonna speak
to all y'all in parables
[59:01] What that means is this is not
a threat, but it is something
[59:06] to pay close attention for.
[59:09] Sorry. Pay close attention to
simply because these are the
[59:14] things you need to heed.
[59:16] So I want to ask y'all who
is ready to die tonight?
[59:21] Who is ready to die to their
flesh and pick up your cross?
[59:27] When I tell you the curse that
I had bestowed upon y'all.
[59:31] It doesn't come
without consequences.
[59:35] You ask for forgiveness.
[59:36] Probably you may pay to some
praise to some fictitious, you
[59:40] know, quote unquote God,
[59:43] but none of them
is the Most High.
[59:45] Number one is
Elohim or Yahweh or
[59:49] none of that.
[59:50] Right. So I want y'all to
understand that as y'all sit
[59:53] here and continue to still let
[59:55] people get killed
and families hurt.
[59:58] God sees all.
[59:59] Yahweh sees all of this, right?
[1:00:01] He ain't playing
no games with it.
[1:00:02] So I ask y'all, who's going
to pick up their flesh?
[1:00:06] Or pick up their cross
and lay down their flesh?
[1:00:08] Die to your flesh.
[1:00:10] Um. Mike Kaufman, I feel
so sorry for you, bro.
[1:00:13] I do, I do.
[1:00:15] Um, I hear the prayers that
you actually is repetitive.
[1:00:20] And actually the scripture
speak against that.
[1:00:22] Nothing that you say
is is for the people.
[1:00:25] It's not, it's not,
but you may feel it is.
[1:00:29] Um, but what I will say is,
[1:00:31] right now, so much is happening.
[1:00:35] People are getting
turned into Peters.
[1:00:38] Y'all are safe right now.
[1:00:40] God allows y'all to navigate
life on a day to day basis,
[1:00:44] because he's trying to
give you all a chance.
[1:00:46] Like I told y'all before, on
that day when there's no more
[1:00:49] chances, I'll be there.
[1:00:51] I'll be there for the sinner.
[1:00:53] All this is spiritual.
[1:00:55] I'm speaking of parables, and
I need y'all to understand this
[1:00:58] is something that you don't
want to mess around with.
[1:01:00] Because when that day comes and
we don't know when it's going
[1:01:02] to happen, but just know
when it does happen.
[1:01:06] I'll be there.
[1:01:08] And a lot of us who actually
represent the Most High.
[1:01:11] So.
[1:01:15] With that being said,
I want to sit here and
[1:01:19] tell people who have gone
[1:01:21] through this,
please do not fret.
[1:01:23] Do not worry.
[1:01:24] You got people who represent
and say that they're leaders,
[1:01:27] but yet they pray to people and
worship with Joel saying, you
[1:01:31] know, and there's
nothing against him.
[1:01:33] But the thing is, you always
work goes deeper than just some
[1:01:37] scripture that people
come on TV and talk about.
[1:01:40] So I want y'all to
know it's not a game.
[1:01:43] Get deep into your word
because it's coming closer.
[1:01:46] Closer. You know, neither
one of y'all know what your
[1:01:48] spirit's a spiritual time clock
expires, but when it expires,
[1:01:52] none of this is going to matter.
[1:01:56] Laura McLaughlin.
[1:02:09] Jordan Richardson.
[1:02:12] Colin. Lewis.
[1:02:14] Jaylen. See bronze
and a list of others.
[1:02:18] Jordan was 14 years old.
[1:02:21] He was an eighth grader.
[1:02:24] I just want that to sit for
just a second because I there
[1:02:29] was a news article and I read
some really horrible stuff in
[1:02:32] the comments.
[1:02:33] But at the end of the day,
[1:02:35] Jordan was a 14 year
old eighth grader.
[1:02:41] Um, I also want to speak about
[1:02:44] how I'm against
the Save program.
[1:02:48] If you already have a community
that fears your police
[1:02:52] Department, and you're sending
police to speak to people who
[1:02:58] you are profiling
[1:03:01] that they're doing
illegal activities.
[1:03:04] Well, you're not going to reach
them with a police officer.
[1:03:09] The community fears the
police out in Aurora.
[1:03:13] When they call the police,
they're calling CDot to get
[1:03:17] some backup because the police
don't know how to act until
[1:03:21] somebody has them on camera.
[1:03:23] So trying to reach youth
through the police isn't going
[1:03:28] to work because you're youth.
[1:03:33] Are George Elwes friends
that watched him murdered.
[1:03:37] It's on camera.
[1:03:39] They're all about to be seniors
[1:03:42] this year.
[1:03:43] George l should have been a
[1:03:44] senior starting his senior year.
[1:03:47] So the children that you're
trying to reach or supposedly
[1:03:51] are trying to reach
with the save program.
[1:03:54] Is it not going to work
using your police officers?
[1:04:00] You're not going to
reach these kids?
[1:04:03] Not with the police officers.
[1:04:06] And I have another question.
[1:04:09] As the city leaders,
[1:04:13] how can we measure the way
the community feels about your
[1:04:20] police department?
[1:04:22] How can we move forward
in fixing what is broken?
[1:04:27] Because you keep hearing family
members, and you might not like
[1:04:31] the way they come about it or
the words they say, but they're
[1:04:35] in pain because of
what's happened.
[1:04:38] How can we fix what is broken?
[1:04:41] Because the police department's
known around the nation for
[1:04:47] killing black folks.
[1:04:52] How can we fix it?
[1:04:55] Is my question to
the city leaders.
[1:04:59] Because it's obviously I mean,
the Denver Post just said five
[1:05:05] homicides is the way
that it was listed.
[1:05:09] How do you fix Aurora's name?
[1:05:18] That was the last individual.
[1:05:22] Mayor. Can I request
a brief recess?
[1:05:26] Very well.
[1:05:27] The time is now 705.
[1:05:31] We will stand in recess.
[1:05:32] Tell us we 15 minutes.
[1:05:35] Is that.
[1:05:35] Okay?
[1:05:36] Ten minutes.
[1:05:37] Tell us.
[1:05:37] Seven. 15.
[1:14:55] The regular meeting of the
Aurora City Council for Monday,
[1:14:58] August 10th, 2026 is called
and called back to order.
[1:15:03] Um. Motion is in order for
the adoption of the consent
[1:15:07] calendar on motions item
number ten C1 to ten C3.
[1:15:13] Uh, I'm sorry,
Councilmember Hager.
[1:15:16] I might like to call 1185.
[1:15:18] We're just doing.
[1:15:19] We're just doing ten right now.
[1:15:20] Ten?
[1:15:21] Yeah. So ten a ten C one 310 C3.
[1:15:25] Just need a motion on that.
[1:15:26] Okay, fine.
[1:15:27] Motion is in order.
[1:15:29] A move that we adopt ten.
[1:15:32] See one through ten.
[1:15:33] C3 okay.
[1:15:34] It's been moved by
Councilmember Hancock to adopt
[1:15:37] the consent calendar
and motions.
[1:15:39] Tennessee one to Tennessee
three and seconded by mayor.
[1:15:43] Second.
[1:15:44] Second by Mayor Pro Tem.
[1:15:46] Discussion.
[1:15:48] Seeing no discussion over the
question on the adoption of the
[1:15:51] consent calendar on motions.
[1:15:53] Item number Tennessee
one to Tennessee three.
[1:15:56] Mayor. Kaufman.
[1:15:57] Mayor. Vote yes.
[1:16:00] Katie, I'm a yes.
[1:16:01] I'm logging back
into East right now.
[1:16:03] Okay. Thank you.
[1:16:04] The motion passes unanimously
to adopt the consent calendar
[1:16:07] for motions.
[1:16:14] A motion is in order on
the adoption of the consent
[1:16:16] calendar and resolutions and
ordinances 11 A1 to 11 b two.
[1:16:22] Mayor.
[1:16:23] Um. Councilmember Hancock.
[1:16:25] I'd like to pull
11, 1185 and 1186.
[1:16:28] So we need a motion first to
approve the consent agenda 1101
[1:16:32] through 1132 and then you
can pull the specific item.
[1:16:35] So we need the motion first.
[1:16:36] Okay.
[1:16:39] So are you moving to approve
the consent agenda from 1101 to
[1:16:41] 11 B2?
[1:16:43] Yes. And we need a second.
[1:16:44] First.
[1:16:44] Mayor.
[1:16:45] Second.
[1:16:46] Second by Councilmember Lawson.
[1:16:47] Okay. Now you can call
Councilmember Hancock again.
[1:16:49] Councilmember Hancock.
[1:16:50] All right.
[1:16:51] Now, once more, a
feeling we will.
[1:16:54] I'd like to pull 1185 and 1186.
[1:16:58] Okay.
[1:17:00] So now the consent agenda is
118, 11, eight, one through 11,
[1:17:03] eight, four and 11.
[1:17:04] B1 11 B2
[1:17:07] further discussion.
[1:17:11] We have individuals who would
like to speak on items 11 A1
[1:17:15] and 11 B2.
[1:17:17] Oh very well.
[1:17:20] First individual for item 11 A1
is Agent Anderson, followed by
[1:17:24] Mahdi and Schaffner.
[1:17:29] So do we not?
[1:17:34] So we still have the motion.
[1:17:35] Councilmember Burger now we're
just hearing public comment on
[1:17:37] those that signed up for the
[1:17:38] items that are still on consent.
[1:17:48] I believe that all I have to
say is we just need to be able
[1:17:52] to uplift the testimony
of Miss Della Jordan.
[1:17:55] I think that she has given
you an insight to what she is
[1:17:59] witnessing at the Aurora
Navigation Center, and why
[1:18:01] accountability
metrics are important.
[1:18:04] And so I don't need to belabor
you all on what she has said.
[1:18:09] Week after week after week, I
would just ask that while you
[1:18:12] make this decision and why you
make this vote, that you take
[1:18:15] into the words of what Miss
Della Jordan has went through
[1:18:18] consistently for the last few
months, and ask yourselves if
[1:18:23] you are comfortable with the
current standards and the
[1:18:26] conditions of which
this facility is in.
[1:18:29] So with the rest of
that, I yield back.
[1:18:32] And I want to just again make
sure that you understand.
[1:18:35] Miss Della Jordan is the reason
why I am encouraging you to
[1:18:40] support this resolution.
[1:18:42] Thank you.
[1:18:45] Madeline Schaffner.
[1:18:50] Okay. And then for item 11
B2, we have Hashim Coates.
[1:19:27] I just want to be clear.
[1:19:28] I'm not against technology.
[1:19:32] I'm not against good, ethical,
compassionate, non murderous
[1:19:36] law enforcement.
[1:19:37] And I'm certainly not
[1:19:39] advocating for a
lawless society.
[1:19:41] Again, I want to give a shout
out to Amy Patton for using the
[1:19:44] law for filing charges on the
alleged murderer of the Aurora
[1:19:50] Police Department, officer
Matthew Neely, who took the
[1:19:54] life of Rajan Belt Stubblefield.
[1:19:57] But I am equally opposed
to surveillance society.
[1:20:01] Public safety and civil
[1:20:02] liberties are not
opposing values.
[1:20:05] Good government has an
obligation to protect both.
[1:20:09] Colorado law already says
automated traffic enforcement
[1:20:12] systems should retain data
only when a violation occurs.
[1:20:16] That means that if a law
abiding person drives past one
[1:20:19] of these cameras.
[1:20:20] We should not be
quietly being recorded.
[1:20:23] We should not be
quietly being recorded.
[1:20:25] Colorado law assuming if that's
Aurora's practice, then put
[1:20:31] that in the ordinance, but
[1:20:34] put it in the vendor's
contract, audit it and make
[1:20:38] violations enforceable.
[1:20:40] And please do not tell
[1:20:42] residents it's only
license plates.
[1:20:45] No, license plate is not a
[1:20:47] facial recognition, Aurora says.
[1:20:49] It's separate.
[1:20:50] It separates license plate.
[1:20:51] Readers do not capture faces,
race, gender, ethnicity.
[1:20:55] But when enough time stamp
license plates observations are
[1:20:58] connected together, they can
reveal moment and identity.
[1:21:04] Where did I go?
[1:21:05] What should I attend to?
[1:21:06] What doctor's
office did I visit?
[1:21:07] What protests did I visit?
[1:21:09] Who did I visit?
[1:21:09] Whose house did I leave from?
[1:21:11] To end up leaving my wife
and marrying somebody else?
[1:21:14] What closet situation am I
hiding out from it reveals all
[1:21:17] that personal information that
should remain personal, that
[1:21:21] sensitive information.
[1:21:22] And Colorado lawmakers raise
these exact concerns this year
[1:21:26] when considering statewide
restrictions on license plate
[1:21:29] reader databases.
[1:21:31] Um, we don't have to.
[1:21:32] We shouldn't have to imagine
what could happen as it relates
[1:21:36] to immigration
enforcement in Denver.
[1:21:40] License plate data was searched
nearly 1400 times for Ice or
[1:21:46] immigration related purposes by
law enforcement agencies across
[1:21:49] the country.
[1:21:51] Ice didn't even need to direct
access for the systems to
[1:21:54] become useful for
immigration searches.
[1:21:58] I really implore you all to
protect, expand upon, but no,
[1:22:04] just protect the Fourth
[1:22:05] Amendment at its
very basic level.
[1:22:06] We have no idea what technology
can do unless you guys are
[1:22:10] explicit with them as it
relates to that and put firm
[1:22:14] guidelines into place so
that they can't be used for
[1:22:17] nefarious purposes.
[1:22:19] You have to treat this system
as if our worst enemy will then
[1:22:23] get Ahold of these systems,
and then use it against us, no
[1:22:26] matter what side of the
aisle that you're on.
[1:22:27] On that.
[1:22:30] That was the last individual.
[1:22:34] Okay. The question before
us is the adoption of
[1:22:41] the consent calendar on
resolutions and ordinances,
[1:22:44] with the exception of
item number 1185 and 1186.
[1:22:51] Discussion.
[1:22:52] Mayor.
[1:22:53] Mayor. Pro tem.
[1:22:54] Just a question for the
city manager or perhaps APD
[1:23:00] regarding the contract
for the speed cameras.
[1:23:06] Um, do we have clarifications?
[1:23:08] Or maybe this is a question
for the city attorney.
[1:23:10] I'm not sure Regarding kind
of this state legislation,
[1:23:15] compliance with this state
legislation, and collection and
[1:23:19] retention of data.
[1:23:20] So, um, one of the, um, big
changes in the state law, which
[1:23:26] is what this ordinance does, is
it brings us into conformance
[1:23:30] with the recent
changes in state law.
[1:23:32] Um, within that and there was
some discussion at the last
[1:23:35] council meeting.
[1:23:36] Um, prior automated vehicle
identification systems included
[1:23:41] a picture of the driver's
[1:23:42] license or, excuse
me, of the driver.
[1:23:44] And then there was a, um, a
defense that could be made that
[1:23:47] I was not the driver.
[1:23:48] This the person in
the picture is not me.
[1:23:51] Um, so because of that,
the automated vehicle
[1:23:54] identification systems included
a requirement that you needed
[1:23:58] to capture a picture
of the driver.
[1:24:00] With the changes in state law
[1:24:02] that is actually
no longer required.
[1:24:04] Actually no longer allowed.
[1:24:06] So we have already
made that change.
[1:24:08] We're no longer capturing
the picture of the driver.
[1:24:11] Um, and so this now removes
that as an affirmative defense,
[1:24:15] that this brings us
into conformance of law.
[1:24:16] And that's already our
practice, given that the law
[1:24:18] has been changed.
[1:24:20] And real quick, this system is
separate from the flock system
[1:24:23] or anything else, the
license plate readers.
[1:24:25] It does not feed into
that information.
[1:24:27] It's completely separate, used
by the vendor only for issuing
[1:24:29] the citations.
[1:24:30] So it is not being kept as part
of trying to document who goes
[1:24:34] by a certain area.
[1:24:35] Okay. And just for
clarification on that.
[1:24:38] So once it's captured,
you're in this place.
[1:24:41] Your citation has been issued.
[1:24:42] That data is only retained for
the purposes of the citation
[1:24:47] and not used in any AI data
[1:24:50] systems or any
other comparisons.
[1:24:53] Deputy city attorney plot.
[1:24:54] That is correct.
[1:24:55] Right?
[1:24:55] That's correct.
[1:24:56] Councilmember. And also, just
for for clarity, it will be
[1:25:00] retained, obviously through the
system throughout any personal
[1:25:03] service and collection
processes that occur that are
[1:25:06] connected with the vendor, but
it's not connected into any of
[1:25:09] LPR, other tools or artificial
intelligence tools that has
[1:25:14] those capabilities.
[1:25:17] Um, sorry.
[1:25:17] And just and within the
contract, because this is one
[1:25:20] item that we've heard about
with respect to the LPR is it's
[1:25:24] also not permitted in the
contract for them to use it for
[1:25:27] any kind of machine learning
systems or any other purposes
[1:25:30] aside from the service
of the citation.
[1:25:33] That's correct.
[1:25:34] Mayor Pro Tem, and we're
updating all the business rules
[1:25:37] to be in accordance with the
current state laws currently
[1:25:40] with varying mobility.
[1:25:43] Okay.
[1:25:44] And my understanding, you,
Mayor Pro tem, is the police
[1:25:46] don't even have access to
search that data at all to see
[1:25:50] who, what vehicles
drive by or whatnot.
[1:25:52] It's only what's on the
FLoC system that they have.
[1:25:55] Right. And APD is involvement
even with the system, is going
[1:25:58] to be pretty limited now that
they're not going to be issuing
[1:26:00] the, the, um, the overages for
the six point tickets, because
[1:26:05] that's going to be
automated as well now.
[1:26:09] Thank you.
[1:26:13] Further discussion.
[1:26:15] You can call for the question.
[1:26:29] Councilmember Jackson.
[1:26:30] Thank you.
[1:26:31] The motion passes unanimously
to adopt the consent calendar
[1:26:34] for resolutions and ordinances
[1:26:36] with items 1185
and 1186 removed.
[1:26:40] Now, please read the title
to item number 11 A5.
[1:26:42] Item 11 A5 is resolution 2020
697, directing the City Manager
[1:26:47] to implement data
center regulations.
[1:26:50] Mayor and mayor.
[1:26:51] We do have individuals who
[1:26:52] would like to
speak on this item.
[1:26:54] Very well, city Attorney.
[1:26:56] I'm pretty sure council is very
aware of this, but 1185 and
[1:27:01] 1186 are in conflict, obviously.
[1:27:03] So this would not be
a situation where both
[1:27:06] resolutions should pass
because they are in conflict.
[1:27:09] I know you know that, but I'm
just putting it on the record.
[1:27:12] And city attorney.
[1:27:13] Mayor. Point of order.
[1:27:14] Um, our amendments in order
prior to public comment or
[1:27:19] subsequent to public comment.
[1:27:21] So what I would do is let's go
and hear public comment first,
[1:27:24] and then we can have the motion
and then amendments following
[1:27:27] the motion.
[1:27:29] Okay.
[1:27:31] Okay. The first person is Anita
[1:27:33] Kubrick, followed
by Agent Anderson.
[1:27:41] Anita.
[1:27:44] Okay. Agent Anderson, followed
by Medea and Schaffner.
[1:27:58] Excuse my language, but
[1:28:00] I'm so confused on how we
should be given public comment
[1:28:04] before we hear any amendments
or adjustments y'all are going
[1:28:07] to make.
[1:28:07] Because if that is
substantial to what
[1:28:11] if you all are going to make
substantial changes to this
[1:28:15] resolution, then I would
respectfully like to hear what
[1:28:19] you all have to say and then
be able to let you know if I'm
[1:28:22] supportive of it or
not supportive of it.
[1:28:25] I just feel like this
[1:28:26] disenfranchised is
public participation.
[1:28:29] So I mean, feel
free to interrupt.
[1:28:31] I mean, I'll give a point
of order real quick.
[1:28:33] So basically, because the
agenda was published the way it
[1:28:37] was, it's the comments should
[1:28:39] be on all the agendas published.
[1:28:41] And what council should hear
from you is what you think you
[1:28:43] should amend in the in the
document after public comment
[1:28:47] so they can take your comments
to build their amendments.
[1:28:49] I'm sure they have amendments
that they already know that
[1:28:52] they they want to present, but
if they use public comment to
[1:28:54] figure out what else they
should, she should do.
[1:28:56] So this is the appropriate
time for public comment.
[1:28:58] I understand your point, but
[1:28:59] we've got to go off
the open meetings.
[1:29:00] All the agenda was published
24 hours ago, at least.
[1:29:03] And listen, the package should
be the one that's presented.
[1:29:07] Well, great.
[1:29:07] Well, I guess I can't really do
too much about my opposition to
[1:29:12] Curtis Gardner's A resolution
[1:29:14] because he never
shows up to work.
[1:29:16] And so, I mean, I would say
that I support what council
[1:29:21] member Wales has put forward to
the council because we need to
[1:29:25] make sure that we are not
having data centers just run
[1:29:28] rampant through the city of
Aurora, and you all need to be
[1:29:30] coming up with some rules and
regulations into which they are
[1:29:33] supposed to be at the bounds
[1:29:34] that they need to
be operating in.
