At Monday night’s (July 31) special meeting, the Burien City Council will discuss – and most likely decide on – what action to take regarding the petition to repeal Ordinance No. 651, the city’s ‘sanctuary city’ ordinance.

A recent petition obtained enough signatures (read our previous coverage here), and asks that an ordinance repealing Ordinance No. 651 be submitted to a vote of the registered voters of the City of Burien.

The city has two choices:

  1. Repeal Ordinance No. 651 by adopting Ordinance No. 671.
  2. Put the decision to a vote on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Also on the agenda – pending the passing of putting this decision on the Nov. 7 ballot – is appointing members to the Pro and Con Committees for drafting statements in support of and in opposition to the repeal.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m., and public comments will be allowed.

Here’s what’s on the agenda (download PDF here):

BUSINESS AGENDA (Public Comment Will Be Taken Before Each Agenda Item):

a. Address Burien Initiative 1 Pursuant to RCW 35.17.200 by Taking One of the Following Actions:

(1) Adopt Ordinance No. 671 Repealing Ordinance No. 651 and BMC 2.26 “Immigration Inquiries Prohibited,” Amending Chapter 9 Public Peace, Morals and Welfare to Prohibit City of Burien from Regulating the Acquisition of Immigrant Status or Religious Affiliation without Majority Votes of Council and Voters; or

(2) Pass Resolution No. 395 Pursuant to RCW 35.17.260 Calling an Election to be Held in Conjunction with the November General Election for Submission of a Proposed Initiative Ordinance to a Vote of the People and Instructing the City Clerk Regarding Presentation and Publication.

b.* Appointment of Pro and Con Committee Members to Draft Pro and Con Statements Regarding Burien Initiative No. 1 to Repeal Ordinance 651.

*Council will consider Business Agenda Item 4 “b” only if Resolution No. 395 passed.

Here’s the text of the Agenda Bill:

Agenda Subject: Take Action to (1) Adopt Ordinance No. 671 repealing Ordinance No. 651 and BMC 2.26 “Immigration Inquiries Prohibited,” amending Chapter 9 Public Peace, Morals and Welfare to prohibit City of Burien from regulating the acquisition of immigrant status or religious affiliation without majority votes of council and voters; or (2) Pass Resolution No. 395 pursuant to RCW 35.17.260 calling an election to be held in conjunction with the November general election for submission of a proposed initiative ordinance to a vote of the people and instructing the City Clerk regarding presentation and publication

Pursuant to RCW 35.21.005, on July 21, 2017 King County Elections certified the petition and signatures thereon regarding Initiative No. 1 which calls for the repeal of Ordinance No. 651. RCW 35.17.260 states that a er certification of a petition, the council must (1) Pass the proposed ordinance without alteration within twenty days a er the county auditor’s certificate of sufficiency has been received by the City; or (2) Immediately after the county auditor’s certificate of sufficiency for the petition is received, cause to be called a special election to be held on the next election date, as provided in RCW 29A.04.330, provided that the resolution deadline for that election has not passed, for submission of the proposed ordinance without alteration, to a vote of the people unless a general election will occur within ninety days, in which event submission must be made on the general election ballot.

August 1, 2017 is King County Elections’ deadline for resolutions to be submitted directing the County to place measures on the November 7, 2017 ballot. The Ordinance set forth in the petition is provided as Ordinance No. 671; the Resolution directing the County to place Ordinance No. 671 on the November 7, 2017 ballot is Resolution No. 395.

Here’s the text of the Agenda Bill to appoint members to the Pro and Con Committees:

PURPOSE/ REQUIRED ACTION:
The purpose of this agenda item is to appoint no more than three individuals to serve on the Pro Committee and no more than three individuals to serve on the Con Committee. The Pro and Con Committees are responsible for drafting statements in support of and in opposition to Initiative No. 1 to Repeal Ordinance No. 651.

Individuals available to serve on the Pro Committee include Individuals available to serve on the Con Committee include The City is responsible for notifying the County of the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of committee members. The Committee members are responsible for submitting the Pro and Con statements directly to King County Elections no later than 4:30 p.m. on the day of the deadline, regardless of postmark. The deadline for the Committees’ submission of statements is August 8, 2017 and rebuttal statements are due August 10, 2017.

The meeting will take place Monday night, July 31, starting at 7 p.m., at Burien City Hall:

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15 replies on “City Council to discuss, decide on action to repeal Ord. 651 Monday night”

  1. Repeal the Sanctuary City ordinance . The USA is already generous enough with LEGAL immigration–60 million legal immigrants have been admitted in the last 40 years. Is that not enough? If the city of Burien is going to flout federal immigration law, what other federal laws can it ignore? Environmental? Civil rights? Highway safety? Federal income tax law? What about our environment? In the 1970s, the “thought leaders” told us we’d all be starving by now because of the Population Explosion. Whatever happened to that? Now they want to import as many people as they possibly can.

  2. This just in from Portland, as reported by the Daily Mail: ” Illegal Mexican immigrant, 31, who was deported TWENTY times ‘rapes woman, 65, at knife-point’ just months after Portland released him from jail under ‘sanctuary’ policy.” Question: Which of you Burien City Council members will take PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY if something like this happens under Burien’s Sanctuary City policy? Are any of you Council members prepared to defend yourselves against a LAWSUIT?

