White Center Now: The blog about White Center

At least, that’s the purported source of this comment just posted this afternoon on our Monday night post in which we broke the news about the annexation-process deal between Burien, Seattle, and two fire districts. So we thought we’d give it its own post:

Members of the White Center and broader North Highline Communities:

We have observed the blog postings making interpretations of the proposed memorandum of understanding between King County, Burien, Seattle and Fire Districts 2 and 11 regarding proposed annexation boundaries for the cities of Seattle and Burien.

Questions and interpretations are being offered. The intent of this posting is to address both.

First, the MOU is a proposed memorandum of understanding between the cities of Burien, Seattle, King County, and Fire District 2 and Fire District 11. The MOU lays out general policy principles and specific activities that the parties agree to in support of transitioning North Highline from unincorporated to city status and to ensure fire and life safety services are not jeopardized by any annexation proposal by either city. This is not an “Interlocal Agreement” as defined by state law nor does it allow for “annexation by interlocal agreement.” The MOU is premised on each city filing their proposals before the Washington State Boundary Review Board and then, if approved by the BRB, the annexation question being put before the voters of North Highline for a decision.

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE MOU WAS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE BOUNDARY REVIEW BOARD PROCESS INITIATIED BY BURIEN THIS SUMMER:

• Fire and Life Safety Services Protected — In the event of annexation, Burien, Seattle, King County and the Fire Districts all agree to work collaboratively to maintain the level of fire and life safety services to North Highline communities and neighborhoods of North Burien, Arbor Heights and urban unincorporated areas of South Park.

• Agreement to Burien’s Proposed Annexation Boundary through minor adjustment — Many of the stated concerns with Burien’s proposed annexation boundary are resolved with a small adjustment that maintains Fire District 11’s Headquarters outside of the area to be proposed for annexation by the City of Burien.

• Agreement to coordinated phasing of Annexation Election Proposals for consideration by North Highline residents — The MOU recognizes that there is broad diversity of opinions and preferences in the North Highline communities regarding annexation to Seattle and Burien and acknowledges both cities represent reasonable governance alternatives. The MOU supports Burien’s proposal for annexation election for the southern portion of North Highline and Seattle’s proposal for an annexation election for the northern portion of North Highline.

• Agreement that both Seattle and Burien should have access to the same level of state funding if either city is able to move forward with annexation of White Center and the northern portion of Boulevard Park

— Both cities acknowledge that the cost of serving this area (“Area Y”) is greater than the cost of serving the southern area proposed for annexation to Burien (“Area X”). The MOU acknowledges this through the agreement to have all parties work collaboratively to amend the annexation state sales tax credit law so that both Burien and Seattle would have access to up to $5 million if either annex Area Y.

The aim of the proposed MOU is to remove the obstacles that stop both Burien and Seattle from making annexation proposals to the voters of North Highline. The mediated agreement presumes the decision to annex will rest in the hands of North Highline voters.

If you have questions or comments about the mediation agreement, please feel free to contact the King County Annexation Initiative at: annexation@kingcounty.gov. Thank you. – King County Annexation Initiative

White Center Now was first to report last night that Burien City Manager Mike Martin announced a mediated agreement with Seattle and two fire districts over the future of annexation proposals – current and potential – in the White Center/North Highline area. Here’s our original report from last night; now, Burien has posted the agreement online – read it here. Also a reminder, the two annexation open houses we reported last month are still on the schedule for January and February; full details here.

(screengrab from tonight’s webcast of annexation announcement at Burien Council session)
8:54 PM: It’s just been announced at tonight’s Burien City Council work session. The councils of Burien and Seattle, and two fire commissions, have to sign off on the deal – but the cities and fire districts have agreed on a variety of points, after several weeks of mediated discussions, regarding Burien attempting to annex the area it’s been trying to annex (with one exception – the King County fire station at 112th/12th has been taken out of the zone, because Seattle says it’s important for protecting the Arbor Heights area) and Seattle POTENTIALLY trying to annex the rest of the White Center/North Highline area. More to come – Burien City Manager Mike Martin is laying it all out right now. ADDED 9:05 PM: Even once the elected officials agree, of course, residents of the respective areas would have to approve any annexation plan – and the deal gives Burien and Seattle till January 1, 2012, without either trying to interfere with the other’s respective potential annexation attempt(s); if the deals aren’t done by then, all bets are off. Another key part of the deal, besides the fire station: Burien will support state legislation that would allow Seattle, as well as Burien and smaller cities, to benefit from sales-tax credits relating to annexation – up to $5 million a year for 10 years. More discussion of this deal is expected at next week’s Burien Council meeting.

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With Burien’s proposal to annex part of the North Highline area back on a somewhat fast track, the city has just set dates for two more annexation open houses: One in Shorewood in January, one in Boulevard Park in February.

Here are the details:

ANNEXATION OPEN HOUSE IN SHOREWOOD
6:30-8 pm January 6, 2009
Shorewood Elementary School (map)
More info

ANNEXATION OPEN HOUSE IN BOULEVARD PARK
6:30-8 pm February 12, 2009
Boulevard Park Library (map)

Burien’s annexation-info page is back online too after a recent city website redesign, though some of its information does not appear quite up to date yet.

