Aurora City Council Regular Meeting – April 6, 2026

The Aurora City Council held a regular meeting on April 6, 2026, addressing a range of topics including a stage-one water shortage declaration, a memorandum of understanding with the Aurora ICE Processing Center, public hearings on the 2027 budget and several metro district service plan amendments, a child restraint system ordinance update, and an annexation. The meeting included extensive public comment on police accountability and conditions at the GEO detention center, and ended with councilmember reports.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the March 23, 2026, meeting (unanimous).
• Adopted the agenda (unanimous).
• Approved resolutions and ordinances 11A1, 11A4 through 11A12 as a consent block, after pulling items 11A2 and 11A3 for separate discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

Non-Agenda Items (Public Invited to be Heard):

• Tanya Tabachek urged the council to research street racing and expressed concern about caregivers losing funding under proposed legislation.
• Jeffrey McFarland (Ward 1 resident, Denver Aurora Community Action Committee) demanded the firing of Police Chief Todd Chamberlain and City Manager Jason Bachelor, citing the killing of Kylan Lewis and lack of accountability.
• Aonte Anderson used an Easter analogy to argue that the state has taken lives without accountability and called for leadership change.
• Medean Schaffner (with DACAC) spoke about an ancestors’ weaving story and announced that an ordinance proposal has been submitted to the council for police accountability.
• Joel Benjamin compared conditions at the Aurora ICE Processing Center (GEO facility) to those described by his grandfather in Buchenwald, citing reports on inadequate food and medical care.
• Aaron Contreras (Carpenters Union Local 555) highlighted tax fraud in construction, urging stronger enforcement of worker classification and responsible contractor standards on city-funded projects.
• Kayoa Lewis delivered a religious warning to Mayor Kaufman and council, stating divine judgment is coming if they do not address police killings.
• K. Dot supported Medean Schaffner as a leader and reiterated warnings to the council.
• Prophet Shell West called on the council to collaborate on the proposed ordinance and be transparent.
• Francisco Soto quoted the biblical story of Belshazzar’s judgment, warning that God holds leaders accountable for inaction.
• Janet Martin described a horrific pit bull attack on a 57-year-old woman near Colfax and Kingston, criticizing police response time (20 minutes) and lack of witness documentation.
• Tristan Hust (DACAC) demanded the firing of Chief Todd Chamberlain, citing his LAPD record during the Rodney King riots, a discrimination lawsuit, and the continued police killings in Aurora.
• Veronica Seabron (mother of Jalen Seabron) called for council to act on an ordinance built from community input, warning that they will be remembered as those who looked away.
• T Tag criticized APD’s performance, citing a 37% overall rating and statistics showing Black residents are 4.6 times more likely to be killed by APD, and noted high per-capita police funding.

Item 11A2 (Water Shortage Resolution):

• Tanya Tabachek questioned enforcement of watering restrictions on golf courses and asked for clear fine schedules.

Item 11A3 (MOU with ICE Processing Center):

• Jeffrey McFarland opposed the MOU, calling it a betrayal of immigrant communities and a waste of public resources.
• Zachary Cotton (DACAC) argued that APD should not work with GEO and that the MOU is a backroom deal.
• Joel Benjamin read from reports detailing poor conditions at the GEO facility and criticized the collaboration, urging the council to investigate instead.

Item 12A (2027 Budget Hearing):

• Tanya Tabachek urged funding for the animal shelter.
• Maya Wheeler (Ward 5) asked for budget priorities to include housing, workforce, long-term water resources, and economic opportunity for small businesses.

Item 15A (Annexation):

• Rob Gonzalez (adjacent landowner) spoke in support of the annexation and rezoning to I-1 business tech district.

Final Public Comments:

• Tanya Tabachek again advocated for caregivers and for proper treatment of animals.
• Medean Schaffner announced that her organization is backing Della Jordan (a constituent) and will ensure she gets resolution from the Navigation Center.
• Ayante Anderson criticized the lack of diversity among newly sworn judges and city attorneys (all white-presenting) and alleged that Councilmember Francois (likely a misidentification; no councilmember by that name was present) shouted “blasphemy” under her breath during the meeting.

