Council and staff have excellent programs in place, and we must do even more. As the risk of wildfire grows, our priorities have to keep up. Anything less is a disservice to Castle Pines residents.

We must work harder and smarter with South Metro Fire, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, and state agencies to provide preparation resources to residents. Castle Pines should lead the way in implementing CSU's Live Wildfire Ready program.

We should not just send emails with tips, we should collect data on how many residents are utilizing wildfire mitigation programs, implementing Live Wildfire Ready for their families, and where our riskiest hotspots are. We need to set goals to achieve not just send newsletters to read.

There are four main arteries in-and-out of Castle Pines: Grigs, Monarch, Castle Pines Parkway, and Happy Canyon. No more than one of them should be closed for construction during peak wildfire season. Period.