According to a notice sent out Wednesday morning, Feb. 1:

Amendments to Burien Zoning Code to revise definitions relating to impervious surface and schools; change review process for quasi-judicial land use decisions from Type 3 to Type 2; change review process for certain park and recreation facilities from Type 2 to Type 1; eliminate Type 1 review for auto repair in the CC zone; add minimum floor area requirement for mixed use in the CI zone; eliminate outdated and redundant references; establishing a process and requirements for legalization of non-conforming accessory dwelling units; eliminating requirement to maintain a database of significant trees; changing “wetland” to “stream” in a stream regulation; clarifying the location of stream buffers on property; establishing standards for increasing impervious surface coverage on sites where impervious surface coverage is already non-conforming; revising road capacity levels of service; establishing standards for community gardens; and, allowing options to preparing a parking study to determine parking requirements.

The specific proposed 2012 Zoning Code Amendments and project file is available for viewing at Burien City Hall during regular business hours.

Any person may submit written or oral comments or testimony at the public hearing, or may submit written comments prior to the hearing. Written comments may be submitted in person, via mail, e-mail or by facsimile. All documents submitted or requested as part of this application, including the City staff report are available for review at City Hall during regular business hours.

Scott Greenberg, AICP
Community Development Director
City of Burien
400 SW 152nd St, Suite 300
Burien, WA 98166

Phone: (206) 248-5519
E-Mail: scottg@burienwa.gov

Our poorly Photoshopped portrait of the current Burien City Council.

The Burien City Council will be holding its annual Council Retreat “for the purpose of discussing Council goals and priorities” this Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Environmental Science Center at Seahurst Park (13476 24th Place SW, Burien).

The meeting is open to public observation.

However, despite the fact that it’ll be held in the heart of Seahurst Park, we’re doubtful there will be any Moonlight Beach Walk at this event.

Here’s the agenda:

Burien City Council Annual Retreat
January 28, 2012

8:30 Welcome/Introductions (15 minutes)
• Review objectives for the day
• Ground rules

8:45 SWOT Update (20 minutes) [In small mixed groups]
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats
Full group debrief (15 minutes)

9:20 Kids and Cops- Mike
Presentation and discussion

9:50 Leadership Team and Council Small Groups (90 minutes with 10 minute break)
[The topics identified in #6 and invite additional ideas]
• Introduction, instructions and top issues for discussion (10 minutes)
• Recommendations and next steps
• Two rounds (35 minutes each)

12:00 Full group debrief and summary (15 minutes)
• Identify Action Items

12:15 LUNCH

12:45 Review of 2012 Workplan (30 minutes)
• What questions do you have?
• What else needs airtime with Staff?

1:15 City Department Managers depart after they have completed retreat evaluation

1:30 Councilmember Session
• Work Session (90 minutes)
• Review of remainder of Councilmember Interview Summary
• How we do work together as a Council: Working agreements
• Moving the work forward
• What else?

BREAK

• Council Committee Appointments

3:45 Wrap-up and evaluation

4:00 Adjourn

Photo by Scott Schaefer.

by Jack Mayne

Three and a half hours perched on hard middle school benches and listening to overwhelming opposition to annexation of “Area Y” finally caused the 11 member Boundary Review Board Monday night to postpone more testimony and a possible decision until tonight (Jan. 10) at 7 p.m. again at Cascade Middle School.

Only a few of those testifying under oath before the board last night said anything good about taking the northern half of the North Highline Unincorporated Area into the city of Burien. Many of these have made similar comments over the past several months to the Burien City Council, which had made the request for the Boundary Review Board hearing.

“The figures the city uses are exorbitantly high,” said one person, while several demanded better figures and estimates than those in a so-called “discussion draft” report done by Berk and Associates on the annexation which was ordered and paid for by Burien city government.

In an opening statement by the Burien city staff, City Manager Mike Martin repeated a promise he has made before.

