Castle Hills council adopts CCPD budget, updates garbage-fee schedule and approves Public Works boot policy

The Castle Hills City Council on July 14 unanimously adopted the Crime Control and Prevention District (CCPD) budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2026, after staff told the council the CCPD board had approved the proposal. City staff said the proposed budget lists $526,119 in revenue and $526,119 in expenditures, including $425,000 in sales-tax revenue, funding for three police detective positions, a proposed 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for those positions (staff said that adjustment is not locked in and could be changed), and $82,000 set aside for future purchases such as vehicles, radios, video equipment and mobile data computers. "The proposed budget includes revenue in the amount of $526,119, which includes $425,000 in sales tax revenue," staff said in the packet.

The council also ratified two CCPD board-approved budget amendments: a $39,000 transfer from fund balance to a traffic-vehicle line item to replace a totaled Ford Explorer and outfit a replacement vehicle, and a $42,000 amendment to fund the purchase of computer-aided dispatch software from Tyler Technologies. Staff recommended the ratifications and the council voted to approve them without dissent.

On land-use and permitting, the council granted a special-use permit for massage therapies at 6907 Blanco after staff said the zoning commission had unanimously recommended approval. An email from Maria Dominguez was read into the record asking the council to consider a prior misconduct incident involving a similarly named establishment; councilmembers acknowledged the email and then approved the permit.

The council adopted an amendment to the city fee schedule to define bulk and surcharge fees for residential garbage collection (amending Ordinance 2025-08-12), effective July 14, 2026. Staff said the amendment codifies existing ad-hoc charges and establishes clear line items for brush piles, bulky items and leaf-bag collection. Staff also proposed an extra garbage-can fee to clarify past practice; the package includes a $20-per-can fee (up to three extra cans) and language allowing Public Works to deny additional service based on workload, with appeals decided by the city manager.

Council members asked several clarifying questions during that discussion — for example about the number of leaf bags allowed and whether charges were assessed per week or per month — and staff said the fee table in the agenda packet compared proposed fees with prior, informal charges. A brief weather-related interruption occurred when a tornado warning was called; the meeting resumed and council members completed the vote.

Finally, the council adopted a safety-footwear standard operating procedure for the Public Works Department. Staff presented two options for providing boots; council adopted Option 1 (purchase through a vendor account) and raised the allowance to $250. Staff noted typical steel-toe Red Wing prices range from roughly $180 to $350 and that the city would receive a vendor discount. Council discussed potential alternatives at lower price points and confirmed the intent is to ensure safe, durable footwear for employees.

The council handled additional appointments, announcements and informational items before adjourning.