Pacific Is A Great Place

Most residents of Pacific already know, this city is a great place to live, work or own a business. Despite heated local politics, we have caring neighbors, responsive public safety professionals, dedicated city staff, great community services and celebrations and one of the most beautiful locations in Washington to call home.

There is a lot about this recall campaign that is hard. Emotions run strong and feelings get hurt. It's necessary to focus on the negative much of the time. But the goal of this recall effort is positive. It's a chance to rebuild all that is good about Pacific. If we are successful, the recall offers a fresh start - where we can focus on what is good about our city knowing that our government is running effectively in the background.

That focus on what makes us a great community is important even now; especially now. Let's not wait. Please share with us what you love about Pacific. Tell us a story about a time something went right; when the police or fire department came to the rescue, when public works was helpful, a successful family picnic in our beautiful park, a time when neighbors came together to help.

Email your thoughts to recallcy@gmail.com. We'll share your stories here on the blog and elsewhere. Let's remind ourselves about why we exist, about why it's so important to save our city. And thank you to so many who make Pacific the great place it is...

Recall Delayed Again

Before the hearing this afternoon, recall committee members were able to speak face to face with Mayor Cy Sun, reiterating our appreciation for his service to our country and reminding him that this recall effort is not personal. It is based on concerns about his leadership in office, not his leadership on the battlefield.

King County Superior Court Judge Laura Inveen made it clear early in the recall hearing today that she was not going to rule on the issue immediately. Paperwork on the case was being filed as late as this morning. She felt she had not studied all the material enough to reach a decision, but she could have held the hearing today and issued her decision in the next few days rather grant the formal hearing continuance requested by Mayor Sun.

The first procedural issue to address was the motion for a continuance (where the hearing is delayed to a later date). The mayor's attorney laid out his case supporting a delay.

Among his reasons:

• He had no idea he was representing Mayor Sun in this issue until last Friday when a reporter asked him about it. After the reporter's question, the attorney called Sun and confirmed he was on the job for both the writ hearing yesterday and today's recall hearing.
•  Despite Mayor Sun knowing about this hearing since August 27th and the state law requirement that this hearing be held within 15 days of filing (which would have been September 20th), Sun had not had time to prepare his case.
• There is no longer any rush for this action, since "the person acting as the city attorney" had stated at the writ hearing yesterday that once the writ of mandate was signed by the judge, the city's insurance would not be canceled (a statement that was never made).

The recall attorney then presented the reasons to deny any further delays. Some of the highlights of his argument:

• The process is supposed to give deference to the citizen's right to recall elected officials from office. Another delay is contrary to that deference.
• The recall attorney had quickly, without even checking with his client, already granted a continuance so that the mayor could attend the reunion with his fellow veterans because the reason was so important.
• The issue of losing insurance is very relevant. No employees can continue working the moment that coverage is dropped. The fact that the city loses insurance on December 31st is one of the certainties in this timeline. Anything else is speculation.
• Getting this issue on the ballot before December 31st is a vital piece of showing the insurance carrier that the citizens of Pacific are doing everything they can to address the insurance carriers valid concerns.
• Every day counts. Any delay adds to the citizens already immense burden to get this issue out for a vote in time.

After the judge asked for some clarifications, she ruled in favor of Mayor Sun and allowed the delay. The hearing was rescheduled for October 9th at 10am.

Mrs. Sun in the front bench with recall Chairman Don Thompson and his attorney Jeff Helsdon to the left, Mayor Sun in yellow with his two attorneys and one of the King County prosecutors standing (who wrote the ballot summary - as required under the law).

Recall attorney Jeff Helsdon being interviewed by Gary Horcher, KIRO TV News, in the King County Courthouse lobby.

Sun Promises To Delay Recall Vote

UPDATE, 12:35am, September 26, 2012:

The post on Mayor Sun's blog promising to appeal the recall has already been taken down, less than an hour after it was noted here on the recall blog. The link in the story below will no longer work, but copies of the mayor's post are available. Email us at recallcy@gmail.com if you need a copy.
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As many expected, Mayor Sun announced on his blog tonight (link here) that he will appeal the recall effort if it is allowed to move forward tomorrow in court. If he appeals, getting the issue to a vote will be delayed for several weeks if not months, and probably push any hope for a public vote past the December 31^st deadline the city faces with the insurance carrier.

