Castle Rock Town Council Meeting - November 18, 2025
Castle Rock Town Council Meeting - November 18, 2025
The Castle Rock Town Council met on November 18, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the Town Hall Council Chambers. Mayor Jason Gray presided, with Mayor Pro Tem Laura Cavey and Councilmembers Ryan Hollingshead, Kevin Bracken, Mark Davis, and Tim Dietz present. Councilmember Max Brooks was absent. The meeting included appointments, consent items, a water quality update, grant program discussions, and approval of several contracts.
Appointments
- Douglas County Open Space Advisory Committee (COSAC): Patti Hostetler was appointed to a second term by a 6-0 vote.
- Public Safety Commission: Steve Godeki was appointed to a partial term ending May 31, 2027, by a 6-0 vote.
Consent Calendar
The following items were approved by a 6-0 vote without discussion:
- RES 2025-142: Acceptance of stop loss insurance coverage offer from Symetra Life Insurance Company for 2026.
- RES 2025-143: Sole source waiver and services agreement with Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company.
- RES 2025-144: 2026 spot water lease agreement with Dakan Ranch II LLC.
- RES 2025-145: Second amendment to the 2025 spot water lease agreement with Central Colorado Water Conservancy District.
- RES 2025-146: Sole source waiver and equipment/services agreement with Core & Main LP for water meters.
- MIN 2025-022: Approval of minutes from November 4, 2025, meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
No members of the public signed up to speak on any agenda item.
Discussion Items
Philip S. Miller Resource Grant Program (DIR 2025-033)
Pete Managers (Assistant Director of Finance) and Clark Hammelman (Chair, Public Safety Commission) presented the recommendations from the Public Safety Commission for the 2026 grant cycle. The program, funded by the Philip S. Miller Trust Fund, has an annual budget of $45,000 for up to five grants. This year, eight applications totaling $97,000 were received. After review, the Commission recommended awarding grants to:
- American Legion Post 1187: $5,000
- New Hope Presbyterian Deacons: $7,050
- Faith Lutheran Church Food Pantry: $5,000
- Help and Hope Center: $20,000
- St. Vincent DePaul Society of Castle Rock: $7,500 Mayor Pro Tem Cavey, the council liaison, noted that food assistance was a major theme and that the selected organizations most directly benefit Castle Rock residents. The motion to approve the commission's recommendations passed 6-0.
Nonprofit Grant Programs (DIR 2025-034)
Kristin Read, Assistant Town Manager, presented options for modifying the Council Community Grant Program and the Philip S. Miller Resource Grants, based on council direction from a prior meeting. The Council Community Grant Program currently has a $16,000 annual budget (up to $4,000 per quarter, $1,000 per grant). Options discussed included:
- Increasing the budget to $20,000.
- Adding reporting requirements.
- Giving preference to Castle Rock-based organizations.
- Lowering the per-grant cap.
- Removing arts/culture since a dedicated program now exists.
- Cycling out organizations after two consecutive award years.
- Working with a foundation to evaluate applications. Councilmembers expressed interest in increasing funding to $20,000, requiring organizations to be based in Castle Rock, excluding arts groups (now funded separately), and requiring organizations to cycle out for one year after two consecutive awards. They also agreed to let sports clubs apply but evaluate on a case-by-case basis, and to have staff pre-screen applicants to avoid debating in front of applicants. Staff will write up the direction for formal approval in 2026.
SCADA System Upgrade – Sole Source Contract (RES 2025-147)
Mark Marlowe, Director of Castle Rock Water, presented a request to waive competitive bidding and sole source a $5.9 million contract (plus 10% contingency) with Logical Systems, LLC (LSI) for phase five of the SCADA master plan. The total budget through 2029 is $24.5 million, with $11.3 million spent to date. LSI has been the integrator since 2023, and both design and cybersecurity consultants recommended a single integrator for system consistency, cybersecurity, and lower long-term costs. The price was negotiated down by $250,000. The work will run from January 2026 through August 2027. The resolution passed 6-0.
