Board of County Commissioners Business Meeting - Regular Meeting

All right. Welcome everybody to the Tuesday, 04/28/2026 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners in our business meeting. Let us all please come to order. And to begin, let's invite up Reverend Jason Vanderveer for the purpose of giving our invocation today. Reverend.

Heavenly Father, we just come before You this afternoon. And Lord, we are in awe that, Lord, that you think of us. Who who are we, Lord, that you should think of us? The one who dwells in eternity, who has created all things, and yet you do. You tell us to come boldly to your throne of grace and to ask for help, Lord, and we depend on you. We ask for wisdom. We ask for mercy, your grace to continue to be poured out. We ask for wisdom in all affairs, great and small. And truly, Lord, before you, they are all rather small, but, Lord, they matter in the lives of people. And so we pray we pray for our government.

We lift up our leaders as you as you call us to and as it is our privilege. We especially give you this time. We ask for clarity. We ask for direction and, Lord, for your will to be accomplished. We love you, Lord. We thank you. We praise you in Jesus' name. Amen.

Amen. Once again, Reverend, thank you so much for beginning our meetings with your words of peace and grace. Very much appreciated. If everyone will please rise and join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Alright. Turning to the county attorney for certification of the agenda.

Yes, sir. The County Attorney's Office reviewed all items on the agenda. You have appropriate jurisdiction over these matters.

Thank you, Councillor. Commissioners, do we have any disclosures for any items on this agenda?

I have none, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

No, sir. Nor do I. Thank you, gentlemen. All right. Moving into our program today, our first items with ceremonies and proclamations. We do have a resolution proclaiming April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. And I guess we will hear from Nicole Adams, Assistant Director of Protection Programs. Director Adams, please come on up and you have a resolution for us.

Good afternoon. I'd like to introduce Camille Gazzialla. She is one of our child protection intake supervisors and she's going to read this for us today.

Thank you, director.

All right. So introducing the resolution proclaiming April as Child Abuse prevention month. Whereas all Douglas County children deserve to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment free from abuse and neglect, and whereas child abuse and neglect affect every segment of our community and preventing maltreatment requires awareness, collaboration, and action from individuals and organizations across Douglas County. And whereas Douglas County Human Services received 4,372 reports to its child abuse and neglect hotline in 2025. Whereas effective child abuse prevention efforts rely on strong partnerships among human services agencies, schools, mental health professionals, nonprofit and faith based organizations, law enforcement, health care providers, the business community, and, most importantly, parents, caregivers, and extended family members.

And whereas community members play a critical role in protecting children by reporting suspected abuse or neglect to our hotline, 44 And whereas child abuse and neglect often occur when families experience overwhelming stress, lack of supportive resources, or facing challenges without the tools needed to cope. And whereas child maltreatment can be reduced when families have access to the support, education, and community connections necessary to raise children in healthy, loving environments. And whereas increasing public awareness of child abuse prevention and encouraging community involvement can help parents and caregivers build safe, nurturing homes for all children. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Douglas, Colorado hereby proclaims April 2026 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Douglas County and urges all residents to work together to support children, strengthen families, and help prevent child abuse and neglect now and in the future.

All right. Board, do we have any questions about this resolution as presented by staff?

Well, Chair, I don't have any questions, but I wanted to say on behalf of the county, thank you. The incredible work that you do in human services to address those that are the most vulnerable on a daily basis is tremendous. And we often say it's important to care for the caretakers, and we hope that all of you that endeavor in this incredible task on a daily basis are caring for yourselves as well because those stories are super tough and that day to day management is incredibly difficult. I just wanted to add for our listening public that this isn't a casual exercise for us. Child abuse prevention is something we don't just do on a day or a week or a month, but that's something we do every single day of the year.

Specifically, really proud of both of my colleagues and the work of the county to establish the domestic violence shelter in the county. Don't Nicole, do we have any current numbers in terms of how many people have been served at that domestic violence shelter?

I haven't seen anything recently, though I know that they have been servicing very consistently, not only individuals but those with children as well.

Yeah. I think the last statistic I heard from your department was about 40 families, but I might be north of that at this point. But of course, it's a confidential location. And particularly women and children that are fleeing an abusive situation in our county can immediately go to this facility and receive that wraparound service, that care and that support that they need. Another big project for this board this year has been around human trafficking and fighting against child abuse and child trafficking.

What I think gives us pause oftentimes, and I really want to give a shout out to our colleague, Commissioner Van Winkle, who served downtown in the legislature, on both sides of the legislature, that it's really difficult when people vote against bills to protect children in our community. And I'm really thankful that a large coalition of elected officials, bipartisan, have really raised that noise and said, Look, it's time to focus on kids, make sure that we're protecting kids in all arenas. We had a very difficult town hall recently, a difficult conversation is what we labeled it around protecting kids and how they're being targeted on Snapchat and TikTok and Roblox and just gaming devices that when I was a kid, I think we had Pac Man and Mario Brothers, and there was no way to access my Nintendo from outside of my house. But it's a different time that we live in now. So educating parents and kids, I sit as the chair of the Douglas County Youth Initiative, and I know we're actively working in every way we can to both educate parents, educate kids, and then provide additional resources.

So it is making sure that law enforcement, the ICAC professionals, the Internet Crimes Against Children folks have the resources they need. And this board has provided an increase in budget to provide more detectives, provide more prosecutors so that when the stings happen, and they do, and that's the largest message, if you want to come to Douglas County and commit a crime against a kid, you're going to get caught and then you're going to go to jail. So we're really thankful for your department, law enforcement and certainly the DA's office and all of the amazing nonprofits and members of our community that are so supportive, especially the parents. Parents in our community are doing a really wonderful job caring for their kids and protecting them from abuse, and that's the front line for all of this. So that's a lot, but I just want to say thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner?

Well, thank you, Mr. Chair, thank you, Commissioner Laid. I don't want to repeat anything you said, but this is clearly something that it's not just a resolution that we offer randomly once a year to proclaim a month. It's something that is a priority for all of us and something that we are incredibly active on is protecting the vulnerable, protecting those, especially women and children that are in dangerous situations and need escape and need to reroute their life in a way that is life changing. And we're there, you are there, you're on there in the front lines.

So first let me thank you. Thank you for everything you do on a daily basis, both of you. Raising awareness is a big part of it and that's what we're doing at this very moment. Raising awareness of the issue, raising awareness of the hotline too that you mentioned. We should be able we should repeat that a couple times today, I would hope, at least one more time, the hotline to protect kids.

But it's something that we focus on on a daily basis. They mentioned the specific programs. Overall, our county budget remained flat year over year. But underneath the total flatness, which is a is a pretty stark contrast to a place like Arapahoe County that grew 17, almost 18% year over year, underneath that flat budget, it's not everything didn't remain flat. We shifted a lot of resources away from certain areas and put them directly into helping distressed women and children, helping the ICAP program within the new 20, our sheriff's office and the battered women's shelter and other that is amazing for both families, for pets.

We're there on a daily basis. So we're already thinking about the stress of the summers that are coming to our county and doing everything possible. With that, I would say, just a big thank you to you, but it's it's like you said in your statement yourself, there's a big role to play here from lots of people. There's teachers, there's coaches, there's parents, there's neighbors. Everyone needs to be vigilant, everyone needs to be aware and hopefully today we do raise a bit of awareness.

And also, if there is a family, a mother or child, a husband, someone living in an abusive situation and, they feel like they need help or don't know where to go, hopefully, they they know that there is hope, that there is light at the end of that tunnel, and there is a a new life, potentially ahead for them. And if they want to reach out, I would encourage that because there's good people that are willing to help them. Thank you so much to you too.

Well, thanks so much. I actually don't have any questions. I read through the resolution before it was read into the record. But again, I'll double down on what my colleagues have said. Thanks so much for all the work you guys are doing out there.

I know but actually, having served in the military in the infantry and having done some pretty realistic training and done some pretty realistic things in the military, It sounds to me like you guys got the hardest job on the face of the earth. I mean, just the heartbreak that you must see. And I hope there are still those triumphs that you can capture as you continue working for the people of Douglas County every day and doing a great job at that. So thank you very much for bringing this resolution before us. Commissioners, how would we like to dispose of this resolution?

Is there a motion to accept?

You know, Mr. Chair, I do have a motion. And before we do that, I really want to put a finer point on this. And I think I would like to ask for a moment of silence in a bit. But in the last couple of weeks, we work really closely with a nonprofit called From Silenced to Saved.

And there was a young teenage girl, she'll just go by JS, that unfortunately was found downtown in a hotel. She'd lost her life to a drug overdose after being trafficked for years. I say that not to scare people, but because part of my job and part of our job is to raise awareness, not just with the proclamation but with the lives of real people that have been lost. I want to share a little good news, and it's not great news and it's dark, but it is positive. Recently there was a sting conducted by detectives that were posing as a 14 year old.

Not 14, it was a detective. But five men were going to an undisclosed location to have sex with a 14 year old girl. And when they showed up, law enforcement was there and they all got arrested. So I think that's the bright lining, is that we want to share these stories so that people are aware. And my hope is that the buy side, the demand side, those men who think that they can get away with it hear this and know that if you come here, you're going to get caught.

