The December 8th Burien City Council meeting marked the beginning of a new council body and the honoring of outgoing council members. The new council will take their seats in January 2026. Before the council meeting, the city hosted a reception for incoming/outgoing council members and guests.
All members of the Burien City Council, as well as the newly elected members, were present at this meeting. Councilmember Linda Akey attended virtually.
Swearing In of New Councilmembers
Councilmembers took their Oaths of Office before The Honorable Brian Todd, King County District Court Judge. The newest members of the council include Councilmembers Rocco DeVito and Sam Méndez. Incumbents, Hugo Garcia and Deputy Mayor Sarah Moore, won their re-election campaigns and were sworn in at this meeting as well.
Outgoing Councilmembers Jimmy Matta and Stephanie Mora thanked the community and their colleagues for the honor of serving on the council. While Mayor Kevin Schilling read a proclamation to honor Councilmember Matta’s time serving on the council, Councilmember Mora elected not to have a proclamation and simply expressed her gratitude for being able to serve on the council, saying, “A simple thank you is all I need.”
Proclamations and Presentations
Councilmember Matta presented a proclamation for Guatemala Day to Mayor Hugo Sarceno of Puerto Barrios, Guatemala; Sarceno was in attendance to receive the recognition.
The council recessed until 6:13 PM to transition to the main business meeting.
Finance Director Casey Headley gave a presentation on the launch of new Business and Occupation Tax software. It is expected to launch on January 1st, 2026, with a soft launch scheduled for December 22nd.
Councilmember Reports
All of the council members who gave reports welcomed the newly elected members and thanked Matta and Mora for their service.
- Councilmember Alex Andrade celebrated the success of recent events, including the Moshier Pottery Sale, the Cookie Crawl, and the Mimosa Walk. She spoke of the importance of supporting small businesses, and that these local events reported record-breaking sales. Andrade mentioned that the Burien Farmer’s Market will take two weeks off for Christmas, returning Jan 8.
- Councilmember Linda Akey reported attending several meetings, including the Highline Forum, with updates on SR 509 construction. She also attended the South King County Area Transportation Board, where Metro shared plans to increase funding for mental health services, bus safety, and cleaning. Akey noted that Councilmember Peter Kwon said the National League of Cities is reviewing privacy concerns related to Flock camera systems. She requested adding Port package discussions to the state legislative agenda and raised concerns about growing gun violence, emphasizing the need to better connect youth and bring the issue to the council for discussion.
- Deputy Mayor Sarah Moore attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Miller Creek Stream restoration project.
- Councilmember Hugo Garcia attended the Southside Chamber meeting and the November 18th King County Council meeting, where he advocated for support of immigrants and immigrant-owned businesses. He also reported recent instances of ICE activity in the local area, and thanked the King County Council for their $50K grant to hire an immigration attorney to help Burien residents. He mentioned that it’s difficult for Burien to acquire these resources due to their budget deficit.
City Manager’s Report
- Restarting City Council retreats to establish individual and general goals.
- City of Burien is working with SeaTac & Des Moines on Port of Seattle – Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) issues.
Public Comments
Two speakers raised concerns about ICE enforcement, urging Burien to prohibit city assistance to ICE and describing fear within immigrant families. A third speaker thanked the council for requesting corrections to errors in the 2044 Comprehensive Plan related to the Shoreline Master Plan and asked that those fixes be completed by the future council.
Executive Session
Per RCW 42.30.110 (1) (i) – 20 minutes, closed session.
Consent Agenda
Included Ordinances concerning Single-Use Plastic bags, B&O Tax Update, and 2025-26 Mid-Biennial Budget, plus Right-of-Way Permit Table Resolution. Unanimous approval.
Business Agenda
Ordinance 881 – Co-living Housing Zoning Code – Presentation by Senior Planner Chaney Skadsen. Based on presentation maps and exemptions, council members asked for clarification on vehicle and bicycle parking requirements. Approved unanimously.
Discussion of Federal Law Enforcement Activity in South King County – Led by City Manager Bailon and Councilmember Garcia. As with many previous meetings, Councilmember Garcia expressed his concern about federal immigration enforcement activity. Garcia proposed the council craft a resolution – similar to King County’s action – and commit funding through Burien’s Human Services budget of $4,000-$4,500 to support immigrant resources. Councilmembers Moore, Akey, and Andrade chimed in with mixed support for financial commitment levels and direction, but ultimately, the council voted unanimously to direct city staff to create a resolution and proposal for later review.
Council Planning Calendar had no discussion items.
Adjourned at 7:40pm.post here
