AURORA | Justice for Kilyn Lewis protesters trolled and disrupted most of the city council meeting Monday night after city lawmakers had tried to prevent them from making any public remarks.
“All they had to do is keep the meeting and give us our public comment hour,” said Auon’tai Anderson, a regular speaker and member of the protest group. “Instead of addressing this tragedy and the systemic issues facing our city, the council majority has chosen to silence the voices of its residents.”
Lewis was fatally shot by Aurora police last May during his arrest at an Aurora apartment complex. Investigators and local police have cleared the SWAT officer who shot Lewis, prompting months of protests.
Monday’s meeting was moved to “virtual” status, where lawmakers use web-based meeting software to convene and the meeting was live-streamed via the city’s YouTube channel.
Multiple city sources, asking to remain anonymous, said the council meeting was moved from city council chambers after “credible” danger was posed to the city. Neither police nor city administrators would offer details about the reported threats.
Lawmakers added that the “public invited to be heard,” or public comment segment, was canceled because the city had yet to develop a protocol for vetting virtual comment, and that security threats were somehow linked to potential comment, multiple Sentinel sources said.
“I was in support of going virtual. However, it is not a threat to our safety and security to listen to our community members speak,” Councilmember Alison Coombs said.
At the beginning of the meeting, the city council endorsed canceling of the “public invited to be heard,” with three members opposing.
A heated encounter in council chambers two weeks ago between Anderson and Mayor Mike Coffman was a harbinger of Monday night’s chaotic city council meeting. Coffman had confronted Anderson in the city council lobby about the death of a Denver Public Schools student while Anderson was on the Denver school board. The two exchanged allegations and ad hominem attacks in the news and on social media.
Anderson and others said that encounter and city lawmakers completely precluding their ability to comment to the city council prompted his group to retaliate by filling all of the public comment portions of the meeting with pleas for Lewis masked as relevant comments for unrelated council measures up for discussion.
I’m back,” one speaker said before satirically trying to speak relevantly about zoning while tying in social justice, inequality and the death of Lewis.
What appeared to be more as coordinated scrips became improvised trolling with occasional insults flung by protesters as they commented on issues related to zoning, fence heights and other sometimes mundane council business.
On two occasions, Anderson imitated the famous speaking style of former President Barack Obama as he filled his allotted time to comment.
“Mike Coffman, somebody’s going to rezone your ass, and when they do, it’s going to be a good day,” one speaker said.
“Done,” Coffman said quickly while gesturing to hang up on his call.
The interruptions took more than an hour out of the meeting before the council got past public hearings for a zoning project. There were multiple recesses to reconvene for the adjustments.
After numerous trolling calls, council members spontaneously approved a shortened 90-second public comment from the original three-minute time allowed.
City Attorney Pete Schulte addressed questions from lawmakers and said the council should go along with the scheme or risk violating state open meeting laws and public hearing regulations.
The interruptions caused the meeting to devolve into disarray as city staff, council members and presenters became flustered and frustrated with comments and the disruption. The interruptions continued until closer to the end when council voted to cancel the rest of all public comments for the night.
“I don’t know if you guys are tired. We’re tired,” one speaker said. “Justice for Kilyn Lewis.”
The quagmire came two weeks after city lawmakers changed rules regarding public commenting, prompted by months of public haranging by the Kilyn Lewis protesters. While lawmakers and city officials cited a link between the security threat prompting them to shut down Monday’s public meeting, they did not detail how that was linked to permitting open public commenting.
Officials said that city staff had not yet completed a vetting process for people calling in to comment when meetings were virtual.
According to Sentinel sources, Schulte emailed council members early last week, relaying the police department’s safety concerns and asking them to respond individually about whether they would want to cancel public comment.
City council rules require a public vote to make changes to agenda, and precluding public comment would take a super-majority of council members, according to city documents.
While city lawmakers had already decided in advance to cut the public commenting segment on Monday, the vote to change the agenda was needed, officials said.
“City council can provide direction to staff before their meetings and then vote to suspend the rules,” said Ryan Luby, Aurora deputy director of communications. “Two-thirds of the council members individually have indicated to staff they will do so at the upcoming meetings – the required threshold in Council Rules to do so.”
The move raised questions as to whether the solicitation for mail votes by the city attorney’s office among city lawmakers violates state open meeting laws.
Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition Executive Director Jeff Roberts said the maneuver shadowed a “serial meeting,” where individuals weigh in on legislation singularly so not to violate open meeting laws, but there is no case law in Colorado regarding such schemes, Roberts said.
“But they still made a decision outside of public view,” Roberts said in an email Monday. “The open meetings law prohibits decision-making in executive session and it prohibits the use of secret ballots to adopt “any proposed policy, position, resolution, rule, or regulation” or to take “formal action.”
Roberts said that the Colorado open meetings laws intend for such discussions and decisions to be public.
City officials said the maneuver was made as a courtesy to potential public speakers so they could plan ahead of Monday’s meeting.
At the end of Monday’s meeting, lawmakers agreed to hold another “virtual” city council meeting, apparently related to the undisclosed security threat. Lawmakers agreed, however, to allow 30 minutes of resident-only public comment in the beginning, and 30 minutes of full public comment at the end.
“We can’t just hide behind these screens forever,” Councilmember Angela Lawson said. “We’ve got to figure this out.”
Mayor Coffman said some nice comments about my grandfather at yesterdays VA Grand Opening which is named after him John W.Mosley however his actions don’t match his words. He is doing a disservice to the community by trying to keep us quiet last nights meeting was a hot mess all the protesters are trying to do is get the council to listen, they say are but are sitting and arguing about public comment when the discussion could be about changing the city charter so it’s easier for APD to get rid of bad apples it really is that simple. It’s to the point where I might just go after my grandmothers old seat as at least I would listen to all even those who disagree with me it’s that simple. On a day where he paid respect to my grandfather he ended up embarrassing the legacy of my grandparents.
One need keep in mind that there is more to say then what is said above by one side. The Sentinel should also hear and let the other constituents of aurora the ability to talk about how they feel. It appears this commentary has not allowed other speakers to talk without getting ridiculed or made fun of when they get up and speak. Reporting should be done on both sides so that the public will hear both sides and not just one side. This is unfair and not true representation of citizens of Aurora. Reach out to the other side to hear all sides .
Once again the spineless Aurora City Council meets in private. We all know that the only real “credible threat” is their fear of the public protesting their despicable actions. They don’t have the guts to come face-to-face with the people of this city that they are supposed to be “representing”. The sooner we can get rid of the ones creating the constant drama, the better our city will be!
Pass an ordinance: Automatic minimum 10 days jail time plus a stiff fine for anyone convicted of seriously disrupting the people’s business outside the time for public comment. Throw the book at these losers.
Edna Mosely was a fine woman, gracious in manner, thoughtful, and open to listening to all before sharing her sincerely held beliefs. She was a joy to work with and for. John Mosely I met only once. He shared his time and his experiences with my daughter who interviewed him for a school project. I believe he positively impacted her life. Thank you for bringing them forward in my memory.
The comment portion of the City Council Agenda is entitled public Invited to be heard. As to the Kilyn Lewis matter the public has been heard, ad nauseum. Family, friends, and those who wish to benefit from Mr. Lewis death while insisting they be heard, while offering nothing new refuse to listen. Mr. Lewis was not a good man. He was a criminal, wanted for recklessly shooting at people and he then did not comply with lawful orders when confronted by armed officers as he had to have known he was going to be. The incident has been vetted and revetted and the actions of the A.P.D. Officer have been found to be compliant with the law and policy of the Department. If Mr. Lewis supporters wish to challenge those findings they have the Courts in which they can attempt to make their case. They do not make their case by disrupting City business. They simply come off as petulent.
Well, Jeff, that better not
Happen, council needs to listen and communicate.
black man with hands up – sound familiar- they said mike brown didnt have hands up, well this guy DID! its on video