Latest news with #StephanieHancock
CBS News
30-07-2025
- CBS News
Aurora makes road repairs after deadly crash involving pedestrian
There has been no shortage of tragedy on Aurora's roads recently. The latest devastating crash in the Colorado city was on Tuesday morning and involved a 72-year-old woman who was crossing Jewell Avenue with a walker. According to police, she wasn't using the crosswalk. Her walker hit a hole in the pavement, she fell and a truck turning onto Havana Street struck her. She died at the scene. The driver is cooperating with the investigation. That intersection is an area longtime business owners say has seen far too many close calls. Scott Davenport owns the Heirloom Antique Mall at the corner. "I was coming in to open and I saw the police presence," Davenport said. "There's been a lot of pedestrian and vehicle accidents at that intersection." The night before the crash, city leaders were already discussing road safety at a council meeting. Councilmember Stephanie Hancock, who chairs Aurora's Transportation Committee, spoke about ongoing conversations with the National Transportation Safety Board. "A few months ago, the chair of the NTSB came to Aurora for a transportation summit," Hancock said. "One of the things he talked about was car-pedestrian fatalities and how dangerous roads can be for everyone." She said Aurora is now working to incorporate more of the NTSB's recommendations, with a particular focus on curbing distracted driving and reducing speed. "When you're driving a 5,000-pound bomb, that's really not the time to be multitasking," she said. Following Tuesday's fatal incident, the city acted swiftly. Aurora Public Works crews were dispatched to inspect the intersection and repair any potholes. In a statement, the city's spokesperson said: "Immediately after this morning's tragic incident, Aurora Public Works dispatched crews to inspect the roadway and repair any potholes that were present on Jewell Avenue near the intersection of South Havana Street. Specifics about the condition of the roadway, including the number, location, and nature of any potholes found, are not available at this time." Davenport, who has been vocal about safety issues on Havana for years, said he appreciated the quick response. "It's terrible, any loss of life, for whatever reason, is terrible," Davenport said. If you notice potholes or other safety concerns on Aurora's roads, the city wants to hear from you. You can report problems in the following ways: 1. Submit a ticket through Access Aurora2. Email: publicworks@ 3. Call the Aurora Public Works Department: 303-739-7300 As Tuesday's response shows, the city says it's ready to take action when problems are flagged. The investigation into the deadly crash remains ongoing.
CBS News
24-06-2025
- CBS News
New ordinance in Colorado city will hold neglected property owners accountable
Beginning in early July, Aurora will have a new way of handling neglected homes and buildings in the city. It comes after Aurora City Council adopted an ordinance June 9. CBS According to the ordinance, if a property owner does not comply with requirements to bring their property up to code, it will be done for them at their expense, and it could include hefty daily fines. "I want to see homeowners in Aurora be responsible homeowners," said council member Stephanie Hancock, who represents Ward IV. Since joining city council in 2024, Hancock says she hears from residents every day, many with complains about neglected homes and abandoned buildings in Aurora. "And they were concerned their property values were being impacted," Hancock said of the calls and emails from residents. Having seen some concerning properties -- both residential and commercial -- Hancock decided to take action. She sponsored The Neglected or Derelict Building or Property Ordinance, which is aimed at holding property owners accountable with greater daily fines for continual code violations but with a "compliance first" approach. "This is not about coming down hard on people, you know big brother, 'coming after you because you're not doing what we want,'" Hancock explained. "This is an effort to say, 'Listen, this is your responsibility. We're holding you accountable. We want to help you move forward if you're having difficulties.'" The ordinance was adopted just days after CBS Colorado's reporting on some of Aurora's chronic violator properties. That includes a home owned by Andris Berzins -- one of eight rental homes he has in the city that have received dozens of citations over the last decade, including violations of unlawful storage and not removing trash. Berzins, whose wife, Marsha Berzins, is running for Aurora City Council and co-owns some of the rental homes, told CBS Colorado he doesn't see any issues with his properties. "They decided that I am not good," Berzins said of the city's code enforcement office. Due to repeated violations, Berzins was summoned to municipal court on June 12 and pleaded guilty. As part of a plea agreement, he was issued a $2,650 fine of which he only must pay $300. The remainder of the fine is contingent on Berzins bringing his property up to code by July 22 and staying compliant for a year. "In one way, it is like playing whack-a-mole," Hancock said. Hancock believes there is a concerning trend of some property owners treating code violation fines as a sort of, "routine cost of business," not an incentive to comply with city code. So, as part of the new ordinance, Hancock said property owners could be slapped with $999 daily fines. "We want to make it painful if people refuse to come into compliance," Hancock said. "It's really an effort to just make our community better." The ordinance, as described in city documents, is a "last resort measure" to empower the city to seek court intervention when a property has fallen into such disrepair that it poses a serious threat to the health, safety, and well-being of those around it. "I don't believe it's the city's function to get involved in real estate," Hancock added. "But what we want is for people to care about the community that they live and work in and do business in, and be good stewards of the properties that they have."
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘We're committed to safety': Aurora city council looks to hold property owners responsible
AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — After a year of apartments being shut down after neglect, violence, and crime like what was seen at the apartments on Dallas Street, the city of Aurora is looking to change. 'When property owners are not responsible. You have an element that moves in, that takes over, there's opportunities for crime, there's opportunities for victimization, and all kinds of bad things happen, and that's not what we want,' Aurora City Council Member for Ward 4 Stephanie Hancock said. The Edge at Lowry complex in Aurora officially closes A new ordinance approved by the city council in a meeting Monday night works to hold landowners accountable by ensuring they are working with the city to make sure their properties are up to city code. 'We're committed to safety. We wanna make sure that all of our parks, all of our neighborhoods and our streets and our businesses are safe for our Aurora citizens to visit, to enjoy,' Hancock said. According to the code in Aurora, a property owner must take steps to fix nuisances on their property or they could face a summons. Hancock says the city is already looking at multiple properties within the city as this new ordinance rolls out. 'At the end of the day, the city is not a landowner. The city does not want to be a landowner. The city wants all of our businesses and our citizens that own property to be responsible owners,' Hancock said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Nearly 1,000 vehicles seized in Aurora through 3 strike policy so far this year: police
AURORA (KDVR) — Aurora Police Department statistics show 920 vehicles have been impounded under the city's new three-strikes seizure law. Ward IV Council member Stephanie Hancock sponsored the city's new traffic law. Witnesses say it was chaos inside RTD's Chestnut Pavilion following shooting 'I think the concern with our constituents has been, 'Why are there so many cars with expired tags or no license plates at all on the roads?' It's very likely these cars don't have insurance,' Hancock said In Aurora, vehicles can be seized when a driver has no license, no insurance and their vehicle is not registered. Pictures of some of the vehicles that have been seized and sold can be seen at the Roller Auction Website. When the new law went into effect, FOX31 saw several expired plates in just one location. APD said there are also a lot of fake license plates. 'Clearly, when we see those, we know these people are not putting effort into even trying to get insurance; they most likely don't have a driver's license. Those are the vehicles we are targeting,' APD Public Information Officer Matthew Longshore said. Council member Danielle Jurinsky heads the city's safety committee. 'This is recovering a lot of stolen vehicles and it's getting a lot of people off the road who quite frankly shouldn't be driving,' Jurinsky said. Some people have complained that the three-strikes rule is too harsh. Hancock says that's not the case. 'This legislation is not meant to be punitive; it's meant to remind drivers that driving is a privilege and a responsibility,' Hancock said. Hancock said illegal vehicles can cost legal drivers a lot of money. The hope, she said, is to get them off the street one at a time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