“There will be absolutely no annexation if the sales tax credit goes away,” he said at the outset.

He was referring to a sales tax credit created by the Legislature to help cities afford annexation “county islands,” area of unincorporated King County surrounded by incorporated areas.

The Legislature may cut the amount of money or cancel it all together in its attempts to balance the state budget. The answer to that won’t be clear probably until March or even April as the lawmakers just started their scheduled 60-day session.

That sales tax credit could pay Burien up to $5 million per year to help defray added costs of administering the 3.2 square mile area that is home to about 17,300 people.

Boundary Review board members asked Martin what would happen to Burien’s budget in 10 years when the sales tax credit would expire.

“All cities have a structural debt that disappears with time and we think tax income will grow over time to cover the shortfall,” said Martin.

But witness after witness questioned the assumptions in the Berk report, some wondering how a “discussion draft” could not be considered a final and comprehensive report.

“The 2011 Berk Report is inadequate and in no way reflects current costs,” said Chestine Edgar, al longtime opponent of the annexation proposal. “Nothing in Berk shows that annexation would improve the lives of those annexed residents.”

Burien Council member Lucy Krakowiak said the Berk study “is optimistic and we need real numbers.

The city’s police Chief, Scott Kimerer, was asked why a Seattle annexation study said it would take 44 added police officers to patrol the North Highline area while Burien figured only 15 additional officers.

“The crime rate in Area Y and Burien are not that different,” he said and suggested Seattle figured policing on a different scale than Burien would under its contract for services from the King County Sheriff’s Department. Some testifying said there were many more problems than that assessment indicated.

The two fire districts that provide service in Burien and the remaining unincorporated area will need to work out ways to work together, pay their outstanding debts and provide service to the entire newly enlarged area. Some on the Boundary Review Board asked that representative of the fire district come to the Tuesday meeting to outline the problems and possible solutions.

Liz Giba, a commission of the North Highline Fire Department, said she wanted the board to know her department “supports the annexation but we have concerns” and the sharing agreement with the Burien fire district.

“A present agreement (between the two fire districts) combining office staffs allows the district to maintain service and even improve it,” Giba said.

Debi Wagner, who lost her race to be a Burien City Council member, said the “city has drafted a ‘neutral’ conclusion to annexation even though housing values in North Highline have declined 17 percent. She and others think new estimated on the financial feasibility of the annexation need to be done using new, lower property tax assessments.

Robbie Howell noted Seattle’s City Council and mayor have said Seattle cannot afford to annex the area and put off any discussion of annexation until at least next month and probably for longer than that.

“If Seattle cannot can’t afford to annex North Highline, how can Burien, which can barely finance itself?”

The Boundary Review Board will meet again at 7 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, Jan. 10) in the cafeteria at Cascade Middle School. It will hear some additional testimony from citizens, give the Burien city staff time to rebut objections as well as hope to hear views and comments from the fire district, other utility districts and even from a representative from Berk and Associates on their study.

Then the board may make a preliminary decision, which it would finalize at its February meeting. If it approved the Burien annexation request, an election would be held in the unincorporated area either in August or November. If the election approved annexation, that would take place in 2013.

Debra George, Director of CARES.

by Jack Mayne

The business of animal control in Burien has been roiling for the past several months, first over the city eschewing King County Animal Control because of cost, then over the new non-profit chosen to take over animal control responsibilities.

On Monday (Jan. 9) Debra George, director of the city’s new non-profit contract animal agency, CARES, said the former full-time animal control officer, Mike Snyder, was gone.

“We let him go,” on Monday. George said she would have no comment on the circumstances of Snyder’s departure.

“Ray Helms is our new animal control officer,” she said. “He has been trained at the National Animal Control Association (NACA). He has a great love for animals and serving the Burien Community. He brings also great organization and communication skills. We are excited for him to be part of our team.”

George said Helms went to Kansas City for his training, the same training his predecessor had.

