Gary Suiter
CPN Interim City Manager

Information provided by the City of Castle Pines North

There has been a lot to take in during the first month on the job, with the formation of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), the Metro District integration, and so forth. But being new on the job, I feel it is most important to first let you know my initial observations, and talk about how I believe I can help the City Council get to the next level. I will also comment on opportunities I see.

First, the City’s incorporation must be acknowledged. By forming your own government, the residents of Castle Pines North will be able to properly manage growth, preserve community character, and create economic opportunities that benefit the citizens.

Much has been accomplished during the City’s first two years of incorporation; however, there is still much left to do. Recently, I assisted the City Council in establishing goals (listed below) at our first retreat. Next, I plan to develop a strategy to achieve these goals. This will require a concerted effort from everyone. At this retreat, we also agreed to Council and staff operating procedures and protocol in order to be more effective at our respective jobs.

The City Council’s Goals Include:

Promote economic development with an • emphasis on clean industry, higher education, and small business using available tools and incentives.
Create a long-term infrastructure plan that in• cludes financing for renewable water, wastewater, streets, sidewalks and curbs, drainage, parks, and landscaping.

Cooperatively pursue combined public services, seeking efficiency, cost reduction and elimination of government layers, where identified duplication occurs.

Improve the transparency, accountability and efficiency of local government, consistently communicating our actions and rationale.

Improve the foundational structure of Castle Pines North through better management, training, communication, and teamwork.

Internally, I plan on instituting some basic organizational programs, policies and procedures to help us function more like a typical municipal government. For example, we have recently transitioned to a new accounting firm and will similarly be evaluating all contract services for potential cost savings.

As far as opportunities, I believe the URA (which is a fairly common development tool using public/private partnership) will be useful in both renewing commercial growth west of I-25, and properly managing growth east of I-25, consistent with community values and character. These corridors along I-25 and Castle Pines Parkway are critical to your future. The URA can be used to help develop an overall vision and plan for our commercial areas, both old and new.

I believe a consolidation of services is also worth examining with the Metro District (and any other local government, for that matter) where cost savings and elimination of duplication might occur.

Overall, I am very pleased to be working here (and living here) to help the residents and businesses of Castle Pines North achieve their aspirations. Call me at 303-705-0205 with your thoughts and ideas. I welcome your feedback.