AURORA — After five months of online meetings, Aurora City Council returned to an in-person format on Monday evening.
In June, Aurora City Council voted 7-3 to move their meetings online and do away with public comment sessions. By July, public comment sessions were reinstated in the virtual meetings.
The suspension was expected to last until a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Kilyn Lewis was settled. According to both the City of Aurora and Lewis' family, a settlement has not been reached.
Lewis, a Black man, was unarmed when he was shot and killed by an Aurora SWAT officer on May 23, 2024. Mayor of Aurora Mike Coffman said city council meetings were disrupted by protesters in the year following Lewis' death.
In response to the suspension of public comments, the Epitome of Black Excellence and Partnership filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming the suspension violated the First Amendment.
A spokesperson with the City of Aurora told Denver7 the city "continues to defend itself strongly" in both lawsuits.
Denver7 requested an interview with City Attorney Pete Schulte about the return to in-person meetings. A statement was provided, where Schulte said "we remain hopeful that the return to an in-person public comment and meeting format leads to productive dialogue between council members and their constituents."
- Read the full statement from Aurora City Attorney Pete Schulte below:
We remain hopeful that the return to an in-person public comment and meeting format leads to productive dialogue between council members and their constituents. Tonight's public comment session will start at 6 p.m. and last for 30 minutes, with each speaker alloted 2 minutes. The regular city council meeting will start at 6:45 or 10 minutes after public comment concludes, whichever happens first. These rules are intentionally designed to protect decorum and to give everyone who wishes to speak a chance to have their voice heard. It's important to note that these are the council-approved rules for tonight's meeting, Nov. 17. After new council members are sworn in Dec. 1, rules and processes may change.
One of the Aurora City Councilmembers who supported the switch to online meetings was Amsalu Kassaw, who did not win his re-election bid at the beginning of November. He told Denver7 he is excited for the return to in-person meetings, but stressed the suspension was necessary.
"I don't see the point of doing in-person meetings in a hateful way," Kassaw said. “Virtual is always good. You know, you can enforce the rules.”
LaRonda Jones strongly disagreed, and said the meetings should have never been virtual. Jones is the mother of Kilyn Lewis.
"They tried to silence us. They tried to shut us up. They thought that if they took away in-person public comment, that we were going to go away, that they will hear nothing else from us," Jones said. “Every which way that they went, we were a step ahead.”
Jones said the disruptions at Aurora City Council meetings were purposeful.
"We wanted them to hold the proper people accountable," Jones said. "Our message is that things have to change. They must change. That means laws must change."
- View a timeline of the changes to Aurora City Council's public comment below
Monday's return to an in-person setting was described as a "powerful day" by Jones, who prepared a statement for council to hear face-to-face.
“We will continue on with this fight. We will not stop and most of all, we will not be moved, removed or silenced in any way," said Jones. "I expect to see more people come out to stand with us. We are very powerful in numbers, and numbers bring about change.”
Jones said her mission continues in honor of her son, and in honor of other families in a situation similar to her own.
"I'm proud to be Kilyn Lewis' mother," Jones said. "He will be forever loved and missed, as well as cherished."
As a result of the November election, strong conservative voices on Aurora City Council will be removed from their seats. The new councilmembers, who are more progressive, will be sworn in at the start of December.
