2026-11-09 - City Council (regular meeting) Meeting

[music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Jai >> [music] [music] [music] >> The regular meeting of the Aurora City Council uh for Monday, November 9, 2026 is

is called to order. Will the clerk please call the roll. >> Mayor Kaufman. Mayor Kaufman. >> Here. >> Councilmember Andrews. >> Here. >> Councilmember Bergen. >> Here. >> Mayor pro tem Coombs. >>

Present. >> Councilmember Gardner. >> Here. >> Councilmember Hancock. Councilmember Hancock. Councilmember Horton. >> Here. >> Councilmember Jackson. >> Here. >> Councilmember Lawson. >> Here. >>

Councilmember Medina. >> Here. >> Councilmember Wiles. >> Here. >> There's a quorum. >> Uh please join me in an invocation. Our Lord our God and our Father, we come to you and we ask that you look

upon this particular gathering tonight to keep us safe and guide us in our decisions. Bless our city with honorable citizens, industries, sound education, and good government. Unite our community

together even though we come from different backgrounds. We pray that there'll be justice and peace in our city. Give the city council and citizens the wisdom, direction, and sensitivity to the

business and proceedings before us tonight. Hear us therefore as we commit this meeting to the help of our community. Amen. >> Amen. >> Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance

to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The land acknowledgement, the city of Aurora

acknowledges that we gather on the territories and ancestral homelands of the Cheyenne, Ute, Arapaho, and Lakota peoples past and present. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are

historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. Indigenous peoples have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries as these words of acknowledgment are

spoken and heard. The ties that these nations have to their traditional homelands and to their vital place in the ecosystem are renewed and reaffirmed and we are called upon to be better stewards of

the land we inhabit as we continue to work to meet the needs of our entire community. [snorts] Executive session update. During executive session we discussed water rights acquisition. Motion is in

order for the approval of the minutes for October 26th, 2026. >> Mayor. >> Mayor Pro Tem. >> So moved. >> Moved by Mayor Pro Tem, seconded by >> Second. >> Second by Councilmember Wildes to approve

the minutes for October 26th, 2026. Discussion? Seeing no discussion, call the question on the adoption of the minutes for October 26th, 2026. >> Mayor Kaufman. >> Mayor Pro Tem, yes. >> Katie, I'm a

yes. I'm still getting into eScribe. >> I'm a yes. >> Councilmember Andrews, thank you. The motion passes unanimously to adopt the October 26th, 2026 meeting minutes. >> Motion is in order for

adoption of the agenda. >> Mayor. >> Mayor Pro Tem. >> So moved. >> Moved by Mayor Pro Tem, seconded by >> Mayor, second. >> Second by Councilmember Lawson for the adoption of the agenda. Discussion?

[clears throat] Seeing no discussion, call for the question on the adoption of the agenda. >> Mayor Kaufman. >> Mayor Pro Tem. >> Katie, I'm a yes. >> Councilmember Hancock, thank you. The motion

passes unanimously to adopt the agenda. >> Reports. Want to remind council members that reports are limited to three minutes each. Um Councilman Andrews. >> Thank you, Mayor. Uh I have a couple

letters from uh a few youth that have or a couple youth that have written me. So uh Dear Councilman Andrews, my name is Sasha. I wanted to ask if we can have more dog parks outside. I love dog parks

and I think they should have places to run around and make friends too. Sometimes when I see dogs they look like they want to play but they have to stay on their leash. I think there should be a park

for big dogs and little dogs because little dogs might get scared. And you could put water bowls there too because dogs get thirsty when they run. I don't have my own dog yet but I really want one. My

dad says maybe when I am older. Thank you for listening to kids. Your friend Sasha. I have one more here from uh Pernell. Dear Mr. Andrews, my name is Pernell. I'm in fifth grade. My mom said you are

going to read letters from kids at a meeting. I don't know what to I don't know what you talk about at those meetings but I bet everybody gets bored sometimes. I like telling jokes to my family and

sometimes they laugh and sometimes they don't but I still think I'm funny. So I have a joke for you to tell everybody. Why did the cookie go to the doctor? Because he was feeling crummy. I hope you

tell my joke at your meeting and everybody laughs. If they don't laugh you can tell them I said to. Have a good meeting. From Pernell the Great. My mom laughed at this joke so I know it's funny. Thank

you, Mayor. >> Okay. Uh Mayor Pro Tem. >> Mayor, thank you. Um one announcement. We will have the final rules committee meeting of this year on the 17th of November. So that's um a week from next

Tuesday um at 5:30 p.m. here in the Aurora room. We are going to be discussing some issues related to um our meeting times. Um excuse me, as well as um kind of finalizing our discussion on community

participation. Um and our final sections of the rules that we reviewed at our last meeting. And then I just also wanted to honor the Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado's 2026 class, um including

our friend Aaron Futrell, um but also from Aurora, Max McBride, Aurelius Hughes, Ann Kiki, Justice Sandlin, Brittany Wright, and Jalice. >> All right, Council Member Gardner. No part. Council Member

Jackson. >> Thank you, Mayor. Uh couple committees that I attended, the Rules Committee um and then our um PEDS Committee happened last week. I have an announcement for tomorrow if you're interested

in the Aurora Downtown Development Authority. We are having our open meeting and it's at 11:00 a.m. It'll be here in this building um in the Aurora room uh just out in the lobby to your left. Um we do

have open public invite to be heard and the Aurora Downtown Development Authority is looking at redeveloping the East Colfax corridor to include more family-friendly things, improve lighting, uh some

art festivals. There's some great food trucks um ideas that are going up. Uh we're pilot piloting two of those ideas in November and December. Um so I'll let fellow folks give that update, but just

check out East Colfax corridor, Fletcher Plaza. There's a lot of activation that'll be happening there outside the MLK Jr. Library. Um and then just wanted to say happy Veterans Day. That's on this

Wednesday. So thank you to all our veterans in the city of Aurora. Both my parents are Air Force veterans. My sister and my sister and my brother are Army veterans. So thank you so much for your

service. And then lastly, we did have an election. So I just wanted to thank everybody who was who showed up and voted to use your voice because that's one, you know, tool we have to impact change.

Those are my reports. Thank you. >> Councilmember Horton. >> Thanks, Mayor. So I want to start first with Fletcher Plaza, as Councilmember Jackson alluded to. That is the park right outside of the MLK

building. There's been a number of conversations. I hosted a listening session a couple of weeks ago around what does that activation of the space look like? One of the recent conversations with

service providers, I really appreciated three values that came up. One was coordination, coordination of all the service providers that exist that provide services on Fletcher Plaza. The second is

care. How do we do that with care and compassion and not be punitive in our approach? And then the third is use. How do we utilize and activate that space? So as the different entities and work is

happening, one of the ideas that stemmed from the listening session was food trucks. People were like, yes, we want food trucks here. And so we're piloting the holiday hoopla. It's going to be on

Fletcher Plaza and we have the two dates, which is November 28th. That is Small Business Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Really excited to celebrate small businesses. If you are a vendor or know

a vendor, please reach out. Happy to provide that link. And then the second date is December 4th, which is first Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 9 p.m. Same thing, vendor. And we got some really great food

trucks that are going to spam the the diversity of our city. And then I also want thank the Aurora Science and Tech Schools for the invitation to come and speak to their civics class. Um I know that

there were some council members that visited in the morning. I was teamed up for one class with council member Bergen. I really Council member Bergen, want to give you your flowers. I really

appreciate it hearing your expertise um and the information you provided to the students and and just the the tenured you have served on council. And then council member Andrews, I think what we were

able to highlight in our conversations with the class is representation does matter, especially when it comes to elected us of color speaking with predominantly students of color. So thank you. >>

Council member Wells. >> Thanks, Mayor. Um I also attended the Aurora Science and Technology School. I agree the students were awesome. They asked some really great questions um ranging anything from

flock cameras all the way to parking in their area. They have to pay quite a bit for parking and so they were concerned about that. I also attended the Youth Commission meeting last week and they are

doing a gift drive. That's their end of year service project. So I did put a box out in the um in the main lobby. If anybody has the means to donate a gift, it will be out there until next month. I

also had the Data Center Town Hall this last week. Thank you to Senator Wiseman for partnering with me on that. We had a great turnout and I appreciate everybody that came. And then I also was asked

to speak on Senator Kipp's call last week about community impacts of data centers. So thanks for that um invitation. [clears throat] And then this Sunday I'm looking forward to going to the Thrive by

Design conference. It's another youth um organization and we'll get to hang out with the kids all day and and talk to them about all things civic related. Thank you. >> Council member Medina. Thank

you. Thank you. >> [snorts] >> I'll be and we'll be talking about >> I'm not on. That's why. I'll start all over. Sorry about that. Uh, will be having my town hall tomorrow, November 10th, uh, from

6:30to 8 p.m. at Del Mar and 6th at the Active Adult Center. AFR will talk about their strategic plan and Planning and Development will also speak at that. I also attended, uh, the high school with

council member Amy and talked to a variety of youth. Also went to the Youth Summit in uh, Brighton. They had 150 youth from around the state of Colorado, uh, at a two-day conference talking about a

variety of things. I got to go with other counterparts from different councils from around the state and city, uh, cities to talk with youth specifically. Uh, I plan to do some more work with them.

They had asked me to do some stuff with them. There was a group from Vista Peak. I was able to have some really good conversations with that specific group since they're from Aurora. And I'm working

with APS and Cherry Creek to have some community meetings in the schools. Uh, I'll go from school to school each month and have a conversations during lunchtime to see what kind of issues and concerns

that they're having. I know a lot of them are around mental health, uh, drug use. Certainly ice came up in some communities, so we'll be looking forward to having those conversations. Thank you. >>

Council Member Hancock. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, I will be having my final town hall of the year on Thursday, November 12th at Noon Events Center from 6 to 8. We're going to have a holiday pre-

Thanksgiving celebration, but we're also going to talk about Library and Cultural Services, updates on Aurora 911, and gas station buffers. If you go to my website, you can take part in a community

priority survey, scan the code or visit SurveyMonkey. I'm asking what you would like to discuss and vote for in 2027, what topics are important to you so that we can address those. That's all, Mayor.

>> Council Member Lawson. >> Thank you, mayor. Um, I will been getting a lot of um questions from um constituents regarding my town halls. They will reconvene. I'll be having the two starting in

February. So, more to come on those. Um, we will not be having one in November just due to logistics. So, they will reconvene in 2027. Also too, I want to say happy Veterans Day to all the veterans

who protect and serve so we can have the freedoms that we have. My dad is a um Air Force veteran. So, I wanted to commend and thank you for all the service for all the veterans. And that's my report,

mayor. >> Councilmember Bergen. >> [clears throat] >> Thank you, mayor. Um, I had a very busy couple weeks um especially with E 470. There's some changes that happened and as the chair, I was very

involved in having special meetings and lots of uh phone calls. Um, attended a course our planning and economic development meeting um a couple weeks ago. And I also participated in the Aurora Science

and Tech um civics class um with Councilmember Marcano as mentioned. I think it was a good uh partnership because uh of our diversity of our different wards. So, being able to talk about how different

ward one needs are compared to ward six and enjoyed it very much um a very attentive class. And so I appreciated that. Um, I also had some meetings with uh Blackstone um community. There's some issues

with a uh water tank um discussion and for security purposes. So, I actually met on one Monday afternoon with uh our staff from the water department and then um on that following Tuesday afternoon

then met with a lot of uh my residents um that had concerns and we're trying to now have a follow-up meeting with with water uh to kind of try to resolve that. Um, and let's see. I have uh meetings um

um staff on and annexation um regulations and then also um excuse me the Aurora economic development um um strategic planning sessions that that I attended um over this past Friday Saturday or

Thursday Friday. Um and I also want to say happy Veterans Day as well. My dad served 26 years in the Air Force. So anyway thank you mayor. >> Thank you um um I um put uh a lot of the issues that I

work on as well as events on my Facebook page and so would encourage you to look at that Mike Kaufman Facebook and uh want to wish uh all my fellow veterans a happy Veterans Day and with that public

invited to be heard. >> Mayor >> [clears throat] >> Oh I'm sorry. >> It's all right. Thank you mayor. Uh good evening ladies and gentlemen. Pete Schulte city attorney also serve as the parliamentarian

for for the city council uh and I have the uh the honor of of showing your reading you the rules of public comment for both uh us and you all. So city council has established this public forum to

receive input from the community. The public invited to be heard portion of the meeting is limited by council rules to a total of 1 hour with each speaker allotted 3 minutes. Speakers signed up to

comment on agenda items are also limited to 3 minutes and comments must relate directly to the item being considered. So this is where I always say if you did sign up uh for public comment but are

wanting to speak instead on an agenda item uh please go down and see the city clerk. Katie raise your hand. There she is and she will get you signed up on the right agenda item um instead of public

comment. Um we want to make sure your comments are part of the legal record in case anything happens later on. Um all participants are expected to observe the same standards of decorum as council.

Personal attacks disruptive behavior and demonstrations are not permitted. Please show respect to all speakers regardless of whether you agree with their comments and allow everyone the opportunity to

be heard. Speakers who exceed the 3-minute time limit reduce the others the opportunity to speak. You may have my myself or the mayor uh reminding you as if if that happens to to slowly finish your

comments so others can speak. Uh just be cognizant of that and please be considerate your fellow residents when preparing your comments. Additionally, we do ask you refrain from using profanity, even

though that may be your First Amendment right to do so, as we do have children usually watching at least at at online if not in the chambers. So we ask that you not use that language. Mayor. >> Thank

you. Public invited to be heard. >> Bree Kennedy followed by Saima Khalif. Council members, you have failed the people of Aurora. I attended my first City Council meeting back in June. [snorts] Sorry,

I'm having a really bad day. And I was here to talk about the her endless conditions at the GEO I facility. I was so scared to come here and speak. I thought the City Council did the right thing. You

got this. You got this. You already did the [snorts] thing. Okay? You're already doing the thing. Sorry, I'm having a really bad day. I thought City Council did the right thing. I mean, you guys are

elected officials. I had reasons to respect you and that idea. Changed pretty quickly after I saw Ms. Shofner, Mr. Anderson, and families here asking for justice for those killed by the Aurora Police

Department. [snorts] I remember sitting up there with my mom crying listening to their their testimony. [snorts] I didn't know the stories of Elijah McClain, D'Andre Albritton, Roshon Belt, Stephon

Fields, and many others. [snorts] D'Andre was only 14 years old when he was fatally shot in the stomach. When you appointed Todd Chamberland as police chief, how did you miss the history of his racist

actions? I'm talking to you, Jason Bachelor, Francois Bergen, Angela Lawson, Curtis Gardner, and Stephanie Hancock. With a simple Google search, I found out that he rose to the ranks of the Los

Angeles Police Department at the time of the brutal police beating of Rodney King and the uprising thereafter. [snorts] In the late 1990s, the department was caught in mass corruption, abuse, and drug

dealing scandals which police framed civilians and falsified reports leading to more than 100 wrongful convictions. In 2014, Ralph Chamberlain was head of LAPD's mission division. An investigation

found that officers were routinely breaking antennas from police vehicles and interfering with camera audio recordings which are used to guard against racial profiling by officers. In 2010, a black

LAPD officer Earl Wright filed a discrimination lawsuit saying that he experienced humiliating pranks and harassment while Chamberlain was his superior. Chamberlain failed to discipline a white

officer for presenting Wright with a cake topped with fried chicken and watermelon [snorts] among many other racist pranks. I have lost a lot of my respect for you council members and most of you hide

from your own constituents. I'm very surprised I see Angela. I'm very surprised I see you today. Same with you, Stephanie. [snorts] And Ruben and Rob, I don't see you guys here very often. [snorts]

And to those who voted no on the moratorium, we the people will not forget that. So Stephanie, Curtis, Angela, Francois, and Rob, don't expect to get reelected in 2027 or 2029. I vote in 2028 doesn't

mean I can't vote in 2027 next year when a lot of you guys are up for reelection, but I'm going to try try my best to make sure you don't get reelected. [snorts] And I guess I just really truly don't

understand why you said no and I don't understand I just don't [snorts] know why and I don't I don't want to explain it to you again. We've sat through hours of testimony from those saying why they

they are bad for Aurora and that we don't want them. >> [bell] [applause] >> Salma [applause] Salma Khalif followed by Arlene Solis. >> [snorts] >> Good evening, Mayor Kaufman and members of the

