Federal Heights – City Manager Chuck Reid is being targeted by two critics who say he covered up the fact that the mayor was working as a doorman at a strip club that was raided by police for prostitution in April.
Resident Ted May and City Councilman Mike Vallero say Reid also condoned the unethical behavior of Mayor Dale Sparks and talked him out of resigning while the Bare Essence nightclub scandal unfolded.
They say they will file a complaint with the International City/County Manager Association over Reid’s conduct. The ICMA is a nonprofit group that provides technical and management help to local governments and promotes a code of ethics for city and county managers.
Sparks is facing a Nov. 7 recall election over his involvement with Bare Essence, and he is charged with criminal violations of the city code. Voters also will be asked whether Mayor Pro Tem Joyce Thomas should be recalled for her support of Sparks.
Reid, who has been city manager for about 20 months, failed to challenge the unethical and illegal actions of Sparks, said May, who led the recall effort against the mayor.
“Mr. Reid’s decisions and actions have altered the course of political history in the city of Federal Heights,” May said.
Reid, according to May and Vallero:
Failed to notify the City Council that Sparks began work at Bare Essence in April 2005, despite knowing that the mayor is chairman of the city’s entertainment licensing authority.
Failed to tell the council about Sparks’ complaint that code enforcement activities at Bare Essence was harassment.
Got involved in the politics of the town by allegedly talking Sparks out of resigning during the week of the Bare Essence raid.
Tried to halt the release of a police report on the raid.
Reid declined to comment on the specifics of the ICMA complaint. He said last week, however, that he strictly followed city codes, state statutes as well as ICMA standards during the fallout from the Bare Essence investigation.
The Denver club was raided by the North Metro Drug Task Force and the Federal Heights police on April 15. All of the charges filed as a result of the investigation, which included municipal code and state statute violations, have resulted in guilty pleas.
Sparks was not charged at the time. But an investigation by a special prosecutor resulted in three city criminal code violations being filed against Sparks last week, including complicity in a criminal enterprise.
If Sparks is found guilty, he faces a fine of up to $999 and a year in jail for each charge.
Sparks denies knowing what was going on inside the club and says he won’t resign.
He says he also received no help from Reid during the Bare Essence investigation.
“There certainly was no coverup, and he never tried to talk me out of resigning,” Sparks said. “It’s unfortunate, but now that they are done with me they are going after Chuck.”
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