[1:29:36] Um, and the fact that Curtis
Council Member Gardner, who
[1:29:39] again, doesn't show up to city
council meetings, is offering a
[1:29:42] resolution and at a city
council meeting, and it still
[1:29:46] is not here at said city
council meeting, physically
[1:29:49] present at a meeting.
[1:29:50] It feels like he's trying to
silence the voice of one of his
[1:29:54] female colleagues.
[1:29:55] But I, I'm I hope that wherever
if he's listening from the home
[1:29:59] of him and Amanda Sawyer, I
hope that he is able to hear
[1:30:03] the concerns that individuals
have about his resolution being
[1:30:07] in direct opposition and
[1:30:09] competition with
council Member Wiles.
[1:30:11] So, Council Member Wiles
Resolution, and I hope to
[1:30:15] listen to more of your your
[1:30:16] amendments through this process.
[1:30:17] But this right here, this does
not feel authentic just to just
[1:30:21] to be from this side of the
dais, knowing what it means to
[1:30:24] be an elected official.
[1:30:25] If I would have pulled a gotcha
when we were when we were
[1:30:27] debating on the Denver school
board of like, we want to hear
[1:30:30] your concerns, but now we're
[1:30:31] going to pass a
bunch of amendments.
[1:30:32] Our parents would be pissed off
because what you are about to
[1:30:38] do is likely change one of
these two proposals, and we
[1:30:42] will not be able to respond or
[1:30:44] give you our feedback
in real time.
[1:30:46] But we're just supposed to be
like, okay, here's our here's
[1:30:49] our opinion beforehand, and
you actually might change
[1:30:52] drastically one of the
two of these issues.
[1:30:54] So, Council Member Gardner, I
[1:30:56] hope that you're
listening from you.
[1:30:57] And I saw your home show up.
[1:30:58] Show up to work.
[1:30:59] Show up to work.
[1:31:01] You forgot my gavel.
[1:31:04] Madison Schaffner,
followed by Aditi Desai.
[1:31:10] Aditi Desai, followed
by Verena Desai.
[1:31:36] Good evening, mayor and
members of city council.
[1:31:39] My name is Aditi Desai
and I reside in Aurora.
[1:31:41] And I'm here in favor of 11.8.5.
[1:31:45] I would like to comment on
infrastructure considerations
[1:31:48] associated with large scale
data centers data centers,
[1:31:53] particularly those
supporting A.I.
[1:31:55] applications can require
substantial electrical capacity
[1:31:59] and supporting utility
infrastructure.
[1:32:02] We need to evaluate these
projects in regards to grid
[1:32:06] capacity, transmission
upgrades, long term energy
[1:32:10] demand, and how infrastructure
improvements would be planned
[1:32:14] and funded.
[1:32:15] In addition to electricity
demand, City Council needs to
[1:32:19] examine whether existing
utility systems are prepared to
[1:32:23] accommodate future growth while
maintaining reliable services
[1:32:27] for residents and businesses.
[1:32:29] These considerations can
be important for long range
[1:32:32] planning and capital
investment decisions
[1:32:36] as future projects
are evaluated.
[1:32:38] I encourage consideration of
independent infrastructure
[1:32:41] studies and transparent
communication regarding
[1:32:45] anticipated utility needs
well into the future.
[1:32:48] We need to consider long
term sustainability for our
[1:32:52] communities, not just the
[1:32:53] economic benefits
for large companies.
[1:32:56] Thank you for your time.
[1:32:57] I support the six month
moratorium as residential and
[1:33:01] environmental impacts are
further studied prior to
[1:33:04] approval of additional large
scale data centers in Aurora.
[1:33:08] I have lived in Aurora for six
years now and hope to continue
[1:33:11] my life here.
[1:33:12] Don't push residents like me
out with quick decisions that
[1:33:16] don't consider neighbors in
our long term well-being.
[1:33:18] Thank you.
[1:33:21] For reading.
[1:33:22] Desai.
[1:33:27] Followed by Arvin Martinez.
[1:33:38] Good evening, mayor and
members of the city council.
[1:33:42] My name is Byron Desai.
[1:33:45] I'm a homeowner and
resident of Aurora.
[1:33:49] I'm here for resolution 11.8.5.
[1:33:53] I would like to comment on
neighborhood compatibility
[1:33:56] consideration related to
large scale data centers.
[1:34:00] These facilities often operate
continuously and may include
[1:34:04] cooling equipment,
transformers, backup
[1:34:07] generators, and other
infrastructure that can create
[1:34:10] operational noise.
[1:34:12] Some communities have raised
questions about how such
[1:34:16] facilities interact with nearby
residents, area schools, and
[1:34:20] community spaces.
[1:34:22] Additional considerations can
include construction, traffic,
[1:34:26] visual impact building, scale
lighting, and compatibility
[1:34:31] with existing zoning standards.
[1:34:34] Local governments sometimes
review whether current
[1:34:36] development regulations
adequately address the unique
[1:34:40] characteristics of
modern data centers.
[1:34:44] Careful review of
seating standards.
[1:34:46] Set back Landscaping, noise
requirements and community
[1:34:50] input process can help inform
future land use decision.
[1:34:56] Thank you for your
consideration.
[1:34:58] Thank you for your time.
[1:35:00] I support a six month
moratorium as residential and
[1:35:05] environmental impact are
[1:35:06] further studied
prior to approval.
[1:35:08] Additional large scale
data centers in Aurora.
[1:35:12] Thank you.
[1:35:14] Arvin Martinez, followed
by Hashim Coates.
[1:35:23] Good evening, mayor and
members of the city council.
[1:35:26] My name is Arvin Martinez
and I live in Aurora.
[1:35:29] I would like to address
environmental and resource
[1:35:31] planning considerations
[1:35:32] associated with data
center development.
[1:35:35] Depending on their design
and cooling technology, some
[1:35:37] facilities may have
substantial water requirements.
[1:35:40] Water consumption can vary
significantly based on facility
[1:35:43] size, climate conditions, and
type of cooling systems use,
[1:35:47] and considering the drastic
effect that we have had of
[1:35:51] record setting drought and
lack of water and highest
[1:35:55] temperatures recorded in
the United States history.
[1:35:57] We can't afford to spare water
when there was an obviously big
[1:36:01] lack of this resource.
[1:36:03] Communities reviewing these
facilities often examine
[1:36:05] projected water demand,
conservation practices, and
[1:36:08] potential environmental impacts
in areas where long term water
[1:36:12] management is an
important public concern.
[1:36:15] Decision makers may seek
additional information
[1:36:17] regarding resource use
and mitigation strategies.
[1:36:20] And obviously, I think we
should all take the time to
[1:36:24] consider what what's going
to happen in the near future.
[1:36:28] Who's going to be blamed when
there's even less water, and
[1:36:31] neighbors are going to be asked
to sacrifice even more than
[1:36:34] they already are?
[1:36:36] The laws that they're trying to
keep green and everything they
[1:36:39] need is a cut.
[1:36:40] Considering how the lack of
water is affecting people, very
[1:36:45] little reviews can help provide
greater understanding of how
[1:36:47] proposed facility may interact
with local resources, and what
[1:36:50] measures may be available
to reduce impacts.
[1:36:54] Ultimately, there is no long
term impact of a simple delay
[1:36:58] in construction, but there are
plenty of reasons to study the
[1:37:02] effects of a data center and
the ability of residents to
[1:37:05] live in Aurora.
[1:37:06] Money can't make more water,
but is unrestrained pursuit of
[1:37:11] money that could lead to a long
[1:37:13] term suffering
for our neighbors?
[1:37:15] Thank you for my
opportunity to speak.
[1:37:18] Thank you for your time.
[1:37:20] I support a six month
moratorium as residential and
[1:37:24] environmental impacts are
further studied prior to
[1:37:27] approval of additional large
scale data centers in Aurora.
[1:37:31] Thank you again.
[1:37:36] Hashim Coates, followed
by Juan Marcano.
[1:37:58] I want to start with something
[1:37:59] that shouldn't be controversial.
[1:38:01] Clean air should not be
partisan, nor should clean
[1:38:06] water be partisan.
[1:38:09] It's wild to me that we both
need water on both sides of the
[1:38:13] aisle for us to tell each other
that the other one is wrong.
[1:38:16] We need clean air to
do that as well too.
[1:38:20] So protecting the ability of
future generations to live,
[1:38:24] breathe, and survive should not
be dependent upon whether you
[1:38:28] are progressive, conservative,
[1:38:29] Democrat, Republican
or independent.
[1:38:32] Those should be our
basic non-negotiables.
[1:38:36] Um, Aurora is currently under
a stage one water drought.
[1:38:39] Our residents are being asked
to conserve water and our
[1:38:42] watering system is
maybe at 50% full.
[1:38:46] We can add, if we ask families
to change how they use water
[1:38:50] because conservation is
necessary, then surely we can
[1:38:54] ask some of the wealthiest
corporations in the world to
[1:38:56] wait while the city determines
how resource intensive
[1:39:00] development should be regulated?
[1:39:03] Um, a moratorium is not a ban.
[1:39:05] Even though I would
entertain a band.
[1:39:08] Um, it's the government
basically just saying we make
[1:39:11] decisions that could affect
generations that would possibly
[1:39:14] be irreversible.
[1:39:15] We're going to understand the
consequences and write the
[1:39:18] rules first.
[1:39:20] Is that that elusive
common sense out there?
[1:39:27] Aurora is not alone in this.
[1:39:29] Denver has stepped
in and done this.
[1:39:33] Texas has even stepped up and
paused certain new data center
[1:39:38] approvals while reviewing
enormous demands that place on
[1:39:42] the electric grid.
[1:39:44] One thing that I agree with the
mayor on is the water usage as
[1:39:47] it relates to grass.
[1:39:49] I hate grass, I think all
golf course should be banned.
[1:39:53] I think that it should be
[1:39:54] illegal to water
your front yard.
[1:39:56] Um, one grass produces nothing
and two, it's trauma from my
[1:40:00] childhood of having an allergy
and having to cut the yard.
[1:40:04] Some things just go
with me to the grave.
[1:40:06] But we need to stop assuming
that just because a corporation
[1:40:09] announces billions of dollars
in capital investment,
[1:40:14] that, um.
[1:40:16] Excuse me, a capital investment
that somehow those billions are
[1:40:19] going to trickle down and
[1:40:20] benefit to the
people who live here.
[1:40:23] The research does not
support that assumption.
[1:40:26] Recent economic research
has found that the typical
[1:40:29] community receiving a major
data center may gain only to
[1:40:33] 100, 100 to 200 jobs, with no
measurable increase in wages.
[1:40:39] Capital investment is not the
same as community investment.
[1:40:43] $1 billion building owned by
$1 billion corporation does not
[1:40:47] automatically mean $1 billion
benefits to aurora families.
[1:40:52] I believe that there should be
economic growth, but one thing
[1:40:56] that we don't need, or
one thing that we do need.
[1:40:58] We need a good environment.
[1:41:00] We don't necessarily
need the data center.
[1:41:03] The harm that it's pulling
to our intellectual value as
[1:41:06] Americans who thought we could
go any lower, keep coming up
[1:41:10] with making things easier for
[1:41:11] people not to think
we'll have it.
[1:41:14] And also, what's not spoken
about is that these data
[1:41:16] centers are actually
mining information.
[1:41:20] The observation centers.
[1:41:27] Juan Marcano, followed
by Chad Johnson.
[1:41:41] Good evening again.
[1:41:42] My name is Juan Marcano and
I'm a resident of Ward four.
[1:41:45] I want to begin by thanking
Councilmember Wiles for the
[1:41:48] hard work and thorough research
that she's done on Llms data
[1:41:51] centers and the socio economic
impacts of this industry, and
[1:41:55] for being very responsive to
the needs of her constituency.
[1:41:57] Since she's been elected
to the Ward two seat.
[1:42:01] Issues like these are a rarity
[1:42:03] in our politics,
especially today.
[1:42:05] Concerns about the impacts of
high powered data centers and
[1:42:08] the impacts that they have on
noise, emissions, water supply,
[1:42:12] water quality, energy costs.
[1:42:14] And I want to underline and
italicize energy costs here in
[1:42:19] Colorado, as the public
utilities Corporation or the
[1:42:23] PUC is not going to protect
us from the impacts of these
[1:42:27] facilities will have, but also
the impacts on wildlife, on
[1:42:31] employment and unemployment
generated by people adopting
[1:42:34] this nascent technology.
[1:42:36] Sowing misinformation and more.
[1:42:40] Despite all of these things,
we have broad support amongst
[1:42:44] cross-generational bipartisan
lines on this issue.
[1:42:48] I also appreciate the
distinction that this
[1:42:49] resolution draws between small
scale facilities that serve as
[1:42:53] the backbone of the internet,
and high power facilities that
[1:42:56] are used for llms to scrape and
steal the collective output of
[1:43:00] humanity for the purpose
of creating, to quote, tech
[1:43:02] oligarchy and likely
sociopath Sam Altman.
[1:43:05] A future where intelligence is
a utility like electricity or
[1:43:09] water, and people buy
it from us on a meter.
[1:43:12] Dystopian does not begin to
describe the intent that he and
[1:43:15] his contemporaries
are espousing.
[1:43:18] This body is charged with
protecting life, health,
[1:43:21] property, and the general
welfare of Aurora.
[1:43:24] And this resolution and
the accompanying ordinance
[1:43:27] ordinance does just that.
[1:43:29] It provides the city with the
time to thoroughly evaluate and
[1:43:32] craft a set of protections
for aurora and guidelines for
[1:43:35] industry to follow as this
bubble continues to inflate.
[1:43:37] And it is a bubble, and when it
eventually pops, I suspect it
[1:43:41] will pop soon.
[1:43:42] Because we're three years into
this frenzy and there is still
[1:43:44] no path to profitability
for this industry.
[1:43:47] Our city will be well served by
the regulatory framework that
[1:43:50] will follow, and it will not
leave Ward two with the burden
[1:43:53] of abandoned warehouses
next to people's homes.
[1:43:56] I want to thank you again,
Council Member Wiles, for your
[1:43:59] work, and I encourage the
council to support this
[1:44:01] resolution and her ordinance
for the moratorium.
[1:44:04] Thank you.
[1:44:06] Chad Johnson, followed
by Kristin Mallory.
[1:44:19] Good evening.
[1:44:20] My name is Chad Johnson.
[1:44:21] I'm a resident of Ward four.
[1:44:24] I want to be clear, the
residents of Aurora do not want
[1:44:27] data centers in our communities.
[1:44:29] I don't want data
centers in my community.
[1:44:32] This sentiment transcends
political ideology, background,
[1:44:36] and neighborhood.
[1:44:38] You will not find a single
polled group that has a
[1:44:40] majority support for data
[1:44:42] centers in their
neighborhoods nationwide.
[1:44:45] A much less year in Aurora.
[1:44:48] There are a few things that
are as consequential to our
[1:44:50] community as this one.
[1:44:51] With record shortages of rain.
[1:44:53] Our reservoirs are depleted and
Xcel Energy already raising our
[1:44:57] rates in route to roughly 1
billion in profits in 2025.
[1:45:01] We do not want or need another
thirsty and power hungry
[1:45:05] technology competing with
Aurora residents for basic
[1:45:08] needs like water
and electricity.
[1:45:11] We don't want their massive
amounts of pollution either.
[1:45:14] The new Amazon data center
in Texas is set to become the
[1:45:17] single largest CO2 pollution
emitter in the entire country,
[1:45:20] at 33 million tons
of CO2 a year.
[1:45:24] We don't want even a tiny
[1:45:25] fraction of that here in Aurora,
[1:45:28] data centers have also been
found to pollute nearby water
[1:45:31] sources, pollute air
surrounding the facility, and
[1:45:35] creating a persistent noise
disturbance 24 over seven to
[1:45:38] those that live nearby in
dozens of municipalities.
[1:45:42] They are also a source
of environmental racism.
[1:45:45] Several studies have found
that their construction and
[1:45:47] operation disproportionately
impacts people of color.
[1:45:52] For those on this council
that think a couple of token
[1:45:55] standards would make it okay,
or if the size of a data center
[1:45:58] is limited, that it would in
turn make it permissible, they
[1:46:02] are sorely mistaken.
[1:46:03] I want to remind you that
the average medium sized data
[1:46:06] center uses somewhere between
300,000 and 500,000 gallons of
[1:46:11] water a day,
[1:46:14] just one day.
[1:46:15] That's that equates to almost
110 million, uh, between 110
[1:46:19] million and 182 million gallons
a year, an amount we cannot
[1:46:23] spare, especially
for a bubble like AI.
[1:46:26] Once again, I want to be clear.
[1:46:28] Data centers are a menace.
[1:46:30] The residents of Aurora do not
[1:46:32] want data centers
here in our community.
[1:46:34] I urge you to put a moratorium
in place immediately.
[1:46:36] Thank you.
[1:46:38] Sir.
[1:46:41] Kristen Mallory, followed
by Kathleen Peterson.
[1:46:54] Hello, Council.
[1:46:55] Kristen Mallory, Ward three.
[1:46:57] First of all, everyone here
said all the things that I was
[1:46:59] going to say.
[1:47:00] So I'm not going to repeat
those, but this is probably the
[1:47:05] most important issue that you
guys are taking up right now.
[1:47:10] Like this will determine
the future generation.
[1:47:14] I don't many of you know, I
don't have kids, but many of
[1:47:17] you do.
[1:47:18] And their water access to
water, their electricity cost
[1:47:24] is going to depend partially on
what you decide right now and
[1:47:27] what you decide in
these next six months.
[1:47:30] Now, I'm so impressed by the
work that Amy is doing because
[1:47:32] she didn't just say no, never.
[1:47:34] She said no, not for six months
while we figure this out.
[1:47:38] That's really good governance.
[1:47:40] Let us put like take time to
put policies in place that make
[1:47:46] sure that the next generation
is protected and the next
[1:47:49] generation after that, and the
next generation after that.
[1:47:53] Because our reservoirs
are dry, our air is dirty.
[1:47:57] Our electricity, our
[1:47:58] electricity is
already expensive.
[1:48:02] It is too much.
[1:48:04] And so it's really just part of
me is really disappointing or
[1:48:09] disappointed that we're going
to have industry come up here
[1:48:12] and tell you why they
need this for business.
[1:48:14] And then we have community
always telling you like just
[1:48:17] pause and make sure we're
doing it the right way.
[1:48:19] And this is what it always
comes down to every single
[1:48:22] time, and it would be really
nice if industry for once
[1:48:26] didn't think about the dollar
in their pocket, but thought
[1:48:29] about the dollar in their
grandkids pocket and the earth
[1:48:33] that they're going to inherit.
[1:48:35] So I feel very strongly about
[1:48:38] this, that six months
is so reasonable.
[1:48:40] And like Hashem, I wish that
we would do a moratorium, but
[1:48:44] that's like a ban forever.
[1:48:45] But that's not the
world we live in.
[1:48:48] Um, so the moratorium does give
council something an incredibly
[1:48:53] important time, time to study
the water impacts, time to
[1:48:57] understand the electrical
infrastructure demands, time to
[1:49:00] establish meaningful
environmental standards.
[1:49:03] Time, time to determine who's
going to pay for this, who's
[1:49:06] going to pay for this
infrastructure, and time to
[1:49:09] ensure that our zoning and
development policies reflect
[1:49:12] the reality of
this new industry.
[1:49:14] With all that being said, my
brother wanted me to leave you
[1:49:18] with this quote.
[1:49:19] Love is abundant like an ocean.
[1:49:22] But you know what isn't?
[1:49:24] Water that runs out.
[1:49:26] Thank you.
[1:49:29] Kathleen Peterson.
[1:49:31] Followed by Christopher Fellows.
[1:49:38] Hello.
[1:49:40] I'm a resident of Aurora.
[1:49:42] Um, I.
[1:49:43] Live in Heather Ridge.
[1:49:46] Um, I went outside my door,
and, uh, my electrical box was
[1:49:52] wrapped in artwork.
[1:49:55] Well, they call it artwork.
[1:49:56] I call it graffiti.
[1:49:58] I think it's very ugly.
[1:50:01] Uh, it looks like graffiti.
[1:50:03] And, um, once, uh, somebody
ran over the electrical boxes.
[1:50:11] So these are brand new
electrical boxes that I have,
[1:50:15] and they were, you
know, Very nice.
[1:50:18] They were gray.
[1:50:19] They matched the, uh, the, uh,
sidewalks and the environment
[1:50:25] around the plants, and and it
even matched my house, which a
[1:50:30] townhome which is
right behind it.
[1:50:33] And now I have to look at it
looks like a big billboard.
[1:50:40] And, I mean, they never showed
up before, but they do now.
[1:50:45] And, um, so I called Aurora,
and, I mean, these guys were
[1:50:52] out wrapping it up, and I asked
him if they had permission and
[1:50:55] they said yes, that
they worked for Aurora.
[1:50:58] So I ran in and then
I, uh, they said no.
[1:51:01] So I ran back out, and then
they said, no, we really don't
[1:51:06] work for Aurora.
[1:51:08] Uh, but we do have this company.
[1:51:09] And then later, uh, come
to find out, they did have
[1:51:13] permission, uh, that, uh,
they're going to wrap all the
[1:51:18] electrical boxes in Aurora.
[1:51:22] Uh, I was I'm depressed.
[1:51:25] I mean, I look out on my patio
and I am very, very depressed.
