castle rock
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Castle Rock to review use of Flock license plate readers
The Castle Rock Town Council is reviewing its use of Flock license plate readers after directing staff to prepare a report comparing the company’s data policies with those of its competitors. Councilmember Max Brooks, who raised the issue, emphasized that his concerns are not about the police department’s use of the technology. Rather, he said,…
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Castle Rock implements mandatory Stage 2 water restrictions
Castle Rock moved into mandatory Stage 2 drought restrictions Wednesday as ongoing dry conditions and continued high water demand strain the town’s water supplies. Under the restrictions, customers must follow a mandatory two-day-per-week outdoor watering schedule. Customer water budgets will also be reduced, which officials said will cause customers to reach higher-tier water rates more…
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Tapped: Castle Rock working to reduce per-capita water use
Editor’s Note: The Denver metro region sits at the center of one of the American West’s most complex and consequential water challenges. This series examines the interconnected systems that determine how the region secures, stores, and conserves its water while navigating the competing demands of fast‑growing urban communities and the increasingly unpredictable mountain snowpack that…
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Castle Rock overhauls water fees, cuts costs for smaller homes
The Castle Rock Town Council unanimously approved changes Tuesday to how water system development fees are calculated, shifting to a model intended to reduce building costs for smaller homes. The update follows an analysis of hundreds of homes built under the town’s 2022 landscape regulations, which reduced the average monthly residential water consumption by approximately…
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Front Range’s highly anticipated Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space set to expand
An open space of historic proportions between Colorado Springs and Denver is set to get even bigger. That’s after Castle Rock’s Town Council approved the Parks and Recreation Department pursuing a $1.1 million purchase of 35 acres along the southeast edge of Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space. “We’ve already bought the Ferrari, let’s put some…
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Federal judge lets ex-Castle Rock employee’s discrimination lawsuit proceed
A federal judge rejected the town of Castle Rock’s effort to dismiss an ex-employee’s age and gender discrimination lawsuit on Wednesday, while deeming the case a close call. Carl E. Filler, who was in his mid-60s when the town hired him as a traffic engineering technician, was employed for only six months between July 2022…
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Eyes in the sky: Castle Rock police tap into first responder drone program
Castle Rock police are exploring a first responder alternative that enforces the law from the skies. Castle Rock Police Department Chief Jack Cauley on Thursday introduced the town’s newest form of enforcement and protection: drones as first responders. Drones, Cauley said, are a form of enforcement that “help us keep our community safe.” “People, innovation…
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Federal judge advances retaliation-related claims of Castle Rock employee
A federal judge on Thursday largely declined to dismiss multiple retaliation-related claims from a Castle Rock employee, while cautioning that the discovery of evidence would shed light on the circumstances surrounding the town’s actions. Matthew Gasser, a senior athletics supervisor, alleged Castle Rock learned in summer 2023 that an employee may have manipulated certain receipts…
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Federal judge hears religious exercise case of Castle Rock church, with SCOTUS looming in background
In a case that appears designed to catch the attention of the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority, a federal judge heard arguments on Monday about whether a Castle Rock church’s religious belief that it should house the homeless is enough to let the congregation bypass the town’s zoning restrictions and continue operating temporary shelters in…
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Appeals court clarifies excessive force standards under new landmark Colorado law on policing
For the first time on Thursday, Colorado’s second-highest court clarified that the same standard federal courts use to evaluate excessive force claims applies to the landmark law on policing that state legislators passed in 2020. The General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 217, also known as the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act, amid global demonstrations following the…