      1. Yeah, I guess if was reported in the Daily Mail, it must be fake. Here’s what Portland’s KGW News has to say: “According to court documents filed in March 2017, (name) has a history of illegal entry into the United States. He has been a transient in the Portland area for more than a year and has been deported 20 times.” Based on your “one case” comment, it’s obvious fellow citizens’ safety and security are not important to you. But this could have happened to you or your family. Would it have mattered then?

        1. So what your saying is this meth using transient that may have been deported 20 times. Should make burien change there mind about being a sanctuary city. So what you are doing is called fear-mongering. You found one story that seems to be a little fishy and a one time type of story. Like if someone kills someone with a hammer we should ban all hammer’s. Now yes if this story true then this one guy needs to be locked up. But this doesn’t mean this going to happen in every city that happens to be a sanctuary city. I think you have over thought this idea and story. Now if you don’t like burien city council way of voting then you can always look for some ware else to live. I suggest away from big or any small city’s.

  3. Erik,
    That story stretches credibility but even assuming it is true it has nothing to do with being a sanctuary city.
    Since he was deported twenty times before (hard to believe) deportation clearly doesn’t work.
    If he was released “under sanctuary city” policy, there was no warrant for him from ICE or anyone else. Since he was released 6 months before the offense, is it your contention that he should have been held without charge indefinitely? That fits Trump’s policy of supporting the private prison industry (one of his campaign contributors) by filling them with illegal immigrants who have no criminal charges against them.

  4. Dear Lee Moyer,
    There are 200 million more people in this country than when I was born. For environmental sakes it’s time to stabilize the borders and stop gigantic mass immigration. This is an environmental disaster. Lee, have you noticed you can’t even drive anywhere anymore in Oregon and Washington without being in a traffic jam. We are at the same population that India was in 1950. I have been to India. It is a s—thole.
    When I-5 was first built in 1960 there was so little traffic that the U of O. would use it for distance practice. I-5 now, due to massive population growth I-5 is on the verge of being gridlock from Portland to California. Lee, I am sorry that you are so anti environment and you want future generations of Americans to live in the squalor I have seen in places like India.

    1. Well Steve you seem to not be taking a few things in to credit. One the dwindling numbers of people illegally crossing the border in recent years. The amount of religious groups in America that are against any form of birth control. The amount of underaged women that choose to be sexually active and get pregnant. The amount of American families that continue to have more children than they can afford. The amount of parents that treat the public school system like there free personal day care. Then you have ones that know how to cheat the well fare and other systems. These are all American citizens

      Also to Eric have you thought about how many full blooded Americans have done similar crimes.

      1. “Full-blooded Americans committing similar crimes.” Captain, that’s a home-grown nightmare we’ve been trying to deal with for years. But for heaven’s sake, in view of that longstanding problem, it would not be prudent to import any ADDITIONAL crime!

        1. Anyways just because this was a illgel alien didn’t make him do these crimes. It’s most likely his years of meth use and mental health issue’s this guy been dealing with.

          Most of the I’ll tell aliens are good people just looking for a better life. Less cartels running them around killing there family members over nonsense.

          Like I said before if you don’t like the policy’s by the city council then go find area that doesn’t have sanctuary city. Have a nice life.

          1. Captain, he’s a trespasser who shouldn’t have been here in the first place! I don’t care what his personal problems are, he shouldn’t even BE here! You say most illegal aliens are here “just looking for a better life.” SO ARE WE!! This is OUR home; OUR space, and we want it to be free of crowding, crime, and corruption! As far as me leaving Burien, I’ve lived in Burien for 40 years and am not going to adjust my life to accommodate crime and corruption. Are you from California? Maybe YOU should be the one moving!

    2. Steve,
      I agree that overpopulation is the bottom line cause of most of our problems today, especially in the environment. I have been active in the environmental movement for over half a century. To distort my position on sanctuary city policy into one of anti environmental is ludicrous.
      If overpopulation is your strongest argument against being a sanctuary city, your position is pretty weak. Immigration is a minimal factor on our population. Overpopulation is, however, why we need to support Planned Parenthood and similar organizations and use science, not religious dogma, to form political policies.

  5. Immigration is the biggest factor in our overpopulation growth/ Captain obvious is so out of touch he needs to stick with advertising for Orbitz. Since the immigration act or 1965 immigration has been responsible for a population growth of over 100 million people in the U.S.. And you want to bring in more people? If it wasn;t for open borders our population would be stabilizing now. There are 700 million refugees ready to com at this instant. We need to follow Trump’s suggestion and solve the problem where they originate. Lee, to say that people around the world dont’ see sanctuary cities as a major immigration lure is ludicrous. Lee your comment that immigration is has no impact on our overpopulation is a weak argument and has no basis in fact. Lee your desire for more overpopulation is anti environmentalism to the extreme.

    1. I think your over thinking the situation. When King county and burien has used the same policy for years. Same as most big citys. The only way people is when it’s brought up in the National news or different 24 hour news stations.

      Here’s a link explaining the dwindling numbers at border.
      http://www.sacbee.com/site-services/databases/article122552049.html

      Now for other countries it’s a lot harder for the people to actually get here. They have to fly and that comes with security checks and paper work. Now there are some that can come by boat but we have the coast gard and other services protecting the water.

      Then there’s the fact these people fill jobs that most Americans don’t apply for. Like fruit picking, custodial jobs, taxi and car service jobs. Then there’s plenty that are able to get a education and get even better jobs. These people all help by paying at least local sale taxes if not all the regular taxes and fees like anyone else.

      If you don’t like it then move some ware that doesn’t have a sanctuary city policy. It’s pretty easy maybe your life will be better. Take QofA with you after he is done giving his screen the middle finger.

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