Monday night’s Aurora City Council meeting will be back in-person with newly adopted rules for public comment following several virtual meetings during which the council weighed options for managing ongoing protests. 

At a meeting earlier this month, the council approved a resolution that changes the rules of public comment, adding a separate speaking session before meetings that will not be livestreamed.

The resolution came after months of back-and-forth between councilmembers and protesters for Kilyn Lewis, who have attended every meeting since July to request action from the council.

Lewis was shot and killed by an Aurora police officer who was trying to arrest him on a warrant for attempted murder. He was unarmed. Both the district attorney and an internal Aurora Police Department investigation cleared the officer’s actions as justified.

Councilmembers have made various efforts to quiet the protesters, who have found ways to dodge those efforts and work around them.

The new resolution requires the council to meet in regular session starting at 6:45 p.m. on already scheduled Mondays, rather than at 6:30 p.m.

Public comment listening sessions, limited to 40 minutes and not part of the council agenda, will be held from 6 to 6:40 p.m. on the days of the meetings.

Those who wish to speak during the listening session can sign up online between 8 a.m. the Friday before the council meeting and 1 p.m. the day of the meeting. In-person sign up is available with the city clerk on the day of the meeting. 

At Monday night’s City Council study session, councilmembers will discuss a water master plan resolution, which was moved from the Water Policy Committee to the council in mid-January.

Aurora Water’s first master plan was completed in 2017 and the latest plan will act as a guidance document for Aurora Water’s long term capital improvement planning covering 20 years, according to council documents.

The plan establishes goals for levels of service, including maintaining emergency water reserves sufficient to meet one year of critical water shortage demands, defining watering restrictions and frequency, and continuing Aurora Water’s compliance with all water quality regulations. 

In the regular meeting following the study session, the council will vote on additional funding for a pedestrian and cyclist bridge project in the works.

The Denver Regional Council of Governments has amended the project award after getting additional money for the city’s Nine Mile Bike and Pedestrian Bridge Project, which includes the construction of a pedestrian and cyclist bridge along Parker Road west of I-225.

In order to use the funds for the project, the council has to pass an amendment to the intergovernmental agreement. 

The total project amount is about $8.3 million, with the additional grant contributing $850,000 and the city matching 20%, or an additional $213,000. 

Other agenda items include a resolution regarding the sale of city-owned surplus property in Adams County and the appointment of members to the Civil Service Commission. 

Monday night’s study session is open to the public via livestream at 5:15 p.m. The public comment session will not be livestreamed, and will be held in the Paul Tauer Aurora City Council Chamber at the Aurora Municipal Center, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway starting at 6 p.m.

The regular meeting of the council will follow starting at 6:45 p.m., also in the Paul Tauer Chamber. 

Livestreams are available at auroraTV.org, on Youtube.com/TheAuroraChannel as well as on cable channels 8 and 880.