Board of County Commissioners Business Meeting - Regular Meeting

All right, welcome everybody to the Board of County Commissioners Business Meeting. It is Tuesday, September 8th, 2026. Let us all please come to order. And for the purposes of an invocation, please welcome Reverend Darren Kessler. And Darren, please.

Please pray with me. Lord, we thank you that we can come into a public meeting like this recognizing your sovereignty. Understanding that even these commissioners and other public officials serve underneath you and I pray for them and I thank you that they are requesting this prayer that they may humbly serve under a sovereign God. I pray for everyone who participates and receives and interacts that it would bring glory to you and thank you that we can serve under a God who loves us. I pray that would be communicated here today and in this county as well that we would serve and take care of widows and orphans and those in need. and come together as a community under that love. Thank you that we could pray to you in knowing that you care of what is happening today and within this county. In your name, Jesus, amen.

Amen. All right, thank you once again, Darren, for sharing your words of grace and your words of community and wisdom to us. We very much appreciate it. If everyone will please stand 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. All right. Turning to the county attorney for purposes of certification of the agenda. Yes, sir. The county attorney's office has reviewed all items on the agenda.

Any of appropriate jurisdiction over these matters?

Very good, thank you, Councilor. Commissioners, any disclosures for items on this agenda? I have none, Mr. Chair, thank you. And none for me. All right, nor have I. Thank you, gentlemen. Let's get into our first item on the agenda today, which is Ceremonies and Proclamations. And our first item is the 2026 Older Adult Initiative Grant Recognition provided by Kim Smith, Community Programs Coordinator for Staff.

Can I turn that off? Thank you, commissioners. Good afternoon. Kim Smith representing community services. The Older Adult Initiative or OAI was launched in 2023 to create a collaborative community driven forum for identifying the challenges and opportunities facing older adults in Douglas County. As part of this initiative, the Board of County Commissioners allocated $634,904 to implement projects designed to enhance the quality of life and independence of older adults in Douglas County. On August 25th, The Board approved funding recommendations following a thorough application review and endorsement by the Older Adult Initiative Executive Committee. The eight organizations being recognized today have been awarded a total of $634,904 in grant funding to implement 10 projects which address the Older Adult Initiative priorities of transportation, housing, in-home services, and access to information and resources. This concludes my presentation. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. The organizations receiving funding have been invited here today to be recognized, and I would like to invite any of them to come up at this time to share a few words.

All right, thank you, Kim. Board, any questions for Kim before we proceed to hear from the organizations?

No, Kim, thank you as always for marshalling all of this wonderful information for us, and I would sincerely like to compliment our friend and colleague, George Thiel, for organizing and creating the Older Adults Initiative and really putting some money toward it. I think it's one thing to have a proclamation that recognizes seniors in our community that have made a difference, but to truly recognize them by burning shoe leather to meet with them and then bringing forward actual funding to make a difference is significant, so good job.

Thank you, Commissioner. I didn't spend any money. You and me, we spent money, pal. But thank you very much, Commissioner. I appreciate the accolades. Commissioner, any questions for Kim?

No, but big thank you, and I'll save most of my comments for after the presentations.

Okay, very good. At this time, we'd invite anybody up from the receiving organizations who would like to speak. Ma'am, please come on forward. And you are no stranger to the board, Carrie, but please come forward. Please do introduce yourself. Tell everybody where you're from, what you do, and please share your comments.

Hello, thank you, commissioners, and this is Carrie Erickson. I'm the founder and executive director of Aging Resources of Douglas County, and I remember when Commissioner Thiel said, hey, let's take on older adult issues, and I'm really very grateful for that. I think we had a lot of fun doing it, too, if I remember correctly. It was really... To me, it felt, being a gerontologist and working with older adults for almost 20 years, I cannot believe it's been 20 years, Doug, 20 years almost, to go out and meet people where they are. was it 13 or 16 different communities, and we really heard what older adults wanted. It wasn't what I thought they wanted, it wasn't what the county thought they wanted, and the fact that you took that information and gave the resources to us providers to provide services is really appreciated. I don't know how many counties do this, so thank you very much.

All right, thank you, Carrie. Anybody else? Maria, you are no stranger to the board, but please give us your name and tell us what you do here in Douglas.

Hello, I'm Maria Chano. I'm the Executive Director of Douglas County Housing Partnership. And like Carrie said, this was an amazing experience to be a part of from the beginning and meeting so many different people and really getting to know the issues that everyone is facing. I also really appreciated coming together and meeting all of these people. great folks that maybe I haven't had the opportunity to work with so closely and to learn more about the services that they offer and how we can work together for Douglas County Housing Partnership residents and for Douglas County just all together. So thank you for that opportunity and specifically for the grant for Douglas County Housing Partnership to be able to bring on board a housing navigator to really help folks understand who to talk to and how to connect the confusing task of finding housing or figuring out what to do if you're facing housing instability has just been so important and we appreciate that grant coming through this year as well. So thank you very much.

Well, thank you, Maria. You're still my favorite Navy vet, and that's my story. I'm sticking to it. Ma'am, if you could come forward, please give us your name and tell us what you do.

Good afternoon, I'm Nancy Falk, I'm the Executive Director at Nourish Meals on Wheels and I echo exactly what Carrie said. I remember when Carrie and I were talking about bringing hot meals in connection to older adults in Douglas County and I'm gonna be honest, at the time it was overwhelming to think about adding 12 new routes and all of these new folks. who needed us, and I thank you all for combating food insecurity and isolation in older adults in our community, so thank you.

Thank you, ma'am, very much appreciated. Sir, come on forward, tell us your name, tell us what you do.

Hi there, Jason McCullough, I'm the Director for Home Modification and Repair Programs at Brothers Redevelopment, and I wanted to come and thank the County of Douglas for the support, the ongoing support for the services we offer. We are a non-profit organization, we focus on housing issues, and my side of the street specifically deals with existing home issues for folks that are elderly with some disabilities or lower income. So these funds will help us stabilize housing in Douglas County for older folks. It'll also help us help the community stay intact and keep these folks housed with independence, safety, and comfort for years to come. Thank you very much. We appreciate it.

All right. Thank you, sir. Very much appreciated. Ma'am, come on forward. Tell us what you do. Again, no wrestling on your way to the podium, people.

Hi, I'm Lisa Armao. I'm the Executive Director of Early Childhood Service Corps and I just want to thank you all as well for the continued support. This is the second year in a row we've received a grant. I really appreciate the fact that you see what we do, our intergenerational programming. our intergenerational programming as something that it's important for both sides of the coin. We recruit older adults that are looking to work or volunteer in early childhood settings and match them with existing early childhood sites in Douglas County for combined benefit. So our folks get volunteer meaning, some are workforce-oriented people, and then our early childhood partner sites get the needed workforce that they have. So you are one of the few counties that has really looked at what we are doing and say this matters to our county and we appreciate it so much. So thank you for the continued funding and having me here today.

Thank you, ma'am. And by the way, the real thanks needs to go to Commissioner Layden, who once he heard about what I had in mind for the older adults initiative, what you were providing, what you were doing here in the county was entirely his inspiration and it's his vision that you are fulfilling right now.

Well, thank you so much.

Sorry for the love fest. I mean, that's the danger of two people working together for six years. There's a lot of memories of how things began, but have such a vivid experience like all of you during COVID when people in congregate care settings were told they couldn't connect with their loved ones. And we were seeing a lot of older adults really suffer emotionally. And sometimes they died in settings where they couldn't touch their loved one one last time. So having that connection and then also recognizing that kids really needed childcare and there are young parents that can't afford childcare in our community. And there's this beautiful connection between older adults and young people where there might be an opportunity to pass on some wisdom and some life experience and build that social emotional connection across generations. So thank you for that work. That's very exciting.

