To provide economic assistance to Aurora restaurants experiencing financial stress or disrupted operations during the COVID-19 outbreak and economic downturn, the city of Aurora and the Aurora City Council are rolling out a $1 million grant program for those that are eligible.

In cooperation with the Arapahoe County CARES Program and the Adams County CARES Program, the Aurora Restaurant Relief Grant Program will provide grants up to $10,000 each to meet business rent and payroll expenses.

Restaurants that previously received funding through the city of Aurora’s first three rounds of AER grant funding are not eligible for the Restaurant Relief Program, and grant funding may not duplicate needs funded by other programs or grants received by the applicants.

Eligible businesses include restaurants, including any liquor-licensed establishment holding a hotel and restaurant license; bars, including those that hold a liquor license for on-premise consumption; breweries, wineries and distilleries that operate an attached sales room; and caterers.

The application process will open Monday, Jan. 4, at AuroraGov.org/RR, and close at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14.

The city of Aurora has provided three previous rounds of economic assistance for Aurora businesses since April 2020, distributing over $11 million to businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the city. The pandemic has especially taken a severe toll on the restaurant industry, with businesses losing revenue and customers due to public health-related concerns, closures and restrictions. Recent public health orders have prohibited all indoor dining, and with winter arriving, outdoor dining options are limited.

Eligible businesses must be located in the city of Aurora, established prior to May 1, 2020, have 50 or fewer employees (combined full time and part time), have an Aurora business license, and be in good standing, among other requirements.

Additional information is available at AuroraGov.org/RR. Grant review will occur in January, and total grant funds awarded will be based on the applicant request and ability to demonstrate need with appropriate documentation. All grant awards will be expended by the end of January. To ask questions, email RR@auroragov.org.

Techno Rescue, the city of Aurora’s electronics recycling partner, is offering special event pricing for electronics recycling for Aurora residents and nonresidents at its Aurora facility from Dec. 28 to 31 and from Jan. 4 to 9.

The facility at 3251 Lewiston St., Suite 10, will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 28 to 31 and Jan. 4 to 8, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 9.

Most electronic items—desktop computers, laptops, cell phones, tablets, gaming equipment, consumer electronics and similar—are accepted. A fee of $5 will be charged per household.

To address the rising costs associated with processing select electronics, the following additional fees will be applied to recycle these items:

• Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitors: $5 each

• Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors and most televisions 21 inches and under: $25 each

• CRT monitors and most televisions 22 inches and over: $50 each

• Floor model printers: $50 each

• Projection, Digital Light Processing (DLP) and Console televisions: $100 each

CRT TVs with exposed and/or broken tubes will not be accepted, nor will appliances that contain refrigerant or coolant. Batteries, light bulbs, thermostats, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors also will not be accepted. For a complete list of items that will not be accepted, visit AuroraGov.org/Recycle.

Techno Rescue, which is certified for electronics recycling and data destruction, wipes and physically destroys all data storage media to protect the identities of those who are recycling responsibly.

As a reminder, electronics tossed in the trash not only cause serious environmental problems, but also are banned from landfills in Colorado. The city of Aurora’s e-cycling events are supported by Environment Aurora, a citywide effort to think green. For more information, visit AuroraGov.org/Recycle.

Whether you're celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or just the end of 2020, we hope that your days are filled with loving family, quiet reflection and joyful expectation for the start of a new year. Thank you being part of the Aurora community.

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