Aurora City Council. Hello. My name is Salma Cleef and I am a junior here at Lotus School for Excellence and I'm currently taking concurrent enrollment composition class through my school. And in this

class, we have been researching problems that have directly affected the Aurora community. The issue that I chose to investigate were data centers and the potential impacts that their development

could have on Aurora residents. Through my research, I came to the conclusion that a moratorium is the most responsible solution. I recognize that data centers have already been addressed in previous

council meetings and I apologize if this is an an agenda item. I appreciate the steps that this council has taken towards discussing this regulation. However, I believe regulations alone are not

enough. We need a moratorium and through my research and my findings, I will explain why. First, we need to consider the environmental and health impacts. Data centers require enormous amounts of

electricity and depending on their cooling systems, significant amounts of water. In a community like Aurora where water is an important and limited resource, we cannot afford to overlook these

demands. We must also consider noise, energy infrastructure, and the proximity of these facilities to residential neighborhoods. When discussing development, we cannot only consider what companies

need to operate. We must consider that the people who already live here. Second, we need to consider the economic impact on Aurora on Aurora families. We often hear about the economic benefits and tax

revenue that these data centers could bring, but we also need to ask who carries the cost of that that of that development. Most of the time, it is us, Aurora residents. This brings me to the proposed

ban on future taxes incentives of data centers. I support this proposal because taxpayers should not be subsidizing an industry where we have not fully evaluated its long-term costs and benefits to

our community. Before offering these incentives, we need to understand what exactly Aurora and its residents are receiving in return. Finally, we need to prioritize community voices and

responsibility. A moratorium would give Aurora the time to conduct further research, evaluate environmental and infrastructure impacts, establish stronger protections, and genuinely listen to the

residents before allowing additional development. I want to make one thing clear. I'm not arguing that Aurora should never have data centers. I'm simply arguing that we should not rush into approving

development before we fully understand its consequences, which we are doing right now. For example, project project Trident by Vantage Data Centers management formed by a group by Vantage Data Center

management has sparked fierce opposition and even formed a group called Join Unite, which are people who are in severe opposition to this um data center project. We both we need both financial

accountability and a temporary pause on new applications while stronger regulations are established. A moratorium is not a rejection of progress. It is a commitment to responsible development. As a

student, I believe Aura develop deserves development that protects its residents, resources, and its future. I urge you to support the data center moratorium and the proposed ban on future tax

incentives. Thank you for your time and for listening to the voices of Aura students. >> [applause] [applause] >> Arlene Souls, followed by Dan Bergander. >> Hello. My name's Arlene Souls, and we live

in the Reserve in Green Valley Ranch. Um I came here tonight with a bunch of nice words prepared, things like, hey, please come out and visit our community and see what a great place we have in the

Reserve and see why the Trident data center does not belong. But you know all that already. You have heard it over and over and over again. So instead, I'm just going to make some key points. Again,

these are things that you've already heard, but they're worth repeating. Number one, a more appropriate location for the Trident data center must be found. Number two, a data center moratorium must be

put in place now. Not in 90 days, not when Vantage says it's okay, or anyone else, now. Number three, we need to ensure that all land in Aurora is zoned properly, please, so we can avoid any future

situations like this one. We have all recently become everybody in this room, whether we wanted to or not, we have become educated on the zoning, permit process, and development of data center

proposals, especially as they relate to being placed in residential areas. The rezoning of space in our residential area should never have happened, but now that we're here and now that we are all

more knowledgeable, we have an opportunity going forward to make the right decisions. You know, in our area, we're looking forward to our Aurora Community Park, across the street, the gardens and the

playgrounds and the dog parks and the swimming pools, the hospital. We even have street lights now, and a King Soopers coming. All these things belong in a close-knit community like ours, not a data

center. Our work must continue and will continue until we know for sure that all neighborhoods in Aurora are safe from the perils of data centers. Some of you have done some work and addressed the

issue, and your recent efforts and your words and your social media posts are encouraging, so we thank you for that. Now we need action. We need action now. Most cities in the Denver metro area

already have data center moratoriums. There are over 500 moratoriums throughout the United States. Other countries are on board doing the same thing. What is wrong with Aurora? We know there's a

budget crisis. >> I know. >> Data centers are not the solution. Data centers are not going to bring in the revenue the city needs. There's much work to be done on that issue. We know that. Again, now

we need action. An appropriate location for Trident. Moratorium. >> [applause] [applause] >> Dan Bergander. >> How many people is this >> [cough] >> Dan Bergander with an ADA accommodation for 4

minutes, followed by Faye Bergander. >> Mr. Mayor and City Council members. My name is Dan Bergander and I'm a resident of the reserve of 55 Plus community located just across the street from the

proposed Prudent Hyperscale AI Data Center. [snorts] First, I'd like to recognize some of the folks who directly or by their complacency made this mess possible. People acting for developers, metro

districts, and government agency, whether they were elected, appointed, or hired, but nonetheless human beings who knew full well that allowing this hyper data center to be built would destroy our

neighborhood, reduce our property values, trap neighbors in their houses, make people ill, shorten their lives, and then you said to yourselves, well, that's okay with me. Some of the people I know

and I've worked with in the past and I am ashamed of them. Number one on my list is Oakwood Homes, who continues to build and sell homes 350 feet away from the proposed data center. And don't tell

prospective buyers. They They about this data center since August of 2025. So shame on them. And there's Windler LLC who sold the property to Vantage, knowing full well that they were planning on

building a hyper center data center and who also continued to build and sell homes right across the street from the proposed data center. Shame on them as well. And some of the board members of Second

Second Creek Ranch Metro District who are also Clayton Property Inc. and Oakwood employees who have known about the zoning changes which allowed this to happen since May of 2022. Shame on them as

well. And we have city the city government who completely sold out their constituents. This includes the mayor's office, the city council, the city manager, planning director, city attorney, planning

and zoning commissioner, and economic development partners who allowed for no resident or public notice or input or hearings and set up the buy right process. You know this was wrong or you would not

have allowed this ghost system to persist. And the last on the list is Vantage and I actually blame them the least. Vantage is opportunistic and they used you to exploit us. When when I was a kid and

failed to learn from my mistakes, my dad had a saying. It varies, but it goes something like this. Give you books and give you books and all you do is eat the pages. Well, that's what you guys have

done. You've you've provided you with more factual data an reasonable person could need to make the right decision that the Trident data center does not belong in a growing neighborhood with families,

schools, parks, and as some of the newspapers call people like me elderly community. We're also given you the same amount of data proving that you don't know enough about the short and long-term

effects of this data center and the environmental and but it has the impact on the environment and the persons living close. So it's now time to to move forward with a moratorium. So start paying

attention to what we give you and learn from it. There was a great term last last Tuesday's election flipped. You'll be flipped unless you start listening to us. One other. [applause] I I take offense

to saying 800,000 gallons for a closed loop system isn't much. My wife and I save four gallons a day of water. We repurpose it. We use it. It would take us 548 years to come up with 800,000 gallons.

So what we do as individuals is important. So don't be little what the small measures we take because you think 800,000 gallons isn't a drop in the bucket. >> [applause] [applause] >> Fay Burgander

followed by Horacio Villapando. >> Good evening, Mr. Mayor and members of the City Council. My name is Fay Burgander. I have lived in Aurora since 1978. I worked in the banking and mortgage lending

business for over 25 years. Our forever home is in the reserve less than a quarter mile from the would be built Trane Data Center. You have given the Data Center large incentives that would eventually

pass on to homeowners. We have heard from other residents of the community that are trying to sell their homes only to find the home values have declined. So how will the city collect enough tax

revenues to run the city? And what if it's deemed by the banks and the mortgage lenders that they will not lend on homes built near Data Centers? Then no one's buying, no home sales, at least not in

our area. Or for whatever reason the owners had to move or try to lower their monthly payments may not have remembered the late 1980s and 1990s, the state of Colorado took a huge hit in foreclosures.

In in 2008 was another big year of foreclosures. Aurora was hit hard. Some homes were abandoned or left to the elements. We're supposed to learn from history. So what is your backup plan? What happens

to us? What happens to Aurora? Thank you for hearing me out. >> [applause] >> Horacio Villapando followed by Ryan Stitzell. Horacio Villapando. Okay, Ryan Stitzell followed by Aonte Anderson. Okay,

Aonte Anderson followed by Susan Roe. >> No, this this podium. All right. First, just want to make sure that I am able to celebrate one year ago today we celebrated the election defeat of MAGA

Republicans on the Aurora City Council, only for one year later for us to celebrate the defeat of MAGA Republicans nationwide. I am super excited about that. And let this be the eviction notice for

council members Lawson, Hancock, Gardner, and praise the Lord that Bergen is going on to better places. Now, Mayor Kaufman and Council Member Hancock, tonight's sermon is dedicated to you. I read the

October 28th Aurora Sentinel article about your concerns about decorum. Mayor, you said we need some structure, we need some discipline in this process, we need some respect. Council Member Hancock,

you complained about speakers yelling, cursing, and exceeding their time. You called [snorts] the proceedings theater of the absurd. But where is that concern for respect when the people approaching

this podium are being degraded on the mayor's official Facebook page? Under your post about the Median Schoffner and public comment, somebody wrote, typical of that breed. Fatigue is real and America

is sick of it. That breed. That is how a human being was being described beneath the mayor's post. Another commenter wrote, I can see that Tay standing in the back as usual. Someone else wrote, this

is evil sick behavior. I appreciate you standing up to those demons. Another person wrote, eject that piece of out and close the door. Mayor, you have plenty to say about the language coming from

those at this podium, but what do you have to say about the language on the platform that you foster? [applause] Under your post discussing Kylen Lewis's family, someone asked, can we deport Kylen

Lewis's family to El Salvador? A family seeking accountability for the death of a loved one that became the subject of a deportation taunt under your Facebook page. Will you condemn them with the same

urgency that you bring to condemning the tone of those who approach this podium? And Councilmember Hancock, your own language belongs in this conversation. Two years ago, you described protesters

demanding justice for Kylin Lewis as bullies, terrorists, anarchists, opportunists, and provocateurs. You helped attach the language of terrorism to people demanding accountability for a police

killing. Now you want to grade our manners. Explain that standard for us, ma'am. Explain why an elected official can use that language from a position of power then demand restraint from the people

receiving receiving it on the other end. Kylin's families deserves answers. Families that have lost loved ones deserve a government willing to face their grief. Madian deserves to advocate without

being reduced to something less than human. Mayor, your discomfort is not the measure of our dignity. We have spent too long returning to this chamber, repeating names, asking questions, and watching

this conversation turn the back to our tone. Last year or two years ago, the president utilized the words Operation Aurora to name his deportation agenda. Tonight, we reclaim that name. Operation

Aurora means organizing a city where grieving families are heard, immigrant neighbors belong, and public officials answer to the people. When families [snorts] demand accountability, we will ask the

upcoming candidates, did you stand with them or did you complain about the volume of their grief? Because the public gets to evaluate your conduct, and that evaluation will come with the ballot next

November. TIKTOK MIKE. >> [applause] [applause] >> SUSAN ROE. SUSAN Roe followed by Paul Nelson. >> Paul daughter of, look it up. >> Good evening. My name is Susan Roe and I'm a I work or I live at

the reserve 55 plus. Um I just since we're talking about Veterans Day, my dad crossed the English Channel on D-Day. He was 38 years old. He didn't have to go because only people under 35 had to go,

but he he went because he had been with some people, all his buddies who are half his age and he didn't want them to go without him. He taught me to have integrity and to do what is right. So all of

you people know what the people want. We want no more data centers. We've made this quite clear in the last 6 weeks by letter, email, media, social media, and our testimony here at the council. This

is especially true of the relatively unvetted Trident data center. Members of the a group called Join Unite of Aurora and Denver, a nonprofit group started by the residents of the 55 plus community

have banded together to protest the unusual and insufficient vetting of the project known as Trident Mega Data Center. Considering this is proposed to be the largest data center in Colorado, we We

it's flatly inappropriate to approve the next step and the which will be the final step and we request that the fourth level of approval be turned down or at least somehow be included in the

moratorium that is proposed by the city council. The moratorium is something that join unite of Aurora and Denver certainly recommend in order to set standards for future centers. Technology is going

to greatly improved improve over the next few years and standards at a state and federal level which can be our community's guidelines are in the offing too. But now I digress to the specific issue of

Trident Mega Data Center. Vantage of Cherry Creek is not your constituent. The venture capitalists supporting this project are not your constituents. Tech billionaires are not your constituents. We

are Aurora must not allow Trident Data Center to be the wild wild west of the data centers. >> [applause] >> Paul Nelson. [applause] Paul Nelson followed by Michael Yanos. >> Hello council. My name is

Paul Nelson. I prefer to go by Nels Pine and today I want to speak in recognition of something that Todd Chamberlain, your racist police chief that's totally unfit for the job which you allow to be on

the job every day. Um, he is reenabled the department to engage in high-speed chases. And this means something in particular to those of us in the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee. Um, a man I

consider a mentor and a dear friend named Michael Watson was a member of our committee. Uh, Michael Watson was a dedicated organizer. He was a football player and a big part of his family and in his

community. And Michael was struck by a police officer engaged in a high-speed chase that Michael had nothing to do with and it left him comatose for more than a year. Doctors said that they weren't

sure if Michael was ever going to walk or speak again, but this is what you get when your police treat your city like it's Grand Theft Auto where they irresponsibly engage in high-speed chases even

though they have the technology to not need to engage in these chases and they put people's lives at risk. I know that people in this room have seen Aurora Police Department vehicles speed past stop

signs. I've seen it as a pedestrian here. And I'll tell you that allowing your police chief to do this is reckless and it will get people killed. Michael was a member of our committee until his memory

of his life before that accident was wiped from him by a reckless police officer in Fountain, Colorado. Fountain's got the same kind of rules that you all are allowing to fester in your police

department. You need to do something about it. The constituents have said you know what the people have demanded for a long time. They've demanded action. At the very least you need to get rid of Todd

Chamberlain. He's going to get people killed in your community and then what? And then what? And so I'll leave you with some words from Michael who thank God is still alive today and and has begun a

recovery, can now walk and talk but has sparse memory of what happened before that accident. I'll leave you with some words from Michael. Police violence doesn't happen in a vacuum. It is a direct

result of training of systemic racism and misogyny and killology that is drilled into police recruits encouraging escalation with the ever available option of violence as long as an officer claims

that they felt in danger. How can we change such a rotten system? And I speak now to those of you on the council who want to take action on this. By taking control. That's how we change it. And so we

in the AACAC we raised the demand again for community control. Clearly the council cannot do what needs to be done when it comes to getting rid of this incompetent leadership you have in your police

department. Your council is not prepared to push for the jailing of these killer cops. Even with your voices you won't push for it. And so you got to give this power to the people. Take this public

safety accountability office you've got and empower it. Empower it to hire and fire these police officers, to indict them for their crimes against the people when they murder our children and our

brothers and sisters in Aurora. And we need this power cuz clearly you're not exercising it responsibly. >> [applause] >> Michael Yanos followed by Chad Johnson. >> Okay, good evening. How's everyone

doing? Okay. Amy, we love you guy. Love you. Okay. You're growing on me, Jason. How you doing, mayor? Please make a believer out of us, okay? And thank you for coming to our meeting and showing us

your humility. We really appreciate that, Rob. We really really do. I'm a resident of Green Valley Ranch at the reserve, 55 plus. Okay. Today marks 40 years to the day that I joined the US military.

Okay. I I served then to protect homes okay, for my country. And today I'm fighting for my own. Okay. I'm here as a neighbor, a homeowner, and a taxpayer. I'm the oddity probably in room in my

neighborhood. Okay, I'm a Republican. Most of my friends and neighbors they're not, okay. But I love them and they love me, okay. Um, that doesn't matter here, okay. Um, our homes, our schools, and

our parks aren't partisans, okay. [snorts] Um, I'm pro business and that's which is exactly why I'm standing here. I'm blue collar. I work 65 to 70 hours a week to take care of my precious family.

