To City’s Chagrin, Mayor Lays Bare Old Rules

The ex-stripper ran for mayor, promising to shake things up. Koleen Brooks won and is agitating this historic mining community down to the foundations of its lovingly preserved Victorian homes.

She has called for an end to Georgetown’s strict zoning laws, challenged the establishment’s influence, antagonized almost every other elected official here and gave “civic role model” a new definition when she peeled off one of her tight T-shirts in a crowded local bar.

Since she took office in April, Brooks’ detractors complain that she doesn’t have a clue how to run meetings and is unfamiliar with the town’s ordinances. Her flamboyant style, they say, is another distraction.

Now all the smaller distractions that brought local government to a standstill have been trumped by the latest escapades. A client in Brooks’ hair salon recently claimed she overheard the mayor attempting to arrange a hit on the deputy marshal. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation examined the allegations and found insufficient evidence to file charges. Last week, the mayor was cited for disorderly conduct and harassment in a confrontation with the same deputy.

Further, the Board of Selectmen has scheduled a meeting this week to discuss Brooks’ ouster. If she is removed, the mayor has vowed to launch a recall campaign against the entire board.

It’s all been a bit too much for the 1,100 people who live in Georgetown, perched 8,500 feet in the front range of the Rockies 50 miles west of Denver. Brooks beat a former journalist, 210 to 179, in one of the largest turnouts in the town’s history. Today, quite a few voters wish she would straddle her massive motorcycle and ride out of town.

“They have been out to get me since I was elected,” Brooks said, holding forth recently from within her business, the Dare 2 Be Different espresso bar/suntan parlor/hair salon housed in a 150-year-old log cabin. Preparing for a recent interview, the 37-year-old applied another layer of mascara, crossed her black cowboy boots and settled into an orange-colored couch, which was a similar shade to Brooks’ hair. Big Bear, her shampoo-bottle-sized brown Pomeranian, gnawed enthusiastically at the mayor’s hands while she spoke.

“They want to keep Georgetown for themselves and turn it into a retirement community,” Brooks said, not specifying who “they” are. “I’m pushing for change, and they don’t like it.”

Brooks has been a target since she squared off against the town’s preservation-minded power-brokers, who believe she threatens to undo decades of careful civic planning. They say they want to strike a balance between attracting tourism and businesses but maintaining the period authenticity that sets the town apart.

Architect Kathy Hoeft is one of five on the Board of Selectmen. The entire group sees Brooks as a muddle-minded troublemaker. Hoeft says that Brooks launches personal attacks against those who don’t agree with her and then complains she is the one being picked on.

“I’m sick and tired of that baloney,” Hoeft said. “If she wants to disagree with people, that’s terrific. That’s important. It’s a healthy part of the process. But she’s not offering ideas and not leading. She’s destructive, and that’s the problem.”

On the other hand, Brooks has given hope to those who say they can’t afford to live in the museum-like town. The quaint streets downtown feature row after row of narrow brick or ornate wooden buildings containing antique shops, bookstores and tourist-related businesses that overflow with weekend browsers from Denver and environs.

Some business owners say they can’t even put up a mid-sized sign advertising their shop for fear of running afoul of Historic Georgetown Inc., keepers of all things Victorian. According to Mark Greksa, who operates the historic Georgetown Loop Railroad, developers have been scared away by the town’s reputation for stubbornness.

“The town needs to change, to open its eyes a little,” he said. “The codes are too strict, and we give the impression we don’t like growth. We have to rally to support Koleen. She’s going to do great things if we help her.”

In many small mountain towns, even the most discreet quarrels are dissected nightly from local bar stools. But since the former topless dancer took office, Georgetown’s gossip mill produces exclusively Brooks-related chatter. Brooks’ four-year career at Denver’s notorious strip club, Shotgun Willie’s, alone fuels much imaginative speculation.

Georgetown’s intramural fighting long ago went public. Brooks was criticized for her hesitant performance at the first board meeting. She’s been attacked for trying to fire most of the town staff and bad-mouthing the two-man police force.

The Denver newspapers have gleefully reported every colorful episode and pointed out the mayor’s festive Christmas bellybutton lights, which wink green and red.

“It’s petty, it’s stupid and I’m embarrassed about what this says about our town,” said Brooke Buckley. Buckley, who grew up here with Brooks, is on the town’s board and is the mayor pro tem. “There are important things to do and people are sick of all this soap opera.”

Even by Georgetown standards, the assassination allegation was bizarre. The board of investigation is also looking into a related matter: Someone told Brooks about the death-threat investigation. The deputy, Mark Dillard, publicly intimated he believes the tip came from Robert Wheeler, the deputy district attorney, who is dating Brooks.

Such a leak could have compromised the investigation, and Wheeler, who did not return phone calls, has called the charge “ridiculous” and “offensive.”

Meanwhile, all sides say that the discord has compromised the town’s ability to conduct business. But the board has devised a way around the stalemate: They say they will ignore Brooks and do as they see fit.

“A lot of damage has been done,” said Dave Forristal, the town marshal, whom Brooks has accused of incompetence. “I try to be an optimist and say this can resolve itself in a sane manner. But I don’t see how anymore. It’s kind of like a bad marriage--it reaches the point of irreconcilable differences.”

‘They want to turn it into a retirement community. I’m pushing for change, and they don’t like it.’