Larry Cripe[/caption]
By Jack Mayne
After Quiet Skies Coalition leader Larry Cripe suggested that if Burien doesn’t get involved, “there will be a fourth, a fifth and a sixth†runway at Sea-Tac International Airport, the City Council created an ad hoc committee to study plans of the Port of Seattle for the huge growth planned for the facility in coming years.
The Monday night (Nov. 21) meeting also discussed the city’s next biennial budget up for approved in the next couple of weeks along with the comprehensive city plan and the property tax the city will likely increase by a full 1 percent.
Cripe leads Quiet Skies Coalition, a newly formed citizens group spurred into action by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) order to turn turbo-prop airliners more quickly over Burien to more quickly clear Sea-Tac runways for larger passenger jets. The FAA made the order in July without first informing local communities of the change, angering a group of west Burien residents who went on to form Quiet Skies.
Should copy SeaTac
Larry Cripe, president of Quiet Skies, told the Council Monday night that it should form a committee to similar to the one that SeaTac Mayor Michael Siefkes formed to work on airport noise, aviation traffic and other impacts created by the continually and fast growing Sea-Tac Airport.
“I was very impressed at what they have put together to form an airport committee formed of business leaders, citizens, councilmembers, city manager,†he said of the SeaTac committee he recently visited. “It was quite impressive. I think, as a city, we need to be getting out in front of, not just the current situation which we are pursuing with the FAA, the port and Alaska Air Group.
“I would like the Council to put a resolution together to form a committee that everyone could participate in. Bring business leaders in; it doesn’t have to be a huge committee but maybe three of four people from each section,†Cripe said.
“I can guarantee you that the City of SeaTac will give you information and you can explore that idea.â€
Council hashes over idea
The Council, discussing the final development of its 2017 – 2018 biennial budget, changed a $100,000 line item for studying of airport noise pollution to allow the money to be spent for airport impacts including potential litigation.
Councilmember Debi Wagner moved to form an airport committee of city councilmembers, staff as well as businesses and the public.
“I attended the Sea-Tac Airport committee and I heard from businesses how it is important to them – they are being impacted,†she said, adding that some businesses are being forced to relocate because of the proposed expansion of Sea-Tac.
“It was a very relaxed and open forum to talk about the issues,†she said.
“We have the same issues here … a committee like that that talks about the issues, who do we talk to and how do we do it,†Wagner added.
Mayor Krakowiak said there should be further conversations on the composition and duties of such an airport committee.
“I think we need structure to help this committee on its task,†the mayor said.]]>
One wonders if our council will ever learn to delegate? They seem to have about as much ability to organize themselves as hens in a henhouse. Come on people, there are many issues for your body to address and there are only going to be more of them with the increased population of downtown Burien in the coming year. You will need to divide the tasks and up-date each other as things progress. Yes, you will also need to trust in one another to delegate tasks. If someone can’t be trusted, with such tasking, deal with that then. But, for pity sakes, get out of this habit of saying ‘we will need to discuss that later’. This is later.
On a side note: Did anyone else see the King 5 piece on the Port needing to cut down ‘old growth timber’ with a short video of a plane barely able to fly through the tall trees. The video was taken at a low ground level looking up into the sky through some fir trees. What a load of aged manure! Like who is talking about ‘old growth timber’ around the port? Would love to know just how King 5 came by this story. It was a rather curious take on the whole issue, to say the least.