Aurora is seeking applicants to sit on the Civil Service Commission, which sets standards and makes decisions about Aurora police officers and firefighters.

The commission currently has one opening for a term that would begin on Feb. 15 and end on Feb. 14, 2029, according to a city news release. Commissioners serve three-year terms with a three-term limit.

Applications will be accepted through Jan. 30.

The Civil Service Commission, which has three to five members, was created by the city charter in 1967 to set standards and make hiring and promotion decisions for Aurora police officers and firefighters, the release said.

Commissioners also act as the jury in disciplinary hearings for members of the Aurora Police Department and Aurora Fire Rescue.

Aurora’s City Council appoints the commission’s members, who must be Aurora residents and registered voters. Members cannot hold any other position in the city for which they get a per diem or salary and cannot be appointed to any other city board or commission, according to the city’s charter.

When the application period ends, councilmembers will choose their top candidates and interview them in February.

Those interested in applying can visit AuroraGov.org/Boards.

The commission opening comes amidst years of tension between residents and the city’s police department, most recently with several members of the public calling for the resignation of Police Chief Todd Chamberlain in a meeting last week.

For more than a year, activists protesting the shooting of Kilyn Lewis, who was killed by an Aurora police officer last year during an operation to arrest him on a warrant for attempted first-degree murder, have attended every City Council meeting to speak to council members about police reform. Lewis was not armed.

Cassandra Heil of the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee and other members of the committee demanded the resignation of Chamberlain in a meeting in early December.

Several members of the public also urged the newly elected city council members to take action toward police reform. They also asked for the creation of an independent police oversight committee.