[applause] I spend my free time building a park in my backyard for my wife. She works all day wearing many hats, okay. Um, including fighting data centers. She deserves a place to relax and enjoy life

here in Aurora. That's what this fight is about. Every family deserves that. And I feel that we have a broken promise. When I bought my home I was sold a vision. Stores, restaurants, and retail was

supposed to be all around us. That's what we were sold, okay. Parker, Highlands Ranch, and Smokey Hill, they all got that. Every one of them got that. You go out that door and that's what they got,

okay. Instead we got development that doesn't serve the families living there. Neighbors drive to other cities to spend money that should stay here in Aurora. I hear Aurora has no money. I keep

hearing that. They have no money and no way to bring it in and I call that false. Aurora is spending $450,000 on the AADC. For what? They're supposed to bring the money here. Redirected if they can't

do their job, okay. [applause] We're giving $39 million in tax breaks to a company that's going to bring in 50 workers. Garbage. Garbage. Okay? Garbage. I'd rather have a library, a rec center, or

some kind of place to have businesses brought in that we can have employees working, places for teenagers to go and enjoy themselves. That's not a revenue problem. It's a priorities problem. And

that's on us here, all of us. Okay? We can do better, Aurora. >> Yeah. >> [sighs] >> We can do better. Build smarter and away from our schools, parks, and homes, please. Put retail, restaurants, and

businesses where they belong. Protect [snorts] home values and keep families happy. Retail and restaurants bring sales tax, jobs, and lasting revenue. 40 years ago, I committed to defend my community.

I'm asking you to commit to building one worth defending. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Chad Johnson. Chad Johnson followed by Median Schoffner. >> My name is Chad Johnson and I am a resident of Ward 5.

I am asking the council to let the contract with Flock Safety expire in March and replace it with nothing. Automatic license plate readers make us all less safe. I want to say thank you to the

residents of Aurora for voting no on 3B. We outright rejected the attempt to make Aurora the next cop city. This makes me proud. Speaking of cop city, tonight I want to do a deep dive on the

municipality that has adopted more Flock cameras than any other in the United States. That is Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta has installed roughly 5,000 ALPR cameras with the promise their crime rates

would be drastically reduced and major crime clearance rates, which is how quickly crimes are solved, would be increased substantially. Instead, the opposite has happened. Major crime clearance has

slowed based on Atlanta PD data made available and first published by the Atlanta Community Press Collective. For example, their homicide clearance rate dropped from 53.4% to 48% from 2021 to 2025. A

similar downward trend was reflected in robbery, larceny, shoplifting, and rape clearances remain flat. Most importantly, Flock Group's calling card, motor vehicle theft clearance rates improved just

3/10 of a percent. All of this while crime rates nationally decreased at the macro level. In other words, Flock is assisted Atlanta Police Department was less successful in solving a fewer number of

total crimes over the same time period despite the addition of this indiscriminate mass surveillance tool. Even worse, more serious the crime, the less effective Atlanta PD was at solving them after

Flock burst upon the scene. We would be wise to learn from this example here in Aurora. We are wasting money, violating the Fourth Amendment, invading our residents' privacy, creating a massive attack

surface for malicious actors, think of phishing or social engineering scams, based on the hackability of this data for no material gain for Aurora's residents. None of this should come as a surprise

because Flock and other ALPRs do not address the root causes of crime. Invest in your community and the crime rates will go down. Once again, I am asking you to let the Flock contract expire in March

and replace it with nothing and fire Todd Chamberlain. Thank you. >> [applause] >> AND DAN SCHAUFNER. MEDEAN SCHAFFNER, followed by Gary Zimmerman. So I want to start out by saying Happy Veterans Day

to Corey Dillard who served for four years before he was honorably discharged. Sadly enough, Corey is not here to hear those words from him his family or his community or from this council. You know,

Jason, we [clears throat] did a sit-in on October 12th where we presented to you a lot of information in a 29-page document outlining our concerns, our expressions and details and data as it pertains

to Todd Chamberlain. And in that meeting, you told us that you felt like Todd is doing a good job. So you didn't have any intention of making a shift in his leadership. And leading up to that meeting,

it could have been coincidence, I'm not sure, but Todd went out on a tour to talk about the crime reduction and was quoting a 38.8% decline in crime of which it was repeated by Mayor Coffman. There is

a national decline in crime that is happening and Colorado actually is behind in other spaces. And so it I find it interesting that when you give the narrative to the person who is causing the harm,

they get to tell the story. So I want to give you some some some different stats. Vanessa Wilson was the last permanent police of to chief of police in Aurora. Ironically, she was fired. And [clears

throat] the I'm going to give you is 80% That's the increase in the officer involved shootings comparative to Vanessa's leadership and Todd's leadership. So when you're looking at stats saying he's

doing a good job, it begs the question of why you think this stat is not enough to say he's not doing a good job. But then I started to really do some analysis on why would someone say that and I

found that you can't solve a problem you don't understand and you can't understand a problem you're not close to. In that same meeting, somebody asked you, what would you want the city to do if it was

your child? And you couldn't give a response because you said that I can't relate to that. So now we're talking about what leadership is supposed to look like. Adaptive leadership shows competence.

Deflective leadership shows incompetence. Todd Chamberlain hasn't done nothing but deflect. So there's a competency issue there. We and for two and a half years, we have put a mirror up in front of

this council and this city. And I have decided that's the reason why y'all look down when we're talking. You don't want to look in the mirror. But we dance around the ring and suppose, but the truth

sits in the middle and knows. Fire Todd Chamberlain. >> [applause] [applause] >> Gary Zimmerman. Gary Zimmerman followed by Tavara Griffin. >> Good evening, Mayor Kaufman and members of the council.

I'm Gary Zimmerman, board member of Join Unite and an Aurora resident. I'm here to address an unmitigated threat to Aurora's municipal wastewater infrastructure, a multi-million dollar liability

disguised behind the corporate marketing term closed loop cooling. Data center developers, specifically Vantage with Trident Project and NTT at Aerotropolis, rightly highlight closed loops to comply

with our evaporative cooling band, but a closed loop system is not a zero waste system. It is an unmonitored chemical vault. A single data center building holds upwards of 800,000 gallons of water

heavily treated with glycol, antifreeze, scale inhibitors, and toxic industrial biocides. While we successfully regulated daily water consumption, Aurora remains completely unprotected against a

sudden catastrophic system dump. The general manager of Aurora Water, Marshall Brown, told me directly that a sudden pH balance imbalance from a closed loop system dump is his absolute greatest fear.

[snorts] If one of these facilities experiences a major line breach or an emergency system flush, hundreds of thousands of gallons of concentrated chemicals will shock load our sewer network. It will

instantly kill the biological microbes that run our treatment plants, force immediate facility shutdowns, and send corrosive pH shocks tearing through our public pipelines. When we ask developers to

mitigate this risk, they claim that mandating onsite pre-treatment is an arbitrary burden. That is legally false. Under Aurora City Code Section 138-192, this council holds the explicit legislative

authority to prohibit any discharge that threatens to disrupt our public infrastructure. Do not treat these operators like Clean Tech offices. Treat them like the heavy chemical plants that they are.

Condition all data center utility permits on permanent onsite containment and pH neutralization skids. Protect our infrastructure, protect our ratepayers. Thank you for listening. >> [applause] >>

Tavara Gurphen. Tavara Gurphen followed by Violet Brooks. >> Hello those that showed up for work today that would I would prefer to call sellouts. Whether that be for money, fame, fortune, future

jobs, your little relationships with ICE, your little navigation center that you're touting about that's failing, or your pig Nazi relationships that you still can't hold accountable or whatever. I

keep thinking to myself about how Tupac said when you're a kid belonging felt so good, but actually having respect feels much better. And I would personally much rather have respect and that why I

don't sell my soul like most of all of you have. But anyway. So um [clears throat] most of you up there will be leaving your tenure with some shame, not progress, not working with your people across

the aisle, not even working with your constituents, not even leaving some sort of success. None of that. I can't even look at you. You're disgusting. Um but if anything you will be leaving some sort

of mental health with um really class action lawsuit for your constituents is what I feel like. But anyway, I left a Maslow's hierarchy with Ms. Katie up here, which is what human beings need in order

to succeed to the next level to in order to be a successful human being, which is what a lot of people don't have. And a lot of you people have privilege up here, which a lot of your constituents do

not have. And you sit up here and talk about power privilege and stuff, and you still probably haven't touched grass and read the other that I handed out to you. But anyway, um so uh I want to talk to

people about the uh three whisper twins up here. And um there's this website called openthebooks.com and it talks about payroll and uh what people make per year. You can definitely check out what they

make per year. It's about 300 grand. Um and we're paying them to do Darvo on us, which is it's not quite 300 grand PD. You don't have to look around. Yeah, [laughter] I know. And uh you don't have to

look around. And uh it's called Darvo and it's when you blame other people for behaving, you know, negatively when they abuse you and uh react negatively when they're abusive for when they act

negatively when you're treating them abusively. So um I suggest everybody look that up. >> Violet Brooks. [applause] Violet Brooks followed by Jeffrey McFarland. >> My My is Vi Brooks. I live in the

Reserve, and I am here addressing comments made during the October 26 study session regarding data center development. Council member Gardner, who is not here, during a session you stated that most

research on data centers is junk science and asserted that data center generators only run for 24 hours per year. However, QTS recently applied for a permit for 98 additional generators. Testing these

generators, these 98 generators for 15 minutes each month totals 1,470 minutes per month or 17,640 minutes per year. That equals 294 hours per year for routine testing alone. This is not junk science.

This is math. Council member Bergen, who is also not here, you suggested that resolving the noise issue would leave buildings, the building's physical size as our only remaining complaint. Justice,

you kept asking, is anyone listening? You are not listening to us. Noise and water usage are far from our only concerns. We are deeply worried about water, air, and ground pollution, the impact of

vibrations on structures and infrastructure, our property values, as well as the long-term impact on health and safety. We are all aware that Propositions 3A, 3B, and 3C failed and Aurora is in a But

data centers are not the answer. Residents in our area live in a retail, restaurant, and entertainment desert. The closest retail areas are in Denver where our tax dollars are currently being spent.

If the northeast side of Aurora builds out as planned, it will house tens of thousands of families. Our city's long-term economic growth will depend on services that generate sustained retail sales

and use tax revenues. People are attracted to services and schools, not industrial areas. It is time to reimagine the E 470 corridor. COUNCIL MEMBER BERGAN, ARE YOU LISTENING? >> [applause] >> JEFFREY

MCFARLAND. Jeffrey McFarland followed by Rob Robin Zimmerman. >> [clears throat and laughter] [applause] >> Good evening mayor, city council. My name is Jeffrey McFarland. I've been a resident of Ward

1 for the last 5 years. I've been a resident of Aurora for nearly the last 10. One thing I would like to bring to everybody's attention considering the data centers and both the the falling crime

statistics. Here's a question. Since the bean counter that does the city's budget every year likes to jerk himself off so much about we spend 33% of the city's budget on the police. Do we need 33% of

it since crime stats are so far down? Uh, it's about $150 million, isn't it? What, we can't spare a million two? And that's a that's a small shortfall. I know that the city has What is it? A $20

million budget shortfall coming its way. Another question I have uh a gentleman got up here earlier and said something that I that really resounded with me. Um, he mentioned being sold a vision. And I

think unbeknownst to him, his word choice was perfect. He was sold a vision. He wasn't promised one. He wasn't given one. He was sold one. And now here we are. Rob, I really want you to know, dude,

I'm tired of listening to you talk about compromise between business owners and constituents. Compromise? Who's the compro What do these What do they gain from the compromise? The city doesn't have a

budget shortfall? Yeah, right. Give me a break. Here's another question I've got. Oh, speaking of which, I'm going to interject here real quick about like the language and the volume. Y'all y'all

viewers watching at home, Daniel Jurinsky and company, everybody else, how about you worry about your sins cuz Jesus ain't going to ask you about mine. Yeah? I made peace with whatever God I talk to.

I go to sleep like a baby every night, terrorist, anarchist, provocateur and all uh because I don't have to sell out my people to make a buck and I don't got to sell out my people to string my career

along either. So I get up here and I do this not because I think that half of you are listening, half of you care. Actually, I quite enjoy the disdain I can feel from some of you. Uh, it's because

some people don't have the privilege or the courage to exercise getting up here and looking evil in its face. Look at the smile on Pete's face. I rest my case. So, you know, I want everybody to know

behind me that they don't care about black bodies in the streets. They don' care that a bus drug a guy a thousand feet. P can quit chuckling. Man, you. How's that for formal? Yeah. Whatever, man.

These people don't care about a black man drug a thousand feet by RTD. The police chief doesn't care enough to actually hold anybody accountable. The city manager can fire the police chief. The city

council can fire the city manager with a majority vote, and none of them do anything different than their MAGA sit-ins that they replaced. So either do something or get the out. >> [applause] >>

Robert Robin Zimmerman followed by Shing [clears throat] Zhang. >> Good evening, Mayor Kaufman and members of the council. My name is Robin Zimmerman. I am a member of Joining Neighbors. >> sorry.

Could you pull the microphone down a little bit? Thank you. >> I'm very short. [laughter] Um I'm here tonight to support council member Wiles's 750-ft residential setback for data centers. It is a

vital step forward to protect the health and safety of our neighborhood. But the setback alone is a paper shield unless you close a technical loophole. You must attach a strict dual metric nighttime

sound limit directly to this ordinance. The developers will claim they comply with Aurora's noise code, do not fall for the corporate shell game. They require on standard DBA metrics which

methodically erase low frequency frequency industrial hums. To understand what data centers cooling actually sounds like, imagine a car with a heavy subwoofer parked outside your bedroom at 3 a.m. You

don't hear the lyrics through the walls. You feel the deep structural base vibrating your windows, your walls, and your pillows. That structural base is exactly what dB C measures. If you allow DBA

only compliance, multi-billionaire billion dollar entities like Vantage and NTT TT will comply on paper, but nearby families including my neighbors at the Reserves will literally feel industrial

machinery vibrating inside their beds. Do not leave Aurora's neighbors unprotected. Back the 750 ft line, but give it teeth. Close the low frequency loophole by mandating a strict dual safety cap by

the property line, a maximum 55 DBC nighttime limited combined with a strict 45 DBA threshold tied to the 750 setback. You have the fundamental authority to protect our health and our peace. Protect

Aurora seniors and families, set up and make this happen. You can do this. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Shing Zhang, Shing Zhang followed by Kristen Mallory. >> Hi, my name is Shing Zhang and I'm an

Aurora resident in Ward 3. I spoke last meeting about the data center moratorium, Uh, today I'm going to speak about something else. In college, my professors gave us three free absences a quarter.