Mayor Sun states that his reason for appealing is because he is offended that the recall committee questioned the dates he said he was attending a veteran’s reunion. The only reason the dates were an issue was because they were used to delay the recall hearing. And every delay is so costly right now. All we want is to get this issue before the voters of Pacific and let them decide if Mayor Sun should remain in office.

We want to reiterate that the committee’s concerns were with the dates Sun said he was available. In no way did we question or berate his decision to attend the reunion (more details on our concerns here and here). The recall committee, along with the rest of Pacific’s citizens, deeply appreciates Cy Sun’s service to our country. One of the freedoms that Mayor Sun fought for was the right for open, calm, civil dialogue in the public square – a freedom we cherish.

Although we disagree with the mayor, we strive for civility. We will maintain that calm, open approach despite his actions or war-like response on his blog. We will be very disappointed if Mayor Sun chooses to appeal the recall effort. The people he hurts are not the recall committee members; it’s all the citizens of Pacific.

Writ of Mandamus Upheld

UPDATE, 10:20pm:
Here is the link to the writ as signed by Judge Culpepper today.
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The court action for Mayor Sun started today with a hearing on the Writ of Mandamus, where the council is trying to force him to follow the law. Specifically, Sun is ordered to hire qualified people for essential city functions immediately. Although the mayor and his attorney attempted to delay the hearing again today, the judge refused and confirmed the writ with some minor modifications. The court ordered Mayor Cy Sun to follow the law or face contempt of court charges.

KING 5 was at the courthouse and KOMO appears to preparing a story, so check the evening news. We will post more details about the court proceedings (antics) today and the writ later tonight.

Big Day Tomorrow

Barring any further delays by Mayor Sun, the recall effort will finally have its day in court tomorrow, Wednesday, September 26th at 2:30pm. If the judge approves the recall ballot language and finds sufficient cause to allow the issue to go out for a vote, signatures can then be collected.

But we have to wait 15 days before getting signatures to see if Sun will appeal the judges opinion. Let's hope the mayor is telling the truth when he says he welcomes a recall. He can prove his sincerity with no more delays and allowing a vote as quickly as possible. If Mayor Sun does not appeal, signature gathering can start on the 16th day after the judge approves the recall petition.

As we wait for the next step to play out, please contact us if:

• You want a yard sign (more are being printed)
• You want to help gather signatures when the time comes
• You want to sign the petition

You can email us at recallcy@gmail.com.  We will post any updates here as soon as we can.

Ballot Language Ready

The recall effort took a step forward today with the filing of a motion that outlines the ballot language proposed by the prosecutors office. The motion lists five formal charges and summary evidence for each. The judge is asked to approve the motion and allow the citizens of Pacific to vote on the recall of Mayor Sun. The hearing on the issue is scheduled for this Wednesday, September 26th. The full motion is available via this link...

Proof: No Corruption In Pacific Finances

Presented below are direct quotes, taken from the three (3) Financial Audit Reports, performed by the Washington State Auditor’s Office. These comprehensive reports demonstrate that the City of Pacific has had clean audits for the past several years.

This independent information verifies that Mayor Cy Sun is intentionally misleading the Pacific community when he claims “corruption” and “For the first two years, the out-of-balance was nominal, but then it started to build up to $10.9 million in 2011. Why wasn’t it not revealed to the PUBLIC? “

Because it is not true.

See for yourself by clicking on the link below and going on the State Auditor’s website; select “Local Government,” and then select the “Pacific, city of”.

http://www.sao.wa.gov/en/audits/pages/search/auditreportsearch.aspx

        Washington State Auditor’s Office

Financial Statements Audit Report

The mission of the Auditor’s Office is to “work in cooperation with our audit clients and citizens as an advocate for government accountability. As an elected agency, the State Auditor's Office has the independence necessary to objectively perform audits and investigations. Our audits are designed to comply with professional standards as well as to satisfy the requirements of federal, state, and local laws”.