But I think with that, I just would like to do a moment of silence for the loss of life, not only for J. S. But for any young woman or man that has lost their life. Alright. Thank you for that. And Mr. Chair, if it pleases the board, I will make a motion proclaiming April as child abuse prevention lunch

month. Second the motion. Excellent.

There is a motion and a second. Further discussion? All in favor, aye. Aye. Aye. That resolution is adopted. You. Thank you all.

Thank you.

Thank you, Nicole. Appreciate it, director. Our next item up is recognition of retired Planning Commissioner Steven Allen from the Planning Department. And so Janelle, come on up. Jeanette, come on up.

Good afternoon. Yeah, I'm here to kind of introduce Steven Allen before you formally recognize him. He was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2023 and served through the completion of his term and into February 2026. For those of you that maybe don't know, the Planning Commission is obviously an important component of the county's land use review process, making formal recommendations to the board on rezonings, subdivisions, and other types of development applications. Their hearings serve as an initial clearinghouse for public comment, which often translates into some very long evenings of public testimony and applicant rebuttal.

The Planning Commission also takes action on all location and extent applications and is the keeper of the county's comprehensive master plan, which is arguably one of the county's most important guidance documents. So during Commissioner Allen's term of service, the Planning Commission heard approximately 150 land use applications. Commissioner Allen himself attended a total of 51 public hearings, which we counted 51. And as the board members know, that involves hours and hours of time not just participating in those hearings, but reviewing and sifting through hundreds of pages of staff report materials each month. From a personal standpoint and just as a general observer of the Planning Commission over the years, I have always appreciated Commissioner Allen's thorough and reasoned perspective on land use applications.

He is not afraid to offer an opposing viewpoint and to make tough decisions and recommendations on a wide variety of projects that come before him. He was always respectful of staff, applicants, the public. And as I got to see more of him, he brought a lot of humor to our gatherings too, especially in the pre meetings. Another final observation I think that demonstrates that he goes above and beyond is that even when his term was over at the end of 2025, he chose to continue to serve into 2026 so that he could complete the Planning Commission's review and adoption of the Transportation Master Plan. So with that, I will turn it back to the board for comments and special recognition of Mr.

Allen. Commissioner Allen.

Board, before we have our say, I've been told that Commissioner Allen would also like to say a few words. Commissioner, if you could, please. Even though that is against my better judgment knowing you are an actual educated and trained attorney.

You know, it feels very different on this side of the podium. I do have a few words and so if you would bear with me for a few minutes, I would appreciate it. Chairman, commissioners and honored guests, it is a privilege to stand before you today and I'm deeply grateful to the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners for this Hall of Fame recognition. To be acknowledged for contributions to a community that I care so deeply about is both humbling and meaningful. Thank you for your leadership, your service and your continued commitment to keeping Douglas County one of the most exceptional places in Colorado.

Public service at its core is about stewardship of resources, of trust and of the future. My journey in that service has been shaped by opportunities to work alongside dedicated leaders, engaged residents and professionals who all share a commitment to doing what is right for this community. In 2010, I had the opportunity to represent the City Of Castle Pines at the Douglas County Partnership Finance Work Session. At the time, we faced significant statewide ballot proposals, Amendment sixty and sixty one and Proposition 101 that posed serious challenges to local government funding and services. Through collaboration across jurisdictions, we work to analyze the impacts, inform stakeholders and ultimately help defeat those measures.

That experience reinforced a lesson that has stayed with me. When Douglas County works together, we can meet even the most complex challenges. In 2012, I was honored to be appointed and later elected as a Director of the Castle Pines North Metropolitan District. That role placed me in the intersection of policy and infrastructure, helping oversee essential services including water, wastewater, storm water and the maintenance of parks, trails and open space for a growing community of nearly 10,000 residents and more than 3,200 customers. One of the most significant efforts during my time with the Metro District was the completion of a multimillion dollar renewable water pipeline project.

That project was delivered on time and under budget. But more importantly, it helps secure a sustainable water future for the Castle Pines community. In Colorado, water is not just a utility, It is a long term responsibility and one that requires careful planning and regional cooperation. My work also extended into the economic and public safety arenas. As a member of the Board of Directors of the Douglas County Business Alliance, I collaborated with fellow Board members and stakeholders to analyze legislation and advocate for pro business, free market policies during the twenty fourteen legislative session.

At the same time, my interest in public safety led me to volunteer with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office on the Public Safety Advisory Committee. There I was selected to serve on a committee addressing the emerging challenges surrounding medical marijuana legislation. Working alongside law enforcement and community leaders, I drafted joint resolutions to support proactive enforcement and thoughtful regulation. Those efforts contributed to broader awareness and ultimately helped shape local policy decisions, including the county's decision to prohibit commercial marijuana operations. More recently, in 2023, I was honored to be appointed to the Douglas County Planning Commission.

In that role, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand how growth and preservation must be carefully balanced. One case stands out to me is the Twin Mesa Metropolitan District request involving portions of Twin Oaks Road and Clark Circle. The request reflected what makes rural Douglas County special, neighbors and public servants working together with a shared commitment to preserve the character of their community. Through the Twin Mesa service plan approved in 2024, residents, planning commission staff and county leadership collaborated thoughtfully to respond to significant changes brought by the Crystal Valley Interchange and the Dawson Trails development. Together, they recognize that traffic on roads like Twin Oaks could increase more than tenfold from just over 150 trips per day to nearly 2,000, transforming quiet rural roadways into unintended thoroughfares.

Rather than accept that outcome, this partnership produced a balanced practical solution, limited road vacations to allow for carefully designed traffic control measures, included gated access and emergency vehicle accommodations while preserving essential utility easements. These steps honor both public safety and private property rights ensuring that residents can continue to enjoy the rural lifestyle that has defined these neighborhoods for generations. This was not just a land use decision. It was a demonstration of collaboration at its best. It was grounded in data informed by local knowledge and guided by a shared commitment to preserving the character and integrity of the community.

It is exactly the kind of outcome that defines Douglas County. In many ways, Douglas County is unique. There is a shared set of values among its elected officials and community leaders, a commitment to responsible governance, individual liberty and local control. That alignment fosters a level of cooperation that allows us to tackle challenges more effectively and plan for the future with clarity and purpose. The partnership of Douglas County governments is a strong example of that cooperation.

I believe there is an opportunity to make even stronger by expanding participation to include special districts. These districts, particularly those responsible for water, play a critical role in serving our communities. Water is one of Colorado's most valuable and limited resources and addressing its challenges requires a regional approach. By bringing special districts more fully into the partnership, we can enhance collaboration, share expertise and ensure that we are making decisions that serve not just individual jurisdictions but the long term interests of Douglas County as a whole. This recognition today is deeply appreciated but it is also shared with the many individuals I have had the privilege to work alongside, fellow board members, county staff, business leaders, law enforcement professionals and engaged citizens who give of their time and energy for this community.

And most importantly, I want to thank my family. Their support and encouragement has made it possible for me to serve and I'm grateful for their sacrifices they have made along the way. And I will add that my wife Jill is here today and I'm very glad that she can share this time with me. Douglas County's success is no accident. It is a result of people who care, who engage and who are willing to work together for the greater good. It has been one of the great honors of my life to contribute to that effort. Thank you again to the Board of County Commissioners for this recognition and thank you for all your dedication to this extraordinary community. Thank you.

All right. Thank you, Commissioner. And see, told you he was going to work out. You didn't get here soon enough. Otherwise, we would have three votes on it. But Stephen, it's been a real pleasure to have you as one of our planning commissioners. And I want to thank you, before my colleagues have an opportunity to say anything, for your leadership. I mean, you made a big mark on the Planning Commission. And in my opinion, you will be missed. Thank you for your service to your neighbors here in Douglas County.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioners, do we have any other comments pertaining to this recognition?

Yes, Mr. Chairman. And it is just truly such an honor to take time out of the schedule to honor you today after all the time you've given us and to the county and to the people of Douglas County. I think I first met you, I don't know, I was a kid. Certainly didn't have a gray beard.

You were running for the House of Representatives.

I was running for the House of Representatives and I was one of the younger members, if I remember recall in the House of Representatives. And you in that capacity, I think almost every time I've interacted with you over the years, which has been many, many and many has been you in it, not in your professional capacity as a trusted member of the bar and a lawyer, guiding people through that process, but in your volunteer capacity, not just with the planning commission, but your volunteer capacity in, I don't even know the number of titles you've held and, have not been compensated for them in any financial means whatsoever, but I can think of several, voluntary positions that you've held over the years, including and maybe, one of the most important, which is the Planning Commission. And that's what we're here today to recognize you for is your work on that because your work there, you have truly helped shape Douglas County what it is today. We are an incredibly fast growing county. We were back when you joined the Planning Commission, we are now, but we try to do it with the most thought possible and keeping to our historical roots as a County at the same time.

And that's where you mentioned the master plan of forming helping to mass form the master plan that we have today. The 2050 transportation plan in all those hearings that you sat through that had several agenda items that have really formed Douglas County what it is today. Putting your fingerprints on those will leave a legacy not just it's not just what you've done, but those things will guide us into the future for for decades to come, especially those the master plan in the the 2050. And of course, the value of water and everything. Really, you hold a steady hand and you're a visionary leader and we wanted to recognize that today.

But especially this is an induction in the hall of fame. And one of the reasons for that is we want to preserve, well, one, to honor you, which is what we're here doing today, to make sure that you feel the gratitude of the county and the people for all of your hard work and all your volunteerism. But not just that, to to say thank you to you, but to preserve that legacy going forward so that future planning commissioners can look back upon the Hall of Fame member of the Planning Commission who retired, and have kind of a guiding a guiding light as to what a strong, thoughtful Planning Commissioner could be and, kind of just be a North Star for the future of the Planning Commission. So with with that, from the bottom of my heart, I wanna thank you, thank your family for allowing you to volunteer over and over again throughout the years to make our Douglas County even better place to live and work and raise a family. And I can't think of a whole lot of people that have had a real a real impact the way that you have.

So congratulations on the induction to the Hall of Fame at Douglas County. We don't have very many members in it, but they are prominent members of our county and you, of course, are chief among them. So thank you. Thank you, Commissioner.

Well, I would echo those sentiments of my colleagues and I'd like to first start by thanking our colleague, Commissioner Ben Winkle, for his initiative around recognizing heroes in our community. That's something he brought to the county from his heart, and I think it's been really well, it's serving our community well because it's so important to recognize those among us that have truly made a difference. And, know, Stephen, I think as a fellow attorney, I just I step back and I really want to say thank you. In our profession, we're trained to be critical thinkers, to be devoid of emotion, focus on reason, to be thoughtful, to parse through lots of information. And you think about what happens on Planning Commission.

I was a Planning Commissioner for a little while. And you're digesting thousands of pages. You get a bag of salad before you come in here, maybe a pizza if you're lucky. And for no pay, you are listening to the public, you're hearing from applicants, and you're trying to truly reason through all of those pages and all of that information, distilling the facts down to what is relevant and trying to provide a wise recommendation. And that's you in a nutshell.

I think in this work, in government and in public service, you have those that shout and those that are ego driven and the critics and those that want to tear things down. Tearing things down is easy. Building things is hard. Being calm, thoughtful, wise is not easy. And you do that so well.

I think I first met you probably maybe a little after Kevin, but maybe ten, fifteen years ago. And you and I have served on some voluntary boards together, and those haven't been easy boards. But again, I think your steady hand and your wisdom has really benefited those organizations. It's benefited the county. And in my mind, you just you always sort of quietly sit in the background and make a difference. You're not looking for attention. You're not looking you didn't ask for this recognition today. But I'm so glad you shared with us some of the things you've done because you are so deserving. I think those that aren't asking for attention often deserve it the most. So I'm really humbled and honored to support this recognition of your induction into the Heroes Hall.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Commissioner. So Stephen, because you've been inducted in the Hall of Fame and need you to understand the terms, you will be subject to a yearly compensation of exactly 10 times your compensation as a Planning Commissioner with the elimination of Monday evening meals. There are no more of those. Okay. So as long as you're doing the math I properly accept

those terms.

Well, in that case, I think we've already signed the certificate. Commissioners, will you join me out front to and Stephen, please come forward and please bring your lovely wife. And I think we're going to capture the moment in a photo.

And to clarify for the public, think that salary is like, what, zero times 10, you're saying? So about zero?

Dude, don't he might say no.

He might figure that out.

Stop it. Okay. Well, continuing in the vein of gratitude and recognition, Our next item is employee recognition for motor vehicle trainer Leslie Irwin. Emily Wren, Deputy Director of Motor Vehicles presenting. Cool.

Cool.

Good afternoon, commissioners. I am honored to recognize Leslie Irvin for being this year's recipient of the Community Appreciation Award from the Colorado State Patrol Office. Just on Sunday, Leslie celebrated her twenty six years with the department, a wonderful milestone that demonstrates not only her level of expertise in motor vehicle, but also her continued commitment to our partners, our community, and our team. Her ability to navigate difficult bound to vehicle transactions, collaborate through jurisdictions, as well as support and care for our customers in a caring and professional way exemplifies public service. We are grateful for her dedication and honored and proud for to recognize her today for this award.

I would like to take a moment to read the award as it speaks to many of the ways she serves our community and partners with excellence. Leslie Ervin works as a trainer instructor with Douglas County Motor Vehicle. As a VIN inspectors, we have to build strong working relationships with our county's DMV's. These relationships are as complicated as they are valuable, and maintaining positivity requires purposeful, intentional action on both sides. Leslie has met CSP more than halfway with her diligent, proactive work.

She is an expert on state titling requirements and processes, and she uses her expertise to build bridges between customers and then inspectors. For example, paperwork correction. Despite sounding mundane, it represents one of the greatest inefficiencies in the titling process. When a VIN inspector makes a mistake and a customer presents invalid paperwork to the DMV, the normal process involves the DMV sending the customer back to the VIN inspector for new paperwork, which requires another appointment. Then the VIN inspector sends the customer back to the DMV with corrected paperwork, which requires another appointment.

Instead of robotically following the procedure, Leslie often contacts the VIN inspector directly requesting correct paperwork via email. As such, she shortens a day or weeks long process and more importantly mitigates unnecessary frustration and wasted time for the customers and the VIN inspector. This award honors Leslie's Irvine dedication, professionalism, and measurable impact on our success. With us today is, Leslie's supervisor Carissa, as well as her daughter Heather and her brother Don.

I just wanted to take this minute and say that what Emily was able to just read from this award from Colorado State Patrol is just a snapshot into what she does on a daily basis. She found herself working frontline transactions again today to support one of our offices. And when I asked her how it was going, she said, well, I only gave out my email once today. It's not something you see in our line of work. As everybody in this room knows, sometimes the DMV gets a bad rap.

But it's people like Leslie who have touched not only our community members, but the members of our staff in a way that makes coming to the Douglas County DMV a different experience. So it was so exciting to see, get the email that they would like to honor her and then to be able to talk about her again today has been just an amazing opportunity because, again, twenty six years of Leslie being able to support our community members as well as distill that amongst our staff is just more invaluable than I can articulate. So, I want to thank you guys for taking this moment and I want to thank Leslie for continuing to give out our email and make those connections.

Leslie,

we'd love to hear from you.

Wow. So, I was very honored to get this award. Was not anticipating anything like that. I love my job. I started out as the class clown for motor vehicle, and I've held every position possible for motor v, but training is my that's my niche. That's I found my home. And I only have a few more years till I retire. But now, I I don't even know if I want to. I want to stay. So, I made my daughter apply.

So, she now works for Motor V and maybe she can just pick up where I take off but this is by far the most it's the best job I've ever had in my life, helping our citizens, collaborating with all the different departments. It's it's just been wonderful. I love it. So, thank you.

Commissioners, comments?

Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. And I'm sensing a theme today, and that's unsung heroes. Elected officials, we don't need more attention or recognition. The reality is that what you have done over twenty six years quietly in the background, the thousands and thousands of people that you've served in our community. It's meaningful. I always say that you all are the vice president of first impressions, right? You're the first people that a lot of new residents encounter when they come to Douglas County. And I always like hearing the stories from people that show up here from out of state and maybe their friends or colleagues or family members. They're like, Yes, I thought the DMV was supposed to be like a purgatory or something.

Like you're just there forever. And I was just in and out in minutes. And I always hear that. I hear that all the time. And so you're leaving such a great first impression. And the fact that you've done training tells me that you have provided so many more of our Douglas County employees with that necessary skill set to do exactly what you've done all these years. So congratulations on the special recognition.

Thank you.

Yeah. And I'll echo those comments. Thank you so much for being here today. The State Patrol recognition is a high honor, and we wanted to reflect that here, before the whole Douglas County community. You know, I often hear it like, commissioner Layton just said.

I hear all the time actually from people who visit our motor vehicle department, and they're from Denver, California, fill in the blank elsewhere, and they are shocked. I never actually get, statements anymore of like, oh, this is a terrible place. In fact, quite the opposite. Everyone is incredibly impressed by the efficiency, the accuracy, the kindness, and that comes from the trainers. The trainers like you, it ripples through to all of Douglas County.

So when someone leaves with a smile, which is often the case, thank you because clearly you played a big role in that. Before this job, I worked in the state and you just hear horror stories about the software systems and the difficulties, and, of course, there's difficulties with difficult customers as they come in, and it sounds like you've handled it with incredible grace and gotten through all of it very well so that the Douglas County resident is better off today because of all your work and and all the employees that you have helped train. So thank you so much.

Thank you. I couldn't have done it without our leadership heading above any other county for sure. They're the best.

Well, the good news is, if you're a trainer, you're part of that leadership solution, too. So great job. Unlike my colleagues, when I talk to my neighbors about their visits to DMV, they usually say, not bad. But if you think about it, that's actually high praise because I haven't heard of anybody saying they wanted to go catch a few beers down at the DMV anytime recently. So the bottom line is I think you have been a part of that solution that has been built this really great service here in the county.

