AURORA | Aurora’s mayor accused his council colleagues of being beholden to developers after the group expressed a lack of enthusiasm for paying to create an economic development plan.
The group previously talked about the city’s economic development strategy at a workshop in February, where council members failed to reach consensus on what the city needed to do, if anything, to redirect the work of its economic development partners.
Right now, economic development in Aurora is led by a handful of independent organizations such as the Aurora Economic Development Council, Aurora Chamber of Commerce and Visit Aurora as well as departments inside the city. The process is also guided by planning documents such as Aurora Places, the city’s 2018 comprehensive plan.
While Mayor Mike Coffman argued in February that the city needed to articulate its goals for economic development more clearly to be able to attract better-paying jobs, city lawmakers suggested the council talk with its partner organizations first or rejected the idea that the city lacked a cohesive vision.
On Monday, the mayor brought forward a proposal to pay for the development of a citywide plan. There was no cost estimate for the proposal, but interim city manager Jason Batchelor estimated outside proposals would cost about $150,000.
“I think it’s so important for the City Council to have a vision, an economic vision, of where the city needs to go,” Coffman said. “This is our responsibility. It cannot be outsourced.”
While other council members said they wanted to see Coffman and the city take other steps before investing money in a study — Francoise Bergan and Danielle Jurinsky asked why the city couldn’t host a meeting with partner organizations — Coffman said he had known his proposal would fail but wanted to force a vote anyway.
“It’s going to fail. And it’s going to fail because of the outside pressures on the city council,” the mayor said to fellow lawmakers. “There will be a vote. You will be held accountable.”
He told Councilmember Crystal Murillo that the “outside pressures” included developers who weren’t acting in the long-term economic interests of the city but refused to clarify what specific developers he was talking about.
Council members also criticized Coffman for the lack of specificity in his plan, questioning why he hadn’t done more to flesh it out and collaborate with others on council since February.
“There was a conversation that you were going to exercise the leadership to work with your council to get the votes, and you didn’t do that,” Councilmember Alison Coombs said. “That’s why you continue to not have six votes, because you didn’t do the work.”
Coffman ultimately agreed to table the item for two weeks, so that a cost estimate could be created, and so other council members could have the chance to provide input.
Also on Monday, the council:
- Voted unanimously on first reading to place an item on the November ballot that would ask voters to strip gendered language from Aurora’s home-rule charter.
- Appointed Patricia Stephens to the Aurora Civil Service Commission by a 7-4 vote — with Coombs, Juan Marcano, Ruben Medina and Murillo opposed — after a motion to appoint former Aurora police officer Paul Poole was rejected, with the same four voting in favor.
- Voted unanimously to make it illegal for people circulating an initiative or referendum petition to lie to members of the public while soliciting their signatures and also allow those who signed to withdraw their signatures after the fact without participating in a protest hearing.
- Voted to create a pathway for SWAT medics, retired law enforcement personnel and others to be certified as reserve police officers, with Murillo casting the only “no” vote.
Coffman, a coward who literally left a town hall with constituents by exiting via the back door to avoid talking with people, is starting his power grab on the city. Be vigilant.
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I was at that meeting at the Central Library, waited almost 2 hours (standing whole time) in the cold in a hallway in our coats, many were older like me but not yet eligible for Medicare, many with walkers and in wheelchairs, worried because Coffman supported trump in ending the Affordable Care Act (which saved my life when battling cancer at 60 & I worked at job that did not offer healthcare). Coffman saw one person at a time in a room he had booked that seated over 400 people. He had advertised a town hall (his first in years). We were not even told that he left as we waited. I talked to some people that did get to talk to him (he spent 1 to 5 minutes max with each). Coffman knew nothing about how the ACA worked, spouted GOP lies about it that are totally inaccurage, and said he’d look into their problem and moved on. No leadership ability at all, no interest in learning how stuff really works, & no compassion for Aurorans.
Not surprised. Sorry, Aurora deserves better.
Keep collecting those Government Benefits, Mike.
Military, State of CO and City of Aurora. Am I missing any?
Too bad the rest of us don’t have your medical and retirement benefits.
As usual, Coffman is all bluster and alarmist finger-pointing.
I wonder who that sounds like.
For decades, Aurora was cast aside city within the Metro area. When we finally have development and progress the past 10-15 years, Coffman would rather grand-stand than step aside and do his limited and purely ceremonial duties. You know, cutting ribbons and waving goodbye.
If Coffman knew his ordinance would fail, this was to portray HIS city council in turmoil on the public record–exactly the opposite of what an effective leader should want.
My heart hurts for this city. While many of Coffman’s ideas and policies have merit, he is giving fodder to Marcano whose looney criminal-friendly, addict-apologist, socialistic ideas would accelerate Aurora’s decay to mimic San Francisco.
Coffman, put on your big boy pants, stop bickering and work with your colleagues to serve this city, not your Napolean complex.
Socialistic?
Hmm, please reimburse any government monies you’ve received and/or will in the future.
Seriously? Once again, the Council has their heads in the sand, pretending Aurora is still just a suburb of Denver. Mayor Coffman is not trying a power grab—-he’s trying to help Aurora become an economically viable city, where people can have well-paying jobs, live here, and lift the population of well-educated citizens.
From what I understand, the Mayor just flat out didn’t do the work – met with no one to flesh out his
idea, and now is pissed that everyone on the council won’t jump when he says to do so. Also, it shows his immaturity when he seems to threaten
council.
He can’t be replaced quick enough for me and my
friends!
Interesting. the mayor implies those opposed to him are in the pockets of developers, or special interests. The Sentinel ought to follow up on this. The sentinel ought to publish a spread sheet of developer and special interests contributions to the past campaigns of each council member as well as the mayor. Let’s lay out in black and white who is beholden to whom.
Monday night’s city council meeting was chock-filled with pure confusion arising from the questionable ability if these leaders can move the city forward? The finger pointing back and forth between the mayor and council of this illusive “vision” all politicians seem to think they possess has bogged down city hall to a crawl. This so-called resolution study for approximately $150K will fix it for sure…. Are you kidding? Mayor Coffman, is right, along with the tow truck driver that talked for his thee minutes about the “thousands of abandoned cars” strewn about the city. The Mayor, made a trip to the Flying J truck stop area because of hotel owners complaining about illegal semi-truck tractor parking all over and publicly admitted there is not enough planning that has been done to the new nothing but ware-house acre after acre. We don’t need any studying to figure out what high density to the max looks like. And we pay non profits like AEDC Aurora Economic Development Council for example approx $450K annually for the privilege to pump the high density concept from outside developers. And who does AEDC- board member president William Watcherman like to pump money back into the political election committee of? Danielle Jurinsky, Dustin Zvonek, and Curtis Gardner.
Talk about a convoluted and entangled bunch having a clear “vision” for the cities future. There is a ton of murkiness that needs sorted out at city hall
What a p***! First he hides behind the “Strong Mayor” petition and hires folks to lie to voters. “Here, sign this petition as it’s only about term limits . Come on folks, you knew he was behind this initiative the whole time. He wants to be another Trump with all the power or as one gentleman said in a comment, “Little Napoleon”.
Ding, Ding, Ding!