White Center Now: The blog about White Center

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

The second North Highline annexation-election info campaign has begun, with almost six months to go until the expected November vote.

This wasn’t technically a campaign event, in terms of pushing a particular point of view, but rather, Burien’s first “outreach” event this time around. Glen Acres Country Club played host; the meeting was not widely promoted, as the clubhouse there had only capacity for the with about three dozen people in attendance.

Standing in front of a sweeping wall of glass that ironically had a distant view of downtown Seattle – the city that had dibs on this area but chose not to pursue – Burien city manager Mike Martin (top photo) led the presentation – “You’re the very first public forum that we’ve having,” he told them, promising to offer “high-level remarks” but also focus on questions. Other Burien reps included Police Chief Scott Kimerer and city analyst Nhan Nguyen, who worked for White Center Community Development Association before joining the city last year.

Unveiled tonight was the new official FAQ/fact sheet regarding annexation and what it would be like if it is approved and implemented by the Burien City Council, likely to take effect, city manager Martin said, in spring 2013.

It does not appear to be online as of this writing, but includes these bullet points:
*2,045 acres proposed for annexation
*About 17,400 people (last census; 2010 numbers not crunched yet)
*White Center, Top Hat, Beverly Park, Glendale included, along with parts of Boulevard Park, Riverton Heights, and Shorewood
*Burien would take over North Shorewood, White Center Heights, Lakewood parks, while Steve Cox Memorial Park would stay with the county, as a regional facility

Many things don’t change, he said. So – he acknowledged, one big question – what DOES change?

“A very progressive governance in Burien .. would focus its attention on this area,” is one major thing.

First question:

Would Burien go to the Port of Seattle to have this area designated as a noise-abatement area, given that “planes fly so low through here … my son (a pilot) can pick out my garage door”? asked a woman. (Planes could be heard rumbling overhead now and then throughout the meeting.)

Martin’s answer boiled down to no, although he said some things can be addressed, such as “if they start flying really lousy patterns.”

Burien councilmember Jerry Robison (foreground in photo), who said he hadn’t come intending to speak but did end up answering more than a few questions, chimed in that while the noise situation isn’t under local control, things can be done “to make them be better neighbors.”

Chief Kimerer spoke next. “I hope we’re getting to a point where we have some resolution .. the story hasn’t changed regarding what would change with police services. Regarding what we’ve accomplished with the first annexation, I’ve heard very positive comments. … What we’re hoping, and what our plan is, is providing at least the same level of service provided out here with the Sheriff’s Office. I am going to take most of the people who work out here and they will be in a green uniform one day and a blue uniform the next.”

He said they would look forward to keeping the White Center storefront. But he said “being in a city, as opposed to being in a county,” gives law enforcers “more tools” to deal with problems – such as proposing ordinances. The bigger team he has since the previous annexation, he said, gave Burien PD a “bigger team” for “different strategies,” including a gang unit, undercover enforcement, the “Secret Squirrel stuff” that’s “really cool,” and more. Ultimately, they have a “lot of flexibility” in dealing with emerging trends, he said.

Next question – what about enforcement of “junk cars … in the right of way” and similar nuisances? asked an attendee, wondering if Burien would have more code-enforcement officers. That’s primarily a city staffing issue, the chief noted, while adding that his officers are “very aware” of those issues. Martin added that the city feels it’s “a quality of life issue that we can address.” Councilmember Robison also jumped into the discussion, noting that as a real-estate lawyer, he has been on both sides of such cases. He acknowledged that King County’s code-enforcement officer for this area “also covers Vashon Island, Skyway, and other areas,” while Burien’s officer has a much-smaller area to handle.

Martin then elaborated: “There are two schools of code enforcement … you go out and everything you see, you go after, or, you go after everything that is reported.”

Next question: If annexation is approved, will Burien reassess the property? Robison pointed out that cities don’t control assessments, the county does. “So your tax-assessed value would not change as a result of the annexation.” Martin took the occasion to point out that of your tax dollar, most of the money goes to the school district (currently >Highline Public Schools, which is how it would remain post-annexation), while only a small portion (12 cents) goes to the city. Robison suggested checking your annual property tax bill to see what part of the money goes where.

As noted on the FAQ/fact-sheet, your taxes/fees will go up about $90/year if you have a residence worth $200,000, said Martin. It was clarified in response to another question, that none of the increase results from the school district (one man pointed out that there are no kids at Glen Acres, so “what’s in it (school tax) for me?”) – the area remains in the Highline Public Schools district, annexed or not annexed. Martin took the occasion to counter that there is “something in it” for everyone, parents or not – “human capital.”

