Aurora City Council Regular Meeting – January 14, 2026
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Aurora City Council Regular Meeting – January 14, 2026
The Aurora City Council convened on January 14, 2026, at 5:38 PM for a regular meeting that extended into the early morning hours of January 15. The agenda included a call to order, invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, land acknowledgement, executive session update, approval of minutes, adoption of the agenda, two rounds of public comment, consent calendar items, a resolution opposing unlawful federal immigration enforcement, and a call-up review of a conditional use and site plan for a car wash. The meeting was marked by extensive public testimony on immigration enforcement, the Aurora Regional Navigation Campus, and the proposed Bubble Bath Car Wash.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of December 15, 2025: Approved unanimously.
- Agenda Adoption: Adopted with 10 yes votes and 1 no vote (Councilmember Bergen).
- Consent Calendar on Motions (10A1–10C2): Adopted unanimously, with items 10A3 and 10A6 removed for separate consideration.
- 10A3: Homelessness services notice of funding opportunity – Advanced Pathways Emergency Solutions Grant ($140,868 for staffing costs). Approved unanimously.
- 10A6: Homelessness services public safety funds – Advanced Pathways. Approved unanimously.
- Consent Calendar on Resolutions and Ordinances (11A1–11B1): Adopted unanimously, with item 11A3 removed for separate consideration.
Public Comments & Testimony
First Hour of Public Invited to Be Heard (Non-Agenda Items)
- Joy Eminyanu (Aurora resident): Stressed importance of tobacco retail license, noting that immigrant-owned businesses (daycares, home health, auto shops, groceries) contribute to the community and that responsible businesses deserve clear expectations to prevent youth tobacco access.
- Michael Ruddick (Aurora resident, Aurora Partners for Thriving Youth): Supported the tobacco retail license ordinance, arguing it would create parity for businesses and prevent youth nicotine addiction. Noted that current system disadvantages law-abiding retailers.
- Tanya Tabachek (Aurora resident): Emphasized municipal home rule authority, urging council not to lose local control over taxes and concerns with higher government.
- Allie DeWills Marcano (Ward 4 resident): Criticized lack of accessibility in council chambers, citing that the ADA is a floor, not a ceiling. Requested council direct city manager to locate existing redesign plans, provide cost estimate and timeline, and fund them.
- RJ Mello: Supported the tobacco license amendment but proposed replacing the ban on discounts and rewards with a minimum pricing requirement (e.g., $15–$20 for e-cigarettes) to protect small businesses while preventing youth access.
- Dr. Terry Richardson (Aurora resident, internal medicine physician): Cited the 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey that nearly 84% of Aurora youth who tried to buy tobacco products were not turned away. Urged licensing as a tool for compliance checks and restricting new retailers, stating
Meeting Transcript
The regular meeting of the Aurora City Council is called to order for Monday January 12, 2028. Will the clerk please read the role? Mayor Kaufman? Here. Councilmember Andrews. Councilmember Andrews. Councilmember Bergen? Here. Mayor Pro Tim Coombs. President. Councilmember Gardner? Here. Councilmember Hancock? Councilmember Horton? Here. Councilmember Jackson? Councilmember Lawson? Here. Councilmember Medina. Here. Councilmember Wiles. Here. There's a quorum. Please join me in an invocation. Oh Lord our God and our Father. We come to you and we ask that you look upon this particular gathering tonight to keep us safe and guide us in our decisions. Bless our city with honorable citizens, industry, sound education, and good government. Unite our community together, even though we come from different backgrounds. We pray that there will be justice and peace in our city. Give the city council and citizens the wisdom, direction, and sensitivity to the business and proceedings before us tonight. Hear us therefore as we commit this meeting to the help of the community. Amen. Please join me in the Pledge of Leases. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. Indigenous peoples have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. As these words of acknowledgement are spoken and heard, the ties that these nations have to their traditional homelands and to their vital place in the ecosystem are renewed and reaffirmed. And we are called to be better stewards of the land that we inhabit as we continue to work to meet the needs of our entire community. The executive session update uh during executive session uh council uh discussed uh uh was was given an update on legal matters by our city attorney. Um motion is an order for the approval of the minutes for December twelfth uh twenty twenty-five Mayor uh Councilmember Bergen? Motion to approve the minutes moved by Councilmember Bergen, seconded by Hancock, seconded by Councilmember Hancock to approve the minutes for December 15, 2025. Discussion. Uh seeing no discussion, uh call for the question on the approval of the minutes for December 15, 2025. Mayor Kaufman. Mayor vote yes. I'm also a yes waiting for E scribe. Councilmember Hancock? Yes. Having trouble with the E scrap. Councilmember Medina. Yes.
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