And, you know, isn't that what we're all shooting for? Isn't that what we're all working towards? So obviously, you've been a part of that. You've got your bosses saying nice things about you. So that's always a good start. But the bottom line is, again, we hear it from our residents all the time. The things that should be in America today, one of those big pain points you must see every year. Here in Douglas County, it's not bad. Well, that's pretty darn good. So well done. I would ask you, do you have any other coworkers here

My with you brother and my daughter.

Okay. Well, get your brother and your daughter down here because we have a certificate to present to you and we'd like to capture it with a photo for you guys. Okay.

Thank you.

And you can even ask your bosses to come up if you want. Yeah. All right. Well, let's go. All right, as my colleague just said, as we were coming up, time to get to work.

Although that's some pretty nice work to express appreciation. Our next item is the consent agenda. Consent agenda will be passed in one motion and generally without comment by commissioners or the public. Commissioners, the consent agenda is before us. Do we have a motion to adopt it? Mr.

Chair, if it pleases the Board, I will make a motion to approve the request in items A through Q and items S through Z of the Consent Agenda. Item R is pulled from the agenda.

I second the motion.

All right. There is a motion and a second on the consent agenda. All in favor, aye.

Aye.

Aye. And consent agenda is adopted. Our next item is our regular agenda items. Our first item is with the town of Parker municipal shareback request for the amount of $2,231,026.1 Steve Schultz, Director of Parks and recreation presenting and that and that is not Steve Schultz.

Luke Thornton. Hello, commissioners.

After you, Luke. Thank you.

Luke Thornton representing the Department of Parks and Recreation. The Parks Trails and Historic Resources Open Space Sales and Use Tax allows for share back funds for municipalities wholly within Douglas County. Those requests are presented to the advisory board that matches the nature of the project. The town of Parker is requesting $2,231,000 and $26.01 for the construction of phase two of Salisbury Park North. This request was presented to the Parks Advisory Board on 04/08/2026, and the Parks Advisory Board unanimously recommended the request.

Phase two includes 17 court lighted pickleball complex, two tennis courts with four pickleball overlays, two basketball courts, an outdoor fitness area, as well as an inclusive playground splash pad, community hub, pavilion, Valley Overlook Pavilion, and other pavilion areas, a bike park, pump track, and skills course, parking, restrooms, landscapes, and utilities. Mary Colton, the director of parks, recreation, and open space from the town of Parker is here today for any questions. Thank you.

Ma'am, please please share your words.

Thank you, chair and good afternoon, commissioners. It's good to see you all again. I'm Mary Colton. I'm the Parks and Recreation Director for the town of Parker. And as you've just seen, we're here today to request the town's share of the share back funds in the amount that you saw up there and this is to be used to complete phase two or to add to the funding for phase two of Salisbury Regional Park.

As Luke mentioned, the park advisory board approved this request back on April 8. They seem to be very excited about the continuation of the project and that these funds would be applied towards that purpose. As you may recall, we started the project last fall and we're making great progress. I don't know if you've been by there recently but it's really starting to take shape. Lots of lights and curb and gutter and our driveways have been completed in the last couple of weeks.

So it finally has gone vertical and really showing signs of being a future park. The town of Parker is deeply grateful to this commission for assisting us with the funding in the amount, the very generous amount of $7,500,000 which will help us to accelerate the phases and hopefully complete the park sooner, which is something I think we're all very excited about and especially for this not only the town of Parker but the entire region in Douglas County. So I think it's much needed amenity within the county and in the park and we're all very excited about that. And so that's the purpose of today is to request our share back funds and I'll entertain any questions you may have about the project.

All right. Board, questions for staff or Parker?

Well, Chair, thank you. And Mary, thank you for being here with us. This has been a big couple of years. You've had a lot of big years, but this is the largest delivery of recreational amenities in Douglas County's history. This is also my district.

And what you have done out in Parker is truly tremendous. So many members of our community, regardless of your age, lot of youth, but really it's youth all the way up to as high as you can get, able to recreate and enjoy the amazing amenities in Parker. And I think about what citizens really talk about when they say quality of life comes first in Douglas County. And Parks and Recreation, it's such a big part of that. We know that Douglas County is aging in place.

And so first, making sure that we're providing amenities for older adults, but then also attracting young families. I was we were a young family when we first moved to Douglas County twenty years ago. And it's hard to believe that my daughter is now a sophomore in college. So we hope that those kids come back to Douglas County. Part of the reason they would do that is because of these great parks. So thank you for your leadership there. Do you have a sense of timeline on this in terms of completion date? I know that's a tough question, but

Yes, it's a little bit of a moving target, but Phase one is anticipated to be completed this fall. And then at the same time, launch phase two. And the hope is that we can accelerate some of those other phases and bring those all together to complete the park as quickly as possible. That would not have been possible without that grant funding in the amount of $7,500,000 So the support from this commission has been really important and integral for completing the park, let alone getting it completed more quickly and efficiently. So we're deeply grateful for that. So thank you.

We have to say we're a county that doesn't wait to do great. So pleased to be a partner. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I'll save my comments till after public testimony, but thank you so much for being here. This has been a vision across Douglas County for many years. It's awesome to see it really come to fruition here and continuing to grow. So thank you so much. And anytime we can highlight Parker and Spalsbury Park, the better because I think a lot of people are excited.

Thank you.

Mary, I have no questions for you. I appreciate you providing the additional details in addition to the times when you first pitched Salisbury Park and County participation. Very much appreciated the opportunity to partner with our partners in the town of Parker. So thank you very much. And Luke, I have no questions for you. So let's go ahead and open it up for a public comment. I do not have anybody who signed up to speak for public comment. But is there anyone who would like to make public comment at this time? Seeing none. So let's bring back to the board for action. Board, we do have a share back request from the town of Parker. How would we like to proceed?

Well, Mr. Chairman, I would like to make a motion at this point for the shareback of $2,230,000 to the town of Parker specifically for the expansion of Salisbury Park. But I do want to take a moment before making a motion to reflect back on where we are as a county. Luke Thornton, who did the presentation today, and I grew up in Northwest Douglas County. We grew up along with Heritage Park there right there by the post office in Highlands Ranch, which at the time was a relatively new park.

And I do think it was one of the the last big projects that Douglas County has done in the park's realm. So it's hard to think that now we have kids growing up here in Douglas County. There's been such a long gap of parks. That brings us to today, is really the golden era, I think, of parks for Douglas County. We have Salisbury going up in Parker.

We have new parks on in Lone Tree with High Note Park coming on board that we also participated in and put several million dollars towards. And then Castle Rock and of course on the West Side for the very first time West Side gained its first parks, which is a fast growing part of our community. So four big advancements in parks in Douglas County all happening at the same time, All thanks to the the taxpayers who have voted overwhelmingly time and time again to support parks, open space, and recreation for youth. And so, mister chairman, I think it's a a good day. I'm glad Parker could be here to celebrate with us and and glad that we are, on board with the 7,500,000 then today's, share back request.

So, mister, chair, if you would allow, I will move to approve town of Parker municipal share back request for the amount of $2,000,000.231026 dollars and 1¢. And I will second that motion. Don't forget the cent.

You can't forget the cent. And Mary, we appreciate you making sure you got that cent too, doing the math all the way out to the second decimal. I'll tell you what, I think this is great. Having served for six and a half years in this town, just down the street on the Castro Council. My attitude about a share back request is I would almost rather be a rubber stamp that as soon as it's submitted, even definitely Steve, maybe even Luke would just sign off on it.

But of course, I do appreciate the traditions that we've held here in the county of bringing it to the board. So I'm very happy that, once again, I really want to thank the people of Parker for coming forward to be partners with the county on stuff like this. Commissioner, you were talking about all the other projects we do have going in youth recreation opportunities right now. It just goes to show the project the county's taking lead on out in Zebulon, it's not unique. It's not the only thing.

We're seeing it from literally every single municipality in this county is focused on this. And every single municipality in this county is trying to do something. I appreciate Parker doing all the good work and then coming forward to us so we could be a part of that success. Obviously, we do have the town manager at Castle Rock. He's on the next agenda item, but they got a big project going right now, really, with the one hundred and fifty year anniversary of Colorado, the two hundred and fifty year anniversary of America.

Dave, I remember full well during your interview saying you want to do something like that. And I think none of us on council liked it at the time. But you're doing it right now. And of course, Commissioner, in your town of Longtree, I mean, the high note project, which I think you're going to be speaking at the groundbreaking of tomorrow. I believe you're right. Yeah. So I mean, again, this isn't a one off. It's not just Parker having this crazy idea to build ball fields for kids. It's not just the county doing the Zebulon project. It's everybody in this county.

This is where the focus is. And I very much appreciate. Once again, I'm just going to keep saying it. Thank you to the town of Parker for giving us the opportunity to partner with you guys and do this great work for the next generation. So I think I just spoke in favor of the motion. Commissioners, would you

like to

speak in favor of the motion?

I already did.

Think you did. Right. If there is no further discussion, there is a motion and a second. All in favor, aye.

Aye.

