By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor
Exactly two months before the election that could change the remaining unincorporated area of North Highline forever, the Burien annexation proposal came up more than a few times during Thursday night’s meeting of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council:
ANNEXATION FORUM: NHUAC is planning to have one instead of next month’s regular meeting – Thursday, October 4th. Councilmember Liz Giba says they’re inviting reps from the county and Burien, as well as the state, to “get the information (voters) need to make good decisions.” They haven’t set the location yet – still looking for one. Once it’s set, it’ll be published on the NHUAC website. NHUAC president Barbara Dobkin emphasized, “It’s going to be informational – not a debate.”
BURIEN CITY MANAGER’S REPORT: Mike Martin opened by pointing out that he’s been coming to the NHUAC meetings for five years now. Regarding the upcoming annexation vote, he says City Hall hasn’t received many requests for information about it, and “I don’t know what to make of that” – since ballots arrive about three weeks ahead of time, he said, voting really will start in five weeks or so. He said the city went to area schools today and handed out pamphlets in hopes kids would take them home to parents to invite them to the upcoming forums. “Regardless of which way the annexation goes, that will be ‘go time’ for the question of the libraries,” he reminded everyone, referring to the proposal that King County Library System tabled – under pressure – about consolidating the White Center and Boulevard Park library branches. He also said a general discussion about the libraries is on an upcoming Burien City Council agenda.
He also noted that at annexation forums, he often stresses how much things are NOT going to change if it’s approved, but then again, he had an anecdote about the kind of action he said demonstrated that Burien fights for what it needs: The city is getting more federal money for an offramp that they want to build in the future auto-business zone north of the Sea-Tac 3rd runway – that’ll at least help Burien finish design of the ramp. “To get enough money to actually design this project is huge,” he said. “It means that area is going to turn around much faster than I thought it was.”
September and October are the months to get ready for emergencies, he added – particularly weather, “something that shuts down life as we know it, at least for a day or two.”
And last but not least, on a hot Burien topic, he says Town Square “is coming along nicely” and the city is negotiating with the property owner to get going with Phase 2 – he says it “will not be condos, the market right now won’t support condos anywhere.” They “expect to see a concept in the next 30 or 45 days.”
COUNTY ASSESSOR LLOYD HARA: “You’re the 4th group I’ve spoken to today,” he began, noting he has made about 500 public appearances since being elected in 2009. He says properties “in this general area” have lost value again in the latest round of assessed valuations. There’s been “a good number of foreclosures” in the area – good as in “large,” not “positive” – and he says that’s put a drag on property values. You have 60 days from the postmarked date on your assessment postcard to appeal them. He said there were 13,000 appeals the year he was elected, and now it’s down to 8,000, and he hopes that means “the values are closer to what you believe they should be.” January 1, 2012, was the valuation date for the 2013 property tax, he explained. In general, he said, more than half the property tax you pay goes to local schools. Giba asked Hara if he could comment on a contention that homes would be worth 35 percent less with a Burien address than with the current county address if annexation is approved. Hara said he couldn’t really comment on that, but since the school district isn’t changing, and the district is the primary driver of tax rates, he doesn’t think that kind of drop would be likely. Regarding how much your tax bill comes out to – he reminded the meeting that for the next 8 years, the levy for the new youth-justice center will be added to tax bills, since it was approved in last month’s election.
Overall, White Center-area property values dropped 12 percent for the current cycle, and Burien-area values went down 9 percent, Hara said.
CODE ENFORCEMENT: Al Tijerina from the county came to update the hot spots. Asked about the county’s code-enforcement staffing situation, he acknowledged the enforcement officers are still burdened with hundreds of cases each, and are “very much overworked.” The council inquired about a specific case of a messy property on 16th SW (cross-street was not mentioned), and Tijerina detailed efforts to work with the property owner to get it cleaned up. They also asked about the former Wendy’s/Ezell’s/El Chalan on 16th – Tijerina said that even with the overgrown weeds and graffiti vandalism, there’s nothing there at this point that he has jurisdiction over. Several other boarded-up abandoned properties were brought up.
Another question he fielded: Are roosters allowed in the county? While other jurisdictions ban them, the county does not, according to Tijerina. He does try to talk to property owners about getting rid of the roosters, when complaints come in, he says.
If you have a complaint to file, by the way, send it online – “it’ll come directly to me,” he said.
COUNCILMEMBERS’ ANNOUNCEMENTS:
*Liz Giba returned after recovering from illness and thanked everyone for the good wishes.
*NHUAC vice president Pat Price reminded meeting-goers that on September 17th, the North Highline Board of Fire Commissioners meets at 6 pm at NHFD headquarters.
*NHUAC president Barbara Dobkin reminded everyone of the White Center Food Bank fundraising dinner October 20th at South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center. Also, NHUAC’s public-safety forum is next week – 7 pm September 13th – with both candidates for King County Sheriff, appointed incumbent Sheriff Steve Strachan and retired KCSO Sgt. John Urquhart. That same night, she notes, is also the next Burien informational forum about annexation.
*Mikel Davila from the White Center Community Development Association announced from the floor that the WCCDA fundraising gala would be September 21st, 6-8 pm at Brockey Center.
Born and raised in Seattle, Larry Gossett has been a dedicated servant of the people for more than 40 years. He is currently serving his seventh term on the Metropolitan King County Council and serves on several committees including Law, Justice, Health and Human Services; Government Accountability, Oversight and Financial Performance; and Growth Management Planning Council.
