The Burien City Council tackled a wide array of critical issues at their meeting on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, with discussions centered on road safety, federal funding challenges, accountability for a key city contractor, and the timing of land sales.

The council reviewed a comprehensive plan to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries, received sobering news about cuts to a $3 million public market grant due to an appropriations crisis, and heard extensive public comment regarding allegations of health violations and lack of transparency at Burien CARES animal shelter.

Key decisions on contractor oversight and the sale of city-owned parcels were ultimately tabled.

Comprehensive Safety Action Plan Update

The council heard an update on Burien’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP). The CSAP was formed using both feedback from the public and crash data over a five year period ending in 2023. The CSAP is particularly interested in data around accidents involving death or serious injury, which made up 112 of the 3,713 total crashes during this period.

The goal is to work towards zero traffic deaths or serious injuries. These accidents were generally found to involve intoxication, distracted driving, or speeding. There are also several specific corridors where these accidents generally occur, including Ambaum Boulevard, 1st Ave South, and SW 128th Street. The CSAP prioritizes 11 key projects, and includes their cost estimates. Adopting this plan will make Burien eligible for federal grants for safer streets.

Councilmember Hugo Garcia asked for an analysis of accidents before and after recent traffic revisions to Ambaum Boulevard, which he said have impacted 4th Avenue. Staff responded that they will take a look at that, but that the 2024 data has just been released and wasn’t included in this analysis. Councilmember Linda Akey concurred, saying that we need to make sure the changes made to one street don’t have unintended consequences on another, such as increased traffic to 4th Ave SW from drivers avoiding Ambaum.

State & Federal Legislative Update

During this presentation it was explained that there is currently a constitutional crisis regarding appropriation of funds, and a question of whether the legislative or executive branch has control over federal money. Every project in a Democrat controlled area was cut by two-thirds, a political maneuver that Congress has never done before.

For Burien, this means that the $3 million request to fund a new public market, put forward by Representative Pramila Jayapal, was cut down to less than $1 million. This money could come through if Congress is able to pass a budget this year. However, the reduced amount will not be enough to get a public market off the ground.

City Manager Adolfo Bailon also explained that Burien’s former state lobbyist has decided to drop her public clients and work with only private clients. This leaves the city without a state lobbyist, and with insufficient funds to hire a new one as the previous lobbyist was only funded through the short 2026 session.

Burien CARES Contract

Councilmember Alex Andrade explained that there has been a lot of chatter and misinformation being spread about Burien CARES. It has gotten bad enough, she said, that staff and volunteers at the animal shelter have been bullied.

Most of the fourteen public commenters spoke about CARES, arguing that the organization owes it to the people to openly share updates on what they are doing with public funds. Several speakers mentioned public health violations and disturbing problems with their practices. One speaker said CARES has failed to pass any Department of Public Health inspections between 2023 and 2025 due to their failure to maintain clean and safe enclosures, or to supply appropriate vaccinations or adequate food and water to the animals. In addition, it was said that their written records and infection control plan are inadequate.

During Council discussion of this issue, most members agreed that CARES, along with other contracted organizations like Discover Burien and Recology, should give periodic updates. However, this discussion was tabled for attorney review, due to the question of whether it was legal to ask certain contract organizations to perform periodic updates, but not the other 335 or so that the city contracts with. Councilmember Jimmy Matta said it would be appropriate to consider an organization who has actually violated its contract, by failing to meet public health codes, for example.

Sale Of City-Owned Parcels

Another decision that was tabled was the sale of two city-owned parcels. This decision will be brought back to Council in the 3rd quarter of 2026. Mayor Kevin Schilling was the one dissenting vote on this, saying he wanted to move forward with approving the sales. However, the rest of the council agreed that the current uncertain economy made it an inopportune time to sell and develop these parcels.