Video: Boundary Review Board annexation hearing, night 1 – There will be a night 2
The Boundary Review Board‘s hearing on Burien’s proposal to annex White Center (and other parts of unincorporated North Highline) will go to a second night tomorrow night. That’s the upshot after more than three hours. 7 pm at Cascade Middle School again. Tonight’s highlights to come.
ADDED 1:15 PM: We are processing our video (which we’ll publish unedited for those interested) covering most all of tonight’s hearing. (Added – here’s the first hour and a half; second one still processing.)
(Added – the second half of the meeting. Both clips are unedited – just the meeting, as it happened)
Meantime, toplines from co-publisher Patrick Sand, who was there for WCN:
MAJOR POINT: Burien city manager Mike Martin said that if the Legislature (which just convened this year’s session) kills the annexation tax credit for cities, Burien will stop right there.
OVERVIEW OF SPEAKERS: Most of the more than two dozen speakers the board heard from tonight voiced opposition to annexation; no one spoke in support until North Highline Unincorporated Area Council president Barbara Dobkin, the 13th speaker. She presented a letter from the council backing annexation. Other supporters included NHUAC member Ron Johnson, speaking as a private citizen, and Burien City Councilmember Jerry Robison. Opponents – including Burien City Councilmembers Lucy Krakowiak and Bob Edgar – cited concerns relating to the consultant’s report that Burien has used to project the cost of annexation, suggesting it was out of date, or too optimistic about the economy. Government reps who spoke, meantime, voiced support for annexation – Burien, King County, North Highline Fire District. For NHFD, Commissioner Liz Giba mentioned a few assurances the district would need, including job retention and pensions, and noted there are close to 200 acres that would remain unincorporated, including the “Sliver by the River,” so the board would need to give direction and seek a resolution of how those areas will be handled. (Seattle leaders have said that they are interested in pursuing annexation of the “sliver.”)
QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD: They were interested in hearing from a member of the consulting team that put together the aforementioned report; Martin said he would try to make that happen. Also,, they asked what the level of social services would be post-annexation, and they wanted to hear from local law enforcement regarding the crime situation. Again, they’ll reconvene at Cascade tomorrow night, 7 pm.
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