Ringing Freedom's Bell In Sunnyside, Washington & Beyond Since 2008
August 30, 2011
On the way to the City Council Meeting last night, I came upon our local firefighters putting out a blaze. It seems a Honda was engulfed in flames. All in a day’s work for those involved in public safety. While the council discussed the status of the city budget, I reflected on how the core function of local government should be to provide for public safety. Imagine that.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
August 9, 2011
Deputy Chief Schenck Explains the Newly Activated Gang Unit
During last night’s meeting of the Sunnyside City Council, Deputy Police Chief Phil Schenck announced that the long discussed Gang Unit will be activated, and in the field today. Following the meeting, I interviewed him in his office, and obtained his permission to release this audio recording:
Sunnyside's New Crime Analyst, Courtney Percival, Is Introduced To The City Council At Monday's Meeting.
July 6, 2011 3 Comments
Yes friends, Sunnyside’s Promise has a video posted online for the world to see. I am now aware of this fact, and will enlighten you on it momentarily. Recently, I wrote a post about a video that Transformation Sunnyside has online. That post got the attention of Nate Bridges, who let me know about the Sunnyside’s Promise video.
After viewing the Sunnyside’s Promise video, I asked Mr. Bridges if I could sit down and discuss it with him. He readily agreed, and we met Tuesday morning. After the meeting, I came away impressed with how driven he is in supporting the Sunnyside’s Promise organization. In terms of the gang problem, it is important to have positive outlets for youth to engage in, as an alternative to the dead-end that gangs will bring. As law enforcement brings greater pressure on the criminal element in our city, we also need to have positive alternatives for our youth.
Sunnyside's Promise Board Chair Nate Bridges
Funding is always an issue in the non-profit world, and Sunnyside’s Promise has some unique challenges in this regard. While getting support from the City of Sunnyside, the Sunnyside School District, and Sunnyside Community Hospital, the organization is looking to also get increased support from the private sector. Many of the grant programs that Sunnyside’s Promise is engaged in pay for the programs and employees, but allow only a small percentage to be spent on administrative overhead.
Bridges says one of the reasons for making this video, is for corporate boards to see some of the things that Sunnyside’s Promise has going on, so they can consider including the group in their budgets for charity and community activities. These programs do not come cheap, as the group needs $180,000 each year to pay for its executive director, secretary, office space, insurance obligations, and employee benefits. Most of the other employees are paid through various grants.
The Yakima County Gang Commission failed to include substantial money for Sunnyside’s Promise in its allocation of funding to fight gangs in the county, an oversight that Nate Bridges says he has been told will not occur again in the future. Mr. Bridges is an appointed representative for the City of Sunnyside on the Gang Commission, but was out of town when the rest of the commission disbursed its funds last year. Mayor Jim Restucci also represents the City of Sunnyside on this commission.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reported on the agencies that did receive funds through the gang commission, and a link to that article is at the bottom of this post.
In the YouTube video, Mr. Bridges says they were unable to show much of what the group does, due to concerns for the at-risk youth they are working with. If it becomes public knowledge that a gang member is trying to leave the gang, they may be victims of violence from other gang members.
One such case involved Diane Lopez from Outlook, that according to Bridges, had made the decision to leave the gang. She was involved with services from Sunnyside’s Promise, and unfortunately died after being shot in her home in Outlook.
Sunnyside’s Promise has helped eight or nine youth to remove tattoos, which also can not be pictured publicly. Those removing tattoos are also at risk from other gang members that may respond in a violent fashion at this. Such is the culture of those caught up in gangs.
The Sunnyside School District has referred over 90 students to Sunnyside’s Promise for its prevention and intervention programs. Bridges says the kids typically are referred after flashing gang signs and colors, or engaging in other behavior linked to gangs. School counselors are not equipped to deal with these kids to the extent that Sunnyside’s Promise is working with them.
In conclusion, the gang problem is complex. No simple cure, like getting a job at the local Wal-Mart, will cure it. The culture of gang life must not be allowed to take over the lives of our youth. Sunnyside’s Promise is striving to prevent that from happening. I wish them the best of luck in their endeavors.
June 9, 2011
Sunnyside Transformation Yakima Valley, also known as Transformation Sunnyside posted a video online made up of interviews with local residents. I thought it was interesting, and am embedding it here for readers to watch.
Two of the interviews were done in Spanish, which presented a problem for me, as I do not speak that language. The solution came when I contacted a staff member at BLOGSUNNYSIDE LANGUAGE SERVICES, a division of BLOGSUNNYSIDE. The staff member gave me this summary of what the Spanish-speakers were saying:
The guy talking in Spanish is the owner of El Conquistador.