Leaving King County
Meanwhile, there have been repeated public demands that Burien immediately go back to service from King County. Because of a contract with various cities around the county, it would be impossible for the city to return to county animal control until at least 2013. The county cannot open the current contract until it has expired.

Additionally there is a contract with CARES and George that does not expire for 28 months – April 2014.

The city terminated its contract with King County in 2010 because the county charged $250,000 a year for its service that promised one day a week service, availability of its animal shelter in Kent and emergency service when necessary. We will look more deeply into their services now and possibly in the future in another story soon.

First, Burien contracted with the operator of a Normandy Park veterinarian, Dr. Leslie Kasper but she left in January 2011 over disputes with the city.

Burien City Manager Mike Martin.

City Manager Mike Martin said the city then put out a request for proposals and George was the only respondent.

The contract with the newly formed Community Animal Resource Education Society (CARES), headed by George, took control of Burien animal care and control services last June 15. CARES will be paid $10,000 a month under its contract with the city – a total of $360,000 through the end of the contract in April of 2014.

She formed CARES as a non-profit 501 c(3) corporation “to encourage responsible pet ownership and enforce the animal laws and ordinances in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of people and animals in Burien.”

Martin said that would save the city “$10,000 to $13,000 a month over the county’s charge would have been.

“There was definitely the issue of cost and there was the issue of performance that we didn’t feel we were getting a product that we were paying for (with King County),” Martin said in an interview. “There was also the attractiveness of taking something that was in the public sector and putting it in the private sector. That was very attractive to me – taking $120,000 out of the public sector and putting into the private sector.”

George a “total volunteer”
“I don’t get paid, I’m a volunteer,” she said in a recent personal interview. “For years, I’d talked about starting a non-profit and because of my love for animals I could really get behind this particular opportunity.”

She says she does believe in the CARES program and the process.

“I am very passionate about animals and animal welfare. Some people think I am not, which is interesting to me.”

She said she researched other groups that did non-profit animal control and care.

“It is fairly new as a structure, but seems to be working. I really thought that this could work in our community and (would give) us better services than King County and ultimately serve our community.”

But is $10,000 a month enough?

“It is, right now,” George says. “This program gives better service. We have a fulltime animal control officer who does nothing but work on Burien. We have a fulltime office manager who does nothing but work on Burien and getting animals adopted out and taking care of the animals.

“On top of all that, we really do supply a good service,” she says. “We work within our budget, but like every non-profit we will be assertive in our fundraising efforts. We are coming out with out 2012 calendar of events to raise money for our organization.”

The city contract money pays for a full-time animal control officer and an office manager, plus the rent of the interim office and cat holding space in the back alley at 145 SW 153rd Street.

The money also paid for new animal control officer Ray Helms to train at the National Animal Control Association.

Everything else has to be paid for with animal adoption fees, donations and fund raising events or seeking grants, she says.

She pays for some things herself.

“People don’t realize how much money comes from my personal pocket,” George says. She said she personally paid for most of the start-ups cost of insurance and supplies for CARES, which had to be in place before the contract with the city had been signed. She said she has been reimbursed for half of her cost with the rest is still owed to her.

“Expenses like cat litter and things like that usually come out of my personal pocket,” George says.

Dogs are temporarily housed at PJ’s Pet Ranch in SeaTac owned by P.J. Seidenstricker. George says CARES houses only a few cats and kittens in the 153rd Street alley location.

CARES “took a lot of blows in the beginning” of because it did not take in cats right away because it was feeling its way on setting up a system,” she said.

“We try to keep the cats at a manageable number so that we don’t get overwhelmed.”

Euthanasia policy
She says the CARES’ policy in not to euthanize an animal unless it is necessary for medical or behavior reasons.

“Any (animal) that is healthy and adoptable” will be kept until it is adopted or transferred out, George says. “Out of the 264 animals we have taken in during the first 6 months we had to euthanize a 29 – 11 from a dog hoarding situation – due to illness or aggression. It is a case-by-case basis.”

