Town of Castle Rock

The Town of Castle Rock is home to nearly 45,000 people who love our small-town atmosphere, low crime rate, abundant parks and open space and clean air.

Located midway between Denver and Colorado Springs, Castle Rock encompasses 33 square miles and sits in the East Plum Creek Valley at the base of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 6,202 feet. The Town is traversed by Interstate 25, is home to the Outlets at Castle Rock and is the seat of Douglas County. Our climate is known as among the nation's best, with more than 300 days of sunshine per year.

Castle Rock believes in open government, and we invite you to attend Town Council meetings every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at Town Hall. You also can watch Town Council meetings at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., seven days a week on Douglas County cable channel 8, cable Info 22, or on this Web site. You can learn more about our community by watching our award-winning television news magazine, Castle Rock View, on DC8, channel 22 or anytime on the Web.

Douglas County Government

The pioneer spirit, accompanied by the beauty of the mountains, foothills and plains, is gloriously evident in Douglas County. In 1861, the Colorado Territorial Session Laws created Douglas County, named after Stephen A. Douglas, who was famous for his activism on slavery issues, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and popular sovereignty.

Originally stretching from the Rockies to the State of Kansas border Douglas County is virtually the geographic center of Colorado. The County is approximately 844 square miles, 71 square miles of which are permanently protected land through the Douglas County Open Space Program. Recreational areas include more than 146,000 acres of Pike National Forest, Roxborough State Park, Castlewood Canyon State Park and the Chatfield State Recreation Area.

Population estimates for January 1, 2009 show Douglas County’s population at 290,311 with a 1.2 percent annual growth rate. As the County continues to mature, the significant change will be not how many people live in the County, but the age of the people living in the County. The senior population, those people age 65 and over, could be as high as 20% of the County's population compated to the current 5% in 2009.

The County’s strength, as the centerpiece of the Denver/Colorado Springs development corridor, is a perfect blend of quality lifestyle and business environment.

The County’s vision, “Setting the Standard of Excellence in Local Governance,” is continually top of mind for County leadership. And while service delivery is one primary role for Douglas County government, it is only one aspect of a total problem-solving approach to governance that requires citizen engagement for total effectiveness.

Douglas County Libraries

An independent library district, serves the citizens of Douglas County, Colorado--one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. Annually, our libraries have more than 1.5 million visits, check out more than 5.4 million items, and host more than 3,800 meetings (attended by more than 66,000 people). With library service in Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Louviers, Parker, Roxborough, and the Cherry Valley area, Douglas County Libraries is an integral part of each community because we offer education, literacy, information, quality service, culture, recreation and entertainment. Douglas County Libraries is a trusted and respected organization, with 84 percent of households in the county possessing one or more library card.

Douglas County School District

Douglas County School District (DCSD) is the third largest school district in Colorado with more than 50,000 students. Our vision is to help students acquire the knowledge and abilities to be responsible citizens who contribute to society. In DCSD, the focus each and every day is on how the organization can improve learning and impact the future through our children. The consistently high performing District covers nearly 900 square miles. Douglas County School District is made up of almost 70 schools and continues to be the largest employer in Douglas County.

Town of Larkspur

The Town of Larkspur is a Home Rule Municipality with a Council/Mayor form of Government. The Council and the Mayor are elected for four years terms.

Larkspur's population is approximately 234 with 92 families. The amount of land area in Larkspur is 11.45 kilometers and it is about 43 miles from Denver.

City of Lone Tree

The City of Lone Tree, incorporated in 1995, is home to almost 11,000 residents. Located south of Denver, Lone Tree has become a point of interest for exceptional shopping, cultural arts, top-rated schools and excellent recreational activities. The City of Lone Tree’s convenient location, with easy access to I-25, C-470 and the RTD light rail system, makes commuting for business or leisure comfortable, while 39 million square feet of office space brings great employment opportunity to the area.

The city’s motto, “It’s a great day to be in Lone Tree,” encompasses the overall sense of pride community members share with the city and with one another. Residents and visitors of all ages enjoy a diverse range of activities and facilities including the Lone Tree Summer Concert Series, the Lone Tree Library, an extensive trail network and first-rate shopping.

Town of Parker

Incorporated in May 1981, the Town of Parker operates under a Council/Administrator form of government. The Town Council and Mayor are elected at large and an appointed Town Administrator who oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization.

The Town offers a variety of services to our community such as roads and transportation, Town finances, law enforcement, recreation opportunities and much more. Parker places a premium on quality customer service and strives to be a full service community with a hometown feel.

City of Castle Pines North

The City of Castle Pines North is Colorado's newest community. Incorporated Feb. 12, 2008, Castle Pines North is a city of 10,000 located about 20 miles south of Denver in Douglas County, just west of I-25 at Exit 188.

Our 21st century city has a vision that balances the preservation of our community's history with growth that enhances the quality of life for our citizens. For more information on Castle Pines North and to sign up for e-mail alerts about city news, visit www.cpngov.com.