Paraphrased version of what he said:
“That us Hispanics unite more and combat all that is happening here–weapons and drugs. We need to unite in more things so what is happening doesn’t continue to this day in Sunnyside. I’ve been in Sunnyside since 94′ and lately there’s been a lot of different things going on. It is something much really different that is happening and hopefully everyone watching helps.”
The lady at the salon(paraphrased):
“We are tired here in the community of Sunnyside to see so many vagabonds. What we want is everyone to unite and make a change. Programs need to be created for the youth–more sports. What they had they took it away. That’s what I ask for.
Us parents are willing to support the kids but we need more programs created for them–more places for them to go. The police need to act when they really need to act–and more police should be hired. Our taxes should be invested in that. Something for the kids to do will help them avoid the streets and gangs.”
Having provided that explanation, let me further say that Transformation Sunnyside is an independent group not affiliated with me, or BLOGSUNNYSIDE. My posting of this video does not necessarily mean that I share the opinions expressed, or that those in the video share mine.
With that said, here is the video:
May 5, 2011 2 Comments
Multiple officers are out of the patrol lineup for the City of Sunnyside pending an investigation into the recent police shooting of a gunman downtown. The investigation is standard procedure when officers use deadly force, but is taking longer than it should.
Sunnyside Police have been asking for an increase in the number of officers for quite some time. The City Council has been dragging out this request, only recently funding the creation of a gang task force.
Now more than ever, it is clear that we can not simply get by with the bare minimum number of police officers. When an event such as the recent shooting occurs, unplanned absences of officers have an immediate negative impact on security in the city.
I wish to thank the majority of Council Members who voted to support the recent budget amendment request by the police, but am frustrated with the lack of urgency with which they have approached solving this problem.
News reports quote the Washington State Patrol, who is running the investigation into the police shooting, as saying that it is taking longer for them to complete their work due to the lack of camera footage from the patrol cars.
Sunnyside Police tell me that none of the patrol cars have cameras, and that this is strictly the result of a budget decision. The one exception to this is the recently purchased K-9 vehicle, which does have a camera system. However, this vehicle was not involved in the recent shooting incident.
Despite repeated requests to outfit new patrol car purchases with a camera system, the Sunnyside Council has not approved funding that will allow the police to have these systems in their vehicles.
In my view, Council Members should make sure that ALL new patrol vehicles being purchased for the police have these camera systems installed. The cost is approximately $5,000 for each vehicle.
With officers unnecessarily on administrative leave, the public is asking why they are not being given the resources to document their actions while on patrol. These camera systems not only provide helpful evidence to prosecute bad guys, but can help remove any doubts that police officers are conducting themselves properly. We owe it to our police department to give them the support they need, both in numbers of personnel, and in providing proper equipment for them to use.
May 3, 2011 1 Comment
The Sunnyside City Council held a workshop meeting Monday night which included an update on the Yakima County Detention Facility, and a presentation from Sunnyside Police on their Gang Elimination Plan.
All members of the council were present, with the exception of Pablo Garcia, who begged off due to a work conflict. Council Members voted to excuse the absence. Theresa Hancock asked if it was required for Council Members to attend workshops. Mayor Restucci informed her that Council Members are required to attend ALL meetings.
County Commissioner Kevin Bouchey, who is also Chairman of the county’s gang commission, addressed the City Council and informed them that the county would continue to cut bed space for juvenile defenders unless municipalities like Sunnyside dramatically increase funding for them. Bouchey said that the county currently spends 82% of its budget on law, justice, and public safety issues, but it is still not enough to provide jail space for juveniles.
Municipalities like Sunnyside rely on the county to house juvenile offenders because it falls under the auspices of Yakima County Superior Court. Under the proposed plan, the county would commit to keeping at least 42 beds for juveniles, and use additional funds from municipalities to pay for some additional beds.
Deputy Mayor Paulakis asked if parents of juveniles could shoulder some of the cost of keeping their kids in jail. He was told that in Yakima County the sliding fee scale that is charged to parents does not collect very much, if at all, in most circumstances.
Council Member Vlieger noted that in 1995 the county had twice as many juvenile beds, despite not having revenue from the 3/10 sales tax for law and justice. ”What happened?”, asked Vlieger. Bouchey said expenses have outpaced revenue.
Mayor Restucci noted that even if Sunnyside joins the plan as proposed, the city would still not have any dedicated juvenile bed-space, but would be sharing with everyone in the county.
Council consensus is to bring the matter back for further discussion at another workshop, with greater detail from the county on how funds are being spent, and how a new “gang court” for juveniles will impact the detention center.
Sunnyside Deputy Police Chief Phil Schenck
A large portion of the meeting was spent as Deputy Police Chief Schenck and Officer Chumley reviewed their strategy for making Sunnyside the safest community in the state of Washington.
