City Council Commitment

Vision

Castle Pines strives to be a cohesive and welcoming Colorado community that celebrates our distinct neighborhood identity, fosters a vibrant outdoor lifestyle, and promotes responsible growth in our living, working, and recreational spaces.

City Council Action

Your Castle Pines City Council and city staff are committed to delivering exceptional municipal services by excelling in operations and fostering a culture of bold innovation. We embrace a proactive stance and promise to drive forward our vision through purposeful and decisive actions.

Strategic Objectives

We will honor our past while ensuring a successful future through excellence in:

• • • Actions to ensure long-term financial resiliency and vitality
    • Constructing reliable and safe infrastructure
    • Building our community through intentional and responsible development
    • Continuous outreach and engagement to foster a united community
    • Supporting high-performing operations through our top-notch City government
    • Attracting a wide variety of top-tier businesses to maximize our economic strength

City Council’s Role

As elected officials of a Home Rule Council/Manager form of government, we are the legislative and governing body of the City. As a group, we set policy and adopt laws, ordinances, resolutions, and an annual budget as we deem appropriate. The City Charter charges the City Manager and their staff to manage the day-to-day activities of our municipal government, such as preparing the annual budget, hiring staff, enforcing laws and regulations, and carrying out Council policy directives.

Commitment to Work Together

As elected officials, we will:

Listen – We will listen to what fellow Council Members, community members, visitors, and staff have to say. Listening with an open mind builds trust.

Lead – We will serve as a model of leadership and civility to the community. We will strive to inspire public confidence in City government. We will demonstrate honesty and integrity in every action and statement.

Seek Consensus – We will seek common ground among competing interests and strive for consensus.

Disagree Agreeably – We may disagree with each other but will treat the opinions of others with respect. We will use a professional tone and temperament even when we don’t agree. Our disagreements can lead to constructive solutions to real problems.

Respect the Will of the Majority – While we may not all agree with the Council’s final decision, we will uphold the decision of the majority and not undermine it. If we want to affect change, we will do so in a constructive manner consistent with Council policies and procedures.

Respect the Rights of the Minority – We will be sensitive to the feelings and concerns of those who do not agree with the majority. We will respect their position and refrain from criticizing them for disagreeing with the remainder of the Council.

Treat Everyone with Respect – We will not publicly embarrass or humiliate our fellow Council Members, citizens or staff. We will be aware of our body language, our tone of voice, and the words we use to ensure we are maintaining decorum and respecting our colleagues. While disagreements are expected and acceptable, we will maintain an atmosphere of good will and respect. We will focus on ideas and suggestions rather than question motives, intelligence, or integrity. We will demonstrate respect for the democratic process and respect for the community we serve.

Treat Staff as Professionals – We respect the role of staff as professionals and depend on the City Manager to manage staff performance.

Share information – In order for all Council Members to have the same information, we will share relevant information and use the Council Update on our agenda as the primary vehicle to share information.

Make Decisions in the Open – We will be transparent and conduct our business, not just by the letter of the Open Meetings law, but with the spirit of it as well.

Communicate the Decisions of Council – We will accurately communicate the majority decisions of the City Council, even if we disagree with the decision; and by so doing, affirm the respect and integrity of our decision-making process.

Nurture the Value of the Individual and Recognize the Strength of the Team – We believe the Council’s legal and political strength is maximized when we work as a team. Constituents expect their elected officials will work together for the common good of the City and our constituents.

Trust Your Judgment; Make Tough Decisions – The voters elected us to make informed decisions. We realize some of the most difficult decisions are those that represent the greater good, sometimes against the wishes and desires of individual citizens.

Personal City Council Commitment:

To ensure we are committed to working together for the greater good of the Castle Pines community, each member of City Council adheres to the following personal expectations:

Responsibility

• • • I understand that the community expects me to serve with dignity and respect and be an agent of the democratic process.
    • I avoid actions that might cause the public to question my independent judgment.
    • I do not use my office or the resources of the city for personal or political gain.
    • I am a prudent steward of public resources and actively consider the impact of my decisions on the financial and social stability of the city and its citizens.

Fairness

• • • I promote consistency, equity, and non-discrimination in public agency decision-making.
    • I make decisions based on the merits of an issue, including research and facts.
    • I encourage diverse public engagement in decision-making processes and support the right of the public to have access to public information concerning the conduct of the city’s business.

Respect

• • • I treat my fellow city officials, staff, board and commission members and the public with patience, courtesy, civility, and respect, even when we disagree on what is best for the community and its citizens.

Integrity

• • • I am honest with all elected officials, staff, board and commission members, and the public.
    • I am prepared to make decisions for the best interest of the public whether those decisions are popular or not.
    • I take responsibility for my actions even when it is uncomfortable to do so.

Review the document signed by members of City Council.