Public Record Request

The City responds to requests for public records under the provisions of the Washington State Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). The purpose of the Act is to provide the public access to records that contain information concerning the conduct of government, mindful of individual's privacy rights and the desirability of the efficient administration of government.

In the interest of transparency and responsibility to all residents, taxpayers, and other constituents, the City of Burien aims to make the process of obtaining public records as easy as possible, while still fulfilling other legal requirements.

CONTACT US

Email[email protected]

400 SW 152nd Street, Ste. 300

Burien, WA 98166

Ph: (206) 436-5578

Fax: (206) 248-5539

To request a City of Burien public record, you can:

Make a request online.
Visit Burien City Hall at 400 SW 152nd St., Suite 300 during regular business hours.
Print and mail the Public Records Request form.

To request Police Department records, contact:

King County Sheriff's Office, Records Unit
King County Courthouse
516 Third Ave., Room W-150
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 263-2626

To request court-related records, contact:

King County District Court, South Division
Court Manager
Burien Court House
601 SW 149th St.
Burien, WA 98166
(206) 296-0905

A public records request should include the name, address, and contact information of the requestor; a description of the requested public records adequate to locate the records, and the date of the request.

Please note that local governments are not required to create documents to comply with a request for specific information. Rather, they must produce existing records for review and copying. Also, local governments are not obligated to compile information from various records so that information is in a form that is more useful to the requestor.

The Public Records Officer will make records available for inspection and copying by appointment during normal business hours, excluding legal holidays. The requestor will not remove any document from the viewing area or disassemble or alter any document. If desired, the requestor may indicate which documents he or she wishes the City to copy.

Response to City of Burien Records Requests

Within five business days of receipt of the request, the Public Records Officer or designee will do one of the following:

Provide a reasonable estimate of when the records will be available.
Make the records available for inspection or copying.
Contact the requestor to request clarification.
Deny the request and cite the reason for the denial.

If the requestor does not receive a response within five days, he or she should contact the Public Records Officer.

Document	Fees
Photocopies Black & White and/or Color Large Format (i.e. plans)	$0.15 / page Vendor Invoice
Scanned documents into electronic format CD / DVD	$.10/page $2
Records provided by electronic delivery	$0.05/4 files
Gigabyte of electronic records transmission	$0.10/gigabyte
Postage	Actual Rate

For a large request, the City may require a deposit of up to ten percent of estimated cost before making copies; provide copies in installments; and/or require advance payment before providing further installments. Charges will be combined if more than one type of charge applies. GIS Services (pre-made maps, custom maps or data) have a separate fee structure.

By submitting a public record request you agree to pay any reproduction costs that may apply.

Public Records Online

Many public records are readily available on the City’s website. Some records are not automatically posted online for many reasons, including that they may not have widespread interest, they are too large, or they contain confidential information. Many of these records may be obtained through a public disclosure request, though there are some exemptions to disclosure as determined by state law.

The following frequently requested records are currently on the City’s website:

Comprehensive Plan and Master Plans
Critical areas and shoreline updates
Burien Municipal Code
Budget documents
City Council meeting agendas, minutes, and videos (for the last six years)
Zoning maps
Bids and RFPs
City ordinances and resolutions
Hearing Examiner Decisions
Interlocal Agreements
Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Projects and Pla ns
Basic information about planning and public works projects

Special Considerations

The Public Records Act, RCW 42.56, provides that a number of document types and information are prohibited from being disclosed or are exempt from public inspection and copying. See Washington State Attorney General's Exemption List. In addition, there are other statutes not listed in Chapter 42.56 RCW which may exempt or prohibit disclosure of certain documents. See Exemption List Outside RCW 42.56 (Appendix C to "Public Records Act for Washington Cities, Counties, and Special Purpose Districts," Municipal Research and Services Center, March 2016, and as amended.) If only a portion of a record is exempt from disclosure, the Public Records Officer or designee will redact the exempt portions before providing the document.

If requested records contain information that may affect the rights of others, before providing the records, the Public Records Officer or designee may give notice and allow time for action by the other parties.

If a requestor has not reviewed or claimed records within thirty (30) days of notice that the records are available or fails to make payment, the Public Records Officer may close the request.

If after a request has been filled and the Public Records Officer becomes aware of additional documents existing at the time of the request, these documents will be provided to the requestor on an expedited basis.