The Burien City Council convened on Monday, April 6, 2026, to address an agenda centered on environmental sustainability, infrastructure and wage costs, and legislative reform.
The session opened with a focus on tree canopy initiatives, highlighting strengths and opportunities for a greener Burien.
However, the tone shifted as the Council confronted a looming increase in sewer rates and entered a contentious debate over how to resolve the city’s conflicting minimum wage ordinances.
These proceedings underscored the Council’s ongoing efforts to balance long-term ecological health with immediate fiscal challenges and the need for legal clarity in local labor policy.
Toward A Sustainable Burien
Following an Earth Day and Arbor Day proclamation, the council heard presentations on both a recent Urban Forestry Program Study and the Green Burien Annual Report.
The Urban Forestry Program Study looked at the ways Burien is currently strong in protecting and increasing urban forests, and opportunities for improvement. The study found a strong base of support for trees that the city can build on. Burien received a low grade on its response to illegal tree removal, as well as the care of some city trees. Surveyors learned that residents both value trees and want more of them throughout the city, particularly in areas where a lack of trees has led to urban heat islands. Urban Forest Planner Josh Petter explained that there is more bang for the buck planting trees in areas where they’re lacking, where each tree can make a real difference, even if it means the added expense of removing some paved areas.
Priority recommendations include: creating a proactive urban forest management plan; developing an equity-based plan for increasing plantings in areas that will reduce heat zones; establishing standards for soil and tree maintenance; expanding funding; and exploring pathways for private planting and protection. The city cannot reach the goal of increasing the tree canopy from 30% to 40% through public land alone, so increasing trees on private property will be essential.
In 2025, the Green Burien Team gave away over 800 trees to residents on Green Burien Day, October 18th. In addition, 516 trees were protected during development, 607 trees were planted on city property, and 1,400 trees were added to the city’s tree inventory. The program uses grants to employ people for a handful of hours per month as forest stewards. The group has also worked for years to restore Hilltop Park, removing vast swaths of invasive blackberry and replacing it with native plantings.
They do this work in conjunction with the Parks Department, but without budgetary contributions from the city. Unfortunately, federal funding for these programs has recently been severely restricted or cut. The current half-time employee on the Green Burien team is funded until 2027. Green Burien will hold another tree giveaway this fall, but it will be a more limited event due to reduced funding.
Sewer Rates To Climb
Mayor Sarah Moore mentioned that the sewer rates, which are not set by the city, are expected to increase by 12.75% in 2027, and keep increasing until they eventually double by 2032. While these rate hikes cover necessary infrastructure expenses, the council expressed concerns over the rate increases, and agreed to sign on to a letter sharing this apprehension.
A New Minimum Wage Ordinance
Councilmember Sam Mendez led a discussion to repeal and amend Burien’s councilmatic minimum wage ordinance, which was passed by the council in 2024 and took effect January 1, 2025. Between the time that ordinance passed and when it took effect, a special election was held in which voters approved a different minimum wage ordinance, thus the city now has two competing minimum wage ordinances on the books. It has been argued that the initiative people voted on didn’t mention or repeal the one already in place, and voters were not properly informed of the situation at the time they voted. While the court decides which policy has more legal validity, Councilmember Mendez argued that the original council ordinance should be repealed and amended.
Councilmember Linda Akey said with two minimum wages on the books, passing a third at this time would only add to the confusion, and that the city should simply wait for a resolution from the court. The original city council minimum wage ordinance exempts small businesses from a minimum wage increase, which Councilmember Akey said matches the policies of surrounding cities. She said if we raised the minimum wage for small businesses, we would be the only city to do so, and this would harm the majority of our businesses.
Councilmember Alex Andrade said she had taken an informal survey of area business owners, and they were by and large quite confused; she said employers don’t know what Burien’s minimum wage is. There is a language barrier with some business owners, plus the issue of two competing minimum wage ordinances. She argued for waiting for the court case to clear things up, rather than creating a third minimum wage policy. Action today, she said, would not be a resolution and would likely be changed by the court decision anyway.
Councilmember Kevin Schilling mentioned that a whole collaboration process–between unions, business owners, and workers–went into the creation of the previous council ordinance, and argued that something like that should be done again before changing it. He also shared studies that have been done on the unintended effects of minimum wage increases, such as job loss and increased prices.
Councilmember Mendez argued that the minimum wage lawsuit has already cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars, and was a bad move. Deputy Mayor Hugo Garcia agreed, adding that the city fighting the decision of voters has eroded public trust in local government, and directly led to the failure of the public safety levy. He said after addressing the minimum wage, the high cost of rents will need to be addressed as well.
A move by Councilmember Akey to table this discussion until after the court decision failed in a 3–4 vote, with Akey, Adrade, and Schilling in support of the delay. Akey expressed concerns that the council majority would steamroll this new minimum wage through, and only hurt Burien’s small businesses. Councilmember Schilling did get unanimous support for a staff presentation on recent findings of the effects of increasing the minimum wage. Staff will put together a new minimum wage ordinance that will come back to the council on April 20.
Video
Below is the full, raw video of this meeting:
