The Burien City Council convened on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, to discuss the 2025-2026 budget, the city’s 2044 Comprehensive Plan, and a ballot initiative proposing to increase the minimum wage.
The council also addressed the need for additional STEP housing units to meet state requirements.
Public comments highlighted concerns about local policing, road safety, and the minimum wage ordinance.
Proclamations
The meeting began with two proclamations, the first honoring Oct. 14 as Indigenous Peoples Day. According to the proclamation, President Joe Biden was the first president to formally commemorate Indigenous Peoples Day. Burien celebrates the history and contributions to the community of all indigenous peoples.
The second proclamation recognizes October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This proclamation states that one in four women and one in nine men will be the victims of domestic violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. This is regardless of race, gender identity or sexuality, or income level. People with disabilities and those living in poverty often have barriers to finding help, leaving them vulnerable to continued abuse. Burien sees access to emergency housing and services as a vital resource for those experiencing domestic violence.
2025-2026 Budget Presentation
This was the first of several presentations on the coming biennial budget, with more information about specific departments to be shared later this month. Presenters said the general fund is being balanced with money from the city manager’s reserve fund. Sales tax and property tax make up the bulk of revenue, with motor vehicle fuel tax flatlining due to the popularity of electric vehicles.
As for expenses, the police take up nearly half of the city’s $42.7 million dollar 2026 budget. Insurance is increasing by $328,684 in 2025, and an estimated $400,000 in 2026. City Attorney Garmin Newsom explained that this insurance policy covers everything Burien is responsible for, including city-owned buildings, city vehicles, and litigation.
City Manager Adolfo Bailon said that staff have encouraged efficiencies in different departments to reflect changing needs and a tight budget. Councilmember Stephanie Mora inquired about reducing the Human Services budget, which was set previously to increase every year at a specific rate. This can be changed by council decision.
Public Comments
Two commenters spoke in support of raising the minimum wage in Burien, saying the minimum wage ordinance passed months ago by Council and set to go into effect in January is not enough. One advocate said that if Burien’s small businesses cannot afford to pay a higher minimum wage, they should not be in business.
Another speaker asked the city to take a look at how different neighborhoods are policed. He said that in his neighborhood, there have been three deaths and three hit and runs recently. He proposed ideas for the city to consider in order to create safer roads, including installing speed and red light cameras and adding lights to uncontrolled intersections. He said this road safety infrastructure would cost the city less in the long run than dealing with the aftermath of accidents.
2044 Comprehensive Plan
Council voted unanimously to place the 2044 Comprehensive Plan on the consent agenda of the next council meeting. This plan has been in the works for years, and takes into account state requirements for increasing housing and job density. The plan includes zoning changes that allow for different kinds of development, but it will be up to developers to make that actually happen.
Most of the focus involves zoning for multi-family housing near public transit lines, and mixed-use zoning in neighborhood business districts like Ambaum, Boulevard Park, and Downtown.
During a public hearing one commenter requested that the city take into account the Shoreline Master Program when zoning around Lake Burien. It was later explained that the Department of Ecology’s Shoreline Master Program takes precedence over any zoning the city uses, so nothing could be developed along the shore of Lake Burien unless it stays within the Shoreline Master Program regulations.
Council voted to extend the public hearing for the Ambaum and Greater Downtown Urban Center to the Nov. 4 council meeting.
STEP Housing Presentation
In this presentation it was explained that STEP housing includes emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing. It does not include adult family homes, assisted living, behavioral health, or residential recovery programs.
This presentation addressed forthcoming code amendments that will meet requirements set by the state: Burien must have 1,683 emergency beds and 759 permanent supportive housing units by 2044. The new DESC Bloomside building helped with nearly 100 permanent supportive units, but more are needed.
Ballot Initiative For Minimum Wage
During the discussion of this issue, Council remained silent after the city clerk read over the requirements for ballot initiatives. She said that since this initiative did receive the required number of signatures, Council could either adopt the measure as stated in the petition, or put it to voters on a ballot. If they choose to put it to voters, they will need to create a pro and con committee who will create statements to submit to the county by the December deadline for a February, 2025 ballot.
The city of burien needs to build a recreation area on lake burien, and it needs to be a priority, so as to not get steamrolled by the greedy and selfish lake homeowners
Even though you have proclaimed yourself as a “Socialist” in past blog comments, it doesn’t mean your forbidden to buy a house on the lake in the free market to gain access.
Being something other than Socialist shouldn’t preclude the understanding of what is publicly owned should also be publicly accessible. There is no inherent right to a private monopoly of use over public land.
The Shoreline Master Program and Public Trust Doctrine both necessarily requires public use of our natural resources.
This isn’t a “socialist” take, it’s a small-l liberal one.
Where’s your outrage at all the bungalows built along the Three Tree Point beach? That’s also a public body of water and those structures are placed on the public Right of Way preventing access.
Why would you assume I am not outraged by those folk as well?
That sounds like a idea . But I wouldn’t be surprised to find the local realtors probably have some type of rule or deal not to sell to anyone that may be willing to open the property to the public . Then anyone going to a park on the lake would be automatically harassed by neighbors calling the police/swat team for things like someone sneezed to loud while at the park . Then a neighborhood meeting to discuss the “vandalism” and police activity at the park how the park should be shut down all with in the same week of it opening . After the city spends millions on buying the property and turning it in to a park . Then people blaming the city council members they currently don’t like .
ND
I think the bigger issue is you will always be outraged at anyone who has more than you. A Socialist belief is everything should be shared, when in reality it just means you want what others have worked hard for, for free.