The City of Aurora has given its final approval to a $63,000 contract with Dentons for its lobbying services in the upcoming Colorado General Assembly.

City Council voted 8-2, with Council members Barbara Clelland and Charlie Richardson opposed, to approve the contract on Monday, Dec. 5. The contract had been delayed for a few weeks over conflict of interest wording concerns brought up by Councilwoman Angela Lawson, a lobbyist program manager for the Colorado Secretary of State’s office, during the City Council’s Nov. 21 meeting.

“I have to say this conflict of interest clause is very good,” she said at the Dec. 5 meeting. “It’s more than what I’ve seen in some lobbyist contracts at the state level.”

Lawson also noted that the Colorado constitution requires lawmakers who leave office to wait two years before they can become professional lobbyists. Amy Stephens, former Colorado House Majority Leader, and Matthew LaCrue were chosen by Dentons to be Aurora’s lead lobbyists.

“The interpretation of when that actually occurs is still open,” Lawson added, “but it could be when that person becomes a certified lobbyist or when the new legislative session starts on Jan. 11, 2017.”

Stephens represented House District 19 from 2007-15 and was a 2014 Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. However, she dropped her bid when then-U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner entered – and eventually won – the race.

Lawson said if one of the Denton lobbyists assigned to Aurora falls into such a 2-year “vacation period,” and an issue of interest to Aurora is before lawmakers, “I’m sure they have others that can do any business with Aurora.”

Cleland explained, before the Council vote on the contract, that she was opposed to it “because I’m a fiscal conservative and this price is over $20,000 more than our previous contract.”

The city renewed a contract with Capitol Capital for lobbying services in 2016 for $39,600, according to information provided to the Council. The renewal represented the final one-year extension option, so the 2017 contract was required to be openly solicited.

Proposals were received from three firms by the Sept. 16 closing date: Capitol Capital,Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and Dentons. Capitol Capital was eliminated from further consideration and the other two firms were  interviewed by an evaluation committee. Both firms offered their services at an annual cost of $72,000 plus expenses. On Oct. 18, the committee selected Dentons as the top ranked firm.

Negotiations were held with Dentons on Oct. 27, and Dentons submitted a final proposal of $63,000, plus expenses, for consideration by the City Council.

Lawson stated that Aurora “is a big city and when we lobby the legislature, we should think progressively about who we’re hiring.”

“I know the price tag seems high at $20,000 more, but at the end of the day, we have a firm we can incorporate at all levels, federal and state,” she added. “I think (Dentons) will be very good at that.”