One difference: Burien has a business-and-occupation tax, while the county does not. Would the Glen Acres clubhouse pay that? Councilmember Robison pointed out some exceptions, such as, no tax on alcohol sales. Membership fees don’t count either, he said. Martin promised more research on some of the specifics that would apply to Glen Acres.

“Would this change our address from Seattle to Burien?” Martin’s reply: “Yes and no, no and no … you can put Seattle on it and it will still get to you, but your correct city would be Burien.”

Is there an option to stay unincorporated? it was asked. “It is possible …” said Martin. “There is nothing that compels residents to be part of any city … but I’ll tell you something: What you’ve seen in the last couple years is a gradual decline in the amount of money the county is able to put into areas like this … and it’s getting worse and worse. It’s not doom and gloom, it’s just a fact; if the County Executive was standing here with me, he’d agree. … Once that decline starts, it’s very difficult to get on top of. Roads, once they get to a certain lack of maintenance, are (more expensive to fix/restore).”

He said he fears that if it stays unincorporated, “this area right on our border will be neglected … Remaining in unincorporated King County for another five years is not going to be pretty.”

Asked about crime rates, Chief Kimerer said there’s an index which shows 53 per thousand for Burien, 62 per thousand for Seattle – overall, he said, there’s no “vast difference” in crime rates, and overall, Burien crime has been going down; the index used to be 75, he said.

He also was asked about traffic enforcement, and whether the city would ever have a dedicated traffic-enforcement officer. According to the chief, all the officers are trained in radar, and traffic becomes part of many people’s jobs. “Burien PD does write traffic tickets,” affirmed Robison. “Particularly in school zones.” Traffic-calming measures also were mentioned.

Other questions included property values and building codes. Will Burien’s procedures be cheaper/more streamlined? Martin said he believes his city is “head and shoulders over the county” in terms of process.

Counties, he reminded everyone, are not “built” to handle urban services. “I’m not telling you that we’re going to come in and the world is going to change,” he said, but a city is better suited to serve residents’ needs.

How’s the previous annexation going? one attendee then asked.

It’s been more than 2 years now, Martin began his answer – 14,000 residents brought in $550,000 state sales-tax credit. He said Burien didn’t add any more staff, though it did add some police officers. “We went through this whole rancorous process, but when we actually did it, it was like shouting into the Grand Canyon, it was great, and I think people are satisfied and happy,” he said.

Chief Kimerer said for his department, “it was seamless”; they added 13 officers, and the crime rate went down. As he acknowledged, the previous annexation area is residential, no businesses, unlike this one. “It’s been really a deafening silence,” he said. Councilmember Robison said, “I haven’t heard any complaints.”

Martin pointed out that because of a Seattle lobbying effort, this annexation would bring the city 10 times the sales-tax-credit revenue, though he quickly added, “this will be a more complex annexation … we’re going to be adding more staff and planners and code enforcement … it’s going to take about two years for everything to settle down.”

Then came the thorny subject of animal control (as discussed at the last North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting). Martin said he’s proud of his decision to terminate the relationship with King County’s animal control and believes there’s a higher level of service now. He said he doesn’t know the current euthanasia rate; however, he said, animal control “is a discretionary function. He said the newest stats will be available next month in a report, though “if our euthanasia rates are higher than the county, I’m good with that.”

What about coyotes? asked a woman.

Martin said he could relate because, when he lived in Auburn, he lost his dog to a coyote. If there is a problem animal, he said, they get state Fish and Wildlife to come out – “they have people specially trained to trap and shoot them.”

He was asked about urban-renewal projects, and mentioned the Burien plan to move auto dealers over to a particular area north of the third runway, to reclaim commercial land that auto businesses had been using elsewhere, particularly on downtown 1st Avenue.

Robison said that with annexation, Burien would hope to encourage more development beyond the current heart of Burien – Top Hat and White Center, for example – and “build this up so we don’t have vacant tracts and empty buildings sitting around.”

Before rezoning, Martin promised, “we’re going to ask – ‘what’s your vision?’ Then it becomes your obligation to tell people what you want, to participate.”

Resident Bob Price said he considers annexation “a chance to take care of your own destiny.”

“Bob is right,” said Martin. “There’s a choice here.”

And there’s more information – at burienwa.gov/annexation, or answers to questions if you e-mail annexation@burienwa.gov. Watch for word of the next meeting.

(TOPLINE: Burien councilmembers have voted 4-3 in favor of an annexation election for residents of White Center and environs – but after changing the plan so that it would go on the November ballot, not the August ballot.)