We love doing it. Thank you.

Yep.

All right. Thank you very much. Come on up, sir. No need for wrestling this time, I hope.

Fair enough, Commissioner. Good afternoon, Commissioners. My name is Rich Martin. I'm the Executive Vice President, or the Vice President of Transportation for the Castle Rock Senior Activity Center. This is Shannon O'Brien. She's our Interim Executive Director now. We would just like to take this opportunity to thank you so much for the opportunity to take care of our elderly in the community with these funds, particularly for the transportation part of it. As we get to meet these people and rarely a day goes by that we don't get a thank you so much for letting us do this so that we not only can get our meals, go grocery shopping, make doctor's appointments, anything along those lines, rarely is there anything but a thank you and without this service, we wouldn't know what to do. So we'd like to just, relay that to you as well, that without this service, there are a lot of elderly people that wouldn't be able to function and to keep an active life and lower the rate of depression. So thank you very much. We certainly appreciate it.

All right, thank you, sir. Very much appreciate it. Is there anyone else from one of the, oh, come on forward, ma'am. Please do give us your name. Tell us what you do.

I'm Katie Burns and I'm the Regional Director of Catholic Charities here in Castle Rock. And just wanna thank you all for including us this year in the grant. I feel really blessed to live in Douglas County and be part of a county that really works together so well with agencies and government coming together for the greater good. And that's what we're all about. So seeing the need that seniors are having and being a growing population in our county, it's awesome to be able to help more people in need. This grant will allow us to help two more households, senior households a month with rental assistance. And as we know, everybody has things that come up in life, whether it be a car repair or an unforeseen expense somewhere, and this will help us bridge that gap and help these seniors get through that brief, tough period. So thank you for recognizing the need.

All right, thank you, ma'am, appreciate it. Ma'am, come on forward and give us your name, tell us what you do.

Good afternoon, I'm Erin White with Manna Resource Center. I want to echo what my colleagues have said and just offer a word of thank you for not only the grant funds that you're administering, but also the time you took to really look at the needs of our older adults in this community as a nonprofit. Here, we've seen the number of individuals come through our doors increase year after year, and the barriers of our older adults look different than the barriers of some of our other populations. With these funds, we'll be able to dive deeper into their needs and help meet them where they are, increasing their stability and working collaboratively, not only with you all, but with our other nonprofit partners. So I just wanted to say thank you.

Thank you, ma'am, appreciate it. Is there anyone else? Oh, Kim, it looks like you have mail for us to deliver. All right. Well, gentlemen, it does look like we have award letters to deliver. If you'll join me, let's go down front and call them up to receive their letters. All right. Chairman Teel.

Got you a microphone.

All right. Usually we make the rookie go first, but I will be happy to begin with Aging Resources of Douglas County.

Okay, I've got Brothers Redevelopment Incorporated.

Congratulations. Thanks for all you do.

Thank you, sir, and it's my pleasure to bring up Manna Resource Center. Curious about the new headquarters.

Catholic Charities of Central Colorado And I have the Douglas County Housing Partnership

Nourish Meals on Wheels, please come on up.

And I don't know why I keep getting these ones, but the Castle Rock Senior Activity Center, please.

Okay. Well, and last but certainly not least, Early Childhood Service Corps.

So Drew is hovering persistently, so we're probably going to want to get a picture with all of us. But before that, can I please ask everyone to give all the recipients a round of applause?

One more round of applause.

Well, all right, our next item is a recognition of Aging Resources volunteer Mike, and if I slay this name, please excuse me and correct me later, Mike Gramis. All right, I got it right. This is to be presented by Aging Resources staff, so Carrie, either come forward, please, or send your evil minions, or not so evil minions. Oh, they're nice. So please do introduce yourselves and please begin when you're ready.

All right. Good afternoon. My name is Kelsey Thiessen. I'm with Aging Resources of Douglas County. What a wonderful opportunity it is to celebrate someone who gives so much of his time and heart to others. Mike truly deserved the recognition due to his incredible work his love for others, and a love that truly shines through in everything he does. Mike has made such a meaningful difference in the lives of older adults throughout the Douglas County community. Through his generosity, compassion, and willingness to show up and help, he has helped hundreds of older adults remain independent, connected, and able to continue living in the homes and communities they love. And Mike doesn't just give his time, he gives his heart. He's dedicated more than 3,000 hours of his time to serving others, and every one of those minutes represents an opportunity for an older adult to feel supported, valued, and a little less alone. Mike, we're so lucky to have you as part of this community. The kindness and love you show others doesn't just make a difference in individual lives. They help make Douglas County a better, more caring, and more wonderful place to live. Thank you for reminding us that sometimes the greatest impact comes from simply being willing to help. Your service is helping other adults stay independent and your kindness is strengthening our entire community. We're incredibly grateful for you and all that you do. Thank you, Mike. And now I'd like to turn it over to Lisa, our transportation manager, so she can share some of the highlights of Mike's time through our transportation program. Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you. I'd just like to add a couple additional tidbits. So Mike Gramas has been volunteering with Aging Resources since 2017. He has done various volunteer roles including volunteer driver, companionship with an older adult, delivery of food to seniors in need, and helping with handyman work as well as yard cleanup projects with his church group. In 2025, Mike was named best of the best volunteer in the Highlands Ranch area for his hard work. His latest achievement has been completing over 2,000 rides for aging resources. It's an impressive number. This came from his dedication and commitment to his community. When you consider a volunteer averages six rides per day, this equates to over 330 days of Mike being a presence in his community, helping older adults get to doctor's appointments, grocery stores, and other important places older adults cannot access independently. Aging resource clients describe Mike as dependable, calm and consistent, a great guy, safe and steady. Mike has built relationships with the people he drives. One aging resources client described how they have bonded over their shared enjoyment of movies and comedy. The older adult lending Mike the movie Fly Away Home and Mike enjoying it. It was something for them to discuss on the way to and from the gym the next time Mike drove that client. I'm sure you know who I'm referring to. Such gestures of time built into something special. And that is what Mike has created through his efforts and giving of his time over the past almost decade of volunteering with Aging Resources. We are grateful for all Mike has done and continues to do for his neighbors and the Aging Resources programs. And then we also have a plaque. If now is an appropriate time, we'd love to present it to Mike.

Please do.

Congratulations, Mike, on over 2,000 rides completed with aging resources. Thank you so much.

All right, Mike, I don't know if anybody shared the bad news with you, but you're not allowed to stand at the podium unless you make comments, particularly if you are given an award. So please, sir, share your comments.

I'm happy to make comments, but seriously, I couldn't do any of this without... Jillian and Kelsey and Lisa and Lori, all the people in the office, all I do is show up. They just tell me where to go and it's a blessing to me because I enjoy what I do and meet lots of amazing people. And they really get all the credit because, again, all I do is show up and do what I'm told and just very thankful for the opportunity. But thank you all for supporting Aging Resources because not a day goes by when I'm serving these people that these people are not genuinely happy with the organization and everything you all do to support them. So thank you.

Well, thank you, sir. Very much appreciated. Now, hang on a second. You're not allowed to go away because now it's time for the board to make comments. Board, comments, please.

