Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Castle Rock Town Council Meeting - May 19, 2026

Town Council — Tuesday, May 19, 2026

BodyCastle Rock, Colorado

SessionTown Council

DateTuesday, May 19, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:40:03

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

Good evening.

0:01

We'll open with invocation.

0:03

Heavenly Father, we ask for your guidance, your wisdom, and your support as we begin this meeting.

0:08

We gather here today intent on doing good work.

0:11

We seek to represent fairly and those well who have given us this task.

0:15

Help us engage in meaningful discussion.

0:17

Give us clarity and strength to using our best judgment and skills.

0:20

Bless this community, its residents, businesses, and visitors, and help us do continue to do good work in your name.

0:27

Amen.

0:28

Roll call, please.

0:30

Councilmember Hollingshead.

0:31

Here.

0:31

Councilmember Bracken.

0:33

Present.

0:33

Councilmember Davis.

0:34

Here.

0:34

Councilmember Brooks.

0:36

Councilmember Deeds?

0:37

Here.

0:37

Mayor Patem KV.

0:39

Yes.

0:39

Mayor Gray.

0:40

Here.

0:40

All our present.

0:41

Thank you.

0:41

Please join me for Pleasant Leadance.

0:58

Is that for you to say?

1:19

I'm you know, I I my grandfather passed away um at a concentration camp during World War II, and I was unfortunately never met him.

1:27

Um but he also uh sacrificed everything for for this country and uh and and really the the world.

1:35

Um and it's um it's it's it's uh unfortunately I never get to know him, but um it's just nice to know that there are people out there who will give it all and who have given it all.

1:47

And uh it's not so much a celebration uh but it's more of a remembrance.

1:52

It's also a time to hang you know do some stuff for your family, hang out and uh and and be thankful.

1:59

And with that, I also wanted to you know uh all of us here um got emails and phone calls and everything that with last last week's uh fatal accident on the highway I 25 and um the the traffic was horrible to say the least.

2:16

Um but I think that we lost sight of some things here and there, and the biggest thing we lost sight of we lost somebody on that day.

2:25

And it was a major inconvenience, it was a major hassle.

2:29

But somebody's lives were changed that day.

2:32

So when we're when you're emailing us or emailing each other or talking about stuff like that, um try to understand and have a little more compassion maybe for uh people whose lives were changed forever on Friday and and some lot lives were inconvenienced on Friday.

2:52

Um with that, Councilmember Hollins.

2:56

Thanks, Mayor.

2:56

Um first I just wanted to welcome the Boy Scouts who are in the audience today.

3:00

I think it's really great you guys are here and learn about how local government works and uh that you know local people can come to meetings and and have input on issues that affect their everyday lives.

3:09

So thanks for being a part of it and and learning more.

3:12

Um I also just wanted to congratulate all the high school seniors in town.

3:15

This is graduation week, so Douglas County, Castle View, Renaissance Secondary, um, and and the kids out in Cobblestone that are actually my ponderosa mustangs.

3:22

We graduated this morning.

3:24

So um congratulations to all the graduates and their families.

3:26

Thanks.

3:27

Councilmember Bracken.

3:29

Thank you, Mayor.

3:30

Yeah, the the same congratulations to all the seniors moving on to the next stage in our life.

3:35

I got one tomorrow.

3:36

Yay.

3:37

And um go go K you uh your your old stomping ground.

3:42

And um also just starting to be the uh the mayor mentioned traffic and inconvenience.

3:50

This is this is the season, this is the time where the orange cones go up.

3:56

Um just be mindful.

3:57

Um go around the other way, take a little deep breath, because I'm driving in the same uh traffic that you guys are driving in, and um it's better to fix it than to not.

4:08

That's all thank you, Mayor.

4:09

Thank you, Councilmember Davis.