(ADDED TUESDAY – WCN video of Burien councilmembers speaking before the vote. Unedited but starts about two sentences into CM McGilton’s remarks)
7:05 PM: We’re in the Burien City Council chambers, where Deputy Mayor Rose Clark is presiding in Mayor Brian Bennett‘s absence as the council starts its regular meeting. We’re here because of one particular item on the agenda – whether to set the date for a vote on annexation of most of the rest of North Highline. The meeting is beginning with a special guest appearance by King County Councilmember Julia Patterson, who says she is “delighted” to have part of Burien back under her wing as the result of the recent redistricting. We’ll be updating as this meeting proceeds – mostly about public commenters speaking about annexation, and then the council agenda item, unless something else inbetween seems to be of White Center interest. More to come!

7:30 PM: The public-comment period is now under way. First person speaking is Goodspaceguy, who does not seem to be speaking about annexation. Roger Delorum speaks next, talking about “fiscally irresponsible” data regarding annexation. “If this annexation happens, someone is going to gain financially, and it’s not going to be the citizens of Burien.” His short remarks were followed by those of Doug Harrell, who says he’s urging the council to move forward with the annexation, saying it would bring “opportunities of scale.” He adds that he believes people in those area will “have a voice in their future as part of Burien, and I have no confidence they would have a voice as a part of Seattle.” Unlike many other local governments, he says, Burien is in good financial shape, and its leaders “would not consider going forward if it were not prudent for the citizenry” – himself included. He was followed by Joey Martinez. He notes that he works for Seattle and it has a lot to offer North Highline, but: “I feel that Burien is the superior option” for annexing what’s left of North Highline. He says he doesn’t mind which election the council decides to use, August or November, but he thinks they should make a decision on one or the other tonight.

7:38 PM: Next speaker, Elizabeth Gordon, who is a White Center business co-owner. She says she and her customers favor being annexed to Burien. She is talking about how businesses, citizens, and organizations in the unincorporated area are “coming together” to work on improving their area, and she thinks that “supportive network” will help bring a good turnout, even in the summertime vote. She is followed by Aaron Garcia. He says he grew up in White Center, went to Cascade Middle School, Evergreen High School, UW, and he is here “in support of the resolution” to send annexation to voters. “No matter where you lie in this, whether you think White Center is a problem or has potential, we need someone to hear our voices, we need someone to advocate for us … I really, really support moving forward for this and I am a huge advocate for this.” After him comes Sandra Hopp, who says she lives in the recently annexed area and wasn’t for it then but is glad to be part of Burien now. After her is Gill Loring, who lives in the unincorporated area, and is talking about his graffiti-fighting activities in conjunction with the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council. He brings up the abandoned, overgrown, graffiti-covered former El Chalan restaurant – “We’re trying to get that taken care of.” He says he did a straw poll in his neighborhood, overwhelmingly in favor of being annexed by Burien.

7:48 PM: Next at the podium, Ed Dacy, who says he’s been coming to meetings about annexation for 10 years. “I’ve kept an open mind, I’ve looked at the studies …” He thinks the potential financial picture for annexation is even brighter than those studies have shown. “I can’t see a reason not to annex – I think we should go ahead with it.” He also noted that “one strong proponent of annexation … was not able to be here tonight,” referring to Liz Giba of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council and North Highline Fire District Board. After him, Chestine Edgar: She counters by saying that some people who speak about the financial studies, in her assessment, “clearly have not read” the reports, and cites some past reports she says forecast financial difficulty for Burien if annexation was pursued. She says annexation “is not an economically sound idea for the city of Burien,” and does not want to see it put before voters. Besides that, she talks about the lack of agreement between fire districts, a lack of a business plan, and the fact the “sliver on a river”‘s fate has not yet been resolved, and she criticizes NHUAC for “pushing annexation,” just as her time runs out.

7:56 PM: NHUAC president Barbara Dobkin is speaking now, noting that “questions continue to be raised” about NHUAC’s identity and purpose. She says annexation is an issue that affects them, “affects our future,” but it’s not “the only thing we are working on.” She says everyone is invited to their meetings – one’s coming up this Thursday, and will take a look at the Technology Access Foundation project under construction in Lakewood Park. She also speaks about NHUAC’s close relationship with the King County Sheriff’s Office. “The Seattle model of policing differs greatly from what would be offered in Burien,” Dobkin observes, and brings up the US Department of Justice investigation of Seattle Police. She says she feels the timing of the election should be left up to the Burien Council. The next speaker is Robbie Howell who says that she feels “the deck has been stacked against the citizens of Burien,” regarding its finances; she believes services have been on the decline and that Burien can’t afford to “acquire an area that has problems also.” Then Tina Holmes speaks, on behalf of Liz Giba, who she says suffered a stroke eight days ago, and is in Riverton Rehabilitation Center. She speaks of many people lost in recent years who were strong supporters of Burien annexation of North Highline. Holmes holds up a T-shirt she says her sister had made years ago – a blue T-shirt with white lettering, “Say No to Seattle.” She is the last speaker, and now the council moves to other business.

8:33 PM: A long presentation about Seattle City Light‘s strategic plan ensued, with SCL superintendent Jorge Carrasco, who deputy mayor Clark noted is the first SCL rep she recalls seeing here in the years she’s been on the council. Councilmember Jack Block Jr. is grilling Carrasco, and now Mayor Brian Bennett has arrived.

8:45 PM: Not to annexation yet; the council agreed to City Manager Mike Martin‘s suggestion to shelve a discussion of the transportation agenda, but is going ahead with what several said they hope would be a “short presentation” by Discover Burien, whose leaders are talking about their increased outreach and programming.

8:51 PM: And now, they’re on to the annexation resolution. Councilmember Block moves to table the motion. A roll-call voice vote is requested. Bennett: No, Clark: No, Block: Yes, Edgar: Yes, Krakowiak: Yes, McGilton: No, Robison: No. So the motion to table fails. Bennett now moves to ask King County to set the date for November.

9:29 PM: After half an hour of discussion, the council has just voted 4 to 3 to send annexation to the ballot – but in November, not August. Yes votes were Bennett, Clark, McGilton, and Robison no votes were Block, Edgar, and Krakowiak. We have the half-hour of discussion on video and will add it to this story when we are back at HQ and it is processed. The King County Council will have to formally approve the annexation election, which would involve the prospective annexation area, NOT the people who already are residents of Burien.

They can vote tonight … they can vote in two weeks … they can decide to not vote at all … they can decide to vote lots later and try for the November election instead … the possibilities are many; the agenda is here, for tonight’s Burien City Council meeting, 7 pm at council chambers (400 SW 152nd), which COULD result in a decision to put remainder-of-North-Highline annexation on the August 7th ballot. If you can’t be there, the live video feed will be on burienmedia.org.

Just in from tonight’s Burien City Council meeting: They’ve set April 2nd, their next meeting, as the date to “consider” whether to proceed with an annexation election. Under a timeline set out by city administration, they would have to decide either then, or April 16th, that they wanted an August 7th election, in order for that to proceed through the system in enough time for that to happen.

Addressing one ongoing concern, City Manager Mike Martin told the council he has sought repeated assurances that the sales-tax credit will remain in the state budget – and so far, it’s still there. Burien says that money is vital to being able to afford the annexation. (At one point, Governor Gregoire had proposed cutting it, but that proposal stalled.) Councilmember Jack Block Jr. wondered what the latest date for a decision would be if they were seeking to put annexation on the November ballot instead of the August ballot.

During the public-comment section at the start of the meeting, 12 of the 15 speakers talked about annexation – seven against, five for. Among the pro-annexation speakers was Vera Johnson, proprietor of Village Green Perennial Nursery:

She said she decided at the last minute to show up and speak; she believes it would be overwhelmingly positive for Burien to annex White Center. We have the entire public-comment period on video, along with the discussion on the annexation item, and will add those clips as soon as they are uploaded following our crew’s return to HQ.

ADDED 11:12 PM: Here’s the video from the public-comment period. It is unedited, starting with the second speaker during that part of the meeting, the first one to address the annexation issue, and continuing through the last speaker, who also talked about annexation:

At about 34 minutes into the video, Barbara Dobkin speaks to the council for, she said, the first time as North Highline Unincorporated Area Council president, recounting the council’s support for annexation, and its accomplishments in recent years, including advocacy on behalf of concerned residents dealing with difficult issues.

The agenda and “packet” for next Monday night’s Burien City Council meeting are now published online, and among the agenda items is:

Discussion Regarding If and When to Adopt Resolution No. 330, Requesting King County to Hold a Special Election on August 7, 2012 for the Purpose of Placing on the Ballot a Proposition Concerning Annexation of the North Highline Area “Y” Annexation Area

Burien city administration’s recommendation, according to the agenda documents, is that the council schedule its vote for either the April 2nd meeting or the April 16th meeting. In order to make all necessary deadlines for having an August 7th annexation election, the documents say, the County Council has to adopt an ordinance creating the annexation ballot measure by May 7th. (You can see the agenda documentation for yourself by going here.)

8:55 PM UPDATE: Missing boy has been found – he turned up at home, according to KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West. Original coverage after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

This first part will sound a lot like last night’s initial report: After a second three-hour of testimony, the Washington State Boundary Review Board for King County will meet for a third night – but no more public comment. You’re invited to their 7 pm January 23rd meeting at a location TBA, but it’s all about their deliberations, no more testimony. (Here’s who’s on the board, in case you wondered.) WCN co-publisher Patrick Sand recorded tonight’s meeting at White Center’s Cascade Middle School on video again and we’ll add that in the hours ahead, once it’s processed (unedited, but still takes time to upload). He says that after last night’s testimony was weighted toward opposition to Burien annexation of White Center and most of the rest of unincorporated North Highline, tonight’s went the other way, with more pro-annexation speakers than anti-.

Of note – this time around is VERY different than March 2009, when the Boundary Review Board’s hearing on the first Burien/North Highline annexation lasted for ONE night, less than two hours, and ended with a preliminary vote in favor of the proposal. Here’s our as-it-happened coverage from that night almost three years ago. Meantime, more to come on what happened tonight.

ADDED EARLY WEDNESDAY: The first video clip, almost 2 hours, includes all the Tuesday night testimony:

The second, a little more than an hour (following a break called by the board), includes the city of Burien’s rebuttal and replies to questions asked during the first night:

If you had a one-use tree this holiday season – here’s how to recycle it.

If you have Waste Management pickup service, you can put it out with your yard waste this week, as long as you follow these rules:

Waste Management collects Christmas trees from its residential customers. Be sure the tree is cut into three-foot sections and remove any tree stands, nails, tinsel and decorations.

If you are within Seattle city limits, you can take your tree to the South Transfer Station in South Park, as long as it’s not taller than eight feet (rules here).

Wherever you live, you are welcome to help out local nonprofits with these two tree-cycling events coming up next weekend:

SATURDAY & SUNDAY: Boy Scout Troop 375 Christmas Tree Recycle
January 7 – 8, 2012 (9 to 4)
Five Corners (160th and 1st Avenue in Burien)
$5 per tree
“Good Karma” Christmas Tree Mulch available for $25 donation per yard

SATURDAY, TWO LOCATIONS: The West Seattle Rainbow Girls will hold their fifth annual Christmas tree recycle fundraiser January 7 at the Alki Masonic Hall 4736 40th Ave. SW. and also at the Southgate Masonic Hall located at 1004 SW 152nd in Burien from 10:00 – 2:00. Suggested donation $5.00. No flocked trees please. For more information please contact Jan Hunter at 206-849-7906. Check out the Rainbow Girls by going to www.gorainbow.org.

Friends of the victim’s family are casting a net far and wide to try to help investigators solve an attack last night. First, here’s what the King County Sheriff’s Office says about it, in a news release just sent out:

A 21 year old man was severely beaten as he walked home from downtown Burien last night around 9 pm.

Joshua Sheen arrived home around 9 pm bloody and had to crawl to get into the house. He had “pretty much everything in his face fractured” said his sister Brianna Davey. Sheen also had teeth knocked out and according to Davey had “internal bleeding and had to have his spleen removed.”

Sheen was missing his cell phone, shoes and possibly his wallet. Sheen had no recollection of how he was injured.

King County Sheriff Deputies searched several blocks attempting to locate where the incident occurred but was unable to locate any evidence.

Sheen is 5’7” tall and weighs about 140 pounds. He was wearing a black jacket and dark jeans. “We are hoping that someone saw something and will come forward,” said his sister Davey.

If you have any information about this crime please call the King County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 206-296-7530 or email us at MCUTips.KCSO@kingcounty.gov.

We received this through a mass e-mail sent to media all over the region by multiple people who are friends of Sheen’s uncle, comedian Derek Sheen. They forwarded this note from him:

My nephew, who is a special needs adult, was the victim of a hate crime. He is currently at Harborview Medical Center, in ICU on life support. There is a chance he may not recover. I’m asking residents in the area to please contact local media and ask them for help in gathering information and public support to assist in the capture and prosecution of the person or persons responsible. Any help or information is greatly appreciated.