Well, great people are the lifeblood of Douglas County, and in a community of 400,000, it still feels like Mayberry because of people like you that just selflessly wake up and say, I'm going to make a difference today, and I'm going to serve those who, frankly, have probably served us their entire lives. So it is not lost on me or this board how significant your contribution is. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Let me just piggyback on those comments. Very well said, Commissioner Layton. Thank you to the whole Aging Resources team. You guys do such incredible work for Douglas County. I can't thank each and every one of you enough, but specifically to Mike, like Commissioner Layton said, Douglas County is exceptional because of people like you. And it is so wonderful we get to honor you today. We can fund programs, we can empower our community partners like we just did by passing out checks to a lot of our not-for-profits in Douglas County. But the genuine care, Mike, that I've heard about you providing specifically to our senior community, goes well above and beyond. I know they mentioned giving rides to people, the doctor's appointments, thousands of rides, chores around the house, friendly conversation, yard work. Kudos for all of those things you do. Your dedication makes such a life-changing impact for so many residents. We can't say thank you deeply enough. Your generosity, your time, just everything you do. Thank you so much for doing it. Keep it up. I'm sure you get lots of thanks every day, but today all of Douglas County says thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner. You know, Commissioner Layton had some very kind words on my behalf with the Older Adults Initiative. Obviously, it was our predecessors who gave Carrie the job to provide a framework for the care and, you know, helping our older adults here in Douglas County continue what have obviously been very special lives into their later years. But none of the work we do here matters at all. If it's not for guys like you, it's guys like you that, that take these, these words that we say and turn them into actions and make them into something special for all of our neighbors. So for that reason, uh, because you're making it sure that the words I speak aren't just empty. I thank you very much. And I wanted you to know how much your neighbors appreciate everything you do. Obviously, more than 365 days out of the year, for God's sakes, man, take a vacation. But before you go, Mike, we've got something for you as well. So if you could please come on forward, and we're going to, and then pull up whoever you'd like for a photo, because we're gonna catch a photo, but we've got something for you as well. First of all, this one, you gotta shake my hand again. That's the way to hand that off. But then we do have a certificate of appreciation and civic impact recognition signed by the three commissioners.

So who else is joining? Come on up here, guys. Kerry, don't you wanna get up here too? Absolutely. I think we all need to move this way.

Thank you again.

Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

All right, our next item on the agenda is a Dr. Cogg Metro Vision Award for the Greenland Ranch Wildlife Overpass. Dan Dirts, Director of Open Space and Natural Resources presenting for staff. What are you doing bringing up former employees? They're not allowed up here anymore.

I figured I could not do this without Andy. This is a project that he spent years of his life working on and I wanted to make sure that as part of this recognition that Andy was also recognized for this.

Please carry on.

Thank you, Commissioner. So good afternoon. Today I have the honor of sharing that on August 26th, 2026, Douglas County was awarded a Metro Vision Award by the Denver Regional Council of Governments for the Greenland Wildlife Overpass and Wildlife Plan. The purpose of the Metro Vision Awards is to recognize excellence, innovation, collaboration, and leadership in problem solving among communities and their partners. Since the passing of the open space sales tax in 1994, Douglas County's leadership has played a tremendous role in preserving vital wildlife habitat and wildlife corridors by creating a well-thought-out wildlife plan and policies surrounding that plan and by following that plan. The Wildlife Overpass was a collaborative effort between Douglas County, the Department of Transportation, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Douglas Land Conservancy, and private property owners who value conservation. The purpose of the Wildlife Overpass was to protect the nearly 100,000 people in vehicles traveling between Colorado Springs and Denver daily from the possibility of colliding with wildlife traveling within a critical wildlife corridor to and from the Pike National Forest. Today I have with me the person that I feel had as much to do with the fact that this project was funded and built here in Douglas County, Andy Howe. I would like to give Andy a few moments to talk about the project and how it really highlights the years of dedicated work that Douglas County has done to protect our resources. Andy?

Thank you. Commissioners, good to be back, good to see you all. I appreciate the opportunity to speak here, but I would really like to give credit to Douglas County and our partners because the Greenland Wildlife Overpass, in my opinion, is the capstone of 30 years of work in conservation. And Douglas County, being a conservative county, is a nationwide leader in conservation. Many times the liberal parties like to claim credit for conservation. In many jurisdictions, there's harsh regulations and taxation and different things that bring about those conservation efforts. But I think Douglas County has done it right. They have used incentives such as density bonuses, state sales tax credits and whatnot. to help fund these projects. Douglas County has had a wildlife plan for about 24 years. That's been incorporated into the Comprehensive Master Plan, which has guided land use decisions for a quarter of a century. For about 30 years, we've had an open space sales tax that has funded incredible land purchases. Through that fund, we've preserved about 17,000 acres of fee-title open space. There's about 46,000 or 47,000 acres protected by conservation easements in private hands. About 26.5% of the county is Pike National Forest, administered through the U.S. Forest Service. We have three state parks, state wildlife area, and myriad pieces of land in municipal and metro district or subdivision open space parcels. We have, I lose track here, but the low-hanging fruit is, and not adjusted for inflation, this county and its partners have spent probably over $340 million to conserve these acres, produce 14 wildlife under and over passes in our system. Again, talking to CDOT, talking to other conservation leaders, going to conferences, international conferences on conservation. We keep hearing this county or that municipality just enacted some regulations or we're starting with this initiative, that initiative. After 30 years, we're done. It's not that we won't continue to conserve, it's not that we won't continue to acquire more land or improve what we have, but after 30 years, we have built a system in one of the fastest growing counties in the nation that will conserve wildlife in perpetuity. We have done it through the carrot rather than the stick, through cooperation with many landowners, many other organizations, individuals, collaborative groups and things like that. So Douglas County should be very proud of what they've done. And again, the Greenland Wildlife Overpass is the capstone, our 14th wildlife crossing. One's in Monument, just outside the county, but it's part of the same system. So I just want to give credit back to this county who's made this possible over the last 30 years. So thank you.

All right. Well, thank you, Andy. I very much appreciate it. Let's have a round of applause, not only for the county, but for Andy, too. Now, Dan, did we get the Metro Vision Award yet? Do we have that?

We do, sir. It is in my hand if you'd like to do a photo with it, sir.

Let's do a photo with that because, you know, I don't know, having sat on Dr. Cogg for many years, and I don't know, Commissioner Van Winkle, if you'll agree, who knows when we're gonna get another one? So let's preserve the moment. Come on down, guys. And by the way, I do see a number of our COSAC board members. Please come forward as well.

No, we're gonna make Andy go.

No, no, no. Thank you.

Thank you. All right, moving on to the consent agenda. The consent agenda will be taken, all items on the consent agenda will be taken on one vote without discussion among the board. Any board member who does feel like an item needs additional discussion as well as public comment may remove any item from the consent agenda. Board, how would we like to take action on the consent agenda?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move to approve the request in items A through B of the consent agenda. And I'll second that.

All right. We do have a motion and a second on the consent agenda. All in favor say aye. Aye. And it is passed. Moving to our regular agenda. First up on the regular agenda is the Mark Weston Open Space Memorial Request for Official Name Change of Property and Use of Open Space Funds from the Parks, Trails, Historic Resources and Open Space Sales Tax of up to $30,000. Dan Dirts, Director, Open Space and Natural Resources, presenting for staff.

Good afternoon Commissioner Standertz again, Director of Open Space and Natural Resources here today to bring forth the Mark Weston Open Space at Spruce Mountain project. The purpose of this request is to rename Spruce Mountain Open Space to Mark Weston Open Space at Spruce Mountain. The request is to utilize up to $30,000 from the Open Space Operation Maintenance and CIP Fund of the parks, trails, historic resources, and open space sales tax. These funds will pay for new monument signage. trail signage, interpretive signage, and a sitting area at the overlook. And what's unique about this, there's been about nearly $15,000 has been raised by friends and family of Mark. And then to kind of finalize that, the celebration will be held actually on Mark's birthday, which is October 26, 2026. The purpose of this map is just to kind of show those that are not familiar with where Spruce Mountain or future Mark Weston open space would be is where the red star is on the southern portion of the county in that major wildlife quarter which Mark was so instrumental in protecting. This slide here is a representation of one of the interpretive signs that we will be placing at Spruce Mountain. The purpose of this is to really show that MARC had a long time legacy in protecting conservation, not only here in Douglas County, but throughout the region, which I do believe that our friends and family will be able to share more of once I'm done with this presentation. I added this interpretive sign as well just to kind of show where this overlook will be and what you'll be able to see from the overlook. The image that you see in the top left hand corner is kind of the image from the overlook which we will be making improvements to really celebrate the work that was done by Mark. This concludes my portion of the presentation. However, I do have friends and family that would like to continue talking about Mark and what he meant for conservation and for Douglas County. I am happy to answer any questions that you have though.

