Posted inPolitics

King County Executive Candidates Speak At Burien Forum

by Ralph Nichols

Crime – including a high level of gang activity – is an ongoing concern in the Highline area, along with the rest of King County, especially at a time when multi-million-dollar budget deficits have forced staff reductions in the sheriff’s and prosecutor’s offices.

And not surprisingly, all five major candidates for King County executive told the King County Police Chief’s Association on Thursday that public safety is the primary responsibility of county government. They spoke at a forum at the Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien…

Posted inPolitics

Original Councilmember Sally Nelson Will Not Run Again

Sally Nelson, an original city councilmember since the city incorporated in 1993 announced that she will not run again for reelection.

In a statement, Nelson says she is “proud of the strong record of leadership she has provided at the local, regional and national level for advancing the many positive changes that have marked her service to Burien since she was first elected to position #7.”

She also said that she “remembers that the original interim city council met in a dingy, cold community center room for its first meetings and then moved to a rented space before acquiring the vacated bank building on SW 151st for its first official city hall…”

Posted inPolitics

Burien’s Red Light Camera Citations Are ‘In The Mail’

By Jack Mayne

Any day now, cameras mounted high over three First Avenue intersections will record motorists running red lights and after local review of each photo, citations will be mailed to the owners of the offending vehicles.

The violation fine set by the Burien City Council is $101 now, but state law allows it to go up to a maximum of $124.

There are two cameras at First and SW 148th, focusing both east and west on 148th. The camera at First and SW 152nd tracks westbound vehicles and the one at SW 160th tracks eastbound traffic.

“Those intersections have a lot of accidents and this is really about safety to us,” said Mike Martin, Burien city manager. “It is not about the revenue. What we expect to see is a lot of tickets the first few months and then we expect it to decline. We thought about doing similar things in schools zones, we thought about doing it on Ambaum Boulevard it terms of speeding.”

But not now…