Aurora City Council Meeting Summary - August 24, 2026
Aurora City Council Meeting Summary - August 24, 2026
The Aurora City Council convened on August 24, 2026, at 3:01 PM, acting as a committee of the whole for a study session. The meeting covered multiple agenda items, including proposed amendments to food truck regulations, code cleanups related to the Camp Simons decision, and three related data center ordinance items. The council voted to advance several items while deferring the food truck ordinance for further revisions and providing staff direction on data center standards.
Consent Calendar
- The consent calendar was approved without objection.
Discussion Items
Item 3A: Food Truck Ordinance (Text Amendment)
Councilmember Lawson introduced the ordinance to address issues with food truck operations, particularly overcrowding, waste, safety, and storage. Staff presented changes including: a refined definition, requirement for trucks to be attended, updated noise code reference, mandatory nightly storage on improved surfaces (not residential), and density limits (one truck per 15,000 sq ft lot area, max five per lot). Two options for earlier operation (6:00 AM) were discussed: Option A (construction sites only) and Option B (general 6:00 AM with 50-foot residential buffer).
Council discussion revealed divergent views. Councilmember Wiles voiced strong concerns about overregulation in her ward, which is a food desert, and noted that many small, minority-owned businesses rely on food trucks; she also favored a broader 6:00 AM start. Councilmember Jackson questioned the storage requirement, the density limit as too large (15,000 sq ft), and supported an overall 6:00 AM start. Councilmember Bergen supported Option A (construction sites) and suggested a sunset clause. Councilmember Gardner opposed the density limits, citing property rights and overregulation. Councilmember Lawson emphasized the need for controls in dense, multi-owner retail centers like Chambers and Hampden. Councilmember Hancock raised health and sanitation concerns. Councilmember Horton supported construction site early start time. Mayor Pro Tem Coombs expressed concern about trucks parked in residential driveways.
Councilmember Lawson ultimately withdrew the item to work with staff and incorporate feedback, with plans to bring it back to a future study session.
Item 3B: Repealing Sections of Chapter 94 (Code Cleanup)
Deputy City Attorney Megan Platt presented updates to remove mandatory minimums no longer valid after the Camp Simons decision, and to delete outdated violations such as skateboarding enforcement. Councilmember Bergen asked about e‑bike enforcement, which remains unchanged. The item was approved to move forward.
Item 5B: Evaporative Cooling Prohibition
Staff presented a brief ordinance to prohibit new evaporative cooling technologies for HVAC in commercial, multifamily, and industrial spaces, noting water efficiency gains and similar actions in Las Vegas. Councilmember Gardner asked for state-level assurance that ratepayers won't bear energy cost increases. The item was approved to move forward.
Item 5C: Use Table Amendment for Data Centers
Staff proposed removing MUOI (Mixed Use Office Institutional) zoning districts from the list of permitted uses for data centers, as these districts are often near neighborhoods. No objections were raised. The item will go to Planning Commission in September and then to council.
Item 5D: Data Center Standards Discussion
Staff presented an overview of current zoning (data centers allowed in several districts, including mixed-use), possible buffers (quarter-mile, half-mile, mile), and tools such as setbacks, screening, and noise regulations. Council debated whether to treat all data centers uniformly or differentiate by size (e.g., megawatt capacity). Councilmember Gardner objected to the presentation defaulting to quarter-mile buffers, noting many jurisdictions use smaller distances. Councilmember Wiles and Councilmember Bergen advocated for context-specific buffers. After objections from several members (Gardner, Hancock, Lawson, Wiles), council directed staff to return with at least two size categories for data centers. Staff also received direction to investigate smaller buffer distances and to bring back options for setbacks, noise mitigation, and screening (including water‑wise landscaping). Staff will present refined options at a subsequent study session, with evaporative cooling ordinance proceeding directly to council.
Key Outcomes
- Item 3A (Food Truck Ordinance): Withdrawn for further study and revision; sponsor will bring back to a future study session.
- Item 3B (Chapter 94 Repeals): Approved to move forward to regular council meeting.
- Item 5B (Evaporative Cooling): Approved to move forward to regular council meeting.
- Item 5C (MUOI Zone Removal): Approved; will go to Planning Commission then to council.
- Item 5D (Data Center Standards): Staff directed to return with: (1) at least two size categories for data centers, (2) smaller buffer distance options, (3) considerations for noise, screening, and landscaping. No final action taken; item continued.
Meeting Transcript
Yes, Katie. Uh, we're gonna call the meeting to order um at 301. Can you please call the roll? Mayor Kaufman, Councilmember Andrews, Councilmember Bergen, here Mayor Po Tim Coombs. Present. Councilmember Gardner. Here. Councilmember Hancock. Councilmember Horton. Councilmember Jackson. Here. Councilmember Lawson. Here. Councilmember Medina. Here. Councilmember Wiles. Here. All right. So we do have a quorum. All right. So no mayor's update. Any issue updates. All right. Oh. Sorry. Yes. Councilmember Bergen. I don't know if it's at the right time, but I am pulling 5A from the agenda for study session. All right. Thank you. We'll go ahead and pull that item. That was annotated on the agenda and I didn't notice it. So thank you. So we'll move on to the consent calendar. Any objection to approving the consent calendar. All right. Seeing none. Item 3A, consideration for a text amendment to the food truck standards and definition ordinance. Councilmember Lawson. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. I'm just going to set the stage for this of why I'm bringing the ordinance forward and then I'll let Trevor and I think Eric is here as well to go through all of the provisions. The reason why I'm bringing this food truck ordinance forward is first I want to be very clear. That I have seen the food trucks, not all over the city, but specifically at Hamden and Chambers. I know currently there was 16 to more food trucks within a certain section. And if you know that particular area, it's owned by different owners. So in that particular section, the owner of that area could approve that many, could approve the food trucks because we didn't have any kind of compliance in in place for the food trucks. Seeing some of the waste and disposal that I saw, access to safety. Saturdays, I've been there in their evenings, and just kind of getting in and out of the area can be very complicated at times because as you know, there are stores there, there's a Dollar Tree, there's all kinds of other businesses there. So ensuring that everybody can assess those buildings on top and those businesses on top of just ensuring that they can go to the food trucks, I think is a very important. So that is my overall thing.
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