Study Session -- March 2

Tonight's agenda boasts a diverse set of items, from the official naming of the south campus of the Prairie Waters Project to approving a request from a local Masonic Lodge to dedicate a cornerstone on future construction projects in the city.

Also on the slate for study session tonight: Changes regarding the city's policy toward tap fees in response to the current recession, the approval of the 2009 water management plan, amendments to xeriscape regulations, modifications to the city's domestic violence plea bargaining guidelines and the approval of the intelligent transportation systems strategic plan.

I'm all hopped up on caffeine and ready to navigate the dense thicket of municipal policy. Join me, won't you?

Next step in Police "Old Hire" Pension Board decided

Council will vote on whether an internal auditor from the city will be added to the Aurora Police "Old Hire" Pension Board.

Mayor Ed Tauer provided the determining vote in how proposed changes to the configuration of the city's board will proceed to the council chambers floor.

Changes that would see an internal auditor added as a seventh member trumped another proposed change, which would have seen the current six members vote on a seventh members.

Tauer opted for the first option after the rest of the council logged a tie vote on the question during study session.

Clarification of cuts

Councilwoman Renie Peterson expressed frustration at the planned closing of the Chambers Plaza Library.

While staff said the facility's closure was finalized at the Winter Budget Session, council members expressed confusion about the final verdict.

"I’ve been left confused because I thought this staff was going to look for dollars elsewhere. I was told that the announcement has already been made," Peterson said. "I’m a little bit agitated about that."

But Mayor Ed Tauer said that the decision had been made last month.

"My memory is is that one of those 16 items was a block of things ... Two common, visible closures – one of them was the Fitzsimons pool, the other was the Chambers library," Tauer said. "The council did give the city manager direction to go forward with those 16 things."

Council members discussed other possibilities to serve residents near the Chambers Plaza Library on the northwest corner of Colfax Avenue and Chambers Road.

City Council - Study Session Feb. 23, 2009 - Preliminary words

6:06 p.m.

Contentious issues that have been on the boiler plate for months are scheduled to find resolution tonight, as the Aurora City Council is scheduled to make final decisions on issues that range from granting health benefits to same sex couples to reconfiguring the city's "old hire" police pension board.

Both issues have spurred strong responses from opposing sides, and both are slated for votes at tonight's study and regular session.

ABDC question sent back to committee

After exhaustive discussion about Councilman Larry Beer's proposal to put out bids to privatize the Aurora Business Development Center, the issue was ultimately directed back to a city committee.

Amid questions regarding the proposal's efficacy and purpose, Beer defended the concept as a way to address the city's long-term structural budget issues.

"If we were to contract out … That wouldn’t be unusual at all. Throughout the state of Colorado, that’s more common than not," Beer said.

But some council members objected to the proposed measure for economic and procedural reasons.

In the end, the question will return to the city's Planning, Economic Development and Redevelopment Committee, where questions regarding a potential Request For Proposal will be addressed. What's more, issues regarding the specifics of the center - which provides counseling services for small, start-up businesses in the city - will be further explored at the committee level.

Domestic partnership benefits for same sex couples

On the question of adding same sex partners to the city's current definition of family members for insurance benefits, the discussion was relatively brief.

Mayor Ed Tauer called for an abbreviated debate, and encouraged council members to reserve lengthy comments for the final verdict when the issue proceeds to regular session.

"Let’s say there are six votes to move that forward … If that were to happen, everybody will have a chance to comment on that on the floor … We’re really voting on do we want to put it forward to the floor," Tauer said.

The subsequent discussion was light, as Councilman Bob FitzGerald provided one of the sole comments.

"I will make statements opposing this on the floor," FitzGerald said.

The vote saw five council members voting yes, with Mayor Tauer providing the tie breaking pro-vote. The question will proceed to the city council floor during regular session.

Registration and Maintenance of Vacant Residential Properties

The proposed ordinance, which would introduce requirements for lending companies to register and upkeep foreclosed properties, has failed to attract a unified approval from lending representatives, banks, business representatives and other parties involved in the process.

Councilman Bob FitzGerald, who championed the measure, spoke briefly of its background.

"The origin of this … was innumerable foreclosures throughout the state and particularly in Aurora that were detracting from the neighborhoods," Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald added that initial approval for the measure, which would have lenders pay the city a $50 registration fee, had wavered from some corners of the community.

"Members of the credit and lending community – They’re obviously not jumping for joy at this ordinance," FitzGerald said.

In order to give the banking community added time to provide substantive amendments, Councilman Steve Hogan suggested putting the issue on council's next study session and regular session agenda.

"You could schedule this for both study session and for floor action at the next meeting. If the amendments are ready, they can be discussed in study session … If they are agreed to, you can just take them out onto the floor," Hogan said.

The issue will be heard during the Jan. 26 meeting.