Burien’s proposed vehicle license fee went down to a resounding defeat (75% voted no) NOT because voters don’t think sidewalks and bike routes are good things.

It went down because it was wrong-headed.

Regardless of the resounding defeat, the city council still has the power to impose a $20 annual license fee without voter approval. Will the council defy the voters to impose this fee anyway?

And don’t forget, any neighborhood in need of improvements can form a Local Improvement District (LID) to assess itself for street improvements (the city will help with that). Broad improvements are obviously a responsibility of the larger community (check your City Light bill for the costs of undergrounding utilities in the First Avenue improvement area).

I believe the residents, voters and taxpayers (not always the same people) of Burien want a shiny, people friendly community. I believe Burien voters and taxpayers (often the same people) are not selfish, stingy, or mean-spirited. I believe the taxpayers (including those most able to pay) of Burien appreciate their obligation to the greater good of the community. We are not all about ourselves.

Later this year, the city council may be talking about a possible general property tax increase in 2010. Perhaps it was thoughtless to schedule that discussion with a revenue increase lurking on the current ballot. Having lost the current measure, the council should take some time to reconnect with the community. With 3 of 4 council seats uncontested in this election, there is a disconnect.

I am confident the people of Burien are supportive of maintaining quality public services; provided the council is clear about the need, has implemented noticeable and substantive cost-reduction and efficiency strategies, and sticks to the basics like the rest of us.

Everyone who lives in Burien is our neighbor and we are our brother’s keeper. We should all pitch in to make sure we have the community we want. Please get out and sweep the streets to keep the drains clear. Thank you.

- Stephen Lamphear

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[EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a Guest Editorial by Joe Fitzgibbon, Planning Commissioner for the City of Burien:]

by Joe Fitzgibbon

The residents of Burien will have the opportunity this November to vote YES for investments in bicycle and pedestrian facilities. For the price of a half tank of gas, we can make our city safer for our kids and families walking and biking.

As The B-Town Blog has previously reported, a YES vote on the Transportation Benefit District and the proposed $25 vehicle license fee will enable the City of Burien build bicycle lanes, provide safer connections to schools, and repair inadequate sidewalks to increase the mobility of our seniors. I hope you will join me in voting YES to approve this levy to make our city safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Over 400 Burien residents helped shape what we want our city to look like through the Bike and Pedestrian Master Plans. All agreed that our city would be a better place if people could easily get around on two feet or two wheels. Since then, the city has completed some projects, but our progress has slowed because of the competing demands on the city budget — roads, parks, and public safety.

A YES vote on the Sidewalks and Bikes Levy will enable the city to keep moving ahead with some of the highest priority projects from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Master Plan–specifically, improvements to S and SW 136th St and 8th Ave S.

This is a great time for us to tackle these improvements. Construction projects are coming in under budget because demand for residential construction has declined. It is likely that we won’t ever be able to build these projects more cheaply than we are able to right now.

The benefits of better pedestrian and bike infrastructure are numerous and include improved home value, making students safer, and saving school districts money that can instead be used for teaching. It can save you money too. It reduces emissions and makes our air cleaner. It encourages healthy and active lifestyles.

Opponents suggest the cost of improving pedestrian and bicyclist safety is too high and this is not the right time to make our streets safer for walkers and bikers like students at Kennedy High School and Cedarhurst Elementary.

I disagree. The cost of this investment is less than seven cents a day, per vehicle. We must not sacrifice the safety of our children and our quality of life here in Burien.

And our community partners all agree; organizations including the American Heart Association, Washington Conservation Voters, and the 34th District Democrats have all endorsed the Sidewalks and Bikes Levy.

If you have any questions, please email me at safesidewalksnow@gmail.com. Let’s vote YES for a healthier and safer Burien!

(Joe Fitzgibbon is helping lead the Safe Sidewalks Now campaign and is the chair of the Burien Planning Commission).

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by Scott Schaefer

Here are notes from Monday night’s (July 20th) Burien City Council Study Session (PDF agenda here, streaming video link here):

Both Mayor Joan McGilton and Councilmember Kathy Keene were absent, but with five councilmembers remaining there was enough for a quorum, so Deputy Mayor Sue Blazak ran the meeting.

STEVE ROEHMER, BURIEN PARKS OPERATION & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER:
Roehmer presented a Powerpoint about the new “Urban Forestry Plan” and outlined the Desired Outcomes:

• Hire consultant for assessment & plan deve. Eagle Landing Park, Seahurst, Salmon Creek
• Establish & implement an associated invasives removal program
• Conduct tree plantings
• Provide for public input and access to resources developed
• Complete plan by Dec. 2009

PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

• Involve all stakeholders, including volunteers
• Facilitate w/proven professionals (has already hired Seattle Urban Nature)
• Develop management & restoration priorities adaptable to budget & operational realities
• Inventory of existing habitat types, tree density & % cover by species type
• Locations of invasive species
• GIS data layers
• Vegetative Management Plan & habitat mapping (for Eagle Land Pk & Salmon Creek)0, approx 100 acres being targeted

KEY PLANNING COMPONENTS:

• Site location & context
• Forest assessment methodology
• Property-wide results & findings, including details inventory of species & habitat types
• Zone specific results & management recommendations
• Short & long term by zone & flexible

Most focus appears to be aimed at Eagle Landing Park, and Roehmer said that all details gathered “will be accessible online.”

