OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Aurora City Council Meeting on June 9, 2026: Approves Oversight Office, Detention Ordinances, and Infrastructure Ballot Measures

City Council — Tuesday, June 9, 2026
BodyAurora, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, June 9, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
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0:07

The regular meeting of the Aurora City Council for Monday, June 8, 2026 is called to order with the clerk, please call the roll.

0:14

Mayor Kaufman.

0:15

Here.

0:15

Councilmember Andrews.

0:17

Here.

0:17

Councilmember Bergen.

0:19

Here.

0:19

Councilmember Mayor Pro Tem Coons.

0:23

Councilmember Gardner.

0:26

Here.

0:27

Councilmember Hancock.

0:28

Here.

0:29

Councilmember Horton.

0:31

Here.

0:31

Councilmember Jackson.

0:33

Here.

0:34

Councilmember Lawson.

0:35

Here.

0:36

Councilmember Medina?

0:37

Here.

0:37

And Councilmember Wiles.

0:39

Here, you have a quorum.

0:42

Please join me in an invocation.

0:43

Oh Lord, our God and our Father.

0:45

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.

0:52

Bless our city with honorable citizens, industries, sound education, and good government.

0:56

Unit our community together, even though we come from different backgrounds.

0:59

We pray that there will be justice and peace in our city.

1:02

Give the City Council and citizens the wisdom, direction, and sensitivity to the business and proceedings before us tonight.

1:08

Hear us therefore as we commit this meeting to the help of our entire community.

1:13

Amen.

1:15

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:20

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic, which stands one nation, under God, indivisible, the liberty and justice for all.

1:51

Executive session update.

1:52

During the executive session, uh we discussed uh labor negotiations, uh contracts uh negotiations.

2:02

Um that's it.

2:07

Okay.

2:15

Motion is in order for approval of the minutes for May 18, 2026.

2:19

So moved.

2:22

Uh it's been moved by Councilmember Horton, seconded by second.

2:26

Uh second by Councilmember Wiles uh to approve the minutes for May 18, 2026.

2:31

Uh discussion.

2:33

Uh saying no, discussion, call for the question on the approval of the minutes from May 18, 2026.

2:40

Mayor.

2:48

Cecilia, I'm a yes.

2:49

I'm not in East Gribe yet.

2:51

Councilmember Jackson.

2:53

Council members, a yes.

2:56

Councilmember Medina.

2:58

Yes.

2:59

Councilmember Wiles.

3:01

Yes.

3:04

The motion passes unanimously.

3:06

A land acknowledgement.

3:08

The City of Aurora acknowledges that we gather on the territories and in social homelands of the Cheyenne, Ud Arapo and Lakota Peoples, past and present.

3:15

We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado.

3:21

Indigenous people have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries as these words of acknowledgement are spoken and heard.

3:29

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 we inhabit as we continue to work to meet the needs of our entire community.

3:50

Public adoption of the agenda groups.

3:53

Oh, sorry.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety████████████████████20%
Immigration Detention███████████████████19%
Racial Equity██████████10%
Procedural█████████9%
Public Engagement████████8%
Community Engagement██████6%
Public Health████4%
Affordable Housing███3%
Transportation Safety███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Aurora City Council Meeting on June 9, 2026

The Aurora City Council held a regularly scheduled meeting on June 9, 2026, that included extensive public testimony on police accountability, immigrant rights, and housing conditions. The council approved several high-profile ordinances, including the creation of an Office of Public Safety Accountability, new detention facility inspection and notification requirements, and referred three infrastructure bond measures totaling $264 million to the November 3, 2026 ballot. Votes on key items were split along partisan lines.

Consent Calendar

  • Unanimously approved minutes from May 18, 2026, land acknowledgement, and adoption of the agenda.
  • Adopted the consent calendar on motions (items 10C1–10C3) and consent calendar on resolutions and ordinances (items 11A2–11B1) unanimously, with item 11A1 pulled separately.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Elijah McLean and Police Accountability: Dozens of speakers expressed grief and anger over the Colorado Court of Appeals overturning the homicide convictions of two paramedics who administered ketamine to Elijah McLean. Many called for the firing of Police Chief Todd Chamberlain, community control of the police, and an end to police violence. Speakers like Jeffrey McFarland, Aaron Petrell, Medine Schaffner, Ayante Anderson, and Kiowa Lewis demanded accountability and condemned the city’s history of impunity. Several speakers referenced the families of Kylan Lewis, Rajon Belt Stubblefield, Rashad Johnson, and other victims.
  • Immigrant Rights and GEO Facility: Multiple speakers, including Alejandra Marin Elarana, Joel Benjamin, and Holly Chang, urged council to pass detention facility oversight ordinances, citing inhumane conditions at the GEO ICE processing center (1500+ detainees, poor medical care, outbreaks). Some called for the facility's closure.
  • Renter Protections: Nate Casa and a Spanish-speaking tenant from Nome Street supported a rental registry and licensing program, referencing the CBZ slumlord scandal that gained national attention.
  • Transit and Accessibility: Ali DeWills Marcano spoke in favor of the Colfax BRT project, noting its importance for people with disabilities.
  • Other: Speakers criticized APD’s CORA request delays, dark money in campaigns, and the city’s development priorities (e.g., AI cameras, golf course, fracking).