Aye. And the request is granted. Our next item up is an intergovernmental agreement between the Town Of Castle Rock and Douglas County regarding cost sharing to establish the Link on Demand pilot program. Ryan Arthur, Community Programs Coordinator presenting for staff. Alright. Thank you, sir.

Presenting the Department of Community Services. Before you today is a request to approve the intergovernmental agreement or IGA between the town of Castle Rock and Douglas County regarding cost sharing for the link on demand Castle Rock pilot program. In 2025, Douglas County expanded the City of Lone Trees Link program into Highlands Ranch in response to recommendations made in Douglas County's integrated transit and multimodal study. The study's recommendations included expansion into other areas of Douglas County, including Meridian, Stonegate, and select portions of the town of Parker, which was accomplished earlier this month, April 2026. The next phase includes expansion into the town of Castle Rock.

The IGA establishes that Castle Rock has agreed to $400,000 contribution towards this project. This represents a 20% shared investment with the county of the $2,000,000 to operate Link within their jurisdiction. The pilot will launch later this fall twenty twenty six. The pilot shown here in yellow will add service to the entire town of Castle Rock. Service includes regional connections to shopping, employment and health care centers, is ADA accessible and provides connections to the city of Lone Tree which acts as a central hub for the total Link On Demand service area.

Staff recommends approval of the Intergovernmental Agreement or IGA between the Town Of Castle Rock and Douglas County regarding cost sharing for the Link On Demand Castle Rock pilot program. And that's the end of my presentation and also like to recognize Dave Corrales, town manager for the town of Castle Rock is also here.

Alright. Thank you. Appreciate it, Ryan. We'd be happy to hear from the town manager of the town of Castle Rock. Sir, if you have any comments, please come and share. Please, to the microphone if you could, manager.

Commissioners, I'll be happy to respond to any questions that you have. Town Council unanimously approved the IGA. They unanimously approved the necessary budget amendment for 2026 to accomplish this. And appreciate the work from Mr. Clark and others staff, Mr. Garcia, in moving this forward. And obviously, your work is appreciated on this as well. So I'm happy to respond to any questions. Want to be respectful of your time.

All right. Thank you, Mr. Corliss. Board, any questions for Mr. Corliss or staff?

I don't have any questions, Mr. Chair, but very excited to have you both before us today and tremendous thanks and appreciation to the town of Castle Rock. It wasn't too long ago that we were seeing this really significant need around transportation, particularly with those that have mobility challenges, people in the IDD community and seniors. Our chair did a wonderful job with the older adults initiative and really doing a pretty significant tour, talking to seniors throughout Douglas County to find out what the biggest need was. And I think what we heard loud and clear, in addition to a few other things, was transportation, transportation, transportation.

So really glad that we were able to have the conversation around what might be a solution to addressing this problem in Douglas County and really talking about this amazing successful program in Lone Tree that has had a ten year anniversary of being really successful about providing that first and last mile in and around Lone Tree. Fast forward to today, and we're thankful again that Parker has signed on to this project, Highlands Ranch has signed on, and now Castle Rock, meaning that pretty much anyone in Douglas County can now get that ride wherever they need to go. And I know more areas of interest are going to continue to come online, even West of Highlands Ranch, we hope, and then other areas that are not incorporated. But it's a really exciting time. And one of the reasons for that is a pretty important statistic.

So independent research regarding on demand transit services show that communities are seeing approximately $4 in economic and social value for every $1 invested. So that's a four time return on the dollars that we're seeing going into this program. And we're seeing that the value increases from mobility, reduced transportation barriers, improved access to jobs, health care, shopping and local businesses, and then fewer single occupancy vehicle trips on our roads. So for Douglas County, that means a projected $25,000,000 in community impact from a planned $6,000,000 investment in 2026. I love that.

That's great return on investment. And I think as a conservative county that always tries to budget in a way that is thoughtful around every penny, seeing that massive return is so wonderful. So Castle Rock coming on board as one of the big dogs in our county, probably the big dog, don't tell Parker I said that. But it's really a big deal. So again, congrats to your counsel.

We know from Rand's great research, and Rand has just done such a wonderful job on this program, that people are going to Park Meadows, King Soopers, Walmart. We hope now they're going to go to the outlets and continue to shop more. Of course, we get a lot of revenue through sales tax revenue. We always try to return taxes back to citizens and cut those as much as we can. But people often ask, how do you I was at a metro area county commissioners meeting and two commissioners from counties I won't name leaned over and sort of did the theater whisper of, how is Douglas County paying for this?

And I just interjected and said, Look, it's paying for itself. The sales tax revenue that's being generated through this program will fund it going forward and hopefully even greater additional revenue as a result of those trips. So really thankful for this. I also want to add that I think for those older adults that need critical health care, lifesaving medications from their pharmacist, but maybe can't drive, they don't have the eyesight or the mobility capabilities to be able to drive. I think it's going to be pretty lifesaving for those folks. So again, huge thanks to the town manager in town of Castle Rock. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll just save my comments until after public testimony. I know this is a project that we've been working on for quite some time. And so I look forward to hearing from the public.

All right.

I have no questions, Ryan and Manager Corliss. I think I've been filled in enough on this one and I'm prepared to move forward after public comment. So let's transition to public comment. I have one person signed up for public comment, Kim Carroll. Please come forward.

Ma'am, if you could once again state your name for the record and tell us where you're from.

Hi. My name is Kim Carroll and I live in Parker. Thank you for allowing me to speak. I just had a few questions about Link. The map in the packet looks like the Castle Rock to Lone Tree is covered, but not Castle Rock to and from Parker.

And I was just wondering if this will change in the future, or will Parker residents always have to do the Parker to Lone Tree to Castle Rock? And I also wondered down the road how the financial viability of link will be determined. Will it be by area or for the entire county? And will it be on usage or if the tax rate just keeps covering it kind of thing? And finally, I also wondered if you guys could tell me why comments on agenda items are now at the discretion of the board. Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am. That was my only person signed up to speak on public comment. Is there anyone else who would like to give public comment on this matter? And seeing none, Ryan, can you help answer a few of Ms. Carol's questions, please?

Sure thing, Commissioner. So as for the map for the service area of Link on Demand, the expansion into Castle Rock is a pilot program and so has expansion into the town of Parker. And based off of the success of the program, those pilot programs, we are looking at future expansions. So it's not outside of the realm of possibility possibility that we would have those connections.

And Ryan, isn't it true? I mean, aren't we we're only in like the last month or two of even a pilot program in Highlands Ranch because when we launched it last year, didn't we still launch it as a pilot program as well?

Yes, Commissioner, we did. And that launch date was on May 27, so that'll mark the one year.

Okay. And Mr. Chair, if I may. Please. I really appreciate the thoughtful questions from Ms. Carroll. I think it's a really important inquiry for all of our citizens to be aware of. I don't want to get ahead of our Board, but the vision around this transportation solution is to hit the easy button for our residents so that at some point in the future, there will not be pit stops or limitations. It is you sign up on the app and you hit it just like you would in Uber and you go from point A to point B with as little hassle as possible. And I think about my amazing mom.

She's a widow in Roxboro. And I tend to assume that the operations of the iPhone are pretty intelligible for most people at this point. And she's brilliant, but it is tough navigating certain apps and just trying to get through that. So especially for seniors, making it easy to just access that link on demand and get exactly where you need to go. I think to your point, it's a pilot, and we really respect the autonomy of the incorporated municipalities. If Castle Rock comes back next year and says, Look, this is too pricey. We don't like it. It's not working. It's not working for our citizens. God bless them.

We're going to honor that decision and redirect funding. I don't think that'll be the case. I think it's going to be a runaway success in Castle Rock like it's been everywhere else. But that's the nature of a pilot is we're going to watch and see, kind of build this plane as it's taking off. But the biggest, biggest vision that I think I would love to cast with the support of this board, if they're open to it, is that anyone, anywhere in the county can have access to the service and have no stops in between.

When I book a flight, I usually hit that nonstop button on orbits. I think we want those nonstop trips throughout Douglas County if we can. And then ensuring that service is actually 20 fourseven. I know we have some time limitations right now, but that does take resources. It does take time. And I'd be interested to hear from the people of Douglas County, all of the cities and the unincorporated areas if they like Link and if they want to see us expand it. So I think we're in pilot mode right now. Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner, any comments, any to the either remarks from staff or citizen comment?

Yeah. And I think just prior to a motion being made, I do think, I mean, a lot of people don't like change and it makes folks nervous. It makes me as an election official nervous when I first hear about changing things. But the idea of continuing the old ways of just throwing money at massive fixed route bus routes, the big smelly buses that are mostly empty, at least in my neighborhood's of Hennes Ranch, and don't get you anywhere near your house where you actually need it, throwing the money at that, in the old way of doing things, just isn't efficient. It's not wise.

I think governments, not just Douglas County, but all across, the state and nation need smarter more to be do it need need need to be smarter and more agile. Need to meet people where they are. Flexible transit means it means just that. It means if someone calls and it's a senior or someone with a developmental disability or a handicap, that that vehicle will come and meet them right where they are. They don't have to fill out tons of forms.

