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Sunnyside to consider consolidating council study sessions to once a month
Summary
City staff drafted an amendment to Sunnyside Municipal Code 2.08 to move study sessions from twice monthly to once monthly (first Monday at 6 p.m.); council asked to place the ordinance on the March 10 consent agenda for consideration.
City Manager (unnamed) told the Sunnyside City Council staff drafted an amendment to Sunnyside Municipal Code (SMC) 2.08 that would consolidate council study sessions from twice per month to once per month, scheduling the study session on the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m.
The manager said the current schedule holds study sessions on the first and third Mondays at 6 p.m., and the proposed change would reduce the number of scheduled meetings while keeping regular council meetings unchanged. “If council approves the proposed ordinance, we will add this item to the consent agenda on 03/10/2025 for consideration,” the city manager said.
The manager and council members framed the change as an operational adjustment intended to ease workload for a small city staff and to give councilors more time to digest packet materials. Council members recalled why the city briefly moved to four meetings per month (study session plus two regular meetings) during a period of heavy fiscal work and cautioned against losing capacity when budget emergencies arise. One council member said the extra meetings helped in 2024 when the council confronted a near $4 million deficit.
Council did not take a final vote during the session but directed staff to place the ordinance on the consent agenda of the next regular meeting for formal consideration. Staff noted that if council moves forward it will follow the standard legislative process for code amendments.
Ending: The item will appear on the March 10, 2025 consent agenda for possible adoption or further amendment.
