Aurora City Council Study Session – September 28, 2026

The Aurora City Council met for a study session on Monday, September 28, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included roll call, consent calendar items, discussions on police grant applications, a proposed amendment to council rules regarding emergency agenda items, and planning and zoning commission vacancies. Several items were pulled for discussion, and audio issues affected participation.

Consent Calendar

• Items 2B through 2E were moved forward without objection. Item 2A (appointments to housing and community development) was initially pulled due to questions about additional members being added after interviews, but later it was not included in the consent calendar approval. Items 2F and 2G (police grant applications) were pulled for separate discussion.

Discussion Items

• 5A – Rules of Order and Procedure Amendment (Emergency Agendas): Councilmember Hancock, joined by Councilmember Andrews, presented a resolution to require emergency agenda items to go through policy committees and study session first, with exceptions for public safety emergencies, negative fiscal impact, or legislative deadlines. Mayor Pro Tem Coombs requested adding “public health” alongside “public safety” to cover situations like pandemics. Council debated the definition and voted to continue the item to the next study session for staff to provide a clear definition of “public health emergency.”
• 2F – Police Department Grant Application (Peace Officers Behavioral Health): The Aurora Police Department requested council approval to apply for a $300,000 state grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs for a neural feedback program supporting officers and their families with stress and trauma. Council questioned the amount (the backup listed $1.6 million total available) and clarified the request is for $300,000 of that amount. The application was approved to move forward.
• 2G – Police Department Grant Application (Cybercrime under Violence Against Women Act): APD requested approval to apply for a $750,000 federal grant for digital forensic and cybercrime investigation equipment and training, targeting technology-facilitated offenses against women (e.g., revenge porn, stalking). Council asked for a more detailed presentation at the public safety committee or on the floor; staff agreed to provide further specifics. The application was approved.
• 7A – Planning and Zoning Commission Vacancies and Interview Schedule: Two vacancies will occur on December 31, 2026: Sunny Binka (seeking reappointment) and Gail Jetchik (term-limited). Council debated whether to reappoint Binka without an interview. Councilmember Hancock proposed reappointing Binka and interviewing for the other seat; this proposal failed on objections (Councilmembers Bergen, Lawson, Hancock, and Gardner). Mayor Pro Tem Coombs then proposed interviewing for both vacancies, which passed. The interview schedule was approved: application deadline October 23, council selects candidates November 9, interviews November 23, appointments December 7.

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar items 2B, 2C, 2D, and 2E were approved.
• Item 2F (APD behavioral health grant application) approved to move forward.
• Item 2G (APD cybercrime grant application) approved to move forward with a promise of a detailed presentation.
• Item 5A (rules amendment) continued to the next study session for a staff definition of “public health emergency.”
• Item 7A: Council will conduct interviews for both Planning and Zoning Commission vacancies; the interview schedule was adopted.
• No public comments were recorded.
• The meeting was recessed for executive session regarding AURA.