Independent accountability audit of the City of Pacific for January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2008.

Report Date August 28, 2009

Audit No. 33073

RESULTS

“We evaluated internal controls and performed audit procedures on the activities of the City. We also determined whether the City complied with state laws and regulations and its own policies and procedures”.

“In the areas we examined, the City’s internal controls were adequate to safeguard public assets. The City also complied with state laws and regulations and its own policies and procedures in the areas we examined.”

 “No findings have been reported in the last five audits (2004 through 2008).”

 

Independent accountability audit of the City of Pacific for January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2009.

Report Date September 15, 2010

Audit No. 35850

RESULTS:

“In the areas we examined, the City’s internal controls were adequate to safeguard public assets. The City also complied with state laws and regulations and its own policies and procedures in the areas we examined.”

“No findings have been reported in the last five audits covering 2004 through 2008.”

Financial Statements

Internal Control over Financial Reporting:

“We reported no deficiencies in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting that we consider to be significant deficiencies.”

“We identified no deficiencies that we consider to be material weaknesses.”

“We noted no instances of noncompliance that were material to the financial statements of the City.”

“We reported no deficiencies in the design or operation of internal control over major federal programs that we consider to be significant deficiencies.”

“We identified no deficiencies that we consider to be material weaknesses.”

 Independent accountability audit of the City of Pacific for January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010.

January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010

Audit No. 35851

RESULTS:

“In the areas we examined, the City’s internal controls were adequate to safeguard public assets. The City also complied with state laws and regulations and its own policies and procedures in the areas we examined.”

“The results of our tests disclosed no instances of noncompliance or other matters that are required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards”

“The City has been free of findings for the last six audits covering 2004 through 2009.”

The Stakes Couldn't Be Higher

We only have 14 weeks until the city looses insurance coverage. Even as dysfunctional as the current city government is, it's better than nothing, Most agree that when we loose our insurance, we will indeed have no functioning city government at all and the City of Pacific will cease to exist. There are only three insurance carriers in the state who offer municipal insurance. One dropped Pacific when Sun's friend Howard Erickson was mayor, the second will drop the city on December 31st and the third carrier is not interested in even speaking to city officials about providing coverage.

Every delay in the recall process has huge consequences under these time constraints. It is vital that we get this issue before the voters as soon as possible. It's our only hope to save our city. It's time for the citizens of Pacific to decide if they want Mayor Sun to continue at the helm. Please join us in urging Cy Sun to let the process proceed next Wednesday when we finally have our hearing before a judge.

And remember how much is at stake...

Balance And Appreciation

We want to balance our frustration with the delays getting our grievances before a judge with our appreciation for the service to our country that Mayor Sun has given. Our scheduling concerns are based only on the conflicts between the dates the mayor said he was available and when he actually appeared to be available. We never questioned or expected the mayor to delay or miss his reunion with other war heroes.

Many in this community, including those who support this recall effort, deeply appreciate the sacrifices Cy Sun has made for our country. He suffers daily from that sacrifice and has to live with hearing loss and more from his wounds. He has given more than most and for that we offer him our thanks and graditude.

The recall is based on Mayor Sun's actions in office. He may be sincere, but that does not soften the impact he has had or the damage he has done. It's important to remember the balance - we appreciate the man and his service but strongly disagree with his actions.

Amended info about how we got our court date

(It seems that our earlier post regarding the court date could have been more clear with regard to some of the facts. So let's try again.)

Here's the story. Washington State Law requires that the recall committee's grievance be heard by a court within 15 days of filing. Our action was filed with the court on September 6th. That means by law, the court should have heard our case no later than September 21st. When we attempted to schedule the date with Mayor Sun, he sent an email stating that he would be in Kansas City from September 10th through September 20th. He asked for a date within 10 days of his return and promised he would be in touch upon his return. We then acquiesed to the Mayor's scheduling request and sought a date on the 26th.

But, we started hearing from multiple people that the Mayor was wandering around the Puyallup Fair on Monday morning, the 17th.