Discussion Items

  • Resolution 11A1 – ICE Contract Approval: Passed 7-3 (no votes: Bergen, Hancock, Lawson). Requires city council approval of any contracts with ICE, GEO, or similar entities. Speakers supported it as a transparency measure.
  • Connecting Aurora Multimodal Transportation Master Plan (12A): Unanimously adopted after a staff presentation highlighting over 1 million community touchpoints and 10 goals for multimodal investments over 25+ years.
  • Zoning Map Amendments – Tributary Master Plan (12B-12D): Three unanimous votes to rezone approximately 472 acres near E-470 and I-70 to mixed-use and residential to leverage the future Harvest Road interchange.
  • Detention Facility Ordinances (13A & 13B): Passed 6-4 (yes: Andrews, Coombs, Horton, Jackson, Medina, Wiles). 13A establishes periodic inspections and habitability standards; 13B requires detention facilities to report communicable diseases to Aurora Fire. Several speakers shared firsthand accounts of conditions inside the GEO facility.
  • Spring Supplemental Budget (13C): Approved as amended 8-0 (with amendment to defer three public defender FTEs to September budget workshop). The amendment passed 8-0 after debate about workload and budget cuts.
  • Repeal of Housing Authority Ordinance (13D): Unanimously passed to comply with a court order, reverting appointment powers to the mayor.
  • Office of Public Safety Accountability (13E): Unanimously passed. Establishes an independent oversight office with family liaison, critical incident notification, and unrestricted access to records. Some speakers argued it lacks community power.
  • Infrastructure Ballot Measures (13F, G, H): All three unanimous referrals to November 2026 ballot:
    • 13F: $105M for community facilities (libraries, rec centers) with .129% sales tax increase for 30 years.
    • 13G: $53M for public safety facilities (police/fire stations) with .064% increase for 30 years.
    • 13H: $108M for transportation improvements (road safety, sidewalks, bridge) with .132% increase for 30 years. The combined package is $264M with a .325% sales tax increase, 30-year sunset, based on 54 community events and 3,100 survey responses.
  • Eminent Domain for Multimodal Path (13i): Unanimously authorized to acquire remaining property interests for the Havana Street multi-use path.
  • Annexation Petitions (15A, 15B, 15C): Three unanimous resolutions to set public hearings for annexation of parcels near Gun Club Road and 56th Avenue.
  • Call-Up of Harmony All-in-One Development: Council voted 9-0 (Wiles abstained) to call up a planning commission decision from May 13, 2026, to allow public hearing. Residents lacked standing to appeal due to non-adjacency.

Key Outcomes

  • Resolution 11A1 passed 7-3, requiring council approval of contracts with ICE/GEO/private prison entities.
  • Ordinances 13A & 13B passed 6-4, creating inspection and disease reporting requirements for all detention facilities in Aurora.
  • Office of Public Safety Accountability created unanimously (13E) with independent oversight powers.
  • Three infrastructure bond measures referred unanimously to November 3, 2026 ballot (totaling $264M in bonds and .325% sales tax increase).
  • Budget supplemental (13C) amended to defer three public defender FTEs; final vote 8-0.
  • Eminent domain authority granted unanimously for multimodal path project.
  • Call-up of Harmony development set for further council hearing (date TBD).

Meeting Transcript

The regular meeting of the Aurora City Council for Monday, June 8, 2026 is called to order with the clerk, please call the roll. Mayor Kaufman. Here. Councilmember Andrews. Here. Councilmember Bergen. Here. Councilmember Mayor Pro Tem Coons. Councilmember Gardner. Here. Councilmember Hancock. Here. Councilmember Horton. Here. Councilmember Jackson. Here. Councilmember Lawson. Here. Councilmember Medina? Here. And Councilmember Wiles. Here, you have 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, industries, sound education, and good government. Unit 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 our entire community. Amen. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic, which stands one nation, under God, indivisible, the liberty and justice for all. Executive session update. During the executive session, uh we discussed uh labor negotiations, uh contracts uh negotiations. Um that's it. Okay. Motion is in order for approval of the minutes for May 18, 2026. So moved. Uh it's been moved by Councilmember Horton, seconded by second. Uh second by Councilmember Wiles uh to approve the minutes for May 18, 2026. Uh discussion. Uh saying no, discussion, call for the question on the approval of the minutes from May 18, 2026. Mayor. Cecilia, I'm a yes. I'm not in East Gribe yet. Councilmember Jackson. Council members, a yes. Councilmember Medina. Yes.

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