They don't have to prove that they're below or above a certain income level. They can just call, and it's and it's right there. As far as the cost, it does cost money. It's something that Lone Tree was able to do by themselves for ten years, and they were able to show, how important it is to the economy within just Lone Tree alone. And it's something I don't think we want to do completely alone, and it's something we're not doing alone.

This is a project to expand to the people of Douglas County, which is incredibly important. But it's us doing our share. Castle Rock putting some dollars in, Parker putting some dollars in. It's working with our Denver Regional Council of Governments and protect perhaps even with the federal government so that no one municipality is really paying too big of a share for this. And then as you said, we'll be able to get those returns because we know from the facts of the matter of expanding the first link of Highlands Range link from Lone Tree into Highlands Range and vice versa that it has led to an uptick of shopping.

It's led to, an increase of folks being able to make their medical appointments, more reliably and easily, and it's something that has just been an overwhelming success from the people of Douglas County. So whether it's a senior getting to a doctor's appointment, a student heading to their part time job, or a professional connecting to one of the regional hubs to be able to get, elsewhere in the state, perhaps getting on the RTD light rail, that is a role, that this place is to get to make the RTD actually much more efficient. It's it's something that has been a tremendous success, I'm proud to see it tested here in Castle Rock, connecting Castle Rock to the rest of the whole northern part of the county of Parker Lone Tree Hunts Ranch, and also vice versa. If I wanna go to the Under Armour store in Castle Rock, but I don't know if I were, unfortunately, to break an ankle or knee playing hockey, which does sometimes happen. It's great to know there's an option there, for me to get those places or even a doctor's appointments, especially seniors at Windcrest have been incredibly, praiseworthy of being able to get, you know, get out of the Windcrest community, not have to rely on a big smelly RTD bus, that's from the from the days of old, and be able to get that point a to point b transit is incredibly important.

So that is all I have to say about that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I appreciate it. So I want to answer Ms. Carol's question a couple of Ms. Carol's questions. So yes, I do want us to explore a direct link between Parker and Castle Rock.

Obviously, we're rolling this out in stages between our private partners with Via and then just how we're trying to put together the financing on this project. I guess we had to go to that higher level of math than just simple two plus two. But it is my stated goal and staff is aware of it. I've already let them know. Colleagues, I guess I'm letting you know now that when we conclude the year pilot with Castle Rock, I too have confidence that the people of Castle Rock will adopt this with the same vigor as the people of Highland Ranch And Laundry.

That, yeah, I do want us to get a direct connect going. One of the things that made it difficult to do that now though right now, is not all of the town of Parker is included in the coverage area in this pilot project because part of the financing is we're trying to work out financing from RTD. We're doing RTD a favor because we're taking service requirements off of them, saving them money, and, in my opinion, delivering superior service as a transportation solution. And so Southern Parker, portions of Southern Parker are actually not included right now. Our hope is that once we conclude the current pilot with the town of Parker next year, yeah, we can include all of Parker in it.

We can work out our financing based on how we are recovering some we're recovering data that is allowing us to then go out and work with RTD and recover some funds, work with Doctor. Cog, the Denver Regional Council of Governments. And then, of course, with Castle Rock, we're exploring the fact that Castle Rock is now it's called a UZA, a Urban Zoned Area, by the Feds. And so that's different because up until now, Castle Rock and all of Douglas County has been a part of the Denver UZA. Castle Rock has grown.

Castle Rock is now, in case anybody didn't know, larger in population than the city of Pueblo, one of historically the largest cities in the state of Colorado. And so the feds have recognized that by making Castle Rock its own UZA. That can afford revenue opportunities as well that can underwrite the costs to operate via the link here in Castle Rock. Once we go through that, we got our financing together, 95,000 people have taken rides in Highlands Ranch. Highlands Ranch has a population of about 100,000 people.

Now if you're like me and you're practicing bad Greeley public school math in your head, you're saying, Where are those other 5,000 people that we need to get to ride? Of course it's not quite like that. Some people use Link often. I'm sure there's some of your neighbors, Commissioner, who haven't used Link at all yet. But yeah, let's go find those 5,000 other rides because that's a real statement.

We haven't even done a year and we're almost equal to the number of rides that is the population of Highlands Ranch. I have great confidence that the people of Castle Rock will see benefits here. We have always struggled in the town of Castle Rock. And once again, I'm harkening back to my time on the Castle Rock Council. We've always struggled in Castle Rock to provide transportation for those with mobility concerns. And we do a lot. We do a lot through the senior center. That doesn't go away, by the way. And yet, I think this is that superior solution really for everybody in the town of Castle Rock. So do I need to make a motion here, guys, or would one of you guys like to make a motion?

Mr. Chair, if it pleases the Board, I'll make a motion to approve an intergovernmental agreement between the town of Castle Rock and Douglas County regarding cost sharing to establish the Link on Demand pilot program and I wish to speak in favor of the motion.

I will second the motion and also wish to speak in favor.

Commissioner Leiden. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think you made some really good points, both of you. And I would just add that I don't want to speak for RTD, but I think we've heard from RTD that they need a win. This is a win. We have some great representatives from Douglas County on that RTD board.

In leadership.

In leadership. And a great opportunity for them to not do it the old way, to Commissioner Van Winkle's point, but invest in something that will have a great return. Castle Rock was probably wise enough not to participate in some of those fee structures with RTD. And I know for years in my district, Parker has asked us to try to work with RTD to get some return on investment, and it's been pretty brutal. So this is a chance to have a really wonderful win win.

I want to make sure we're emphasizing that point too that Commissioner Thiel made. 4.9 out of five stars, 95,000 rides. Now that's not 95,000 riders, that's 95,000 rides. But to have that level of support from the citizens is really significant. So we're we want to listen and want to adapt quickly where there is that continued demand.

I think the final issue that is really important to emphasize is this isn't just government doing a government program. This is a public private partnership. We are partnering with the private sector. This is a partnership with Via, which is a rideshare service that's doing a wonderful job providing vehicles and making sure that we're getting these vehicles out. So it's a public private partnership. I just want to make sure that the public is aware of that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner Van Winkle.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We just we hear from residents so often whether it's a pothole or an issue of trying to get from point A to point B. That's why I think we invest so much in transportation and we saw it through the Santa Fe Corridor, even before I became a county commissioner. That construction started and, completed in my very first year and I've heard, wonderful things about that.

People of Douglas County, understand that their time is valuable, and they let us know that all the time. We understand it as well. Mobility is freedom. Mobility is essential to our our folks at Douglas County. And the old way of commissioners or others, basically telling residents, go buy buy a car, drive that car, or else, which isn't easy for a lot of folks.

There's, folks, on our society that's hard to buy a car. It's hard to drive a car or operate a car, especially, for those who might be handicapped, those who might be developmentally disabled, the old, the young, and this gets around all of that. We're not just telling our citizens go buy and drive a car or wait for a big bus that is probably miles away from your home and may or may not come on time or may or may not be safe. This is point to point. It's a new way of investing dollars away from the old model to a model that is really from your front porch to wherever you're going, whether that's Castle Rock outlets, the Park Meadows Mall, Target, Walmart or to Skyview Hospital, UC Health Children's Hospital.

Proud to support it today.

Thank you, Commissioners. Well, I'm going to speak in favor of the motion. I think this is the right way to go. Yeah, in 2005, there was a very thinner guy named George Teal standing on a corner outside the outlet mall with a sign. I swear to God, the sign said, Out of RTD, vote yes.

And that was one of my very first public activism roles since getting out of the Army, because there was no politics practice as an Army officer. And so I was a part of kicking RTD out of Castle Rock with my own little part holding a sign by the outlet mall. But the bottom line is, I did not think that RTD was the right answer for Castle Rock then. I do not think it's the right answer for Castle Rock now. What is the right answer?

The right answer is Link. I don't think it's just the right answer for Castle Rock. Obviously, we've had several votes. We've extended Link out of Lone Tree in this last year since you joined us, Commissioner. I think that's the right answer for mobility in Douglas County for those who can't drive for themselves and even for those who can.

And for all those watching this in Castle Rock, I always have the joke there could be a nuclear war, there could be a nuclear holocaust that burns right up to the edge of the town limits of Castle Rock and there's still going to be somebody driving around Castle Rock saying, I can't find anywhere to park. So the bottom line is this is a good parking solution for the people of Castle Rock. Not sure about the rest of the county, but Castle Rock, I think it's a great parking solution. So, Commissioners, we do have a motion and a second. We have all three spoke in favor of the motion.

Is there further discussion? All in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye. And the intergovernmental agreement between Lieutenant Kastrok and Douglas County passes.

Our next item is construction contract and purchase order for the Douglas County biochar facility and associated site development for future recycling facilities and programs to Bowen Studios for a total contract amount of $7,876,169.81 And that looks like Dan presenting for staff.

Good afternoon, commissioners. Dan Roberts, assistant director of public works for operations. I'm just a warm up act. Tim Hallmark is the headline today. So we want to provide information and background to today's request to the Board of County Commissioners.

The Douglas County biochar and waste diversion facility, which you can see on the screen in an artist's rendering, will be a one stop shop for waste that is often difficult to remove. The map on the right shows its proximity to the Sedalia Landfill, which will make it very convenient for residents to come to the landfill, also come to the site and get rid of different items. The site will also be the home to the nation's first county owned and county operated biochar facility. Facility. Today, we will tell the story of the project thus far and share our team's plans for the future.