She says local veterinarians do all euthanizing so they have to agree that it is the appropriate way to deal with an animal. It is decision by her, the animal control officer, and a vet and they all must agree to it.

“We use experts who know animals,” George said. “We use South Seattle Veterinary Hospital and we use Burien Veterinary Hospital to examine and take care of everything for animals left in our shelter. Before it goes any place, it goes to a local vet where it is looked over and evaluated and it is given shots. They have to have shots before they are sent into any general population. We have to know what we are dealing with.”

CARES pays for this and for spaying and neutering from the monthly contractual fee paid by the city.

Two of the 38 dogs rescued from an animal hoarder in Burien.

Thirty-eight small dogs were found in cages in a Burien basement in October and 11 had to be euthanized due to the conditions that been held under. The rest remain in foster care, she says. There were “significant unanticipated costs” for boarding the dogs and for veterinary expenses in that case. We reached out and received grants and donations to cover expenses.

CARES continues to work with a cat-hoarding situation from September. “We try to be as sympathetic as possible,” she says. “We have to abide by the laws of Burien – that is what we are here to enforce. So we can’t just go in there and take all the cats without proper documentation, without proper warrants or getting the owner to surrender. ”

George said CARES has a “really good” dialogue with the homeowner who was releasing some of the cats to them on a week-by-week basis and they are still working to have her release more animals this is an on going active case and we will continue to monitor the situation even after the cats are down to a manageable level.

George says that the previous board of directors had two volunteers who did not agree with how things would be done in her organization.

“We didn’t see eye-to-eye on everything. They are great people, they have been friends of mine,” she says. “Currently we don’t talk but I hope over time we will mend that fence. I think we have the same goals in mind. The process we are on to get to that goal is a little bit different process than they’d like to see. I know they are very big animal advocates.

“I don’t think we ran them out” as some claim. “We asked them to step back a bit and take a break.”

Public criticism hurt
“When I took this challenging role of animal controller, running CARES, I knew it was going to be tough,” she says but following a B-Town Blog story and photos on Nov. 16 about CARES’ new proposed new shelter there was a deluge of comments.

Of 105 comments, many were bordering on the hysterical and often showing extreme anger. George says the tone of the comments got to her – “even my thick skin can get penetrated.”

“I stopped reading the blog, and I asked a new board member to monitor (the comments) and after a day they couldn’t even take it. It is disheartening,” she says.

“We are trying to do a really good thing for this community,” she said. “We are handling the animals with as much dignity and respect as we can possibly give them, no different than King County – just as good services and in some cases better. And, yet it is hard for the community to see that and they kind of want to hang their hat on negativity and not take the time to really see what we are doing.”

“We are open five days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” George says, so people can come by and see how the operation runs. We make sure to monitor our phones 7 days a week.

“Anyone can walk in any time and see our cats in our office. With our dogs we have to respect P.J.’s because it is not an open facility where you can just come as you want. We call ahead and we make arrangements for people to see that location. Keep in mind that P.J.s is a kenneling facility that you would take your dog to when you go in vacation.”

Both the CARES cat facility and the dog quarters at P.J.’s are regulated by the Seattle King County Health Department.

“We continue as an organization to grow. We are a young organization – we are not going to open up on day one and have every luxury in the book. It would have been nice to have our own facility when we opened up, but Burien did not and we are making it work with what we have.”

Regarding the newly rented 7,500 square foot building at 909 151st, George says the city has our plans for permits and we should get them back this week. All money for our shelter will come from donations and volunteers. Once done the shelter will house all our dogs and cats for adoption under one roof. We will also have a holding area, exam room and retail.

George says the city zoning laws permit the facility just a half block from Olde Burien. She says they hope to start the building work soon and to open it in February.