4:12

Yeah, I wanted to mention the uh car accident really uh want to pray for the f families that went through that.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Water And Wastewater Management██████████████████████████████30%

Procedural██████████████████████22%

Economic Development██████████10%

Legislative Updates██████████10%

Traffic Management█████████9%

Public Safety████████8%

Community Engagement███████7%

Arts And Culture██2%

Engineering And Infrastructure██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Castle Rock Town Council Meeting - May 19, 2026

The Castle Rock Town Council met on May 19, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Town Hall Council Chambers. Key topics included the aftermath of a fatal I-25 accident, proactive drought management measures, a major overhaul of the town election code, and an update on eminent domain for the Sedalia Wastewater Project. The council unanimously approved several consent calendar items, adopted a stage 1 advisory drought declaration, and passed an ordinance prohibiting HOAs from fining residents for following drought watering restrictions.

Consent Calendar

Ordinance 2026-015 (Second Reading): Annexation of 44.94 acres of town-owned land (Crystal Valley Interchange - East Annexation). Approved 7-0.
Ordinance 2026-016 (Second Reading): Initial zoning for the same 44.94 acres (Crystal Valley Interchange - East Initial Zoning). Approved 7-0.
Resolution 2026-057: Approving the 2026 Spot Water Lease Agreement between the Town of Castle Rock and Climax Molybdenum Company. Approved 7-0.
Resolution 2026-058: Approving the Water Lease Agreement between the Town and Central Colorado Water Conservancy District. Approved 7-0.
Resolution 2026-059: Approving the License Agreement with the Department of the Army for the Stream Gage Chatfield Lake Project. Approved 7-0.
Minutes 2026-015: Approval of the May 5, 2026 Town Council meeting minutes. Approved 7-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

Dave Hammelman (Castle Rock resident, Water Commission member, and metro district board member) expressed full support for the ordinance prohibiting HOAs from fining residents for brown grass during drought. He noted the Water Commission voted unanimously in favor, and his own metro district would never impose such fines, calling the ordinance "resident focused."

Discussion Items

I-25 Fatal Accident & Traffic Impact: Town Manager David Corliss reported that a fatality accident on I-25 north of Castle Rock closed the interstate for over four hours on Friday, May 15, 2026. An estimated tens of thousands of vehicles diverted onto town roads, causing gridlock. Emergency vehicles were still able to respond. The town is participating in an after-action review with CDOT and Colorado State Patrol. Councilmembers expressed concerns about wildfire evacuation, growth, and infrastructure. Police Chief Jack Cauley noted strong partnerships with state patrol and that technology used to map the accident scene may be reviewed to reduce future closure times.
Water Quality Maintenance: Mark Marlowe, Director of Castle Rock Water, reported the successful transition back from temporary chlorine to chloramine disinfection. The transition required flushing 6.3 million gallons from fire hydrants and 9 million gallons from water tanks. Over 210 water samples were taken, with only two customer inquiries and zero complaints. The work was completed on schedule despite two major water treatment plants undergoing upgrades.
Brickyard Metropolitan District No. 1 Bond Issuance: Town Attorney Mike Hyman presented the district's proposed issuance of approximately $19 million in subordinate general obligation, limited tax, and special revenue bonds with an estimated interest rate of 8.75% and final maturity date of December 15, 2057. The bonds would be payable from a 50-mill debt service levy, incremental property tax revenues from the Urban Renewal Authority, and public improvement fees. The district's attorney, Suzanne Mitzer, confirmed the bonds are structured as cash flow bonds; if revenues are insufficient, they will accrue interest until 2065 and then terminate. Projected payoff is 2045 under the district's financial plan. The council took no vote, as this was a review item only.
Election Code Overhaul (Discussion/Direction): Town Attorney Mike Hyman and Town Clerk Lisa Anderson presented a proposed ordinance to repeal and reenact Chapter 2.01 of the municipal code. The new code would simplify election procedures by incorporating state statutes by reference (Uniform Election Code and Municipal Election Code), reorganize campaign finance rules, and create a standardized process for citizen-initiated petitions (recall, initiative, referendum). Key changes include updating two deadlines to align with coordinated elections and clarifying the town clerk's role in handling campaign finance complaints. The council gave consensus to move the item forward to first reading on June 2, 2026.
Drought Management Ordinances & Resolutions: Mark Marlowe presented three related items:
- Ordinance 2026-018 (First Reading): Prohibits common interest communities (HOAs) from enforcing watering requirements that penalize residents for following town drought declarations. This applies only during an official drought stage. The Water Commission unanimously recommended approval. Staff had received one supportive comment from a Red Hawk HOA representative.
- Resolution 2026-060: Declaring an Advisory Drought Stage (Stage 1) within the Castle Rock Water Service Area. This calls for voluntary 10% water use reductions but does not impose mandatory watering restrictions. Stage 1 triggers public outreach and voluntary measures (e.g., limiting outdoor washing, covering pools).
- Resolution 2026-061: Approving revisions to the 2024 Drought Management Plan, mainly to incorporate the HOA prohibition ordinance. Marlowe noted the town's water supply index was 3.35 (above 1.0) on the day of the meeting due to recent rain, but cautioned that warm temperatures and low snowpack pose risks. The council approved all three items unanimously.
Eminent Domain Update (Discussion/Direction): Mark Marlowe reported that of the seven properties needed for the Sedalia Wastewater Project, only two remain unresolved: the Keep and Alexander family ranches. Good progress is being made. The town will send final notices and offers, with a deadline for response. If no agreement, a hearing on June 16, 2026 is proposed to consider a petition for condemnation. The council provided direction to proceed.