Mrs. Sun responded to our earlier blog entry by writing on his blog:
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"Cy was scheduled to depart from Kansas City (MCI) on Monday, September 17, 2012 on Alaska Airlines at 5:05pm on a Boeing 737-900 and arrive in Seattle (SEA) on Monday, September 17, 2012 at 7:05pm.

I changed Cy's reservations to come home a day early to see my family that he hasn't seen for over 30 years.  My sister, brother-in-law and niece were here from UTAH.  They arrived Friday, September 14, 2012 and left Monday, September 17, 2012 at 2:30pm.  I took them to the Seattle Center, the Monorail, and the Seattle Waterfront on Saturday, September 15, 2012.  I took them to the Puyallup Fair on Sunday, September 16, 2012.  I took them to the Puyallup Fair on Monday, September 17, 2012 from 10am to 12:30pm.  They were back in Pacific by 1:00pm.  My family left for Utah at 2:30pm on Monday, September 17, 2012.

I changed Cy's flight from September 17, 2012 to September 16, 2012."
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Now this is a very interesting admission by Mrs. Sun. The mayor told us via email that he wouldn't be back until the 20th. Mrs. Sun states he was originally due back on the 17th. The difference amounts to shuck and jive ... enough time to delay the proceeding a week.

In addition, he didn't make any contact upon his actual return on the 16th, but instead waited until the 18th to send an email. The prosecutor's office asked him to respond later that day to confirm the proposed court date. He promised to respond the following morning, but didn't. The court date has not been set without Mayor Sun's cooperation.

Those are the facts. We'll back them up with copies of the emails as soon as possible.

I apologize for the lack of clairty with regard to the earlier post. That post and this one are done by a substitute blogger.

We'd like to thank Mrs. Sun for reading our blog and quoting it on hers. We thank her for helping us keep the record straight.

Recording of Council Meeting Available

A citizen asked when the public meetings are held:

The council meets every Monday at 6:30. The first and third Monday of the month is a workshop, where the council works through things, has discussion and go over the details of various issues. They do not vote on anything or allow public comment. However, this is when the most work gets done. It is a great place to get information on what is happening with the city and how the council works.

The second and fourth Monday is regular the Council Meeting. This is when they vote on things and public comment is taken. It is not always easy for people to get to these meetings so we are working with others to video tape and post on youtube (link here). On the City's website there is a calendar for the meetings. Unfortunately, due to the lack of staff at City Hall it, like many other things, is not being maintained.

Sun Uses City Resources To Promote Personal Blog

KING 5 is reporting that city residents received a note on their utility bills this month promoting Mayor Sun's personal blog where he promises to "share his thoughts". There are big questions about the legality of using city resources to advertize personal web sites like a blog. You can read the KING 5 story here, which includes a copy of a utility bill.

Civil Service Written Decision On Calkins

The full findings and decision by the civil service can by found via this link... Of special note, the statement at the bottom of page 10 that reads: ..."the Commission finds and concludes that the mayor's testimony in this matter is not credible or worthy of belief." More and more of Pacific's citizens are paying attention and seeing the light.

Civil Service Returns Calkins as Public Safety Director

The City of Pacific Civil Service Commission restored John Calkins to the position of Public Safety Director this evening. The move came after the Commission met in executive session for a final review of the written ruling before its release. The decision was published in a 15-page document that was made public after the session.

Calkins was hired as the Public Safety Director by Mayor Howard Erickson on September 1, 2000. Mayor Cy Sun placed Calkins on administrative leave on January 18 after hearing an allegation that Calkins had yelled at the Finance Director during a city council meeting. Calkins remained on admin leave four months until Sun fired him.

Calkins appealed his termination to the Civil Service Commission. The Commission held hearings and heard testimony about the event. Testimony concluded on August 24^th. We've been waiting since then for the Commission's decision to be announced.

The Commission concluded that Calkins was guilty of misconduct but the offense did not warrant termination. He was issued a 30-day suspension without pay. Since that penalty has already been served, it is expected that Calkins will immediately return to the job with back pay to about June 18^th.

The complete document released by the Commission will be uploaded here as soon as possible.

