Workshop topics

Councilman Bob FitzGerald suggests Spring Workshop topics, including:

- Federal stimulus money update.

- Financial forecasts

- Capital projects updates

- AEDC primer

- Convention and Visitors' Bureau update

- Aurora Parking Update

- Tour of "emergency bunker" under the city's justice center

- Update on Amendment 54 (litigation pending).

Special Study Session - April 13

4:15 -- A special study session touting an agenda tackling a bond purchase agreement, potential ballot issues and other 2010 budget issues is underway.

Issue updates -- Mayor Ed Tauer shares a letter he's received from King Soopers hinting at a strike.

Council approves examination of funds for Chambers Plaza Library

Following a suggestion from Councilwoman Renie Peterson, the city council directed staff to look at reserve funds to provide more than $30,000 to keep the Chambers Plaza Library open until the end of the year.

The money would help cover the cost of hiring two temporary employees who would not draw benefits. Last week, the facility's landlord offered to cover rent costs for the upcoming year.

"Right now there’s above $20 million in policy reserve. I want to ask all of you to please consider keeping this open until the end of the year," Peterson said.

The suggestion drew support from other council members.

"It seems to be a relatively affordable amount – the policy reserve is there for this," said Councilman Larry Beer. "Even beyond the importance of the Chambers Library to the community it serves … I’m also mindful of the other tenants in that shopping center. If we are working really hard to develop and grow and expand businesses of every size … I think the last thing we want to do is … cause yet another vacant store front in a shopping center."

Following counsel from City Attorney Charles Richardson to allow staff to properly study the impact of such a withdrawal on the city's bond rating, the council agreed to widen the scope of the potential source for the funds. Staff will look for other sources and will update council next week.

Still, the prospect of making an exception for the library drew some hesitation from council.

"We keep on saying that we can’t afford to do every program all the time. I’m struggling with this … we’re getting away from our idea," said Councilman Brad Pierce. "We just have to bite the bullet and make some tough decisions."

Despite the misgivings, the council voted overwhelmingly to have staff look for the requisite $30,000 plus in different city funds.

Study Session - April 6

Welcome to your live feed from Aurora's April 6 council meeting!

On the agenda for tonight's study session: decisions regarding grants from Great Outdoors Colorado for various projects within the city, the reappointment of members to various city committees, the official name of the Prairie Waters Project Purification facility and the approval of a capstone ceremony by a local Masonic lodge.

I will also be twittering updates from the meeting, so look for info on the Sentinel Twitter page!

Water lease agreement, water management planned approved

The regular session saw the approval of two contentious water issues, after a lengthy debate from council.

A lease agreement that would see Aurora lease up to 200 acre-feet of water in the Arkansas Basin to Nestle Waters North America Inc. for $800 per-acre foot passed by a vote of 7 to 4, with Councilmembers Renie Peterson, Bob FitzGerald, Larry Beer and Ryan Frazier voting no.

The agreement would be renewed annually for a period of 10 years, and would be contingent on available supply. The water leased from Aurora would go to replace water taken from the Arkansas Valley to bottle and sell.

In other action, the council passed a water management plan that would see Aurora citizens setting their own three-day-a-week watering schedules, as opposed to having their timetables set by the city.

The final vote on resolution 10b, which would implement the 2009 Water Management Plan, came after Councilman Brad Pierce added an amendment that would allow citizens to set their own three days for watering, providing the city's reservoirs were at 80 percent or more. After the amendment passed by a vote of 7-3, the final resolution was carried by a vote of 8-2, which Councilmembers Steve Hogan and Bob Broom voting no.

Capital fund shortfall addressed

Aurora budget officer Jason Batchelor addressed the need for $15 million to $20 million in cuts to the capital plan during the next five years.

Citing shortfalls in revenue Batchelor presented a list of possible cuts that was scheduled to return to the council during its spring workshop in two months.

But council called for a closer inspection of the proposed list of 24 itemized cuts before the spring workshop.

Masonic cornerstone ceremony wins initial approval

A masonic cornerstone ceremony for a Prairie Waters Project building that earned initial hesitation from certain members of the Aurora City Council has won initial approval.

Aurora Water spokesman Greg Baker said that the ceremony - which features traditional blessings and benedictions from Masonic representatives during the foundation phase of construction - has precedents in the city.

Specifically, the ceremony was a feature of the foundation ceremony for the city's Municipal Justice Center in 1989.

Final approval for the ceremony will come before the full Aurora City Council during a regular session.