Highlands Ranch Metro District

The Highlands Ranch Metro District is the local government serving the unincorporated community of Highlands Ranch, CO. Founded in 1981, this 22,000-acre master planned community located in northern Douglas County, has a population of 92,000.

An elected board of seven directors serves the community and is responsible for the organization’s budget. Board meetings are held the last Tuesday of each month (with rare exceptions due to holiday schedules) at the District Office Building, 62 Plaza Drive. The public is encouraged to attend.

HISTORY: 2002-2007

The Partnership of Douglas County Governments was established in 2002. First, it included the Towns of Castle Rock and Parker, the City of Lone Tree, and the County of Douglas. In 2003, the Douglas County School District became a member. In 2005, the Partnership embraced Douglas County Libraries.

Now a five-year-old, nationally recognized model of collaborative statesmanship, the Partnership realizes that the mark of its political maturity is the way it has successfully sidelined individual agendas in the interest of working collaboratively on issues, projects and programs for the greater good of Douglas County.
Meeting monthly, the work of the Partnership strengthens intergovernmental and jurisdictional relationships, promotes greater understanding of individual community needs, and generates opportunities to produce regional solutions.

The Partnership represents 290,311 Douglas County citizens. In one-on-one conversations, service transactions, and community meetings, Partnership members are face-to-face, listening and responding to constituent needs every single day. We know our communities and their priorities and we are willing to share what we know in the interest of working with one another as a team, acting in the public interest and focused on the greater good of Douglas County, Colorado.

The Partnership of Douglas County Government (PDCG) is made up of the following entities.

RESOLUTION NO. 2006-112

A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE PARTNERSHIP OF DOUGLAS COUNTY GOVERNMENTS AMONG THE COUNTY OF DOUGLAS,THE TOWN OF CASTLE ROCK, THE TOWN OF LARKSPUR, THE CITY OF LONE TREE, THE TOWN OF PARKER, THE DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE DOUGLAS COUNTY LIBRARIES

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the taxpayers and citizens of Douglas County to build relationships, foster communication and share information among local governmental entities;

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the taxpayers and citizens of Douglas County for the Partnership entities to work together where possible on projects and programs where two or more of the entities have a common interest; and

WHEREAS, the Partnership was established in 2001 and it is appropriate to update the Partnership Resolution;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE Partnership of Douglas County Governments of COLORADO, AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1.

The Partnership of Douglas County Governments commits to achieve the following: cost savings to the taxpayers of Douglas County and its municipalities; improvements in operations; and programming efficiency; and/or enhancement of the level of service currently being provided.

Section 2.

The Partnership of Douglas County Governments is established to include the following members: the County of Douglas, the Towns of Castle Rock, Larkspur and Parker, the City of Lone Tree, the Douglas County School District, and the Douglas County Libraries.

Section 3.

Partnership members will delegate elected/appointed officials and staff to attend regular meetings of the Partnership.

Section 4.

The Partnership of Douglas County shall adopt operational guidelines, which may be amended from time to time by the Partnership.

Section 5.

The Partnership of Douglas County Governments communicates its efforts and successes to its constituents to let the citizens of Douglas County and its municipalities know the importance and benefits of collaborative efforts.

Section 6.

Decisions by the Partnership of Douglas County Governments are made by informed consent; that is, no member present at the regular meeting voices an objection to a course of action by the Partnership.

Section 7.

New members will be recommended by the informed consent of the existing Partnership membership, and ratified by resolution by all parties.

Operational Guidelines

MEETINGS

The Partnership will follow the calendar year, January through December.
Meetings will be held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Breakfast will be served at 7 a.m., meetings will begin at 7:30 a.m., and conclude at 9:30 a.m.
Hosting of the meetings (and picking up the cost of breakfast) will rotate among the Partners - the better to visit multiple locations around the county.
In general there will be 10 meetings a year:
- January - Set the annual agenda for the Partnership, 1-3 things that the chair will champion and organize an annual calendar around.
- September - Reserved for groups requesting membership to give presentation, if organization meets membership criteria.
- October – Reserved for discussion of group requesting membership status.
- November - Elected Officials Caucus in lieu of an official meeting.
- December - The Partnership will host a “legislative” workshop, inviting select state and federal elected officials to attend and discuss upcoming legislative needs or concerns.
Meetings are public; however, public attending needs to contact the Chair to be added to the agenda. Unless added to the agenda, attending public will be present as observing guests.

MEETING AGENDA

Routine

Organization Updates
Project / Workplan Updates / Follow-Up Items
Trends / Opportunities / Threats

Chair

Priority Setting / Action Items
Guests, presentations not covered above
Additional budget discussions (if not within normal scope of chair responsibilities)
Other extraordinary items of general interest or concern.

MEETING GROUND RULES

Treat all as peers.
Maintain one conversation.
Listen actively to assure understanding.
Be on time and remain for the entire meeting.
Assure maximum interaction among the participants.
Make decision only by informed consent.

