At Monday night’s City Council study session and regular meeting, Aurora councilmembers will vote on speed enforcement camera rule changes, penalties for minors riding dirt bikes and interpreter fees for defendants who fail to appear in court.

At the regular meeting on Monday night, councilmembers will consider an ordinance changing the city code to allow the operation of photo speed enforcement vehicles without a city employee inside.

The proposed ordinance was reviewed by the Public Safety, Courts and Civil Service Policy Committee in mid-August and moved forward to the full council.

Colorado law permits local jurisdictions to enact ordinances for automated vehicle identification systems, allowing the city to operate speed cameras in cars not staffed by employees. The Aurora Police Department chose a vendor and a new system to catch traffic violations and issue penalty notices, council documents say.

The council will also vote Monday on an ordinance that, if passed, would raise the interpreter fee for defendants who fail to appear in court.

Court interpreters are in high demand, council documents say, and when defendants fail to appear without notice, costs for interpreter services are put on the city. 

Currently, the fee charged to defendants who need interpreters and fail to appear is $35. The ordinance would raise it to $90.

At the study session, councilmembers will vote on a proposed ordinance addition that, if passed at a future regular meeting, would hold parents responsible for minors on dirt bikes.

There has been an increase in accidents and injuries to minors due to reckless dirt bike riding on city streets in Aurora, according to the draft ordinance, brought forward by Councilmember Francoise Bergan.

Aurora currently has codes that regulate the use of what the ordinance calls “off-highway vehicles,” however, “parents continue to allow minors to possess and ride” them, the draft ordinance says.

If the ordinance passes, it would add a section to the city code penalizing parents and guardians of minors who violate the code with a fine of $250.

Monday night’s study session is open to the public via livestream at 5:25 p.m. The public comment listening session will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the regular council meeting, which will start 10 minutes after the listening session concludes.

Meetings are livestreamed at the Paul Tauer Aurora Council Chambers, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, and on AuroraTV.org, YouTube.com/TheAuroraChannel and cable channels 8 and 880.