A resident of Normandy Park in the vicinity of Normandy Road SW recently contacted City Hall regarding extremely high water pressure in their home. Other neighbors in the same area of Normandy Park reported broken water pipes. While the City of Normandy Park has no control over water services, we want to make sure residents are aware of this potential problem before it is too late.

If you have high water pressure in your home, it can cause damage to the pipes and fittings. It can wear away the piping and can also cause water leaks due to the sheer pressure of the water. This can leave you with pipes that clang and bang, taps that drip, and can even cause your water heater to leak. Water flowing at a stronger than necessary rate to satisfy normal appliance demands can be damaging. This can reduce the life expectancy of the equipment in the system. Most important to the average homeowner, it can add to the cost of water, energy and waste water bills.

Checking your water pressure is a rather simply task and does not require a plumber. Find a store that sells plumbing supplies, an irrigation store would be ok too. Ask them for a water pressure meter. Tell them where you are hooking it up to and they will provide the right adaptors to hook up the meter. Typically, the easiest place to hook up a pressure meter is at an outside hose bib. With the water turned off, hook the meter up, turn the water on and read it. Turn the water off and detach the meter (it will leak some water out). The reading will be in P.S.I (pounds per square inch). A meter reading of 80 P.S.I. or below is within an acceptable range. If the meter reading is above 80 P.S.I., a water pressure reducer valve is needed.

Installing your own water pressure reducer valve is fairly easy with the right tools, and can save you a lot of money. However, if you install the water pressure reducer valve wrong, it may also be an expensive problem so if you are not comfortable with do-it-yourself home improvements you might be wise to call a plumber.

The City has begun its improvement project along 1st Avenue South, between SW/S 146th and SW/S 140th Street, which means that there will likely be lane closures between 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. between Monday, Dec. 12 and Friday, Dec. 23.

Workers will be installing utility vaults, so you may want to keep the potential for delays in mind as you’re doing those last-minute holiday local shopping trips.

Please note also that businesses in the area of construction (in the neighborhood between Burien Chevrolet and Fred Meyer) will remain open, so don’t let this stop you from supporting them!

The project is expected to be completed in 260 working days from its start date of Nov. 30, 2011, and ending in early 201

The city adds on its website:

To begin construction, the general contractor, DPK Inc, will be installing utility vaults within 1st Avenue South beginning Monday, Dec.12 to Friday, Dec. 23.

Please consider construction work zones and safety to your destinations.

Businesses in the affected area WILL REMAIN OPEN, with customers and the general public having a convenient shopping experience while visiting the downtown area.

And here’s even more from the city’s website devote to the project:

The City of Burien is pleased to bring the following improvements to the area.  This project will help decrease the rate of accidents and increase the visibility and safety for all passengers and pedestrians.   We sincerely hope you will “pardon our dust”.

The project supports the development and revitalization of the existing downtown area and increases multi-modal transportation safety by constructing new sidewalk in the downtown area and promoting greater pedestrian use of adjoining businesses. It will also improve non-motorized (including ADA) mobility leading into the downtown area by providing north-south accessibility.

Project Improvements include the following:

• Sidewalks, Curbs and Gutters on both sides
• New Concrete Driveways and ADA Ramps
• New Asphalt Pavement Overlay
• New Signals and Street Lighting
• Landscaping
• Undergrounding of Overhead Utilities
• Storm Drainage Improvements

Construction Schedule

The project is expected to be completed in 260 working days starting from Wednesday, November 30, 2011, and ending in early 2013.

Seattle City Light, Comcast and CenturyLink have already begun some relocation of their facilities along the corridor. DPK, Inc. has been awarded the construction project contract and will commence construction in early December. DPK plans to work its way through the corridor in phases starting at SW 146^th Street and ending at SW 140^th Street.

Coordination with local businesses, maintenance of business access, and maintenance of traffic during construction are important components to a successful project in order to protect business activity during the construction period. Businesses in the affected area WILL REMAIN OPEN, with customers and the general public having a convenient shopping experience while visiting the downtown area.