Key Outcomes

Appointments to Boards and Commissions: Approved 6-0 (Councilmember Brooks abstained) with the removal of Tim Arvidson from the Election Commission.
Consent Calendar: Approved 7-0.
Agenda Acceptance: Approved 7-0.
Ordinance 2026-018 (First Reading): Approved 7-0. (Final adoption will require a second reading.)
Resolution 2026-060 (Stage 1 Drought Declaration): Approved 7-0.
Resolution 2026-061 (Drought Plan Revisions): Approved 7-0.
Election Code Overhaul: Council consensus to bring a final draft to first reading on June 2, 2026.
Eminent Domain: Staff directed to proceed with final offers and prepare for a potential June 16, 2026 hearing if unresolved.
Brickyard Bonds: No vote required; the council took no action but received the information.
Meeting Adjourned: 7:45 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. We'll open with 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 those well who have given us this task. Help us engage in meaningful discussion. Give us clarity and strength to using our best judgment and skills. Bless this community, its residents, businesses, and visitors, and help us do continue to do good work in your name. Amen. Roll call, please. Councilmember Hollingshead. Here. Councilmember Bracken. Present. Councilmember Davis. Here. Councilmember Brooks. Councilmember Deeds? Here. Mayor Patem KV. Yes. Mayor Gray. Here. All our present. Thank you. Please join me for Pleasant Leadance. Is that for you to say? I'm you know, I I my grandfather passed away um at a concentration camp during World War II, and I was unfortunately never met him. Um but he also uh sacrificed everything for for this country and uh and and really the the world. Um and it's um it's it's it's uh unfortunately I never get to know him, but um it's just nice to know that there are people out there who will give it all and who have given it all. And uh it's not so much a celebration uh but it's more of a remembrance. It's also a time to hang you know do some stuff for your family, hang out and uh and and be thankful. And with that, I also wanted to you know uh all of us here um got emails and phone calls and everything that with last last week's uh fatal accident on the highway I 25 and um the the traffic was horrible to say the least. Um but I think that we lost sight of some things here and there, and the biggest thing we lost sight of we lost somebody on that day. And it was a major inconvenience, it was a major hassle. But somebody's lives were changed that day. So when we're when you're emailing us or emailing each other or talking about stuff like that, um try to understand and have a little more compassion maybe for uh people whose lives were changed forever on Friday and and some lot lives were inconvenienced on Friday. Um with that, Councilmember Hollins. Thanks, Mayor. Um first I just wanted to welcome the Boy Scouts who are in the audience today. I think it's really great you guys are here and learn about how local government works and uh that you know local people can come to meetings and and have input on issues that affect their everyday lives. So thanks for being a part of it and and learning more. Um I also just wanted to congratulate all the high school seniors in town. This is graduation week, so Douglas County, Castle View, Renaissance Secondary, um, and and the kids out in Cobblestone that are actually my ponderosa mustangs. We graduated this morning. So um congratulations to all the graduates and their families. Thanks. Councilmember Bracken. Thank you, Mayor. Yeah, the the same congratulations to all the seniors moving on to the next stage in our life.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com