City expands police force, citing growth

The Aurora City Council approved plans last week to expand the city’s police department from nine to 10 full-time personnel, taking what Police Chief Paul Graham described as a proactive step based on the community’s projected growth.
Graham provided a little background on the issue days after the July 25 council meeting, explaining the timing of a recent hire that isn’t expected to be completed until next spring.
“To give you a little history, when we hired our last officer it took over a year to find somebody,” Graham reported. “The hiring pool is not very good, like with anything, so when we had two quality candidates it got brought up that with how Aurora is growing they wanted to get ahead of the game, to be proactive about this.”
That discussion was held within the city’s Police Committee, which includes Graham, Mayor Marlin Seeman, City Administrator Rick Melcher and three members of the city council. The police chief noted that one police officer recently resigned, which prompted a search that netted two quality candidates. Joseph Ernst, who applied as a certified candidate, was officially hired at the July 25 meeting, reporting Monday for his first day on the job, which begins with a 12-week training program. Graham said a second candidate was also hired, though that individual isn’t scheduled to complete police academy training until December, and then will begin the 12-week training program.
“A lot of smaller agencies when they hire somebody they basically say, ‘You’re certified, so here you go. Go do your job,’” Graham said. “But if you don’t get trained on how to do your job, that doesn’t make a good police officer, so we want to make sure that the guys were hire understand how we do things make sure they’re confident in what they’re doing before we put them out on the road.”
As to the need for an additional officer, Graham said it was based on a pattern of projected growth.
“They just opened up 60 housing lots out here just west of town, there are lots up in Northridge that they just approved and then there are companies that are supposedly coming out here south of town (in Aurora Development Corporation’s Mission Critical subdivision),” he said. “They just wanted to kind of get ahead of the game, to be proactive about this, because we’re not going to have the one guy on the street until probably March or April.”
Graham noted that by spring of 2024, the staff will include 10 full-time officers, including himself.
“I appreciate the council looking after us,” he said. “It’s hard to find people and knowing that we had two quality candidates who would fit into our community, that’s a big thing. If we’re going to grow the way we’re looking at growing, then this will help out tremendously.”

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Council members also heard a brief update last week on the status of the Aurora Airport construction project.
Dr. John Wilcox, a member of the Aurora Airport Authority, reported that work is progressing on phase two of a project which began four years ago with the construction of a new runway. Phase II involves construction of a parallel taxiway and parking lot.
“We thought we were going to do part of the north taxiway, fix that, and then do part of the south taxiway, but they just tore it out all at once,” Wilcox said. “It’s Al Potter Lake right now,” he added, noting the impact of recent rains.
The current project is projected to cost $5.5 million, Wilcox continued, with 90 percent of that covered by federal funds, leaving 10 percent to state and local resources. He noted that large hangar doors are also being replaced, several of which sustained heavy damage two years ago in a wind storm.
Despite the on-going construction process, airport manager Terry Ott noted that a taxiway remains available for aerial spraying operators, which is critical to their business this time of year.
“Our concern this year is just continuing what we’re doing and we would appreciate your consideration for the continuation of the 3.5 mills for tax asking,” Wilcox concluded. “Next year we’ll get a little more information because of the bonds that we have issued. We’re going to start paying principal and interest in December of 2024, so it will be a little bit different, but that’s our story and I’m very happy with what’s going on.”
The council then voted unanimously to approve the airport’s levy request for 2023-24.
In other business, the council:
* approved the second of three readings for the Northridge 2nd Subdivision;
* approved a request of $4,000 from Willow Rising, Inc. (formerly known as the Crisis Center), representing a $1,000 increase from last year’s request;
* approved a funding request of $7,000 from the Central District Health Department;
* approved a $6,950 payment to South Central Economic Development District for general administrative services;
* approved a public service utility easement request from KAAPA Partners Aurora, LLC;
* approved a special liquor license request from The Wandering Well of Hastings for a wedding reception planned at The Ivy Sept. 2 from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.