Castle Rock Town Council Meeting – March 18, 2025: Budget, Grants, SROs, and Sports Center
Castle Rock Town Council Meeting – March 18, 2025
The Castle Rock Town Council met on March 18, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included council member comments on mental health and community connection, approval of the consent calendar, and action on several resolutions and ordinances. All votes passed unanimously 7-0. The meeting adjourned at 7:13 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Approved ORD 2025-010 (Plumbing Fixtures), RES 2025-035 (East Plum Creek stabilization contract), Proclamation 2025-003 (Water Conservation Month), and minutes of March 4, 2025.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Sunday Salmon, Inc.: Representative spoke about providing free organic meals to seniors and those in need; requested $1,000 to cover food costs.
- Castle Rock Pirates Rugby Football Club: Representatives (John and Caleb) described the club for ages 5–18, doubling youth participation; grant would fund uniforms and equipment.
- Castle Rock Chorale: Cindy Creek highlighted music as community connection; requested support for weekly performances.
- Best Buddies Colorado: Representative explained the program pairs students with intellectual/developmental disabilities in one-to-one friendships; funds would cover leadership trainings. Councilmember Bracken shared personal testimony of program’s impact.
- Paul's Mystery Ship to End ALS: Ann Clark spoke on behalf of the foundation, which provides scholarships for families affected by ALS; requested grant renewal.
- Castle Rock Community Band: Representative noted the band’s 1887 origins, performs 5–6 times yearly with audiences of 150–250; funds would offset practice space costs and purchase new music.
- Aging Resources of Douglas County: Chip described a pilot shuttle service for seniors 60+ in Castle Rock, providing transportation to appointments and errands; grant would support the program.
Discussion Items
- Council Community Grant Program (DIR 2025-014): Seven applicants requested $1,000 each. After discussion, Councilmember Brooks moved to increase the quarterly allocation to $7,000 and award $1,000 to each applicant. Motion passed 7-0.
- First Budget Amendment (ORD 2025-011): Supplemental appropriations of $67M in revenue and $17.5M in expenditures for public safety, parks, transportation, and water projects. Councilmember Dietz asked about a vacuum truck for sewer cleaning. Approved 7-0.
- School Resource Officer IGA Amendment (RES 2025-036): Second amendment with Douglas County School District to add two SROs and one sergeant, funded 50-50 by the district ($1.156M total). Approved 7-0.
- Castle Rock Sports Center Letter Agreement (RES 2025-037): Authorized up to $5M for early procurement of materials (steel, long-lead items) with CD-ACME, LLC. Cost volatility increased GMP from $72M to $74.7M with 5% contingency. Approved 7-0.
- Brickyard Urban Renewal Plan (RES 2025-019): Continued to April 15, 2025, by motion 7-0.
Key Outcomes
- All seven community grant applicants each received $1,000 (total $7,000).
- First budget amendment for FY2025 approved.
- SRO program expanded with two additional officers and one sergeant.
- Early procurement for Sports Center authorized up to $5 million.
- Brickyard Urban Renewal Plan discussion postponed to April 15, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. First of all, thanks for everyone coming on online and in person. And we'll open with an invocation. Heavenly Father, we ask for your guidance, your wisdom, and your support as we begin this meeting. We gather here today intent on doing good work. We seek to represent fairly and well those who have given us this task. Help us to engage in meaningful discussion and give us clarity and strength to use our best skills and judgment. Please bless this community, the residents, businesses, and visitors. And help us to continue doing good work in your name. Amen. Call to order roll call, please. Councilmember Hollingshead. Here. Councilmember Bracken. Councilmember Davis. Here. Councilmember Brooks. Present. Councilmember Deeds. Here. Mayor Pratem K V. Yes. Mayor Gray. Here. All are present. Thank you. Please rise. You know, right now, most of us are on the uh early part of spring break, which is great. But I also want to want to talk about briefly about how hard things can be. You know, um, I have a friend of mine just last week, uh daughter's roommate um took her own life in California. Um college student, and just uh how hard life can be for everybody, no matter what your age is, and especially right now, a lot of our younger generation. Um again on about a week ago or so um I have a teacher friend that um had a fifth grade student um try to commit suicide and was in the hospital for quite some time. And it's just those are the kind of things that we have to remember, like how hard our families and our loved ones and our kids and our friends' kids and our friends' families just have it, you know, in day in, day out, and just you know, make sure you reach out to your friends who uh may have you haven't heard from for a little while. Make sure that you reach out to somebody that you know may be going through something rotten. Um this this is the week of my uh anniversary of my uh well, see my anniversary week as well, but my anniversary of of my mother's passing two years ago this week, and it's still real hard. I was talking to a friend this afternoon who lost lost one of their parents uh long after, and just how hard it is uh to lose people you you really love and care about. And uh, you know, and I and I still struggle with it. Um I still I have a my one of my closest friends on the planet died ten years ago this year, and and um and I and I still struggle with it. So it's it's everybody sh has deals with their pain and their sorrow in different ways. Um and I just you know make sure that you reach out to people, make sure we're taking care of each other, and uh just try to understand that that life can be hard. With that, Ryan Hollinshead. Thanks, Mayor. I I'll piggyback on what you're talking about. You know, as we're working on a high school, we do our best to try to get every kid connected to something because we know if you're connected to other humans, your mental health will be better, right? You'll you'll be have a better experience. And then we send 18-year-olds off into the world, right? And there's nobody trying to get them connected. So I'm in a in a great community like this where we have so many great organizations and groups. Uh let's just keep reaching out a hand to get people involved, get people connected, um, checking on people. I think your message is is relevant for adults, probably even more than teenagers.
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