AURORA | Aurora City Council meetings are back in full swing with four new city council members, and Monday’s study session will already have them hitting the ground running.
The agenda for the study session on Monday includes appropriating grant funding to homelessness-based organizations in Aurora, the Aurora Snow and Ice Control Plan, a “Retail Plan” resolution, changes to next year’s city council calendar, Planning and Zoning and Civil Service commissions appointment interview planning, an update on the Downtown Development Authority on East Colfax and a Build Up Aurora update.
The city council meeting after the study session will finalize the calendar changes and include agenda items such as the fall supplemental appropriations, which cover costs not previously projected in the 2025 budget.
It will also be the first meeting with an hour-long “Public Invited to be Heard” at both the beginning and end of the meeting.
For those anticipating the next steps of the Downtown Development Authority plans for East Colfax, there will be a presentation during the study session, which will begin to lay out what the new city council will need to decide on to create the board and the Community Development Corporation, which will work together to revitalize the East Colfax corridor using different funding streams.
During the study session, grant funds will be decided for homeless services in the city. City staff identified that the city received far less funding this year from both the state and the Federal government for homeless services. Although the city received 12 separate applications from eight organizations requesting a total of $1,730,064 in funding, the city only has $961,818 available.
Because of the funding shortfall, a few organizations did not make a list of agencies recommended for funding.
“Funding levels are lower this year, specifically because Marijuana Tax Revenue has decreased and COVID funding is no longer available,” city information said. “Additionally, a large sum of our homelessness funding will be allocated toward the Aurora Regional Navigation Campus.”
The groups recommended for funding were Advance Inc., the organizations running the Navigation Campus, the Aurora Housing Authority, Aurora Mental Health and Recovery, Family Tree and Three Birds Alliance.
The groups that scored low and were not recommended for funding were Comitis, the city’s only family-based homeless shelter, Brothers Redevelopment, Inc. and Ready to Work Aurora.
These organizations might not qualify for multiple reasons, including current services, other founding streams, organizational capacity, and application completeness.
The Snow and Ice Control Plan will discuss the different potential residential snow plowing options and a template for the city to create an Intergovernmental Agreement for Homeowner’s Associations and Special Districts to provide snow removal on residential streets within their boundaries.
There will also be a “Retail Strategy” resolution, which will address how the city plans to strengthen and re-activate existing retail centers, improve the appearance, safety, and walkability of commercial areas, promote balanced tenant mixes that increase convenience and community identity, and encourage frequent visits through coordinated events and customer-oriented services, according to city information.
The Planning and Zoning Commission has two positions open and seven applicants. Melvin Bush is applying for reappointment, while the other six people are applying for a first term. The six additional applicants include Robin Becker, Melvin Bush, Mariel Coughlin, Nicholas Richardson, Allison Spink, Chukwubuike Aghaji, and recent Ward I city council candidate Stephen Elkins.
The Civil Service Commission, which oversees the hiring, promotion and discipline of Aurora Police and Aurora Fire, also has an open position, as Barbara Shannon-Banister’s term will end in February, and she is not seeking reappointment. Only one application for the position came from Laura Maher, a director of customer relations at Psychological Dimensions.
Finally, there will be a Build Up Aurora update, a capital fund project that council members Curtis Gardner and Françoise Bergan have been working with city staff to determine infrastructure needs throughout the city and how to fund them.
The study session, closed to the public but broadcast online, starts at 4:30 p.m. The regular meeting starts in city council chambers at 6 p.m. Both are available at www.youtube.com/theaurorachannel