I'm going to introduce Jared Tanaka. We use a title you haven't heard yet. Jared is going to be our new Environmental Programs Operations Manager for Public Works. He will be in charge of the program for the biochar and the waste diversion facility, and he's going to talk about the need for the program.

Thank you, Dan. Yes. My name is Jared Tanaga. Thank you for having me. So the the need to remove liability biomass was first identified by the wildfire action collaborative in 2023.

The the need is to to remove this material from forest be before it comes a liability in terms of wildfire, and the need to process low value to no value material was identified and the answer was was identified as biochar. The only way that we were able to to find a way to turn that liability into an asset. What is biochar? Biochar is almost pure carbon. That is thermo chemically converted from an organic material to to that to that almost pure carbon material.

What it can do from the county, as you'll see, is is improve soil structure, improves drought resilience, water conservation, and land restoration. So germination of of seed by way of its ad ad adorptive abilities to retain nutrients and water in the soil. And a few of the benefits as we discussed wildfire mitigation, obviously, we are turning that trash into treasure, taking it from from something that that is a liability to our citizens, to the county itself, into something that that can be sold on the market. Water conservation, it's an easy easy conversation this, at this current time due to our extreme drought conditions. Studies have shown that it can it can hold or reduce water needs in turf grass environments by 30% or more.

From my perspective as an environmental regulator, the water quality piece resonates with me. One study out of Delaware shows that 84% reduction in storm water volume, from from flood events. So flood attenuation, can be addressed by use of of biochar as we're seeing. So those are just a few of the uses that we see for that product that we should be producing by the end of the year. Next is Holly Carroll.

With the establishment of a biochar processing facility being identified as the preferred solution to the lack of local processing outlets, staff worked quickly to meet the challenge. A suitable site was located and experienced vendors were engaged who manufacture pyrolyzers, which are used to create biochar. In July 2025, the Board took a major step forward by approving $3,000,000 in funding to enable the acquisition of this specialized large scale equipment that transforms unmerchantable wood into a versatile, revenue generating product. At the same time, the Board approved a property lease agreement securing a long term, highly desirable location. The very next day, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to celebrate what will be the first in the nation county owned and operated biochar facility.

Together, these actions established the foundational infrastructure and project needed to move from planning into implementation. In the five months to follow, staff built upon the unique and significant opportunity to accelerate the creation of a centralized waste diversion site co located with the biochar facility. And in December of the same year, the county finalized and approved its operational model for the integrated service site. This model brings multiple residential waste related services together into a single location, creating efficiency and convenience for our residents. It also realizes cost savings by consolidating existing programs and eliminating redundancies.

So throughout 2025, the county did a lot of community engagement. Sarah Packard to my left is from the communications and community engagement team. This has been one of her significant projects. A lot of newsroom articles were published. A lot of emails were sent out. The amount of energy around this has been tremendous from the public. A lot of posts to social media. On 01/28/2026, there was a public open house that was very well attended, a lot of excitement, a lot of energy in the room. You can see the pictures appear from that meeting. And we have a communications plan that we continue to roll out because a lot of this is really about educating the public about biochar.char.

Rather than focusing on just one waste need with this site, we recognized and are tackling the opportunity of a broader site concept that will also serve as a centralized location for multiple resident drop off and recycling services, many of which exist today in various forms in the county. Right now, we have an active slash mulch in green yard waste program. Historically, it is only operated on Saturdays seasonally. So one of my colleagues, Shauna Potter, is in the room. Shauna has been one of those silent partners and silent heroes in the county that has volunteered really to run that program for over a decade.

Shawna is going to play a significant role in this new facility. So we will be expanding that slash mulch and green yard waste program. You're going to hear news about that. Additionally, have a leaf drop program that will operate at this site and our existing electronics recycling and household hazardous waste programs will be at this operated at this site as well. So in Douglas County fashion, what we're going to provide is better service at lower cost.

A lot of staff have brainstormed and put together plans on how we're going to do this. So expanded access, the green waste and slash malt services are going to increase from what amounts to 30 of the year to three hundred days annually. So they'll be open six days a week, normal working hours. Leaf drop becomes a year round program. Our electronics recycling program right now you have to take electronics up to Aurora in our recycling program.

Last year about 500,000 pounds of material was hauled up there by Douglas County residents and dropped off. So we're gonna move that to this new site, and you won't have to drive all the way up there. The hazardous waste program capacity will be expanded. Right now, it's capped at the number of residents that are served by it. That will be opened up and we will eliminate the cap.

And at the same time, we're gonna be able to reduce the cost of these programs on this facility. Slash mulch in the green waste program, we're gonna reduce the cost of those program by a $100,000 a year. The electronics recycling program, we're gonna reduce the cost of that program by 105,000 a year. Household hazardous waste even a bigger savings $200,000 a year and leaf job about $21,000 a year. So all of those savings get reinvested back into this program.

Pretty excited about what we're going to be able to do. So this is just introducing what we're going to be talking or what we're going to be calling this facility. It's gonna be referred to as our new Douglas County Greenworks facility. So it's a very practical and real approach to making the world a better place. So not just buzzwords, not just tokens, but real life action plan that we're going to implement for Douglas Canyon residents.

So I want to introduce some key milestone dates as we roll this out. So in May 2026, the slashing green waste operations, this is a pretty big one for all of us because we hear about this all the time. We're gonna expand this from one day a week on Saturday to six days a week operation would be around the clock. July 2026, you won't have to drive up to Aurora to drop off that old big screen TV. You're gonna be able to drive to this new Greenworks facility.

August 2026, a household hazardous waste disposal program will open. In September 2026, the biochar facility will begin accepting feedstock. This facility initially will process 10,000 tons of logs on an annual basis, and that'll ramp up pretty quickly and doubling capacity. So with that, the main event is going to come up and talk about the construction contract.

Good afternoon commissioners. March of this year, we went out to bid seeking proposals for the site development and facility construction for Biochar. March 30, we received those bids back. Bond Studios was our lowest successful bidder by close to $1,000,000 to the next closest competitor. They're very excited to get engaged with this project and we're looking forward to working with them.

The way the overall costing breaks out is the biochar building itself is about $2,700,000 The general site working utilities, this is an undeveloped site so there's a lot of work to be done to make it buildable is 3,600,000. The covered product storage that you saw in the rendering is 822,000 But we're going to have a really high quality product and we need to make sure that we take good care of it and maintain that value. And then we're also seeking a 10% contingency for the project on this undeveloped site just to make sure we can absorb any unforeseen building circumstances that may arise. For a total project award two bound studios of $7,876,169.81. That's 2 pennies that we've asked for today for different groups.

I'm happy to answer any questions that the board may have about the the contract with Bound Studios.

Alright. Questions from the board.

Well, thank you, mister chair. I know the answer to this, but could someone also, allow the public to understand? So the biochar facility, if there's a a downed tree in a forest that could potentially, light fire and be a danger to our forest. And I know the pine beetle is coming back here to Douglas County, which is a big fear for us, so we need to be cleaning our forest. But that tree gets brought in here. It gets burned at an incredibly high temperature and turn into like pure carbon. But it's not just releasing carbon in the heat and the fumes up into the air, correct? So could you kind of talk about how it is all self contained for environmental purposes?

Sure. I can address that at a very high level. So this facility, the unit that we bought, we were very careful to make sure we bought one that the waste product really is just to produce biochar that comes out the end and heat that dissipates through the stacks. When you saw the stacks, that's not because of air pollution. It's because we want to dissipate the heat through the top of the structure.

The unit itself essentially reburns any combustibles back through the system. What is generated at the end not only is clean, but something that we haven't even begun to explore is the opportunity for us to capture carbon credits because this this isn't just a replacement for carbon sequestration. It actually does it. So it's it's real life. It's not, you know, offsetting credits or anything like that. So there's a whole market out there we haven't even touched on yet. So pretty excited about this, how this is going to take place.

Thank you.

Commissioner, questions? No, I have a couple of comments, but it looks like you might have a little bit more to share with us. I'll reserve my comments following the end of your presentation.

So just wanted to cover the capital recovery. The numbers are on the screen there. So two years ago when folks started working on the plan for this, recognized that this needed to be at a scale that it would make an impact, so not some small little unit, but also that we wanted to make sure we had rapid cost recovery of our investments. So when Tim's team designed the building, we designed it for two units. This initial project will only bring the first production unit online.

Annual revenue is anticipated to be $2,000,000 a year, operating costs at 1,600,000. So you can see the capital recovery in the initial year or two of this facility is about 400,000 a year to capture that and reinvest. When we add the second production unit, because all of the operating costs are primarily addressed already with that first unit, you can see the annual revenue doubles. The operating costs go up a little bit, but not substantially. This is around the clock operation.

It'll double that production from being able to address 10,000 tons of logs a year to 20,000 tons of logs a year. And you can see the accelerated capital recovery of 1,900,000 a year, nearly $2,000,000 a year, which means within five years or so of that second unit coming online, we will completely recapture all the capital that's been invested in this facility. And that's the last slide of the presentation.

