Blue Falcons Have Sunnyside City Council Protection

BLUE FALCON: Negligent or malicious disregard for another servicemember’s career, comfort, or time, often for personal gain.

From Wikipedia, List of United States Marine Corps acronyms and expressions

Some years ago, a City of Sunnyside employee shot a protected blue heron.   He was eventually held accountable, and paid a fine for his actions.

While the blue heron may enjoy the protection federal and state wildlife officials, it did not enjoy the same protections in the Sunnyside City Limits.  That changed over a period of time.  There have not been any recent shootings of protected blue herons by City of Sunnyside employees that I am aware of.

Unfortunately, the Sunnyside City Council is now protecting Blue Falcons, which are not to be confused with threatened wildlife.  Basically, a Blue Falcon is a person that messes over other people’s lives.  Usually, co-workers are the victims.

The definition at the top of this post comes from a Wikipedia list of Marine Corps slang terms.  I did not serve in the Marine Corps, but I heard the same term used while I was in the Army.  It had the same meaning in Army usage as what is listed for the Marines.

“Blue Falcon” is a nice way of saying “Bravo Foxtrot”, which is the phonetic pronunciation of the letters “B”, and “F”.  You can probably, by now, figure out what B.F. really stands for without any further explanation from me.

The Sunnyside City Council’s refusal to hear the results of two different investigations into the work environment at City Hall is very disappointing.  There is at least one Blue Falcon that is excited to have the protection of the City Council in this matter.

As I write this post, the outcome of the disciplinary/termination hearings for Pam Sandifer and Terri Rhode are not yet known.  The hearings were held this past Tuesday.  As of late Friday night, the two employees have not heard what the decision is regarding their jobs.

The hostile actions of one particular Blue Falcon towards their co-workers will not stop until someone in leadership says “Enough!”, and puts them in their place.  Two City Council Members showed the public that they had the spine to listen to what investigators have discovered at City Hall.  The negligent actions of the other five disgusted me.  Yet, I have to cling to the hope that their hearts will change in the future.

It is time for the City Council to start showing some moral courage.  Sunnyside’s Blue Falcons have a track record of harassing and threatening those that stand in their way.  Do not be scared of this.  You are supposed to be the leaders, do not be bullied by the Blue Falcons.

Unless the City Council is willing to hear the evidence the investigators have found, it is my opinion that the hostile work environment will continue at Sunnyside City Hall.  The Blue Falcons will continue to make the lives of their co-workers miserable.  Pam Sandifer and Terri Rhode are just the latest potential victims.

The cycle of firings needs to stop.  The Blue Falcons need to be controlled.  It is time to take the blinders off and hear all the evidence.

Join The Vast BLOGSUNNYSIDE Conspiracy!

This past week has been a busy one for me, as I helped circulate petitions for Pam Sandifer and Terri Rhode.  The two long time City employees are still on administrative leave as I write this.  Although a hearing was held for them earlier today, the results of it are, as yet, unknown.

Earlier today, I received a letter of complaint in my mail, accusing me of being part of a “conspiracy”.  It kind of reminds me of Hillary Clinton accusing her critics of being part of a “vast right-wing conspiracy”.

After that, some bumper stickers started appearing around the country saying: “Proud Member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy!”  (As a former Over The Road truck driver, I saw plenty.)

So, with that in mind, I am going on record as being a “Proud Member of the Vast BLOGSUNNYSIDE Conspiracy!”  It is unclear from the letter I received what that means exactly, so I am being forced to come up with my own explanation.

Trust me, my imagination is fully engaged on this one.  As the writer of the letter appears to have a vivid imagination also, surely I am in good company.  Since I am not in the bumper sticker business yet, I will have to make a change on my blog to show my conspiratorial prowess.

As a reader of this blog, you will be pleased to know that you are participating in a conspiracy!  (See, my imagination is working wonders already.)  If you would like to join the BLOGSUNNYSIDE E-mail conspiracy, sign up at the top right of this page.