Very good. Thank you, Dan. Questions from the board for Mr. Dertz?

You know, I don't have any questions, Dan, but you are such a tremendous leader in open space and have been a leader in our community for so long. You know, when I think about Mark Weston, who I did not know personally, but I know many, many people did for decades, and coupled with the last presentation where, you know, we really have the largest wildlife overpass in the country. I don't know about you all, but every once in a while on social media, I subscribe to the Good News website. websites for a little uplift once in a while. And one thing that was listed under good news were all these things happening all over the world about cancer research and things happening to protect kids. And Douglas County came up with that wildlife overpass. And it's nice to have had the leadership of Mark Weston on so many visionary projects. Good things don't happen without leadership. And what I have been told about him is that so much of our county's open space and our commitment to our Western way of life would not have happened without his vision. So it's really an honor to hear more about him today and honor him.

Thank you, Commissioner. All right, thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner, questions for Dan?

No questions for Dan at this time, but I am certainly looking forward to hearing from a few more folks about hearing about Mark.

Thank You Commissioner Dan I don't have any questions we've we've gone over this a couple times in other work sessions and I don't know I'm all in favor of approving this but I understand there are a couple folks who do wish to say more watching how Jay jumped right up and seemed to be striding right to the main podium I will be happy to recognize Jay please sir give us your name tell us what you do for the county

Hello, commissioners, Mr. County Manager, Mr. County Attorney. My name is Jay Sage. I'm the chair of the COSAC committee. I live in Highlands Ranch. And the real reason I'm here is because Mark Weston was my mentor, my colleague and friend for 30 years. There isn't a week that goes by I don't think about him. Commissioners, I'd like you to think about two numbers today. One's 87 and the other is 100. Now, I'm a die-hard Broncos fan, so when I say 87, rest assured, I'm not thinking about Travis Kelsey, who wears 87 for the Kansas City Chiefs. When I mention 87, I'm thinking of the staggering 87% of voters who supported our Open Space Sales Tax Initiative in 2022. Mark was thrilled when that passed, and we thought, honestly, wondered when our community would agree on anything by 87% again. Think about it, your friends and family trying to get even half of them to agree to go to dinner oftentimes is a recipe for pandemonium. Against all odds, we did manage to beat that 87% statistic, which brings me to that number 100. Since you commissioners approved the renaming of the Spruce Mountain Open Space for Mark Weston, I have found a literal 100% approval. I've heard of people crying tears of joy and collecting funds from Mark's friends to offset the county's renaming expenses worked out better than a pair of free front row tickets at the Douglas County Rodeo. Mark deserves this for his legendary work which is a lifelong effort preserving open spaces from Douglas County all the way on a national stage and his work is only half the story. The real reason 100% of the people I spoke with are thrilled today isn't just to honor his resume, it's to honor the man. In Mark Weston, we see the kind of rare virtues that put service entirely before self. When we visit the Mark Weston open space, we won't just see beautiful lands, we'll see wonderful and a lasting reminder of what it looks like to dedicate a lifetime to service to Douglas County. Commissioners, thank you for making this happen. Now, I'll introduce, who will speak next, Kathy Shandro, who's a COSAC member, followed by Mickey Clark and Jennifer Drybread, followed by Brooke Fox, who's our first open space director, and then we're honored to have Kathleen Weston here, Mark's bride, and she'll speak finally. So thank you, commissioners.

All right, thank you, Jay. Kathy, come on forward, but you gotta tell us your name, and you gotta tell us what you do for the county.

Good afternoon. My name is Kathy Shandro and I'm honored to be your appointee to the Douglas County Open Space Advisory Committee. My other friends are going to talk more about Mark's extraordinary commitment to open space and the preservation of lands in Douglas County. But I would like to talk about a few of his other contributions to Douglas County because it just expresses how integral his commitment to our county was to our way of life. I first met Mark in 1992 in his capacity as the campaign finance chairman for Jim Sullivan's campaign for the Board of County Commissioners. And in Mark, I found someone who is incredibly friendly, but also extremely knowledgeable. And over the next 30 years, this is something that was really a hallmark of his life. He would dig deep into subject matter before he really took a stand on a position, and he would invite others around him to do the same. Mark at that time was serving on the Douglas County Planning Commission. He spent quite a bit of effort in kind of nudging Mission Viejo and Shea Homes in the direction of developing Highlands Ranch with multiple parks and miles of trails and all those ribbons of green belt when you drive through Highlands Ranch. that really does have Mark's stamp on it. He also was very involved in the creation of the Douglas Public Library District back in the early 1990s, and he was on that board for, oh gosh, 15 or 20 years, often as its chairperson. and he was a champion of creating all of the branch libraries that we all enjoy here together. And so even though he did embody the spirit of the Western cowboy and even though he had a very soft spot in his heart for preserving wildlife corridors and open spaces. His impact on our county was really quite a bit more broad than just that. And I really can't think of anybody who is more worthy of the renaming of Spruce Mountain than Mark Weston. So thank you very much for making this happen.

All right. Thank you, Kathy. We're happy to welcome the next speaker up. Ma'am, you are no stranger to the board, but please do give us your name and tell us where you're from. Michelle Clark, Castle Pines.

Mickey Clark, most people know me by. So thank you very much, Commissioners. I really liked a couple of comments that came before me. Commissioner Layden, Jay Sage, Anyhow, we talked about yes people, people that say yes to an idea instead of no people who just say no. It's easy to say no, right? It's hard to say yes. And Mark was one of those people. He said yes when we started In 1992, we started. We failed the first time. It ended up being Mark Weston, Jennifer Drybread, John Farnloff, and me. We called ourselves the Gang of Four because we were the only four people in Douglas County that wanted this to be done. So it didn't take a lot of people, but we said yes to it. And we soon, of course, we got a lot of volunteers afterwards, so I'm not at all saying we did it by ourselves. We didn't. But we said yes. And the thing about Mark is he was, I'm gonna give you a few little stories, he was always the adult in the room. So no matter what happened, He never lost his cool. He was always, well, okay, so here's what we'll do now. We didn't have any money, here's what we'll do now. We didn't have enough volunteers, here's what we'll do now. He was the consummate diplomat. He was our intermediary with the Board of County Commissioners because I didn't know them. Jennifer worked in the planning department, planning? And so he was the guy who went in and said, okay, so here's how we need to coach it. Here's how we need to approach the whole thing. Because we have been a fiscally conservative county for 35 years that I've lived here. So... Introducing a sales tax, never an easy thing, a sales and use tax. And yet, when I look back about what we've done and how Mark was always the guy we went to to say, okay, if we can't do this, How do we get to yes? How do we get to yes with the county commissioners? How do we get to yes with people? We also had an education committee where we went around to every HOA in this county. How do you get to yes with all those HOAs who couldn't even believe that we were talking about preserving stuff and creating wildlife corridors? Those weren't things they were concerned about back in 93 and 94 and 95. And then the reason I'm bringing this up about Mark is that he really kept us going. And to fast forward to today, I want to thank, well, 2022, I want to thank Commissioner Layton and Commissioner Thiel for saying yes. You held us to account. You made sure we weren't. What did you call it, Commissioner Thiel? AstroTurf people. I mean, you held to the very conservative values of this county. You always did what you said, and we would not be here today celebrating this If it hadn't been for your support in 2022, you really did do that for us. And I'm sorry it's taken me so long to thank you guys, because you did stand behind us. Don't mean to leave you out, Commissioner Van Winkle. You just weren't there at the time. I just feel really proud to be here, that after 34, 35 years, and Mark was a huge part of that in so many, in fact, I think he's the one who roped me into doing the 2022 election, if I'm remembering this right. He was just a magnificent person of quiet demeanor and immense, respect for others and an ability to carve out a deal, even if it was a compromise deal. I mean, he was not a man who ever just said no. He always said, yes, there's a way. Thank you.

