Aurora City Council Study Session: July 27, 2026 – GEO TB Outbreak, Navigation Campus, ADA Chambers, Election Timing
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Aurora City Council Study Session – July 27, 2026
The Aurora City Council held a study session on July 27, 2026, addressing multiple agenda items including a public health statement regarding a tuberculosis outbreak at the GEO detention facility, a resolution on the Aurora Regional Navigation Campus, ADA compliance upgrades to council chambers, and a proposed charter amendment to move municipal elections to even-numbered years. Key decisions included authorizing a statement on the GEO outbreak, advancing the Navigation Campus resolution, approving design and contractor procurement for chamber renovations, and advancing the election timing measure to the ballot.
Consent Calendar
- Item 2.8–2e: An ordinance update to align local law with state legislative changes regarding automated vehicle identification systems (excluding license plate readers). Moved forward without objection.
Discussion Items
1. GEO Facility Tuberculosis Outbreak Statement
- Mayor Pratem and Mayor Kaufman presented a draft statement urging GEO to cooperate with Adams County Public Health after at least one confirmed TB case (later reported as 12 cases) and GEO’s refusal to allow health officials access. The statement emphasizes public health, not immigration enforcement.
- Councilmember Bergen questioned the role of the health department. Mayor Pratem clarified that Adams County Public Health was denied entry. Councilmember Hancock noted GEO did not notify AFR (Aurora Fire Rescue) as required by a recently enacted city ordinance effective July 25, 2026. The city attorney indicated that new violations after that date could incur penalties, but existing cases predate the ordinance.
- Councilmember Lawson mentioned an update from Congressman Crow’s office on July 15 confirming one case but added that detainees were reporting additional positives. No confirmed secondary cases because health officials cannot investigate.
- Outcome: Council unanimously supported issuing the statement via communications; no objection noted.
2. Aurora Regional Navigation Campus Resolution (Item 3A)
- Councilmember Horton introduced the resolution to formalize performance metrics, reporting, and accountability for the navigation campus operated by Advanced Pathways. Key metrics include medical respite services by July 1, 2027, subject to renovation completion.
- Jim (Advanced Pathways) confirmed reporting requirements are consistent with the operator agreement and will not require new hires. The only unresolved point was board meeting minutes (7B). Respite rooms not yet available due to tower renovations; completion expected in 3–6 months. DCM Venegas added the July 2027 deadline is flexible and non-binding.
- Councilmember Lawson asked about reporting cadence. Councilmember Horton noted six-month reporting is referenced in 9B. Councilmember Wiles praised the transparency for taxpayer investment, noting 75% of the operating budget is privately funded.
- Councilmember Bergen asked if similar accountability would apply to all nonprofits. No direct answer.
- Outcome: Moved forward without objection.
3. Council Chambers ADA Improvements
- Staff presented findings from a January 2026 assessment: wheelchair spaces not vertically dispersed, non-conforming lift, inaccessible path to dais. Proposed base scope (≈$1.4M) includes two ramps (one to dais, one to floor), companion seating, and other fixes. Alternate (≈$575,000 additional, total ≈$2M) adds rebuilding the dais for better behind-desk circulation and lowers dais height slightly.
- Councilmember Bergen and others supported the alternate for future-proofing and cost savings over later retrofits. Councilmember Hancock raised security and sightline concerns; staff confirmed dais would remain elevated. Mayor Pratem suggested exploring hybrid in-person/virtual meetings during construction (e.g., using APS facilities). Councilmember Bergen opposed delay; consensus was for staff to return with public meeting options later.
- Outcome: (a) Proceed with final design and contractor selection (CMGC at risk). No objection. (b) Include the dais alternate in project scope. No objection. (c) Staff to bring back options for public participation during construction (virtual vs hybrid). No objection.
4. Charter Amendment – Timing of Municipal Elections (Item 5A)
- Councilmember Jackson proposed moving city elections to even-numbered years to boost voter turnout, citing increased participation in other municipalities. Cost difference: e.g., 2022 midterm cost $300,000 vs. 2025 odd-year cost $70,000.
- Councilmember Bergen opposed, arguing local races get buried, voter fatigue, competition for fundraising, and increased outside influence. Councilmember Hancock echoed concerns about dilution and national agenda intrusion. Councilmember Lawson worried the amendment would overshadow three Build Up Aurora ballot questions and suggested delay. Councilmember Wiles noted cost allocation from counties needs scrutiny. Mayor Pratem countered that the measure merely asks voters to decide, not council.
- Vote on moving the item forward: 4 in favor (including Mayor Pratem, Councilmember Jackson, others?), 4 opposed (Bergen, Hancock, Lawson? Actually transcript:
Meeting Transcript
Oh, study session out. Um study session for uh July 27, 2026 is called to order with the clerk please call the roll. Mayor Kaufman. Councilmember Andrews. Councilmember Bergen. Here Mayor Po Tem Coombs. Present. Councilmember Gardner. Councilmember Hancock. Councilmember Horton. Councilmember Jackson. Thank you. Councilmember Lawson here. Councilmember Medina? Councilmember Wiles. Here. There's a quorum. And Councilmember Gardner is uh excused tonight. Mayor's update. Um Mayor Pratem uh contacted me and over the weekend we went back and forth on a statement uh about uh tuberculosis outbreak in the geo facility. Uh there's been I think one reported case, but it's a highly infectious uh disease, and people uh the work there that um that visit there go in and out of the facility, and the fact that um geo the geo facility has not been cooperating uh with uh public health officials consistent with state law, and so uh we put out this statement and we would like the support uh of council to be clear we didn't put it out yet. We hadn't put it out yet. We'd like the support of council to put it out as a statement from the city. Yeah, and Mayor, I would just if I may, I would just add that last I heard there were 12 cases. Um so it does appear that from that first case that it has not surprisingly spread um within the facility and wouldn't be surprising as well, too, if it's spread outside of the facility, and so that's I did email this statement to everybody um earlier today as well. Um so yeah, I guess this is really not how you feel about the issue of immigration or immigration enforcement or uh any particular entity. It's really it's simply a public health question, uh, and and it should be addressed accordingly. Uh any comments uh council member Bergen. Yeah, since we don't oversee the health department, so are you you're saying there was one person that came into the facility with tuberculosis and and we have actual facts that that other individuals were contracted it? No, we have uh well um Mayor Pontem may have more recent information. The information I had people were exposed, and so we don't know how many people and so that's the problem. I think it's uh particularly in close quarters, it is is highly infectious. Uh it is is difficult, it's not easy to treat. Uh it's a form of bacteria, and so the the simple uh issue here is to that that they ought to be, and and I think there is going to be litigation on this issue if there's not compliance, but they really ought to be complying with uh public health state law. Well, so my question I'm very familiar with tuberculosis, my mom had it during the war. Um where where's the health department in this? Adams County Health Department, what statement have they issued and what have they done to mitigate the outbreak? Because that's their responsibility to work with GEO, right? Oh, so yeah, and they've been working hard on it with state uh officials as well. Mayor Pratem. Yeah, so they requested the ability to go in, um, identify, monitor, right, carry out their public health duties, and they were refused access to do so. And that's the reason why we have put together this statement is because Adams County Public Health was not permitted to go in and monitor and address the outbreak. Okay, so and then GEO reported only one person had it. Um other folks in detention have reported out um through their sources that additional people have tested positive, although that information has not been reported by GEO. Additionally, um GEO did not inform the city of Aurora, which was already in our prior ordinances, that they should have been informing AFR. They did not contact AFR in any way either. And if I could say uh when I when I was in Congress, we had a uh it was uh it was a problem with I was on the veterans affairs committee, and there was a problem with uh VA facilities uh not reporting uh to the local uh health departments, and so uh the issue is not new to me. Uh further questions or comments? Councilmember Lawson. Um I'm sorry, let's see.
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