Several readers have already done so, and there is no limit to the number of readers that can opt in on E-mail subscriptions.  So, if you are game, please sign up to “Join the Conspiracy!”.

Sunnyside Council Washes Hands Like Pontius Pilate

In a disappointing vote tonight, the Sunnyside City Council smacked down the notion of hearing evidence from investigators by a vote of 5-2.  Council Members Nick Paulakis and Mike Farmer voted in favor of receiving the reports of two independent investigators into the work environment at City Hall.

Mayor Garcia, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Restucci, Council Members Tom Gehlen, Theresa Hancock, and Carol Stone voted against hearing all the evidence.  Council Member-Elect Don Vlieger took the oath of office, but will not be seated on the Council until after the end of the year.

Like Roman authorities of old, that ceremoniously washed their hands when local authorities proposed putting Jesus to death, the Sunnyside City Council has acted out the role of Pontius Pilate by refusing to hear the evidence.

They appear to think it is not their role to inquire whether policies they enact are being carried out correctly.

I presented 94 petition signatures to the City Council at the meeting, asking for them to receive reports directly from the investigators.  Detective Chumley, President of the Sunnyside Police Officers’ Guild, and Josh Roe, President of the Sunnyside Firefighters’ Union signed on to the petition with their support.

Mr. Roe took a turn at the podium stating his belief that all investigative evidence should be considered before taking action against employees.  He pointed out the two employees on leave are not represented by a union, and further said that he felt like the Interim City Manager was exploiting this.  To support the idea of fairness for all labor at the City, he supported having the City Council listen to all the available evidence.

I would like to thank everyone that signed the petition, and those that came out to support Pam Sandifer and Terri Rhode being given a fair hearing.  The room was full at the meeting.

On a personal note, I do not have a historical record as being the biggest supporter of unions.  However, incidents like these are why government employees join unions.  Unlike a private company, in government operations, employees are sometimes the victims of abusive politicians and their appointees.  Decisions are made for political reasons, and not necessarily business ones.

The City does not have an Internet policy, nor an e-mail policy.  Yet, they want to discipline employees for what they said in e-mails.  If the Interim City Manager believes he can withstand the same scrutiny when applied to e-mails he has sent to other city employees, then there is nothing to be concerned about.  However, I have good reason to believe a double standard is being applied in this case.  Not being willing to listen to reports from multiple independent investigators should be a clue to those that are unconvinced.

A discipline/termination hearing is scheduled to be held tomorrow for long-time city employees Pam Sandifer and Terri Rhode.

Round and round we go…

You Want Answers?

Jessep: You want answers?

Kaffee: I want the truth!

Jessep: You can’t handle the truth!

-From the movie “A Few Good Men” (1992)

Did the Interim City Manager order a  “Code Red” on Pam Sandifer and Terri Rhode?  Do you want answers?  Do you want the truth?  Can you handle the truth?

Do you want the City Council to hear the truth from two different independent investigators into the work environment at City Hall?

Join me Monday night at the Sunnyside City Council meeting where I will present the case for the truth to be heard by the Council.  If you have signed the petition for the Council to hear all the evidence, please show up at 6:30PM so I can include it with the others.

Your support and your presence is needed.

Now is your chance to stand up for the truth to be heard!

Download the petition, sign it, and bring it to the meeting Monday.

petition sandifer rhode

City Council Can Call Off Kamikaze Mission

Kamikaze Pilot On Suicide Mission

Actions You Can Take To Help

  • Sign a petition, keep reading for a link to download form
  • Contact Council Members and ask them to listen to the independent investigators findings
  • Come to the next Council Meeting, Monday December 14, 2009, 7PM

The Sunnyside City Council can call off the Kamikaze mission to take out city employees.  All that is needed is for them to be willing to hear all of the evidence, so that smart decisions can be made regarding personnel.

If the standards of behavior being questioned in regards to Pam Sandifer and Terri Rhode are applied to all City employees, how many would we have left working at City Hall?

The Sandifer/Rhode situation would not have come to this point, were it not for the City’s negligence in handling the hostile work investigations to this point.  The Mayor can rectify this situation by calling for a Special Meeting Executive Session to hear what the investigators have to say.

As mentioned in a previous post, five City employees asked the mayor to see the investigation through to the end back in July of this year, in a letter:

letter-to-mayor-hostile-work-investigation

In addition, all it would take is for three Council Members to call for a Special Meeting, in order for one to take place.  Either the Mayor by himself, or three Council Members can make this happen.

Please download the petition asking Council to hear the investigators’ findings here:

petition sandifer rhode

I will present signed petitions to the Mayor at the next meeting of the City Council, Monday December 14, at 7:00PM.  Please sign the petition, and come to the meeting.

Contact your representatives and let them know you want them to hear what the investigators have to say before employees are disciplined or terminated.

City of Sunnyside Council Members

1. Mayor Pablo Garcia

Home #: 509-839-6068

Email address: pgarcia@ci.sunnyside.wa.us

2. Mike Farmer

Home #: 509-837-4698

Email address: mfarmer@ci.sunnyside.wa.us

3. Nick Paulakis

Home #: 509-837-8960

Email addres: npaulakis@ci.sunnyside.wa.us

4. Tom Gehlen

Home #: 509-839-2670

Email address: tgehlen@ci.sunnyside.wa.us

5. Theresa Hancock

Home #: 509-837-8550

Email address: thancock@ci.sunnyside.wa.us

6. Jim Restucci

Work #: 509-839-5595

Email address: jrestucci@ci.sunnyside.wa.us

7. Carol Stone

Home #: 509-837-6340

Email address: cstone@ci.sunnyside.wa.us

City Employees Victim Of Vendetta?

IT IS TIME FOR SOMEONE TO ACT LIKE AN ADULT AT CITY HALL.   

Recent news coverage has given the public only a slight glimpse into what is wrong at Sunnyside City Hall.  BLOGSUNNYSIDE has obtained information through public disclosure requests, and other sources, which will be shared in this post.  I am a results oriented person, and do not relish going into people’s personal affairs.  However, it appears that Interim City Manager Jim Bridges, and City Clerk Deborah Estrada have a personal motivation in their actions regarding Terri Rhode and Pam Sandifer, who have both been placed on administrative leave.  A discipline/termination hearing is likely to be held next week, without all relevant information being given to the City Council.   

It is my desire that the Sunnyside City Council hear directly from two independent investigators about what they have seen and heard at City Hall.  This information should not be filtered by an Interim City Manager who may have an axe to grind.  If the accusations against these employees have merit, then disciplinary action can be justified.  If not, the Interim City Manager should reinstate these employees.  Failure to treat all employees in a similar fashion could result in serious legal consequences for the City, so it is important that the City Council be fully informed.  In this way, the Council can make sure that Rhode and Sandifer are not being singled out for unfair treatment.   

  • Pam Sandifer and Terri Rhode are not being accused of malfeasance, theft, a crime, policy breach, lying, poor work habits or incompetence. The total case against them is based on “inappropriate personal e-mails” and the city has even used their personal Facebook page as evidence. The city does not have an e-mail policy. Rhode is being cited for not making a payment for the city’s insurance, but this issue is easily explained and the problem involves Rhode’s chief antagonist (Deborah Estrada). It is also very troubling to see the double standard being applied. Estrada made a $20,000 plus mistake in June of this year when she did not seek legal advice and incorrectly drafted the termination documents for City Manager Eric Swansen. This resulted in the city having to fire Mr. Swansen twice and the payment of two additional months of salary and benefits. To the best of my knowledge, Estrada has suffered no discipline for this mistake.
  • Ms. Estrada is the chief antagonist for the proposed firings and the complaint against Sandifer and Rhode. She has a long record of filing unfounded hostile work environment and sexual harassment complaints. There are also documented reports of her unstable behavior. She also has had several “melt downs” at city hall, i.e. suicide threats, barricading doors and hallways, and hiding out in the City Hall basement. This can easily be confirmed by simple interviews of City Hall employees.

The following is a copy of three pages of documents regarding Deborah Estrada’s claim of harassment directed against a former Council Member in Toppenish which was later proven to be unfounded:   

Estrada Claim Toppenish (1)

Estrada Claim Toppenish (2)

Estrada Claim Toppenish (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to her unfounded harassment claim against a Council Member in Toppenish, she testified in court depositions that former Sunnyside City Manager Bob Stockwell had harassed her as well. This was mentioned in a recent article in the Yakima Herald, which can be read here. The allegations against Mr. Stockwell turned out to be unfounded as well.  

Further evidence of Estrada’s erratic behavior is documented by 2005 Zillah Police Department Incident Number 05-z0519 where a citizen complained that she chased him down and started swearing at him over what she had determined was not the proper way to drive.  

Estrada Chases Down Citizen

Estrada’s mental stability has been in question for some time.  Prior to her reported threats of suicide at Sunnyside City Hall, Yakima County Sheriff’s Office incident number 04-19433 documents a medical call at her residence in Zillah, in 2004.   

Estrada Medical Call

  • Estrada is also one of the primary evidence gatherers for the disciplinary complaint against Sandifer and Rhode. This is very inappropriate and unprofessional. This is especially true when the city’s reason for its unwillingness to hear the Canfield insurance report is the city’s stated belief that their own insurance carrier is somehow biased. How can a complaint be more biased than having the supposed “victim” prepare it?

Below is a copy of a letter to Mayor Garcia, from five city employees, dated July 7, 2009, regarding one of the investigations into the work environment there.  Pam Sandifer and Terri Rhode are two of the five employees who signed the letter.  The City still does not have this investigation report, as the investigation was suspended by Interim City Manager Jim Bridges.  Now, Jim Bridges has Rhode and Sandifer on administrative leave, with a discipline/termination hearing pending.  In my view, this is not a coincidence.   

Mr. Bridges inappropriate past  relationship with a subordinate was the cause of a recent court settlement the City of Sunnyside had to pay.  Had this relationship not occurred, none of these events would be taking place today.  Mr. Bridges nearly lost his job when former City Manager Bob Stockwell had to get involved.  Perhaps he is blaming Sandifer and Rhode for troubles arising from his own transgressions.     

Letter To Mayor Hostile Work Investigation       

  • The City and Mr. Bridges seem to think that if they ignore and refuse to hear the two reports they asked for from the investigators Larry Hellie and Alan Key, the information does not exist. The problem is that the information does exist and will come out in the civil law suit that is sure to follow any terminations. The city will look very foolish when asked why they refused to hear any information by independent third parties that would show Sandifer and Rhode in a positive light.

       

  • Sunnyside has been in the news enough with recent firings and resignations. Can’t we stop the madness and bloodletting? In January we will have a new council and a fresh start. Let’s not start the year with another law suit against the city.

       

“I expect an open, transparent government with quality services delivered with honesty and integrity”       Council Member Theresa Hancock, Oct. 20, 2009.

RECOUNT OF VLIEGER-STONE RACE CHANGES NOTHING

A hand recount of Sunnyside ballots did not change a single vote in the match up between Don Vlieger and Carol Stone.

I was one observer of the process, invited to attend on behalf of Council Member-Elect Don Vlieger.  Carol Stone was on hand to observe the recount as well, so all sides were represented.

Observers, like Carol Stone and I, were not allowed into the room with the ballots, but had to stay behind a plate-glass window in an observation area.  If a problem was seen, observers could tap on the glass to get the attention of the auditor’s staff.  They would then come out to see what the issue was.  During my time there, no one disturbed the recount process.

It was an interesting process to observe.  Due to restrictions on taking pictures, I will have to give a written account of what I saw.

Two tables were set up, with two employees of the auditor’s office at each table.  One table counted ballots for the Selah City Council race that required a recount, while the other table counted ballots for Sunnyside.

The two employees each counted the ballots by hand, and then compared their results.  If they matched, then the results were reported to Kathy Fisher, the Elections Manager for the County Auditor.

While this was going on, partisan representatives of the Election Board were seated in the room with the ballots, to observe the count as well.  One representative was from the Republican Party, and the other came from the Democrat Party.  Despite City Council elections being non-partisan, rules governing elections require partisan observers to be able to have access during all the counting of ballots.

In about one hour, all of the ballots from Sunnyside had been counted, with no difference from the initial machine recount being detected.  Corky Mattingly, the Yakima County Auditor, came out and announced there would be no change in the Sunnyside ballot count.

At this time, I left the recount, but found out later that there was no change in the ballot count for Selah either.

In a coincidence I found interesting, all of the auditor’s staff, as well as the partisan observers, were female.  It reminded me of how many years ago, only men could vote, or serve on juries.  Now, as we mark 100 years of women being able to vote in the state of Washington, it was all women conducting the recount.

They conducted the entire recount in a professional, and quick manner.

Congratulations to Council Member-Elect Don Vlieger!

Concerned Citizens Circulate Petition For Sunnyside City Employees

Update on petitions:

BLOGSUNNYSIDE has been informed that the discipline/termination hearing for Pam Sandifer and Terri Rhode will be moved to next week.  As a result, additional petition signatures will be gathered and presented at City Hall on December 14, 2009 at 5:00PM, instead of December 7 as originally planned.

The following is text of a press release being sent to local media:

December 6, 2009

4:00PM

***For Immediate Release***

Due to what appears to be the intent of INTERIM City Manager Jim Bridges to hold a discipline/termination hearing for City employees Pam Sandifer and Terri Rhode right before Christmas, a petition is being circulated to gather signatures supporting that all facts be considered before taking action.

One of the first actions taken by Mr. Bridges as INTERIM City Manager was to halt an investigation into the work environment at City Hall that was undertaken while Eric Swansen was City Manager. This is not the only investigation that has been launched into the work environment there.

Two different investigators, Larry Hellie (appointed by the City’s contracted legal firm) and Alan Key (employed by the City’s insurance carrier), have stepped forward, and are willing to meet with the Sunnyside City Council, during a Special Meeting Executive Session to discuss their findings regarding the environment for personnel working at City Hall. Their findings have never before been received by the City of Sunnyside.

Concerned citizens want the City Council to be fully informed before action is taken by the INTERIM City Manager on personnel matters. I agree, and am fully endorsing the petition’s call for a meeting to receive this new information.

The text of the petition reads as follows:

“We the undersigned, petition the City Council of Sunnyside to postpone the Discipline/ Termination hearing of Pam Sandifer and Terri Rhode until the City Council calls a special session and hears all of the evidence. Specifically the reports of the two investigators, Larry Hellie and Alan Key which the city has refused to receive.

The actions of the interim City Manager in this case, appear to be driven by personal malice toward Sandifer and Rhode. He has also stopped one investigation and refused to accept a report on another.

All we ask, is that the City Council hears ALL THE EVIDENCE not just that selected by the Interim City Manager.”

To quote City Council Member Theresa Hancock:

“I expect an open, transparent government with quality services delivered with honesty and integrity.”

The government should make informed decisions as well.

Copies of signed petitions will be presented at City Hall on Monday, December 7, 2009 at 5:00PM.

If you would like to print a copy of the petition and present it at City Hall with the others being collected, here is a copy you can download:

petition sandifer rhode

Mike Farmer Sworn In As Sunnyside City Council Member

City Clerk Fails To Fully Understand Constitutional Principles and Common Sense

Mike Farmer (Left) is sworn in by City Clerk Deborah Estrada (Right) as Mayor Pablo Garcia observes (center). Photo Provided By Bruce Ricks.

Mike Farmer was sworn in as a Sunnyside City Council Member on Wednesday night prior to a Special Meeting to deal with the 2010 budget.

Under the Constitutional principles that guide our great nation, we have elected representatives to serve the people.  Our state has laws that recognize these fundamentals as well.

Sometimes, for various reasons, an elected office will become vacant.  When this happens, individuals are appointed to serve until such time as an election is held.  After the election, then the winner gets sworn into office.  Sounds like a simple concept right?

Our state law stipulates that appointed City Council Members shall be replaced by elected candidates IMMEDIATELY after election results are certified.  For some reason, the Sunnyside City Clerk, Deborah Estrada does not seem to fully grasp this concept.

Ms. Estrada was quoted in the Yakima Herald as saying that Mr. Farmer would be sworn in at a future date, not fully grasping what IMMEDIATELY means.  Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and Mr. Farmer was sworn in last night.

She was also quoted in the Yakima Herald (see the story here) as saying that Theresa Hancock and Nick Paulakis do not need to be sworn in again because they have already taken the oath of office.  She is half right.  Theresa Hancock is elected, so she should not need to take the oath again.  However, Nick Paulakis was appointed.

Now that Mr. Paulakis, like Mike Farmer, has been elected, he should also take the oath of office.  This is where common sense comes into play.  We do not have to go very far to find a precedent for this.  In Yakima, Maureen Adkison was appointed to the City Council, and recently was sworn in after winning election.  See the KNDO story here.

By having Mr. Paulakis take the oath after the election, the Sunnyside City Council will be officially recognizing that elections mean something.  He no longer is serving as an appointee, but as someone who has won an election.  The authority of the people to elect their representatives should be acknowledged by a simple taking of the oath.

I was unable to attend the Special Meeting, so I did not get to ask any City Council Members for their thoughts on the matter.  However, I would like to state my opinion here, and encourage them to remedy this situation ASAP.

While it is a good first step to swear in Mike Farmer as an election winner, Mr. Paulakis should be treated in the same manner.

Suspect In Washington Police Shootings Killed

Maurice Clemmons, the suspect in the recent Washington police shootings, has been shot and killed while trying to elude arrest.

This was a tragedy that resulted in the deaths of four police officers from the Lakewood, Washington Police Department.  It has been reported that these are the first shooting deaths that have occurred in this police department.

My heart goes out to the family members who are grieving.  The men and women who patrol our streets everyday deserve our gratitude and respect for the work they are doing.

As I have watched TV coverage of this event, I have come to the conclusion that former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee had better not make another run for the Presidency.  The suspect in these shootings had his Arkansas prison sentence commuted by Huckabee, who continues to defend his decision to make the commutation.

In short, this is Huckabee’s “Willie Horton” moment.  Actually, this is even worse than Willie Horton.

Perhaps this is why Mr. Huckabee has stated he will probably not run for President again.  He may still be around on TV, and will be a notable name in Republican politics, but it is clear to me that his White House hopes no longer have any legs.

What is not clear to me, is why this suspect was out on the street to begin with.  I have been reading reports that he had raped a child, and was granted bail, pending a trial.  This happened in our own state of Washington, so we can’t exactly blame Huckabee for this whole situation.

In addition, the suspect was wanted on other charges as well, but still got to be released on bail.

If it was an issue of lacking the funds to keep guys like this guy locked up, then we have to look to our own Governor, Christine Gregoire for answers to that question.  So how about it Governor Gregoire, next time someone rapes a child in the state of Washington, can we hold them in jail until we have a trial?

I am told that in Sunnyside, 100% of the children receive free lunches at school.  Perhaps we can have them pay a penny, or even a nickel, for the lunch?  Would that provide enough funds to hold violent criminals in jail?

Maybe we should rethink the decision to buy expensive hybrid vehicles for state employees?  Some of these vehicles are rarely driven out their motor pools anyway.  Maybe we don’t need so many of them.

We should make public safety a higher priority at both the state and local levels.

The only reason this guy was able to be out of jail, is because of weak politicians in multiple states that allowed him to continue to commit crimes.  Maybe it was a budgetary decision, maybe it was “compassion”, but it should be a question our politicians should answer.