After that, every missed class cost a full letter grade. But nobody called that an unreasonable expectation. It was in the syllabus. When I was a digital reporter at Fox 31 Denver, we didn't have work

from home. Blizzards, hailstorms, tornadoes, we showed up and did the work and none of us complained because journalism is a public service. We owe it to the people of Colorado who depended on us for

news. If we can expect 18-year-olds to show up to 8:00 a.m. classes twice a week for an entire semester, we should be able to ask our elective representatives to sit in their seats during City Council

meetings. [applause] WE DON'T EVEN GET TO SEE OUR REPRESENTATIVES' WEBCAMS. Aurora's rules let members attend off-camera sitting in an ivory tower with their webcams off. They could be logged in on

Zoom, but folding laundry in another room or browsing Facebook for all we know. Denver settled this in 2021. A remote City Council member has to be live on camera to speak, vote, or count towards a

quorum. Two weeks ago, [applause] we packed this room. Parents brought their babies and toddlers. Neighbors came with mobility aids. Council voted whether to reconsider a data center moratorium

without even allowing us to speak on it. Despite our disappointment at that vote, dozens of us stayed for public comment afterwards, which started around 10:45 and ran past midnight. But we learned

that four of those five Council members who voted against that reconsideration had already logged off before that. Your votes decide what gets built next to our homes and what life looks like across

this city. While five of you get to twiddle your thumbs on whether we even should consider a moratorium, people like me will continue to lose their jobs to AI. We will have to live with the tangible

health and environmental consequences of your inaction. Our time counts just as much as yours, but the rules say it counts for less. Aurora's rules say members shall endeavor to appear in person, but

endeavor is a very roomy word. So I'm asking the Council to consider a motion that members must vote in person. Remote voting applies only for illness, family emergencies, and real hardship, the way

it should be when a colleague is genuinely sick. Of course, disability, pregnancy, family leave is substantially different, but Aurora's rules already cover those circumstances. Cameras should always

be on for remote council members who should be required to stay logged in as long as there are public comments still to be heard. [applause] Sure, it's inconvenient. Listening for hours is hard. But

anything less than our council's full attention is a direct affront to citizens like me who make time to show up and be heard even though they've got other things they'd like to do. This is the bare

minimum our elected representatives owe their constituents. My husband who works for the city of Aurora doesn't get to work from home. He doesn't get to call in. He One time he got sprayed by a skunk

a couple weeks ago and had to get sent home and use his own PTO. But, you know, when you serve your city, that's what you have to do. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Kristin Mallory. >> [applause] >>

Hello, City Council. Kristin Mallory, Ward 3 resident. First, I want to thank Councilwoman Wiles for her forum that she had on data centers. I think one of the things that became crystal clear to me,

many of these people were there, is that the system is outdated and it's asinine to ask these homeowners to go to four different government entities to protect their investment. And unfortunately, the

system is not broken. The system is working exactly as it was designed. And the outcomes are bad for its residents. So, specifically whether it doesn't really matter whether we're talking about the

violence that is perpetrated by APD or whether it's the oil and gas near the Aurora reservoir or the data centers next door, these are all policy decisions that all of you sitting here and those of

you who didn't show up to work today have an impact on. But there are entities that continue to get good outcomes. And that's what I want to talk about because some of those entities are kind of

shadowy. One being the Aurora Economic Development Council. The night of the moratorium, they sat in that second row and they didn't have to say a word because their dirty deed was already done. They

had already lobbied and gotten the votes that they needed to get. So they didn't need to come up here and advocate for what they were doing. They had already struck the deal. The other [snorts] entity

are the developers. Someone talked about that earlier. Um, the developers not only benefit um, from the system, they actually cause most of these people to pay more in taxes through their metro

district taxes. So they pay double in taxes what I pay living in a neighborhood that will never get a data a a data center near it, that won't experience the same environmental harms. And then of

course there's the private companies. So these are just three that come to mind. The Gaylord has received $143 million in tax incentives by Aurora City Council. Philip Morrison International received

$7.1 million in incentives from this city council. >> Shame. >> And then there's another up to $83 million in incentives coming from two data centers from this city council. And you know what doesn't

help with the city deficit? Tax incentives. And so essentially what I'm asking tonight is that no more, that we don't do any more sweetheart deals, that we don't do any more contracts with the AEDC,

that we don't approve of Wendy Mitchell's $550,000 a year salary to bring in these businesses, and that we pass the moratorium. The moment is now for systematic >> [applause] >> Mayor, council

members, we've reached our 1 hour limit and there's 28 people left to speak. >> Mayor, motion to extend uh public invited to be heard to hear the remaining 28 individuals. >> Uh it's been moved by

Mayor Pro Tem, seconded by >> Medina. >> Seconded by Councilmember Medina uh to extend um the time for >> 28 >> the the remaining 28. Uh discussion? Uh seeing none, I call for the question on the

Mayor Pro Tem's motion. >> Mayor Kaufman. >> Mayor Boches. Councilmember Hancock. Thank you. Councilmember Bergen. >> Yes. >> The motion passes unanimously to extend public invited to be heard to hear

the remaining 28 individuals. The next person we have is Miles Erikson followed by Chloe Desmolins. Miles Erikson. Okay. Chloe Desmolins followed by Stacy Agnew. >> Hi, thanks so much for extending.

My name is Miles Erikson and I'm a resident of Aurora and notably I'm a resident of pretty far east Aurora. So I've been a resident for five years here. Um, and when I was searching for homes, um, I

brought my friends out to the home that I was looking at, and my friends were like, this is a great house. It seems really beautiful, but it's kind of by some warehouses, and I can kind of smell the

um, the dump nearby. And I was like, yeah, but I think I'm going to buy it. And I ended up I love where I live. I have a huge plot of land. I can grow my own food. Um, and I told my friends, you know,

hey, like I'll talk to City Council, and there's a a ton of people moving in. Um, and it's going to become this area is going to become more resident friendly as opposed to business friendly because

so many people are coming in. And [clears throat] then I heard about the data center coming in, and it's very, very close to my house, and I was so frustrated because I felt like Aurora was becoming

more friendly towards the people as opposed to businesses. And luckily that data center seems to be postponed for now, um, [snorts] which I'm really happy about. Um, [clears throat] I do not want a

data center near me, and I've and I've heard that uh, the City Council is thinking that perhaps maybe not there, but somewhere else in Aurora. And when I say I live in live in far east Aurora, I know

that it's going to be near me because we seem to put these businesses way out far east. And so it's going to be my home that loses um, property value. I'm going to hear those noises. I'm going to lose

access to water. It's going to affect my electrical grid, and I'm not happy about it. Further, um, I've been following the discussions on data centers, and it seems like of course this is a

nonpartisan group, but it seems like folks who um, are more conservative tend to um, have opposed the moratorium. But if there's anything in this country right now that brings people together, it is

their hatred of data centers being built in their backyards. [applause] We do want them. Sure, Boulder, Denver have had voted for a moratorium, but so has Commerce City, so has Mead because no one

wants them here. And my hope is that Aurora is for the people and not for these big businesses. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Chloe Desmoulins followed by Stacy Inkney. >> [clears throat] >> Good

evening, Mayor Coffman and members of Council. My name is Chloe Desmoulins and I live in Hoffman Heights. Hyperscale data centers are not ordinary buildings. One can use as much electricity as a small

city. It runs day and night with diesel backup generators and under Aurora's current antiquated regulations, it can just sit just 350 ft from people's homes approved without a single hearing, public

hearing. So imagine this. A hyperscale data center is approved again under today's rules. Years pass and my children who are growing up here in Aurora right now are adults. One day they stand at the

same podium. They describe the constant hum through their walls, the diesel exhaust drifting over their neighborhoods, and the water they now share with a facility that never sleeps. They ask this

council for help or the council of the time. And the city turns to the company the company. But the company simply answers, well, we followed the rules you gave us in 2026. Change them now and we will

see you in court. My children not will not have the power to undo decisions made tonight. You do. And this is not science fiction. It's happening right now in Aurora, Illinois. Families near a data

center there live with a constant hum. And when that city finally passed strong new rules, the data center causing many of the complaints did not have to follow them because it was approved first.

That is the risk we face today. Once an application is accepted, it is locked in under the rules of that day. Rules even our mayor has called inadequate. After that, protecting our neighbors become

far harder. Every hyper scale project we rush through under outdated rules is a gamble with our health, our resources, and yes, our city's revenue. This is why we need a pause, a moratorium. Some say

we must move fast to complete compete globally. But winning a global race does not require sacrificing local safety, the well-being of residents, or our city's revenue and infrastructure. Council has

a duty to base this decision on independent facts, not fear, and that is exactly what a pause allows. We are asking for common sense. Pause new hyper scale data app center applications, let

independent experts help write the rules using best practices, give residents a voice, and then open the door. You would not build a house before writing the building codes. Tonight, the future of our

neighborhoods, our city, our resources, and our health is in your hands. When Mayor Kaufman asks this council to reconsider the moratorium, please do the right thing for your constituents constituents

in your city. Vote to reconsider and let the community be heard. Rules first, then permits. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Stacy Ankney followed by Justin Hans. >> [snorts] >> I don't speak very loud, so

I hope you can hear me. Your honorable Mike Kaufman and members of City Council, my name is Stacy Ankney. My family invested $350,000 into Meadow Hills golf concession under a concession [snorts]

agreement in the city. I come before you tonight not with a complaint, but with a demand. The return of our determination of Kane Fitzgerald immediately and permanently from any role in Aurora's golf

administration, to conduct an independent and outside investigation, not another internal review into how our business was destroyed and dismantled. I know this is far off of what you guys have been

hearing tonight, but this is extremely important because it affected our personal investment. This is not just a business dispute. This is a $350,000 of our family's life savings. 13 years of um sorry

working within the city of Aurora's concession and a reputation that took years to build and days to destroy. I have filed a notice of claim. I have evidence with me tonight that I've printed, which

is anyway. Um but here is what happened. A city employee, Heather Hoffman, illegally bid against my business under a false name while still employed by the city and later altered a digital record

related to the bid, all of which I can prove. Another city employee, Dan Wickman, gave her 12-month advanced notice to a public bid. Both have since left the city. That means the only way to hold them

accountable now is to have an outside investigation and demand that I that I'm demanding tonight. [snorts] Kane Fitzgerald recusal recusal he had to recuse himself. Um you can I'm so nervous. Then

turned around and supported Heather Hoffman's bid. He had already acknowledged he should not judge my company's future. That did not stop him. Kane Fitzgerald had no problem seeing our business

dismantled by his own two hands. Former head of Gulf Operations Dan Dan Wickman used his public office to orchestrate and and smear giving Heather Hoffman a 12-month head head start. On November 12th,

Meadow Hills head pro Kane was forced to formally recuse himself from the evaluation panel due to conflict, but supported Hoffman. On November 13th, I sent a formal warning. >> [bell] >> Katie

[applause] >> Katie >> Thank you. Yes. >> Can I get the contact information? >> Yes. >> Okay, Justin Hans followed by Thomas Willis. >> Good evening. It's good to see a lot of you up here. It's

usually a lot of empty seats. And I want to say thank you cuz one of you or all of you or a group of you did something after I spoke last time that hopefully affected the right level of change. I

think what she was hitting on was a little bit of corruption herself and a lot of people in this city have a story. And it's important that they're heard. Taking the step to speak to you is a big one.

It's a big fear for a lot of people. And for me, I've learned that it doesn't matter if I'm in a courtroom, in front of the City Council, riding the RTD bus, or on an Uber, listening to people's

perspective and what they have to say is crucially important. You never know what a person is going through in their life. Last time I spoke, I said those four APD officers that jumped out of their

truck could have been killed. And then we witnessed that happen to four officers in Lakewood. Nobody knows what another person is going through. We run into situations all the time when we're doing

the right thing, doing the wrong thing, the problem is we're just running. People running into the wrong situations or the right situation to do the right thing. I laid on the ambulance bed on October

14th and I looked at one of your dart officers named Spurber and I told him I said, it's cool to do the right thing, but don't do the wrong thing to get to the right thing cuz in the end it's not

fruitful. And that can be applied to every aspect in life. A lot of people that came here talked about hate, love, wanting to be heard, what's right for them and what's wrong for them. And the guy

spoke earlier in the reserve and he said what we do as individuals is important. And I think that's crucial cuz no matter what you might think or what I might think a decision I make when I walk out

of here could affect everybody in this room, whether it's good or bad. God sent us all on this earth or put us all here to love one another, to listen to one another, to contribute to one another, no

matter what we're going through in life. It doesn't matter what color you are, what shape you are, how big, how fat, none of that, what you do for a living. He put us all here to care about one

another. To care about one another. Somebody talked about a high-speed pursuit earlier. I didn't talk about it last time. But there's allegations that I was in a high-speed pursuit with the dart team

on October 14th. That man came down and he spoke earlier from C C CAC or whatever it is, no disrespect, and he talked about community control of the police. There's cameras. I went to go fill my water

bottle. Man, y'all got so many cameras in this city, in this building. Everywhere you go there's a camera. We hear about budgets. You're paying for that. You're paying for police officers to type in

the street intersection and pull up a camera. I shared a video of them zooming in on me at Walgreens on Eylafan Tower to TikTok. And people are like, man, I got hit off a motorcycle and the police are

telling me those cameras are broke. That's crazy. I watched you zoom in on me in a Walgreens parking lot. If the people are paying for those cameras, they should be able to have access to that. Their

insurance company should have access to it. A police officer is supposed to be a professional person. Granted they don't go to school or nothing. I mean, when we think about a professional person, we

you guys get a whole lot of stuff talked to you. They get talked to them. The difference is your intent. Just like committing a crime. You know what you're doing. That's your intention. If your

intention is to stalk people with technology, that's wrong. Your intention is to retaliate against people, that's wrong. But if people need them camera videos and stuff for their own situation,

insurance claims is expensive. They should be able to access that cuz if it's keeping you safe and it's keeping the city safe, we should all have no problem sharing. Remember we all put here to love

each other. So thank you again for what you did for me. >> [applause] >> Thomas Willis, followed by Steve Scheck. >> Good evening, everybody. I'm here again to talk about data centers, but first a

quick note from the study session on 88 accommodations. I feel the need to point out the hypocrisy that you guys are all okay with these entire meetings being held virtually while this room is under

construction, but not allowing people to call in while we're here in person. So if you're going to approve that measure and the other measure that was proposed that would likely force us to wait until

past 10:00 p.m. to actually make our comments to you, I'd say the least you can do is allow us to make those comments from home. On to data centers. So this past week the entire state of Colorado

voted to down the natural gas amendment. Uh this should show you more clearly than ever that Coloradans don't want more uh greenhouse gas pollution. They don't want fossil fuel production in this

state. So what they're really saying is that anybody who has any power like yourselves should be doing everything you can to prioritize renewable energy, shutting down these fossil fuel uh projects.

And that's something that these data centers stand in direct opposition to. Uh it's been said already, but I'll say it again that to believe these capitalist, nationalist talking points about how we

have to rush to beat China to win this AI race is to be duped. Uh don't fall for the real propaganda that's coming from our own administration, from the number one per capita polluter in the world. I

assure you the call's coming from within the house. So here's the answer. Listen to real science. Follow the proposal made earlier uh last session to create a heavy industrial zoning category, pause

all data center development including the existing applications until it has been put in place. And if you're worried about having too much of a budget deficit to be sued by these develop developers,

which was stated as a primary reason for not wanting to enact the moratorium, there's an easy way to fix that deficit and that's to pull money away from the APD. Real science shows that crime goes

down when people can afford food, when they can afford to put a roof over their head, when they can afford to pay their power bills. Uh crime goes down when people can sleep at night without the hum

of a data center, uh when they can drink clean water and breathe clean air without being choked by diesel fumes from generators. So stop ignoring science, stop ignoring common sense, and stop pouring

money into the APD so that they can afford more motorcycles and to afford a 55 mm grenade launcher for every vehicle. And that is not a joke. We've done the job for you. We've outlined what needs to

be done. The least you can is put it in place. One mile minimum setback, standalone energy infrastructure, incentivize renewable energy, require independent environmental studies, sound studies,

groundwater contamination prevention, and make those rules enforceable. Thank you. >> [bell] [applause] >> Steve Scheck followed by Cassandra Hill. >> Katie. Can I get that speaker's contact info? >>

Yes. >> Good evening, Mayor Kaufman and Aurora Town Council. My name is Steve Scheck. My wife Patty and I live in the Reserve, a 55 plus community where the largest data center in Colorado is

supposedly to be built. I'd like to share a song that I believe is appropriate for where we stand today. Please, let's all work together. [music] We shall We shall [music] overcome. [singing] We shall

overcome someday. [singing] Oh, deep [music and singing] in my heart, I do believe. [music] We shall overcome [singing] someday. [singing] [music] We'll walk hand in hand. We'll [music and singing]

walk hand in hand. We'll walk hand in hand someday. [singing] [music] Oh, deep in [singing] my heart I do [music] believe. We shall overcome [music] [singing] someday. [music] We shall live in peace.

We [music] shall live in [singing] peace. We shall live in [singing] peace someday. Oh, deep [singing and music] in my heart I do believe. We shall overcome [music and singing] someday. [singing]

[music] We shall [music] someday. >> [cheering] [applause] [applause] >> Cassandra Hyle [applause] [applause] followed by Julie Wygant. >> Hello, Aurora City Council. My name is Cassandra Hile. I am

with the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee, otherwise known as D-A-C-A-G. We are the local branch of the National Alliance against racist and political repression. I want to talk about the

Aurora Police Department and how incredibly corrupt the POPS are. They are constantly abusing their power and police chief Todd Chamberlain allows it. He not only lets this corruption happen, he

covers it up. Officer Kevin Rodeier quote unquote forgot to release Vicodin pills as evidence. And when he finally did, there was only one left in the bottle. To me, this looks a lot like he stole

Vicodin off a crime scene, which is a felony. Kevin Rodeier went on to murder U.S. veteran and father Corey Dillard. Todd Chamberlain lied on TV about Corey to cover for his murder. Why do you allow

police chief to violate people's due process? You all allowed that. Sergeant Matthew Schlager has so many excessive use of force records against him. A CORA request to obtain the extent of these

records cost over $700. Officer M. Kembel's excessive use of force records cost over $300. This shows how APT is APD is hiding cop crime from the public. With all these excessive use of force cases

against M. Kembel and no consequences, he went on to brutalize Tierica Mosley. He put her in the hospital for over a year because she was filming APD brutalizing another black man. Shocker. He stole

over a year of Tierica's life and still has a job and power to do it under Todd Chamberlain. Officer Brandon Mills is still in the force even after killing Rashad Johnson. In this case, the body cam

footage was withheld even from the family. APD is actively violating Colorado law requirements for the release of the footage. Who are we supposed to call when the cops are the ones breaking the law?