Discussion Items

Stage One Water Shortage Declaration (Resolution 2026‑29)

• Staff from Aurora Water (Marshall Brown) presented dire drought conditions: the entire state of Colorado is in drought, snowpack at 36% of median, storage at 57% full, and the warmest start to a water year in 131 years.
• Stage one restrictions include: single-family residential irrigation limited to two days per week; irrigation-only accounts (golf courses, parks) have a 20% reduction in allocation and face a $2.15 per 1,000‑gallon surcharge from the first gallon; HOAs cannot fine residents for dry landscapes.
• Fines: first violation = warning; second violation = $250 for single-family, $500 for commercial; after three violations, water may be shut off. A seven-day cure period applies for residential.
• Councilmember Gardner asked about coordination between departments regarding new turf installations. Staff clarified that cool‑season turf installation is prohibited; warm‑season turf or water‑wise landscaping is allowed. HOAs can enforce design standards but cannot ban removal of Kentucky bluegrass.
• Councilmember Lawson confirmed that the Great Lawn on city property will also be subject to the same restrictions.
• The resolution passed unanimously.

Memorandum of Understanding with Aurora ICE Processing Center (Resolution 2026‑30)

• Staff presented the MOU (10‑year term) defining APD’s role when called to the GEO facility, including response to escapes, bomb threats, civil disturbances, and investigations under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). The MOU explicitly states APD does not enforce immigration.
• Councilmember Horton raised concerns about a past escape where GEO delayed communication with APD, and about access for investigating sexual assault allegations. City attorney noted that if GEO fails to cooperate, APD can obtain search warrants and coordinate with federal authorities.
• After public testimony opposed to the MOU, Councilmember Horton moved to continue the item to the next regular meeting (April 20, 2026) to allow more public engagement. The motion passed 10‑1, with Councilmember Hancock voting no.

2027 Budget Public Hearing

• The hearing was opened and closed with no motion; it was the first of two required hearings.

Metro District Service Plan Amendments (Items 12B – 12G)

• All six items were presented by staff (Michael Kerrigan) and passed unanimously. They allow districts to modify ARI mill levy structures (generally converting tiered levies to a flat 5 mills) and to join the Fletcher Regional Improvement Authority (FRIA) for regional transportation funding. Public objections were received only for Painted Prairie (12D) but no one spoke during the hearing.
• 12B: Eagles Nest Metro District – amendment to accelerate ARI mill levy payoff and dissolve sooner.
• 12C: Green Valley Ranch East Metro Districts 6‑14 – amendment to allow districts 10‑14 to join FRIA or other authorities rather than remain tied to ARTA.
• 12D: Painted Prairie Metro Districts 1‑9 – amendment to adopt flat 5‑mill ARI levy for FRIA membership.
• 12E: Painted Prairie Metro Districts 10‑12 – same amendment.
• 12F: Sky Dance Metro District No. 1 – same amendment.
• 12G: Sky Dance Metro District No. 2 – same amendment.

Child Restraint Systems Ordinance (Item 13A)

• Ordinance updating city code to align with state law requiring more rigorous child restraint systems. No discussion; passed unanimously.

Annexation and Zoning (Items 15A, 15B, 15C)

• A 2.496‑acre parcel at 2201 E. 26th Avenue (Tapius LLC) was annexed and initially zoned I‑1 business tech district. The annexation resolution, ordinance, and zoning ordinance all passed unanimously after a public hearing with one supporter.

Key Outcomes

• Stage One Water Restrictions declared effective immediately (April 6, 2026). Two‑day‑per‑week irrigation, surcharges, and progressive fines approved unanimously.
• MOU with ICE Processing Center continued to the April 20, 2026, regular meeting by a 10‑1 vote.
• 2027 Budget public hearing was held; no action taken.
• Six metro district service plan amendments all adopted unanimously, facilitating ARI mill levy restructuring and FRIA participation.
• Child restraint ordinance updated to match state law (unanimous).
• Annexation and zoning of 2.496 acres in Adams County approved unanimously.
• Council reports included updates on Ward 1 town hall, water restrictions outreach, parks committees, and legislative session notes.