The Aurora City Council will vote on multiple issues next week that have generated debate among lawmakers, from pandemic relief grants to proposals that would change the way councilmembers conduct meetings.
Some of the proposals are included in the consent agenda, meaning that if a councilmember does not request an issue be voted on individually, it could be approved during a single vote packaged with other items.
Here’s a look at some of the items slated for consideration at the Jan. 30 regular meeting.
ARPA grants
After weeks of delay, the city council will again consider approving nearly two dozen American Rescue Plan Act grants for local nonprofits.
Late last year, Councilmember Francoise Bergan and Mayor Pro Tem Curtis Gardner raised concerns about some of the organizations city staff had recommended be awarded ARPA grants, and a vote to approve the awards was postponed. The councilmembers said they had been provided information suggesting at least one organization misused funds, among other concerns.
The councilmembers asked for more detail about what due diligence staff used to select awardees and for staff to provide that update to the council in January.
During the Jan. 23 study session, Grant Development Manager Christina McClelland provided a presentation stating the city received more than 50 applications and staff recommended 23 receive grants. The applicants’ requests totaled $6 million, she said, vying for a pot of $2.5 million grant dollars. She also outlined how applications were vetted.
Some nonprofits were rejected for reasons such as noneligible expenses, projects without a close connection to pandemic recovery or they did not provide many services in Aurora, McClelland said.
Following the presentation, Gardner described the criteria for selecting grant winners as “kind of weak.” The city did not spend enough time evaluating if the organizations’ services aligned with what a city should provide, he said.
Bergan also said the criteria for selecting grantees needed to be refined and asked to see each operating budgets. Gardner confirmed that each grant can be voted on individually if a councilmember chooses to pull any of them off of the consent calendar.
Council Rules
Also within the consent calendar are two resolutions that could change council meeting rules if passed. Mayor Mike Coffman has proposed repealing a rule that allows councilmembers to end debate, to mixed reaction from his colleagues.
At their January study session, multiple councilmembers said they would not support a full repeal of the council rule but might back an amendment that would require a super majority to sign off on ending council debates. The rule, named “call for the question,” is useful for stopping filibusters or off-topic conversations, some lawmakers said.
Councilmember Juan Marcano has also proposed the city begin requiring the city manager to provide the public a way to participate in meetings remotely.
Members of the public have been able to watch and listen to regular council meetings, special meetings and study sessions online since before the pandemic, city spokesman Michael Brannen said in response to emailed questions. The public can comment during regular council meetings.
When the pandemic initially struck and meetings moved remote, the city began allowing people to email their public comments to the city clerk who read them aloud during meetings. By May 2020, the public was also allowed to provide pre-recorded comments that were played into the record, Brannen said.
By July 2020, the city set up a voicemail line where constituents could leave voicemails. And by August 2020, the city had set up a call-in line and included emailed comments in the council packet.
Fire chief
Also on Monday, the city council will discuss whether to confirm City Manager Jim Twombly’s pick for Aurora’s next fire chief.
Twombly announced his selection of Alec Oughton, currently the fire chief in Henrico County, Virginia, from among four finalists earlier this month. His appointment must receive council approval.
Aurora conducted a nationwide search that ultimately produced a mix of internal and external finalists for the job. Candidates met with the community, city leadership and council during a two-day interview process before Twombly’s decision was announced.