Thanks, Mickey. Ma'am, you are no stranger to the board, but please do tell us your name and tell us what you do.

Good afternoon, Jennifer Drybrad. I also serve on COSAC. And so happy to be here today with you all. I knew Mark Weston, gosh, I don't even know when. Back in the late 80s, early 90s, he served on the planning commission. Mark, I guess what I would just kind of build on what Kathy Shandra said, he was a public servant. Mark really was the definition of a public servant. And my work with him, I was the advanced planning manager at the time, and he always did his homework. thought very thoughtfully, but he always looked at what are the best interests of Douglas County. That was his sounding stone. That's where he held his ground. And later, as we were pulling together the Open Space Initiative in 1994, Mark and I was so happy to have served with Mickey and John at that time as well. He was the voice that went to the county commissioners and other local governments. He had standing as a planning commission member, he was well-respected, and he was that voice that brought other communities together to create a positive action for that. Then later when COSAC was formed after the program was established in 94 and he really advocated for many open space areas and one that comes to mind to my way of thinking was Prairie Canyon Ranch. Mark was a strong advocate for that. He knew Bob Schultz as did Mickey Clark and others and He knew what a gem that was, and he knew why it was so important to preserve that, and he was an advocate for that. And then others will speak to his participation in the whole Greenland Ranch corridor. I wasn't involved at that time. But I just would finish by saying, In 2022, when we came back to the county commissioners and talked about extending the sales and use tax, you might remember Mark, who suffered from ALS, was in a wheelchair and he came here to really advocate for the passage and the extension of this sales and use tax. So that's the man that Mark Weston was and it was really my sincere pleasure to have known him.

Thank you, Jennifer. Appreciate it. Ma'am, come on forward. Give us your name. Tell us what you do.

Hi, I'm Brooke Fox and I was the first Director of Open Space and Natural Resources for Douglas County and I just want to say thank you, thank you for this. As Mark, I mean I can't say anything better than what's already been said. Mark completely deserved this honor. I got to know him obviously as a COSAC member, as a friend and a professional here at Douglas County and he, Again, can't say anything more than what's already been said. He had a quick wit. He was extremely smart. He was thoughtful and a fierce advocate for land conservation. And as you've heard, he loved Douglas County and he loved Colorado. He was instrumental, as you heard, about the Open Space Master Plan and the priorities that we have come to fruition today. It's such an honor to be here today because I remember these conversations about the wildlife corridor and trying to build a bridge and all of those things that we felt like were so difficult and hard and you guys have made it come to fruition, which is incredible. And Mark was behind all of that. I had a whole different kind of talk today, but everyone said so many great things. But one of the things I want to really emphasize, it's not frivolous to say that without Mark Weston, Greenland Ranch, JA, Prairie Canyon, some of those real crown jewels in Douglas County probably wouldn't have happened. JA in particular was the first conservation easement that GO co-funded that did not have public access, and he advocated that conservation easements really were a very important tool in preserving open space. If JA hadn't happened, Greenland Ranch would never have happened. And that's part of the conversation when after Mark passed away, a group of us got together and said, how can we honor Mark's legacy? And there was a lot of conversation about is there a way that we could get a monument? Is there a way that we could rename an open space? Which open space would it be? Prairie Canyon, as you mentioned, was so important and so huge to Mark. But this open space, the Spruce Mountain and the overlook that you showed us, Dan, it overlooks the huge expanse of the accomplishments of Mark. I'm starting to get kind of goopy here. But it overlooks what Mark really accomplished and helped the county accomplish. So we're really very grateful and appreciative that this is the place that people can go up and they can take it in and really appreciate it. But more than anything, I'm just really grateful to have known Mark as a good friend and such a wonderful advocate for land conservation. So thank you very much.

Well, thank you, Brooke. Very much appreciate it. And the next speaker is welcome. Ma'am, please do give us your name and tell us where you're from.

Hi, I'm Kathleen Weston. I am Mark's wife. And commissioners, thank you so much for giving us a voice here to thank you, to show the incredible appreciation that our family has, the community has for making this actually happen, which is a pretty remarkable vision that a handful of people came up with and with a lot of help and a lot of service has really landed on putting something into motion. A number of people said some extraordinary things. I won't speak about Mark's work life other than to say that he had terrible handwriting. And he tried to blame it on ALS, but I've spent a year and a half going through documents. It was always really bad. But the one thing that stayed really consistent was his signature mark, which looks like the word work. And when people say he's deserving of this, he would completely disagree with that. So we should probably strike that if there's a record. He believes that people like you, people like you, the community is the one who really deserves this. And he would never have taken a position of hoping to be an inspiration for anybody. But I and his family hope that this naming and the interpretive signs and the experience of being in the wonder and the beauty of the natural world move them and inspire them in the same way that it did my beautiful husband. The photos they chose for the interpretive signs are pretty remarkable and they give you a little view from the young Mark, especially the one on the Bronco where he needed to do that for only about three seconds to know that he needed to use his mind instead of his body to do that work, which came easily. But I can tell you as his wife, he was a cowboy to love. And I appreciate that the community feels he was also a cowboy to love. Thank you all so much.

Board, any questions for back to staff at this time?

Well, Mr. Chair, I don't have any questions. I think sitting here in my mind, I look at each of the individuals who spoke and I mean, what an incredible visionary, what an incredible leader Mark was. You can tell that he was the type that it wasn't about ego and it wasn't about politics. It was about what is the next right thing to do. And what I'll say is it's really tough to be that sort of visionary unless you have people like you, each of you, that are willing to say yes. Yes if, yes and, yes when, but yes, let's get there. And I would never dare to speak for Mark, but I imagine that so much of that vision was accomplished through your blood, sweat, and tears. The support of an amazing spouse that said, you know what, I believe in you, even when it's tough. And for each of you, I mean, it's, Brooke, I don't blame you for getting goopy because, you know, coming to this county, it is such a beautiful and special place. And when I started leading here, I was standing on your shoulders, right? I was standing on the leadership of so many of you that already made it so amazing. So my job became very easy. Just keep it going. as nice as you made it and continue that legacy. So I'm really proud to have heard those amazing tributes and to have played a small part in that re-upping of the sales tax measure. that would not have happened without each of you saying, you know what, we gotta keep this legacy going forward. And for those that may be listening and don't know, it's because of the effort of those individuals you just heard from that we now have $330 million for parks, open space and historic resources over the life of that ballot measure. And that was approved by, as Jay mentioned, by over 87% of our population who all collectively from all walks of life said yes, Wildlife open space parks. It's important to us. So thank you Not only to mark but to each of you because you played as significant a role in in what we're appreciating today. Thank you Thank you.

