Burien’s April 20 City Council meeting saw a sweeping administrative overhaul and a pivotal shift in labor policy.
Between multiple executive sessions, the council appointed Bob Larson as Interim City Manager, aided in the discussions by Interim City Attorney Ann Marie Soto.
A narrow 4–3 vote to repeal the city’s minimum wage ordinance in favor of the voter initiative anchored the session, highlighting a government in the midst of significant legal and fiscal transition.
Executive Sessions & Decisions
The meeting began with Councilmember Sam Mendez moving to add an executive session to the middle of the meeting, in addition to the executive session already planned for the end of the public meeting. Executive sessions are closed meetings that are neither recorded nor discussed with the public, and often involve pending litigation or other legal matters, including hiring and firing of some members of staff.
This plethora of private discussions follows a special meeting last week which was almost entirely in executive session. At the end of that meeting, the council voted to put then City Manager Adolfo Bailon on paid administrative leave. Read our coverage about that meeting at the link.
Councilmember Kevin Schilling brought up actions taken by the mayor and deputy mayor in the week before Mr. Bailon was put on administrative leave. As he started to speak on this, he was interrupted by the interim city attorney who cautioned him not to discuss things that must be kept private.
Councilmember Schilling said he thought it was in the public’s interest to know that the way the mayor and deputy mayor had put the city manager on notice was not correct or appropriate. He said the two members of council took that action without prior council discussion, direction, or approval. Schilling explained that Burien does not have a “strong mayor” form of government, meaning the council as a whole must make decisions before action is taken. He expressed his hope that going forward, proper procedure would be followed.
Later in the meeting Executive Sessions were again the subject of discussion, and Councilmember Sam Mendez said he recognized that these private discussions were needed a lot right now, but looks forward to a time when they are no longer so common. He said he supports government transparency.
The first executive session followed a 25-minute unplanned recess, which, according to an explanation later provided by Schilling, was needed when a community member had a medical emergency.
Support For Small Businesses
Councilmember Alex Andrade read a proclamation honoring Small Business Week. She then explained that supporting small businesses is not just about attending ribbon cuttings. The owner of Paper Delights was present to accept the proclamation, and she mentioned that city policies can affect the success of small businesses.
ShopLocalBurien.com was mentioned, a website where people can find new and interesting local businesses to support, as well as upcoming events. Councilmember Andrade mentioned the recent Wine Walk, which is one of several events that serve as popular and “successful economic drivers” for local businesses.
Public Comments: Concern For Workers
Nearly all public comments were asking the city to go along with the voter approved minimum wage initiative. Speakers said, contrary to what some councilmembers have argued, they were indeed properly informed about what they were voting on at the time they voted. It was mentioned that the only confusion about what Burien’s minimum wage is, was caused by the city itself not going along with what voters wanted.
Some said, rather than catering to business owners, workers should be at the forefront of any minimum wage discussion. They also said there should be no complicating exceptions for small businesses. They said the council has a strong mandate to follow the will of the people, and not to undermine democracy.
Council To Consider Repealing Minimum Wage Ordinance
Councilmember Mendez led another discussion about how to correct the city’s conflicting minimum wage laws. They considered whether to repeal the ordinance, or go through line by line and amend Burien’s minimum wage ordinance. After much discussion, it was agreed that a line by line edit of the original ordinance would be too time consuming, and not give the desired result.
The council voted 4–3 to have staff draft an ordinance repealing the original minimum wage ordinance. The councilmembers in the minority were Kevin Schilling, Linda Akey, and Alex Andrade, who have expressed concern for the initiative not having exemptions for small businesses. Council will vote on this at the next business meeting.
Once the ordinance is repealed, this will leave the city with just one minimum wage law on the books: the one voters approved by an initiative to the people. That initiative bases Burien’s minimum wage on Tukwila’s. As Councilmember Mendez explained, the rate would initially be set based on Tukwila’s minimum wage; according to his reading of the wording, it would thereafter increase based on inflation and no longer be tied to Tukwila.
A Final Executive Session, And New City Management
After the second Executive Session, the council unanimously approved the appointment of Bob Larson as the new Interim City Manager. Larson’s contract will be sorted out by the city’s new Interim City Attorney Ann Marie Soto, as that position has also recently been vacated by former City Attorney Garmon Newsom.
Larson brings decades of municipal leadership experience to Burien, having served in city management roles across Washington and Minnesota since the 1980s. His background includes long tenures as city administrator in Snoqualmie and Gig Harbor, as well as recent interim leadership positions in cities such as Newcastle and North Bend, where he was brought in during periods of transition. Larson is also a past president of the Washington City Management Association and is widely regarded for his experience in municipal operations, finance and organizational management.
Councilmember Schilling pointed out the fiscal issues that will be created by paying the salaries of both an interim city manager and one who is out on administrative leave. Schilling asked the council majority to figure out what exactly is their long term plan with this change.