[1:51:30] It looks like a big
billboard out there.
[1:51:32] And, uh, if you want to look,
uh, you know, drive by on Yale
[1:51:37] and, uh, South Xanadu way right
there at the golf course, there
[1:51:43] is this big electrical box that
are two big electrical boxes
[1:51:48] that look like graffiti.
[1:51:50] And I think it's going to
encourage, uh, graffiti.
[1:51:55] Um, and I since have learned
that, uh, I guess Highlands
[1:52:02] Ranch has done this.
[1:52:03] Denver has done this.
[1:52:05] And I guess is I'm not sure
if this is going to be a new
[1:52:09] policy, but I think it's
going to make Aurora ugly.
[1:52:13] I think if you want to beautify
Aurora, I think you should, uh,
[1:52:19] plant more trees or
bushes or flowers.
[1:52:23] But this.
[1:52:25] It looks like kiddie land.
[1:52:26] It looks like kiddie land.
[1:52:28] It belongs in the zoo.
[1:52:29] Or it belongs maybe outside a
library where there's a, um, a
[1:52:35] little fountain or something
like that for kids to play in.
[1:52:40] Anyway, I hope you will
consider taking that off the
[1:52:45] plate and not doing that.
[1:52:47] And I hope you'll take the
wrappings off my my boxes.
[1:52:52] Thank you.
[1:52:52] Christopher Fellowes,
followed by Nicholas Biden.
[1:52:56] Okay. If you give me
your contact information.
[1:52:59] Yes.
[1:53:02] Christopher, fellows.
[1:53:07] Okay. Nicholas Biden.
[1:53:12] Okay. That was the
last individual.
[1:53:15] Motions that were
a presentation.
[1:53:19] Brief presentation by staff.
[1:53:23] Mayor.
[1:53:25] Mayor. Councilmember.
[1:53:26] Wiles.
[1:53:26] Yeah. I just wanted to read
something really quick.
[1:53:29] Um, so when I announced I would
be bringing this resolution
[1:53:33] forward, I was quickly told
by some business partners and
[1:53:36] others who didn't ask me any
questions, but rather made a
[1:53:39] lot of assumptions that
I must be anti-business.
[1:53:42] This resolution is
not anti-business.
[1:53:45] It's pro responsible business,
[1:53:47] and most importantly,
it's pro community.
[1:53:50] I want businesses
to come to Aurora.
[1:53:52] I want them to invest in
Aurora, create jobs here, build
[1:53:56] and succeed here.
[1:53:57] But I also believe those
businesses should be good
[1:53:59] partners to our residents who
raise families here, own homes
[1:54:03] here, and who are building
their futures here.
[1:54:06] When we make decisions that
fundamentally affect their
[1:54:08] neighborhoods, we have a
responsibility to ensure our
[1:54:11] regulations keep up with the
changing landscape of the
[1:54:14] world, and that's what
this resolution is about.
[1:54:17] This is not a vote against
development or growth.
[1:54:20] It's a vote for getting
our rules right.
[1:54:22] We have areas of the city that
could easily accommodate easily
[1:54:25] accommodate these centers once
[1:54:27] rules are established,
a tech spaceport.
[1:54:31] So why are we so determined to
[1:54:32] put them in the middle
of neighborhoods?
[1:54:34] Some of the conversations I've
[1:54:36] had since announcing
this resolution.
[1:54:38] So exactly why these
changes matter.
[1:54:40] Representatives from a large
international company whose
[1:54:43] projects won't even be affected
by these changes reached out to
[1:54:47] me to say, what can we do
to be better partners to the
[1:54:49] community and make them more
comfortable with our center
[1:54:52] being here?
[1:54:53] We have a meeting next week
to continue that conversation.
[1:54:59] Developers whose projects
won't be subject to these
[1:55:01] requirements have told me we
[1:55:03] still want to do
the right thing.
[1:55:04] How can we make our sites
more community Friendly.
[1:55:08] That's the kind of partnership
that we should want in Aurora.
[1:55:11] Responsible businesses should
not be afraid of responsible
[1:55:15] standards, and responsible
government should not be afraid
[1:55:18] to set those standards.
[1:55:20] For months, city staff and
I have been doing this work
[1:55:23] meeting regularly, hosting town
halls, conducting side visits,
[1:55:27] researching best practices,
talking with residents and
[1:55:30] walking neighborhoods to
understand the real impacts and
[1:55:33] listen to concerns.
[1:55:34] And through that work, we've
discovered that our current
[1:55:38] CDOs simply were not written
with today's hyperscale data
[1:55:42] centers in mind.
[1:55:43] In fact, months into this work,
we just learned this past week
[1:55:47] that they can, in some
instances, fall under the same
[1:55:51] zoning framework as schools.
[1:55:53] That wasn't intentional, but
it shows how urgently our
[1:55:57] regulations need to catch up.
[1:55:59] Other communities are already
learning from these lessons.
[1:56:02] I spoke with leaders in Loudoun
County, one of the world's
[1:56:05] largest data center hubs, and
they are now redesigning all of
[1:56:09] their guidelines because they
realized that what they have in
[1:56:12] place does not work
for a community.
[1:56:14] They are changing regulations
for every data center to be
[1:56:17] considered special use and
requiring public hearing.
[1:56:20] Something that I didn't
even consider adding.
[1:56:23] They're changing neighborhood
buffers and they're considering
[1:56:26] a moratorium.
[1:56:27] According to a 2026 study.
[1:56:29] Homes within a quarter mile to
a half mile of these hyperscale
[1:56:32] centers have the potential
to lose value by 6 to 7%.
[1:56:36] I wouldn't want that to happen
to my home that I worked so
[1:56:39] hard to get, and we shouldn't
accept it possibly happening to
[1:56:42] our community members homes,
especially when we have
[1:56:45] available alternative sites.
[1:56:48] A temporary pause allows us
to learn from communities like
[1:56:51] Loudon, Aurora, Illinois and
others to make sure we don't
[1:56:55] repeat their mistakes and we
learn from their successes.
[1:56:58] We have hundreds of acres out
East land intended for tech
[1:57:02] uses, far from homes,
far from schools.
[1:57:05] That is far more appropriate
and responsible placement for
[1:57:08] large data centers.
[1:57:09] We're asked to be good partners.
[1:57:12] We ask our community members
to be good partners, even at a
[1:57:15] potential detriment to their
[1:57:17] own home value or
taxes they pay.
[1:57:19] And in turn, asking data
centers to be good community
[1:57:22] partners shouldn't be
too much of an ask.
[1:57:25] That being said, I'll call out
a thank you to Danielle for
[1:57:28] proactively reaching out to me
[1:57:30] regarding the data
center she represents.
[1:57:32] She didn't assume what was in
this resolution, and said she
[1:57:36] sought to understand and then
ask for feedback on how they
[1:57:39] could be good
community partners.
[1:57:41] Also, to our development
partners who reached out to ask
[1:57:44] questions of me over the past
few days, I appreciate your
[1:57:47] engagement and your desire to
do right by the neighborhoods
[1:57:50] you're building, the desire to
get correct information and not
[1:57:53] make assumptions.
[1:57:54] And to the hundreds of
residents who outreach over the
[1:57:57] weekend in various ways.
[1:57:58] Thank you for your
feedback and support.
[1:58:00] To be clear, those who didn't
reach out, what this resolution
[1:58:04] is and what it isn't.
[1:58:05] It's temporary.
[1:58:06] It doesn't affect
active development.
[1:58:08] It's not anti-business
or anti progress.
[1:58:11] It's simply an act to get the
things right before we're two
[1:58:14] down the road.
[1:58:15] I believe we can balance
[1:58:17] community needs
with business needs.
[1:58:18] And this resolution gives us
a chance to do exactly that.
[1:58:23] Thanks.
[1:58:26] Um representation by staff
or do you think it's covered?
[1:58:32] City manager, do you
want to take this on or.
[1:58:34] Councilman, I can give.
[1:58:35] A brief presentation
just for the audience.
[1:58:38] And so folks understand how we
currently regulate, um, videos.
[1:58:42] I think that will be germane to
[1:58:44] both the two
resolutions coming up.
[1:58:46] Uh, so currently, uh, data
centers are defined use in the
[1:58:52] city's zoning and
land use codes.
[1:58:55] Those allow the zoning
districts where they are
[1:58:57] allowed include I1
industrial one I.
[1:59:00] Two. Industrial.
[1:59:01] Two. Airport.
[1:59:03] District or aid.
[1:59:04] As well as the Airport
Protection Zone or APC, also
[1:59:08] known as the crash
zone around Buckley.
[1:59:10] And then finally they are
allowed in mixed use, um, uh,
[1:59:15] office institutional use.
[1:59:16] And so those are the five
zone districts where they are
[1:59:19] allowed as a use by.
[1:59:20] Right. Um, and so that is how
they are governed from a land
[1:59:25] use perspective, from a
water use perspective.
[1:59:28] We heard lots of
concerns on water use.
[1:59:30] The city's large water user
guide governs these facilities.
[1:59:34] And so we have effectively,
uh, eliminated the use for
[1:59:39] evaporative cooling.
[1:59:40] We heard some significant
concerns on that because of
[1:59:43] the, um,
[1:59:45] um, large water user guide.
[1:59:47] Um, new data centers that
have built in Aurora are using
[1:59:50] closed loop systems.
[1:59:51] So once they are charged with
water in terms of that closed
[1:59:55] loop system, they are not using
[1:59:58] new water every day for cooling.
[1:59:59] So that is after
an initial charge.
[2:00:02] They're only using water at
that point for irrigation and
[2:00:06] for, you know, hand-washing
and things like that.
[2:00:08] So there's there's not large
scale water use for that.
[2:00:11] Currently, of the approximately
nine data centers that are in
[2:00:15] Aurora, they account for
approximately 0.3% of our total
[2:00:19] water usage on an annual basis.
[2:00:22] And so it is a it is
a small water user.
[2:00:23] We've heard those concerns.
[2:00:25] With that said, um, the
[2:00:28] um, 1185 does direct us to
bring forward an ordinance to
[2:00:33] explicitly outlaw
evaporative cooling.
[2:00:36] Uh, we've worked with the
Aurora Water Department and are
[2:00:39] prepared to bring that forward,
um, and address that concern so
[2:00:43] that it is explicitly
not allowed in the code.
[2:00:47] So we've done that, and we'll
be prepared to bring that
[2:00:50] forward in terms of noise that
we have from the facility's
[2:00:53] current development code does
[2:00:54] allow for noise and
has noise standards.
[2:00:58] We're still looking at whether
or not we think those are
[2:01:00] effective, what that looks like.
[2:01:02] Those noise limits within
the code typically are set at
[2:01:06] different levels.
[2:01:07] There's a daytime standard and
a nighttime standard, and then
[2:01:10] that standard also varies by
what the adjacent land use is.
[2:01:14] And so it's going to be the
lowest when that land use is
[2:01:17] adjacent to residential, it's
going to be higher if you're
[2:01:20] adjacent land use or other
[2:01:21] industrial uses or
things like that.
[2:01:23] So that's within the code.
[2:01:24] That's one of the areas we're
continuing to to look at, to
[2:01:27] see the current
[2:01:30] land use codes do not require
setbacks from neighborhoods.
[2:01:34] And the 1185 does direct
staff to bring forward some
[2:01:38] recommendations or
considerations for council in
[2:01:41] terms of potentially adding
setbacks to those land uses.
[2:01:46] And then finally, in terms of
the power, um, the PUC and is
[2:01:52] regulated by Excel.
[2:01:53] And so we currently don't have
anything in our code regulating
[2:01:57] power usage because that is
regulated at the state level.
[2:01:59] And they go through an
extensive process in terms of
[2:02:03] determining what their power
needs are and then what the
[2:02:05] cost of infrastructure is
going to be to provide that.
[2:02:08] And the PUC and the Excel
currently handle that through
[2:02:11] their regulatory process.
[2:02:14] So from a staff perspective,
that's kind of the current, um,
[2:02:18] lay of the land.
[2:02:19] And we'll take any
questions from council.
[2:02:22] Questions of staff.
[2:02:26] Mayor.
[2:02:28] Council member.
[2:02:28] Hancock.
[2:02:30] Horton.
[2:02:30] I'm sorry.
[2:02:31] Councilmember Horton.
[2:02:32] Sorry H.
[2:02:33] Um, yeah.
[2:02:35] City manager.
[2:02:36] Uh, Jason Batchelor, can
you talk about the, uh, what
[2:02:40] benefit has this have they
brought to the city job wise?
[2:02:44] Uh, any economic contributions
of the nine that I know, not
[2:02:49] all nine are currently built,
but of the nine, what do they
[2:02:52] offer the city?
[2:02:53] Yeah. So typically when these
are coming in, they, uh, they
[2:02:56] represent large, uh,
capital investments.
[2:02:58] And so there is significant,
um, capital investment that's
[2:03:02] going in the ground.
[2:03:03] And so, uh, the property tax
entities, of which the city's
[2:03:07] one are primary source is not
property tax, but the school
[2:03:10] districts are funded by
property taxes, and the
[2:03:12] counties are funded
by property taxes.
[2:03:15] So they see significant, um,
property tax revenue from those
[2:03:20] in addition to the jobs created
both during construction and,
[2:03:24] um, during operations.
[2:03:26] So sorry.
[2:03:27] Clarification. So you just
spoke about the property tax
[2:03:30] benefit for, uh, apps
and the counties.
[2:03:35] What about for the
city of Aurora?
[2:03:37] The city also sees some of that
property tax, but we are also
[2:03:40] seeing, um, significant
sales and use tax from these
[2:03:44] facilities when they are built.
[2:03:46] Um, they are often refreshing
all of the equipment within
[2:03:49] that, depending on the end user.
[2:03:53] Refreshing that every few years.
[2:03:55] And so we continue to get
sales and use tax from those
[2:03:58] equipment purchases
for the facility.
[2:04:00] Thank you.
[2:04:02] Further further questions.
[2:04:03] Council member Lawson.
[2:04:04] Yeah, I'm for you, Jason.
[2:04:06] So I know one of the data
centers that has been here for
[2:04:09] the longest, I think
it's in Ward four.
[2:04:12] Is it I think is or
is it a different one?
[2:04:15] It's flexible.
[2:04:16] Okay. Um, how long
have they brought in?
[2:04:19] How long have they been here?
[2:04:20] And I know the answer.
[2:04:22] But how long have
they been here?
[2:04:23] And how much revenue have
they brought to the city?
[2:04:26] Um, they've been here decades.
[2:04:28] I don't know the number off the
top of my hand, off the top of
[2:04:31] my head.
[2:04:31] But they've brought in
[2:04:32] significant revenue
over the decades.
[2:04:34] They've been here both from a
property tax payment and then
[2:04:36] use tax as they refresh those.
[2:04:38] Okay. And then, um, Aurora has
already with the current ones
[2:04:42] that we have in the pipeline or
ones that we've had from data
[2:04:46] since 2021.
[2:04:48] Um, we've already do, you know,
and I'm bringing this up, that
[2:04:52] Aurora has received $24.3
million in tax revenue.
[2:04:57] Yeah, we had that request
[2:04:58] coming last week
in advance of this.
[2:05:01] And so, yeah, we've we've
received approximately $24
[2:05:03] million from the data centers
in Aurora directly or from
[2:05:08] technology vendors associated
that, again, are often, um,
[2:05:13] outfitting the
equipment within those.
[2:05:15] Okay. And I bring up those two
subject matters just for the
[2:05:18] for for the city manager is
because we've had a data center
[2:05:22] that is in Ward four that has
produced income and has we have
[2:05:26] never heard of anything about
this particular data center
[2:05:30] since it's been in Ward four.
[2:05:33] Um, so I wanted
to bring that up.
[2:05:35] And that's actually in a
community, neighborhood area.
[2:05:39] So I wanted to bring that up.
[2:05:40] And then just how much tax
revenue we do get from the data
[2:05:44] centers that we have from 2001.
[2:05:46] So I wanted to bring that
up as questions for you.
[2:05:49] And just to reiterate that I'll
probably have more as we move
[2:05:52] forward with the amendments.
[2:05:53] Mayor, mayor.
[2:05:54] I'm sorry, Councilor Hancock.
[2:05:56] I just wanted to ask.
[2:05:58] Um, and to your point about the
Xcel Energy, it says I heard at
[2:06:04] the last town hall that council
member Wiles held at the
[2:06:08] library, that Xcel Energy says
that it can't serve large load
[2:06:12] customers before 2031.
[2:06:14] Can you?
[2:06:15] Can you confirm that.
[2:06:17] We've had communication with
them, that, again, due to the
[2:06:21] regulatory process that they're
under going through the PUC in
[2:06:24] terms of getting some major
capital additions approved as
[2:06:28] part of their service within
the state of Colorado, that,
[2:06:33] uh, given the current capital
improvements that they have in
[2:06:37] place and approved through
the PUC, um, that large scale
[2:06:41] hyperscale, um, improvement or
power for data centers is not
[2:06:47] likely till or is very unlikely
until 2030 or 2031 or beyond.
[2:06:51] Okay, with that said, I'm just
I'm curious as to, um, I know
[2:06:56] this says resolution, but
it really is a moratorium.
[2:06:59] It's just you just change
the the name around.
[2:07:01] And so what I would like to
understand is what specifically
[2:07:05] is the staff going to be able
to accomplish in 60 days?
[2:07:09] What deficiency is there
that the Udo isn't already
[2:07:13] addressing, and why can't we
work these things alongside
[2:07:18] while the Udo remains in effect?
[2:07:21] And what do we expect to happen?
[2:07:23] What's going to happen in 60
days after you're done doing
[2:07:27] whatever it is
you're going to do?
[2:07:29] I'm not sure where
the 60 days come from.
[2:07:31] The moratorium refers
to a six month.
[2:07:33] Six months, excuse
me, six months.
[2:07:35] What are you going
to do in six months?
[2:07:36] So at that time, um, per
section one of the ordinance or
[2:07:40] excuse me, of the resolution
we're going to bring forward
[2:07:43] ordinance is for council's
consideration first, again
[2:07:46] around evaporative cooling.
[2:07:47] Um, explicitly outlawing that.
[2:07:49] Second would be to look at
the land use regulations, um,
[2:07:53] including the zone districts
that are currently allowed at
[2:07:57] as well as setbacks, buffers
and potential conditional use.
[2:08:01] And then finally, if there's
anything else that council or
[2:08:04] others identify, we would
look at those matters.
[2:08:06] And so that is the
direction in the resolution.
[2:08:10] So if it passes that's
what we'll bring forward.
[2:08:12] So didn't Aurora water already
determined that they would not
[2:08:17] approve any new data center
developments unless they had
[2:08:21] closed loop systems?
[2:08:23] Didn't that essentially
solve the problem?
[2:08:25] So so basically, we would just
be codifying that by going
[2:08:29] through this other process,
because they already indicated
[2:08:34] that they weren't going to
[2:08:35] approve any evaporative
cooling systems.
[2:08:37] So again, right now the code is
[2:08:38] not specific to the
cooling methodology.
[2:08:40] So the the Large User's Guide
refers to the amount of water
[2:08:43] used per acre per day
for for for large users.
[2:08:48] And so then it then looks at
whether that use is consumptive
[2:08:52] or non consumptive and
depending on um, the majority
[2:08:55] of that use whether it's
consumptive or non consumptive,
[2:08:58] that gives us different
capacities that kind of run
[2:09:01] afoul of the large user guide.
[2:09:04] But there could be somebody
could try and thread the needle
[2:09:07] and still use evaporative
cooling because we don't speak
[2:09:10] to that.
[2:09:10] So the explicit outlaw of
evaporative cooling would um, I
[2:09:15] think something that I'll look
at Marshall out there that, you
[2:09:17] know, staff thinks would be,
um, supportive and a companion
[2:09:21] to the larger water user guide.
[2:09:23] What we've talked about is
we think we've effectively
[2:09:25] outlawed, um, evaporative
cooling just through the large
[2:09:29] water user guide.
[2:09:30] But an ordinance to come
forward to explicitly, um, ban
[2:09:34] it is, you know, we're we're
supportive of that from just,
[2:09:37] you know, making sure that
we're being the best stewards
[2:09:40] we can.
[2:09:41] So then that's a yes.
[2:09:42] Yes.
[2:09:43] Mayor.
[2:09:44] Can I.
[2:09:45] Sorry, mayor.
[2:09:46] Let me let me correct one thing.
[2:09:47] So sorry.
[2:09:48] Jason. There's no timeline for
the for the more the moratorium
[2:09:52] I'm using.
[2:09:53] Because that word is not used
in the actual resolution that
[2:09:55] was in the ordinance
that was pulled tonight.
[2:09:58] So it's not being considered.
[2:09:59] So I want to be clear that
all this resolution does is it
[2:10:02] states that the city manager
is directed to not accept new
[2:10:05] development applications that
propose to establish a primary
[2:10:08] use, expand or otherwise
increase the gross floor area
[2:10:10] of existing or new data centers.
[2:10:12] The effective date
of this resolution.
[2:10:14] So again, what City Manager
Batchelor has talked about.
[2:10:18] We've been in a lot
of conversations.
[2:10:19] Obviously you know Jason
and I talk all the time.
[2:10:21] We've been talking
to Xcel Energy.
[2:10:22] We've been talking to Marshall
with the water department.
[2:10:25] The fact of the matter is it
takes about six months, right,
[2:10:28] for one of these applications
to even get close to being
[2:10:31] ready to file with the city.
[2:10:33] And this resolution also Uh, it
does say that it should not be
[2:10:37] applied retroactively.
[2:10:38] Development applications
currently pending, or other
[2:10:40] contractual negotiations that
were initiated prior to the
[2:10:43] effective date of this
resolution, and again,
[2:10:45] including incentive agreements
pursuant to City Code section
[2:10:47] 13298, shall be expressly
exempted from this resolution.
[2:10:51] So what this would do, if
passed, would direct Jason and
[2:10:55] the rest of city staff to have
these ordinances that you're
[2:10:59] requesting through your
stakeholder and everything else
[2:11:01] to come forward, to be
evaluated by council so they
[2:11:04] can go into effect.
[2:11:05] But again, I with with what's
going on with Excel, what's
[2:11:09] going on with the water, there
will not be the ability for the
[2:11:12] city manager to accept an
application well beyond this
[2:11:16] resolution's effective
date, just because of those
[2:11:18] limitations that aren't
bound by the city.
[2:11:20] So I just want to be clear that
[2:11:23] that's that's why this
is the resolution.
[2:11:24] This is why I recommended that
this is the way we do this,
[2:11:27] because it makes it clear, hey,
we're just calling an elephant
[2:11:30] an elephant or a
sheep or sheep, right?
[2:11:32] We're just dealing
with, uh, what?
[2:11:34] What is going around us
with power and water.
[2:11:37] And that's what the limitations
are, not necessarily the city
[2:11:39] holding anything up.
[2:11:40] And that's what this
resolution does.
[2:11:41] I want to be clear that
there's no timetable.
[2:11:43] Mayor.
[2:11:44] I just want to clarify
something as well.
[2:11:47] Was the difference between the
data center and Ward four and
[2:11:51] the data centers that are
being built now is size.
[2:11:54] So the newer ones
are hyperscale.
[2:11:57] They are far larger.
[2:11:58] They use a lot more energy.
[2:12:00] They take up a lot
more land space.
[2:12:03] Um, so to compare, a small data
center that existed for ten
[2:12:07] years or 20 years even isn't
really comparable to the big
[2:12:11] ones that are being built now.
[2:12:12] They're just very different
in terms of needs uses.
[2:12:15] ET cetera.
[2:12:16] And then also the water
ordinance is already done.
[2:12:20] Um, it should come forward soon.
[2:12:22] Uh, probably next meeting to
[2:12:24] study session or
the meeting after.
[2:12:26] And then in terms of, um, the
neighborhood buffer, we Jason
[2:12:32] and I have been working on that.
[2:12:34] We've been out on field trips,
actually walking neighborhoods
[2:12:37] to see how long is appropriate.
[2:12:41] So that we're making decisions
based on data and not just, um,
[2:12:46] external influence.
[2:12:50] Uh, further questions of staff.
[2:12:53] Mayor. Gardner.
[2:12:54] Councilor Gardner.
[2:12:56] Thank you.
[2:12:57] Yeah. This is a question for
Marshall, GM of Aurora water,
[2:13:03] because we keep talking
about water usage.
[2:13:05] And so I'm curious.
[2:13:08] Um, and I'm going to use the
example because that's our
[2:13:11] largest data center that
keeps being referenced.
[2:13:13] Does that data center use
more water itself or does the
[2:13:17] landscaping requirements
around it use more water?
[2:13:21] Yeah. Thank you.
[2:13:22] Councilmember Gardner.
[2:13:23] This is Marshall Brown, general
manager of Aurora water.
[2:13:26] Um,
[2:13:29] Ice uses significantly more
water for outdoor landscaping
[2:13:34] than they do for indoor process.
[2:13:36] Um, and pretty much any new
data center that comes to us
[2:13:41] right now under the large water
user guide that Jason talked
[2:13:45] about, is regulated pretty
[2:13:48] tightly on water
use for process.
[2:13:50] And then they also have the
landscaping standards, uh, from
[2:13:54] the water conservation
ordinance that council passed
[2:13:56] in 2022.
[2:13:58] So the outdoor water use is
[2:14:00] pretty efficient, um,
per our requirements.
[2:14:05] And the indoor water use is
[2:14:07] even more efficient
than the landscaping.
[2:14:09] The landscaping is
using more water.
[2:14:13] Thanks, Marshall.
[2:14:13] And, yeah, that's relevant.
[2:14:15] Obviously, I'm working on
an ordinance to limit and or
[2:14:18] restrict any landscaping that
utilizes water in industrial
[2:14:21] zoned areas, so that'll
obviously take care of that.
[2:14:25] Um, and then a follow up for
[2:14:27] the city manager,
can you clarify?
[2:14:31] Just to make sure we do not
currently allow use by right
[2:14:35] data centers in
residential zone districts.
[2:14:37] Correct?
[2:14:39] We do not.
[2:14:42] All right.
[2:14:42] That's all my questions.
[2:14:43] Thank you.
[2:14:45] Mayor.
[2:14:46] Mayor.
[2:14:47] I just have a
couple of questions.
[2:14:48] One is for the city manager.
[2:14:51] Do we have any information
about our current data centers
[2:14:55] with respect to
ambient heat impacts?
[2:14:59] I think we've all experienced
some a very hot summer.
[2:15:02] So just wondering if that's
information we've collected.
[2:15:06] We do not.
[2:15:07] Not that I'm aware of.
[2:15:08] Okay. So that would be
[2:15:09] something we could
be looking at.
[2:15:11] And then my other question is,
um, kind of as a follow up to
[2:15:16] Councilmember Gardner's
question, we don't allow
[2:15:20] data centers in residential
zone districts, but are any of
[2:15:24] the districts that they are
permitted in adjacent to
[2:15:28] residential zone districts
with current or future planned
[2:15:31] residential development.
[2:15:35] Yes, there are several areas of
the use by right districts that
[2:15:39] do abut residentially
zoned properties.
[2:15:42] Thank you.
[2:15:44] Further questions of staff.
[2:15:47] Seeing none.
[2:15:48] Motion is in order.
[2:15:51] Mayor.
[2:15:52] Mayor Pro tem.
[2:15:53] Motion to adopt.
[2:15:56] 11. Eight.
[2:15:56] Five. And then I'll have
[2:15:59] amendments with
this on the floor.
[2:16:00] Move by Mayor Pro
Tem, seconded by
[2:16:03] second. Second by Councilmember
[2:16:06] Wallace to adopt
item number 1185.
[2:16:11] Discussion.
[2:16:12] Mayor.
[2:16:12] Mayor Pro tem, thank you.
[2:16:14] So first I want to be clear
that I absolutely support the
[2:16:18] work that Councilmember Walz
has done and this ordinance as
[2:16:22] it is written.
[2:16:24] However, in conversations that
Councilmember Wills and I have
[2:16:27] had together, conversations
I've had with stakeholders,
[2:16:31] conversations I've had with
colleagues, and things I've
[2:16:34] heard from Council member Wiles
about concerns she's heard.
[2:16:39] I did want to bring forward
some amendments to section two
[2:16:44] and section three.
[2:16:47] Um, so I'll start
with section two.
[2:16:51] So on section two, the
amendment would read, um, the
[2:16:57] city manager is directed
to accept new development
[2:17:02] applications that proposed to
establish as a primary use,
[2:17:06] expand or otherwise increase
the gross floor area of an
[2:17:09] existing or new data centre as
of the effective date of this
[2:17:14] resolution, only if it meets
[2:17:18] the following requirements
and requirement.
[2:17:23] A is that, um, it be, uh, there
be a half mile buffer from any
[2:17:33] current or planned
residential development?
[2:17:37] Um, and requirement B is that
we've heard everyone's already
[2:17:41] doing anyway, but that it uses
closed loop cooling because we
[2:17:44] don't yet have that
officially in code.
[2:17:46] So that's the First Amendment.
[2:17:48] I'd like us to take them, um,
[2:17:51] each individually,
if that's okay.
[2:17:53] Mayor. So that's
my First Amendment.
[2:17:55] Okay.
[2:17:56] Um, second move by Mayor Pro
tem, seconded by somebody,
[2:18:01] Councilmember Walz.
[2:18:02] Um, discussion.
[2:18:07] Uh, then call for the question
[2:18:08] on the first mayor
pro tem amendment.
[2:18:25] Councilmember Andrews.
[2:18:29] Thank you.
[2:18:30] Councilmember Jackson.
[2:18:35] Is she on?
[2:18:38] Councilmember Jackson,
are you online?
[2:18:43] Councilmember Jackson is.
[2:18:44] Excused.
[2:18:44] No, she.
[2:18:45] Was.
[2:18:46] She.
[2:18:46] She's been online.
[2:18:47] Yes.
[2:18:47] I'm online.
[2:18:48] I'm online.
[2:18:49] Thank you.
[2:18:50] Um, the vote has a tie.
[2:18:53] So, mayor, you can
break the tie vote.
[2:18:57] Yeah.
[2:18:57] We're we're.
[2:18:58] I have no idea what the the
limit should be because.
[2:19:02] Or because we've not asked
staff to come back and been
[2:19:06] able to to have a debate,
[2:19:09] knowledgeable debate about this.
[2:19:11] And so, um, whether it should
be a mile or a half mile or a
[2:19:16] quarter mile, I don't know.
[2:19:17] And nor do I think
[2:19:20] anybody on this council knows.
[2:19:21] And so, Mayor Royce.
[2:19:22] No.
[2:19:25] You know.
[2:19:25] The motion does not pass
to adopt the amendment.
[2:19:30] Okay.
[2:19:31] So we're back to the original
motion on the floor with the
[2:19:33] resolution as written
in the packet.
[2:19:37] Okay. Um, I would like to
make the Second Amendment.
[2:19:42] Um, second proposed amendment,
um, which is just to add into
[2:19:49] section three development
applications currently pending,
[2:19:54] and just add the language,
including those that have had a
[2:19:57] pre-application meeting, um,
[2:20:00] before and other
contractual negotiations.
[2:20:09] Is there a second.
[2:20:10] Move by Mayor pro tem?
[2:20:11] Second by.
[2:20:12] Second.
[2:20:13] By Councilmember Wiles?
[2:20:14] Uh, discussion.
[2:20:18] Seeing none.
[2:20:20] Call for the question
on the second.
[2:20:21] Mayor pro tem amendment.
[2:20:34] No, no.
[2:20:36] I'm sorry, Katie,
just for the record.
[2:20:39] Those have had a
pre-application meeting.
[2:20:41] Meeting? Okay.
[2:20:42] Thank you.
[2:20:42] I'll update that.
[2:20:43] Thank you.
[2:20:44] This is so included
in a pre process.
[2:20:50] Councilmember Bergen.
[2:20:57] I voted on Friday.
[2:20:59] I'm sorry, I don't I'm
not showing up on my end.
[2:21:01] How would you like to.
[2:21:02] Thank you.
[2:21:02] It just came through, mayor.
[2:21:04] Again? It's a tie.
[2:21:06] Yes.
[2:21:07] Mayor. Vote.
[2:21:07] Yes.
[2:21:08] The motion passes to
adopt this amendment.
[2:21:17] I have no further amendments.
[2:21:22] So.
[2:21:23] So currently members of council.
[2:21:25] So we have section
one and section two.
[2:21:28] As written in the packet.
[2:21:29] Section three is is
currently pending.
[2:21:32] And those that have had pre.
[2:21:35] Application.
[2:21:36] Meetings.
[2:21:36] Pre-application meetings which
again just to everybody's clear
[2:21:39] that is that the process
is on is started.
[2:21:41] It's ongoing.
[2:21:43] So it may allow other develop
other projects to come forward
[2:21:47] as the resolution is pending.
[2:21:49] So that is the only change as
[2:21:51] written in this
particular resolution.
[2:21:53] 1185 that's what you're
debating and we'll vote on.
[2:21:56] Mayor.
[2:21:58] Mayor pro Tem.
[2:21:59] Um, so I want to say first,
just thank you to Council
[2:22:02] Member Wiles for being open to
[2:22:04] the amendments to
the stakeholder.
[2:22:07] Um, to my colleagues who
supported the amendments we
[2:22:12] have heard from our community
loud and clear that actually,
[2:22:15] they want us to go further
than what we've gone here.
[2:22:19] That the people who live in our
[2:22:21] city, who live in
these neighborhoods,
[2:22:25] actually would rather we just
go ahead and permanently ban
[2:22:29] data centers.
[2:22:30] The amendments were intended to
create a compromise to ensure
[2:22:35] that business can continue,
[2:22:38] to ensure that workers can
continue to have their jobs
[2:22:44] building data centers
[2:22:48] with reasonable
restrictions, right.
[2:22:50] To ensure that we don't have
data centers next to the homes
[2:22:56] of our residents.
[2:22:58] Across the street from our
residents homes, which all of
[2:23:03] us have heard people today and
people contacting us online are
[2:23:09] concerned about the fact
that that is occurring.
[2:23:12] This isn't coming
forward in a vacuum.
[2:23:13] And because nothing has
[2:23:15] happened that impacts
our community.
[2:23:17] And so although my colleagues
did not accept the amendment,
[2:23:22] which was intended in good
faith to address the concerns
[2:23:25] that they raised, I do hope
that the statements of our
[2:23:29] community members, the
statements of our neighbors
[2:23:32] about what they want to see
from us as the people elected
[2:23:36] to represent them,
[2:23:39] play a role in the
decision that you now make.
[2:23:42] I urge a yes vote.
[2:23:45] Further discussion.
[2:23:46] Mayor.
[2:23:47] Council Member.
[2:23:48] Andrews, I do want to thank.
[2:23:49] Council Member Wiles
on her effort here.
[2:23:53] I've been with Council member
Wiles, and she's done a lot of
[2:23:57] work around data centers,
doing a town hall.
[2:23:59] And I spoke with her this
morning and we had a very long
[2:24:02] conversation about this.
[2:24:04] I support the stronger setbacks.
[2:24:06] I support water protections,
noise limits, public review.
[2:24:09] But what I don't support is the
the public not having an honest
[2:24:14] view of what we're doing.
[2:24:16] I do not support that and
I will not support that.
[2:24:19] We talk about
closed loop systems.
[2:24:22] We talk about electricity.
[2:24:24] We're talking about noise.
[2:24:26] How many of us have
toured a data center?
[2:24:32] How many have heard the noise?
[2:24:36] Closed loop systems.
[2:24:42] This is not about
for me and my vote.
[2:24:45] This is not about whether or
not we can push the ball along,
[2:24:49] because we're going to push the
ball further along to make sure
[2:24:52] we meet the things
that we need to meet.
[2:24:54] This is a failure on our side
of it to educate the public.
[2:25:02] So I am a no vote.
[2:25:05] Further discussion.
[2:25:07] Mayor.
[2:25:08] Um. Councilmember Horton.
[2:25:10] Yeah. Um, I guess, uh,
one I'm I'm I'm concerned.
[2:25:18] Uh, what was shared.
[2:25:19] Councilmember Andrews.
[2:25:21] Uh, the premise of the argument
of who I visited in the closed
[2:25:25] loop systems.
[2:25:26] Um, and also knowing and I
know, you know, Councilmember
[2:25:30] Gardner has his resolution
also on the agenda.
[2:25:34] And I haven't spoken to him and
don't know the extent of the
[2:25:37] research he's conducted, but I
have seen Council Member Wiles
[2:25:41] effort, uh, all the way from
community engagement and and
[2:25:44] working with developers,
working with business partners.
[2:25:47] Um, trying to thread a needle
through a very sensitive topic
[2:25:52] on an issue that is, um, it
touches a lot of realms, from
[2:25:59] our environment to residents
[2:26:00] livelihood to
economic development.
[2:26:03] And I think based off of even
what was shared earlier in the
[2:26:07] in the questions with our city
manager, there are obvious
[2:26:10] economic benefits
to data centers.
[2:26:13] And I think city council,
previous city council have has
[2:26:18] invested tremendously
in this particular area.
[2:26:22] We have we have seen
the benefits of it.
[2:26:24] And at the same time, it is now
five years later, where we have
[2:26:28] an opportunity to review and
reassess what is working, what
[2:26:32] is not working, and do our
due diligence like any good
[2:26:36] experiments, right?
[2:26:37] You do it for a while and you
go back and you check the data.
[2:26:41] And I think this is what this
resolution, at least from my
[2:26:45] interpretation, does, that it
allows the city, allows the US
[2:26:50] as leaders to make sure that we
have good governance, that we
[2:26:54] work alongside our business
partners, our residents,
[2:26:57] developers to do right.
[2:26:59] And I really appreciate it.
[2:27:00] I don't know who said it during
the comment section that this
[2:27:04] is not just a short
term effort, right?
[2:27:07] That this this is going to
continuously have long impact.
[2:27:10] And we know data centers
are not going anywhere.
[2:27:13] We're in the middle
of an AI boom.
[2:27:15] And so as a governing
body we got to do right.
[2:27:20] And so that is my $0.02.
[2:27:22] And I just want to really thank
Councilmember Wiles for all of
[2:27:26] her effort and work in her due
diligence of making sure she's
[2:27:31] doing the research and and
making sure that she has a
[2:27:35] qualified argument in front of
her colleagues, and that we see
[2:27:38] that for what that is and that
it is not about a it's not
[2:27:41] about politics, that this
is about good governance.
[2:27:46] Further discussion.
[2:27:50] Seeing none call
for the question on.
[2:27:55] 1185, as amended.
[2:28:07] Mayor. We have a tie vote.
[2:28:10] What's that?
[2:28:11] We have a tie vote.
[2:28:12] Very well.
[2:28:13] Um, I want to thank
[2:28:17] Councilmember Wallace for
for bringing this forward.
[2:28:20] Um. It is.
[2:28:22] We will have another one coming
up afterwards that basically
[2:28:30] when you take out the ordinance
aren't really different because
[2:28:35] both of them say that they
can take on additional issues.
[2:28:41] Uh, so that the difference
between the two is procedural,
[2:28:45] that in one set.
[2:28:46] Well, now that the ordinance is
out, there's really not a time
[2:28:51] limit, uh, to there's
not a moratorium.
[2:28:54] It is how fast staff can get
through these issues and get
[2:28:59] back to council
[2:29:02] on the.
[2:29:03] On the other proposal.
[2:29:04] I think what is different it
says it provides a time limit
[2:29:08] for staff to come back
to council at 30 days.
[2:29:12] And so if we come back and
study session and we don't like
[2:29:16] certain aspects of it, we can
kick it back and say, you know,
[2:29:20] you really need to look at this
issue or you failed to look at
[2:29:23] this issue.
[2:29:24] I think at the end of the day,
that will be a quicker process
[2:29:28] and that will allow council to
engage earlier in this debate
[2:29:34] than we otherwise might.
[2:29:36] But again, these are these
are very similar that what is
[2:29:40] different is simply procedural.
[2:29:44] Mayor votes no.
[2:29:46] The motion does not pass
to approve item 11 a five.
[2:29:54] With the clerk.
[2:29:56] Now please read
the title to 1186.
[2:30:00] Item 1186 is resolution 2020
698, directing the City manager
[2:30:06] to implement data center
regulations and mayor.
[2:30:09] We have individuals who
would like to speak.
[2:30:14] Very well.
[2:30:15] Agent Anderson followed
by Madison Schaffner.
[2:30:51] The author of this resolution
should be at work today.
[2:30:55] That's to start this off.
[2:30:59] If you are going to propose
[2:31:02] competing ordinances and
resolutions, you should at
[2:31:06] least come and defend yourself
in front of your constituents
[2:31:11] and not hide behind
a zoom screen.
[2:31:15] That's the first point.
[2:31:18] The second point
is I told you so.
[2:31:22] I think my commentary and
others commentary would be
[2:31:26] totally different if we
were able to have heard this
[2:31:29] fruitful discussion.
[2:31:30] People's concerns.
[2:31:32] They're walking through
data center stories.
[2:31:35] We would have had a little bit
of a different public comment
[2:31:41] than what we would than what
we had prior to this vote.
[2:31:50] When we think about
the impacts of adverse.
[2:31:58] Environmental when
the when when we see.
[2:32:05] The environment impact
our communities.
[2:32:08] What communities do you
think they impact more.
[2:32:17] What communities do we
think they impact more?
[2:32:29] I think we all know
the answer to that.
[2:32:34] So I'm a little disappointed
in the three Negroes that just
[2:32:38] voted to kill that resolution.
[2:32:44] I hope you're proud
of yourselves.
[2:32:47] You too.
[2:32:47] I'm not surprised you would
live next to Satan if he
[2:32:51] invited you.
[2:32:52] Rob, I am disappointed.
[2:32:56] Yeah I guess.
[2:32:58] But our conversations will be
[2:32:59] much more different
than these two.
[2:33:04] Mhm.
[2:33:09] When the environment is under
attack, it is impacting black
[2:33:15] and brown people more so than
it is the white neighbors that
[2:33:18] live in Francois district.
[2:33:22] Francois neighbors don't have
to worry about this stuff.
[2:33:31] The neighbors that look like
us, that live near Gateway High
[2:33:35] School in Stephanie
Hancock's district do.
[2:33:39] But again, the colored gals on
the council don't talk about
[2:33:44] black and brown people because
their donors have told them to
[2:33:48] do something else.
[2:33:51] Shame on you both.
[2:33:56] Midian. Schaffner.
[2:33:59] Followed by Hashem.
[2:34:00] Coates.
[2:34:02] Good luck.
[2:34:02] Hashem.
[2:34:03] Hashem Coates, followed
by Kristin Mallory.
[2:34:23] I echo what was said.
[2:34:24] That Curtis should be here
when he's proposing this.
[2:34:29] It blows my mind that you all
have the audacity to ask the
[2:34:33] people to have the same decorum
as elected officials, but yet
[2:34:38] the elected officials don't
have to abide by the same
[2:34:41] regulations that the people
do in order to speak here.
[2:34:45] Hypocrisy sucks.
[2:34:48] I echo
[2:34:51] the disappointment that I have
that that was mentioned as it
[2:34:55] relates to the black members of
this council, ignoring history
[2:35:00] of how environmental racism is
[2:35:02] real, no matter
how much those who.
[2:35:07] Are.
[2:35:08] Pulling strings or those who
have rejected you, and only to
[2:35:11] turn around to you and say yes.
[2:35:14] If you promise not to spit,
you can come be one of us.
[2:35:19] I just don't understand why is
it that people in the community
[2:35:25] always have to be
the one to suffer?
[2:35:29] I don't get it.
[2:35:30] Especially understanding our
history as being human capital.
[2:35:41] Also.
[2:35:42] Yeah. The closed
loop watering system.
[2:35:47] That's cool.
[2:35:48] I don't think any water
should be given to it.
[2:35:50] To hell with the grass.
[2:35:52] To hell with the data centers.
[2:35:53] But it was also given to us
at in disingenuous manner,
[2:35:57] something that it was 20 years
old versus something that would
[2:36:00] be newer and larger.
[2:36:02] Additionally, ignoring the
impact on the heat, the impact
[2:36:07] on the electrical grid, the
fact that the electrical grid,
[2:36:11] this incestuous relationship
with Excel and other entities
[2:36:17] that thrive off of debt,
that are joined in parasitic
[2:36:20] behavior, that require the grid
to be built off of the people.
[2:36:24] But then the profits don't
dwindle down to the people.
[2:36:28] Blows my mind.
[2:36:29] I understand that it's a cost
to do business, but when you
[2:36:32] have record breaking profit, I
don't really give a damn about
[2:36:37] the cost of your business
because it's the people who are
[2:36:40] suffering, and it is the people
who will not forget, and it
[2:36:45] will be the people who will be
there in future endeavors that
[2:36:50] one might have politically,
[2:36:52] that we will
remember the others.
[2:36:56] The corporations will discard
you for the next piece of
[2:36:59] tissue that they can use, and
you have the same value to them
[2:37:03] after they're done using you as
toilet tissue does after it's
[2:37:07] been used.
[2:37:11] I ask you all.
[2:37:12] The environment is the thing
that we never should have to
[2:37:16] argue about.
[2:37:18] What is what is the
harm in waiting?
[2:37:22] What is the harm in
doing the right thing?
[2:37:27] Kristen Mallory followed
by Juan Marcano.
[2:37:38] Hello, Council.
[2:37:39] Kristen Mallory, Ward three.
[2:37:41] Since we're doing this, raise
your hand exercise, I have not
[2:37:46] toured the data center, but
raise your hand if you've hiked
[2:37:49] up into the mountains to
see the empty reservoirs.
[2:37:53] And hear what they have to say.
[2:37:55] Raise your hand if you've gone
to a state park that's supposed
[2:37:59] to have a lake and it is barren.
[2:38:03] Oh, okay, so we
can play that game.
[2:38:06] Some of us didn't raise our
[2:38:08] hands because it's
that important.
[2:38:10] Um, what frustrates me the
most about this conversation?
[2:38:14] You said that we're not honest.
[2:38:16] You're not being honest.
[2:38:18] Using zero gallons of water for
new data centers is less than
[2:38:22] whatever new is coming.
[2:38:24] And what we had 20 years ago
is not the data centers that
[2:38:28] they're building today.
[2:38:30] It's not the data centers the
[2:38:32] AI is going to
use in the future.
[2:38:34] And what we need to do, what
you guys need to do is come up
[2:38:38] with parameters of good
governance to make sure that
[2:38:43] these things are protected.
[2:38:46] A I believe our water manager
talked about another large
[2:38:51] water user.
[2:38:52] Why are they a large water user?
[2:38:54] Why in a drought are we
adding any large water users?
[2:39:01] Do those words not have meaning?
[2:39:04] Because the option is we could
have like we already have large
[2:39:07] water users.
[2:39:09] We're already dealing
with a bottling company.
[2:39:12] That blows my mind that they
are taking our clean water,
[2:39:16] bottling it, and then selling
it back in plastic, and that's
[2:39:19] something that you guys
are already looking at.
[2:39:21] But yet here we can afford
[2:39:23] another large
water user, a user.
[2:39:28] This is like you claimed
that we were dishonest.
[2:39:32] I think you really need to hold
a mirror up to yourself and ask
[2:39:36] if you're being honest.
[2:39:37] And like I said,
I'm not having kids.
[2:39:39] My line is ending.
[2:39:41] This world runs out of water.
[2:39:44] That's fine.
[2:39:45] Me and mine.
[2:39:46] We have solar panels.
[2:39:48] We have a garden.
[2:39:49] We're doing drip lines.
[2:39:50] We're doing all the
things to save the water.
[2:39:53] Your line?
[2:39:54] I don't know the next
generation, I don't know.
[2:39:58] The kids in APS, I don't know.
[2:40:01] I don't know if
they'll have water.
[2:40:03] Do you?
[2:40:04] Do you feel comfortable?
[2:40:06] I mean, these are the
choices that we're asking the
[2:40:08] government to make
for us right now.
[2:40:10] These are.
[2:40:10] This is the time.
[2:40:11] This is the issue.
[2:40:13] And really, we're
running out of water.
[2:40:15] It's no joke.
[2:40:16] So I will take up the offer
to go to our data center.
[2:40:20] I challenge you to
go to our reservoirs.
[2:40:23] See how low they can go and
when the tap doesn't turn on.
[2:40:29] And that's already happening in
[2:40:31] some places you can
think of tonight.
[2:40:34] Thank you.
[2:40:35] Juan Marcano.
[2:40:37] Followed by Christopher Fellows.
[2:40:48] Good evening.
[2:40:50] My name is still Juan Marcano
and I am still a resident of
[2:40:52] Ward four.
[2:40:54] This resolution, to put it
[2:40:55] plainly, misses the
mark as drafted.
[2:40:58] It is designed to put business
interests, which for anyone
[2:41:01] listening means potential
campaign donors first, rather
[2:41:05] than putting the life, health,
property and general welfare of
[2:41:09] Aurora first.
[2:41:11] The purpose of a municipal
government is not to roll over
[2:41:14] and appease whatever fantasy
wealthy speculators pumping a
[2:41:17] massive bubble might have.
[2:41:20] It is to plan for the next
generation and the generation
[2:41:23] after that, to ensure that our
city grows and develops in a
[2:41:27] way that is sustainable
and equitable.
[2:41:31] Councilmember Andrews, I'm
going to address you directly
[2:41:34] Your comments earlier reminded
me of politicians drinking
[2:41:36] fracking fluid to convince
their constituents that that's
[2:41:39] safe and good for us.
[2:41:41] Those antics did not protect
their constituents from the
[2:41:43] health impacts of
polluting industries.
[2:41:45] And these antics are not going
to protect your constituents in
[2:41:49] Aurora, and especially
where you live in Ward two.
[2:41:51] You should know better.
[2:41:52] I also couldn't help but laugh
at one of the recitals about
[2:41:55] the Public Utilities
Commission and energy pricing.
[2:41:58] The PUC has served as a rubber
stamp for Xcel, which I will
[2:42:02] remind everybody listening.
[2:42:03] Everybody on this dais as well
is a pyro is a privately owned,
[2:42:07] publicly traded for
profit corporation.
[2:42:10] It is not a public
utility by any stretch.
[2:42:14] They are excited to have these
kinds of facilities in their
[2:42:19] service area, because that
means more money for them at
[2:42:20] the end of the day.
[2:42:21] They don't give a damn about
what happens to the rest of us.
[2:42:24] They're going to
be raking it in.
[2:42:25] We're going to be paying more.
[2:42:26] So you need to think long
and hard, sir, about your
[2:42:29] constituents, about your
family, about the decisions
[2:42:32] you're making tonight.
[2:42:32] And I strongly encourage you
at the next meeting at your
[2:42:35] earliest convenience.
[2:42:37] Reconsider your decision
tonight and pass these
[2:42:40] protections for our community.
[2:42:41] You do not want this
to be your legacy.
[2:42:43] Have a good night.
[2:42:45] Christopher. Fellows.
[2:42:53] Okay. That was the
last individual.
[2:42:55] Thank you.
[2:42:55] Very well.
[2:42:58] Representation by staff.
[2:43:00] Mayor. I'm sorry.
[2:43:01] Jason.
[2:43:03] Point of privilege.
[2:43:04] Council member.
[2:43:04] Horton, I would like to
continue this resolution for
[2:43:09] next city council meeting.
[2:43:11] Okay.
[2:43:12] Uh, the
[2:43:14] it's been moved by
[2:43:16] Councilmember
Horton, seconded by.
[2:43:18] I can provide my rationale to.
[2:43:19] If that's helpful.
[2:43:20] Okay. Yeah.
[2:43:21] Second.
[2:43:22] Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem to
[2:43:23] continue this to the
next, uh, council.
[2:43:27] Meeting, 24th.
[2:43:28] August.
[2:43:28] 24th.
[2:43:30] Yeah. August 24th.
[2:43:31] Mayor.
[2:43:32] Mayor.
[2:43:33] Mayor.
[2:43:33] Gardner. Discussion.
[2:43:34] Okay. Discussion.
[2:43:36] Councilman. Gardner.
[2:43:38] Yeah, I, I just I would
definitely urge a no vote.
[2:43:41] Um, you know, we had an item
that was sprung on our agenda,
[2:43:45] moratorium and resolution
at the last minute.
[2:43:48] And we were told that it was an
emergency and we had to address
[2:43:50] this issue right away.
[2:43:52] And so the hypocrisy of of now
delaying doing anything when
[2:43:57] there's a strict timeline in
the resolution I'm proposing to
[2:44:00] bring forward regulations on
data centers is is insanity.
[2:44:06] Um, you know, there
was a process.
[2:44:08] We have a process policy
committee study session to have
[2:44:12] these conversations.
[2:44:14] Unfortunately,
[2:44:16] that wasn't done.
[2:44:17] I shared my resolution with the
sponsor of that item weeks ago
[2:44:20] and offered to work together.
[2:44:22] Uh, we could have
worked together.
[2:44:23] I want to work together.
[2:44:25] I think we have a lot
in common on this issue.
[2:44:27] Um, but to go from being told
this is an emergency and has to
[2:44:30] be done right away
to now we can delay.
[2:44:32] It is the height of hypocrisy.
[2:44:36] Councilmember Horton, thank you.
[2:44:38] Uh, thank you mayor.
[2:44:40] Uh.
[2:44:41] I'm sorry.
[2:44:42] Councilmember Horton,
then, Councilmember Bergen.
[2:44:44] But, Councilmember
Horton, do you.
[2:44:44] Have the.
[2:44:45] Floor? Okay.
[2:44:46] Um, so I appreciate the
transparency and your comments,
[2:44:50] Councilmember Gardner.
[2:44:52] I know I felt confident in
my vote with the previous
[2:44:55] resolution, because
Councilmember Wiles did share
[2:44:58] it with all of council, uh,
a number of times asking for
[2:45:02] feedback through email.
[2:45:04] And I was very surprised to
see this resolution also on the
[2:45:10] agenda today when we got
the packets on Friday.
[2:45:13] And so my request, regardless
of what did or did not happen
[2:45:19] between Councilmember Gardner
and Councilmember Wiles
[2:45:22] previously, is in order to
vote, at least for For me as
[2:45:27] the council member.
[2:45:28] Someone who sits on this dais,
is that that that your work.
[2:45:33] Council member Gardner and
council member Wiles compliment
[2:45:36] each other so we can vote on a
resolution that is robust and
[2:45:42] that understands the complexity
of this issue in real time.
[2:45:47] There are a number of partners
here in this very room that I
[2:45:50] know attended the
town hall a month ago.
[2:45:53] Um, you know, we we got
documents from the Pipefitters
[2:45:57] EDC in the room.
[2:45:59] I think there's a there's a lot
of key partners that I'm sure
[2:46:03] are have worked or will
continue to work on this issue.
[2:46:06] And having it come from both
council member Gardner and
[2:46:09] council member Wiles, I
think, allows us to do our due
[2:46:12] diligence by the residents of
Aurora and not have this very
[2:46:17] weird divide.
[2:46:17] This was not I did not
particularly like that.
[2:46:21] We had two resolutions
on the same topic it did.
[2:46:25] That just did not make sense.
[2:46:26] So my request is that we
continue it until next day.
[2:46:30] Counsel for Council member
Gardner and Council member
[2:46:33] Wiles to hopefully collaborate
and and we can vote soundly.
[2:46:41] Um, I recognize oh, I'm sorry,
Councilmember Bergen, that I
[2:46:44] recognize myself.
[2:46:46] Thank you.
[2:46:46] Mayor.
[2:46:47] Um.
[2:46:48] This is interesting.
[2:46:49] Because.
[2:46:50] There was.
[2:46:50] Collaboration between council
member Gardner and council.
[2:46:53] Member Wiles.
[2:46:54] So that's.
[2:46:55] Not.
[2:46:55] True. Um, you know, in
terms of, I believe he did.
[2:46:59] Reach out to council member.
[2:47:01] Wiles to work.
[2:47:02] Together.
[2:47:02] To co-sponsor.
[2:47:03] And it was not accepted.
[2:47:05] So, um.
[2:47:07] His resolution, why would.
[2:47:08] We delay it?
[2:47:09] It basically.
[2:47:09] Addresses what was in the.
[2:47:11] The prior resolution.
[2:47:12] And the fact that the
moratorium was just.
[2:47:15] Pulled.
[2:47:15] Today was, you know, that that
we were getting things at the
[2:47:20] 11th hour in terms of the
amendments on the floor, we
[2:47:24] didn't get the
amendments in writing.
[2:47:26] I would urge my colleagues
to vote no on the delay.
[2:47:32] Mayor.
[2:47:34] I too would urge a no vote
that these two resolutions were
[2:47:40] identical when it comes to
water, and they're both open
[2:47:44] ended on every other issue that
[2:47:46] it's just the
process is different.
[2:47:49] Where one says is there's not a
time limit on how long it would
[2:47:55] take just to come
back to council.
[2:47:58] On the Gardner one, there
is a time limit for which
[2:48:02] staff has to come back to
[2:48:03] council, and that's
within 30 days.
[2:48:05] And in 30 days we would
have the ability to say,
[2:48:11] um, to opine on it, to say no,
we want to look at additional
[2:48:15] things or this is insufficient,
but it begins the process of
[2:48:20] going back and forth with staff.
[2:48:22] And I think that
that is important.
[2:48:24] And so I don't think it's a
it's there's any reason to
[2:48:28] delay this process
for moving forward.
[2:48:30] Mayor.
[2:48:30] Point of inquiry.
[2:48:33] Um, I already asked
the point of inquiry.
[2:48:35] Mayor.
[2:48:35] Uh.
[2:48:36] I'm sorry.
[2:48:37] What's important then?
[2:48:39] Mayor Pro tem?
[2:48:40] And then.
[2:48:40] Doesn't a.
[2:48:41] Point.
[2:48:41] Of.
[2:48:41] Order.
[2:48:42] Councilmember discussion.
[2:48:43] Council.
[2:48:44] Did you do a point of.
[2:48:44] I did a point of inquiry.
[2:48:46] Okay. Mayor pro.
[2:48:46] Tem. Sorry.
[2:48:47] Um, so, City Manager
Batchelor, just a inquiry.
[2:48:52] Has a back and forth
with staff on this topic.
[2:48:57] Already occurred
with council members.
[2:49:01] Yes. I've heard from I think
just about everybody on the
[2:49:03] dais at some point or the other
in terms of, um, what's going
[2:49:07] on with, um, this discussion.
[2:49:10] Okay. And additional
point of inquiry.
[2:49:12] And did you indicate to Council
Member Wiles that it would
[2:49:16] likely take more than 30 days
to complete the necessary steps
[2:49:21] to bring forward the the
[2:49:24] changes that are
being requested.
[2:49:26] Yes, and I guess that's a
good point of clarification.
[2:49:28] I am interpreting Council
member, um, Gardner's, um,
[2:49:33] resolution to direct us
to initiate that process.
[2:49:37] So, um, we will be to study
session, um, in, um, the next
[2:49:42] two meetings to sort
of discuss those.
[2:49:45] Uh, a couple of those items
are more straightforward.
[2:49:47] As we indicated, the
evaporative cooling, I think,
[2:49:50] can move forward pretty quickly.
[2:49:52] We're planning that as a
change to the code section that
[2:49:56] governs water use.
[2:49:57] So it can go straight from
study session, if that's a
[2:50:00] consensus of council
to the floor.
[2:50:02] Um, any Udo changes would need
to, um, go to the Planning and
[2:50:08] Zoning Commission.
[2:50:10] Um, and then since these are
all ordinance changes, there
[2:50:13] has to be proper notification,
uh, To publication dates.
[2:50:17] We've got to make sure
we're meeting all those.
[2:50:19] They have.
[2:50:20] They're all ordinance changes.
[2:50:21] They require two readings.
[2:50:22] Introduction and
then final reading.
[2:50:24] And then there's 30 days
until they are effective.
[2:50:27] 30 days ish, 30 days ish.
[2:50:28] Thanks. That's a legal term.
[2:50:30] Thank you sir.
[2:50:31] Well, it's based on publication.
[2:50:33] Mayor.
[2:50:33] Point of order.
[2:50:35] Okay.
[2:50:35] Mayor Pro.
[2:50:36] Tem.
[2:50:37] I have an amendment.
[2:50:39] To the motion to continue.
[2:50:42] Oh, no.
[2:50:43] It's that it would be.
[2:50:44] Councilmember Horton.
[2:50:45] Yeah, this is the.
[2:50:45] That's not a point
of order, okay.
[2:50:46] Councilmember Horton.
[2:50:47] Was not member.
[2:50:48] Horton.
[2:50:48] Yeah.
[2:50:49] Um, I would be.
[2:50:51] Comfortable with
my amendment, um,
[2:50:55] amending that to moving
it to study session.
[2:50:58] Um, I think government is slow
[2:51:00] because we have to
do it with purpose.
[2:51:02] And if we have two council
members who are working on this
[2:51:04] issue that haven't worked
together or whatever dynamics
[2:51:08] have occurred.
[2:51:09] Uh, you I believe you owe the
dais and residents to do your
[2:51:15] due diligence.
[2:51:15] And so I think coming to study
session may give us a better
[2:51:18] opportunity to really hash
through the details and make
[2:51:22] sure we're there's a there's a
resolution that is more sound
[2:51:26] coming to a regular
city council meeting.
[2:51:28] I'm sorry, sir.
[2:51:29] So the amendment to her motion
to continue to be to change it
[2:51:31] to going to a regular council
meeting and going to study
[2:51:33] session on August 24th, and
Mayor pro Tem will use a second
[2:51:36] on that or who is the second?
[2:51:37] Yeah. Do you accept
that from the amendment?
[2:51:40] Yes. Okay.
[2:51:41] So that's the
motion on the floor.
[2:51:42] Now there is a motion to
continue 1186 to a study
[2:51:46] session on August 24th.
[2:51:48] Well, doesn't have to.
[2:51:49] Okay.
[2:51:50] It's it's a motion that
the council will vote on.
[2:51:51] Now, once the
question is called.
[2:51:53] Okay.
[2:51:54] Discussion.
[2:51:56] Mayor. Council member.
[2:51:57] So I guess my question is
[2:52:00] to council member Wiles.
[2:52:02] And I know we don't go to
policy committees anymore or
[2:52:04] whatever, but why didn't this
go to a policy committee?
[2:52:07] Because maybe we could have
averted a lot of this, this
[2:52:10] confusion and all of this?
[2:52:12] Um, I really don't understand.
[2:52:14] Councilmember Gardner's has.
[2:52:17] I mean, it seems like he tried
to work with you, and you were
[2:52:20] like, no, you you were you were
like, no, you didn't want you
[2:52:24] didn't really want to work with
[2:52:25] him because you
wanted to be your.
[2:52:26] Okay.
[2:52:28] So am.
[2:52:29] I not entirely.
[2:52:30] True.
[2:52:30] Can I can I just finish so.
[2:52:33] So okay.
[2:52:34] But it seems like
Council Member Gardner's.
[2:52:36] Excuse me.
[2:52:39] Um, that's just unacceptable.
[2:52:41] Really?
[2:52:41] He's rude to me anyway,
mayor, but it's just rude.
[2:52:44] If it happens.
[2:52:45] Again, you're going out.
[2:52:47] You know.
[2:52:48] Somebody's going to send.
[2:52:49] You out.
[2:52:49] City manager will.
[2:52:49] I wouldn't love that.
[2:52:51] I guess what I'm trying to ask
is Councilmember Gardner's has
[2:52:53] some of the same parameters,
[2:52:55] um, that you set forth in yours.
[2:52:57] Um, he put some
safeguards in there.
[2:52:59] I'm just trying to figure out
from your perspective what is a
[2:53:02] little bit different about
yours compared to what we're
[2:53:05] seeing on Council
Member Gardner's mayor?
[2:53:07] So it's this is not to the
[2:53:10] question of
continuing the motion.
[2:53:12] Correct. Okay.
[2:53:13] It's not germane.
[2:53:14] The question is not germane
[2:53:17] to further discussion.
[2:53:19] Further discussion
to the motion.
[2:53:21] Mayor.
[2:53:22] Um. Councilmember Bergen.
[2:53:25] It didn't go to.
[2:53:25] Study session to begin with.
[2:53:27] So why are we going to have
it go to the study session now
[2:53:29] after we've had all
this communication?
[2:53:32] I'm a no.
[2:53:33] Well. Mayor.
[2:53:34] Mayor.
[2:53:35] Mayor, I.
[2:53:36] Believe.
[2:53:37] A question.
[2:53:37] Kurtis Gardner.
[2:53:38] Did your resolution go to, um,
[2:53:41] a policy committee
or study session?
[2:53:47] But this would go to this.
[2:53:49] This would go to this.
[2:53:49] This one will go to the
study if this motion passes.
[2:53:52] Right. Yeah.
[2:53:53] Correct.
[2:53:54] This did not go to a policy
committee or study session.
[2:53:57] Okay.
[2:53:57] Thank you for that
clarification.
[2:53:59] I also believe it up to
Council member Wiles.
[2:54:03] Uh, there's a lot of
accusations thrown, and we're
[2:54:06] hearing, you know, very solidly
from one side and perspective.
[2:54:11] So I don't know, council member
[2:54:12] Wiles, if you'd you
want to say your.
[2:54:14] Piece.
[2:54:14] To the motion.
[2:54:15] We're going to stay
with the motion here.
[2:54:17] Okay. Further discussion.
[2:54:21] Seeing none call
for the question.
[2:54:23] Uh, on the motion to to send
it to study session continue.
[2:54:28] 1186 to study session on
August 24th, which is the next
[2:54:32] regularly scheduled
council meeting.
[2:54:33] Okay.
[2:54:37] Mayor Kaufman.
[2:54:41] Um.
[2:54:44] Um. Mayor.
[2:54:45] Race. No.
[2:54:47] Council member.
[2:54:48] Jackson.
[2:54:51] Council member.
[2:54:51] Votes. Yes.
[2:54:55] The motion does not pass
with five yes votes.
[2:54:58] Six no votes.
[2:54:59] To continue the item to the
August 24th study session.
[2:55:03] About now or to
the motion itself.
[2:55:05] Original motion.
[2:55:07] So there is no original motion.
[2:55:09] Uh, mayor.
[2:55:10] Uh, sorry.
[2:55:11] Yeah. So, uh, the next step, if
council wants to hear from it,
[2:55:15] would be a brief presentation
by Mr. Batchelor, because that
[2:55:18] was what happened.
[2:55:19] Okay.
[2:55:19] And then we would go
into a regular motion.
[2:55:21] Presentation by staff.
[2:55:24] Thank you.
[2:55:24] So as I indicated in one
of the earlier responses.
[2:55:27] Staff is interpreting this, um,
to be in terms of that timeline
[2:55:32] that we would need to bring
those items back to all of
[2:55:36] council at study session.
[2:55:38] Um, and so I do think I would
request a slight amendment to
[2:55:43] this, uh, from the
sponsor, it says 30 days.
[2:55:47] Um, I'd like to spread
this out over two meetings.
[2:55:50] Um, so if we could get to 35
days, that allows us to get to
[2:55:53] the first meeting in September.
[2:55:55] Um, given the breadth of topics
here, I think we could bring
[2:55:57] the evaporative cooling and
some of the basic zoning
[2:55:59] questions to the second meeting
in August, and then we would
[2:56:03] come back to the first meeting
in September with a discussion
[2:56:08] of setbacks screening the
other items noted in here.
[2:56:12] So I think that is
staff's preference.
[2:56:14] Um, if it if it
stays at 30 days.
[2:56:17] That gives us one meeting and
we'd have to bring everything
[2:56:20] to the to the next
meeting in two weeks.
[2:56:21] So that's a request from staff.
[2:56:25] And then as I indicated
[2:56:26] earlier, the water
item can move.
[2:56:29] Assuming there's consensus, it
can move directly forward to
[2:56:33] the council meeting.
[2:56:35] Anything that as in the Udo
per code Planning and Zoning
[2:56:39] Commission needs to weigh
in with the recommendation.
[2:56:41] So we would get it scheduled
in, um, with the planning and
[2:56:45] Zoning Commission to make a
recommendation, and we would
[2:56:47] bring that forward
with the first reading.
[2:56:49] And then that would also give
us time to do the appropriate
[2:56:51] public notices for the
[2:56:53] introduction of
those ordinances.
[2:56:56] Very well.
[2:56:56] Um.
[2:56:59] For the discussion.
[2:57:00] Mayor.
[2:57:01] Uh, Councilmember Wilson.
[2:57:02] I just have a question.
[2:57:03] For the city, for Pete,
about section two.
[2:57:06] I know that when we wrote
mine, there were some specific
[2:57:10] language we had to use.
[2:57:11] So I'm just curious.
[2:57:14] Is section two like
[2:57:17] correct based on some of
the discussions we had?
[2:57:20] Is it like legally defensible
I guess, or I don't know.
[2:57:24] Just because based on
discussions we had repeatedly
[2:57:27] about mine.
[2:57:28] Yeah.
[2:57:29] We awarded a certain way.
[2:57:30] That's a good question.
[2:57:31] What I would tell you is I
would recommend that if council
[2:57:34] is is supposed to pass this
resolution that we move, we
[2:57:36] remove section two altogether
because this is a resolution
[2:57:40] and not an ordinance.
[2:57:42] Any changes to the code that
come before a data center
[2:57:46] application is final?
[2:57:47] There's a site plan.
[2:57:49] Everything else will be
affected by any code changes
[2:57:52] council brings forward.
[2:57:53] So unless otherwise addressed.
[2:57:55] Unless otherwise addressed.
[2:57:56] Right. But I just
want to be clear.
[2:57:57] I don't want that.
[2:57:58] I don't want section two to
as I'm reading it, and I don't
[2:58:01] want it to send any false
promises to anybody out there,
[2:58:04] any developers that are looking
to do a data center that they
[2:58:07] that they shall apply
if they have not filed a
[2:58:10] pre-application meeting?
[2:58:11] Filing a pre-application
meeting doesn't doesn't mean
[2:58:13] that there they put a stop gap
into this is the code that I've
[2:58:16] got to comply with today.
[2:58:18] If it changes before they
get their application in and
[2:58:20] submitted and approved any
future changes by the City
[2:58:24] Council under the Udo.
[2:58:25] And correct me if I'm wrong,
Deputy City Attorney Alan, um,
[2:58:28] would apply to the data centers
that are that are forthcoming.
[2:58:32] So I just want to make
sure that's clear.
[2:58:33] I would ask Council if you're
going to pass a resolution to
[2:58:35] remove section two.
[2:58:37] Is that correct?
[2:58:37] Rachel.
[2:58:38] That's correct.
[2:58:40] Mayor.
[2:58:41] Mayor Pro.
[2:58:42] Tem.
[2:58:42] Well, there's no
motion on the board.
[2:58:44] Well, I do have just a question
about the legal component then,
[2:58:47] because my understanding was
that section two was there to
[2:58:51] kind of assure counsel that
people can't just hop in line
[2:58:56] to hold their spot for
the current regulations.
[2:59:00] So if someone were to file
before we adopt all of the
[2:59:06] regulations, then it would be
[2:59:09] considered legislating
retroactively.
[2:59:11] If we tried to apply those
regulations to an application
[2:59:15] that was already in the
process at that time.
[2:59:17] If an application has been
filed but a pre-application
[2:59:20] meeting does not mean an
application is filed, it is
[2:59:23] meeting with staff to make
sure that they have all the
[2:59:25] requirements that they need to
[2:59:26] plan to get their
application done.
[2:59:29] They do have their application
submitted and they submitted it
[2:59:32] into the current code before
[2:59:33] those ordinances go into effect.
[2:59:35] Yes. Then they would be subject
to the code at the time that
[2:59:38] they submitted the application.
[2:59:39] But the way this is written
with a pre-application meeting,
[2:59:42] it would say that that doesn't
give anybody any safeguards
[2:59:45] because they don't have
an application on file.
[2:59:47] Okay. So just to clarify,
if we pass this resolution
[2:59:55] Anyone can still submit a data
center application under our
[3:00:00] current code, all the way up
until we've actually passed the
[3:00:05] subsequent codes.
[3:00:06] Correct. There is no moratorium
[3:00:08] language in this
particular resolution.
[3:00:09] There is no, um,
halting of applications.
[3:00:13] If somebody if a developer
is able to get a completed
[3:00:16] application submitted
and accepted by the city.
[3:00:19] And that's another key word
that we're talking about under
[3:00:22] 1185 accepted by the city,
which means water compliance,
[3:00:27] electric, all those things
that we require, um, if they're
[3:00:30] required in the application
[3:00:31] process, then yes,
they would be.
[3:00:33] They would rush to, to work
[3:00:36] away from any
changes in the code.
[3:00:38] Again, we've heard from both
discussions that these are not
[3:00:42] just file a single sheet of
paper and get your application.
[3:00:45] And they're very you've got to
make sure you have land that
[3:00:47] you either own or have a,
uh, have a right to build on.
[3:00:51] You have to have a site plan.
[3:00:52] You have to have, Um, you know,
[3:00:55] meeting any master
plan requirements.
[3:00:57] So again, I think that's one of
the reasons why I won't speak
[3:01:00] for Council Member Gardner
if he wants to speak up.
[3:01:02] I think that's one of the
reasons why he had put the 30
[3:01:03] or 35 days into the resolution,
as he wanted to get these
[3:01:07] things put in place quickly,
because the reality is, is,
[3:01:10] under my understanding, from
the legal side, the ability to
[3:01:13] get a data center completed
application to the city is
[3:01:17] going to take a lot longer
than 60 days, which would give
[3:01:20] council time to do what they
want to do with the Udo, which
[3:01:23] is why I think Councilmember
[3:01:24] Gardner put the
30 days in there.
[3:01:27] Do we have a motion?
[3:01:28] Um, Councilmember Berger,
[3:01:32] um.
[3:01:33] Make a motion.
[3:01:33] You want to make the motion?
[3:01:34] Yeah, we want to make a motion.
[3:01:36] Okay. Um, I,
[3:01:38] I think staff offered
some amendments.
[3:01:41] Um,
[3:01:43] uh, let me offer one amendment
[3:01:45] first and that by
the city manager.
[3:01:47] Well, let's get a motion first.
[3:01:49] Okay. Um, motion is in order.
[3:01:52] Mayor. Motion to approve 1186.
[3:01:54] It's been moved by
Councilmember Garner.
[3:01:56] Second by second by
[3:01:58] Councilmember
Hancock to approve.
[3:02:00] Um,
[3:02:02] okay. All right.
[3:02:04] Okay. Um.
[3:02:06] So no.
[3:02:06] Amendments. Approve 1186
[3:02:09] amendments.
[3:02:12] Wait, don't we need a motion?
[3:02:13] It is.
[3:02:13] Moved. Okay.
[3:02:14] Um. Sorry.
[3:02:16] Uh, yes.
[3:02:18] So,
[3:02:21] Councilmember Gardner, as
friendly amendments, the 35
[3:02:24] days requested by staff and
the striking of section two.
[3:02:31] I'll accept those as
friendly amendments.
[3:02:34] Okay. Very well.
[3:02:35] Um, okay.
[3:02:37] So now.
[3:02:38] So now the resolution your
mayor eliminated six is section
[3:02:41] two is stricken.
[3:02:42] And then it does give the city
manager 35 days to bring the
[3:02:46] ordinances forward.
[3:02:46] Okay. And we don't
have to vote on that.
[3:02:48] It's friendly.
[3:02:49] It's friendly.
[3:02:50] Yeah. Okay.
[3:02:50] So. Okay.
[3:02:52] Um. Further discussion.
[3:02:54] Mayor.
[3:02:56] I have.
[3:02:56] A.
[3:02:57] Council member.
[3:02:58] I'm sorry.
[3:02:58] And then Mayor pro tem.
[3:03:01] Councilmember Burton.
[3:03:02] Well, I just wanted to talk
about the actual resolution,
[3:03:07] but I'll wait until at 5
[3:03:09] million other
amendments are made.
[3:03:11] To the resolution, as amended.
[3:03:15] Mayor.
[3:03:16] Mayor pro tem.
[3:03:17] So I do have an
additional amendment.
[3:03:20] Um, and that is to section B.
[3:03:26] Um, one of the items that
Councilmember Wiles included in
[3:03:32] her resolution that's not
included here, that was
[3:03:35] specifically requested by staff
[3:03:37] as a topic that
council should discuss.
[3:03:40] And to be clear, that's what
section one entails is not what
[3:03:44] we're going to do, but what we
need to discuss is special or
[3:03:48] conditional use permits
within the zoning.
[3:03:51] So I would like to amend
section B to include a special
[3:03:58] or conditional use
permits after a.
[3:04:04] Um.
[3:04:08] A p zone.
[3:04:09] Districts.
[3:04:10] Okay. If I could ask this.
[3:04:12] Sorry.
[3:04:13] No. I'm sorry.
[3:04:13] It's a little bit weird.
[3:04:14] These I did not plan, so
I'm trying to figure out.
[3:04:16] How to navigate on
the fly, trying.
[3:04:18] To establish a special or
conditional use permit.
[3:04:23] So that'll go before setbacks
and landscape buffers.
[3:04:26] Let me.
[3:04:27] If I could just ask a quick
question, the city attorney
[3:04:29] about that and that section
C says address any additional
[3:04:35] issues as may be deemed
necessary and appropriate by
[3:04:39] the city manager that are not
[3:04:41] inconsistent with
the resolution.
[3:04:42] Okay. That says by
the city manager.
[3:04:44] Sure.
[3:04:44] Correct. So this could be if
the city manager could state
[3:04:47] that conditional use permits.
[3:04:49] Jason, I would say that you
would find that, uh, as a as an
[3:04:54] interesting as a required
thing to talk about.
[3:04:56] Is that fair?
[3:04:57] Yes, I think I think
we've heard that.
[3:04:59] I think there's a couple other
things that we will bring
[3:05:01] forward to study session for,
um, discussion and direction.
[3:05:04] Okay.
[3:05:05] Is that accept your.
[3:05:07] Okay. So that covers, I think,
what Mayor Pro tem was going to
[3:05:11] ask to be included.
[3:05:12] Okay. So we're not going
forward with an amendment.
[3:05:14] Another amendment.
[3:05:15] Okay. Um.
[3:05:17] Further discussion.
[3:05:19] Seeing none, call for the mayor.
[3:05:21] I'm sorry,
Councilmember Gardner.
[3:05:23] Thanks, mayor.
[3:05:24] Um, yeah.
[3:05:25] So a couple of things I
just want to follow up on.
[3:05:28] Um, you know, I think I'm glad
to see that there seems to be
[3:05:33] general consensus on this
council, uh, in terms of
[3:05:36] addressing this issue.
[3:05:37] Um, you know, I'm not going to
[3:05:38] rehash the process
issues, though.
[3:05:40] I wish the process
issues has been followed.
[3:05:43] At this point.
[3:05:43] I'd prefer to not have policy
committees since we don't use
[3:05:46] them anyways.
[3:05:47] Um, you know, I do want to
thank Council member Wiles for
[3:05:50] her work on this because I know
[3:05:51] she's done a lot
of work on this.
[3:05:53] Um, I, you know, and I will say
I resent the implication from
[3:05:57] some of my other colleagues
that I didn't and I don't know
[3:06:00] what I'm talking about
and haven't done the work.
[3:06:02] Um, because that was said a
couple times tonight, which is
[3:06:05] is rather offensive.
[3:06:06] Um, but that's fine.
[3:06:08] That's politics.
[3:06:09] Um, you know, I think in
general, I'm looking forward to
[3:06:12] coming up with some appropriate
safeguards to ensure that we
[3:06:16] protect both our residents and
also ensure that Aurora stays a
[3:06:19] business friendly city.
[3:06:20] We have consistently over the
last several months, and with
[3:06:24] more to come, done things
to create uncertainty for
[3:06:28] businesses that
operate in our city.
[3:06:29] And, you know, some people
would say, well, those are just
[3:06:32] businesses we don't want here.
[3:06:33] But the thing businesses
don't want is uncertainty.
[3:06:35] They want to operate within
a certain environment.
[3:06:38] Uh, and they don't want they
can handle regulation, but they
[3:06:41] can't handle this uncertainty.
[3:06:42] and at a certain point, we can
run off all the businesses that
[3:06:45] we don't want here, and we're
going to be left finding that
[3:06:48] no businesses want to come
here because they realize that
[3:06:50] Aurora changes the
rules midstream.
[3:06:52] And so, you know, I think we'll
be able to come up with some
[3:06:56] safeguards that both protect
our residents and that the data
[3:06:59] center community can live with.
[3:07:02] I've had a lot of conversations
with those folks, and I think
[3:07:05] there's some reasonable things
that we can come up with.
[3:07:07] We are in a different situation
than some of our neighboring
[3:07:10] communities that have
put moratoriums in place.
[3:07:12] We don't allow data centers in
residential areas, for example.
[3:07:15] And so, um, you know, my
hope is that going forward,
[3:07:18] Councilmember Wildes and I can
work together on some of these
[3:07:21] issues because I think there is
a lot of common ground, and I
[3:07:25] hope the rest of this council
can can agree with some of the
[3:07:27] things we're able
to come up with.
[3:07:30] Mayor.
[3:07:31] Councilmember Burger.
[3:07:33] Yeah, I just want to say that
really, we should be we should
[3:07:37] ensure that any business that
wants to locate in our city is
[3:07:41] compatible with zoning, water
use restrictions and other
[3:07:44] environmental concerns.
[3:07:46] But this started out as a
moratorium, and a lot of these
[3:07:51] businesses have already
invested millions of dollars in
[3:07:53] choosing to locate in our city.
[3:07:55] So it's not.
[3:07:56] It's a really poor
business practice.
[3:07:58] As Councilmember Gardner just
[3:08:00] alluded to in terms
of predictability.
[3:08:02] And you don't have a business
invest time and money, um,
[3:08:05] after meeting our zoning
and understanding of our
[3:08:08] entitlement process and then
change the rules also, um, you
[3:08:12] know, there's other businesses
that also, um, could impact
[3:08:16] our, our different
residential areas.
[3:08:19] So not just data centers.
[3:08:21] And we can change the Udo.
[3:08:23] Obviously, we're going to
do this with this with this
[3:08:25] particular resolution.
[3:08:27] It could have gone to PD with
[3:08:29] those kind of changes
to begin with.
[3:08:31] Um, we could have setback
setbacks, noise mitigation.
[3:08:35] Um, as mentioned also earlier,
[3:08:37] we have that large
water user guide.
[3:08:39] We're going to make it formal
in terms of specifically to the
[3:08:44] closing system, but we don't
currently allow any of the data
[3:08:48] centers to come into the city
[3:08:50] that don't have a
closed loop system.
[3:08:53] Um, investments are not only to
our city, but very significant
[3:08:59] investments to our county
and to our school districts.
[3:09:02] And by the way, those do
actually reduce our tax burden
[3:09:06] and support our city for all
the resources that we provide
[3:09:10] to our to our, um, to our
residents, um, investments
[3:09:14] range from several million
dollars to over $2 billion in
[3:09:17] property taxes, city use taxes,
construction jobs, and other
[3:09:22] high paying permanent
jobs and infrastructure.
[3:09:25] And you can ask
pipefitters local to 208.
[3:09:29] Um, they actually wrote an
email to us, a letter that was
[3:09:32] provided that they were against
a moratorium and that they, um,
[3:09:37] actually were, um, touting how
many high paying jobs with the
[3:09:42] skilled labor that this, that
these data centers provide.
[3:09:46] Um, and just as an example,
we already have one built data
[3:09:49] center alone that is
contributing $1.1 million to
[3:09:53] Aurora Public School District.
[3:09:54] Another one is paying $2
million to our public schools.
[3:09:58] Others are in the planning
stages and are projected to add
[3:10:01] at least $86 million.
[3:10:03] That's just to our city.
[3:10:05] So this helps create a
stable, long term tax base.
[3:10:09] And reliance on retail sales,
as we know, is unpredictable as
[3:10:13] the economy fluctuates.
[3:10:15] So this actually does
help secure our future.
[3:10:18] And we can mitigate all those
[3:10:20] other concerns that
are valid concerns.
[3:10:23] Creating clear standards is
desirable, and I certainly
[3:10:26] support making those changes.
[3:10:28] And so anyway I am in
support of this resolution.
[3:10:33] Thank you.
[3:10:37] Further discussion.
[3:10:38] Mayor.
[3:10:39] Mayor pro tem.
[3:10:40] So the work that's being
directed by this resolution.
[3:10:45] Absent a moratorium,
is already happening.
[3:10:48] It's the work that the city
manager and council member
[3:10:51] Wiles and city staff
have already been doing.
[3:10:55] This moratorium was
presented as and ah.
[3:10:58] This resolution was presented
[3:10:59] as an alternative
to a moratorium.
[3:11:02] We don't actually need to
do this to do the work.
[3:11:05] The work is already happening.
[3:11:07] Um, and so in my view, because
this was proposed at the last
[3:11:14] minute for the purpose
of simply heading off a
[3:11:17] moratorium, there's
no need to support it.
[3:11:19] Staff can just keep doing
the work they've been doing.
[3:11:22] I strongly disagree, I think
that I mean, this brings it
[3:11:25] before city council, this
brings it before the public.
[3:11:28] What you're talking about is
individual discussions with
[3:11:31] with staff.
[3:11:32] I mean, I think the public
needs to be involved in this,
[3:11:35] and this is one way the way
this is currently written is
[3:11:39] that it brings it to a public
hearing at the study session,
[3:11:44] where we'll have a presentation
by staff and where we'll be
[3:11:47] able to have a debate about
[3:11:49] what direction
we're going to take.
[3:11:51] I think that I think that the
discussion seems to be that
[3:11:56] that everybody's mind is
[3:11:57] already made up
and that it's done.
[3:12:00] It's not done.
[3:12:01] This is just the
beginning of the process.
[3:12:03] But I think it needs
to be a public process.
[3:12:05] And so this needs to pass.
[3:12:06] Mayor.
[3:12:07] Mayor Pro.
[3:12:08] Tem.
[3:12:08] We've already had
the public comment.
[3:12:10] And what they said is they
[3:12:11] would like a
moratorium or a ban.
[3:12:13] And that's not what
[3:12:14] Councilmember Wiles
is bringing forward.
[3:12:17] Um, what Councilmember Wiles
is bringing forward is a set of
[3:12:22] thoughtful regulations, which
she's already put months into
[3:12:26] working on, and which if staff
can bring them forward in 30 to
[3:12:30] 35 days.
[3:12:31] It's because they
already did the work.
[3:12:33] So I just.
[3:12:34] Yeah, I don't think
that this is necessary.
[3:12:38] It exists for the purpose of
giving people something to say.
[3:12:43] They did.
[3:12:43] That's not a moratorium.
[3:12:45] It's an important deadline.
[3:12:47] Councilmember Hancock,
[3:12:49] uh, motion by Councilmember
[3:12:52] Hancock to call
for the question.
[3:12:53] Mayor.
[3:12:53] Second.
[3:12:54] Second. By Councilmember Lawson.
[3:12:56] Non debatable motion.
[3:12:58] Call for the question.
[3:13:00] Oh, we have to.
[3:13:01] We have to wait to vote.
[3:13:02] We have to vote on
that two thirds.
[3:13:03] Yep.
[3:13:05] Call for the question on the
[3:13:06] motion to call for the question.
[3:13:09] Mayor. Kaufman.
[3:13:10] Mayor.
[3:13:15] Council member.
[3:13:16] Jackson.
[3:13:17] Council member.
[3:13:18] Proudly votes no.
[3:13:22] The motion passes with seven
yes votes for no votes from
[3:13:26] Mayor Pro Tem Coombs, Gardner,
Jackson and Medina to end the
[3:13:30] debate and vote on the motion.
[3:13:33] Okay. Just to be clear for all
council, what you're voting on
[3:13:38] is to changing.
[3:13:39] It's 1186 as in the packet
with two amendments.
[3:13:42] One is striking section two,
and the other one is changing
[3:13:45] the dates from the days from
30 days to 35 days for the city
[3:13:49] manager to be able to
bring ordinances forward.
[3:13:53] Go over the question.
[3:14:05] Councilmember Jackson.
[3:14:09] Votes.
[3:14:11] The motion passes with seven
yes votes, three no votes from
[3:14:14] mayor Pro Tem, Council Member
Jackson and Council Member
[3:14:17] Medina to adopt item
1186, as amended.
[3:14:23] 15 A for the clerk.
[3:14:25] Now read the title of 14 a.
[3:14:27] Item 14 a Finalizing of
Ordinance 2020 641 submitting
[3:14:32] to a vote of the registered
electors of the city of Aurora,
[3:14:34] Colorado, at a coordinated
election on November 3rd, 2026.
[3:14:37] A proposed amendment to section
four of article two of the City
[3:14:40] Charter concerning municipal
elections to direct that
[3:14:43] regular municipal election
shall be held in even numbered
[3:14:45] years, and proposed amendments
to section five of article
[3:14:48] three to provide for one time
shortened terms of office to
[3:14:51] facilitate the transition to
regular elections occurring in
[3:14:54] even numbered years.
[3:14:55] And may or we do have
individuals who would like to
[3:14:57] speak on this item.
[3:15:00] From the public.
[3:15:01] First.
[3:15:02] First person.
[3:15:03] Anybody wish to
be heard on this?
[3:15:04] Yes.
[3:15:06] The first person is Antti
[3:15:07] Anderson, followed
by Hashim Coates.
[3:15:21] Rest of the council.
[3:15:24] And I know you like to troll
[3:15:25] people back, so
my name is Antti.
[3:15:27] So just a heads up when
you want to troll me back.
[3:15:30] Um, definitely support passing
this, uh, and sending this to
[3:15:34] the voters, because this is
a prime example of why there
[3:15:37] needs to be more participation
in city government.
[3:15:39] And having even your elections
will make sure that we don't
[3:15:42] have certain members on
the city council anymore.
[3:15:44] And I am so thrilled
about that day.
[3:15:47] Just remember the feeling in
Aurora when we all woke up and
[3:15:50] heard Daniel was sent home.
[3:15:54] Not only was she sent home, she
barely got into third place.
[3:15:58] So so many voters of the
city did not want her.
[3:16:00] That was such a beautiful
day for the city of Aurora.
[3:16:03] Such a beautiful day.
[3:16:05] And if you can only imagine the
party we had when Danielle was
[3:16:09] kicked out of office.
[3:16:10] What type of party do you think
we're going to have when y'all
[3:16:15] Francois Lawson, uh, Curtis
and Stephanie, when y'all when
[3:16:21] y'all are gone, it's going
to be Juneteenth level
[3:16:24] celebrations, like in
the street partying.
[3:16:27] Actually, let me give this
more to a black focus.
[3:16:30] Can't you feel a
brand new day when.
[3:16:32] When the Wicked Witch of the
West was finally melted in the
[3:16:37] in that pot, when Dorothy threw
that water and everybody came
[3:16:40] about, they they costumes.
[3:16:42] And then it was just
a whole brand new day.
[3:16:46] Brand new day.
[3:16:47] That is going to be what it
feels like when there's more
[3:16:50] voter participation, because
then we won't have to have
[3:16:53] these conversations around.
[3:16:55] Oh, I second this, and I want
to call for the question here,
[3:16:59] and I don't want to hear the
debate, and I want to bring a
[3:17:03] competing resolution with my
colleagues, or even if I want
[3:17:06] to vote in the minority, I am
not going to have anybody else
[3:17:09] with me to vote, because I
don't have MAGA Republicans and
[3:17:12] MAGA donors helping me out.
[3:17:13] No, more like it's going to be
[3:17:14] such a brand new
day, I can't wait.
[3:17:20] I can't wait.
[3:17:21] It's going to feel like Obama
getting elected in 2008.
[3:17:25] It's going to feel like when
Joe Biden dropped out of the
[3:17:27] presidential race and they said
Kamala Harris was taken on the
[3:17:31] top of the ticket, it's going
to feel, oh, it's going.
[3:17:35] This is the day that
the Lord has made.
[3:17:37] Let us rejoice in the
end and be glad in it.
[3:17:39] That's the type of energy it's
going to feel like Jesus came
[3:17:42] back again in 2026.
[3:17:45] It's like we're going to all
[3:17:46] watch the stone
roll away together.
[3:17:50] I am so excited for this
resolution, or this ordinance,
[3:17:54] or this vote to the people so
[3:17:56] that they can have
this decision.
[3:17:58] Because when the people
[3:17:59] participate, they don't
elect Republicans.
[3:18:03] When the majority of your
voters participate, you get to
[3:18:06] go home.
[3:18:07] You don't gotta sit here and
listen to me talk to you for
[3:18:10] three minutes on every
single item on your agenda.
[3:18:13] You get to be at home.
[3:18:15] Watch your Tyler
Perry soap operas.
[3:18:16] I don't know, but I can't wait
[3:18:18] for the brand new
day, so vote yes!
[3:18:21] Hashim Coats, followed
by Kristen Mallory.
[3:18:25] Vote yes on.
[3:18:25] What?
[3:18:27] No, it's.
[3:18:32] Not your vote, but
it does require hot.
[3:18:34] Mike's hot.
[3:18:35] My hot mix.
[3:18:37] Oh.
[3:18:38] Did you say.
[3:18:39] Hot?
[3:18:40] Hot mix.
[3:18:42] Oh, listen.
[3:18:44] There's.
[3:18:56] There's a very simple
democratic principle behind
[3:18:58] this conversation.
[3:19:00] More people voting is better
than fewer people voting.
[3:19:03] And on this question, the
research is remarkably clear.
[3:19:08] Peer reviewed studies A study
published in the American
[3:19:11] Political Science Review
found that putting municipal
[3:19:15] elections on the same cycle As
state and federal elections can
[3:19:19] roughly double local voter
participation, it is also found
[3:19:23] that the resulting electorate
becomes more responsive or,
[3:19:28] excuse me, more represented
by race, age, and partnership.
[3:19:32] That matters in Aurora because
research consistently shows
[3:19:35] that low turnout, off
cycle municipal elections
[3:19:38] disproportionately elevate
[3:19:40] older, wealthier,
whiter electorates.
[3:19:43] Younger voters and communities
of color are more likely to
[3:19:48] disappear from the electorate
when local elections are
[3:19:51] isolated from major
election cycles.
[3:19:54] And we've seen the turnout
difference right here in
[3:19:57] Aurora, Arapahoe County, where
our state representatives are
[3:20:01] all Democrat.
[3:20:03] Turns out about 39%
[3:20:06] in the in the 2020.
[3:20:09] Excuse me in 2003, odd year
election in the 2024 general
[3:20:12] election is appropriate.
[3:20:13] Approximately 76%.
[3:20:16] If moving the election allows
10,000 tens of thousands more
[3:20:20] residents to participate in
choosing the people who decide
[3:20:23] policy, housing,
transportation, development and
[3:20:25] water and how their tax dollars
[3:20:27] are spent and deserve
serious consideration.
[3:20:30] So be it.
[3:20:31] And there's something here for
progressives, conservatives,
[3:20:34] Democrats, Republicans
and unaffiliated voters.
[3:20:37] Aurora races would definitely
remain nonpartisan.
[3:20:41] But also what this does is it
allows Republicans to see who
[3:20:45] their true candidates are,
because they would line up with
[3:20:48] the people that are Republican
on the ticket with the
[3:20:51] affiliated races.
[3:20:53] That way, we won't have to
worry about being lied to.
[3:20:56] Who's progressive, who's not
progressive, who's unaffiliated
[3:21:01] when they were a Republican
throughout the Obama years.
[3:21:04] Um, to what they are now.
[3:21:09] Um, so moving to municipal
elections, to achieving your
[3:21:11] election gives voters more
opportunity, and it lets us be
[3:21:16] able to distinguish the MAGA
trash for what it really is,
[3:21:19] for those that will sell out
their own kind for what they
[3:21:23] really are.
[3:21:29] There are political benefits to
this because it will also free
[3:21:34] up some media time.
[3:21:36] We don't have to worry about
[3:21:38] seeing these election
ads every year.
[3:21:41] Um, I cannot get up here and
say that it would drop the
[3:21:44] reduce and spending
and all that.
[3:21:46] That happens because it
would probably be more.
[3:21:48] But if we get the turnout that
is here, it will let them know
[3:21:51] that this market is not
up for sale anymore.
[3:21:54] So I encourage a
yes vote on this.
[3:21:59] Kristen Mallory followed
by Juan Marcano.
[3:22:09] Hello, everyone.
[3:22:10] Kristen Mallory Ward three.
[3:22:12] I also serve on apps and I run
on an off year election cycle.
[3:22:16] So very selfishly, I would like
you guys to move off of our
[3:22:19] election cycle so that all you
[3:22:22] can, all the voters
vote on is apps.
[3:22:26] Uh, on odd years.
[3:22:28] Um, I also want to just say
it's even though you hear from
[3:22:34] the same group of us week after
week, I would kill to have this
[3:22:37] type of participation at APS
meetings when we're talking
[3:22:41] about reading and resources for
our kids, because we don't have
[3:22:46] people who show up and talk to
us about the things that we're,
[3:22:49] uh, we're voting on.
[3:22:52] And so I find it kind of
refreshing that you have so
[3:22:54] much, uh, so much
participation in your meetings.
[3:22:59] And, uh, I don't think you
should take that for granted,
[3:23:02] but Hashem already laid out all
the reasons why this makes good
[3:23:08] sense And to increase
the electorate
[3:23:13] will probably change
the election results.
[3:23:16] Some of you shouldn't
probably like that very much.
[3:23:20] Um, but those of you who would
benefit from a greater turnout
[3:23:25] should think about that.
[3:23:27] I also want to say
congratulations to Ali, who was
[3:23:31] very thoughtful in how she went
about, uh, changing the term
[3:23:37] limits and changing when you
guys would get elected so that
[3:23:40] it didn't extend but
shortened your terms.
[3:23:43] I thought that was
very thoughtful.
[3:23:45] And again, this is another
situation where what is being
[3:23:50] put in front of you
is good governance.
[3:23:53] I hope that matters.
[3:23:54] After the last couple of things
we've heard, I don't know that
[3:23:57] it does.
[3:23:57] But all that to say, uh, this
is something that we've been
[3:24:01] dreaming of for a long time, it
would be great to see it come
[3:24:05] to fruition.
[3:24:05] So vote your conscience and
hopefully our values align.
[3:24:10] Thank you.
[3:24:11] Juan Marcano.
[3:24:24] Good evening again.
[3:24:25] I'm still Juan Marcano.
[3:24:27] I'm still award for resident.
[3:24:29] I want to once again thank
council member Ali Jackson for
[3:24:32] sponsoring this ordinance.
[3:24:34] In an era where our democracy
[3:24:36] is under attack at
the federal level.
[3:24:38] Strengthening our local
democracy is more important now
[3:24:41] than ever.
[3:24:43] Moving our elections to even
years will greatly bolster
[3:24:45] participation in our
municipal elections.
[3:24:48] It will finally put a spotlight
on what I believe is the most
[3:24:51] important level of government.
[3:24:52] And that's something that all
[3:24:53] of y'all should
want to have happen.
[3:24:55] Every municipality that has
done this across the country
[3:24:57] has seen a dramatic
boost in voter turnout.
[3:25:00] Not only that, the ballot
drop off that I've heard some
[3:25:03] concerns from y'all about,
especially in the past when I
[3:25:05] was on the other side of
that dais does not happen.
[3:25:09] In fact, Parker and Castle
Rock, two of our neighbors to
[3:25:12] the south.
[3:25:13] They've actually had years
where more people voted for
[3:25:16] mayor and city council
than voted for president.
[3:25:18] So they left the top of that
ballot blank, and then they
[3:25:21] went to the next page and
voted for their council.
[3:25:23] I think that's really cool.
[3:25:25] I want the whole ballot
to be filled, to be clear.
[3:25:27] But, you know, still and I want
to give you all a couple of
[3:25:30] other national examples too,
[3:25:31] because this is not
a local phenomenon.
[3:25:33] Baltimore, they went from 13%
turnout in mayor in 2011, which
[3:25:38] is when their elections were
at the top of the ballot.
[3:25:41] They went to 55% in 2016, 2020
and 24 during presidential
[3:25:47] years when they were on
the back of the ballot.
[3:25:50] San Francisco used to do
about 36% turnout for mayor.
[3:25:53] For example, in 2019 they went
to 76% turnout in 2024, despite
[3:25:59] the mayoral race going to
the 10th slot on the ballot.
[3:26:02] And that's below school board
and they're on their ballot.
[3:26:05] Right. And El Paso, Texas.
[3:26:08] They went from 8%, 8% turnout
in 2017 to 55% in 2020.
[3:26:16] And one thing that's really
interesting here, the last race
[3:26:19] on their ballot is actually
municipal judicial seat.
[3:26:22] Those are elected positions.
[3:26:23] They're here.
[3:26:23] I know we all appoint them.
[3:26:25] They received 660%
[3:26:28] more votes.
[3:26:29] By putting that on
the even year ballot.
[3:26:32] So the additional benefit of
this change is that it's also
[3:26:35] going to foster much
better intergovernmental
[3:26:37] collaboration, because we're
going to have municipal,
[3:26:40] county, state and federal
races on the same ballot.
[3:26:43] That means that folks,
candidates who are running for
[3:26:46] office, they're going to begin
to develop relationships sooner
[3:26:50] on the campaign trail.
[3:26:51] They're going to probably
knock doors together.
[3:26:53] They're going to hear from
voters, and they're going to be
[3:26:55] able to work together to craft
and prioritize policy in unison
[3:26:59] to address the needs of
their constituencies.
[3:27:01] This should be a
unanimous yes vote, y'all.
[3:27:03] This is a capital G
good governance reform.
[3:27:07] Give us an opportunity to
strengthen their democracy by
[3:27:09] supporting this ordinance.
[3:27:11] Thanks again.
[3:27:14] That was the last
individual motion.
[3:27:18] Motion is in order.
[3:27:21] Mayor. So moved.
[3:27:24] Uh, mayor pro tem.
[3:27:26] I'm sorry.
[3:27:27] Uh, approve.
[3:27:29] Move to approve.
[3:27:29] Thank you.
[3:27:30] 14. Aye.
[3:27:30] Right. 14.
[3:27:31] Aye.
[3:27:31] Okay. Okay.
[3:27:32] Moved by Councilmember Horton.
[3:27:33] And seconded by.
[3:27:35] Combs.
[3:27:36] Seconded by.
[3:27:38] Blood. Jackson.
[3:27:39] Yes. Second by
Councilmember Jackson.
[3:27:41] Discussion.
[3:27:42] Mayor.
[3:27:43] Councilmember. Hancock.
[3:27:45] So, um.
[3:27:48] The beauty of off year
elections is that our cities,
[3:27:52] our candidates, and our local
issues receive the attention
[3:27:55] they deserve.
[3:27:56] Local government should not be
buried beneath the noise, money
[3:28:01] and partisan politics of
a presidential election.
[3:28:04] I'm deeply concerned about
moving municipal elections into
[3:28:07] a presidential election year.
[3:28:09] It's like the canary in the
[3:28:11] coal mine for
something much larger.
[3:28:13] The increasing nationalization
[3:28:15] and participation
of local government.
[3:28:17] Some would argue that this
change is about democracy
[3:28:19] because presidential elected
[3:28:21] elections produce
higher voter turnout.
[3:28:23] But democracy is more than
about simply increasing the
[3:28:27] number of ballots cast.
[3:28:29] It's about an informed
populace, competitive
[3:28:32] elections, accountability, and
ensuring that local voices are
[3:28:36] actually heard.
[3:28:37] Higher turnout should not
automatically be treated as
[3:28:40] justification for
restructuring local elections.
[3:28:43] Candidates running for
municipal office have a
[3:28:46] responsibility to engage their
communities like we did in our
[3:28:50] last elections.
[3:28:51] Knock on doors, communicate
ideas, inspire voters, build
[3:28:56] consensus and work hard to
get those voters to the polls.
[3:29:00] That's what electioneering is.
[3:29:01] That's what we do when
we run for office.
[3:29:03] And then the voters get to
[3:29:05] decide whether they
want us or not.
[3:29:07] Either way, it is
part of the process.
[3:29:10] We should be very cautious
about changes that could allow
[3:29:13] national partisan politics
or ideological agendas to
[3:29:18] overwhelm our non-partisan
municipal elections, regardless
[3:29:22] of which party benefits today,
concentrating political power
[3:29:25] and diminishing meaningful
competition is not healthy, and
[3:29:29] it's not really part of
representative government.
[3:29:31] Local elections belong
to local voters.
[3:29:35] Let's keep the focus on our
communities and our issues and
[3:29:39] the people asking
us to serve them.
[3:29:43] Further discussion.
[3:29:46] Mayor.
[3:29:47] Mayor Pro tem.
[3:29:50] Oh, sorry.
[3:29:51] Um, I'll be quick.
[3:29:54] Um. Competitive elections are
[3:29:58] about more people voting, right?
[3:30:01] If you get more votes than
you've been more successful at
[3:30:05] competing in an election.
[3:30:07] If you get the votes of more
people, um, then you've been
[3:30:11] more competitive.
[3:30:12] It's fairly simple.
[3:30:13] And yes, greater participation
is the hallmark of democracy
[3:30:19] and improvements to democracy.
[3:30:21] That's all.
[3:30:23] Very well.
[3:30:23] I don't think it has worked
well for RTD directors being on
[3:30:28] the general election ballot,
and I find it ironic.
[3:30:31] We had a school board member
from Aurora Public Schools come
[3:30:34] up here and testify for the
proposal for moving Aurora City
[3:30:38] Council to the general election
ballot, but not the Aurora
[3:30:41] School Board.
[3:30:43] Um. Further discussion.
[3:30:46] Mayor.
[3:30:48] Uh.
[3:30:50] Council member.
[3:30:50] Bergen.
[3:30:51] Council member.
[3:30:51] Jackson.
[3:30:52] Jackson.
[3:30:54] Yes. Thank you.
[3:30:55] I just wanted to continue to
say, as the sponsor of this,
[3:30:58] um, ballot initiative, that
I just want to see a greater
[3:31:02] democracy being born and
raised in Aurora, Colorado.
[3:31:04] I think that as we bloom
into a beautiful majority,
[3:31:09] metropolitan, um, pushing
400,000 citizens, we really
[3:31:14] should see, you know, greater
turnout in our elections.
[3:31:19] And so it is nonpartisan and it
[3:31:23] will allow for
coalition building.
[3:31:25] It will allow for voters to get
a break from mailers every year
[3:31:31] to every other year.
[3:31:32] It will give people an
opportunity to hyper focus on
[3:31:38] politics every other year
as opposed to one year.
[3:31:41] And so this is really just
an opportunity to make our
[3:31:45] elections more effective, to
run more smoothly and to give
[3:31:49] everybody a break in between
year, odd, odd years and off
[3:31:54] years when it
comes to elections.
[3:31:58] Further discussion
of seeing none.
[3:32:02] Call for the question.
[3:32:15] The motion passes with six yes
votes for no votes from Council
[3:32:19] member Bergen, Gardner, Hancock
[3:32:20] and Lawson to approve item 14 A.
[3:32:31] Let's see.
[3:32:36] Okay. Reports
Councilmember Andrews.
[3:32:42] Yes, mayor.
[3:32:42] I need to we add a
resignation on the CBC.
[3:32:47] Um,
[3:32:50] From Vida Brown.
[3:32:50] I need to appoint Matthias
Amaru to the board.
[3:32:59] And, Katie, I'll give
you information later on.
[3:33:01] Yes.
[3:33:03] Thank you.
[3:33:07] Okay. Um, Mayor Pro Tem Coombs.
[3:33:09] Thank you.
[3:33:10] Mayor. Um, so a few upcoming
items for folks to keep in mind
[3:33:16] is that this Wednesday, there's
the city council chamber
[3:33:18] accessibility meeting.
[3:33:20] Uh, 530 to 7:30 p.m..
[3:33:23] And that is in the Aurora
room here in City Hall.
[3:33:27] Um, this Saturday the 15th, um,
there will be a town hall on
[3:33:32] the renaming of the
Central Library.
[3:33:36] Um, at 10:30 a.m.
[3:33:38] on Saturday.
[3:33:39] And then on next Thursday,
a housing strategy community
[3:33:44] feedback session at 5:30 p.m.
[3:33:46] at the Central Recreation Center
[3:33:49] and the Central Library.
[3:33:50] Renaming on Saturday
is at Central Library.
[3:33:53] Um, and then just in terms of
recent events that I was able
[3:33:57] to attend last Saturday, the
proclaiming Colorado's Black
[3:34:00] History Aurora exhibit opening,
um, which had really wonderful
[3:34:06] participation from many
folks in our community.
[3:34:09] Um, on Friday, I was able to
attend a Purple Heart ceremony,
[3:34:15] um, with the mayor.
[3:34:17] Uh, here outside of City Hall,
raising the purple purple heart
[3:34:20] flag in celebration
of Purple Heart Day.
[3:34:23] Um, also on Friday, the
Arapahoe County or sorry, Adams
[3:34:29] County Health Department had a
community briefing in town Hall
[3:34:32] on the, uh, tuberculosis
response at the Geo.
[3:34:35] Aurora facility.
[3:34:37] Um, and then finally on
Saturday, I was able to spend
[3:34:40] some time with SEIU local
105 and their committee on
[3:34:43] Political Education, uh,
advocating for working people,
[3:34:47] including home care workers.
[3:34:49] Airport workers and janitors
in our community to have living
[3:34:52] wages and be protected
in their workplaces.
[3:34:58] So that's.
[3:34:59] My report.
[3:35:00] Councilmember Gardner.
[3:35:02] No report.
[3:35:03] Councilmember Jackson.
[3:35:12] Councilmember Horton.
[3:35:14] Thank you.
[3:35:14] Mayor. A few things
from Ward one.
[3:35:16] Updates. I've been having
a number of conversations
[3:35:19] regarding Fletcher Plaza
and some proactive response,
[3:35:23] working with multiple
different city agencies
[3:35:27] and with the mayor, who also
attended that meeting last week
[3:35:31] to address how we could best
provide resources and make sure
[3:35:35] that all can
utilize the library.
[3:35:37] The second piece is with the
[3:35:40] Community Development
Corporation.
[3:35:42] The the official steering
committee was launched.
[3:35:46] So if folks would like to join
that effort and want to see
[3:35:50] revitalization in northwest
Aurora and the prioritization
[3:35:54] of community voices, small
business owners and all and
[3:35:57] non-profits, all that
make up the area.
[3:35:59] Please let me know.
[3:36:01] Um, the also council, uh, Mayor
Pro Tem Coombs, um, and I are,
[3:36:08] uh, on the resolution to rename
our central library, uh, or to
[3:36:12] Atticus, uh, to honor Edna
Wilson Mosley, who was the
[3:36:17] first African American
city council member.
[3:36:20] Make sure it's on the screen.
[3:36:22] Um, and there are public
comment sessions that's
[3:36:25] happening this Saturday,
August 15th in person.
[3:36:28] And then again, a virtual
option on August 25th.
[3:36:32] Uh, I do want to note, because
it just does not sit well in my
[3:36:36] soul, that last conversation,
um, around data centers.
[3:36:41] And this is something that
I will hold myself to.
[3:36:43] And what I ask my peers on
this dais, that if you are
[3:36:48] going to present an accusation
that that person is allowed to
[3:36:54] defend themselves, and
particularly if it is male
[3:36:58] leadership who is not
presenting any facts, that that
[3:37:02] is that is such an that was
just unjust and rubs me the
[3:37:06] wrong way as a as a woman, as
a woman of color on this dais.
[3:37:11] Um, that that there was not an
opportunity for Council member
[3:37:14] wiles, and I have no idea what
she believes in this, but it
[3:37:17] was just my feelings.
[3:37:18] Um, and really, what we should
hold ourselves to is do better.
[3:37:25] Uh, Councilmember Wiles.
[3:37:27] Um, so.
[3:37:27] First of all, I wanted
to honor the life.
[3:37:30] Of Arthur Williams.
[3:37:31] Who was hit and killed by.
[3:37:32] A.
[3:37:34] Hit and run.
[3:37:34] Driver.
[3:37:35] Earlier this month.
[3:37:37] Um, police are still looking
[3:37:38] for, Uh, the person who hit him.
[3:37:41] And so all of the information
is on the APD website and on
[3:37:45] their their social media page.
[3:37:47] Please, let's keep an
eye out for this car.
[3:37:49] This family deserves justice.
[3:37:51] And they also deserve a sense
of closure, knowing that the
[3:37:54] person who left their family
member on the side of the road
[3:37:57] will be held accountable.
[3:37:59] So if you saw anything,
please say something.
[3:38:01] There, I believe is
an award a reward?
[3:38:04] I don't think there should need
to be a reward to do the right
[3:38:07] thing, but hey, if it gets you
to turn in the information you
[3:38:10] need, please do so.
[3:38:12] I also want to thank the
reserve community who hosted me
[3:38:15] for their town hall.
[3:38:17] Ironically, they're right next
to the data center that will be
[3:38:20] built in their neighborhood.
[3:38:21] So I.
[3:38:23] I hear their concerns, and I
hope they know that I intend to
[3:38:27] honor my campaign promises to
continue to advocate for them.
[3:38:31] Um, also August 22nd, Nelson
Holland is doing a Highland
[3:38:35] Highline Canal cleanup.
[3:38:38] I hope to see
everybody out there.
[3:38:39] It's a great time cleaning up
our parks and our canal trails.
[3:38:45] And then obviously I would be
[3:38:47] me if I didn't mention
Special Olympics.
[3:38:50] They need volunteers.
[3:38:51] The State Classic is also
[3:38:53] August 22nd, softball
is August 23rd.
[3:38:56] And then there's the
Plain pool on August 29th.
[3:38:59] So please sign up to volunteer
and help them out, especially
[3:39:03] since now they are officially
Aurora community members.
[3:39:07] Thank you, Councilmember Medina.
[3:39:11] Thank you sir.
[3:39:13] I was at the Colorado Black
History Exhibit traveling
[3:39:16] exhibit over at the War History
Museum, where I was able to get
[3:39:21] a proclamation for Ruben Sims
Junior, the first African
[3:39:24] American firefighter
for the city of Aurora.
[3:39:29] I had my town hall as well.
[3:39:30] We talked more about the Ada
compliances around the city,
[3:39:34] what they're trying to do to
start to comply with that, and
[3:39:37] also talked about what's
happening here at council
[3:39:40] chambers, also went to the
Delmar Park Community picnic,
[3:39:45] was able to talk to
constituents about issues and
[3:39:47] concerns and have a little
reprieve from the heat.
[3:39:51] Thank you.
[3:39:53] Councilmember Hancock.
[3:39:56] Thank you mayor.
[3:39:57] It's been a busy two weeks.
[3:40:00] Last week we
attended the corium.
[3:40:02] On the 27th, we attended
the Korean War Memorial as
[3:40:06] beautiful ceremony
out at Generals Park.
[3:40:09] And it was just great.
[3:40:12] It was a beautiful ceremony.
[3:40:13] You and I, mayor, were at the
Aurora Fire and Rescue training
[3:40:18] facility, and I got to tell
you, your boss, mayor, you ran
[3:40:22] up those four flights
with that £40 hose.
[3:40:25] I watched and took pictures,
but I did other things with
[3:40:28] with the firefighters.
[3:40:29] And I think it's they have some
of the toughest training that
[3:40:33] I've ever seen.
[3:40:34] And there was one lone gal that
[3:40:36] was there hanging
with those fellows.
[3:40:38] It was really great to see
these young people go through
[3:40:41] their training to become
[3:40:43] firefighters, to
protect our city.
[3:40:46] Also, I also attended the
opening reception at the Aurora
[3:40:50] History Museum.
[3:40:51] And one thing to note, I did
personally know Reuben Sims
[3:40:55] back when, in our military
days, my husband and myself, we
[3:40:59] all were together
back in the day and I.
[3:41:02] It was great to see his son
Jamie and his family attend
[3:41:06] that and hear the proclamation
by um Councilmember Medina.
[3:41:10] Um, this Monday.
[3:41:12] This past Monday, I attend the
Armed Forces Treatment Court
[3:41:15] and it was great to see Judge
Day preside over this young man
[3:41:19] who did the hard work that
it was necessary in the Armed
[3:41:22] Forces Treatment Court to, you
know, you fall down sometimes,
[3:41:26] but this gives you an
opportunity to get back up.
[3:41:29] And he was supported and helped
and encouraged and he went
[3:41:32] through the program, 18 month
program, and he's well on his
[3:41:35] way in recovery and success.
[3:41:38] Um, that was a really
great program as well.
[3:41:41] Um, I also attended, along with
Council member Andrews, the
[3:41:45] interfaith gala, uh, at the in
Centennial, where they raised
[3:41:51] funds to provide meals for
[3:41:53] homeless individuals
across the city.
[3:41:56] You can come in and they take
really good care of you there.
[3:41:59] And it was great seeing the
commissioners there as well as
[3:42:02] Council Member Andrews.
[3:42:05] I had a meeting today with
Tamiya and I hope I didn't
[3:42:09] mispronounce your name, miss
Tamiya Jackson of Aurora save.
[3:42:13] And we had a really great
discussion about what the
[3:42:16] Aurora save does and
what it doesn't do.
[3:42:18] And as the director of this
program, she is instrumental in
[3:42:23] helping young people
circumnavigate the stresses of
[3:42:29] making choices that sometimes
are not in their best interest,
[3:42:32] but to help them
make better choices.
[3:42:34] It serves young people from the
ages of 14 to 24, and to help
[3:42:40] these young people to
choose nonviolence.
[3:42:43] Um, you know, activities.
[3:42:45] And we talked a lot about
resources as I went on a ride
[3:42:50] along a couple of weeks ago.
[3:42:51] You and I mayor, and talked to
a young man, I think, uh, rode
[3:42:55] called straight and the save
[3:42:57] officers and the
save coordinator.
[3:43:00] Really? I think they kind
of got through to this kid.
[3:43:03] I could I could see
his countenance change.
[3:43:05] And he seemed willing to really
engage in his own future,
[3:43:09] because that's what these young
people need to be able to be
[3:43:12] trained to do.
[3:43:13] Um, for the young woman who
[3:43:15] talked about, did we
go to the reservoir?
[3:43:18] I don't know if she's still
here, but we're actually going
[3:43:21] on the water tour tomorrow, so
we're going to go and look at
[3:43:23] these reservoirs and see
firsthand how water, um, water
[3:43:28] deprivation, how the drought,
how our one day of winter has
[3:43:32] impacted our water resources
here in this state.
[3:43:35] There's a lot more going on
with water than meets the eye.
[3:43:38] The Colorado water compact and
all of that that's going on.
[3:43:42] We supply water to us Nebraska,
New Mexico, California, Nevada.
[3:43:47] Oh my goodness.
[3:43:48] It's a huge deal.
[3:43:49] But we want to be very good
stewards of our resources as
[3:43:53] representatives on this council.
[3:43:55] And so the water tour, I
expect, will be a great
[3:43:58] opportunity for us to
learn more about that.
[3:44:01] Also this week we will be
[3:44:02] having the public
safety meeting.
[3:44:06] And at what time is it 11 a.m.
[3:44:09] here in the Aurora room.
[3:44:10] So please tune in to that.
[3:44:12] And that's my report, mayor.
[3:44:14] Thank you, Council member.
[3:44:16] Lawson. Thank you.
[3:44:16] Mayor.
[3:44:17] I'm going to be having my Ward
five town hall on August 18th
[3:44:22] at 630 at Mission Viejo.
[3:44:24] We're going to have planning
and development, And also I'm
[3:44:27] going to have the one
at Heather gardens.
[3:44:28] That one will be
at Mission Viejo.
[3:44:30] The one on the 29th will
be at Heather gardens.
[3:44:32] And we will also be talking
about planning and development
[3:44:36] and retail, what's
going on in Ward five.
[3:44:38] And that's my report, mayor.
[3:44:40] Thank you.
[3:44:41] Um. Councilmember burger.
[3:44:44] Mayor. No report.
[3:44:45] Thank you.
[3:44:47] Um,
[3:44:49] I want to encourage people to
go to my Facebook page that's
[3:44:52] at, uh, Mike Kaufman Facebook.
[3:44:54] And I'm hoping, um.
[3:44:57] Um,
[3:44:59] Mr. McConnell has signed
up our, um, district three
[3:45:04] transportation commissioner,
I'd like an update on what
[3:45:07] you're doing to help
us on State Highway 30.
[3:45:11] Uh, you're on that task force
with, uh, uh, co-chaired by
[3:45:16] Councilmember Wallace
and Councilmember Bergen.
[3:45:18] And so a great opportunity
for you to update us.
[3:45:22] Uh, with that public
invited to be heard.
[3:45:25] Auntie Anderson, followed
by Hashim Coates.
[3:46:01] Excuse me.
[3:46:02] Um.
[3:46:05] Mayor Kaufman.
[3:46:06] You you threatened.
[3:46:07] To have me removed.
[3:46:09] You know, I don't
like a challenge.
[3:46:12] So now I double dog
dare you to do it.
[3:46:14] Because now, for the next three
minutes, we're going to hear
[3:46:18] what it sounds like
to be Mike Kaufman.
[3:46:26] This could have been avoided.
[3:46:28] But you threatened me.
[3:46:30] So now I have to
double dog here.
[3:46:31] You might.
[3:46:46] Now is the Aurora
City Council drumline.
[3:47:04] Okay. Okay.
[3:47:05] I'll see you at noon.
[3:47:06] Stephanie. This the one time.
[3:47:07] Stephanie I agree.
[3:47:18] That's her solo.
[3:47:19] Take it away.
[3:47:19] Here we go.
[3:47:35] We still got a minute and 30s.
[3:47:38] Oh, no.
[3:47:39] Y'all. Yep.
[3:47:39] No, we still got time.
[3:47:41] We set up a meeting this fall.
[3:47:43] All you have to do
is leave me alone.
[3:47:44] But this is a consequence
of the action.
[3:47:47] This is called the
First Amendment.
[3:48:13] There's still 50s.
[3:48:14] Left.
[3:48:28] This could have been avoided if
[3:48:29] he would have just
left me alone.
[3:48:34] No I wouldn't.
[3:48:39] 20s left still.
[3:48:40] Mike.
[3:48:42] You just have some
fun with it now.
[3:48:50] You should.
[3:48:50] Be eating.
[3:48:51] Mike. We're coming
up on your solo.
[3:48:53] Be ready.
[3:48:59] It's almost there.
[3:48:59] Mike.
[3:49:04] Hashim Coates, followed
by Mahdi and Schaffner.
[3:49:16] Well.
[3:49:17] I can't.
[3:49:17] I just can't.
[3:49:29] Do that.
[3:49:34] That is interesting to follow.
[3:49:36] In all my years I
have not followed.
[3:49:38] Anything like that.
[3:49:40] Um, but I guess in the true
spirit of everything, I do want
[3:49:43] to say that Councilwoman
Hancock, you did violate the
[3:49:45] quorum when you
participated with him.
[3:49:49] So I'm just saying, um,
[3:49:53] I understand I'm
not a white man.
[3:49:54] You're not going to respect me.
[3:49:55] So I want to say that
leadership is hard.
[3:49:59] It is.
[3:50:01] Um, when you make that decision
to get up and run, you're there
[3:50:05] for it all.
[3:50:06] Whether either votes or
[3:50:07] critiques or
whatever it happens.
[3:50:10] Um, there have been some that I
have been friendships over and
[3:50:15] depending on how
they were attacked.
[3:50:17] Then I have come back in to
be hot as hell on their asses.
[3:50:21] That's just what the job is
of leadership, and I encourage
[3:50:25] people to lean into it
and deal with the growth.
[3:50:28] But I do find it to be
disrespectful and condescending
[3:50:32] to be like, hey, me,
I appreciate blah.
[3:50:36] Blah blah blah, but.
[3:50:38] You.
[3:50:40] And that's exactly
what happened.
[3:50:43] So also, if we could just get
back to the days of when Mayor
[3:50:48] Hogan was here and how the
building and things operated
[3:50:52] back then, those
were the glory years.
[3:50:55] I am doing a part, a bipartisan
type of acknowledgement on how
[3:51:01] things are run.
[3:51:02] There was more civility that
was here, and the fact that he
[3:51:06] did not treat the people's
building like a prison.
[3:51:09] I respect that the fact that
when I come and other people
[3:51:14] come to speak at a city council
meeting, we have to wait at the
[3:51:18] door to be let in.
[3:51:19] Blows my mind.
[3:51:21] The fact that the door can't
be open for council hours and
[3:51:25] council business.
[3:51:26] I don't understand that.
[3:51:27] Also, I want to call the.
[3:51:29] There is a.
[3:51:30] The security is a joke.
[3:51:32] Honestly, if there was sincere
intention about harm being
[3:51:36] done, it would happen.
[3:51:39] There are holes.
[3:51:40] APD can even attest to this.
[3:51:42] There are.
[3:51:42] Holes.
[3:51:43] In the security process that
your safety, the stanchions,
[3:51:48] all of that stuff.
[3:51:49] It's a fraud.
[3:51:50] But what it does speak to is
that people do not come here
[3:51:54] with the ill intent that is
laid upon them to to create you
[3:51:57] all harm.
[3:51:58] Yes, your nerves and your
feelings are in jeopardy, but
[3:52:01] that is because the people want
to have their voices heard.
[3:52:04] If security was real, the
screeners would not be down.
[3:52:09] As I went out to the
restroom and came back in.
[3:52:11] They still would be up because
you all are still here.
[3:52:14] Unless you all
were afraid of the
[3:52:19] big oil people, the big money
people, the the big center
[3:52:23] people that left after the
votes that happened on that.
[3:52:26] So also I encourage people
like get out and vote.
[3:52:31] Stephanie's ChatGPT
rant did everything.
[3:52:35] Like supporting what.
[3:52:38] Councilwoman.
[3:52:39] Jackson.
[3:52:41] Measure wanted.
[3:52:43] More voter.
[3:52:44] Participation.
[3:52:45] Is the answer.
[3:52:48] Madison Schaffner.
[3:52:51] That was the last individual.
[3:52:56] Um,
[3:52:57] Council member McConnell.
[3:52:58] Our former.
[3:52:59] I would like that
report next time.
[3:53:02] Thank you.
[3:53:03] Uh, seeing no further business
before the Aurora City Council
[3:53:05] meeting is adjourned.