Aurora council votes to opt out of Colorado law banning guns in government buildings

Aurora councilmembers voted on Monday night to opt out of a state law prohibiting firearms in so-called “sensitive spaces,” which include government buildings.

Enacted this year, the Colorado law bans firearms in polling locations, schools, and government buildings, such as council chambers. The legislation contains a provision allowing local governments to opt out of the law.

"I don't think it's the purview of the state legislature to decide how we should manage the safety and security of our building, that's up to us," Councilmember Curtis Gardner said in a previous council meeting. "It's not any of their business how we manage our building."

The proposed Aurora ordinance, which Gardner introduced, did not encounter any opposition during Monday’s council meeting or the study session last month.

Councilmembers did not discuss the proposition, and — besides Councilmember Alison Coombs, who was absent — the officials unanimously approved the bill, along with the rest of the ordinances and resolutions on the agenda.

In other council news Monday:

• Councilmembers approved the $3.5 million purchase of real property to build the Wild Horse Reservoir in Park County.

When built, the reservoir would store up to 93,000 acre feet of water to help the city expand its potable water reuse system and provide water management flexibility during droughts or emergencies, according to the city.

The projected completion date is sometime in the early 2030s.

• Monday’s council meeting was the first time in about two months that the meeting did not move to a virtual setting because of protestors. Mayor Mike Coffman allowed all friends and family supporting Kilyn Lewis to be heard during the public comment section, as long as no speaker exceeded the three-minute limit. Lewis, who wanted for attempted murder, was shot by an Aurora SWAT officer in May. He was not armed.

In previous meetings, protesters spoke over the time limit and disrupted the meetings.

The City Council also tackled the eviction of residents in the apartment complex on Nome Street and Colfax Avenue. Councilmember Crystal Murillo said that she would be working with staffers to find emergency accommodations for displaced residents.

“I think that no one is arguing that the condition of that building is safe for anyone to inhabit, so I really appreciate the attention to the safety of our team and the multi-department approach to really support folks,” Murillo said.

Denver Gazette Reporter Kyla Pearce contributed to this article.