It's worth noting here that in yet another of Mayor Sun's blunders, he will have paid his Public Safety Director a total of nearly 8 months salary for 18 days of work.

Word is that the accountants are still tallying the cost to the city for the lawyers who represented the city and the lawyer who represented the civil service commission. No doubt, in light of this decision, the city will be paying the fees for Calkins' lawyer as well.

In another side note about this decision, on page 11, the Commission goes into 8 separate concerns regarding Mayor Sun's credibility. They seem to stop just short of calling him a liar.

The copy of the decision that will be posted soon is not yet signed. But it is the final version of the decision. It came straight from the hands of the civil service secretary. We'll replace the reference copy with the signed one as soon as it is available.

City 2012 Financials Through July 31st

Tie A Green Ribbon

Many people have been asking for yard signs in support of the Recall. Many of the signs we had were stolen or destroyed by vandals. Because our focus has been getting the Recall through the court, we have not been able to raise funds for signs. So here is a great idea that was suggested. Until we can afford to have signs made, everyone can make their own sign. Put it up in your window or in your car window. This would also be great demonstration of the grass-roots effort to save our city. Also, consider tying a GREEN ribbon around your mailbox or a tree in your yard or on your car antenna. Green for Time for Cy to GO!

Civil Service Commission Meets Thursday Evening

The Pacific Civil Service has scheduled an executive session for tomorrow, Thursday, at 6 p.m. As we understand, the Commission will review the paperwork that has been prepared by their attorney regarding former Public Safety Director John Calkins' termination appeal. The paperwork is the documentation of their findings and their decision regarding his employment status. If they approve the paperwork, it will be made public after the meeting. If they need to make an adjustment in something, they'll schedule another meeting -- perhaps for Friday -- to review the corrected copy. If that's approved, they'll release it to the public after that. Stay tuned...

Thank You

We on the committee would like to take a moment to express our appreciation for the work of the Pacific City Council during the ongoing crisis in our government this year. There's a lot of inside information that is protected from public view by law. Much of this has to do with personnel issues. But for those who are privy to this information can see how much class and restraint the council is exhibiting. They're working hard to preserve our city for the future. The committee extends a big thank you to council members Tren Walker, John Jones, Josh Putnam, James McMahon, Leanne Guier, Gary Hulsey, and Clint Steiger. You all deserve a Nobel Peace Prize for your monumental efforts.

Last Night's Council Meeting Highlights

The council meeting on Monday night began with Mayor Sun announcing that he can no longer chair the council meetings as required by law. He claimed he was being discriminated against because of his hearing impairment. Sun had picked Council Member James McMahon to conduct the meetings on his behalf, but council rules require that the mayor pro-tem (already predetermined by the council) take over when the mayor is not available. Sun said he would be in his office if needed and left the meeting. He was seen leaving the building a short time later. Mayor pro-tem Council Member John Jones took over the meeting.

During public comment Gary Van Hee congratulated the council on their courage and for filing the Writ of Mandamus. He hoped the move plays out in a positive way for the city.

Council Member Josh Putnam noted they are finally caught up with the financial statements through July. Jeanne Fancher asked for clarification about a rumor that $10 million in city funds had been lost and then found. Putman explained there was a mistake on how the money was coded in the budget. The state determines the codes and they are always changing them, so it can be hard to stay current.

Lt. Massey reported that the mayor has authorized the replacement of one officer and the recently retired evidence technician, leaving one patrol officer position still vacant. The department started a background check on an applicant for the officer and they have scheduled an oral board review for the evidence technician position.

Council Member Steiger expressed concern that the mayor wants to hire people to fill his proposed new positions, like a city administrator. He felt the mayor should fill the jobs based on current job descriptions, not try to fill proposed jobs. The council considered a motion recommending the mayor only hire for existing openings, not proposed ones. Putnam wanted to change the wording on the motion to a more positive tone. Steigner felt that being nice had not gotten the city anywhere and he felt it was time to stand up and take a strong stand. Guier felt the writ of mandate was a strong stand. The vote on the motion tied.

Council Member Gier was concerned about if/when next year’s budget would be proposed, which is due from the mayor to the council by October 1^st.

Putnam announced that the city’s insurance renewal date was September 1^st. The insurance company had allowed the city to renew the policy only until December 31^st at a higher rate.

Washington Survey and Ratings Bureau (WSRB) had contacted Pacific’s building inspector earlier this year. WSRB rates cities for insurance companies. Their ratings determine the cost for homeowner and other insurance within the city. When the building inspector (who is out on medical/stress leave) did not respond, WSRB sent the inquiry directly to the mayor. When Sun did not respond, WSRB started the process to change Pacific’s rating from a 3 to a 99, which would have made it impossible for anyone to get insurance within the city limits.

The city attorney happened to come across a letter from WSRB, which he handed over to Sound Inspections (who the mayor has been using for building inspections without authorization from the council). Sound Inspections owner Frank Mellas explained how he was able to intervene with WSRB and convince them to not change the rating for Pacific.

The council then debated paying the outstanding bill from Sound Inspections, with concern on one hand about not rewarding the mayor's improper actions and wanting to pay this contractor who had just done such a good thing for the city. The motion to pay the bill passed by a 4-2 vote.

Calkins' Decision Expected Soon

The Pacific Civil Service Commission is expected to release their decision about Public Safety Director John Calkins' termination appeal sometime this week. We will post their findings here as soon as they are released. You can read the details about the hearings on this issue by clicking on the "Calkins" label below this post.

Sun Now Under Court Order

The Auburn Reporter is reporting that the court today ordered Cy Sun to perform his lawful duties as mayor or show reasons why he refuses. If he continues to defy the court, he faces fines and/or jail time. You can read the full article here....

In The News

The News Tribune had a good summary of where we are to date with Mayor Sun in today's paper. You can read the article here...

Reaching Out

The recall process is chugging along. The prosecutor’s office is working on their part and we are waiting on a court date for the sufficiency hearing. At the hearing, a judge will decide whether or not the complaint establishes legal grounds for a recall.

But the recall is not all we’re doing to try to save our city. We’ve recently discovered that Mayor Sun has family in the area and out of state. We’ve been discussing the possibility of contacting them to see if they could offer some insight into what makes Cy tick, so to speak. Perhaps they could help us reason with him or help persuade him to resign in his own interests as well as those of the city. 

As a first step on that path, we have sent a Facebook message to one of Cy’s daughters. There’s no way to know if this effort will be productive. We will not be nagging her for a response. This is just another way of pursuing the goal of dislodging the Mayor from his office. In the long run, we hope he will see that his resignation is the most honorable solution to this problem. Mayor Sun’s departure via resignation is certainly a better way for him to preserve his honor than being fired for just cause via a recall election.

We’ll let you know if Cy’s daughter responds to our inquiry.

Possible New Sign?

Someone on Facebook posted this sign and appears to be proposing his own campaign to get them in support of our efforts. You can link to the page here...

Writ Hearing Scheduled

The hearing for the writ of mandamus, where a judge could potentially order the mayor to properly hire city staff among other things, has been scheduled for next Tuesday, September 18th. We will post the results as soon as the judge makes his decision...

Writ of Mandate Petition

Writ of Mandamus Filed

The Pacific City Council has taken steps today to force Mayor Cy Sun to hire qualified people for the many open positions needed to run the city - but to follow existing law and civil service rules while doing so. The city filed a writ of mandamus in Superior Court, which is a court order requiring the mayor to do his job. The city hopes to have a hearing on the issue by next week.

The link to the court filing is here...  We will post the petition papers later tonight.

The Chaos Continues

To say last night’s city council workshop was interesting would be an understatement.  Confusing, chaotic, almost insane might better describe the mayor’s new plan for staffing the city. It appears, amidst the bewildering presentation last night by Mayor Sun, that he wants to contract out vital city services, which he assumes will only be part time (like building and permitting, including using college students) and add more employees in other departments.

