Jobs on the line for two more Sunnyside city employees

SUNNYSIDE, Wash. -- The turmoil at City Hall continues.

Months after a round of turnover related to the firing of City Manager Eric Swansen, two more city employees may lose their jobs.

Terri Rhode, human resources assistant to the city manager, and Pam Sandifer, administrative assistant in the building department, face a disciplinary hearing next week at City Hall.

They were put on administrative leave in early November by Interim City Manager Jim Bridges while the city conducted an internal review.

Details about that review are hard to come by, but many believe the trouble is linked to two years of alleged workplace hostility, inappropriate conduct and romantic relationships.

"It's a soap opera, it's a big-time soap opera," said Don Vlieger, city councilman-elect.

Vlieger, who will begin his City Council term on Jan. 1, and Jason Raines, who ran unsuccessfully for a City Council position, plan to deliver a petition Dec. 14 to City Hall asking Bridges to share the full results of those investigations with the City Council before making any decisions about the two employees.

The two employees face a disciplinary hearing that was supposed to happen today but has been changed to Dec. 15 at the request of their attorney, Bridges said.

The city has been sued by Northwest Administrators, which provides health insurance for all city employees, for not receiving a payment earlier this year, Bridges said. It was at least partially Rhode's responsibility to remit that payment, according to Bridges.

Bridges said council members have been told the city plans to take action involving the two employees but have not been briefed on the details of the allegations except the allegedly skipped insurance payment.

Sunnyside has a council-manager form of government, which gives the city manager executive powers to hire employees and discipline staff, while council approves budgets and contracts.

However, managers often warn council members of their actions ahead of time as a courtesy, said Sunnyside Mayor Paul Garcia. Bridges has done that in this case during private executive sessions, Garcia said.

Mike Farmer, the council's newest member, wants to know about the investigation.

He does not question Bridges' authority to fire people. "We have no say on that," he said.

But he believes council members should know why.

"City Council certainly has an obligation to see to it that the city is run ... properly" to avoid the risk of lawsuits, he said.

Farmer was sworn in during a special meeting Dec. 2, replacing the appointed Jesse Hernandez Jr.

City staff had planned to wait until the regular meeting Dec. 14 for Farmer's swearing-in but moved the date up after rereading state law.

Another controversy

Whatever the cause, the actions mark the third flare-up in this city of 15,000 in a little more than two years.

In early June, the City Council voted 4-2 to fire Swansen after only 11 months on the job following his first performance review.

In protest, longtime City Attorney Mark Kunkler resigned, as did Councilman Bill Gant. Finance Director Jordan Arreola also resigned in the wake of the firing.

In September 2007, Swansen's predecessor, Bob Stockwell, was asked to resign after three years at his post.

This much is clear about one of the two workplace investigations: It was conducted by a staff member or a designee of Canfield and Associates, the city's insurance administrator, at Swansen's request while he was still city manager.

Swansen asked Canfield for help after City Clerk Deborah Estrada sent him an e-mail alleging City Hall was a "hostile work environment."

Kunkler, the former city attorney, called that standard and appropriate practice for allegations of workplace harassment.

Swansen asked for a written report of the results but was fired before he received it.

Bridges said he stopped that investigation because he questioned Canfield's motives. He then asked the city's contracted attorneys at Yakima firm Menke, Jackson, Beyer, Elofson, Ehlis & Harper LLP to hire a third-party investigator. It yielded no evidence of workplace harassment, Bridges said.

Rhode and Sandifer both declined comment at the advice of their attorney, Brian Iller of Kennewick law firm Rettig-Osborne-Forgette.

The internal review involves "allegations of inappropriate conduct that Ms. Rhode and Sandifer dispute," Iller said. He would not elaborate.

Iller said the women have not filed a claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, against the city. They are not union-represented.

Rhode has worked for the city for seven years. Sandifer has been there 13 years.Vlieger said the action against Rhode and Sandifer may be retaliation for incidents during a 2007 wrongful termination lawsuit by Jamie Alba, which the city settled for $60,000 on Oct. 27 this year.

In that lawsuit, Alba, a former staff member in the city manager's office, said she was fired in 2007 by then-City Manager Stockwell for dating Bridges and not disclosing it. Bridges was asked to resign over the matter but was given a two-week suspension instead.

Stockwell was fired about three weeks later.

In depositions during the lawsuit, Estrada said Rhode, the human resources assistant, was "not helpful" and "not sympathetic" to her disagreements with Stockwell. In the depositions, Estrada complained that Stockwell asked her questions about her physical appearance and her home life though she told him not to.

* Ross Courtney can be reached at 509-930-8978 or rcourtney@yakimaherald.com.