Castle Rock Town Council Meeting Summary – October 1, 2024
Castle Rock Town Council Meeting Summary — October 1, 2024
The Castle Rock Town Council met on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 6:00 PM in Town Hall Council Chambers, 100 North Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado. Mayor Jason Gray presided. Mayor Pro Tem Desiree LaFleur and Councilmembers Ryan Hollingshead, Laura Cavey (attending remotely), Kevin Bracken, Max Brooks, and Tim Dietz were present. All votes taken during the meeting were 7-0. The minutes record adjournment at 7:50 p.m.; the transcript’s final time reference is transcribed as 8:47, a discrepancy.
Consent Calendar
- Approved as presented by a 7-0 vote: RES 2024-100, approving amended bylaws of the Castle Rock Volunteer Firefighters Pension Fund; RES 2024-101, approving a nighttime construction variance for the Cobblestone Ranch Water Storage Tank 18 project; PROC 2024-011, proclaiming Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Purple Thursday; and MIN 2024-018, approving the September 17, 2024 draft minutes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during unscheduled public appearances or during any advertised public hearing.
Reports and Presentations
- Brazilian Police Delegation: Police Chief Cauley introduced three leaders from the Polícia Civil de Santa Catarina (PCSC), Brazil, who came to Castle Rock after reading about the department’s One by One community policing in Simon Sinek’s The Infinite Game. The delegation described Santa Catarina’s police structure, modernization efforts, seizures, and a 4.4% reduction in homicides. They planned to spend the rest of the week with Castle Rock police.
- Executive Session Report: Council was informed that the September 17, 2024 executive session was held with the Town Attorney under Section 24-6-402(4)(b), C.R.S., for legal advice on the Douglas County Pine Canyon Development Rezoning and Water Appeal. Town Attorney Mike Hyman asked for any disclosures of improper discussion; none were made.
- Fire Prevention Week Proclamation: Mayor Gray read a proclamation designating October 6-12, 2024 as Fire Prevention Week, with the theme Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You. The proclamation had been approved on September 17, 2024 by a 7-0 vote. Sparky the Fire Department mascot attended, and Castle Rock Fire and Domino’s announced a smoke alarm testing event.
- Town Manager’s Report: David Corliss gave calendar reminders, and Development Services Director Tara Vargish provided updates on a new quasi-judicial territorial road annexation application and several pre-applications, including hospital, residential, commercial, school, small-cell, and water service proposals.
- Town Attorney’s Report – Bella Mesa Metro District: Mike Hyman presented a review-and-comment item for approximately $9.78 million in subordinate limited tax general obligation bonds proposed by the Bella Mesa Metropolitan District. The bonds would finance public improvements on remaining undeveloped property, mature in 2054, and are subject to a 55.664 mill levy cap. Councilmember Brooks asked why it was not a public hearing; Hyman explained that Council has review authority only, not approval authority, for debt issuance. Councilmember Dietz asked about buyers; an underwriter said the bonds are required to be sold in $500,000 denominations to institutional investors, not retail investors.
Discussion Items
- DDA Property Tax Levy (ORD 2024-020, first reading): Kevin Tilson, Executive Director of the Downtown Alliance, presented the Downtown Development Authority’s three-mill property tax certification. The three mills are projected to generate approximately $225,000 in 2024 taxes to be collected in 2025. State bills SB 24-233 and SB 24B-001 were noted as potentially affecting future revenue. No public comment was offered. Approved 7-0.
- DDA 2025 Budget (RES 2024-102): The proposed 2025 DDA budget includes about $225,000 from the three-mill levy and an equal town match, with increased personnel, office administration, professional services, and flower box/patio program costs. It continues trolley and carriage service and a facade grant program. Councilmember Brooks asked about a potential Rinrock facade grant; Tilson said an application was expected in November. No public comment was offered. Approved 7-0.
- Comcast Cable Franchise (ORD 2024-021, first reading): Assistant Town Manager Kristin Read presented a 59-page franchise agreement renewing Comcast’s right to use town rights-of-way for cable service through November 2034. Customer service standards and the franchise fee would remain unchanged; the PEG fee would change to 0.45% of gross revenue to help stabilize declining PEG revenue. No public comment was offered. Approved 7-0.