In tonight’s election, though the results won’t be final for weeks, some things are clear after just the first round of ballot-counting. White Center’s King County Councilmember Joe McDermott has won election to his first full four-year term, leading Diana Toledo, 67%-32%. … In the North Highline Fire District contest, Liz Giba leads Mark Ufkes, 52%-47% … In the only contest for Highline School Board, incumbent president Sili Savusa is losing to Tyrone Curry, who has gained some fame for his lottery win and subsequent donation, 55% for Curry to 44% for Savusa … Burien had three council races on the ballot, and one of the city’s most outspoken opponents of annexing White Center (and vicinity) has defeated an incumbent: Bob Edgar has 60% of the vote, to 40% for Gordon Shaw. In the other two races, incumbent Lucy Krakowiak - one of two “no” votes on last month’s annexation resolution – leads former North Highline Unincorporated Area Council chair Greg Duff, 64%-36%, while pro-annexation incumbent Jerry Robison leads Debi Wagner, 54%-46%. Next ballot count is due around 4:30 tomorrow afternoon.

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

City staff says they still have multiple chances to turn back – but for now, the Burien City Council has taken the first official step on the road to annexing White Center and most of the rest of unincorporated North Highline, by approving a resolution declaring their intent to annex the area. The resolution was approved 5-2, with Councilmembers Jack Block Jr. and Lucy Krakowiak the “no” votes.

Most of the councilmembers didn’t speak immediately before the vote to explain why they were pro or con – but of those who did, Deputy Mayor Brian Bennett said he’s “optimistic” about North Highline’s future; Block said that while he didn’t think NH residents would want to be part of a city (Seattle) with (potential) $80 car tabs and “Taj Mahal libraries,” he did think there were issues that need to be resolved – such as, through negotiating with the county “for mitigation” – before proceeding.

The meeting began with a public-comment period that lasted almost 45 minutes, with all but one speaker addressing the “to move forward with annexation or not to move forward with annexation” issue. Our tally of the annexation speakers: 12 opponents, 5 supporters. The opponents all described themselves as Burien residents; four of the supporters were residents of the still-unincorporated area.

One of them was Barbara Dobkin, who spoke as a private citizen but also serves as president of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council. “This is good news,” she smiled after the meeting. “Finally, we have something to start with.”

Though some in Burien had repeatedly expressed opposition by saying “what’s the rush?” Dobkin and others – including some councilmembers – noted that all this has been under discussion for years. New fuel was added to Burien’s fire when Seattle, which originally had dibs on this part of the unincorporated area, declared earlier this year that it wasn’t even going to think about a decision till early next year, so if Burien wanted to proceed, Seattle wouldn’t stand in its way.

We will add highlights and summaries of the commenters’ key points later, plus what happens next in the process, as we continue adding to this story in the hours ahead.

ADDED TUESDAY: Here are the 8 steps required before annexation would become official, as laid out in the approved resolution:

GENERAL PROCESS FOR ANNEXATION BY ELECTION
1. City Council approves a Resolution calling for annexation by election.
2. City staff files a Notice of Intention with the King County Boundary Review Board (BRB) and invokes jurisdiction by filing a request for review with the Board.
3. The BRB sets a hearing date, holds a hearing and issues a decision. The BRB can accept the proposal, reduce it by no more than 10% or deny the request.
4. The BRB decision begins a 30-day appeal period (appeals go to Superior Court).
5. City Council indicates to the County Auditor its preferred date for the annexation election.
6. County Council sets the election on the date indicated by the City.
7. The election is held.
8. City Council approves an Ordinance providing for the annexation and establishing its effective date.

Just a reminder for those interested: Tonight’s Burien City Council meeting (7 pm, council chambers in downtown Burien) includes consideration of a resolution indicating intent to annex most of the rest of unincorporated North Highline. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll vote tonight – councilmembers might decide to delay a vote. Here’s our report from last Friday, previewing the resolution. Public comment will be taken, as is the case at most council meetings; if you can’t be there in person, it will be streamed live at burienmedia.org.

The “packet” is out for next Monday night’s potentially pivotal Burien City Council meeting discussion – and maybe a vote – on whether to officially get White Center/Boulevard Park/rest-of-North-Highline annexation off the launch pad.

The resolution is ready to go – Resolution 323, to be specific, and its subtitle is all of the following:

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BURIEN, WASHINGTON, CALLING FOR THE ANNEXATION, BY ELECTION, OF CONTIGUOUS UNINCORPORATED TERRITORY TO THE CITY OF BURIEN LYING IN AN AREA EAST AND SOUTH OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE CORPORATE BOUNDARIES, THEN GENERALLY WEST OF A LINE FOLLOWING 12TH AVENUE S. (IF EXTENDED) BETWEEN S. CAMBRIDGE ST. AND S. 96TH ST., THEN SOUTH OF S. 96TH ST., BETWEEN 12TH AVENUE S. AND SR-99, THEN SOUTH ALONG SR-99 TO THE CITY OF TUKWILA CORPORATE BOUNDARIES, THEN SOUTH ALONG THE CITY OF TUKWILA CORPORATE BOUNDARIES TO THE CORPORATE BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY OF BURIEN, REFERENCED AS THE NORTH HIGHLINE ANNEXATION AREA.