Word is that the King County financial crisis is worse than has been represented by Ron Sims. Cuts to the King County Sheriff’s Office will be much more severe than represented. One of the casualties may be Deputy Jeff Hancock, who took over after the death of Steve Cox. The White Center Sheriff’s store-front and Deputy Hancock’s beat may well be on the chopping block. Expect to hear conflicting accounts from the Sims Office and the Sheriff’s Department.

Ok, this is a heavily Democratic neighborhood but there seem to be some Rossi supporters in White Center land?  I am inviting comments on who would be better for White Center, Dino Rossi or Christine Gregoire?  Obviously, we have issues of housing, jobs, health care, affordability, crime, education, sustainability, greenspace etc… And I will gladly share my views.  Forum’s open.  Speak your mind.

King County’s current budget woes will have substantial impact on a number of levels, not the least of which is the present and future of unincorporated King County, which is to say White Center. In today’s PI article on the subject the piece end with this, “To keep 39 parks open in urban unincorporated areas, Sims asked the council to maintain those parks for three years with $7.7 million currently set aside as incentives to cities that annex such areas.“

(Burien Council members, seated tonight in “study session” mode)
From tonight’s Burien City Council meeting: Councilmembers voted to once again proceed with the planned annexation procedure — targeting part of White Center — that ended with the withdrawal of the proposal about a month and a half ago. They described the process as to some degree starting over again from the same point at which they were last spring. Here’s the map of the proposed annexation zone. We’ll be following up tomorrow with Seattle reps and others about what happens next from their standpoint. ADDED LATE MONDAY NIGHT: More details on tonight’s Burien proceedings: Read the rest of this entry »

That’s the source of $ savings included in a budget announcement from the King County Executive’s office late today; read it here.

This morning’s annexation-issues meeting with Seattle reps visiting North Highline Fire District headquarters lasted only half an hour. Kenny Pittman from the City of Seattle said he’d come looking for “continuing discussion,” hoping it would help lead to a “direction.” A document presented at the meeting recapped the concern that had arisen prior to Burien temporarily withdrawing its annexation request, and laid out three potential annexation-related scenarios, one of which would call for a new fire station in White Center – read on: Read the rest of this entry »

Lots of news at today’s North Highline Fire District commissioners’ meeting – including the fact there will soon be fewer meetings. With everything new that’s on the home page, we’ll jump this one ahead – click for the full scoop: Read the rest of this entry »

Lots going on this week and three to remind you about for starters: The North Highline Fire District commissioners’ regular bimonthly meeting is 8 am tomorrow at district HQ; then at 8 Wednesday morning, it’s the special meeting with Seattle reps re: annexation issues, as announced at the last NHFD commissioners’ meeting. Thursday night, the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting starts at 6 at St. James Place – tons of important info at these meetings every month, and free dinner too. See you there!

7 pm tonight, at St. Bernadette’s (map), the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council hopes you’ll join its members for a community meeting to discuss annexation, among other things.

King County’s out with a new report today about growth, and is using the occasion to reiterate that it needs unincorporated areas such as White Center need to be annexed to cities. Here’s the official news release: Read the rest of this entry »

From the White Center Now events calendar (is your event missing? please e-mail us!) – This Thursday is the night when the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council – the community council that represents YOU if you live in White Center and other areas between the Seattle and Burien city limits — invites you to a community meeting to discuss annexation and a whole lot more. Here’s our original preview; it’s at St. Bernadette’s (map)

As we reported here earlier, the prospect of a potential community fireworks ban came up at this morning’s meeting of the North Highline Fire District‘s commissioners. Now, as the legendary Paul Harvey says, “the rest of the story” — at least, the rest of what was discussed before commissioners went into executive session. First: Annexation, since the district is one of the agencies whose future depends on whether the area is annexed and if so, by whom. It was announced that the commissioners plan a special meeting with City of Seattle reps at NHFD HQ, 8 am Sept. 24, the day after their next regular meeting at the same time/place on Sept. 23. (This is now added to the White Center Now Events Calendar page, along with other dates announced at today’s meeting.) Read the rest of this entry »

Want to find out what’s happening with major community issues – and/or speak out about something that’s concerning you? You’ve got the chance tonight at the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council (NHUAC) monthly meeting, 7 pm at North Highline Fire District HQ, 1243 112th SW (here’s a map). To see the agenda, click here.

The result wasn’t surprising – in a Tukwila meeting room tonight, the Boundary Review Board accepted Burien’s move to withdraw its North Highline Annexation proposal, at least tentatively – but what happened in the moments before the hearing ended, held a little drama, particularly the statement made by an attorney representing the city of Seattle. ADDED 10:30 PM: Here are full details: Read the rest of this entry »

Even though the City of Burien has withdrawn its North Highline Annexation proposal for now (as first reported here), tomorrow night’s hearing before the Boundary Review Board is still on – 7 pm, hearing room’s behind the main building at Riverside Residences Inn, 11244 Tukwila International Blvd. (here’s a map). This is a public hearing (official notice here), so if you have something to say, this is your next chance to say it when/where decisionmakers will hear it.

That whiteboard holds a few of the questions asked by some of the dozens in attendance at tonight’s gathering in Boulevard Park, the first in a new round of informational meetings planned by Burien city leaders in hopes of answering questions about their North Highline Annexation proposal.

Besides “how would annexation affect me?” type questions like those you see in our whiteboard photo, the biggest question underlying the event: After yesterday’s withdrawal of the proposal, what now? Here’s what we found out, including video from our interviews with two top Burien leaders: Read the rest of this entry »