Sunnyside council tables interim city manager appointment, OKs backup outreach

The Sunnyside City Council voted Friday to table an immediate appointment of an interim city manager after a brief executive session and approved a secondary motion to pursue an alternate candidate if the primary declines.

Julie, participating by phone, had urged the council to "entertain a motion to make the appointment and authorize the mayor and city attorney to negotiate and enter into a contract with your primary candidate." A motion to appoint Rosalyn Oglesby as interim city manager was placed on the table, but some members pushed to delay a final decision.

Councilor Dolan argued for holding off, questioning whether the council should rush the choice and criticizing the inclusion of another potential candidate in the discussion. He said, "This is not a training center for a city manager," and urged the body to avoid repeating past mistakes. Crystal said she did "not think that's the right decision," raising concerns about bringing in a candidate from out of state and favoring a local candidate who, she said, "brings a little bit more to the table."

Other council members framed the decision in financial terms. One member said the city must be mindful of its budget and emphasized that the interim hire would be a short-term measure; another countered that the council already has an adopted 2026 budget and an interim manager would likely only be in place for a few months.

The council then took a motion to table the appointment. The roll-call process concluded with the chair announcing, "Motion carries," and the appointment was put on hold. The transcript records the council carrying the motion to table but does not provide an unambiguous, speaker-attributed tally in every line of the record.

Immediately after, the council approved a secondary, contingent motion: if Oglesby declines the interim post, staff should reach out to Mr. Haley as an alternate. Julie suggested that a secondary appointment option be authorized to avoid delay if the primary candidate is unable to accept. The council moved the secondary motion, it was seconded, and the council carried the contingency motion by roll call.

The meeting opened at 5:02 p.m., recessed for an executive session under state open-meetings law (RCW 42.30.110(1)(g)) to evaluate qualifications for public employment, and returned to open session at 5:38 p.m. The special meeting was adjourned at approximately 5:40 p.m.

What happens next: The council left the appointment pending while authorizing staff and the mayor’s office to pursue contract talks with the primary candidate if she accepts and to contact the alternate candidate if she does not. The council planned to continue with its scheduled workshop afterward.