Each candidate running for the Burien City Council Aug. 1, 2023 Primary Election was asked ten questions by The B-Town Blog, covering topics like their reasons for wanting to serve on the council, what they think about current issues in the city, and what kind of solutions they have.
The following responses to our 10th and final question in our series are from candidates for Position 2, which is currently filled by Cydney Moore, who is running for reelection.
Ballots are due by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.
NOTE: Candidates are listed in order as per the King County Elections online Voters Guide website. Photos and links are to/from each candidate’s profile on the same website.
How would you enhance Burien’s environmental sustainability and resilience?
Brittany Williams
Did not respond.
Linda Akey
“I support the Burien Climate Action Plan, which addresses transportation emissions, renewable energy, waste reduction, ecosystem preservation, and climate change adaptation. As a city council member, I would work to enhance Burien’s environmental sustainability and resilience by supporting policies that invest in renewable energy, protecting natural resources, reducing waste, planning for climate change, and educating the public. These policies are essential to creating a more sustainable and resilient community for future generations.”
Rut Perez-Studer
“Right now, Burien does not have a resiliency plan. What does this mean? There is not a well-known location in our community to serve as an extreme weather shelter or center. We are currently beholden to King County for any incident command support. Therefore, we must work on retrofitting critical infrastructure to be able to support our own community and not have to wait for King County in extreme situations. The first step to becoming resilient is to also educate the community on developing plans of resilience in moments of extreme weather. As your Burien City Council member, I will work with other agencies to develop and implement a plan to support our community for such critical moments.
“For resiliency in other ways, as an Airport City here are a few more items I will work on. First, with the grave need for more housing…requiring LEED certified homes is a first step towards a win-win for the most under-represented communities. Through investment in sustainably built housing, it will bring better health and overall wellbeing for our community in the long-term. Second, actively position and attract investors to Burien as a city where Environmental Innovators can come, can build and can create innovative infrastructure, making Burien an Environmental Innovation Hub. This will bring active long-term solutions to help us thrive as a community.”
Cydney Moore
“As a city, we absolutely must keep a focus on what our future will look like. It is vital that our long-term strategies include plans to address environmental sustainability, and mitigate the impacts of climate change. We need to incentivize the use of green technology and eco-friendly materials and practices for new development, and improvements to existing buildings.
“We also need to work to minimize our negative environmental impact – for example reducing reliance on fossil fuels by improving sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transit, increasing accessibility to charging stations for electric vehicles, and cycling out our fleet of city vehicles with electric alternatives.
“By pursuing grant funding, we can help make home improvements for our residents like obtaining heat pumps and improved insulation more easily accessible. Through public education campaigns, we can help people be informed about opportunities to receive these types of assistance, and be more knowledgeable about ways they can personally contribute to the effort to make our city more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
“We also need to address the current problems we are facing due to climate change, and prepare for the increasingly dangerous impacts climate change is having on our population. This means working to find ways to provide cooling centers for vulnerable populations like seniors who don’t have air conditioning and unhoused people without shelter, who are at risk during bouts of extreme heat. We have to continue pursuing partnerships and combined efforts with our neighboring cities and surrounding jurisdictions, like the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (which I am proud to serve on as a representative for our city). And, we must maintain an awareness of the need for environmental sustainability and climate change when considering future policy matters.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Look also for answers to this same question by candidates for Burien City Council, Position No. 4.
To read all responses to our 10 questions of candidates on the Aug. 1 Primary ballot, click here.