ROSTER

Each Partner will designate representatives to the Partnership meetings as follows: A primary and alternate elected official, and a primary and alternate senior staff member. These people, and their contact information, will be recorded and the information distributed on a Roster.
Partnership members will be notified of each meeting, and will be guaranteed places on the agenda.
Some groups, such as the Housing Partnership, Douglas County Youth Initiative, Sheriff's Department, and other elected officials are not expected to attend each meeting, but may request, or be invited by the chair, to give reports.

MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA

The Partnership of Douglas County Governments is by definition an organization of governments within Douglas County. Applications will be accepted from local governments in Douglas COunty as defined by the Department of Local Affairs.
The cost of membership is defined only as the cost of serving breakfast for the monthly meeting host, which rotates among the members sequentially by alphabet and the administrative cost incurred during the year in which the member government serves as Chair of the Partnership.
Many of the activities of the Partnership of Douglas County Governments revolve around municipal functions and coordination. Should any population served by a metropolitan district establish a city or town serving the same population, membership in the Partnership shall move from the metro district to the new municipality as soon as the new municipality is able and willing to join.
Further clarification if needed regarding membership can be found in the Resolution Establishing the Partnership of Douglas County Governments and updated August 8, 2006. No further criteria are necessary to determine the membership into the organization.

COMMUNICATION SUBCOMMITTEE LEADERSHIP

The Chair and Vice-Chair will be appointed on an annual basis. The Chair will be selected by the subcommittee, but may not be a member of the entity chairing the partnership that year.
The Vice-Chair of the committee shall represent the chairing entity to assure coordination and communication, and may also attend Partnership meetings.
The Chair and/or Vice-Chair is expected to attend Partnership meetings as a liaison between the groups.
The Chair will summarize information items at the end of the meeting.
Determination that a media opportunity is appropriate to pursue will be requested at the conclusion of a Partnership meeting.

MEDIA RELATIONS PROTOCOL

With authorization to proceed, the Chair will draft or direct the drafting of the appropriate document and solicit approval from elected officials in the Partnership electronically for review.
Partnership Elected Officials have three days to respond. If a response is not received, the Partnership will assume consent.
If changes are required, the changes are made and the release is re-sent for another three-day review.
Should a need arise for an interview, statement or other direct contact with the media, the Partnership Chair, or their designee, will act as spokesperson and will work with the Chair to develop talking points.
Significant media efforts such as news conferences or events will be coordinated at the direction of the Partnership Chair with consensus from the organization.
When a breaking-news media inquiry (news that must be managed within a business day) requires an expedited media response, the Partnership Chair – working closely with the Chair and Vice-Chair – will draft a response. The response will be forwarded to a pre-determined media relations management committee representing elected leadership. The committee will be notified of the media inquiry and will have one hour to review the recommended response. The Partnership Chair will provide the response as the organization’s spokesperson.

PARTNERSHIP CHAIR RESPONSIBILITIES

Serve as official chair of monthly Partnership meeting. NOTE: as of January, 2007, our meetings will no longer have regular facilitation; this function will then fall to the Chair.
Facilitate annual priority discussion in January and set direction for the upcoming year from the group directives.
Lead discussions and development of budget items over the baseline commitment to annual chairmanship expenses.
Set annual calendar of meetings: schedule reports, set up committees and work groups, delegate and oversee creation of roster, monthly agenda and meeting notifications, minutes, and priority activities (such as a caucus committee).
The Chair position will rotate among the Partners, according to the following schedule, which is alphabetical by municipality, then by county agencies:
- 2007 - Castle Rock
- 2008 – Lone Tree
- 2009 - Parker
- 2010 - DC Government / Larkspur
- 2011 - Douglas County Libraries
- 2012 - Douglas County School District
- 2013 - Highlands Ranch Metro District
- 2014 - Castle Pines North
- New Partners, if any, will simply be added to the end of the list.
- Partners may defer or swap their “years,” with the mutual consent of a Partner following them in the rotation.

PARTNERSHIP VICE-CHAIR RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct and coordinate annual Elected Officials Caucus with a committee called for that purpose,

Whose purposes include:

Reviewing and celebrating Partnership accomplishments of the year
Encouraging a broader connection among Partnership governing bodies
Presenting a unified front for the county to officials representing areas larger than the county

To which shall be invited:

Partnership representatives and governing bodies
Partnership spin-off groups (Douglas County Housing Authority, Douglas County Youth Initiative, etc.) and their governing bodies and key staff
State and federal representatives
Other interested elected County officials (Assessor, Treasurer, etc.)
Others, at the Vice-Chair's discretion, depending upon the focus of the caucus

And at which will be presented:

Beverages whose donations shall be secured by the Vice-Chair or committee
A dinner
Scheduled presentations and handouts along a theme determined by the Vice-Chair or committee