The text of the resolution calling for annexation ensues. It’s followed by this explanation of how the process would go, if the City Council formally sets it in motion (and their options include rejecting the motion or delaying it, so there’s no guarantee this all will be settled on Monday night):

GENERAL PROCESS FOR ANNEXATION BY ELECTION
1. City Council approves a Resolution calling for annexation by election.
2. City staff files a Notice of Intention with the King County Boundary Review Board (BRB) and invokes jurisdiction by filing a request for review with the Board.
3. The BRB sets a hearing date, holds a hearing and issues a decision. The BRB can accept the proposal, reduce it by no more than 10% or deny the request.
4. The BRB decision begins a 30-day appeal period (appeals go to Superior Court).
5. City Council indicates to the County Auditor its preferred date for the annexation election.
6. County Council sets the election on the date indicated by the City.
7. The election is held.
8. City Council approves an Ordinance providing for the annexation and establishing its effective date.

Read the entire motion toward the end of the packet. It is preceded by the traditional cover sheet for packet info, which includes this notation: “The city manager believes that all the significant, material information on the subject has been presented and discussed and encourages the council to adopt the resolution that would advance annexation of the North Highline Area.”

The meeting’s at 7 pm, Burien council chambers, on Monday (October 3rd).

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

After three months of intensive discussion about potential annexation of most of the rest of North Highline (as we’ve chronicled here), the Burien City Council is finally on the brink of deciding whether to proceed full speed ahead.

During last night’s two-hour-plus council meeting, they asked staff to prepare a resolution for them to vote on, possibly as soon as next week – a resolution that if passed would indicate their intent to annex.

But that vote was a close one – four councilmembers in favor of having that resolution drawn up, three (Brian Bennett, Lucy Krakowiak, Jack Block Jr.) opposed. The major concern: It’s “premature” — as in, what’s the hurry? General consensus among opponents was that Seattle still has no intent of proceeding toward annexation, having just announced another cut-laden budget plan hours earlier, so Burien doesn’t have to rush into things.

And there was one revelation – if Burien annexes White Center (etc.), its existing marijuana businesses may be out of business, as city leaders said they deny business licenses to those types of establishments now, and would require any businesses in an annexed area to apply for a license.

Council discussion, and the initial vote, followed a public-comment period in which they heard from mostly familiar commenters. Our summaries of those comments, and councilmembers’, ahead: Read the rest of this entry »

Absent public comment – by design – and with only two items on the agenda, last night’s special meeting of the Burien City Council ran just an hour and a quarter. When it was said and done, the council was not officially any closer to a pursue-annexation-or-don’t decision; the only official action taken was to adjourn and to talk about it more next Monday.

Mayor Joan McGilton returned after several weeks away because of surgery. She and the council considered yet more crunched data, including rates for services now provided by special districts, and comparisons of numbers such as what the city had thought the first round of North Highline annexation might cost, vs. what it has really cost, so far.

The numbers seemed to have some councilmembers doing double-takes, particularly in regards to staffing. City Manager Mike Martin had to assure them it really was true that – aside from police – the city had only added one employee (in parks maintenance) to handle the added workload. And no, he had to insist, there is no other shoe waiting to drop, that’s it, they’re really handling it all with the existing workforce, plus that one employee. “It is nothing short of remarkable,” Martin declared.

Everything, however, was taken under advisement; no opinions were voiced or motions made. Annexation is on the agenda again next week, and this time, there will be another chance for public comment – adjacent to the actual agenda item, rather than lumped in with the rest of the public comment at the start of the meeting. And yet more information will be brought to councilmembers as they continue to ponder, including a requested primer on how the sales-tax credit – a key Legislature-approved incentive in the pursuit of annexation – works.

You can watch last night’s meeting in its entirety at your leisure – find the video archived at burienmedia.org.