Councimember Lucy Krakowiak expressed her excitement and thanked him, recommending Dottie Harper Park be included as well.

Vote was 4-1 to approve the Urban Forestry Plan.

PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED ORD. #516 ON THE TRANSPORTATION BENEFIT DISTRICT:
Jenn Ramirez Robson, Management Analyst, presented the Transportation Benefit District (TBD) proposal. The TBD would be created solely for improvement of transportation in Burien, and a $25 license fee would be put on the Nov. 3rd ballot.

This tax would apply only to current residents, not annexed ones, for bicycle & pedestrian improvements for two areas of  Burien:

1. 8th Avenue South (S. 128th Street to S. 136th Street), next to Cedarhurst School; currently no sidewalk there.
2. SW and S. 136th Street (from Ambaum Boulevard to 1st Ave South and 1st Ave South to Des Moines Memorial Drive): bike lanes on both sides, make sidewalk ADA compliant.

Robson said that in 2004 over 400 residents participated in a process that recommended a Bicycles Facilities Plan, with over 20 high-priority pedestrian and bike projects identified.

According to the 2008 Burien Community Survey, a “majority of respondents” felt there is a need for more sidewalks and bike paths in their neighborhoods.

Aso of July 2008, the state of Washington allows cities to designate a TBD to fund transportation improvements.

The City Council would create a TBD, which would be funded via the $25 fee for 2 years; if not approved Nov. 3rd, said TBD is dissolved.

Timeline would be:

• Aug. 3rd TBD meeting to place ballot measure on Nov. 3rd ballot for Aug. 11th deadline
• Nov. 3rd election within current Burien boundaries vote on $25 fee for 2 year TBD program.

At 7:25pm the public hearing was opened for comment; here are some highlights of citizen comments:

Bruce Rambau suggested a “wheels tax” on Burien city employees’ salaries; he then asked how many city employees actually live in Burien;’ “why not make everyone who comes here to work pay for the upkeep of the roads?” “I don’t think it would be that offensive…if you wanna play you gotta pay.”

Don Warren spoke about how he worked on the original bikes & pedestrian plan as well as helped identify areas that Robson presented earlier. He thought that taxing people in cars for benefit of bikes & pedestrians “isn’t the best idea”; other ways would be to tox just those who use it. He supports the two projects, but to have a TBD assessment during “tough times” might not be popular, this is not a “must have” project but “it’d be nice to have.”

Chestine Edgar referenced the 2008 study and said “only 20% identified bike paths as a critical issue.” Edgar frequently challenged the report, saying “or perhaps I read it incorrectly.” She also felt that the information in the agenda was not complete, and proceeded to listed five changes. She also referenced recent cost overruns on construction on First Ave South and SW 152nd. “This city has some really large bills that it has to pay”; “including a $14 million bill to Westmark – how will that be paid?” Spoke about annexation, which will run $3 million in the red, with no cost breakdowns; “I am concerned when I see these proposals come forth, there is no real analysis of the costs and whether we can afford it.”

Roger Dorn agreed with Edgar and spoke of how he has to maintain the sidewalk in front of his house in Sumner. “Why should residents be taxed for this?” “I’m personally tired of being taxed more and more.”

Joe Fitzgibbon spoke in support, thinks $25 fee is reasonable request, works out to less than .7 cents per day per vehicle. Kids will be safe walking to school, families without cars will be safer & people who do have cars may leave them behind to ride their bikes.

CITY MANAGER’S REPORT FROM MIKE MARTIN:

• Visited Water Dist. 20 reservoir which serves the North Highline area.
• On 7/14 city staff hosted an Annexation Open House; they’re now seeing a “tapering off” of attendees (was 60-70 per forum), not sure how to interpret that (EDITOR’S IDEA: bring back crummy weather dude, it’s summer!). Wed. 7/29 6:30pm is the next forum at city hall mostly “for our own residents.”
• A couple weeks ago when power was lost in the downtown area, the communication between Burien & City Light was done “poorly”l turns out that Burien wasn’t on a “special list” of agencies that get phone calls from them; Martin also felt that City Light was “unapologetic about it.” “In the future we’ll have a lot better direct communication, but now that we have a low-watt radio station (540AM) which should help get informationout, 85% of our residents could get that communication.” “I’m pleased to report that incrementally we’re improving communication issues…”
• Vandalism in the new Town Square Park on four pieces of art that were damaged or stolen; the city is still trying to figure out what their response will be to that. “We have a number of issues with the new park and the B/ IAS park also”; “We want to have a lot more public art.”
• The 4th of July was “the best in the three years I’ve been here” and while there were still illegal fireworks, it wasn’t as bad as previous years; Martin attributes this to getting the word out that fireworks are illegal in city, and that police can give out citations. He also spoke about how the city “strategically irrigated our parks in the evening”; “we were pleased about that and I hope it continues.”
• Jan Vogee was cited for winning an award for helping develop elecrical code by the Washington Associaciton of Building Officials.