Here is a summary of the more interesting parts of last night’s discussion:

The mayor proposed contracting with AHBL and Sound Inspections for planning services, inspections, code enforcement and parks. College students will be invited to write a thesis for Pacific. Sun expects this contract work to only be needed part-time at $165 per hour. Sun said he will bring the contract to the council next week.  It appears AHBL would serve as public works director and decide who is awarded contracts, including engineering work that they would potentially bid on.

The mayor then proposed turning 10 acres that belongs to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) into a new park. The council expressed concern because it is over 70% wetlands. They also felt that the price DNR would have to sell the land for was too high. The mayor said he is moving ahead with his plan regardless of the council and expects it will only require 15 to 20 hours of AHBL’s time.

The mayor’s new preliminary organizational chart lists several new names of people in positions that are currently vacant or new positions Sun wants to create. When council members questioned him about the correct hiring process (advertise, choose qualified people, don’t hand-pick before the application process even starts), the mayor raised his voice and yelled, “It’s only preliminary!”

Council Member Husley pointed out that according to city code, the city administrator also serves as the finance director. The mayor said he had not seen that. As more questions were asked about his organizational chart, the mayor told the council he did not expect to answer questions at the workshop, he only brought the chart to show them. He was up against a deadline and he was giving “you people a head’s up.”

Sun then asked the council to approve the job description for the human services director, which is already laid out in city code. The council asked him why he wanted approval for something that is already in place. Sun yells again, saying he has to have “you people’s” approval so he can move forward on other positions.

The mayor then asked Sheryl Finwall to speak to the new position she has been working on with Council Member Guier for community services, but she appeared confused.  Finwall and Guier have been exploring replacing the director position with a manager at a lower pay rate. Finwall was prepared to explain the new position of bus driver. Ms. Finwall said she can’t write grants and other program details like she needs to while working at the senior center. Husley mentioned that some of the senior don’t like Finwall, but she responded by saying she is busy with administration stuff so she can’t do the social stuff. Finwall had trouble remembering the name of the retirement center in town.

The council asked Finwall and Guier to work out more details of their proposal. Sun responded in frustration, noting this is the first time he has brought his hiring to the council first before just hiring someone.

Sun then asked the current city treasurer to address the job description for finance director. Sun appeared to think treasurer and finance director were the same job (they are not). The mayor has modified the job description and asked the council to review it over at the next workshop. Council Member Guier suggested the issue be looked at the council’s finance committee first.

Sun then explained that he had removed the personnel and human resource duties from the city clerk’s position. The council asked the mayor who would do those duties, if the mayor was proposing adding yet another new employee for that work. Sun said he had not decided yet, he just knew he did not want the clerk to have those responsibilities. Council Member Steiger expressed frustration, telling Sun he should present a full scope of his city staff proposal, not piece-meal. Sun responded by yelling that he is the executive branch.

The city attorney notified the council that the writ of mandamus would be filed in court the next day (a court order requiring the mayor to perform his duties under the law, not as he wants). The attorney had contacted the mayor over the weekend and asked to meet with him, hoping for cooperation so the city could avoid this additional cost. The mayor refused.

National Attention

Mayor Sun's actions against his police force is drawing national attention within law enforcement circles. This article about the mayor's attempt to fire almost half the department (link here) is featured on a police news/informational web site. To say Sun's actions are unusual and noteworthy is an understatement...

Another Police Officer Leaving

Yet another of Pacific's police officers announced his resignation today, leaving mid-month to work for a new city. Normal standards dictate that the Pacific police force should have 13 officers, including a chief. When Mayor Sun took over, there were 11 officers (including Public Safety Director Calkins), an evidence technician and the public information officer (PIO). The department was in the process of hiring another officer.

With this latest loss, the department will only have  8 officers and the PIO (down 2 officers, the chief and the evidence technician). Yet Mayor Sun insists on a hiring freeze for the entire department and still wants to fire four officers who lawfully arrested him.

It's beyond critical now - Mayor Sun must be recalled from office as soon as possible if he will not resign. The damage he has caused is too great...

Sexual Assault Complaint Withdrawn

 The lawsuit claiming sexual assault by Pacific Mayor Cy Sun has been voluntarily withdrawn by the accuser with no explanation. The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning the lawsuit can be refiled at a later date.