Get to know Georgetown Police Judge Lynette Kelsey

Kelsey was reelected as Police Judge in the recent Georgetown Municipal Election

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On April 3, the Town of Georgetown reelected Lynette Kelsey as Police Judge.

Georgetown is the only Colorado municipality that still operates under a charter from the Territory of Colorado, which has a Police Judge as mayor and a Board of Selectmen instead of a Town Council.

e Clear Creek Courant recently asked Kelsey some questions about her role and goals for this term.

Clear Creek Courant: How long have you been in public o ce?

Kelsey: I rst joined the Board as a Selectman in Spring 2012 after losing to my opponent in the April 2011 election by just three votes. I continued to serve as a Selectman until I was term-limited in 2019 and then decided to run for Police Judge.

CCC: What are your goals for this term?

Kelsey: ere are several projects that are in motion and I want to make sure they continue toward completion. We have a couple of a ordable housing projects we are trying to get up and running and I’m also hopeful that Georgetown can collaborate with the County and the other towns to get a multijurisdictional housing authority going. at would enable the MJHA to not only develop new a ordable housing but to also preserve and maintain existing housing that is a ordable.

Tourism is vital to the health of Georgetown’s economy and with the lodging tax that was approved by our voters in 2022, we’ll be able to promote and market our beautiful historic town. I also want to see new businesses come here so that our visitors and we who live here can enjoy a wide variety of retail shops, cafes and restaurants, professional services along with our museums and historical attractions and our trails, parks and other recreation opportunities. e Argentine North

Project will see a new sidewalk and street lights along the east side of Argentine St and a new bikeway along the west side between the roundabout and 22nd St. e project will provide improved safety for that stretch of road, where bikers and walkers currently are not very safe. Seeing the completion of the Strausse Park Refresh is also high on my list of goals.

CCC: What do you do when you’re not at Town Board meetings?

Kelsey: I am thoroughly enjoying retirement after working in the County Building Department for over 27 years. I love all sorts of music and theater, movies, reading and visiting family and friends. I have always enjoyed volunteering to help with all of the varied events that we have here. I’ve always enjoyed traveling and look forward to doing more of that now that I’m retired.

CCC: What makes you quali ed to represent Georgetown?

Kelsey: My work at the county gave me years of invaluable experience with land use regulations and building codes and knowledge of how governments operate. I understand developing and working with budgets. Most importantly, I care deeply about Georgetown and want to make this a wonderful place to live and visit.

CCC: How long have you lived here?

Kelsey: I had visited my sister and brother-in-law here several times from ‘77 to ‘79 but when I landed here for a visit after spending the summer backpacking and hitchhiking in Alaska in ‘81, I only had 80 cents left so I found work waiting tables for the lunch shift at the Ram. I decided very quickly that I loved it here so I ended up returning to MN just long enough to pack up my belongings and came back for good. In the 41+ years I’ve been here, I’ve also done woodwork restoration at the Hamill House, worked in some of the shops in town and also in Copper Mountain and Breckenridge, done some banking and the plan review and code enforcement work for the County. I never dreamed back in ‘81 that I would someday be the Police Judge, aka mayor.

CCC: What needs to improve in the town?

Kelsey: I think our preservation work will continue to be important as we also work to encourage sensible growth. Workforce housing that is a ordable is one of our biggest challenges and is high on my list of goals.

CCC: What is something people might not know about you?

Kelsey: I’ve already mentioned that I did some hitchhiking in Alaska and Canada in the early 80’s but I also hitchhiked here in Colorado, from Colorado to Minnesota and in New Zealand in those years.