If you’re tracking the Burien City Council‘s path toward deciding whether to pursue annexation of the unincorporated area of North Highline that includes White Center – you’ll want to either attend or watch (online at burienmedia.org) tonight’s meeting, 7 pm. As this news release notes, no public comment will be taken tonight – different story next Monday. Last week, as reported here, the council said it wasn’t ready yet to set a date to make a decision. The “packet” with info for tonight’s meeting, including a comparison of what newly annexed North Burien has cost the city in the early going, compared to originally projected costs, can be seen here.

At one point a few months back, some observers had wondered whether the Burien City Council was hell-bent on rushing forward with annexation of most of the rest of North Highline, since Seattle had basically said, hey, we’re not even ready to think about this again till next year, so if you want it in the meantime, it’s yours.

Those observers need not have worried.

Going into Monday night’s Burien council meeting, city staff recommended that councilmembers at least set a date for making a decision on whether to pursue annexation.

They didn’t, saying they still need more information and more time.

First, the public comment period was dominated by annexation comments – concerns voiced mostly by Burien residents who have spoken against annexation before; support voiced mostly by North Highline residents who want to be part of Burien.

Later, when the item formally came up on the agenda, councilmembers listened to presentations from reps of the special districts that currently serve the area – and then talked about whether they were ready to take a step toward signaling whether they might proceed or not.

Those who were – like Councilmember Gerald Robison, who quoted what he said was a real-estate-business saying, “If you sleep on it, you’ll never sleep in it” – were not in the majority, so in the end, the council decided to keep fact-finding and keep talking.

(One of those who said moving ahead now feels “premature” was Councilmember Jack Block Jr., who countered Robison’s real-estate saying with, “We’re not buying a house, we’re committing 48,000 residents of Burien .. and the health and welfare and public safety of 17,000 residents of North Highline.”}

So the council asked for more data to be brought to them at an extra council meeting next Monday night, though there were so many questions that City Manager Mike Martin said he would have to get back to them sometime in the next few days regarding how much of the requested data he’d be able to procure.

You can watch the discussion for yourself, since the meeting video’s available online – find it here.

Tonight (Monday 8/22) at 7 at Burien City Hall, it’s the Burien City Council’s special work session about the new report on the potential financial effects of Burien annexing most of what remains of unannexed North Highline. A “discussion draft” is now available online – see it here – accompanied with another report that had been requested both by councilmembers and concerned citizens, comparing the crime rates of Burien and unincorporated North Highline. The meeting’s in council chambers at 4th/152nd in Burien; if you can’t be there, you can watch it live online at burienmedia.org.

7:53 PM: The Burien City Council meeting is still under way right now (live at burienmedia.org), and city manager Mike Martin is offering to take questions about the financial report regarding the potential effects of annexation – starting by saying the report is now posted online. We haven’t read it yet – but you can read it, in its entirety, here.

7:58 PM: Now we’re going through it. Here are the topline findings of the report (each of which is followed, in the report, by elaboration):

Finding #1: The current City has a present-day and structural fiscal challenge

Finding #2: The annexation sales tax credit would cover the City’s incremental cost of annexation

Finding #3: The annexation sales tax credit provides the City with greater flexibility to manage expected future fiscal challenges

Finding #4: Over the long-term, annexation would be a fiscally NEUTRAL proposition to the City

Finding #5: Annexation will bring additional capital facility needs and revenue

We’ll add more as we go through the report.

8:12 PM: Also from the report – it envisions Burien needing to add 37 employees by 2013 if annexation happens in 2012; 23 of those would be police.

Discussing the timetable for moving ahead on discussing the issue, Mayor Joan McGilton bristled at suggestions that the council was “ahead of the citizens” in terms of considering the issue. She recapped the fact that Seattle was given the option to pursue, then tossed the ball back in Burien’s court, and what “forced the issue” to a higher profile was the issue of potential White Center/Boulevard Park county library consolidation.

“I don’t think Seattle is going to annex North Highline, so I think at least the pressure is off in that respect,” said Councilmember Jack Block Jr., advocating slowing down somewhat. Ultimately, the council has just decided to have a study session on August 22nd; the financial report also will be discussed, as planned, at the next council meeting on August 15th.

The information “packet” published online before every Burien City Council meeting is out (see it here) – and while it promises councilmembers that some information will be available regarding the long-awaited report on potential financial implications of annexing “Area Y” (including White Center), it says the report itself will not be ready in time for packet inclusion. So, the advance document offers councilmembers options: City staff can brief them about the report “at a high level” and answer questions, if they want, while they’re promised that staff and consultant Berk and Associates will give them a detailed report at their next scheduled meeting August 15th. The document also suggests they might want to schedule an extra meeting this month, perhaps August 22nd, devoted solely to the annexation topic.