All right. Any further questions pertaining to the last part that Dan presented?

Well, now I have some comments. I mean that's really exciting news that not only is this trash to treasure solution going to mitigate densely wooded areas, provide a great solution for waste management in Douglas County, but to be revenue generating. Pay off any sort of investment in five years and then beyond that, be able to hopefully invest more of that return back into wildfire mitigation in our county is just incredibly exciting. I mean, just to step back a little bit and extend some gratitude to my colleagues, After the Chatteridge II fire and giving out water bottles with the Red Cross at Mountain Vista High School, the concern I had was we're going to continue to face really significant wildfire risk in our county. And there was a Mac presentation actually up in Jefferson County saying, Look, this is the number one potential threat to our community.

But ideas go nowhere unless you have support and government. And my colleagues supported the creation of our Wildfire Action Collaborative. And you fast forward to today and having north of 40 professionals, local, state, federal partners that are subject matter experts, it really has led to so many of these great recommendations. Having, you know, the only dedicated county helicopter in the state of Colorado is a big deal that came out of the WAC. Having shaded fuel breaks, having a 50% in kind match where the county will help metro districts, neighborhoods, citizens create defensible space and mitigate their land up to 50%.

That came out of the whack and these great professionals. So thank you to my colleagues for supporting the Wildfire Action Collaborative, and thank you to each and every one of you and all of the members of the Wildfire Action Collaborative, specifically Jared, specifically Holly, Dan and Tim. I mean, you all have been just tremendous. And I can't think of anybody that has more passion for this biochar project than Jared. I know he did a great job on a podcast the other day, and having that subject matter expertise is really significant.

I don't think we'd be nearly as far today if we didn't have Jared's deep passion for this project. The other reason this is really significant, and I invite every member of the public to share my commissioner hat, to put their commissioner hat on, because I think about all the other boards I sit on and the other briefings I've had. And emergency management has made it very clear to us that the pine beetle infestation is coming. And when we think ten years ago to driving up I-seventy and seeing just swaths of brown along, you know, the corridor up there as you're headed to resorts. That was pine beetle infestation, and it's coming to suburban Douglas County.

Your Ponderosa pines will be affected by this. We can't avoid it. It's here. There are ways to maybe save a couple of trees here and there with some treatments, but the reality is we're going to see a lot of brown trees. And what that means is dry kindling.

So from a commissioner lens and a citizen lens, what we're doing with all of this is to try to create more defensible space. So the ideal hypothetical is a citizen takes advantage of this project. They use that 50% in kind match, maybe their whole HOA does. They take all of that material to our biochar facility. That biochar facility then in a clean way turns that woody biomass into clean carbon products that remove PFAS from water and reduce water consumption.

It's beautiful. But it only works with our citizens participating, so we're really trying to get the word out. I want to extend a special thanks to Mike Alexander in emergency management. I see Chief Norris Krum in the back as well. He's always at all of our meetings. I mean, guys have just decades and decades of experience fighting fires on the ground and managing these issues. So it's a deep honor to me to be before you today hearing this really incredible project. I just want to say thank you and thank you to my colleagues for supporting this.

All right. Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner?

I can have we heard public testimony yet?

We have not yet heard public testimony. Would you like to go to public testimony, Commissioner?

Yeah. And also, I we do have emergency management with us, and I know it's an incredibly dry year. So if they would like to say any words, of course, they're welcome to.

Before perhaps before we go to public comment, we do have director Alexander here. Perhaps we could invite him to come up forward and speak in relation to the contract before us. From his own expertise. Good

afternoon commissioners Mike Alexander director of Douglas County Emergency Management. I would just echo the support for this project is a phenomenal solution turning liability, hazardous fuels into assets through biochar. We are in fact facing one of the worst drought years we've ever seen here in Colorado and across the Front Range. We're at critically dry levels. We're enjoying this week. The cooler weather weather is awesome. I'm sleeping great at night. It's it's fantastic. But we know that's really not going to pull us out of the deep ditch that we're in. We are significantly behind in our water consumption for the year.

We know that we're going to face a challenging fire season here in Douglas County and across Front Range and all of Colorado, to be quite frank with you, including much Of the West. So our preparations that we've taken across the months and years leading up to this are of extreme value in investing in Helletech, investing in fire response, investing in pre response mitigation activities, the cost share program, and biochar. All are industry leading efforts to protect our citizens' lives, property, and welfare going forward. So I just appreciate all the support that you all offer as well as Sheriff Weekly in giving us the ability to bring these visions to reality. So I just want to say thank you.

Alright. Thank you, director. Very much appreciated. Chief Karim? You sure? Alright. I was afraid he was gonna say yes, then he just tell the story about when I almost burnt down my deck from a charcoal fire. But good. We won't hear from him. No problem. Gentlemen, have you heard enough? Should we open up public comment?

Please.

Yeah. I I would love to hear from the public on this. And I would just add on Mike's comment. I would hate to wake up in a county a year from now if my house was surrounded by brown pine beetle infestation and not have a helicopter, not have a biochar facility, not have any place to take that woody biomass and just sit there and worry whether or not my property, my neighbors, the things that I care about are just going to catch on fire. You don't have that worry in Douglas County. We are going to take care of you here and I'm just I can sleep better at night knowing that these guys are in charge.

All right. Thank you, Commissioner. Let's go ahead and open up public comment. I did not have anyone signed up for public comment on this matter. Is there anyone who'd like to speak on public comment? Seeing none, let's come back to the board for action. Board, we do have this construction contract and purchase order before us. How would we like to take action?

Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. And this is one of those projects that when I first heard about it prior to becoming a county commissioner, actually thought it was a little crazy. Yeah. Because every time I heard biochar spoken of, really, the the leaders on the issue were from the city of Boulder here in Colorado and Minneapolis in Minnesota.

That's where I always heard about it. And, of course, with the carbon capture credit or capturing carbon credits and so forth, really always came from a very, environmentalist and conservationist perspective. But digging into the issue, the vision for this coming out of the wildfire collaborative, all those experts that gathered right here in Douglas County, thanks to the commissioners who came before me, thanks to you two, The vision that came out of that is just incredible that we are here today on the verge of another pine beetle infestation, on the verge of another dry summer that we are about to embark on to have a solution. Like, we we can offer citizens 50%, to pay half of the cost to clear the clear the dead from their property and to move those trees back from their homes. But if you can't take it anywhere, what's kind of the point?

And there's nowhere to take it anywhere near, Douglas County for our residents. So to be able to go up in those, forest to help prevent the forest fires from even starting, and then to be able to reduce water use on the flip side from the product that comes from it, just incredible. And on top of it, it's revenue generating. We heard $4,000,000, per year in revenues that will be coming back that will make this pay for itself very quickly. So in such a dry and arid year, as we face wildfires, as we try to do everything we can to protect the people of Douglas County, fully support this effort.

And therefore, mister chair, I move to approve construction contracts and purchase order for the Douglas County biochar facility and the associated site development for the future recycling facilities and programs to Bowen Studios for a total contract amount of $7,876,000,169.81 dollars not a penny more.

Well, I'll second that motion. And Mr. Chad, I'd love to ask a question of staff, if I may. Please. Tim, is it correct to say that if we move forward with this today, Douglas County will be the first county in the nation to operate a biochar facility?

Yes, Commissioner. I believe that is 100% true.

Okay. Thank you. Alright.

Well, there

is a motion in a second. So I think I think the people of Douglas County expect us to be doing something to help mitigate the wildfire danger. And this is something. I think, I know, the county has been involved for as long as I've lived here, which is almost thirty years, has been involved in processing yard waste, down tree limbs. It's been the county's business.

This does the county's business. And so and then I can't help but take my eye off of this projection. And we've already talked about this. This is as conservative as we could feasibly be in these projections. And in my twenty years of business, this is called a no brainer, with a couple of expletives thrown in, too, because of how much that's a no brainer in terms of expense recovery. So I think this is a no brainer. Why haven't we passed it yet? Oh, yeah, because I haven't asked for it. Any further discussion? We do have a motion and a second.

All in favor, aye. Aye. And construction contract and purchase order is approved.

Thank you, commissioners.

Thank you, Tim. Thank you, Dan. Thank you, team. Very much appreciated. Great job. And Holly, you did great too. That from the very beginning. Alright. Let's go into commissioner comments. Gentlemen, any comments?

Did the item get pulled for a future meeting or for this meeting? Item r? It was on the consent. It's for this meeting? No comments from me, mister Chai. Just making sure we cover everything that needed to be covered today.

Yes, sir. No. I appreciate you doing that. Keeping us straight. Commissioner, any comments?

I think I've said enough today.

Yeah. I think we've all said enough today. I will go any further business. Any other business gentlemen to introduce at this time? Moving on to the county manager's report. Okay. Thank you, sir. And so, with that, we will have our next business meeting. It will be held on Tuesday, 05/12/2026 at 01:30 p. M. I do realize we're running late. I apologize to everybody for the public hearing coming up next. We are going to take a ten minute break after adjournment, and then we will begin the public hearing. We are adjourned.