Krystal Marx was re-elected Deputy Mayor by the Burien City Council on Jan. 4, 2021 for a term ending Dec. 31, 2021. Councilmembers Sofia Aragon and Kevin Schilling were also candidates.

Marx was nominated for her second one-year term by Councilmember Pedro Olguin and said she “would really look forward to serving in this position for the next year as we start to move out of this COVID-19 pandemic, hopefully, and find more ways for this Council to work together as we are all endeavoring to do … and working to develop more consensus on the Council.”

Marx won with three votes, while Councilmembers Sofia Aragon and Councilmember Kevin Schilling each received two votes.

In other business, the Council voted unanimously to name January 2021 as Human Trafficking Awareness month.

“Whereas, assisting victims of human trafficking requires a coordinated community response among community groups, social services, schools, and law enforcement … Washington State recognizes a National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness, which is designated annually as January 11th.”

Burien Airport Committee changes
Former members of the City’s airport committee have resigned, said City Manager Brian Wilson. The new committee chair has not been decided. Other members will be Mayor Jimmy Matta and Councilmembers Sofia Aragon and Kevin Schilling.

Former members Larry Cripe, Debi Wagner, and Sharyn Parker all resigned, each indicating that the city “was no longer responding” to their volunteer work. Nancy Tosta also resigned from her role as Committee chair.

Cripe – who was named “Citizen of the Year” in 2017 by the City – at the Council meeting announced his resignation, saying that his suggestions were being ignored, and that his telephone calls were not answered. Cripe said that he is so disgusted with the lack of response and other actions by the city administration that he was moving from his longtime home in Burien and is currently living in Bellevue.

Here’s video of Cripe’s resignation from the Dec. 16, 2020 Airport Committee meeting:

COVID-19 update
Fire District 2 Fire Chief Mike Marrs said that COVID-19 “cases continue to be high in South King Council and, specifically in the Burien area.”

He said vaccinations have begun for health care workers, which include nurses, fire fighters and emergency medical technicians, medics and high risk patients at skilled nursing facilities and retirement homes. He noted that abut a third of emergency medical services workers in the county have received the first dose of the vaccine.

He said the vaccination services are “slowly ramping up” with “key hurdles” including money, delivery of the vaccine and trained people to give vaccinations.

There needs to be 14,000 doses for each day and six months to reach 70 percent vaccination “so we’ve got a long ways to go,” Marrs added.

Special Burien Council Meeting Jan. 25
On the agenda for Monday night’s (Jan. 25, 2021) Burien City Council Special Meeting is a resolution on Hazard Pay for grocery workers, utility tax relief, Miller and Walker Basin Stewardship, zoning code updates and more.

The meeting will start at 7 p.m.. and the Public Access Link is https://bit.ly/2LAgoW0.

Download the full agenda packet here (PDF file).

PRESENTATIONS OR DISCUSSIONS ON STUDY SESSION TOPICS:

- Introduction to Resolution No. 451, Requesting that the State of Washington Require that Grocery Workers Receive Hazard Pay During Any State of Emergency (Garmon Newsom II, City Attorney)  Information and Discussion
- Update Regarding the Progress of the Utility Tax Relief Program  (Cathy Schrock, Administrative Services Director / Eric Christensen, Finance Director)
- Miller and Walker Basin Stewardship Agreement  (Maiya Andrews, Public Works Director / Dan O’Brien, NPDES Permit Coordinator / SWM Engineer)  Introduction and Discussion
- Introduction to Ordinance No. 753, Home Occupations Zoning Code Amendments  (Alex Hunt, Susan McLain, Community Development Director)  Introduction and Discussion
- Introduction to Resolution No. 447, 2021 Comprehensive Plan Docket (Alex Hunt)  
- Introduction to Ordinance No. 752, Legacy Storefronts Zoning Code Amendment (Susan McLain, Community Development Director)  Introduction and Discussion
- City Council Planning Calendar (Brian J. Wilson, City Manager)  Review  Planning Calendar as of 01.21.2021