Here’s what the existing area looks like:

Click image for larger version.

And here’s the proposed changes:

Click image to see larger version.

For more information, here are links to documents from the city:

• Project Schedule [pdf]
• Current Conditions [pdf]
• Proposed Improvements [pdf]

Gottlieb Burian's gravestone at Lakeview Cemetery.

Story by Scott Schaefer
Photos Courtesy Highline Historical Society

The Highline Historical Society has posted a very interesting article written by Earl F. Charvet (from research by Charles L. Thiesenhusen) on its website that sets the record straight about Gottlieb Burian, the man Burien was named after.

Previously, most B-Towners thought that our city was named after some funny-looking old dude called Gottlieb Von Boorian.

Wrong.

Recently-uncovered documents show that his name was just plain ol’ Gottlieb Burian, sometimes spelled with two ‘r’s', as in ‘Burrian.’

Some other historical info that has been corrected:

• Gottlieb Burian is sometimes mistakenly thought of as the first settler in this area. Others credit a guy named Mike (not Mick) Kelly. Wrong – that honor goes to George Ouellet (just think, Burien should’ve been named Ouelletville!).
• There is no evidence that Gottlieb Burian descended from a noble Prussian family or that family members spelled their name in any way other than “Burian.” Naturalization papers, state legal records, contemporary newspaper accounts, city directories, marriage records of his children, and the family’s grave markers at Lake View Cemetery all show the name spelled “Burian.”
• If Gottlieb was referred to as “Von Boorian” during his life, it may have been a self applied honorific or a tribute by his friends at the Turnverein and the Sons of Hermann Lodge. Another possible explanation for the Von Boorian myth may be that it arose from the notoriety of Austro-Hungarian foreign minister Stephan Burian von Rajecz, called “Baron von Burian” in newspaper headlines during the early years of World War I.

Here’s an excerpt from the story (read the full article here):

In the 1880s, the area ten miles south of Seattle called Sunnydale (now Burien) was densely forested by tall Douglas firs and hemlocks, and mostly unsettled. Land patents for homestead sites were still available for purchase directly from the Federal government. The first record of the Burians residing in Sunnydale appears in March 1885,29 which confirms family accounts stating they arrived in Sunnydale in “about 1884.”30 However, Gottlieb Burian did not purchase his 120 acre homestead in Sunnydale from the Federal land office until about five years later, on 31 August 1889.31 This parcel of land (in Township 23 North, Range 4 East, Section 19; around today’s 12th Avenue SW and SW 156th Street) was handsomely sited on the southeast corner of a lake, later named Lake Burien in his honor.

Evidence from city directories and census records prove that the Burian family maintained two primary residences. The house on the lake served as a home where they raised their children and was a comfortable retreat from city life.32 33 A photo taken about 1893 shows Gottlieb and Emma dressed simply in black on the steps of Sunnydale School, clearly in a place of honor, surrounded by school girls in white dresses with women wearing their finest hats and men in starched collars and ties.34 The occasion is unknown, but it is obvious they were highly respected citizens in the community. Their city home at 1716 Spring Place on Capitol Hill, one block away from Minor Park, was not far from the center of Seattle’s commercial hub, its social events, and Gottlieb’s places of business.35 A few years before Gottlieb’s death, they sold this house and moved seven blocks west to another home at 1020 Spring Place, where Virginia Mason Hospital stands today.36

Gottlieb Burian is sometimes mistakenly thought of as the first settler in the city of Burien area. However, this honor belongs to George Ouellet (variously spelled as Oullet, Ouellette, Oulett, Oulet, etc.), a French-Canadian immigrant born in Sainte-Marie de Beauce, south of Quebec City in 1837.37. Ouellet purchased the first of his several Federal land patents in the area in 1864, fully twenty-five years before Burian bought any land.38 39

Late in life, Gottlieb and Emma retired at their downtown Seattle home. When a census taker arrived in June 1900 and interviewed Gottlieb at age 63, he amusingly gave his profession as “shoemaker.”

