I hope this newsletter finds everyone safe, happy and healthy in the New Year. I have never been big on "New Years" or resolutions because I think we should make changes gradually, as we see the need, rather than waiting for a date on the calendar. But I do like reflecting on the past year and what was accomplished. With that in mind, I wanted to share a few highlights from the last year. This one will be a bit longer than normal so I hope you'll stick with me.
1. One of the first items I brought forward on Council was a clean-up to our financial disclosure rules. There were some problems in what we had to disclose that could lead to identity theft. My ordinance passed unanimously. You can read more about it here.
2. COVID-19 was obviously a big part of what we did on Council this year. Our response included rental assistance, business grant programs, standing up a temporary shelter for homeless and so much more. While City Council has no say in business closures (that's reserved for health departments), we used our federal CARES Act money to help our community weather the storm. One item I brought forward that I am very proud of is a resolution asking prisons, jails and detention centers that house Aurora residents to ensure their facilities are clean, detainees are provided with ways to communicate with family and more during the pandemic. In the months since I brought this forward, we have seen these types of facilities become the epicenter of COVID outbreaks and unfortunately, prisoners are often forgotten about in times of crisis. My colleagues passed my resolution unanimously. You can read more about it here.
3. In June, I brought forward a resolution to use federal CARES Act money for Hazard Pay for our Firefighters and Police Officers. These folks couldn't work from home and remained on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, so I was glad we were able to do this. This resolution awarding Hazard Pay to our first responders passed 9-1. You can read more about it here.
4. In June, I joined with Councilmember Allison Hiltz and Angela Lawson in asking the City Manager to launch an independent investigation into the death of Elijah McClain. We put out this request to the City Manager as the members of the City Council's Public Safety policy committee, chaired by Councilmember Hiltz. In order to restore trust in the community, it was important to us for an independent, neutral 3rd party to conduct an investigation. The City Manager indicated he had made a hire but we did not consider that individual to be neutral - it wasn't a criticism of their professional experience or of law enforcement but rather an acknowledgement that his review wouldn't bring about trust in the community. You can read our first letter here and our follow up letter here. I am glad the City Manager agreed to terminate the contract with the individual he had selected and agreed to an open process with City Council. Thank for your hard work & diligence on this issue, CM Hiltz and CM Lawson. At this point, it appears Council will receive a briefing on the final report in early 2021.
5. In August, I brought forward an item to update Council rules to make reasonable and appropriate accommodations for Councilmembers dealing with medical issues, that are pregnant or have new children and to care for their loved ones facing medical issues. I am glad Council supported my proposed changes 10-0 - it demonstrates we can care about people and the circumstances they find themselves in, while also accomplishing the business of the City.
6. In September, I brought forward a resolution placing a temporary moratorium on the use of Ketamine in Aurora. The moratorium will remain in effect until 30 days after the delivery of the independent investigation report into the death of Elijah McClain. It is important to me that we provide our Firefighters with the best tools to do their jobs. That's why we need to take a pause for the duration of the medical doctor review on ketamine and its protocols for use. You can read more about it here.
7. In September, I brought forward an item requiring taxpayer funded lobbying efforts for the police and fire departments to be approved by City Council. I think it's important that elected officials have accountability in how taxpayer money is spent and lobbying using taxpayer dollars is one way that the scope of government is increased significantly. Some of my colleagues wanted to make this about police - which it wasn't. Ultimately, it passed 7-3. Subsequently, we approved membership to these organzations, showing the ordinance works as intended.
8. In October, I introduced my item requiring Council approval for procurements under the 1033 and other federal programs for police equipment. The federal government already requires it - this measure just matches the same provision here in case the feds make a change in the future to their requirements. I think it's appropriate to have council, as policymakers in the city, weigh in on this topic. The item moved forward on a vote of 7-3. We have since approved the procurement of some vehicle traffic barriers using the process outlined in my ordinance, showing it works as intended.
9. After our fall budget workshop, the various budget related ordinances came forward. Of special note, at the fall budget workshop I proposed using some found dollars to restore 50% of the proposed cuts to the Medical Service Unit (MSU) program under the Fire Department. There was unanimous support by my colleagues and I was thrilled we were able to avoid some of that proposed cut. We also moved forward with a pilot program for some mental health related 911 calls, sponsored by Councilmember Allison Hiltz. I was happy to support this item as I think it will lead to better service to our residents and I look forward to seeing the results of the pilot.
10. While I mentioned several items above, I wanted to give a special shout-out to the work of the Public Safety, Courts and Civil Service Commission Policy Committee in 2020. It was chaired by CM Allison Hiltz - I was the Vice Chair and also served with CM Angela Lawson. Throughout the course of the summer, we began very important conversations regarding policing in our community, the civil service hiring process and more. While this works continues and there is more to be done, we made significant progress last year.
Here are a few pictures from the last year:
