The Aurora City Council cast a unanimous preliminary vote Monday night to appoint nine members to serve on the board overseeing the revitalization of Colfax Avenue.

The recommended appointees, who will get an official vote at the next regular council meeting, include a variety of business and property owners within the Colfax district boundary. They are as follows:

• Amanda Blaurock, Village Exchange Center CEO
• Priscilla Montoya, Downtown Aurora Visual Arts executive director
• Alemayehu Eshete, property owner
• Katie Goldman, property and business owner
• Matthew Horne, Jubilee Roasting Co. owner
• Cynthia Moreno-Romero, Ollin Cafe owner
• Thoa Nguyen, Bahn and Butter Bakery Cafe owner
• Natasha Sztevanovity, Society 303 owner
• Johnny Watson, consultant

Applications for the board were open from Jan. 20 to Feb. 28. The city got 33 eligible applications and officials selected 12 candidates for interviews in late April and early March. Community members were invited to give input on the finalists through the end of May.

Interview panelists Mayor Mike Coffman, Mayor Pro Tem Alison Coombs and Deputy City Manager Laura Perry selected nine candidates — evaluated on their commitment to board duties, involvement in the Colfax community, unique skills and experience, ability to be collaborative and alignment with the Colfax action plan — to recommend to the council for appointment.

City officials planned to choose six but chose nine “in recognition of the exceptional pool of candidates and the value of bringing diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives of the board,” Perry said.

“This was a very difficult process because there were so many talented people that stepped forward that really passionately wanted to be appointed to the board,” Coffman said Monday.

In November, Aurora voters overwhelmingly approved the creation of a Downtown Development Authority through two questions on a special ballot that went out to people who live and work in the designated area.

The first question asked voters to create the authority, and 133 people, 79%, voted “yes.”

A second question asked voters to authorize the DDA to use tax increment financing, and 141 voters, 83%, voted “yes.”

With the passage of both ballot measures comes the creation of the DDA, which is a governmental entity separate from the city and defined by state statute. It is led by a board appointed by the mayor and confirmed by a majority of the City Council.

Core improvement areas for the DDA, as outlined in the Colfax Community Vision and Action Plan, are public safety, business support, housing stability, cleanliness and maintenance, arts and culture, and public space.

Board members will be tasked with overseeing projects and investments under the DDA and ensuring community members and businesses are involved, and that their needs are met throughout the process, the city’s website says.

Once board members are confirmed, the board will start holding meetings later this year, which will also be open to the public.

More information about the board is available on the city’s website.