- Home Occupation Regulations (DIR 2024-019): Tara Vargish explained current rules, which prohibit personal services such as beauty shops, barbershops, tattoo, and massage services, as well as animal grooming. Castle Rock stands out from neighboring jurisdictions on these prohibitions. Mayor Pro Tem LaFleur said such businesses are already operating; Mayor Gray said he was comfortable allowing personal services and animal grooming if there are no traffic or complaint issues; Councilmember Hollingshead supported one-on-one services if traffic is not substantial; and Councilmember Brooks said the traffic language could be more specific. No public comment was offered. Council directed staff to evaluate the prohibited list, conduct additional research and community engagement, and bring back a recommendation to include personal services and animal grooming. Passed 7-0.
- Tallgrass Water Infrastructure and Lease Agreement (RES 2024-103): Mark Marlowe, Castle Rock Water Director, presented a public-private partnership with Tallgrass Colorado Municipal Water, LLC in Weld County. The agreement covers Phase 1A infrastructure — rehabilitating and redrilling wells, building part of a gathering pipeline, and connecting to Tallgrass’s existing system — with a one-year option for the Town to purchase the infrastructure for $15 million or negotiate further phases. An engineer estimated the construction at $17 million to $24 million. The companion water lease would pay $1,552.60 per acre-foot, with a guaranteed 257 acre-feet worth about $400,000 and potential revenue above $6 million over a little more than three years; current leases generated about $192,000 over seven to eight years. The Castle Rock Water Commission voted 5-0 to support the agreement. Councilmembers Bracken and Dietz voiced support. No public comment was offered. Approved 7-0.
Key Outcomes
- Accepted the agenda as presented, 7-0.
- Approved the consent calendar, 7-0.
- Approved ORD 2024-020 and RES 2024-102 for the Downtown Development Authority, both 7-0.
- Approved ORD 2024-021, Comcast cable franchise, first reading, 7-0.
- Directed staff to return with revised home occupation regulations for personal services and animal grooming, 7-0.
- Approved RES 2024-103 with Tallgrass, 7-0.
- Adjourned by a 7-0 vote; minutes list the time as 7:50 p.m., while the transcript’s time reference at adjournment is transcribed as 8:47.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. We'll open with an invocation. Heavenly Father, we have asked your guidance, your wisdom, and your support as we begin this meeting. We gather here today to do on the intent of doing good work. Do we seek to represent fairly um fairly and well those who have given us this task? Help us engage in a meaningful discussion, give us clarity and strength to use our best skills and judgment. Please best bless this community, residents, businesses, and visitors, and help us continue doing good work in your name. Amen. Call to order roll call, please. Councilmember Hollingshead. Here. Councilmember KV. Councilmember Bracken. Present. Councilmember Brooks. Councilmember Deeds. Here. Mayor Pro Tem La Floor. Here. Mayor Gray. Here. All are present. Thank you. Please join me to put allegiance. United States of America. One nation and another God. Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. I'll start with council comments. A few things I want to talk about. One is uh we had a great event over the weekend with Wellspring uh with the IDD um uh uh young men and women who are uh getting on in the world and and really trying to do their best to uh to be a part of uh of our community and it's just a fantastic event for Wellspring and our IDD folks, and I think we have some great things that come from them in the future. Um you know it's if you don't uh you know love this community and and love the Wellspring community, it's it that it's or even know about it, you really need to know about it. It's a great um community of IDD special people who are just working hard to be a part of our community. Um second, I wanted to mention um it's uh breast cancer awareness month. Um today's the first. And uh uh my heart goes out to everybody who's uh either dealt with uh breast cancer or is dealing with breast cancer or has lost some somebody who was breast cancer. Uh also uh just recently, I'm not sure if everyone has or not. We recently got the I got this uh recently got the state uh blue book for all the all the information for voting. Uh it's eighty-six pages long or short. Um and you know, uh uh a little plug for our community. I know that uh you know I'm I'm hoping that everybody, of course, votes as most important. Um vote. I'm hoping also you guys decide to help help our our police and fire out and our public safety out and vote for the point two sales tax. Um but most of all vote. Um my dad used to say you shouldn't be allowed to complain if you don't vote. Um and we sure do a lot of complaining. So um with that, I do do appreciate everyone being here and uh we have some special guests as well. We're gonna introduce in a little bit. Uh but with that, Ryan Hollinshead. Thanks, Mayor. Yeah, I just wanted to uh give a shout out to all of our um volunteers in the town and community partners um for putting all the great events they do.
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