Monday night’s (May 23, 2022) Burien City Council study session will be the first “hybrid” meeting, with both in-person and virtual attendance possible, and here’s what’s on the agenda:

    • Presentation from Washington Cities Insurance Authority
    • Results of community feedback on the American Rescue Plan funding
    • Update on Boulevard Park neighborhood flooding

Meetings will continue to be broadcast via Zoom, on the Burien TV channel (Channel 21 Comcast), and online at burienwa.gov/tv.

The Monday, May 23, 2022 meeting will start at 7 p.m., and can be viewed online via Zoom Webinar, on Comcast TV channel 21, or in person for the first time in over two years at Burien City Hall Council Chambers, at 400 SW 152nd Street (map below). Download the full agenda packet here (PDF file).

As we previously reported, the Council approved Resolution No. 480 at their May 16, meeting, making the hybrid meeting format a permanent procedure. The resolution also allows the Council to reschedule meetings that fall on a holiday. Previously, those meetings were automatically canceled.

The new hybrid meeting format allows City Councilmembers, City staff, and community members to participate both in-person and virtually. People are encouraged to sign-up to provide public comment (whether in person or via Zoom), or they may submit written comment prior to each meeting. Instructions for how to join the Zoom meeting are at the top of every City Council meeting agenda.

Monday’s meeting will be the first to allow in-person guests inside council chambers since March 16, 2020.

New technology will support hybrid format
The City Council approved funding to upgrade its meeting technology, including new meeting management software, audio-visual equipment, and new cameras, in the Council Chambers in the 2019-2020 budget, the city said.

“The technology upgrade, originally designed to provide an enhanced experience for people attending meetings in-person, was completed in early 2020, but state-issued public health restrictions prevented Council meetings from being held in person.”

In 2021, City staff upgraded the technology in the Council Chambers again to prepare for both in-person and virtual participation during Council meetings. In early 2022, the city was prepared to support both virtual and in-person participation, but a flood from the third floor damaged essential equipment, delaying the launch of the new hybrid meeting format.

After replacing equipment and repairing damage, city staff implemented a test hybrid format during the May 2, 2022 and May 16, 2022 City Council regular business meetings.

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