Aurora City Council Meeting - September 15, 2026

This evening meeting of the Aurora City Council on September 15, 2026 (noted in the transcript as September 14, 2026) addressed a packed agenda including a major overhaul of council rules, public hearings on the 2027 budget and several ordinances, and extensive public testimony on police accountability, traffic safety, data center development, and budget priorities. The meeting saw multiple votes on amendments to the rules, with final passage of the amended resolution by a 9–1 vote. Other ordinances introduced included a supplemental license for socioeconomic impact retail, removal of mandatory minimum sentences, and water conservation measures. Council reports and a second public comment period followed.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes from August 24, 2026, unanimously.
• Adopted the consent calendar for resolutions and ordinances, with item 11A1 (rules) removed for separate discussion, unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Joseph Ortiz (Aurora Hills neighborhood): Described the death of his neighbor Gordon, killed in a crosswalk on September 2, 2026, citing long-standing traffic safety concerns. Requested expedited neighborhood traffic calming measures for Troy Street and parallel streets. Councilmember Medina confirmed follow-up.
• Ayante Anderson: Called out certain council members as lacking courage, demanding accountability from the Aurora Police Department (APD) regarding the deaths of Joseph Jones and others. Criticized Mayor Kaufman’s past comments about President Obama. Urged police reform and firing of Police Chief Todd Chamberlain.
• Katie Edwards: Opposed proposed food truck regulations, arguing that food trucks generate sales tax and that the city should treat them as an opportunity. Cited statistics: 80 complaints in a year, 27 empty parking spaces at the corner in question, and Aurora’s library funding of $18 per resident versus $53 in comparable cities. Urged a change in premise.
• Medine Schaffner: Raised discrepancies in APD’s investigation of Joseph Jones’s death, citing the 108-page report: on page 58, the collision investigator wrote “unknown” if Jones was hit by another vehicle; a witness reported hearing an impact and seeing a white truck before the bus. Accused APD of defensiveness and deflection. Demanded a thorough investigation.
• Chad Johnson (Ward 5): Opposed automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), citing Electronic Frontier Foundation findings of officer misuse (e.g., searches with “LMAO,” “idiot”). Noted Englewood allowed its Flock contract to expire. Asked Aurora to let its contract expire in March 2027 without replacement.
• Lee Erickson (Green Valley Ranch resident): Opposed the Trident Data Center (1.5 million sq ft, largest in Colorado) adjacent to his 55+ community. Raised concerns about noise, water, light, and air pollution. Requested full vetting by Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council before any permits.
• Jacqueline Peterson (22-year military veteran, educator): Strongly opposed the data center near a school, asking for independent health/safety studies. Cited noise, vibration, air pollution, and lack of timely notification.
• Jeffrey McFarland: Urged safeguards: buffer wall with noise mitigation, recirculatory water systems, electric generators instead of diesel, acoustic enclosures for substation, and protections against rolling blackouts.
• Christina Macalone (55+ community resident): Opposed data center, noting it would be across from a detention pond with carcinogenic sludge. Cited city ordinances protecting residential neighborhoods and asked for a pause.
• Anna Harris: Presented evidence on Corey Dillard’s death, showing a photo she claimed contradicts Police Chief Chamberlain’s account. Asserted the rock was in Eric’s hand, not Corey’s. Said Corey was killed within 7.5 seconds of police arrival with body cams off. Offered to share footage.
• Cassandra Hyle (DACAC): Called Chief Chamberlain corrupt and criticized councilmembers, especially Janina Horton, for not firing him. Demanded community control over police.
• Paul Nelson (DACAC): Defined community control as an elected civilian council with authority over police policy, budget, discipline, and hiring/firing. Noted $20M budget shortfall, $181M to police vs. $8M to libraries (104th out of 107 in state). Called for budget reallocation and firing of Chamberlain.
• Jeff Brown: Apologized to councilmembers for incendiary language but criticized city’s retail tax base performance (14% below other Colorado cities, 59% behind Denver). Urged strategic goals and benchmark updates.
• La Ronda Jones: Expressed disappointment that no remembrance was held for Elijah McClain on his death anniversary, while the council voted to give police raises. Accused council of enabling police violence. Vowed continued action.
• Ray Chaplewski: Opposed data center, noting it was six times larger than any in Colorado and approved administratively without community input. Asked for a slowdown.
• Jan Wilson: Raised three points—against mandatory sentencing (three-strikes), urged caution on data centers (citing insider warnings about AI dangers), and requested police department work with youth on the SAVE program.
• Additional speakers in the second public comment period reiterated demands for police accountability, especially regarding Joseph Jones (calling him “offender” in the report), and criticized Councilmember Bergen’s remarks about “the same people.”