Officer Matthew Neely assaulted Ray John Bell Stubblefield then shot him when he was facing the other way in front of his son. Todd Chamberlain got in front of the TV before any investigation had

happened and slandered Ray John. Todd Chamberlain does not care if there is justice. He does not care about the people of Aurora and our rights. He does not care if crime is down. In fact, he enables

crime as long as his office officers are the one doing it. You all let him do it. You all let people be murdered with no consequences. You all let the victims in these violent crimes have their name

smeared by Todd Chamberlain by your inaction. You have not done anything to fire Todd Chamberlain even though the people here have demanded it over and over again. Fire Todd Chamberlain and give the

community democratic control over who is hired next. And lastly, the Aurora Police Department is racist and it is corrupt. It needs to be changed. [bell] GIVE THE COMMUNITY CONTROL. >> [applause] >>

JULIE WIEGAND JULIE Wiegand followed by Ray Chaplewski. >> Hello. My name is Julie Wiegand. I'm a resident of the Green Valley Ranch Reserve. I'm a certified real estate appraiser and I'm with Joining

Night and we are not going to give up on this fight. First of all, the council holds 100% of the legislative authority to act tonight. Let me be precise. While the council keeps saying Trident is by

right, that right means only as allowed by the Airport District Zoning. It does not mean that this site plan is is approved. It does not create a vested right under Colorado revised statute section 24

68 103. There are no vested property rights in either project, Trident or NTT. Neither has an approved site plan. Subpart one C that exact statute explicitly mandates that you may condition a plan

approvals for requirements necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of your citizens. Health and safety are your core statutory mandates, not optional zoning suggestions. State law

Colorado revised statute 24 68 102 five section two gives council the power to apply new rules to pending applications when necessary for the immediate preservation of public health and safety. It is

time to act now. Your standard DBA metrics are an engineering illusion designed to mask low frequency industrial rumble. If you approve the loophole written submissions for these active data center

applications, you're walking directly into a massive, predictable municipality liability trap. Look at the federal court ruling in the past July of Newsom versus Amazon Data Services. The court

established a critical precedent. Merely meeting local zoning rules does not immunize the data center developer from any health or safety standards. [applause] Excuse me. If you allow Vantage and NTT

to advance without any strict enforceable nighttime sea-voted cap to the 750 ft residential setback, you trigger a definite legal chain reaction. You have an enforceable nuisance from the low

frequency rumble that violates our right to quiet and enjoyment. You forfeit the forfeiture of ignorance because you are being handed this acoustic data tonight. You guys must act now. Thank you. >>

[applause] >> Ray [applause] Ray Chaplewski followed by Andrew Pinkowitz. >> Uh good evening, Mr. Mayor and council members. My name is Ray Chaplewski. My wife and I are homeowners and residents in

Ward 2 and a member of Join Unite. I speak to you tonight about the need for more strategic thinking by the city of Fort Collins. And I'm going to use the by-right uh example in this uh strategic

thinking. Uh the by-right process allows development of hyperscale data centers anywhere in the airport district regardless of their adverse impacts on residential areas. This by-right process that

the city council passed uh in 2022 there is no public outreach in this uh by-right system. There's no public comments. There's no public involvement. It bypasses the city's own due process required by

the city planning and zoning commission. You specifically design the by-right process to streamline city approval of hyperscale data centers and minimize opportunities for public involvement. This

process allowed the city to nearly approve a site plan for a $2 billion Trident Data Center. This is not only the biggest hyperscale data center in the state of Colorado, the closest operational data

center you can find of this magnitude is 500 miles away in Council Bluffs, Iowa, located far away from any kind of residential areas. This multi-billion dollar Trident Data Center has credible,

foreseeable adverse impacts on over 20,000 of your constituents. If that [clears throat] 20,000 constituents seems like a large number, it is. There's scientific evidence to support this claim. Your

by-right process might have succeeded if it were not for the spontaneous last-minute efforts of grassroots neighborhood coalition. And now you're living through the consequences of your streamlined

by-right process. The city of Aurora can do better. I respectfully ask for the following. Please develop a strategy to more responsibly manage data center development. Redeem your role as city

leaders. And please work to earn back the public trust. Thank you. >> [applause] [applause] >> ANDREW PINKOWITZ. ANDREW Pinkowitz followed by Lauren Flores. >> Hello, Aurora City Council members and

Mayor Kaufman. My name is Andrew Pinkowitz, dad and resident of Centennial, Colorado, near Aurora Ward 6 in Arapahoe County. I'm here in solidarity with my neighbors imploring you to issue a

comprehensive ban of AI hyperscale data centers within the city, including Trident. I have shared a printed copy of a document with Clerk Rodriguez that is also in all of your email mailboxes. It

contains responses to recent claims made by council members. Interestingly, I noticed that many of these comments that I've responded to and our team has responded to are from the very five council

members who quite literally phoned it in at the last meeting from the comfort of their home offices. That is council members Gardner or the empty chair of council member Gardner, council member

Hancock, council member Lawson, council member Andrews, and council member Bergen, who is [clears throat] the closest representative to my district, whose empty chair has been present since at least

January of this year. When council members vote no on data center moratoriums and then they don't show up in person to their job, are they really representing their constituents or are they more

focused on taking care of corporate polluters while chumming it up with Vantage Data Centers at the Aurora Economic Development Council meeting at the Gaylord? Council members, please let me make this

as clear as possible. We see through the BS behind the dais. We know that the cost to our neighbors far exceed any revenue from building these natural gas and diesel-powered monstrosities near

families with young children in elementary school and folks with respiratory conditions. We know that the impact on our strained electrical grid would be passed on to the average consumer while data

center developers receive millions upon millions of dollars of Aurora government tax handouts. We've seen countless examples of other AI hyperscale data centers, which we know are different than

traditional data centers that pollute municipal water systems and significantly exceed water consumption estimates. We've heard the constant sound of the diesel-powered turbines that were forced upon

the GEES neighborhood in Denver, further polluting the air of an already disproportionately impacted community. When we know better, we need to do better. Remember, folks, this job is optional. Stand

up for the people who need your advocacy or move out of the way for folks that will do it. Ban AI hyperscale data centers in Aurora. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Lauren Flores, followed by Linda

Wilson. Lauren Flores. Oh, there you are. >> I became a resident of Aurora this year. We planned to make this our forever home, a place where our baby would build memories, celebrate birthdays, and

create holiday traditions. Instead, we find ourselves here fighting for the future of our community. As residents of the communities you represent, I am here to ask you to reconsider your position in

support of data centers in our communities. Other areas have successfully passed moratoriums. In our area alone, Denver, Brighton, Commerce City, Lafayette, and more have passed moratoriums. Council

has heard the concerns from countless residents on the negative of data centers that will affect our communities, such as destroying home values, noise pollution, air pollution, which has a direct

impact on health. The toxins that these centers will emit create dangerous hazards, especially for our children and our seniors. We call on you, City Council, to create strict guidelines for

residential buffer zones, implement adequate setback measures, not 300 ft. That's a joke. [clears throat] Part of our communities health and safety is water. Water consumption is important. Aurora is

currently in a stage one drought. We ask our residents and our communities to work to reduce our water usage to help protect our water supply. But we want to allow data centers to to to decimate our

water stores with no regulation or regard. I urge you, Council member, to listen to your constituents and the communities you represent. Data centers do not belong next to residential neighborhoods.

We did not choose this. We will not allow you to sacrifice our communities without a fight. To the Council members who voted no on a moratorium, as we all witnessed this past Tuesday, America will no

longer tolerate elected officials who aren't here for the people they're supposed to represent. Remember, you weren't elected to represent interests of mega corporations. Protect the interests of the

people who elected you. >> [applause] >> Linda Wilson. Linda Wilson followed by Adela Jordan. >> Thank you, Rob. >> Thank you, Deana. >> Good evening. I'm Linda Wilson a Denver Green Valley resident,

ranch resident for 31 years. Living on the border between Denver and Aurora, I've always found Aurora to be a good neighbor. 31 years ago, the only thing in GVR was the Barnes store, if you've all

been around long enough to know that. My family and I worked in Aurora, shopped in Aurora, patronized restaurants in Aurora, paid taxes in Aurora. I'm a member of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce. I'm

on the advisory board for the Aurora Salvation Army. My doctors are in Aurora. I love the people of Aurora, which is why I am beyond F and furious that the Aurora City Council would allow a huge data

center to be built in a residential area and to allow it without public disclosure or public input. People bought homes in that new development without being informed about the data center that will

be built within 300 ft of their homes. They paid anywhere from $360 to $660,000 for their homes. That value will plummet for the homes closest to the center. The developers, Alberta Development

Partners and Grandview Partners, bought the land in April 2021 for $84 and a half million dollars. They successfully petitioned the Aurora City Council to rezone the western parcel of land as airport

district in July 2022, which made data centers used by right before the homes were even built. Alberta Development Partners and Grandview Partners then sold the 108 acre parcel to Vantage Data Centers

in October 2024 for 109.3 million. Century Communities, KB Home, DRB Homes, and Richwell Homes continue to build in the neighborhood while downplaying the zoning designation on the western side and

not just closing the data center. The noise from the data center will be substantial. It's much larger than the one in Globeville. Go check out that noise over there. Data centers use tremendous

amounts of water and electricity. Colorado has been in a massive drought for the last two to three years. Where will the water come from? And what's going And who's going to pay for the water and

electricity? Now, there may be a need for data centers to manage the increase in online activities of all kinds, but they do not belong anywhere near residential areas. And who's paying for the water?

It shouldn't be us. The noise pollution, water and utility use across city and county crosses city and county borders. This data center adversely affects the entire northeast metro community and

beyond. As a close neighbor and friend, I ask you to [snorts] stop the Trident data center. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Della Jordan. Della Jordan followed by Pamela Hillis. Okay. Pamela Hillis

followed by Ally Lace. >> Good evening, Mr. Mayor and Council members. My name is Pam Hillis. I am a homeowner in the Green Valley Ranch Reserves and a 100% disabled veteran, and I have served this

country to protect our communities. Right now, my communities protection from you. Project Trident plans to place dozens of massive diesel generators across the street from our senior neighborhood.

And they have an alternative proposal for well over 100 engines. I live with multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. My nervous system is highly sensitive to environmental stress. A heavy industry complex

humming 24/7 outside my bedroom window will make my home completely unlivable. I I cannot afford to abandon my home, and I should not have to. [applause] Varis is counting on you, not knowing the

difference between audible DBA noise and low frequency DBC rumble. Standard DBA metrics completely ignore the deep low frequency variations that pierce walls and wreak havoc on neurological disorders

like mine. Even their own data shows they will exceed standard thresholds by 5 decibels, which is grounds for immediate rejection. Courts nationwide are penalizing data centers for trying to hide

behind these audible zoning loopholes. Do not let a multi-billion dollar conglomerate dictate our safety. Do your job, protect our health, mandate a strict dual safety cap at the 750 ft residential

property line, a maximum 55 DBC nighttime limit combined with a strict 45 DBA threshold. Step up, enforce these low frequency metric caps, and defend the vulnerable residents of Aurora. Thank you. >>

[applause] [applause] >> Ali Lace. Ali Lace followed by Zachary Cotton. >> Hello all. My name is Ali Lace. I'm a part of a grassroots organization called CD7 Watermelon. So I would like to start off

with a free Palestine [applause] and land back to all indigenous peoples across the globe. And of course, fire Todd Chamberlain. [applause] I'm a local activist and drag queen in the Denver metro

area, and this has now become your problem as I normally do not speak at city council meetings because I find it hard to look in the faces of people who do not do their jobs, of people who do not show

up for their jobs. I just worked a 9-hour shift bussing to my job, bussing to here to talk to you people as you don't pay attention to the residents of Aurora. I am absolutely disgusted by the

abhorrent leadership not only from Todd Chamberlain, and again, fire his ass, but the leadership of Jason Bachelor and the leadership of Rob Andrews. [applause] I find it strange that you will want to

call yourselves community leaders, even putting it in your Instagram bio, when there are literal minors, children, nine-year-olds who have come here to speak to you who are better community leaders

than any of you could be. And I'm not going to stand here and talk about stats because clearly that is not something that you guys care about. You have heard from drag queens, from Republicans, from

me being a Mexican person. You've heard from black people. Everyone in Aurora is telling you what to do, and you continue to ignore us. And I also find it disgusting that you guys continue to call

yourself community leaders while you sell out this very community to data centers. For a For a check, for a check, you guys are putting the health of children, of the elderly in jeopardy. I find it

disgusting that you guys call yourself community leaders while you allow killer cops to run in the streets. I find it disgusting that you guys call yourself community leaders. You should be ashamed of

yourselves. You should resign in shame if you voted to approve these data centers. And you should be ashamed of yourselves for not listening to us in the sit-in to fire Todd Chamberlain, Jason

Bachelor. Thank you. >> Zachary Cotton. Zachary Cotton, followed by Lauren Millam. >> [snorts] >> Excuse me. [clears throat] Um so just briefly, I'm here to talk about APD, but with the data center

thing, um you guys realize that Google went cash flow negative for the first time in a decade due to their investments in generative AI, specifically the data centers. Like, Google went cash negative

for the first time in over a decade. OpenAI has failed their IPO and so is Anthropic. These three major players, including Core Civic, Core Core Wave, excuse me, they're all Core, whatever. They're

all losing money and you've you're too little, too late and you're you're just going to you're causing people harm to invest in an obvious bubble. So, anyways, but I'm here to talk about three things

again. I'm asking you to fire Todd Chamberlain. I'm asking you to fire Jason Batchelor. [applause] And I am asking you to audit Integrousure. So, Integrousure, for those that you don't know, it's a

Florida-based company that was created specifically about a few days really before the consent decree came in to monitor APD. Um and you know what? It's the same people that were monitoring Todd

Chamberlain over when he was over in LAPD. When we've already heard all the that he was doing over there and it's just coming over here and it's the same people monitoring him. So, again, we can't

expect transparency from this agency if they're not telling us exactly what they're doing with the $4 million contract that is only amounted to 12 PDFs saying that Todd and his crew are improving

their racial biases. Again, I can't say that to be the case while use of force incidents against black people have remained over around 30% over the past few years while we have been under that

consent decree, even though we only make up 15 15% of the population of Aurora. Again, this has been brought up before. >> Yeah. >> Our we're not doing well when it comes to crime anyways, so we're

just really wasting our money to send Todd's friends some cash. So, I'm going to skip over record keeping just because that has been called for calls of service and proactive contact. That's not even

didn't even care about that. Um but so those are just some of the discrepancies that were available from the brief data that I checked into. So, again, I'm just asking you why you're giving $4 million

to [snorts] someone who has already worked with Todd Chamberlain in the past and who appears to be lying or incompetent in their job. You need to have the city auditor use her power and authority to

look into this company or you all can probably do it yourselves. So, in section 11 of this contract, examination of the records that supplies any agreement that exceeds over $10,000, which again the

contract was for $4 million, the internal auditor of the city or a duly authorized representative of the city of Aurora shall shall have until 3 years after the final payment of the contract have

access to the right to examine the consultant's directly pertinent books, documents, papers, or other records. So, they've only they're only working for us. This this company was made just for us.

