Council Roundup: November 7, 2022

Budget, State Legislative Agenda, Transit-oriented Development, Native American Heritage Month, Emergency Management, Burien Emergency Order, Staff Vacation Policy, Childcare Business Fees
Posted on 11/17/2022
City of Burien Public Works crews wearing orange vests and hard hats working at an intersection with heavy equipment and traffic safety barricades.

The Burien City Council issued a proclamation in honor Native American Heritage Month. They also expressed support for the state legislative agenda, a transit-oriented development dear downtown Burien’s transit center, and an updated comprehensive emergency management plan for the City of Burien. They held a public hearing on the 2023-2024 budget, expressed support for increase to property tax levy and surface water management service charges, and heard a presentation on the proposed Capital Improvement Program. They rescinded the emergency order for Burien, approved a new vacation cashout policy for City employees, and expressed support for a new policy reducing fees for childcare businesses.

Proclamation Honors Native American Heritage Month

The City Council issued a proclamation in honor of Native American Heritage Month. The proclamation celebrates citizens of sovereign tribal nations and all indigenous people who call Burien home and who have survived and thrived in the face of unimaginable challenges to shape Burien’s past, present, and future. The City Council recently adopted a Native land and peoples acknowledgment as a meaningful way of showing respect and demonstrating the City’s active commitment to honoring the Indigenous peoples of the land on which we work and live.

Update on Transit-oriented Development near Burien Transit Center

The City Council approved a letter of support for the King County Executive’s $7 million budget request to support development of transit-oriented housing on a King County-owned land next to the Burien Transit Center. King County previously earmarked $3 million to support development on the site which has been planned for housing since the transit center was built.  King County plans to issue a request for proposals from developers to develop a mixed-use housing development on the three-fourths acre of land just south of the parking garage. King County requirements for development of transit-oriented development on County-owned property requires that it be built to serve residents at 80% or below of the area median area income (AMI). Preliminary work by King County showed development of housing targeting folks at 60% AMI was the most feasible alternative for housing on the site.

State Legislative Agenda Focuses on Variety of Issues

The City Council discussed their state legislative agenda. Their priorities include healthy and thriving communities, quality of life and economic development, advancing climate progress, and behavioral health. They will discuss again at a future meeting.

City Council Continues Discussion and Holds Public Hearing on Budget

The City Council held the second of three scheduled public hearings on the 2023-2024 budget. Staff presented an overview of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and proposed an increase to the property tax levy and surface water management service charges.

Read the full summary on the Burien Community Hub.

Vacation Cashout Policy Updated

The City Council adopted an update to an employee policy so that staff could receive a cashout of up to 40 hours of vacation time if they had accrued the maximum number of vacation hours. The updated policy is in response to staff who had postponed vacations because of the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions.

City of Burien Rescinds State of Emergency Order

The City Council adopted a resolution repealing the executive order that declared a public state of emergency in Burien. The repeal of emergency order 2020-1 follows on the repeal of the Governor’s state of emergency proclamation on October 31, 2022.

City Council Meeting Schedule

The City Council began discussions of the 2023 City Council meeting schedule. They discussed a schedule that would keep meetings on Monday night, starting at 7 p.m. but also discussed holding the meetings on other days of the week and starting earlier in the evening.

Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Adopted

The City Council approved an updated Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. The plan establishes the emergency management authorities, functions, and responsibilities of the City government and is designed to be an “all hazards” plan.  It describes continuity of government operations and how we partner with agencies and community.  It serves as a “road map” for emergency preparedness.

By state law, cities are required to have a comprehensive emergency management plan that is regularly updated and approved by the Washington State Emergency Management Division. The latest update to the City’s plan was approved by the State earlier this year.

Staff identified current gaps in resources to support emergency management, including:

  • A dedicated emergency management facility. The current emergency operations center (EOC) is located at King County Fire District 2 at 900 SW 146th Street. It is proposed that an EOC be part of a proposed public works and parks maintenance facility.
  • Structural retrofits and generators needed to strengthen the Burien Community Center’s ability to serve as a life safety shelter.
  • Staffing for extreme weather and emergency shelter activities.
  • Lack of full-time dedicated emergency manager. Current responsibilities are spread across multiple staff.

After final approval of the plan, staff will proceed with training staff.

Petrini Prosthodontics Land Use Review Approved

The City Council placed on the consent agenda of the next City Council meeting approval of Resolution 484, approving a land use review for Petrini Prosthodontics, a medical office building located 221 SW 155th St. Specifically, the applicant proposes to expand the building footprint and add a second floor to the existing building. Associated modifications also include the addition of landscaping and relocation of the site's vehicular access point from 3rd Avenue SW to SW 155th St.

Childcare Businesses Will Pay Reduced Transportation Impact Fees

The City Council placed on the consent agenda approval of Ordinance 799, amending the Zoning Code to reduce transportation impact fees for new or expanded childcare businesses. The amendments align Burien’s Zoning Code with state law passed in 2021 in response to challenges facing the childcare system, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transportation impact fees help fund improvements to streets, parks, and recreation facilities. The City collects on average $1,232.63 per year in fees from childcare businesses.