Lack of respect, unresolved issues among Tumwater council and mayor, report finds
There is a lack of respect among some Tumwater City Council members and the mayor, as well as a number of unresolved issues and feelings, a consultant studying the city government’s interpersonal dynamics found.
The Tumwater City Council held a study session on July 22 to hear a briefing on the working dynamics between its members and the mayor.
Wendy Fraser, a consultant hired to interview the seven council members and Mayor Debbie Sullivan, said the purpose of the report was to help build a strong foundation of trust before a new mayor and some new council members are elected in November. She said it’s also to help Sullivan leave on a positive note when her term is over at the end of the year.
The council ultimately decided to take more time to sit with the information Fraser provided and to schedule an in-person study session at a later date on how to tackle its interpersonal issues.
Details of the report
Fraser started off her report with a handful of positive comments she gathered in her interviews, including an appreciation for staff that help brief the council on topics and keep them prepared for meetings.
She said at the same time, there were some comments on difficulty with getting information to and from the mayor and executive staff. She said some council members yearn for the ability to directly connect with staff members and ask more direct questions of them.
Fraser also reviewed the council’s communication patterns. She said most council members expressed that communication with each other is collaborative, respectful and thoughtful, even when there’s some disagreement.
However, Fraser said several council members acknowledged that there are some people who need more help with their tone, timing, tenor and choice of words when communication topics get tough. She said several instances of this happening with city staff were mentioned.
Fraser said there’s a desire among council members to receive more of a “heads up” on different topics, and for members to talk directly with each other outside of meetings.
“Sometimes there’s some triangulation, being passive aggressive when they want to make a point,” Fraser said. “And some of you expressed that you believe it’s affecting trust.”
The last category Fraser reviewed was the council’s interpersonal dynamics. She said most members described having a general respect for each other, and there’s a deep appreciation for the diversity of viewpoints on the council.
Yet, a few folks believe there’s a lack of respect between some of the council members and executive leadership, and some council members want to rectify that.
“There’s some unresolved feelings and experiences that affect some key relationships today that also affect how people communicate and problem solve and interact,” Fraser said.
She said a few people expressed a desire to move past these issues, but if things go unresolved, they’re likely to resurface.
“So the question becomes, how do you work through that, so that learning can happen?” Fraser said. “Sometimes apologies or acknowledgements need to happen.”
Fraser said some council members said others have strong egos, and rumors and talking negatively about others is impacting trust and interpersonal dynamics.
She said in her work and research, when trust is at play, it takes a group on average six to 36 months to repair and strengthen trust.
“Part of that is because there’s multiple things at play, and we’ve got to try multiple things,” Fraser said. “There’s not just a one-day retreat that’s going to fix everything. There’s not a half day class on communication patterns that’s going to fix it. It takes kind of the intentionality of everybody trying out some of these new or renewed skills.”
Suggestions going forward
Fraser recommended the council focus on communication best practices, including tone, timing and information sharing. She said the council also could consider having facilitated conversations or mediation for interpersonal issues, and work toward acknowledging issues, points of views and apologies where needed.
From January onward, Fraser suggested that the council take more time to get to know one another outside meetings. She also suggested they work on listening skills, discuss their different communication styles and potentially address any circulating rumors.
Fraser also recommended the council review and improve processes around committee assignments and onboarding for new council and staff members. She said they could also explore doing individual self assessments on communication skills and better community engagement.
This story was originally published August 7, 2025 at 1:48 PM.
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