They now have two other people that they're contracted with, but again you all of you have the power and authority to look into this company. So, please do something. Also, data science. >> [applause]

>> Lauren Lauren Milem followed by Marcia Copeland Rhoden. >> We know what's going on, you guys, with your little >> Okay. Marcia Copeland Rhoden followed by Miles Thompson. >> Hello everybody. My

name is Marcia Copeland Rhoden. I literally, and I mean I literally just walked in from scouts because this is how important it is. I was I am a den leader for my local Boy Scout troop. I was just

there and I drove down here just to talk about this. So, I want you to know this is how important this is to me. Last time I stood before you, I asked you to do one simple thing, be a good neighbor.

Sadly, Aurora City Council, you have failed to do that. For some reason, you've decided the airport district where I live, the very area Oh, does not deserve the same protections as everyone else.

Apparently, the people who live in Green Valley Ranch, Aurora, and Denver don't deserve clean air, clean water, or peace of mind of our communities will be protected. Why is this acceptable? Why

should our neighborhoods bear the environmental and the financial costs, consequences of these massive data centers while others get to say not my backyard? And what makes this even more disappointing

is that a lot of you guys weren't even willing uh to take meaningful steps to prevent more projects like Triton from happening elsewhere in our community. Do you not [clears throat] watch the news? Do

you not pay attention to what is happening across the country? There was just a blue wave in the recent elections. This was growing and it's not just a blue wave though. It is growing bipartisan wave

of opposition of data centers. Republicans, Democrats, independents are all coming together because people are tired of watching corporations put profits ahead of communities. And if being a good

neighbor isn't enough to motivate you to do the right thing, then let me give you another reason. Think about your political future. This issue is not GOING AWAY. THE OPPOSITION IS GROWING. THE PEOPLE

ARE PAYING ATTENTION. If you choose to stand with corporate greed instead of the people you were elected to represent, voters will remember and I will personally go door to door to make sure they

know. And before I finish, I do want to thank the council members who have been listening to people in this community, who are taking the concern seriously and who are willing to stand up for

residents. But it's disappointing that so many of you guys in council can't even be bothered to show up. Like the last meeting, so many OF YOU GUYS WHO VOTED NO DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP. We deserve to be

heard. WE DESERVE TO BE RESPECTED. I WILL REMIND EVERY VOTER THAT YOU GUYS HAD AN opportunity to be a good neighbor. You guys had AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROTECT OUR air and water community and chose not

to. YOU CHOOSE CORPORATE INTERESTS OVER PEOPLE who live here. Shame on you. Our neighborhoods are not the sacrifice ZONES. OUR HEALTH IS NOT NEGOTIABLE. Our voices are not going away. You still have

time to choose to be a good neighbor. I hope you choose wisely. >> [applause] >> Miles Thompson. Miles Thompson followed by Rachel Bell. >> Hello everyone. My name is Miles Thompson and I'm chair of

the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee. We're a local grassroots organization based here in Aurora. And tonight I want to talk to you about trust. Um so the citizens of Aurora are fed up. We're

fed up with flock cameras being everywhere invading our privacy. We're fed up with data centers being proposed against the wishes of us the people. We're fed up with members of city council openly

disparaging their constituents during meetings. We're fed up with Jason Bachelor unilaterally selecting a police chief and with no community input. We the people we continue to come to these meetings

because we want change. We want to have a say because these the impact that these meetings have change our lives. And we believe that we cannot build trust if we're being disrespected, we're being

ignored um when we have valid concerns that are being brought to your attention. And this is much like how the community has no trust in APD's leadership. Since the consent decree um I ask you how

much has really changed? Not much, right? There's no transparency. Todd Chamberlain continues to cover for his racist police chief uh his racist uh police officers. And as mentioned earlier um he's

reenacted high-speed chases that has resulted in people getting hit. Um so we at the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee believe that the only way to have trust and to build uh relationships

where we're going to have justice and the people of the community are actually going to believe that the police have the best interests in their minds in mind is to have community control the police

because otherwise it's just police covering police, right? So as we currently see it it's that you know something happens like a shooting happens here in Aurora, other police officers from different

agencies come over, they investigate and they tend to just you know cover up for their other officers. Um, so we believe that this has gone on for far too long. We believe that the Aurora Police

Department is been rife with just corruption, racism, and Todd Chamberlain is is the latest caricature of that. And we think it's a shame that Jason Batchelor chose him without community input. In

addition, uh, Todd Chamberlain has been mentioned several times over and over again at LAPD. Has been sued multiple times. He's had allegations of racial and sexual harassment being perpetuated

throughout his ranks. And he was ill fit to become the next police chief of Aurora PD. In addition, he auditioned for Cincinnati, Chattanooga, Little Rock, Arkansas. They all denied him. Why Aurora?

Is a question we must ask. I don't know. But we know this, Jason, it's that Todd Chamberlain does not represent the people. The people demand change. We demand community control of the police. We

demand that Todd Chamberlain be fired and that we have community control as to who is chosen next because clearly your judgment is not good. That's all. I yield the rest of my time. >> [applause] >>

Rachel Bell. Rachel Bell followed by Jan Wilson. >> Hello, my name is Rachel Bell. Um, I feel like I'm a regular here, so it's nice to see you all again. Um, I'm an educator. I'm a mom. Um, part of

Unite um, Aurora Unite Denver. Um, I'm just curious what these data centers will compute that's so important to not be transparent. I'm so curious um, if we computed the impacts on youth, the impacts

of the senior population. Again, I live in the Denver [snorts] area of Green Valley Ranch where 32% of the population in Green Valley and Denver is youth. And I know the area in [laughter] Aurora

right there too is growing is a huge youth population. I teach in that area actually in Aurora. Um I live in that area very close to Florida Pit Waller. Um I too recreate recreate in Aurora. Um two

days ago I was enjoying the most beautiful sunset with my sons in Painted Prairie. I definitely recommend it. Um Aurora kept kept me alive. Um two years ago [clears throat] when I was on a ventilator

in um at Anschutz Hospital for 15 days Aurora kept me alive. So thank you to Aurora. But then here now I'm worrying now I'm spending all my time thinking about about data centers um how [clears

throat] to fight this, how to ask more questions, how to have people listen so that my own sons um won't have to deal with this impact um so that my students won't have to deal with this impact. Um

I've said other times about the data center bubble if you Google um if you search up if you look at research articles it's coming, right? I studied international human rights. I had students write uh

articles about how COVID will impact um them right two weeks before um COVID happened. I said oh in South Korea um people are dealing with COVID. What would you do if you had to um deal with work uh

learning remotely? And I see I have similar feelings now with AI as well. Like if the bubble's coming. The bubble's coming. Um yeah I see Denver and Aurora as like kind of like cousins um maybe your

best friend and I just feel like this is so unethical um on the Denver for the Denver neighbors. Um the Denver fire, the Denver police work well together like to to just put a data center or five or

six right on the Denver Aurora border where again on the Denver side, 32% of the population is youth under 18. Do they have a voice in this? They'll be impacted by this. We're 40% 45% of my neighbors

English is not their first language. I feel like these data centers were put in the area on purpose and it's really frustrating to me. I'm baffled by it. >> [applause] >> Jan Wilson followed by Joel

Benjamin. >> Good evening. Um I am here tonight. I did write this letter so um my ward council person and and aunt large people have received it. But I'm I wrote this to thank those of you who have

supported the moratorium on development of data centers up to this point. And I encourage you to continue working for the citizens of Aurora with your thoughtfulness and your thoroughness in this

area. For those of you who have not voted for the moratorium up to this point, I urge you to change your vote to yes to allow this question to be discussed and voted on again. As we all have learned

more about the known as well as yet unknown or undefined consequences of building of data centers, I urge you to change to yes in order to allow the matter to move forward for vote. Frankly, I see no

negatives of allowing discussion and further further vote or a voting for the moratorium. We're only pausing to have the time for research and learning about the consequences and and regulations

Locally and nationally, municipalities are choosing to pause development of data centers as they were to know more and to adopt appropriate regulations. While I see no negatives about a pause, I see

potentially disastrous consequences for our citizens and for our community in moving forward without this deep dive into all aspects of data centers. Forging ahead without the thoughtful process is

foolhardy and frankly, I believe would represent a disrespect for us as citizens of Aurora. I have a second part, second thing I want to address. I joined the sit-in regarding concerns about our

police chief. I want to amplify what Median Schafter has said. I naively thought we were heard. There was eye contact. In fact, we were only listened to and then all that was said was dismissed. Not

even an acknowledgement of the concerns, not even a you have so many good points, we'll arrange meetings with the police chief. It's discouraging and it's maddening. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Joel

Benjamin followed by Evelyn DiNardo. >> What I'm about to say is about data centers, about vile police behavior, about immigrants and other unempowered minority groups being scapegoated by the state.

It's about those with the responsibility to uphold humanity who choose instead to embrace the role of bystander rather than uh rather than leader. In the words of my grandfather who survived the

Holocaust, just following orders. On this date in 1938 in an event we call Kristallnacht, Nazis in Germany and Austria and beyond torched synagogues and schools and Jewish-owned businesses and homes.

My grandmother was seven and my grandfather was ten, both German Jews who recall walking to school the next day through broken glass. Kristallnacht, night of broken glass. I would like to read to you

from a forthcoming book about the German town of Haren where my grandfather Gunter lived with his family until he was captured by the Nazis, transferred between camps and eventually liberated at the

age of 17 as the only living member of his family. Contemporary witness Heinrich Elfring reported that he had been friends with Gunter but had never seen him again since the day of the pogrom. That's

from an interview in 2008. Hans Huesman, one of Gunter's classmates, wrote in 1988, my neighbor at school was not allowed to attend school from 1938 onwards because he was Jewish. He was excluded from

humanity. He no longer counted. Both vividly described the events of that day from the perspective of a of a child at the time, including the anti-Semitic insults directed at their classmate by the

teachers. The fear of the oppressed and the humiliated people and the population's repression of the events also became tangible. Elfring recalled, on November 11th, the whole nightmare was over as if

nothing had happened. Of course, that did not apply to the Jewish minority whose previous lives have now been had now been destroyed for good. Although the arrested Jews of Haren were released from

quote protective custody a few weeks later, they returned to Haren scarred. Ivan Jacobs was released from Sachsenhausen on December 23rd, his brother in law a few days earlier. From then on, everyone

had to report to the police station every week to give them an update on their immigration efforts. I want to make clear that the families here mourning those killed by the municipal police want the

same accountability as those who want their neighbors to be treated with dignity regardless of their birth certificate, the same accountability as those who want their clean water and air and peaceful

life not interrupted by profit for the wealthy, who want the same accountability as those of us who see ice and flock and all the rest as an imminent danger to the freedom of expression unimpeded by

government and corporate interference. Fire Todd Todd Chamberlain. >> [applause] >> Evelyn Di Nardo, followed by Mary Misteller. Evelyn Di Nardo. Thank you. Mary Misteller, followed by Anna Harris. >>

While it might seem seem like a victory that the Aurora City Council is meeting to discuss and vote on an indefinite moratorium on data centers, it is not. This is a victory on one level. >> Turn the

mic up. >> Do you want me to start over? >> I can't hear you. >> Would you like me to start over? Okay. While it might seem like a victory that the Aurora City Council is meeting to discuss and vote

on an indefinite moratorium on data centers. It is not. This is a victory on one level, but the moratorium would exclude the existing three to five data center proposals already in the review process

that total over 3 million square feet of hyperscale data centers. This would be a disaster and could increase electricity demands in Aurora up to 72% per data from the IEA, the International Energy

Agency. In addition to increased electrical electricity demands, the water demands are staggering. One data center can require 800,000 gallons of water just for startup. 800,000 gallons of water is a

lot. It's equivalent to the needs of 2,665 households or a small town depending on the type of data center. The majority of data centers draw water from local fresh water sources. The majority of data

centers draw water from local fresh water sources competing with community water availability. We do not have water to waste in Colorado. We need a ban on data centers at the state level. Anyone who

understands acre feet of water and aquifers knows that you cannot go to the next city or county for water because it all comes from the same aquifer or source, not aquifer. Denver water supply is

Dillon. Let's not waste our precious water data centers. Lastly, five city council seats are up for re-election next November. If you want a chance to stay on the council, you need to vote for a data

center moratorium now, tonight. I've got 37 seconds left. I don't understand why you're so emboldened to Vantage. I've got a letter from Vantage dated October 20 1st 2026 regarding the Vantage data

center and it's addressed to the dear members of the Aurora City Council and Mayor Kaufman spelled k a u f f m a n. That's bogus. It's not funny. It's I think it disqualifies it, but >> [applause] >>

Anna Harris followed by Tristan Hurst. >> Um Anna Harris, Ward 1. I'm happy the people who oppose the data centers are still showing up. No means no. What's right is right and what's wrong is wrong.

First they came for the socialists and I did not speak out because I was not socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they

came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me. Generations later and somehow we are still learning that same

lessons. When black families stood before this cancel council demanding justice for their murdered loved ones, too many people looked the other way. When immigrant families began living in fear of

ICE, too many people looked the other way. And now, when families are fighting to protect their homes, their neighborhoods, and their retirement from developments they never asked for, suddenly

everybody wants to know why their government isn't listening or the community is still looking the other way. What made you think that this city council would listen? You thought the same people who

could disregard black families demanding justice would suddenly stand up for your neighborhood? You thought the same people who could ignore immigrant families living in fear would suddenly become

champions of your family's well-being? If Blood on the Leaves wasn't enough to move them, what makes you think they'd care about humming and pollution on the breeze? We have more in common than we

realize. You don't have to be black to demand justice for the murders of unarmed black men. You don't have to be an immigrant [applause] to stand against injustice. You don't have to live next to the

data center to care about somebody else's neighborhood. Your children matter to me. Your retirement matters to me. Your home matters to me. This community matters to me. We are one community. And when

we allow our struggles to be separated, we allow ourselves to be ignored one by one. With another city council election approaching next year, it's time to demand leadership that serves all of us. We

don't have to share the same struggle to stand in the same fight. The next time they come for one of us, let them find all of us. [applause] THANK YOU. >> [applause] >> TRISTAN HURST, FOLLOWED BY

Alysia Duell-Marcano. >> Hello, I am Tristan Hurst, Ward 1, Aurora, Colorado. You know why I come here. You've seen me before. You've heard my speeches. I'm hoping that I've reiterated my points

enough that the bits and pieces you're able to pick up between your whispering can form a whole picture. I've noticed you've whispering a little less today. Thank you. Um [snorts] maybe someday you'll

hear anything your constituents have to say, whether it's grieving families asking for justice or people rightfully angry about a massive data center being built in their backyard. If you ever even

considered listening to us, you wouldn't be in this little pickle every other week of having more and more and more people demanding to have their voices heard. Thanks to Median and the epitome of

black excellence, they can. It is our right to be here and it is our right to be heard. That right is under threat again. Uh limiting the beginning to only 30 minutes? 30 minutes? Um that's that's 10

people. You have got to be kidding me. The last time I checked, the only people paid to be here are you lot behind the dais and half of you don't even show up to work. Cowards. The rest of us have day

jobs. It's a pathetic reaction to seeing more and more people displeased with the way the city is being ran. You're daunted by the length. Had you listened to the will of the people 2 months ago when

this moratorium was up to begin with, Kaufman, you wouldn't be in this mess. I bring [snorts] up this point to a council that had to be sued to get public invited to be heard back to the public. Let's

take a trip down memory lane for a moment and remember why they took it away to begin with. They got tired of hearing from grieving families. Families, mind you, uh that are grieving only because

Aurora police depart or uh Aurora police officers murdered their loved ones. Well, they've been speaking week after week and we can all hear loud and clear what they want. They want something done

about this police chief that continues to slander the victims of his department. They want Todd Chamberlain fired. Our opposition likes to point out that Todd Chamberlain wasn't in his position when

Officer Deek thought it was okay to shoot a man on his knees with his hands in the air, but that didn't stop him from lying about him recently. Justice for Kylen Lewis. He's formulated lies about

every victim since. The lies spread about Corey Dillord, decorated army veteran, are by far the most ludicrous um since he started. It was how he cut his teeth lying about the people they murdered. He

painted Cory as a violent attacker, going as far as to say he was attacking someone with a rock in his hands when footage clearly shows a white man attacking Cory with a rock. To make matters worse,