Councilmember Gordon Shaw spoke:

• He mentioned that the Water Dist. 20 tour would’ve “been nice to visit” but that he wasn’t told about it. “Hopefully sometime later that will be made part of Burien.”
• With regard to the low watt radio station, Shaw, apparently never having tuned it in, asked “What is on it when there’s no emergency?”; Martin replied that there’s a 20 minute loop of announcements that can be altered via computer.

Rose Clark spoke about:

• A residents’ letter regarding Port of Seattle 3rd runway noise monitoring. She wants the city council to “write a letter to the Port asking that a noise monitor be placed in this neighborhood.”

STEPHANIE JEWETT, CITY PLANNER:
Jewett spoke about a zoning map for a subdivision of 8 homes which would remove all buildings on the lot.

5-0 was vote to approve it.

TBD public comments were then discussed:

• Sally Nelson talked about cost overruns and how they’d be addressed; Marting replied that contingency funds are “built into the TBD estimates”;
• Shaw thinks some of the funding may come from federal stimulus funding
• Martin said that’s “very unlikely”
• Shaw then cited that 21st Ave SW has much less sidewalk than SW 136th and that there may be other places where this money could be used; he then expressed that he’s opposed to the TBD.
• Blazak then said she supports the idea, was involved in planning process, and this is one of the reasons she wanted to be on the city council.
• Krakowiak also supports the TBD.

Vote was 4-1 approving the TBD. It appears that the next steps will be:

• Aug. 3rd TBD meeting to place ballot measure on Nov. 3rd ballot for Aug. 11th deadline.
• Nov. 3rd election within current Burien boundaries vote on $25 fee for 2 year TBD program.

A “Transportation Benefit District” (TBD) is being proposed by the City of Burien, which will be holding a public meeting on Monday, July 20th at 7pm on the first floor of Burien City Hall.

Cityfolk are proposing that the new TBD focuses on funding transportation improvements within the city, like new sidewalks and bike paths. If approved, it would authorize an independent city-wide taxing area to pay for certain sidewalk and road improvements.

According to the city’s website:

What does a Transportation Benefit District do?
According to the Burien Community Survey conducted in 2008, the majority of respondents felt there is a need for more sidewalks and bike paths in their neighborhood.

As of last year, the State of Washington allows cities to designate a Transportation Benefit District (or “TBD”) to fund transportation improvements within a city.

In 2004 the City of Burien adopted a Burien Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Plan. This plan was a result of a community planning process that included input and ideas from over 400 participants. Over twenty high-priority pedestrian and bicycle facility projects were identified. Several of those projects have already been completed, however, funding to do more is lacking.

With many pulls on the city budget and future funding uncertain, the City of Burien is placing a “Transportation Benefit District” measure on the general election ballot this November that would fund two high-priority projects from the Burien Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Plan. The City Council selected these two projects in order to serve areas of the city that have not benefited from recent improvement projects.  The funding would be generated through a $25 annual vehicle license fee that would be in effect for two years.

PROJECT SPECIFICS:

8th Avenue South (S. 128th Street to S. 136th Street)

• Construct a minimum 8-foot wide multi-purpose facility* on one side of 8th Avenue South
• Provides safer connection to Cedarhurst Elementary School
• Connects to east-west facility on South 136th Street
• Connect with future facilities for the Northeast Redevelopment Area.

*Multi-purpose facility: A concrete paved path intended for use by cyclists as well as pedestrians.

SW and S. 136th Street (from Ambaum Boulevard to 1st Ave South and 1st Ave South to Des Moines Memorial Drive)

• Bicycle lane on both sides
• Repair inadequate and non-ADA portions of existing sidewalk
• Connects major community facilities, including Seahurst Park, Chelsea Park, North SeaTac Park, Senior Center facility and soccer field
• Connects with existing facility on 4th Avenue SW
• Connects east through SeaTac to Green River Trail and light rail station
• Connects east to North SeaTac Park Community Center, Central Washington University Branch Campus, and Tukwila schools.
• Connects to planned facilities on 8th Avenue South and Des Moines Memorial Drive South

How will the City keep the community up to date on progress?
By law, Transportation Benefit Districts are required to provide annual reports to the community. These annual reports would show:

• Project status
• Expenditures and revenues
• Construction schedules

If a TBD is in place, the City must also hold a public hearing to resolve any transportation cost issues, in the event costs exceed the original project estimate by more than 20 percent.

So…what do YOU think of the idea of a TBD? Please Comment or Vote below in our poll: