Disgruntled Aurora council members continue push for city manager to step down

AURORA | For nearly a month controversy has been brewing between Aurora City Manager Skip Noe and five Aurora councilwomen over how female council members are treated and whether Noe has been effective in his position. Now some councilwomen are insisting they want Noe to retire.

“I would like to see Skip have an exit strategy from the city,” said Councilwoman Barb Cleland, who pushed forward a surprise vote of no confidence at a regular meeting in January as a way to express her dissatisfaction with Noe. She was supported in the measure by four other councilwomen that include Renie Peterson, Molly Markert, Sally Mounier and Marsha Berzins. The measure failed to be included on the agenda because it could not get a two-thirds majority backing, spelled out by the city’s charter.

On Wednesday Noe told top city officials that he would hire a third deputy city manager at a total cost of $240,000. In March, Aurora Finance Director Jason Batchelor will temporarily get that job until a permanent manager is hired, Noe said in a statement.

Noe said the decision to hire the new deputy position had nothing to do with the failed no-confidence vote, and that the suggestion came from his December performance review he underwent with the city council.

“With just two deputy city managers and myself, we’ve hit maximum capacity,” he said. “My schedule is at a point where there are no blanks during the day. The council’s interest is they want to take on more projects and do some things faster. In order for us to do that, we have to add capacity. That’s what this is really all about.”

The council members critical of Noe have said they feel they can’t get things done in a timely fashion.

Noe said that since the no-confidence vote, he has reached out to the five councilwomen via email, giving them the opportunity to meet with him either one-one-one or with an independent facilitator, but that all of them declined.

Cleland said she was not able to attend any of the dates Noe had available. She added though she’s glad the city is getting another deputy city manager, it doesn’t address her issues with Noe.

“It’s still working with the five council members and how we’ve been treated,” she said. She and other critics say that Noe has been dismissive.

Mounier said she also supports adding another deputy city manager, but that it doesn’t change things. She said she also wants to see Noe step down.

“Skip has a problem with how he handles the females on city council,” Mounier said. “We’re treated like this: ‘Sit down. Don’t get hysterical. Take three Midols.’ That’s how we’re treated.”

Mounier, whose ward encompasses northwest Aurora, said Noe also has issues with how he communicates with other ward council members.

“I have an obligation to citizens in Ward I to give them the best government possible,” she said.  “I don’t think I can do that when the city manager picks and chooses what information I’m given.” She said there were times she wanted details, and that he didn’t provide them. She wouldn’t say what that information was.

Peterson, a Ward II councilwoman, said she has the same issue with Noe’s leadership, but said she would not give specific examples and wanted to air her grievances privately.

“If you consider that the majority of us who are unhappy are ward councilors, that should say something,” she said.

Traditionally, ward council members take the majority of everyday resident complaints about city services and issues.

Noe has said repeatedly that he treats all council members equally, men and women, and provides for them what city resources allow. Noe declined to comment on whether he would retire if asked to by city council.

He said he has already addressed the issues he was asked to work on during his last performance review that have included making the process of council member requests more efficient. Part of the changes he is making to the city manager’s office include adding a special projects office dedicated to helping council members complete goals faster over the course of their terms.

On Feb. 23 Noe will meet in closed session with the entire city council, as part of the regular meeting, and discuss the issue and criticisms, according to a past notice by Mayor Steve Hogan. Hogan was unavailable for comment for this story.

Councilman Bob LeGare, who supports Noe as a city manager, said he is looking forward to meeting to fully understand the grievances.

“It’s been fairly quiet for the last couple of weeks,” he said. “I don’t see five council members coming out of that meeting smiling and thinking everything is going to be rosy. It’s a step in the right direction to get this out and let us hear what each individual council member among the five has to say. It’s important to let folks be heard.”