Cory was trying to leave the scene to get back into his apartment when cops came in and shot him before he could ever say his side of the story. That day Cory was only armed with an airsoft gun, but

he would have been within his rights to use a real one to defend himself. He was a US citizen who had as much of a right to bear arms as the rest of us, including myself. [snorts] He was defending

himself after he was followed home by white racist Eric McGurk who weaponized a police force he knew would see dark skin He was right. >> [applause] >> Ali Ali Duwels Marcano [applause] followed by

Chris Malcolmson. >> And Ali Helver. Um I'm back. Uh if my voice cracks or sounds different, I apologize. I am recovering from vocal cord injuries, but I wanted to do my best to express my

indescribable disappointment in the council members who have struck down council member Wiles's moratorium repeatedly. We do not need data centers at all, much less so urgently that we can't stop to

research the impacts before we start building them in these folks's neighborhood. [applause] I have many times compared coming to this podium to tearing open your chest and leaving your organs on the

floor to be picked apart. It's apt because now I have to talk to you about my actual lungs. You see, I've been absent recently because the air in this city, which you have a responsibility to manage

and care about, has been trying to kill me. This August, when particulate matter in the air was at a level rated by NRDC as unhealthy to sensitive people, I suffered a severe asthma attack that would

not end. I was confined to my home on oxygen, but continued decompensating for weeks and weeks. My body was unable to stop the exacerbation and my lungs continued to swell throughout the worst air

quality weeks of the year until the middle of September, a week that respiratory health experts call asthma peak week because the pollution is so bad each year. I ended up back in the ER with a blood

oxygen low enough to cause brain damage. While I was at the hospital, both of my lungs collapsed and I was unable to be resuscitated. I was on a ventilator and life support for nine days, but my lungs

still could not recover. Ventilator twins back there, I had to undergo a rare and dangerous process called ECMO for three days that functioned as an external lung to finally stop it. I spent weeks in

the ICU and many times my friends and family were told by my doctors to prepare for the worst. It is truly a miracle that I am alive. Particulate matter in the air triggered this. Particulate matter

2.5 to be exact, part particles so small and dangerous that they skip past your airways and go right and settle in your lungs. Hyperscale data centers contribute significantly to PM 2.5 in the air. A

previous amazing testifier already spoke about the realities of generator hours, so I will skip the hard data, but these particulates don't care about ward borders and city limits or the 750 ft feet

you will wheel and deal to allow Trident and others to have. Instead of researching and stopping data centers, you are debating tax incentives for them, but I have to ask, what is your budget for my

life, for my lungs? And since I know that several members of this council feel that my life is not worth anything, I would like to ask anyone in this room with asthma or loved ones with respiratory

sensitive conditions to raise your hands. How much are their lungs worth? How much are your lungs worth? >> [applause] [applause] [applause] >> Chris Chris Macalhone. >> Chris Oh. Sorry. >> It's okay.

Hi. My name is Chris Macalhone and I live in The Reserve. We moved here one year ago, October 2025 after the initial approvals were going through the planning committee for Tri-Data Data Center. No

notification from anyone, but we were given a description of the surrounding area um including industrial area buildings, um developments, um roads, highways, and pollutants that were in the air in

that area. This was dated from 2020 given to us by Clayton Homes at our closing. This is information which was over five years old. At city council meetings, we have listed to um to at city council

meetings, we have listened to very educated people from our development and surrounding areas regarding what you would expect from hyperscale data center close to your home. They have gone into detail

regarding noises, vibration noises, air pollution from the diesel backup generators, the threat of our water system, and increased demand on our electrical grids. They have gone into detail regarding

the differences in decibels and vibration and noise and going into detail regarding how far an area this affects, far of an area the air pollution directly affects. Then we listen to the study session

and the questions that were asked give me the impression that some of our council members are not listening to the constituents of you of who you are doing or are you doing your due diligence of doing

your own research? Or are you doing other things off camera and not paying attention to what we are talking about? If you were listening, you would have many of your questions answered and you would

know why setbacks are needed and to certain distances. And you have not been able to agree on setbacks. Look how long one subject on hyperscale data centers is taking. And you have so many other

decisions to make in regards to hyperscale data centers. You need to know the effects of our water, air, noise, and the people living around the data centers. Parameters need to be agreed upon

regarding noise noise noise, vibration, air pollution, and generator overuse. Then you all need to agree upon the penalties to apply if there is abuse of air quality, water pollution, overuse, and

overuse of generators. So you see, you and the rest of this state and this country have more research to do prior to approving any more data centers. We need to do the best at protecting our people,

wildlife, land, and our air. We should be the example to follow, not be the follower. So what is your reason for not approving a moratorium that gives the city additional time to do the right thing

before additional AI applications come in? The rich owners are not worried about us. We have to look out for ourselves and you are holding the key to [applause] That was the last individual. The time

is now um 8:46 uh I mean sorry 8:48 uh we will uh council will stand in recess until 9:00. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music]

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[music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> You can >> [music] [music] >> The regular meeting of the Aurora City Council is called back to order. A motion is in order for the adoption

of the consent calendar on motions item number 11C1 to 11 C2. >> Mayor Bergan. >> Uh council member Bergan. >> Motion to approve 11C1 through 11 C2. >> Moved by council member Bergan, seconded by >>

Council member Hancock. >> Seconded by council member Hancock uh to approve the consent calendar on motions item number 11C1 to 11 C2. Uh discussion. Uh seeing uh no discussion uh call for the

question on the adoption of the consent calendar on motions 11 C 1 to 11 C 2. >> [clears throat] >> Mayor Kaufmann. >> Mayor Rochest. >> Councilmember Bergen. >> Yes, and it's not coming up on my

eScribe. >> Okay. And Councilmember Jackson. >> Jackson votes yes. >> Council Councilmember Andrews. Mayor Pro Tem Coomes. All right, the motion passes unanimously to adopt the consent calendar for

motions. >> The next question before us is the adoption of the consent calendar on resolutions and ordinances item number 12 A 1 to 12 B 1. Motion is in order. >> Mayor. >> Councilmember Hancock. >>

Move to approve item 12 A 1 to 12 B 1. >> Moved by Councilmember Hancock, seconded by >> Mayor second. >> Seconded by Councilmember Lawson to >> Speakers. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> Katie. Speakers. >> Yes,

we do have two individuals for item 12 A 1. The first person to speak is Zachary Cotton, followed by Aonte Anderson. Zachary Cotton. Okay, Aonte Anderson. >> [snorts] >> Mayor Kaufmann and members of

City Council, the people who keep Aurora running should not have to beg its City Council to value their labor. Last week's midterm elections should be a warning to every elected official in this

country. Working people are drowning and they are tired of being handed promises instead of relief. Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans in Washington promise to bring prices down. Families are still

getting squeezed at the grocery store, at the pharmacy, and when rent comes due. My takeaway from this election is that people expect government to deliver something that they can feel in their

everyday lives. Tonight, you have the opportunity to do exactly that. You control what this city pays its workers. Your proposed pay table lists minimum hourly rates of $15.16 for a youth service

program aid, $15.34 for a library aid, $17.77 for a full-time custodian. Those are range minimums. Tell us how many employees actually earn those wages. And the city cannot build dependable public

service public services by treating the people providing those services as an afterthought. MIT estimates that a single adult without children working full-time in Arapahoe County needs $27.09 an hour

to cover the basic needs. Think about that gap. A living wage means being able to pay the rent, buy groceries, get to work, and afford medical care. Those are basic responsibilities that a paycheck

should help should help people meet. The person cleaning this building deserves to afford a home outside of it. The person supporting your children's after-school program deserves to provide for their

own family. Calling a position seasonal or variable hours does not make anyone's bills disappear. Pull this item from the consent, preserve the proposed increases and direct the staff within 30 days

to come up with a $20 an hour minimum including adjustments for experienced workers and a measurable path towards a living wave wage. If you oppose this, explain your position publicly to the workers

whose labor you depend on. $20 is a first step. A living wage must be the goal. Aurora should never balance its books on the backs of workers struggling to pay their own bills. If you depend on their

labor, they should be able to depend on their paycheck to keep a roof over their head, food on the table, and lights on. Last week's election should remind every person on this dais that working

people expect results. Give these workers a number, give them a deadline, give them a commitment they can hold you to because the people who keep Aurora running can also help decide who gets to run

the city of Aurora. And I'll state for the record that Jason Bachelor had his head down the entire time that I was speaking about workers having a minimum wage increase. Angela Lawson's head was down

the entire time. Stephanie Hancock's head was down the entire time while that was happening. I can't see Francois or Curtis. They don't show up in person anymore. I'm not even sure if they're actually

listening, but cue Francois to unmute and say, I'm here. But I want wanted to be stated for the record that those individuals had their heads down when somebody was talking about supporting Aurora's

city workers. >> [applause] >> That was the last individual. >> Uh motion is in order for the >> Did we get a motion is >> Oh we did. Okay. Uh further discussion on the adoption of the Which one are

we Uh adoption of the consent calendar on resolutions and ordinances. >> Mayor. >> Um council member Jackson. >> Uh yeah, this is for our city manager uh Jason Bachelor. What would it look like to

instate a $20 uh minimum rate an hour for all employees? >> I think we can get you that information in terms of that. I would tell you that I think uh when uh Mr. Anderson cites the minimum uh of

certain wage categories that we typically um do not pay at the minimum wage. We have a our compensation philosophy is we're um trying to target getting folks to 100% of the average median of those pay

grades and so I think by and large we're mostly there, but if you guys want some more exact details we can kind of get you what what the average average wage is for city workers. >> Yeah, and quick

follow up. That would be helpful and in addition how many employees are paid below uh $20 an hour would be helpful. >> get you that information. >> Thank you. >> Yep. Further discussion? >> Mayor. >>

Um I'm sorry, council member Horton. >> So uh process question. So this would this be where we would ask um a continue continuum until next meeting to be able to officially vote with the information

provided from uh the city manager? >> So what I would recommend this is a resolution. Uh so because of the budget they go hand in hand with the budget council member Horton. So we can always look at

amending uh that information later. But my advice is we go and consider it now and we can change it later. And I will tell you when I do obviously a lot of hiring for my own department and when we

work with HR Jason is correct. I'll show you just just in the in working with HR we're always up at the 100% of the medium issue, right? We're never we're not paying anybody at the at the starting

salary, but we have to have that range because of state law. We have to have equal work, equal pay. There's requirements there, so yes, it's important. I totally get it for everybody that we should be

paying our our our employees what they're worth and Jason has put a good deal with HR to make sure that that that happens. So obviously up to you guys, but I would state let's [snorts] go ahead and do

the the pay pay table. I don't know if anything would change between now and the next meeting, but it could slow down the adoption of the budget process. >> Mayor. >> Uh Councilmember Horton. >> Uh

City Manager Bachelor, uh if there is a continuum, how would that impact the approval of the budget? Would it can I get clarity on the process from your perspective? >> Sure. The item in front of you

is a requirement in the city code that requires you all to adopt the annual pay table. And so if you all wanted to so if you all wanted to delay this for one meeting since the appropriations are done

by ordinance, um you know, you could either do it one of two ways. You could do it as the city attorney said and you there's still the next meeting where we're finalizing the budget and there can be

questions there or if you delay it, I think, you know, you'll have to adopt it with the second reading of the ordinances and we may need a waiver of reconsideration, but I'll look at Pete on that one.

>> Mayor. >> Councilmember Hancock. >> Could could this be something that we could address in the spring supplemental? >> I think part of this is you so Jason, let me let me so legally because the

charter requires that we do this, it again, it's not directly related to any specific employee and what what his or her salary is. It's just that we have to have the pay scale. And so yes, I mean, I

think if if if council tells us in direction that you want everybody who is who's working for the city to be making a minimum of $20 an hour, we'll have to go back to HR to Director Lance and say,

hey, do we have any employees that are full-time? How are you guys categorize it, right? Do you have any employees that are in this particular situation? If that's so, this is what it will cost for us

to to bring that up. I don't know the number. I know Jason and I don't have that information, but again, so this is good questions, but I'm saying this right now, the table is just required by charter

for us to justify getting the budget passed. And so um I I think these discussions are important. Don't get me wrong, but I don't think we have to do in association with this resolution. >> Mayor. >>

Uh council Mayor Pro Tem. >> So I went through this with our staff some years ago related to getting folks up above um a reasonable minimum, which I think at that time was like 17 and did we have any

employees making less than that other than a couple of um variable hour positions? And it wasn't sufficient to change the budget. Um right? The actual number of employees that it affected was

relatively small. Um and I think it ended up getting addressed without even going through the supplemental process. Um so if we pass this budget today, this pay table today, can we go back and pass a

resolution that would amend the pay table that meets those minimums one and two? If the number of employees is in fact so few, the number of impacted employees is in fact so few that it would likely

not affect the budget, then couldn't we pass the budget without first passing the pay tables and and get that information back at the next meeting to pass the resolution with a waiver of

reconsideration, I think would be fine as long as we had the information. >> Correct. And I think the thing I would I would ask there is again to focus on um that piece of um the speaker brought up

the the minimum, right? And again, that's not where we're bringing folks in at. So, if the focus is on from council is to look at um that midpoint and where we're actually paying folks, I think we can

do that analysis. That's probably um I think much less impactful if you're talking that you want to bring the minimum up above 20 so that the minimum is at least 20 on every position uh despite where

folks would be earning. That's going to be a much larger >> Yeah. >> piece and that's going to be and that's going to have um much broader implications cuz again um all of our pay ranges are based on

market rate. So, we're going out, we're looking at market, we're looking at other um comparable jobs for other employers. And so we are doing that market analysis. And so that's how we generally

approach this. So, if you're talking that you want us to do that analysis on where are folks are actually earning, I think that's a much more limited scope that we can have that. If you all want to

broaden this out to be we don't want to show any minimums below $20 um that's a that's a much broader scope. >> Sorry. Yeah. And I think that there are you know there's a seasonal part-time work of

the students do uh that is obviously going to be paid less. Okay. Um >> just for just for clarity's sake, when those seasonal workers typically they're like high schoolers and like that? >> it really

varies on that. We do have some seasonal workers depending on the job that um you know could be associated with snow removal. We have other seasonal workers that are associated with um landscaping at

golf courses, right? Cuz that's seasonal cuz it's it's again associated with that work. And so sometimes those um are high school students typically I think are lifeguards are are are younger adults,

but we do have others that are again it's it's they're not necessarily you know seasonal is not necessarily exclusively limited to um younger persons. >> And this is a classification table. This is

not etched in stone, right? >> Correct. This classification table again and I I I was looking looking at it. And again, HR tries to show you in that table what what the average market pay is, that

AMP. And again, so you all can understand how we set our pay philosophies. We are trying to get to essentially when somebody has six years of experience, whether that's with others or with us, that

they are essentially at 100% of that average market pay. So that's kind of how we're bringing folks in and then we're making sure that we want to be, you know, in that at 100% of that AMP by [clears

throat] the time they're at six years of experience, whether they're coming in with that experience or whether they're getting that experience with us. >> Okay, further discussion? >> Mayor. >> Mayor

Patino. >> So my understanding from this discussion is that it would not prevent us from passing the budget if we move to continue the pay tables. So I would like to move to continue just this item

for the pay table resolution to our next regular meeting. >> City Attorney. >> Mayor, can I ask one of my one of my deputies, Rachel or anybody, do you know the answer to that question? Does this

hinder the ability for us to pass the budget without having the pay table? >> Please come down front. So you're in the Yeah. >> Or Ryan. >> Yeah. >> Or Hans. Yeah, somebody, please. >> The answer is

no. >> Okay, so it won't it won't affect the budget? Okay. >> But at some point we're going to have to, you know, pay you know, pass this resolution so we can have like notice as to what is the pay

schedule. But you can pass the budget today and then in the next meeting pass the resolution with the second reading. It's going to be okay. >> Is there a date certain that we need to have the rate Is

it by the end of the year? >> The the budget is to be passed. >> not the budget, but the the the pay table resolution. >> Not necessarily, but because this is an annual you know, it's highly

recommended that they come in the second second reading with the budget. This usually is a budget item, so. >> Fair enough. I just want to make sure that again we because it's required by charter,

that's why I wanted you to you're you're the expert, so. So does that answer everybody's question on So yes, we can continue it. We need we just need to make sure that we get it done by I'm going to

say my recommendation is we do it by the end of the year. >> Mayor? >> Uh Councilmember Bergen. >> Uh do we have the HR director present? >> We do. >> I don't know if he wants to add anything to this

classification table. >> Mayor, point of order. >> was um derived >> Mayor, point of order. We don't have a second. >> It's a question of staff. >> No, but Mayor, we don't yet have a second, so we

shouldn't be starting discussion. >> We don't even have this pulled off consent calendar. >> Is there a motion that's on the floor? >> we need to We have a motion from Councilmember Hancock, second

from Councilmember Lawson to approve the consent calendar. We need to add this to remove it, vote on the consent calendar, and then make a separate motion for 1281. >> Correct. [clears throat] So

Katie's correct. So now that we have the motion to approve the consent calendar on resolutions and ordinances, we need to now it sounds like you all want to poll 1281. Can somebody make that request?

