Sunnyside residents: Why isn't Frank Sweet on administrative leave?
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SUNNYSIDE, Wash. -- After Sunnyside Interim City Manager Frank Sweet was arrested for theft and damaging public records in Selah, a lot of people want to know why he's still on the job.
Sunnyside City Council members said very little as the public questioned their decision to not put Frank Sweet on administrative leave.
The board only responded by telling Action News that Sweet has been nothing but an asset to not only the board, but also the city of Sunnyside.
“He has shown excellent work ethics, excellent managerial abilities and he's just been a real blessing to the city," says Mayor Mike Farmer.
Sweet has been formally charged with theft and destruction of public records, stemming from his time as city manager in Selah. The Council says he's innocent until proven guilty, but residents say that's not the issue here.
"I've heard nothing but good things about Frank Sweet as far as the work he's doing here in Sunnyside. But, when it comes to this situation, we need to get it cleaned up,” said resident Bengie Aguilar.
"Frank Sweet may be innocent. That’s true, but we don’t know until the whole court process is carried out and that could take up to a year. And, we could find a year from now that Frank Sweet could be found guilty,” said Sunnyside resident Bob Widmann.
It's clear that the ongoing investigation against Sweet is a hot button issue. People in Sunnyside say they're leaving with many questions still unanswered.
“I got blank stares from everybody I felt like I was talking to nobody up there," Tracy Ripley said.
"I feel like I'm still at square one, yes. I do not know if we have made any progress tonight," said Widmann.
"It makes me feel disrespected, like the City Council isn’t listening to what the public has to say and doesn’t really care," Anguilar said. "That’s the way it comes across to me as a citizen and I really think that that needs to change. If the City Council isn’t going to listen to the public, then maybe the next time around when they run for office, maybe we need to get some new people that will listen to the public because they represent the public."
Sweet insists his arrest is purely politically motivated. Council says he doesn't have the ability to put himself on administrative leave. There must be a majority vote to take such action against a city manager.
Sunnyside City Council members said very little as the public questioned their decision to not put Frank Sweet on administrative leave.
The board only responded by telling Action News that Sweet has been nothing but an asset to not only the board, but also the city of Sunnyside.
“He has shown excellent work ethics, excellent managerial abilities and he's just been a real blessing to the city," says Mayor Mike Farmer.
Sweet has been formally charged with theft and destruction of public records, stemming from his time as city manager in Selah. The Council says he's innocent until proven guilty, but residents say that's not the issue here.
"I've heard nothing but good things about Frank Sweet as far as the work he's doing here in Sunnyside. But, when it comes to this situation, we need to get it cleaned up,” said resident Bengie Aguilar.
"Frank Sweet may be innocent. That’s true, but we don’t know until the whole court process is carried out and that could take up to a year. And, we could find a year from now that Frank Sweet could be found guilty,” said Sunnyside resident Bob Widmann.
It's clear that the ongoing investigation against Sweet is a hot button issue. People in Sunnyside say they're leaving with many questions still unanswered.
“I got blank stares from everybody I felt like I was talking to nobody up there," Tracy Ripley said.
"I feel like I'm still at square one, yes. I do not know if we have made any progress tonight," said Widmann.
"It makes me feel disrespected, like the City Council isn’t listening to what the public has to say and doesn’t really care," Anguilar said. "That’s the way it comes across to me as a citizen and I really think that that needs to change. If the City Council isn’t going to listen to the public, then maybe the next time around when they run for office, maybe we need to get some new people that will listen to the public because they represent the public."
Sweet insists his arrest is purely politically motivated. Council says he doesn't have the ability to put himself on administrative leave. There must be a majority vote to take such action against a city manager.
KIMA's Ashley Custer is obviously a novice camerawoman with entry level journalistic skills. due to her lack of prudent research into the topic, she has slanted the flavor of the City Council meeting in Sunnyside, regarding Frank Sweet, to a point of severe distortion. She refers to the (Sunnyside) public opinion as a result of interviews with zealot, Bengie Aguilar, a local activist who was identified as the person making racist accusations against a Council candidate during a door-to-door campaign in the 2011 election. . The Sunnyside City Council should be commended for standing behind Frank Sweet. Mr. Sweet has become the victim of a loophole in the strong Mayor form of government which has allowed the Mayor of Selah to utilize his elected position to exercise his political vendetta against Frank Sweet...the "Elliot Ness" of Sunnyside City Government. Now, due to this abhorable miscarriage of the law, the clean up and exposure of 2009-2010-2011 corruption in Sunnysideâs City Hall will unfortunately lay fallow until the skullduggery of Selah's Mayor is found out in the courts of our Land. (It should be noted that Bengie Aguilar was elected to Sunnyside City Council over a superior opponent when the local paper, Daily Sun News, unjustly accused her opponent of being a racist. She was defeated in the next election by an overwhelming (approximate) 3-1 margin after four years of displaying her best attempt at municipal management and voicing her version of sound economic decision making. If KIMA wishes to report on Sunnyside news, please send reporters who are striving to become excellent in the field of journalism rather than TV personalities. Thank You. Jim Stevens
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@Iwatch Sunnyside
Many, many people disagree with Mr. Stevens. If any other "public servant" were charged with the very charges Mr. Sweet faces, they would immediately be put on administrative leave...in the school system, the fire department, the police department, the staff of City Hall...other than Mr. Sweet. Just as he must be considered innocent until proven guilty, when there are such charges, he needs to be put on leave until he is proven innocent.
I find it absurd that the city council would move to retain Mr. Sweet in an active leadership role while a criminal investigation regarding his conduct as the Supervisor of the City of Selah is being conducted. Not only is the investigation ongoing but he has been formally charged. It is not a question of whether or not he is guilty or innocent and how the City Council could twist that into some sort of defense for Mr. Sweet is equally absurd.