Can I share any questions for staff? I Have no questions for staff. Let's open it up for public comment. I do not have anyone signed up for public comment Would anybody care to make public comment on this matter at this time? I And I'm seeing none, so let's bring it back to the board. Board, we do have a request to make an official name change on a county property, as well as dedicate county resources up to $30,000. How would we like to take action on this request?

Mr. Chair, if it does please the board, I'm honored and pleased to make a motion to approve Mark Weston Open Space Memorial request for official name change of property and use of open space funds from the parks, trails, and historic resource and open space sales tax up to $30,000.

It's my honor to second that motion. Public service, it takes so many forms and we've honored it a couple times today and acknowledged it a couple times today because it's really what makes Douglas County so great are those that give back and are always thinking of others. Mark Weston, he devoted years of his life, and I've really come to enjoy learning more about him in just the past couple months, but he devoted so many years of his life to his genuine passion to kind of shape the very character of what Douglas County is, and I think There is such a reflection of him and his devotion to open space, to land preservation, to stewardship, that it is fitting that we rename this really jewel of a property. I love going out there. And I hope many residents and many families from across Douglas County will spend a lot of time there. But by putting his name on it really acknowledges his leadership, his vision, and his tireless advocacy. Boy, to the friends and families and the colleagues that are with us, thank you for sharing him with our community. Thank you for sharing Mark with Douglas County. We're a better county because of him. We're a better county because of the vision and the leadership. And also, as Commissioner Layton said, those who came along his side and said yes and took the time to listen and took the time to help. And that goes for the commissioners that came before I was able to join the board. So big thanks to both of you. Just we as a community are very proud of Mark and this is a very proud day for everyone involved in the renaming of this. So very honored to second that motion.

All right, thank you, Commissioner. There is a motion and a second. I said it earlier when we were talking to our volunteer from older adult resources, aging resources. We can do almost anything within the law up here. None of that matters. None of that matters a bit. if it weren't for people who are willing to take up the torch and give up their time and the time away from their family to get things done on the ground. And, you know, listen, we all have jobs. You know, I worked in business for 20 years after the Army before coming here to the board. You know, just keeping the lights on, just keeping the mortgage paid is the biggest pursuit so many of us do. When we have a neighbor who steps out of that, who says, no, this is something important, this is something everybody needs to hear about, this is something everybody needs to work towards, and devotes the time and the effort to make it happen, that is worthy of memorializing. that is worthy of making sure that that name does not get forgotten anytime soon. So, I very much speak in favor of the motion. I think, I had only met Mark a few times, I did not know him well, and I too, Commissioner, have gotten a chance to know of his acts better thanks to this request that has come before us. And I'll tell you, I think there are, there are few of our neighbors who deserve to be remembered in quite this way. And so I speak in favor of the motion. Further discussion?

Mr. Chair, I would feel remiss if I didn't also add, you know, you and I got credit for supporting the ballot measure, but I will say, you know, it is that spirit of Mark Weston having folks that come after you that continue to carry forward your legacy. And I'll just add that our friend and colleague, Commissioner Van Winkle, has been part of the delivery of over 205 acres of open space right in his district in Highlands Ranch, as well as the largest and most historic delivery of parks really ever in Douglas County. So we appreciate you, Kevin, as well. And you're a welcome member to the team. Thank you.

Well, all right, gentlemen. There is a motion and a second for the discussion. Because this is a no-brainer, right? All right, well, all in favor of the request to officially rename and change, rename county property and use of open space funds from Parks and Trails and renaming it after Mark Weston, please say aye.

Aye. Aye.

Aye. And that is approved. All right, moving along, our next agenda item is consent to terminate covenant at 10443 Tomahawk Road. Brett Thomas, planning manager, Department of Community Development.

Mr. Chair, after this item, might I beg for a bio break for a quick five-minute run to the restroom?

We could even give Brett a little bit of time to get set up, and let's go ahead and break for five minutes.

Okay, thank you.

That's unmuted.

All right, let's come back to order everyone and let's return to our second item, which is consent to terminate covenant at 10443 Tomahawk Road. Mr. Thomas, please take it away.

Good afternoon, commissioners. Brett Thomas representing community development. Crooked Pines Farm LLC is the owner. Robert Hatch is the applicant's representative. The request is for the board's consent to terminate a restrictive covenant that limits division of 142 acre parcel County is not a party to the covenant. It is independently put in place by the owner. In December of 1995, the board approved an exemption for a 17-acre parcel of land known as the pachyderm exemption. The exemption had been part of a larger 159-acre parcel. The owner recorded a restrictive covenant against the remaining 142-acre parcel, preventing its division into more than three separate parcels without prior approval of Douglas County Board. In order to clear title to the land, the owner seeks the board's approval to do what the zoning regulations would otherwise allow. If the board grants its consent to terminate the restriction, no further land use process is required for the property owner to divide the 142 acre parcel into four parcels of 35 acres or greater. Parcels immediately east of the villages of Parker, Canterbury Crossing subdivision, and Parker, approximately 3 quarters of a mile south of the intersection of Main Street and Tomahawk Road, This is an aerial of the property. The 15-acre pachyderm exemption is the property northwest of the site. This concludes staff's presentation. I'm available to take questions on the staff report this time. Otherwise, the owner and representative are available to answer questions.

All right, thanks, Brett. Easy to see why that name gets its name from the aerial. Any questions for Brett Boyd?

I have none, Mr. Chair. I'll reserve my questions following the applicant's presentation.

All right, let's go ahead onto the applicant's presentation. Please, sir, come forward. Please give us both your names, and do tell us your relationship to the project.

My name is Robert Hatch, and I represent Crooked Pine Farms, LLC, and with me today is Betsy Benton. She's the manager of Crooked Pines. And as was explained by staff, there is a confusing document that's been recorded. And it says that the property cannot be divided into more than three parcels without following the county subdivision rules that are then in effect. So presently, our desire is to cut the property up to potentially for 35-acre parcels. And there are no subdivision regulations right now in effect that would apply to a division into 35 acre parcels. So it creates confusion as to what can be done with the property, the covenant does. And so we simply ask that the covenant be lifted. My client would execute a termination of the covenant, and we have a consent attached at the bottom of the termination that would just clarify that the county does depose it. And all this would mean would that if the applicant here sought to do anything that required county approval, of course, would have to do so. and that would include any of the requirements for a 35-acre parcel, and if there was any more density, of course, it would require a subdivision approval from the county. So we're just trying to clarify or to clear up some confusion that exists with this recorded covenant.

All right, thank you, sir. Board, any questions for the applicant?

I have none, Mr. Chair. I have none either.

Okay, I don't actually have any other questions. Actually, I do just have a question, but for staff. Brett, so let's say we do away with this covenant. The applicant does proceed to divide into four 35-acre parcels. It seemed like the math would work out for that. But then a subsequent owner of one of those parcels came in and asked to do a high density development in the area of like one to two acre lots. Would additional land use processes need to be made?

Yes. Yes, rezoning and subdivision would come before the board. Applications would have to be made for those. So anything beyond four 35-acre subdivisions would require process with the board.

And just thinking about it, just looking at the location in the county, would a change to the master plan be required by the planning commission?

I believe so.

Okay, so we can feel pretty confident about granting the applicant's request today, knowing that for anything, the property was pointed out to the west, which is a higher density. For any kind of development like that, further land use processes would be required.

That's correct.

Okay, I think that's my only question and we're turning it back to you guys for questions for the applicant or staff and seeing none, very good. Applicant may step back from the podium if you'd like and I'm gonna open up the floor for any public comment on this matter. I did not get anyone signed up for public comment. Is there anyone who would like to give public comment on this matter at this time? Seeing none, let's bring it back to the board. Board, we do have a request for consent to terminate a covenant. How would we like to take action?

Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. I did look at this pretty thoroughly last week and was frankly a little puzzled as to what was happening in 1995 to create the covenant because as you promptly pointed out, really there's not a whole lot to be done, or that could be done, without pretty extensive land use, public hearings, public planning commission, and the commissioners going forward beyond, going from the three to the four, and they'd all have to be 35 acres. So I see no reason to deny whatsoever, and I move to approve the request for consent to terminate a covenant for, 104 43 Tomahawk Road and I'll second that motion.

All right. There is a motion in a second any discussion You know it's often forgotten Commissioner van Winkle that Actually people like to talk about how much Douglas County is growing now. Actually, the rate of growth in the early to mid 90s was even higher than it is today. And granted, you know, that was going from what, three, four, 5,000 people to 8,000 people. But if you think about it, that's doubling in the course of a single decade. We're not quite doing that now. So yeah, why would a landowner make that change? I can understand it. And then of course, let's harken back on what we heard earlier, where that's when we had the big push for an open space funding sales tax. So I kind of get it. I understand entirely where it's coming from. But there is a motion and a second, and I do speak in favor of the motion. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. And the request for consent is granted. Our next item is a construction contract with Hudik Excavating Incorporated doing business as HEI Civil for Dakin Road Bridge Replacement Project for an amount not to exceed $4,558,132.36. Douglas County project number is CI2007-021 and Neil Sarno. Project Engineer, Department of Public Works and Engineering. Neil, when you're ready, please. All right.

Thank you, sir. Yes.

Good afternoon County Commissioners.

Neil Sarno, CIP Project Engineer.

And I will be presenting for the construction contract with Utick Excavating Inc., doing business as HEI Civil for the Dakin Road Bridge Replacement Project and Douglas County Project Number CI 2007-021. So this project consists of demolition of the existing 40 feet structure and replacing it with a 150 feet bridge over West Plum Creek, as well as 1,750 feet of roadway improvements. The project includes removal and replacement of the present structure, hot mix asphalt, erosion control, site restoration, traffic control, as well as other roadway items. The proposed structure will be built to the north of the existing structure, thereby allowing the existing structure to remain open to the traveling public and emergency service vehicles. Funding and access. So this is from road sales and use tax for that amount that you had mentioned to your Commissioner Teo, $4,557,132.36. As mentioned, the access will be maintained to the traveling public and emergency service vehicles throughout the duration of the project, which is a real win for the community. Project timeline, the design has been completed. The bidding has also been complete. And now we look forward to construction beginning in the fall of 2026 and completion fall of 2027. So today's recommended action from staff is approval of a contract with UDIC Excavating Inc. doing business as HEI Civil for the Dakin Road Bridge Placement Project. Contract amount being $4,557,132.36. It is a 400 calendar day project, I want to note. And we anticipate a very good project for the county there. I'd also like to note that this is one, if not the last remaining structure that was from the flood of 1965. That's what was erected there following the flood. So 61 years, it is certainly performed. But it is now functionally obsolete. With that, we look forward to replacing it and providing a more robust structure and with more hydraulic capacity and just an overall improvement to the county. With that, if there's anything else I'd like to open it up to for any questions you might have.

All right, well, thanks, Neil. Board, any questions for Neil?

You know, Neil, great presentation. I've known HEI Civil in their work for many, many years now. They've done a wonderful job. This looks like a great project. Thank you.

Any further questions? All right, Neil, I don't have any questions for you. I know that this one's been on our list for a while. It's good to see us getting to it. Thanks so much. Board, with that, I'll go ahead and open it up for public comment. I do not have anyone signed up to speak on public comment on this matter. Is there anyone who'd like to speak on this project? Seeing none, bringing it back to the board. Board, we do have a construction contract for approval. How would we like to take action?

Mr. Chair, if it does please the board, I'll make a motion to approve a construction contract with Huduk Excavating Incorporated doing business as HEI Civil for the Dakin Road Bridge replacement project for an amount not to exceed $4,555,132.36, Douglas County project number CI 2007-021. I second the motion. All right, there is a motion and a second. Any discussion?

You know, when I say that this has been on the list for a while, Neil, you know, correct me if I'm wrong, but this project number starts with the 2007. So it's been on our agenda for almost 20 years now, huh?

That's correct. Yes, yes. That's been there in 2009. A bent was installed there on that structure, which gave it a little bit more lifetime potential. at that time and so it went from there. But yes, it has been quite a time and we're glad to see it through.

All right, well, thank you, Neil. Appreciate it. Gentlemen, any further discussion? I do speak in favor of the motion. All in favor, say aye. Aye.

Aye.

And the construction contract is approved.

Thank you.

Thank you, Neil. Appreciate it, buddy. Our next item is an intergovernmental agreement between the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District doing business as Mile High Flood District and the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Douglas, Colorado regarding funding for the Mile High Flood District Flood Risk Program. Douglas County project number is FC2026-008, Brad Robinstein, Robin, Robin, Robinstein, Drainage and Flood Control Engineer, Department of Public Works and Engineering. And Brad, if you need to correct how I pronounce your name, you go right ahead.

Okay. Good afternoon, Commissioners. What I'm bringing before you is an IGA with the Mile High Flood District in Douglas County. It outlines a cooperative effort to determine areas of flooding risk in Douglas County within the Mile High Flood District boundary. Generally, when we think of flood hazard detection, we think of the FEMA flood insurance rate maps that define the risk along the major drainage ways and creeks within the county, but there's not a lot of other potential flooding areas to design, and so Mile High Flood District has a vision to document unidentified flood risks beyond what the FEMA maps show. That could be as simple as a small drainage way with an unmapped floodplain, an inadequate storm sewer system in a subdivision that causes flooding, an inadequate road culvert that maybe diverts water and causes flooding. So it's a big take for them. It's really innovative and it would really be helpful. So the expected results are determine any unidentified flood risks that could potentially impact property owners in Douglas County. And that would help us guide future capital projects if we find an area that needs a capital project to alleviate a potential flooding risk. And then if we identify flood risk areas, we can offer guidance to citizens as far as purchasing flood insurance. When you're not in a FEMA flood hazard area zone, flood insurance is very affordable. and those are the areas that we'll be finding. So it's a big project. It's not just a Douglas County project, it's a district-wide project, so other local governments will also be signing similar IGAs to fund the efforts within their jurisdictions. So I would request that you approve the intergovernmental agreement and the funding contribution for this project.

all right thank you sir uh board any questions for staff yeah thank you for that presentation i mean obviously we've seen a lot of rain and some interesting flooding recently in douglas county and snow certainly in my district we got a lot of water and hail just within the last few weeks when you think about the flood risk program what is your highest and best objective what are you hoping to achieve through the the flood risk program i think

Douglas County is a pretty young county, and I think we've done a really good job in development review. I think some of the older Denver and older suburbs might find more problem areas than we will, but I think it's a really exciting project.

Yeah, and thank you for that. So again, so maybe just walk us through what you're intending to do and what your hope of the outcome will be. Pardon? Maybe share with us what you're intending to do in the flood risk program and what you think the outcome will be.

Yeah, basically what they're going to do is they're going to compile all the different data sets, topography, building footprints, stormwater infrastructure, anything that's related to how the water's going to move on the ground, and then they just put different rainfall events on top of that, and it 2D model shows you where the water's gonna go, hopefully safely in the storm sewers and through culverts, but if it looks like maybe an area's gonna be flooded, we'll then know about it.

Okay, so I'm gonna ask the obvious question for the public. Do we not already have a study like that that might tell us? Do we not already have a study like that that would tell us, give us that information?

No, we don't. I mean, we do subdivision drainage reports. We feel like everything's going where it should and we're handling it.

Yeah.

I would worry more about older subdivisions that maybe didn't go through development review process, which we don't have a lot of those in the county. So.

