AURORA | Empty chairs at the city council dais have been a common sight at meetings in recent months as some council members have elected with increasing frequency to attend virtually.
Two council members, Curtis Gardner and Françoise Bergan, have not attended council meetings in person since April, only participating virtually. Gardner’s last in-person meeting was April 6, although he also attended a May 9 workshop in person, while Bergan was last in person at the April 20 meeting, which she left early from due to unspecified health reasons.
Other council members have appeared virtually occasionally in recent months, but not for extended periods of time. Council members are not required to attend meetings in person and can participate and vote virtually.
However, virtual attendance has not gone unnoticed by residents, with several public commenters pointing it out in recent meetings.
“Some of them I’ve never seen in the last couple of months, so I wonder why that is,” Aurora resident Gary Beasley asked during the public comment period at the July 13 city council meeting.
In an email, Bergan said her virtual attendance does not impact her ability to fulfill her role. While she did not say why she has been attending only virtually, Bergan said she plans to return in person to meetings soon.
“I am able to complete all my council duties, including constituent work in my ward, which includes interaction on social media, answering emails and phone calls,” Bergan said. “Also attending and participating in all my outside board obligations, which I believe exceeds any or most other council members’ boards.”
Bergan pointed to her roles on the E-470 Public Highway Authority, the Arapahoe County Opioid Abatement Council and the Aurora Economic Development Council, among other community contributions, like taking part in the city’s retail strategy stakeholder forums.
Gardner told the Sentinel that his virtual attendance has been due to a combination of factors that have kept him from being able to attend in person, including knee surgery, work obligations and travel, both for council trips and family trips.
“For me, it’s not related to content or anything like that, it’s just been a variety of different conflicts that have come up,” Gardner said. “In 2026, there’s the ability to do the job virtually, which is why we have that in our rules. … I’ve still been present and voting according to the rules.”
Gardner said the role is “more than just Monday nights” and he has participated in person at other events. He also highlighted recently passed resolutions he sponsored, including one creating a bond oversight committee and another exploring the city’s landscaping requirements for industrial lots.
“I think pretty much every profession there’s opportunities to do jobs virtually and, to me, it doesn’t hinder our ability to accomplish our job,” he said.
He added that he attends meetings in person whenever he can.
In addition to some commenters taking issue with council members participating online, a proposed change to the council rules would state that council members should “endeavor to appear in person at all council meetings,” while still allowing virtual attendance.
Comments on the topic of virtual attendance have come up consistently at council meetings since June.
Former council member Juan Marcano called out Bergan and Gardner by addressing some of his June 8 remarks to “the two who don’t show up anymore.”
Other commenters have been more direct.
“I want to ask them in their absence, what do you think your job is,” Aurora resident Joel Benjamin said at the June 22 meeting. “Do you think your constituents don’t deserve representation?”
“At this point, I’ve attended more council meetings than Curtis Gardner,” Denver activist Auon’tai Anderson said on June 22. “So, whenever you’d like for me to just go ahead and take his seat, I’m happy to go up there and vote for him since he can’t be here in person.”
Council members avoiding the dais was an issue last year when the previous city council separated the part of the meeting set aside for public comment and changed rules allowing city lawmakers to avoid sitting in the chambers during that part of the meeting.
Only a few Democratic members of the council and Mayor Mike Coffman would attend the sessions, and the new city council, elected last November, immediately reversed the rules when they took control of the meetings.
Bergan was among city lawmakers accused of boycotting a meeting in January. The accusations were linked to political disputes among lawmakers centering on Aurora police Chief Todd Chamberlain.
Four conservative Aurora City Council members offered no explanation for all missing the previous regular meeting after Mayor Mike Coffman asked them to give him notice of their future absences.
“I just want to state how important I think it is for members to make the regular meetings,” Coffman said. “Virtual or in person is the same. If you cannot make it, I want you to contact me in advance and let me know why.”
During the Jan. 26 city council meeting, four right-leaning council members, Françoise Bergan, Angela Lawson, Stephanie Hancock, and Curtis Gardner, attended an executive session of the city council meeting but did not attend the regular meeting after.
Hancock attended the study session before the regular meeting, while the rest did not attend either. The only council person to respond to the Sentinel’s requests asking why they were all absent was Gardner, who said he was recovering from a scheduled knee surgery and had planned to miss the meeting.
“After the role is called during the regular meeting, if a member is not present in person or virtually, I will state whether I was contacted by that member and whether or not they gave me an excuse,” Coffman said during a following study session. “I don’t need to know in general, I don’t need to know specifics.”
It’s pretty funny that the Sentinel and its band of activists failed to notice the persistent absence of the do-nothing former council member, Crystal Murillo. Or the apparently mute, drunk Rob Andrews, who seems incapable of contributing anything beyond a warm chair. Or the idiot-activist Alli Jackson, complete with her “tax-the-rich” Stanley cup, misunderstanding that a “fiscal note” is not a “physical note.” Or the reappearance of Coombs’ wild, monkey-child on-camera to disrupt yet another meeting. And while we’re at it, someone please check Ruben Medina’s pulse, lest we’re facing another Weekend at Bernie’s situation. Thankfully, he does pipe up long enough to remind us, again, of his “experience” checking folks into the rec center. I could go on. This socialist council is a joke. The remaining conservatives are literally the only adults in the room, virtually or otherwise. A presence on the dais is the least of the city’s worries.
someone with the last name “Jurinsky” clearly wrote this comment
Swing and a miss, Temu Frank Zappa.
The Sentinel keeps acting like council is a hobby, not a job. Anyone who bothered to look at the city’s own calendar can see what the workload really is: regular night meetings, multiple policy committees, rules/decorum committees, regional and intergovernmental stuff, plus the constant stream of calls, emails and neighborhood issues from actual residents. All of that was known and public long before any of these folks decided to run.
Now layer on the DSA crowd, who show up mainly to attack conservatives and turn “public comment” into a standing protest rally. They want the glory shots of “speaking truth to power” while others grind through the real work and take the real votes. So when some of the new left‑leaning members claim the workload is a surprise and then join in bashing conservatives for a missed meeting, it looks less like public service and more like a group that wanted the power and the spotlight without paying their dues.
Why is the Sentinel is inflating this issue, honestly?
This Council recently sent three tax increases to the ballot. If passed they would only address 13% of the capital need.
Yet this is the type of petty crap that qualifies as news in your newsroom?!?!
The people who run Aurora are a complete joke, bickering with each other and the public – getting nothing done. Residents deserve better than this. AI would do a better job running this city. Shame.
I won’t show up to a Council meeting, either. There’s an absolute lack of control during “public” (read: leftist extremist) comments, a lack of responsible representation (read: criminal behavior by Unaccountable Andrews), and a fear of mob attacks for speaking as a Conservative. I am ashamed of the mayor and what Aurora has become in a very short time. Thank goodness there is a Police Chief with sensibility. That’s the only thing Aurora still has going for it.
As someone who is neither liberal or conservative, someone who uses common sense… your petty bickering and cultural divide is costing the public. As they say “if you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen”. We have elected officials in Aurora who cannot connect with the public, and thus are unqualified for the job. If you can’t face the public, you have no place in office. Period.
Hey McKenna,
Good piece! All the bots are mad about it. See y’all on Monday nights.