The Burien City Council will consider budget amendments, a regional hazard mitigation plan and a proposal to repeal and revise the city’s minimum wage law at its regular meeting on Monday, April 6.
The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Burien City Hall (map below), and can be viewed live on Comcast TV Channel 21, via Zoom here and via live-stream here.
One of the most closely-watched items on Monday’s agenda is a draft ordinance that would repeal and revise Burien’s current minimum wage law.
“At this time, Burien has two ordinances that purportedly provide a higher minimum wage for Burien employees than the state requires,” the agenda reads. “As a result, some employees and employers are having difficulty determining which ordinance to apply and how.”
“Since BMC Chapter 5.16 was a voter initiative, it can only be repealed by a vote of the Burien electorate. Since BMC Chapter 5.15 was adopted by the council, the council can amend or repeal it without a vote by the electorate.”
According to the agenda, the proposal is still in the discussion phase, meaning no final decision will be made at this meeting. The item, to be presented by City Manager Adolfo Bailon and Assistant City Attorney Ndiabou Diagana, is intended to revisit how the city regulates minimum wage, potentially replacing the existing ordinance with updated provisions:
- Full repeal of the existing ordinance: The current minimum wage law could be eliminated and replaced with an entirely new framework rather than amended piece by piece.
- Resetting wage levels or phase-in schedules: The city could revise how quickly minimum wage increases take effect, including delaying, accelerating or restructuring phased increases for different employer sizes.
- Changes to employer size tiers: Adjustments could be made to how businesses are categorized, such as redefining what counts as a small, medium or large employer and applying different wage requirements accordingly.
- Revising exemptions or special categories: The ordinance could clarify or expand exemptions for certain workers, industries or employment situations, depending on how the city wants to balance worker protections and business impacts.
- Updates to enforcement and penalties: Changes may include how violations are investigated, what penalties apply and how complaints are handled or resolved.
- Alignment with state or regional standards: The city could modify its law to better align with Washington state minimum wage laws or neighboring jurisdictions to reduce inconsistencies for employers operating in multiple cities.
- Administrative and compliance changes: Updates could simplify reporting requirements, employer notifications or recordkeeping rules to make compliance easier for businesses and enforcement more efficient for the city.
- Clarification of definitions: Terms such as “employee,” “employer,” “hours worked” or “compensation” may be refined to reduce ambiguity and improve legal clarity.
- Public input and future adjustments: The council may build in mechanisms for ongoing review, stakeholder input or future adjustments based on economic conditions or community feedback.
Since the item is currently listed for discussion only, these types of changes would be reviewed and refined before any formal ordinance is adopted at a later meeting.
Download the full agenda packet here.
Agenda Highlights
PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
- a) Earth Day and Arbor Day Proclamation: Councilmember Rocco DeVito
- b) Sexual Assault Awareness Month Proclamation: Councilmember Alex Andrade
- c) Urban Forestry Program Study: Liz Stead, Community Development Director, Joshua Petter, Urban Forest Planner
- d) Green Burien Partnership Annual Report: Casey Stanley, PaRCS Director, Joshua Petter, Urban Forest Planner, Liz Wonder, Sustainability Manager, Sycora Powell, Sustainability Coordinator, Rod Steitzer, Public Works Director, Daniel Robben, Deputy PaRCS Director, Victoria Love, King Conservation District
COUNCIL REPORTS
CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
PUBLIC COMMENT: Notice to all participants: Pursuant to RCW 42.17A.555, campaigning for any ballot measure or candidate in City Hall and/or during any portion of the Council Meeting – including the public comment period – is prohibited.
BUSINESS AGENDA
- a) Introduction to Ordinance No. 894, Recognizing External Funding for Public Works Programs, Amend 2025-2026 Biennial Budget: Casey Headley, Finance Director, Rod Steitzer, Public Works Director
- b) Introduction to Resolution No. 532, Adopting the City of Burien Plan Annex to the King County Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan: Rod Steitzer, Public Works Director, Chris Smith, Emergency Management Coordinator
- c) Draft of Ordinance No. 892, Repealing and Amending the Burien Minimum Wage: Adolfo Bailon, City Manager, Ndiabou Diagana, Assistant City Attorney
- d) City Council Planning Calendar: Adolfo Bailon, City Manager
Public comment and hearing sign-up deadline is 4:30 p.m. on 4/6. Interpretación en español estará disponible. https://t.co/8VYr8AHmPu 2/2
— City of Burien, WA (@Burien) April 3, 2026
