Human resources outlines HRIS rollout, internships and new mental-health check funding for officers

Alicia Lewis, chief human resources officer, presented the human resources department's 2025 priorities to the finance committee on Oct. 17, emphasizing HRIS expansion, recruitment efforts, internships and wellness programs.

Lewis said the city implemented a remodeled HR office and the UKG timekeeping system and is now building multiple modules in the UKG HRIS (onboarding, performance management and records). "We're getting those modules together and ready to go, step by step," she said, adding that some modules will be phased to align with other systems.

The HR presentation included eight decision packages. One directly tied to another department's requirement was funding for mandated mental-health checks for police officers under the state's safety-related requirements; Lewis said Aurora would cover that cost and that the package originated in the police department. "This decision package would cover the cost of that," she said.

Other HR proposals include centralizing the college-intern and seasonal-intern program, an EDI internship program, a benefits analysis to benchmark compensation and benefits outside the city, and a pilot to restore service and retirement acknowledgments (estimated initially at $25,000). Lewis also described training and development gains, including an aspiring leaders workshop, expanded training modules and partnerships for Spanish classes and community-college offerings.

Lewis and other staff said internship rates can vary by experience and return hires; returning interns with experience may be placed at higher pay steps, a point committee members raised during questions.

HR staff described recent improvements to workers' compensation administration after moving to a new third-party administrator, CCMSI, and said wellness programming such as biometric screenings, blood drives and fitness challenges will continue.