Gottlieb Burien and friends, from a photo taken on the steps of the Sunnydale School (circa 1893) at a community gathering. Photo courtesy Highline Historical Society.

Don’t forget – you can help the historical society preserve our area’s history by donating online here.

Story & Photos by Scott Schaefer

Burien’s CARES Animal Control Organization announced this week that it plans to move into a larger facility in 2012, in a building located at 909 SW 151st Street, just west of the Taqueria El Rinconsito Mexican Restaurant.

“The new site is 7500 square feet and will be able to accommodate our inbound animals and their needs more efficiently,” reads a press release. “Currently some of our animals are housed with sub-contractors and foster families. The new facility will have a storefront offering retail products and featuring an animal adoption center. It will also have inside kenneling and holding facilities and adoption rooms where potential pet owners can interact with an adoptable animal to see if they are a good match. We will also be sharing some of our space with a dog daycare on site as well as a dog self wash area. We start construction in December and hope to occupy by early 2012.”

We spoke with CARES Director Debra George, who gave us a tour of the building Wednesday morning (Nov. 16).

“Having this new space will not increase our current monthly costs,” George said. “We contract out all our boarding and kenneling, so moving everything into one central location will actually help us become more efficient since we’ll control everything.”

Plans are to build 30 kennels, with eight ready at the opening (slated for sometime in January), a dog wash area shared with ‘Paws and Relax,’ a reception area with some retail, a cattery and more.

George said that they’re currently looking for volunteers and in-kind donations to help build out the new building, which should cost “no less than $20,000 to remodel,” she added. If you’re a carpenter, contractor, plumber or have other skills or materials that you can donate, please email her at debrageorgemi@aol.com.

CARES will also be holding some fundraisers in the near future, so stay tuned to the blog for more info.

Here are some exclusive photos of the new facility, as photographed by Scott Schaefer:

CARES' new facility will be in this building at 909 SW 151st Street near Ambaum Blvd. SW.

The main reception area will be inside the blue-colored door on the right.

Pending some remodeling, this will be the main reception area.

Kennels and adoption rooms will be built in this area.

A dog wash area will be located in the area that most recently housed a liquidation store.

CARES Director Debra George shows off the plans for the remodel.

CARES has also added three new members to its Board of Directors:

• Ray Helms brings with him over 10 years of business experience as an entrepreneur working with cities and their programs for Federal Way, Burien and 4 Culture. He is on a planning commission for Burien as well as an employee of the City of Burien.
• Denise Ferguson brings to the board over 10 years experience as a business owner in Burien and expertise in human resources.
• Cindy Joaquin joins the board also with her extensive 30 years of experience in accounting and bookkeeping as well as her 12 years of service to the King County Southwest Chamber of Commerce.

Here’s more from a press release:

Debra George currently serves the board as the President and also as the volunteer Director of the CARES organization. All of the Board of Directors are animal advocates and are committed to the best support and care in the rescue and welfare of all animals within the City of Burien. Recently the organization lost two founding volunteers whose enormous help, work and commitment is greatly appreciated. We are a better organization for having had their support and we wish them all the best.

As a new non-profit, our daily focus continues to be the highest level of welfare for the animals in the City of Burien. The organizations daily operations are managed by the volunteer Director. CARES employs a thoroughly trained Animal Control Officer and an Office Manager/Animal Placement Specialist. The organization fully follows the Policies and Procedures provided by the City of Burien in the execution of it’s contractual commitments regarding animal control. Each day brings this new organization closer to its goals and we anticipate many success stories in the months and years to come with the training, help and hard work of our employees and volunteers.

