Aurora City Council Regular Meeting - April 20, 2026

The Aurora City Council met on Monday, April 20, 2026, for a regular meeting that began with an invocation, land acknowledgment, and Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting covered a wide range of topics including a failed vote on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Aurora Police Department and the GEO-operated ICE processing center, extensive public testimony on police accountability and youth surveillance programs, and unanimous approvals of several consent items and an annexation. The meeting also included updates on the executive session regarding labor negotiations, a brief health emergency for Councilmember Bergen (who later left), and council member reports.

Consent Calendar

• The minutes from April 6, 2026, were approved unanimously.
• The agenda was adopted unanimously.
• Consent calendar items (resolutions and ordinances) were adopted as amended after pulling items 11A1, 11B3, and 11B4 for separate discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

Public comment periods featured over 40 speakers on multiple issues:

• Police Accountability and Chief Todd Chamberlain: Many speakers demanded the firing of Chief Todd Chamberlain, citing a pattern of excessive force, cover-ups, and lack of accountability. Speakers referenced several fatal police shootings, including those of Kylin Lewis, Rajan Belt Stubblefield, Amar Garlington, and others. A call for a civilian police accountability council with subpoena power was repeated by multiple speakers, including representatives from the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC).
• Aurora SAVE Program: A large group of youth and adult advocates spoke against the Aurora SAVE program, a police-led surveillance and risk-scoring initiative targeting youth. They argued it profiles youth of color, relies on social network mapping, and criminalizes young people without due process. Speakers included members of the Wetzel Lean Warriors and Denver Healing Generations. They called for the program to be shut down and for community-led alternatives.
• GEO Facility MOU (Item 11A1): Numerous speakers urged the council to vote against the MOU between APD and the GEO ICE Processing Center. They described inhumane conditions inside the facility, including medical neglect, sexual assault, and deaths in custody. Speakers argued the MOU would legitimize a for-profit prison, waste taxpayer money, and further entangle APD with federal immigration enforcement. Some cited a community accountability report documenting 161 medical complaints and a 22% criminal record rate among detainees (contradicting the police chief's claim of 60-70%).
• Accessibility and Meeting Procedures: Allie DeWills Marcano and others called for improved accessibility of the council chambers, including reactivation of closed captioning, remote attendance options, and earlier release of agenda packets.
• Other: Testimony was also given on the need for wage increases for Allied Universal security staff in the building, concerns over new administrative hires, and recognition of National Asian American Heritage Month.

Discussion Items

11A1 – Resolution 202630: MOU between APD and Aurora Processing Center

Councilmember Horton presented the MOU, explaining it establishes guidelines for APD response to emergencies and criminal incidents at the GEO facility. He noted it provides guardrails on resource allocation and discretion for the incident commander. Chief Todd Chamberlain joined remotely and stated that the MOU gives APD more authority and an established incident command system. He claimed that approximately 60-70% of the 1,000 detainees have criminal backgrounds, a figure later contested by public speakers who cited ICE data showing only 22% with criminal records.

Councilmember Coombs raised concerns about information sharing during protests and First Amendment protections. Councilmember Jackson asked how the MOU aligns with a recent emergency resolution limiting APD cooperation with ICE. The chief responded that the MOU is about community safety, not immigration enforcement. Multiple council members expressed skepticism about the data provided and the lack of transparency. Following extensive public comment, a motion to approve was made by Mayor Pratem (?) and seconded by Hancock. The motion failed with 6 no votes and 4 yes votes.

11B3 and 11B4 – Painted Prairie Metropolitan Districts Service Plan Amendments

Councilmember Wiles moved to continue these items to May 4, 2026, citing numerous community concerns and a planned joint virtual meeting with the developer on April 29. She said the community needed more information. Councilmember Bergen questioned the delay given prior approvals and a planned grocery store. The motion passed unanimously.

15A, 15B, 15C – Annexation of Tapias LLC Parcel

Staff presented a petition for annexation of a 2.496-acre parcel at 22201 East 26th Avenue, with initial zoning as I-1 Industrial. The Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended approval. All three items (annexation ordinance, zoning ordinance, and annexation agreement) were approved unanimously after brief discussion.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes of April 6, 2026: Approved unanimously.
• Agenda: Adopted unanimously.
• Resolution 202630 (MOU between APD and GEO): Failed (6 no, 4 yes).
• Ordinance 2026-10 (Service plan for Painted Prairie Metro Districts, 11B3): Continued to May 4, 2026.
• Ordinance 2026-10 (Amended service plan, 11B4): Continued to May 4, 2026.
• Ordinance 2026-14 (Annexation of Tapias LLC parcel, 15A): Approved unanimously.
• Ordinance 2026-15 (Initial zoning for Tapias parcel, 15B): Approved unanimously.
• Resolution (Annexation agreement for Tapias LLC, 15C): Approved unanimously.
• Consent Calendar: Adopted as amended (items 11A1, 11B3, 11B4 pulled).