Castle Rock Town Council Meeting Summary - December 2, 2025
Castle Rock Town Council Meeting Summary - December 2, 2025
The Castle Rock Town Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included consent calendar approvals, a quasi-judicial hearing, and several advertised public hearings. All votes were unanimous (7-0) throughout the evening. No public comments were received during any agenda item.
Consent Calendar
- Ordinance 2025-034: Levying general property taxes for the Town for 2025 (to be collected in 2026) – second reading, approved 7-0.
- Ordinance 2025-035: Levying general property taxes on behalf of the Castle Rock Downtown Development Authority for 2025 (to be collected in 2026) – second reading, approved 7-0.
- Resolution 2025-149: Approving the Town’s 2024 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CDBG program) – approved 7-0.
- Resolution 2025-150: Approving a variance from Douglas County street naming criteria for Castle Meadows Street – approved 7-0.
- Minutes 2025-024: Approval of November 18, 2025, Town Council meeting minutes – approved 7-0.
Quasi-Judicial Hearing
- Resolution 2025-151: Site Development Plan for the Unity on Wolfensberger mixed-use project (1.36 acres, 24 residential units, offices for IDD programming). Staff and the applicant presented. Councilmember Bracken expressed full support, noting the work of Wellspring Community. The Planning Commission recommended approval 5-0. The resolution was approved 7-0. Completion expected in February 2026.
Advertised Public Hearings & Discussion Action Items
- Fire Station 156 Financing (Ordinance 2025-039, First Reading): Town Attorney Mike Hyman presented the financing plan for a new fire station serving Castle Oaks and Liberty Village. The $20.7 million project will be partially funded by up to $8.3 million in tax-exempt certificates of participation (COPs) over a 30-year lease, with a maximum total repayment of $17 million (including interest) and a maximum annual repayment of $725,000. Additional funding comes from interfund loans and impact fees. The ordinance was approved 7-0.
- Nonprofit Funding Program Amendments (Resolution 2025-152): Assistant Town Manager Kristin Read outlined six policy changes: budget increase to $20,000 (caps at $1,000/request, $5,000/quarter), preference for organizations located within Castle Rock, striking eligibility for community-based performing/visual arts (directed to new arts grant), restricting youth sports eligibility unless uniquely beneficial, limiting council review to five applications per quarter, and requiring awarded groups to sit out one year after two consecutive years. The resolution was approved 7-0.
- Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan 2025-2027 (Resolution 2025-153): Director Jeff Brauer presented the plan, developed with community input and staff workshops. Priorities include activating Lost Canyon Ranch open space (2027), developing trail connections (Industrial Tributary Trail, Santa Fe Quarry Trail), upgrading recreation centers, investing in Cantrell School, transitioning Red Hawk Ridge golf cart fleet to lithium batteries, retiring golf course debt in 2027, strengthening park operations, and expanding community events. The resolution was approved 7-0.
- EV Charging Opt-Out (Resolution 2025-154): Director Tara Vargish explained House Bill 24-1173 requires communities over 10,000 to adopt state model EV permitting standards, adopt local standards, or opt out. Staff recommended opting out to maintain the current administrative permitting process (which has worked well for existing chargers). The town must inform the state by March 2026 and report permit metrics. The resolution was approved 7-0.
Other Items
- Holiday Card Art Contest Award: Jen Perry, Chair of the Public Arts Commission, recognized Kamryn Brecheisen, an 8th grader, as the winner for her colored pencil drawing "Starry Night." Cards are selling quickly.
- Development Services Update: Tara Vargish provided updates on pre-applications (fiber, mixed-use, churches, school expansions) and quarterly residential unit counts. Estimated population as of September 30, 2025 is 87,838 (57% of maximum build-out). Realistic build-out is approximately 120,000–140,000 residents.
Key Outcomes
- All votes were unanimous (7-0) across all agenda items.
- Fire Station 156 financing approved on first reading; final terms delegated to town manager and finance director.
- Nonprofit funding program updated with new eligibility and process changes effective 2026.
- Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan adopted for 2025-2027.
- Town formally opted out of state EV charging permitting standards.
- Unity on Wolfensberger project approved; residences expected to be ready by February 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. We'll open with the invocation. Heavenly Father, we ask for your guidance, your wisdom, and your support as we begin this meeting. We gather here today to an intent on 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 the best judge skills and judgment. Bless this community, its residents, its businesses, and its visitors, and help us do and continue doing good work in your name. Amen. Call to order roll call, please. Councilmember Hollingson. Here. Councilmember Bracken. Councilmember Davis. Here. Councilmember Brooks. Councilmember Deeds. Here. Mayor Pro Tem KV? Yes. And Mayor Gray. Here. Thank you. Thank you. Please join me in place allegiance. One more nation. It's invisible. Well, thank everybody for coming tonight, whether you're on online or in person. Happy December. It's kind of hard to believe. We had our star line last week and it went fantastic as usual. And uh do appreciate everybody uh attending, and we have several things going on in the rest of the month. Um I hope for a safe and uh wonderful December. Councilmore Holland's head. No comment tonight, thanks. Councilmember Bracken. Thank you, Mayor. No comment. Councilmember Davis. Just wanted to thank you for all of our staff that worked so hard this year. Um we know that the starlighting was phenomenal. Uh we appreciate all the nice lights that are down the street. It kind of makes our our town a Hallmark looking thing. And I don't know if you guys ever watch Hallmark movies, but they're all the same. They all end the same. Uh but we did have one that was filmed here in town. So if you guys um you want to call me and I'll give you the name of it. It's uh it it was nice. So it's nice to see our town in uh in a movie, but uh really sweet. Uh it's nice to see our lights and uh what a beautiful town we live in. So thank you for all that work so hard to keep it nice.
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