>> Okay. >> Uh I would like to poll 1281. >> Okay, so now we'll go back to >> we'll vote on the consent calendar item number 128 1282 to 12B1. >> Yep. >> Uh further discussion. Seeing none, call for

the question on adoption of the consent calendar item number 1282 to 12B1. >> 12B1. >> Councilmember Hancock. >> Thank you. >> The motion passes unanimously to adopt the consent calendar for

resolutions and ordinances with item 12 A1 removed. >> Clerk now please read the title of item number 12 A1. >> Item 12 A1 is resolution 2026 116 approving the 2027 city pay table and classifications.

>> The motion is in order. >> Mayor. >> Mayor Pro Tem. >> I move to continue 12 A1 to the next regular meeting. >> So been moved by Mayor Pro Tem, seconded by >> Second. >> Second by Council Member

Horton to move item number continue item number 12 A1 to the next regular meeting. Um discussion? Seeing none call for the Um Council Member Bergen. >> So can I ask the HR director or not? >> I'm

sorry. Yes, absolutely. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. Well, good evening. Ryan Lance, director of human resources. And as this this discussion has had about this is a resolution about the pay

table. So the only thing I would probably add to this is the pay table is what we do to set the actual ranges for all positions. The secondary question that I guess the question that's being asked is

what are we paying employees? And what we pay employees is based upon those pay tables. So if the question is is looking into what we're paying our employees at the lowest rate or rates, we can look

at that at any time throughout the year. >> Very well. Thank you. Um further discussion? Seeing none call call for the question on the Mayor Pro Tem's motion to continue item number 12 A1 to the next

regular meeting. >> [snorts] >> Mayor Kaufman. [clears throat] >> Mayor Pro Tem. >> The motion passes unanimously to continue this item to the next council meeting. >> Clerk please >> read the title

of item number 14 A. >> Item 14 A is introduction of Ordinance 202654 [clears throat] establishing the tax levy on all taxable property within the corporate limits of the City of Aurora, Colorado for

the tax collection year beginning January 1st, 2027 and the ending January 31st, 2027 and authorizing a temporary property tax credit for 2027. >> Okay, brief presentation by staff. >> Absolutely.

Hello everyone. This is Greg Hayes, mayor of council. This presentation is in relation to the budget and tax levy ordinances. The items that I'm going to be speaking about here are 14 A, 14 B, and 14

C are all necessary to formally approve the 2027 budget. These ordinances are the culmination of lots of work and discussions involving all of you, staff, and the public. Examples of of this include

various ward meetings, two separate formal public invited to be heard sessions, the spring workshop, the council one-on-one meetings, discussion and consideration by our Citizens Advisory Budget

Committee, the September 9th presentations, and who can forget that wonderful Saturday budget workshop. By the way, these adopted ordinances include the changes that you made at that Saturday

workshop. 14 A, the tax levy ordinance sets the property tax levy for the year. 14 B and C adopted appropriate the funds for 2027 and I'm available for questions. >> Staff. Seeing none, motion is in

order. >> Mayor. >> Moved by council member and seconded by council member >> Berken. >> To approve item number 14 A. Discussion? Seeing no discussion, call for the question on the adoption of item

number 14 A. >> The motion passes unanimously to adopt 14 A. >> Clerk, now please read the title of item number 14 B. >> Item 14 B is introduction of ordinance 2026-55 appropriating sums of money to

defray expenses and liabilities for the fiscal year beginning January 1st, 2027 and ending December 31st, 2027. And we do have individuals signed up to speak. >> Very well. >> Zachary Cotton. That was

it. >> Um brief presentation by staff. >> Uh sir, it's the same presentation as before. This is just uh the second part of the three ordinances that are part of the 2027 budget. >> Questions of staff?

Seeing none, motion is in order. >> Mayor. >> Uh Councilmember Hancock. >> Move to adopt 14 B. >> Moved by Councilmember Hancock, seconded by >> Mayor second. >> Seconded by Councilmember Lawson to

approve item number 14 B. Uh discussion? Um seeing none, call for the question on item number 14 B. >> [snorts] >> The motion passes unanimously to adopt item 14 B. >> We'll conclude now. Please read

the title to item number 14 C. >> Item 14 C is introduction of ordinance 2026-56 adopting and operating a capital improvements project budget for the fiscal year beginning January 1st, 2027 and ending

December 31st, 2027. We do have one individual signed up. Zachary Cotton. That was the only person. >> Um let's see. Uh brief presentation by staff. >> Uh same presentation as before. >> Uh questions

of staff? Seeing none, motion is in order for the adoption of item number 14 C. >> Mayor. >> Councilmember Hancock. >> 14 C. >> Uh it's moved by Councilmember Hancock, seconded by >> Second. >>

Seconded by Councilmember Wiles to approve item number 14 C. Discussion? Seeing no discussion, call for the question on the adoption of item number 14 C. >> The motion passes unanimously to adopt 14C.

>> We are now pleased to adopt item number 14 D. >> Item 14 D is introduction of ordinance 2026 57 amending certain sections of chapter 138 of the city code of the city of Aurora, Colorado relating to

rates and connection fees for the provision of water, sanitary sewer, and wastewater services. And we do have one individual signed up to speak. Gary Zimmerman. >> Hello again. I'm back at the micro

cone to discuss item 14 D, the 2027 proposed rates and fees increase. We cannot separate the rising cost of our utilities from the unmitigated liabilities we allow into our pipes. Tonight you're

asking Aurora families to absorb a 3 and 1/2% water hike and a heavy 6 and 1/2% sewer rate increase. We're told these hikes pay for our escalating maintenance, yet simultaneously the city leaves our

infrastructure exposed to a multi-million dollar liability from mega-scale data centers like Vantage and NTT. As I stated earlier, a single closed loop facility holds 800,000 gallons of corrosive

chemicals, biocides, and glycol. If and when a catastrophic system breach occurs, it will shock load our sewer network and kill the biological microbes that run Aurora city treatment plants. My

question on item 14 D is simple. Who pays for this failure? If an unmonitored data center dump triggers a multi-million dollar shutdown, that burden falls squarely on Aurora Water's emergency budget.

How will that budget be replenished? By coming right back to this chamber to force residential rates even higher than the 6 and 1/2 % jump on the table tonight. Our citizens are not an unpaid

insurance policy for multi-billion dollar tech conglomerates. If you must raise to secure our raise rates to secure our system, you have a concurrent fiduciary duty to protect it. Under City Code

Section 138-192, you have the explicit authority to stop this threat before it costs us millions. Do not tax our families more while letting heavy industry use our public infrastructure as a free,

unmonitored chemical safety valve. Condition all future data center utility permanent permits on permanent onsite containment and neutralization skids. Protect our infrastructure and protect our

pocketbooks. Thank [clears throat] you. >> [applause] >> Uh brief presentation by staff. >> Yes, uh good evening Mayor and Council. My name is Katherine Alokatun and I am the Deputy Director of

Financial Administration at Aurora Water. I am seeking your support uh for our 2027 rate and fee increases. Uh we are seeking support for a 3.87 % or for uh an increase in water rates, a 6 and 1/2 %

in sewer rates, and a 6 and 1/2 uh % increase for stormwater rates. And then on our fee side, uh which supports uh growth and uh development projects, we're looking at a 5 % fee increase for water, no

increase uh for sewer, and a 5 % on stormwater um increases. So with that, I'm happy to answer any questions if there are any. Thank you. >> Staff. Seeing none, motion is in order. I'm sorry, Council

Member Bergen. >> Yeah. Um could you just um the connection fees, those are um what are industry when they try to basically connect to our water system? So they are paying uh you said the 5% fee and

then on the water and then 5% on storm water, correct? >> Right. Yes. >> That's different than our water water rates. >> Yes. So our water rates are generally for uh rehab projects, uh you know,

operational costs and then our fees are either for ex expansion or connection for into the system. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> City Manager. >> Um Cat, can you go ahead and also I

think clarify for for everybody that in addition to the city's um wastewater connection fees that Metro wastewater charges a separate um wastewater connection fee for for their system as well? >> Yes,

that is correct. Um so for the rates, um we actually we mirror what um Metro Water Recovery uh charges, uh which uh they are they charge a 6 and 1/2% uh increase and so that is what we are um we are

doing on our rate. They have a connection fee as well uh for uh new developments and that is separate than our rate. >> Thank you. We will um further questions of staff. Seeing none, motion is in

order. >> Mayor. >> Um I'm sorry, Council Member Hancock. >> to adopt 14D. >> Moved by Council Member Hancock, seconded by >> Bergen. >> Uh second seconded by Council Member Bergen to approve item

number 14D. Discussion? Seeing no discussion, call for the question on the adoption of item number 14 D. >> Katie, I'm a yes. >> The motion passes unanimously to adopt item 14 D. >> A reconsideration

and call-ups This is I'm going to defer to the city attorney first and then I'll make a comment. >> Thank you, mayor. So as most of you have asked me over the last couple weeks about the motion that

was made at the last meeting to suspend the rules to allow reconsideration of the moratorium resolution from August that failed because it required seven votes, super majority. For that to come back

for reconsideration, somebody who was on the prevailing side would have to make the motion to reconsider that particular vote on whether or not we have another vote to suspend the rules to allow You

guys Trust me, I have it straight in my head. I'll help you guys through it if that happens. So but that's the process. So again, the five of you that that the six of you that did not vote for it, the

five of you you have to be one of you to to make that motion. So mayor. >> Yeah. Let me just [clears throat] say why this is important. And that is that right now So we we have new rules going through

the process. Councilmember Wiles put them forward in study session last time and and I think it will take probably several months to finalize those rules. Probably by the end of January. >> They'd be

effective. >> Oh, that they would be effective. So what concerns me is the rules that we have right now are inadequate. And that how we got a Triton situation. And so what the Wiles proposal does that

we're talking about is provides an indefinite moratorium until those rules are adopted that we not take any more data center applications. And I think it's very important to do that because if we take

data center if data center applications come in between now and that time, then they come in under the existing rules and we can have another try and all over again. And so uh I would ask that one of

you who uh voted against um that they were on the prevailing side um give the opportunity uh for the rest of us to um vote on uh indefinite this indefinite moratorium the Wiles proposal. And so if

that doesn't occur, then I will be bringing forward another proposal that will actually um require a greater moratorium uh but will not require us to go through the gymnastics of uh a um a procedural

motion. We can go straight to the vote. It would only take six votes versus seven votes. And so I'm and so that will be until we have uh a will serve uh letter from our utility which is Excel that

covers all of Aurora which will take longer than um [clears throat] the Wiles the current Wiles proposal and Wiles is a co-sponsor of that proposal. But um that that would take longer. And so but but

the delay will be important uh in terms of closing the door uh until we get uh the appropriate regulations. But um I can only bring it to study session in the next regular meeting. And of course

examining whether or not I can legally dual list it uh to the floor as well if I can meet that criteria. But I would hope that you um would um afford those of us that afford the indefinite moratorium

the ability to vote on it tonight. And so with that, is there anyone who will bring up who were who was on the prevailing side last time uh that will bring up um that will bring it up. Okay, then

there'll be we'll have another moratorium that you'll you will see another moratorium then uh at the next regular meeting um either in study session or in study session and simultaneously on the floor

depending on a legal opinion. And so with that uh with clerk now please read the title item number 18 A. >> Item 18 A is reappointment of associate judges resolution 2026-112 regarding the

reappointment of an associate judge and relief judges to the bench of the Aurora Municipal Court. >> Uh re-presentation by staff. >> Good evening mayor, mayor pro tem, members of the council, Shonde

presiding judge, you have my memo in front of you as to the judges who are asking for reappointment. Uh associate judge Chris Colley is resigning as associate. He's asking for consideration from

council to be appointed as a relief judge starting in January. Um I can go through each of the names that are asking for reappointment, but I believe you do have that memo in front of you. Happy to

answer any questions. >> Questions of staff. >> Mayor. >> Uh mayor pro tem. >> So just I guess my question is is judge Colley essentially retiring but willing to stay on as needed? Is that the

situation? >> Well, he doesn't want to leave the team. So he's resigning as a full-time associate judge um and he wants to remain on the team as a relief judge. >> Great. >> So. >> Further questions

of staff. As seeing none motion is in order. >> Mayor. >> Uh mayor pro tem. >> So moved. >> Uh moved by mayor pro tem, seconded by seconded Council member Medina. Um discussion? I see no discussion. I

call for the question on the adoption of item number 18A. >> Council member Horton. >> Yes. >> The motion passes unanimously to adopt 18A. >> Okay, now please read the title to item number 18B. >>

Item 18B is determination of candidates to be interviewed for the Planning and Zoning Commission. >> Motion is in order. >> Mayor. >> Mayor Mayor pro tem. >> I move that we interview the top three

Well, we have two vacancies, so top four I don't know. Top three ranked individuals, so that would be Sunny Vanka, Raphael Chavez, and Sonia Shaw. >> Very well. Um Move Moved by Mayor pro tem,

seconded by. >> Um Mayor. >> The second by Council member Hancock. Discussion? >> Oh, we. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. >> Top four. >> Top four? Okay, very well. Okay, so is that a Okay, that's a

friendly amendment. Very well. >> Mayor, I offer a friendly amendment. >> Yes. >> Well, let's second it first before >> Second. >> Okay. >> Second. >> Friendly amendment. Very well. She accepted your

amendment. Okay. I'm going to Okay. So discussion on the um Mayor pro tem Council member Hancock proposal on 18B. Um Seeing none, call for the question on on the Mayor pro tem Hancock proposal to

interview four. >> Mayor Kaufman. >> Mayor pro tem Chess. >> [snorts] >> Council member Lawson. >> Yes. >> Okay. Oh, sorry. It took a minute for me to get it. Um the motion passes unanimously to

interview Sandy Sunny Vanka, Raphael Chavez, Sonia Shaw, and Steven Elkins. >> Um, public invited, public invited to be heard. >> Okay, we have Lauren Millam followed by Ellen Wu. Ellen Wu. >> The

bonds did not pass. As a reminder, this was a dog and pony show filled with false narratives and lack of transparency concocted by Bergen and Gardner. Now what? The budget deficit continues, yet the

tax incentives, millions and millions of dollars continue, yet the port projects continue. $2 billion, $53 million, $7 million, $23 million, $39 million. To those that continue the blame game for the

budget deficit, go no further than looking in the mirror. You continued You allowed the doing away of the OPT. Hopefully, the OPT can be revived. Trickle-down economics has never worked. There are

those who have your hands on your ears and eyes. There are those who seek the financial, personal, political gains, authoritarian rule that the seat that from the seat that one occupies. There

continues to be a lack of transparency and accountability. There continues to be the spinning of fear mongering, spewing words without evidence base. The racist attacks continue. As a [snorts] I'm

going to go back with a historic context. January 2022, I stood at this podium, stated that the mayor and several council members resigned immediately. This was due to to support from them on the

sexual harassment and racist actions and words from one council member. No one resigned. Later that session I was verbally attacked and threatened by Gardener. Any threats or attacks should not be

acceptable. Yet the mayor, some council members, some staff do not see problems with bad behavior. There was a dissolution of DEIB. The generations of neglect continue. Calling neglect by blight is

fearmongering and wrong and racist. Call it what it is. Acknowledge it. Generations of neglect. Even the Puma consultant calls it generations of neglect. Never has has he seen such generations of

neglect. The lack of investment in the people continues. The corruptions continue. There are still potholes and holes that are getting bigger and growing deeper that are over 10 years old. >>

[applause] >> That was the last person. >> Is that no one else? I'll say no for the business before the Aurora City Council meeting is adjourned. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music]

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