Yeah. I never enjoy spending too much money on studies unless they lead to grant funding or additional practical solutions that serve our citizens. So I guess I'll ask the other question, which is are there, cheaper or better ways of achieving the same outcome in terms of information. And I was specifically thinking about AI and some of this newer technology, could we not?

This is the first time we've been through a project like this. And so I don't really know all the details of how it's gonna work, but I know the flood district uses AI and that could be a component for sure. And I should also mention they're gonna match our funding. 100% too.

Okay, so you're saying our funding is $124,000? $129,100. Okay, so to match that, it's gonna be a project that costs about $260,000?

Yeah, for within Douglas County.

Yeah, well, that seems like an awful lot of money for a study, but I know studies can sometimes take a lot. When are you hoping that the study will be completed by?

They're probably looking at a good year and a half once it gets started. They're processing a lot of IGAs with local governments and looking at qualified consultants that can do this kind of stuff. It'll be a while.

Let me ask, is our staff here who are working on this project? Where's Brad at? Oh, Brad is part of our staff. No, I guess what I'm wondering is if we have any in-house information that we can, instead of being duplicative, that we can build upon? Yeah.

So, Commissioner, maybe I should just jump in here. One of the things that I guess was not made clear is the real lead agency on this is the Mile High Flood District. So this is going on throughout the Denver metro area. This is our part of it, and there are other communities that are actually investing much more than we're being asked to. It is largely population-based, is how they handle the cost metrics, at least if I heard that right when this was briefed to the board. and to the Board of the Mile High Flood Control District, I should say, which I do represent the Board of County Commissioners on per our decision several years ago. So this is just our piece of it. This is just our part of it. We could certainly turn it down. We could certainly say no, we don't wanna be a part of this. We still have municipalities though that are within the county to include your own and to include Parker and Castle Pines whom they may still participate with their own IGA.

Are they participating, Commissioner, or are the municipalities asking the county to pay for the municipal portion?

No, no, no, it's per municipality. It's per jurisdiction that is a member. And so, no, this is basically a mile-high flood control district saying, hey, everybody, this is what it's gonna cost. Can everybody kick in and do it? And so it's gonna be a bit innovative, The flood control, as Brad's presentation said, it's largely based on the insurance company's flood control zones. This is the Mile High Flood Control District attempting to get a model that is not based on actuarial tables, but actually based on the ground. And so actual surveys of the ground, and as Brad said, actual flood event models that we have historically had. Dan might be able to add a little bit more that I might have missed out. Lord knows I don't remember everything in briefings I get down at Mahi Flood, but I hope that helps assuage some of your concerns.

It does. Thank you, Commissioner, and thanks for your representation of us on that board. Brad, I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to work together as often, but certainly, Dan, if you have anything else to add?

Yeah, Dan Roberts, Assistant Director of Public Works. Janet would have been here, but she's out of town. Just want to highlight a little bit what Commissioner Thiel mentioned. So this will help us look at smaller areas than what we traditionally have been able to look at. And you consider that we're making a $5 to $10 million a year annual investment in our storm sewer improvements. This will help guide those investments pretty I realize, as you noted, over $100,000, but in light of the fact that it's guiding a five to $10 million annual investment, I think we feel like it's a very good value for the state.

Those were the key words, guiding a five to $10 million investment. That's really helpful. Thanks, Dan.

Further questions for staff? All right, well obviously I have no questions. I kind of get it, I appreciate it, and great job with the briefing, Brad. Let's go ahead and open it up to public comment. I do not have anyone signed up for public comment on this matter. Is there anyone who would like to come forward and speak on public comment? Seeing none, bringing it back to the board. Board, we do have a request for an IGA between us and Mile High Flood Control, Mile High Flood District Flood Risk Program. Board, how would we like to take action?

Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. And we spend so much time discussing the dangers to homes, to property, to lives in Douglas County. And a lot of times we talk especially wildfire because we're so innovative, we're so on the forefront versus every other county when it comes to wildfire. But I do know when it comes to flooding, it's also a major natural disaster risk that the county puts a lot of time and effort into. not just our urban areas, but all across the entire county for those once every 100 year events and such as that. So when it comes to this agenda item, I looked at it. I had several questions as well. I found very persuasive the leveraging of county dollars that will be matched at least one for one, probably even more than that when you talk about the regional aspect. The county dollars being leveraged along with the Mile High Flood District's resources to deliver a great report at really what will be a bargain, a low cost for taxpayers. Because we really do, when we're talking the water plan, our 2050 transportation plan, our master plan, we try to get as much information into these as possible so that when we make decisions, it's not just for that next development or that next road or the next sewage system or drainage, rainwater drainage system, it's really for what could happen in the year 2050, what could happen in the next 100 years, and so I think this will help with that, and therefore, I move to approve an intergovernmental agreement between the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District, doing business as Mile High Flood District, and the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Douglas, Colorado, regarding funding of the Mile High Flood District Flood Risk Program, Douglas County Project File FC-2026-008. And I'll second that motion.

All right, there is a motion and a second. Any discussion? So I will confess, when this was first talked about at my high flood, We were hearing from a lot of the other jurisdictions in the district on how they're so old and they've had so much development since their neighborhoods were originally planned, they really need this. They've had so much of the ground go from permeable to impermeable that they really needed this then i heard from staff that well it really is just level setting it is level setting with our current technology uh to be able to apply to yeah taking a look throughout the uh entire district and um what What got me through the initial reticence I had to go along with this is the fact that actually we get to be a part of it. We get to have our small piece of it looked at too. We don't have the, if we think about the downtown Denver core, or even the older neighborhoods in Denver. We haven't had the near the change they have, but our areas still get to be a part of this study. So I do think this benefit, I do think it's worthy of us participating. And then I can help but remind myself and, you know, bringing up the subject of Dakin Road is interesting of how it was built after the 65 flood. Guys, the 65 flood largely started here in the county, in the southern edge of the county. And it went and it affected from the south to the north of what we today consider to be the denver metro so i i think i think this is good money uh spent by uh the county and for the um actual dollar value um this is a little bit of an outsized benefit to us to participate so i do speak in favor of the motion

One more discussion point, maybe since we have a board member and you all that are so expert in this, Douglas County dollars that are going to a regional study, what percentage of the study will actually come back to serving Douglas County?

The funding that we're putting in is just to do the Douglas County portion.

Oh, good.

Okay. They won't fund any other jurisdictions. They'll have to fund themselves. This is for, okay, great. Thank you.

Any further discussion gentlemen? I do speak in favor of the motion. All in favor say aye. Aye. And the IGA and contribution are approved. All right. Thank you gentlemen, appreciate it. Next item on our agenda is Commissioner's comments. Commissioners, comments please.

The only thing on my mind was just, you know, we had Andy Howe talking about the history of our county and the way that we treat natural resources here. I'm really proud of it, and to me it reflects our nation's history, hearkening back to Teddy Roosevelt, who truly was one of our nation's greatest conservationists. But as a hunter, an outdoorsman, an avid member of our party, candidly, his view was never to exclude individuals from open space. protect wilderness at the you know for the sake of simply wilderness it was very human oriented and open to the public to enjoy and have their minds and spirits transformed by their connection to nature so i think it's a great legacy that we're carrying forward today and i was proud to be part of it all right thank you commissioner commissioner any comments nor do i have any uh gentlemen other business is there any other business before the board today

All right, seeing none, county manager's report. All right, thank you, Doug, appreciate it. Let's go ahead and adjourn. Our next business meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026 at 1.30 p.m. We are adjourned. We will go ahead and get the technology flipped around and we'll begin our land use meeting and public hearing as quick as we can. Thanks, everybody.