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Toppenish ends dispatch pact; Sunnyside police plan to cut two dispatch positions
Summary
Toppenish notified Sunnyside it will terminate its dispatch contract, prompting the police chief to propose eliminating two dispatcher positions and changing shift coverage to reduce overtime.
Sunnyside police announced a staffing plan July 14 after receiving notice from the city of Toppenish that Toppenish will terminate its dispatch contract. Chief Layman told the Sunnyside City Council the contract’s annual revenue was about $240,000 and that the department had previously hired extra staff to operate the additional radio channel required by that agreement.
"When we entered into this contract, we hired additional staff to cover an additional radio channel," Chief Layman said. He proposed eliminating two dispatch positions and restructuring shifts to reduce built-in overtime, estimating about $200,000 in savings. "I think we can save that," he said, describing a swing-shift approach to cover lunches and gaps without paying overtime.
Nut graf: The termination reduces the department’s revenue and requires immediate staffing adjustments; the chief presented a concrete plan intended to preserve essential coverage while cutting costs. Council members expressed support for the approach and discussed outreach to neighboring agencies to help displaced staff find work.
Layman said the plan would be implemented beginning Aug. 16 (employees kept on through the Aug. 15 pay period), and he planned outreach to Grandview and the sheriff’s office about openings for affected employees. He said layoffs would follow the union’s seniority rules and target the two most junior dispatchers.
Council discussion confirmed that Sunnyside began providing dispatch services to Toppenish around 2021 and that the department’s staffing grew to eight dispatchers in 2024. Council members and the chief noted budget impacts: the annual contract revenue loss is about $240,000 while eliminating two positions and reducing overtime would save roughly $200,000. The chief also reported that overtime budgeting had been underestimated and was already largely expended.
Ending: Council signaled support for the chief’s plan; no formal vote was taken at the meeting. Staff will implement the staffing changes later in August and coordinate with nearby agencies to help affected employees seek other positions.