PCWRA Reuse Reservoir and Pump Station (RES 2025-148)
Mark Marlowe presented a resolution authorizing the Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority (PCWRA) to enter into a loan agreement, construction contract, and construction management contract for the replacement of the reuse reservoir liner and pump station. The low bid for the full project (option two) was $7.6 million. PCWRA obtained a $3.5 million direct loan from the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority at 3.5% for 30 years. Castle Rock Water owns about 80% of the authority, and the project primarily serves Red Hawk Golf Course. The golf course will repay the costs through per-thousand-gallon fees over 30 years (loan portion) and 40 years (self-funded portion). The project is expected to be completed before the 2026 irrigation season. The resolution passed 6-0.
Key Outcomes
- All six voting members present (Mayor Gray, Cavey, Hollingshead, Bracken, Davis, Dietz) voted in favor of all motions, resulting in 6-0 votes on:
- Two appointments.
- Consent calendar.
- Philip S. Miller Resource Grant awards.
- Sole source contract with Logical Systems.
- PCWRA project authorization.
- Council directed staff to draft revised criteria for the Council Community Grant Program for implementation in 2026, including increased budget, Castle Rock residency requirement, removal of arts/culture eligibility, a two-year award cycle-out requirement, and pre-applicant screening.
- The Town Manager reported that the third quarter financial review showed expenditures below budget and sales tax revenue above budget, but development-related revenue below budget due to a slowdown in building permits.
- An update on water quality maintenance was provided: Castle Rock Water will temporarily switch from chloramines to free chlorine for 60–90 days starting in January 2026, with extensive public outreach planned for sensitive facilities (dialysis centers, breweries, etc.). This is done every 5–10 years as needed.
- The meeting adjourned to executive session at 7:10 PM to discuss legal issues related to the Craig & Gould North Project and potential property acquisition (Jobe property adjacent to Lost Canyon Ranch). Council did not return to open session.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. We'll open with invocation. Heavenly Father, we ask your guidance, wisdom, and support as we begin this meeting. We gather here today with the intent of doing good work. We seek to represent fairly and well those who have given us this task, help us engage in meaningful discussion, give us clarity and strength to use our best skills and judgment. Bless this community, its residents and businesses and visitors, and help us doing help us to continue in doing good work in your name. Amen. Call to order roll call, please. Councilmember Hollingshead. Here. Councilmember Bradkin. Present. Councilmember Davis. Here. Councilmember Brooks. Councilmember Deeds. Here. Mayor Pro Tem KV. Here. Mayor Gray. Here. All are present besides the case. Thank you. Please rise, please allegiance. I apply to the flag. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation. With liberty and justice for all. First, I want to thank everybody for coming in tonight or online. A few things I wanted to mention. Of course, uh, we have starlighting this this coming Saturday. Hopefully everyone can make it. It's uh definitely a pretty amazing event. And uh hopefully everybody everyone can have a safe time and we can watch the star get get uh lit up and then have some fireworks. Um was kind of piggyback on last time on the uh um the men's health mental health month. Um one of the things we we had a lot of tragic uh suicides yeah throughout the year, but in November especially um already this month and uh whether it's uh locally or statewide or countrywide. One of the things we kind of forget sometimes, and I didn't realize this until recently, is that um uh uh male suicide is four times as prevalent as female suicide. Um so I think that we want a lot of times we I think that we uh um the male species sometimes some that does not uh do well with uh either therapy or self-reflection sometimes and and getting getting uh their pride in the way. So uh if you know somebody who who needs uh you know a pick me up or a phone call uh or uh just a chat, you know, please reach out. Um and then I uh I think this is my last uh kind of um going for each department. I have fire tonight. Um you know at this uh one of the one of the things we that's a f uh fire agency here at Caswalk Fires 130th anniversary. You know, they average 22 calls a day. Um they still have their their uh accreditation and they got it re redone this year. Nine new firefighters this year, and that's uh a lot of help to from 2A and and and town in general and our citizens are gonna thank you guys again for voting that in. Um they also spent six weeks in California for support. They also spent some time in Texas during uh the flooding. Uh new they got a new engine this year. Station 156 should uh break ground in early 2026. Um also a couple things for people.
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