Join us during the Winterfest celebration on December 3rd for dog photos with Santa in front of OptiMark at 916 SW 152nd Street. There will also be a small silent auction with some great gift items. All proceeds and donations will benefit Burien CARES.”

You can find additional information about CARES at www.buriencares.com or contact the CARES office at (206) 812-2737.

by Ralph Nichols

Burien lawmakers are poised to approve adjustments to the city’s 2012 budget on Nov. 28, following a second public hearing on next year’s spending plan and property tax levy.

The first public hearing was held at the city council’s Monday night meeting (Nov. 14), at which Burien Finance Director Kim Krause told them there will be no property tax increase in Burien next year.

In fact, a statutory limit on what the city can collect in 2012 will result in a decrease of approximately $467,000 in property tax revenues compared to the current year.

“For the first time in many years, the city will receive less property tax next year than this year,” noted City Manager Mike Martin.

Krause said this will result in a small property tax reduction in Burien, but she could not specify at this time how much it will be.

City council members adopted a 2011-12 biennial budget last year, which included general fund spending of 20,362,411 this year and $20,375,199 next year.

The budget revisions will increase projected 2012 spending by $436,963.

State law requires local governments to adopt their budgets for the following year by Dec. 31.

In addition, Krause presented a proposed policy change to reallocate 90 percent of property tax revenues to the general fund and 10 percent to the Capital Projects Reserve Fund.

The current policy, adopted by the council in 2004, allocates 80 percent of property taxes to the general fund and 20 percent to the Capital Projects Reserve Fund.

Councilwoman Lucy Krakowiak expressed concern about shifting an additional 10 percent of property tax revenues to the general fund.

That prompted Councilman Gordon Shaw to “wonder if Councilwoman Krakowiak is asking for a tax increase,” since that allocation is designed to maintain a balanced budget without increased revenue.

Krause said general fund expenditure amendments for 2011 and 2012 total $889,263. These are:

• Reduced salaries and benefits, $211,287.
• Increased red light camera professional services, $428,000.
• Increased SCORE Jail startup expenses, $216,750.
• Increased King County District Court costs, $356,000.
• Increased litigation attorneys’ fees, $125,000.
• Miscellaneous expenses for annexation, $100,000.
• Increased miscellaneous services (voter registration, city newsletter, utilities, city memberships), $74,000.
• Decreased King County Sheriff’s police services contract, $200,000.

General fund revenue amendments include:

• Increased sales tax revenues to reflect 2011 activity, $84,343.
• Decreased utility tax revenues to reflect actual receipts, $997,140.
• Increased permit revenues to reflect 2011 activity, $500,000.
• Increased liquor tax and profits to reflect 2011 activity, $180,000.
• Decreased Seattle City Light revenues to reflect actual results, $300,000.

Total general fund revenue adjustments reflect a decrease of $335,292.

Krause earlier told The B-Town Blog that while Initiative 747 allows local governments annual property tax increases of 1 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less, “the city has received notification from the King County Assessor’s Office that the preliminary assessed valuation [of property in Burien] is 9.23 percent lower than 2011.

“Due to this reduction, the city can only collect the statutory limit of $1.60 [per $1,000 of assessed value], which is approximately $467,000 less than 2011,” Martin said. “As the values of homes go down, people pay less property taxes,” Martin said.

The award will be presented at the February 27, 2012 City Council meeting.

This will be the first year in a while that the city will be giving out its own award(s). Previously, the city teamed up with Discover Burien (we’re members), and would give out at least four awards (Business, Community, Education and Environment) at the annual dinner banquet in March.

However, for 2012, the city has decided to give out its own award, which will apparently only go to one “Outstanding Citizen.”

“To nominate a person(s), describe how the nominee contributes to the community and how these contributions are unique,” reads the city’s website. “Submit your nominations by February 3, 2012, to Burien City Hall, 400 S.W. 152nd St., Ste. 300. For information call Adriene Buckley at (206) 241-4647.”