Schenck said that we need to break with some of the ideas that have been tried in the past because they are not working. He said that the police can not be everything for everybody, and that they need to focus on what they do best: suppression. Schenck said it is critical to work with other agencies like CPS, the hospital, and Sunnyside’s Promise, as they are needed to solve the problem. However, he said, the role of the police should be on stopping gangs.
“If we don’t stop gangs, we will not see businesses take off, or new industries come to Sunnyside. That is not acceptable; we want opportunities for our kids,” said Schenck.
The presentation was patterned in some respects after military doctrine for fighting terrorism, with counter-insurgency strategies being employed. Schenck is a former U.S. Army officer, and has a lengthy career in law enforcement. The call for “total warfare” against gangs was made, with a community-wide effort required to make it successful.
Schenck cautioned that trying to implement everything in the plan immediately would not effective, as additional resources and staffing are needed for some of the component pieces. For example, the Sunnyside Police have not yet hired a crime analyst that will help them target patrols to problem areas, while maintaining general security for the rest of the city.
Officer Chumley spoke of Winston Churchill calling for eliminating every means of support for the enemy in World War II. He said the same needs to be done in the fight against gangs. Chumley also noted that Sunnyside is not the first to compare gangs to terrorists. He said the state of California labelled them as domestic terrorists in legislation passed in the 1980′s.
Schenck and Chumley both said that the community feels terrorized, and cited increasing numbers of applications for concealed weapons permits to back it up.
Schenck said that prevention and intervention efforts are useful and needed in the community, but can only be effective if we have suppression that works. He added, “The suppression side is the most cost effective thing that is needed right now.”
The council decided to consider a resolution of support for the plan at a future meeting.
April 18, 2011
This past Saturday, April 16, the Sunnyside City Council held a Special Meeting to discuss a budget amendment and a proposal to conduct an efficiency review of the police department.
Theresa Hancock Left The Mayor A Voice Mail Saying She Would Not Be Able To Attend. All Other Council Members Were Present.
The council was scheduled to meet for four hours starting at 8:00 A.M. They ended the meeting at 11:30 though, as another group was waiting outside to use the courtroom for a meeting. It seemed as if an “Iron Butt” competition was being held when the Mayor asked if Council Members wanted to take a break after about an hour. The City Clerk, Deborah Estrada, had started recording the session, and then left the room. Council, however, had a consensus to keep the grind on, and keep slugging through the agenda. Most of the time was spent reviewing items for the budget amendment.
Even when Council Members had differing opinions, collegiality dominated the atmosphere. Council Member Don Vlieger suggested several ways to pay expenses while minimizing the impact to the general fund. For instance, attorney fees of $12,000 that a court ruled the city must pay, following the seizure of drug money, could be paid from the fund they were deposited into in the first place. In addition, the Special Investigative Fund could pay $39,600 for the purchase of an additional patrol car for the gang task force, instead of taking it from the general fund.
Deputy City Manager Byron Olson had requested that council set aside $50,000 as a reserve for environmental cleanup costs at the airport. However, the council did not want to do this as part of the budget amendment, because this action has not been discussed in a regular meeting. Mayor Restucci also stated that he had concerns about the issue being brought up following legal advice the City Council had received in Executive Session. The cost of the cleanup is not yet known, and will depend on how extensive the contamination is. Mr. Olson also said that some grants my provide money to help with the cleanup, but it is still too early to know how much that may be. In addition, the city may pursue prior landowners to recoup this cost as well.
The city now has over $140,000 in its Tourism Expansion Fund. The City Council is not aware of any plans to spend this money, and may direct a committee on how to spend it if they do not receive any input from them. Some ideas discussed were producing a publication that could be distributed to highlight attractions and businesses in the city. Council Members noted that Grandview and Ellensburg both have publications they distribute for their respective cities. Mr. Olson said that the fund appears to be increasing $15,000 – $20,000 each year, and that he thought it could be better used than simply allowing it to grow because of a lack of a plan on how to spend it.
On a personal note, the city recently decided not to fund flowers on downtown streets from this fund because they did not feel tourists would come to town to see them. This is short-sided. I would suggest re-approaching the issue by considering that having the flowers downtown will enhance the atmosphere for events such as Cinco de Mayo, which certainly does attract a crowd downtown. When linked to an event such as this, approving money for flowers should be a no-brainer. The city needs to be more creative in finding ways to spend the money in this fund. Keeping it in the bank is not attracting tourists.
City Council also reviewed a draft document “Request for Qualifications and Proposals, Police Department Review”. The proposal is to have consultants come and study the department over a period of about three months. Following this, they will make recommendations on manpower needs, resources and equipment needed, and project future needs which may include building a new jail 20-30 years from now. Council Members Garcia and Gehlen wanted to immediately commence with this study, while Council Member Vlieger expressed concerns with the timing of it.
“For me the cost and timing are an issue. The police department is in the midst of ramping up operations by adding six new officers, and four new programs. The Gang Task Force, Crime Analyst, Drug Dog, and Crime Free Housing programs are being implemented with no increase in administrative staff”, said Vlieger.
Gehlen countered, “I think the police would think this is a good thing because someone from outside will be doing the study, this is one way to get the input.”
After considering putting off the study until after the start of next year, the council instead decided to delay the study until October. That way the police will not be spending hours doing things besides policing during what Police Chief Radder described as the “hot summer months” when they generally have greater numbers of calls.
At the close of the meeting, Mayor Restucci stopped the recording because the City Clerk, Deborah Estrada, had not returned.
April 12, 2011 1 Comment
Image via Wikipedia
Last night, the Sunnyside City Council unanimously approved a motion to contract with an outside firm to give the city tax advice. Council Members Vlieger and Hancock had excused absences, while Tom Gehlen abstained because he knows some of the people associated with the firm. The four Council Members voting in favor were Garcia, Farmer, Paulakis, and Restucci.
The motion authorized the city manager to spend up to $25,000 for tax advice from Alegria & Company, P.S. Deputy City Manager Byron Olson explained that some state and federal filings had wrong amounts on them, and that the firm was assisting by arranging for the city to have face-to-face meetings with IRS agents. The city, according to Olson, found the errors and is self-reporting them to state and federal agencies. Because they have not been found in outside audits, the city is hoping to avoid paying penalties or interest expenses. However, Olson said that the city may have to pay some penalties before the matter is completely resolved.
Olson did not give specific amounts that were in error, but did state that incorrect payroll deductions were taken for employee-paid insurance plans. At issue is whether the deductions should have been taken pre-tax or post-tax. In addition, some calculations of overtime pay for city employees have resulted in some employees being overpaid, while others have been underpaid.
The overtime payment adjustments will result in amounts of several hundred dollars to some employees. If the city owes the employee, then it will need to make additional payments to them. Olson said that if the employee has been overpaid, then they will need to reimburse the city. Olson said that they are continuing to investigate the matter, and specific numbers are not available at this time.
Funding for the additional tax advice will be taken from the General Fund – Financial Services Budget for Professional Services. Estimated costs for this advice are over $7,000 for the 2010 tax year, and over $11,000 for 2011 year-to-date.
March 29, 2011 5 Comments
City Manager Mark Gervasi Addresses Sunnyside Council Members At Monday's Meeting.
Before the start of the City Council meeting last night, I had a chance to speak with Sunnyside City Manager Mark Gervasi. He informed me that the city does not have a formal policy regarding pesos, but that it may be a good idea for the city to adopt a payment policy. Mr. Gervasi told me a story about an incident that occurred at a place where he used to work. A person came to pay a fee, and produced an unusually large amount of coin, which was awkward for a single person to handle. He said it might serve the city to adopt a policy that also includes a two dollar limit on the amount of coin a person can use in making payment, for example.
What he had to say seems like common sense. In the absence of a formal policy, organizations rely on people to make decisions and judgments on a daily basis. However, there are some in government (and even in private industry too) that either do not have common sense, or choose to ignore it altogether. These people try to say that if there is no policy in place, then they can run amok and do whatever they please. When these people are put in charge, having titles such as Interim City Manager, their ill informed decision making, lack of problem solving skills, and questionable judgement can wreak damage on an entire community.
March 23, 2011 9 Comments
Image via Wikipedia
Recently, a resident of the City of Sunnyside received a utility bill from the city, and being a responsible person, promptly paid it. The city was kind enough to put a notice in Spanish on the bill, notifying the resident of the due date for payment. This was encouraging to the resident, who happened to have some extra Mexican Pesos laying about, and enjoys living in a city that is sensitive to people of diverse backgrounds. The resident made their payment at City Hall, and went about their business unaware of the pending police visit they were about to receive.
Billing From the City Includes Both English and Spanish Information
What the resident did not know, however, is that the Chief of Police would be dispatched to hunt them down for the heinous act of paying the bill in such currency. The City Manager penned a letter to the resident, declining acceptance of the payment, and threatening to tack on additional fees if they did not render unto Caesar in U.S. dollars. Here is a copy of the letter:
Mark Gervasi's Letter Delivered Under Armed Messenger
Attempts to reach City Manager Mark Gervasi with questions regarding payment policies for utility bills, taxes, and fees were unsuccessful this week. It is not clear if the city has any formal policy regarding payments made by residents, or when such a policy may have gone into effect. It is also not known if the police will be dispatched for anyone else seen flashing pesos within city limits.
Eagle Watch
jimsweb.net
WSRP BLOG