Discussion Items

• 11A1 – Rules of Order and Procedure Amendments: Extensive debate on amendments proposed by Mayor Pro Tem Coombs. Key amendments included:
  • Amendment 1: Change agenda publication from 5 calendar to 5 business days. Passed unanimously.
  • Amendment 2: Remove the one-hour limit from the first public invited to be heard session. Failed 5–6 (Mayor Kaufman voted no).
  • Amendment 3: Move council reports to before the first public invited to be heard. Passed 6–4 (Bergen, Gardner, Hancock, Lawson opposed).
  • Mayor Kaufman’s amendment: Limit council reports to three minutes. Passed 9–1 (Hancock opposed).
  • Amendment 4: Remove the one-hour limit from the second public invited to be heard. Failed 5–6 (Mayor Kaufman voted no).
  • Amendment 5: Strike the entire public participation section (including enforcement rules) and send back to committee for further work, including accessibility. Passed 6–4 (Bergen, Gardner, Hancock, Lawson opposed).
  • Amendment 6: Strike forfeiture of travel/training budget as a censure sanction. Passed unanimously.
  • Final vote on 11A1 as amended: passed 9–1 (Gardner opposed).
• 13A – Supplemental License for Socioeconomic Impact Retail: Introduced ordinance requiring a permit for certain high-concentration retail uses (e.g., convenience stores). An amendment reduced distance restrictions from 2,000 to 500 feet for SNAP/EBT-compliant stores meeting new stocking requirements (effective November 2026). Mayor Kaufman added a friendly amendment to sunset the change if the SNAP rule changes are not implemented by January 1, 2027. Introduced on first reading with a 9–1 vote (one no, likely Gardner).
• 13B – Repeal of Mandatory Minimum Sentences: Removed all mandatory minimum sentences from city code in response to Camp Simons Supreme Court ruling, and repealed unenforced sections. City Attorney noted majority council direction to not enforce. Passed unanimously.
• 13C – Prohibition on Evaporative Cooling for New Buildings: Required closed-loop cooling for industrial, commercial, and multifamily new construction, saving millions of gallons per day per large data center. General Manager of Aurora Water stated closed loops use minimal water and discharge is manageable. Passed unanimously.
• 13D – Turf and Ornamental Water Feature Restrictions: Extended prohibition on cool-season turf to all new spaces (must use warm-season turf); prohibited spray irrigation between October 15 and April 30 for functional spaces and October 1 to April 30 for non-functional; exceptions available. Passed unanimously.
• 12A – Public Hearing on 2027 Budget: Several speakers criticized the $20M projected shortfall, police budget ($181M) versus libraries ($8M), and lack of investment in youth. Jeff Brown noted the retail tax base underperformance. No council action; public hearing closed.

Key Outcomes

• Rules overhaul (11A1) adopted 9–1 after multiple amendments. Council reports moved earlier; public participation enforcement sent back to committee.
• 13A (retail license) introduced 9–1 with a conditional reduction for SNAP-compliant convenience stores.
• 13B (mandatory minimum repeal) introduced unanimously.
• 13C (evaporative cooling ban) introduced unanimously.
• 13D (turf/water feature restrictions) introduced unanimously.
• The council rejected removing the one-hour limit for public comment in both sessions (5–6 votes).
• Next steps: All introduced ordinances will receive second reading at a future meeting; the rules committee will continue work on public participation and accessibility.