Burien City News

The Burien City News print edition features a roundup of local news, events, and information delivered annually to Burien addresses. In addition, you can sign up for our monthly email newsletter.

Below, read our latest print issue in English. This issue is also available to read in Spanish and Vietnamese.

Latest Print Issue: Spring 2024

Welcome to the Spring 2024 issue of the Burien City News print newsletter! In this issue, you will find:

  • Information about the 2023 Green Burien Partnership annual report
  • Updates on what your City government is doing and how you can participate
  • Latest headlines from the City of Burien
  • Ways to get involved and things to do

Feature Story: Partnerships to Support Burien’s Urban Forest Pay Off

The City of Burien has released a 2023 annual report celebrating the significant progress made last year by the Green Burien Partnership. The report highlights that 95% of all program costs were covered by in-kind donations and existing staff time and that 35 volunteer events were held, resulting in 800 trees and 1,060 shrubs and groundcovers planted and 145,000 square feet of weeds removed. The Green Burien Partnership’s vision is to have a healthy urban forest supporting—and supported by—an aware and engaged community. Read the report and learn how to get involved at burienwa.gov/GreenBurien.

Ordinances, Resolutions, and Proclamations

The Burien City Council passed the following ordinances, resolutions, and proclamations between September 2023 and March 2024. They also approved contracts, interlocal agreements, and conducted other City business. Read our Council Roundups for a full recap of each council meeting.

Ordinances

The City Council passed Ordinance Nos. 818–837. The ordinances covered many topics including minimum wage, the 2023-2024 mid-biennial budget, property tax levy, surface water management services, unlawful public camping, affordable housing, and donation of surplus property.

Resolutions

The City Council passed Resolution Nos. 501–507. The resolutions covered many topics including adoption of the 2024-2030 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan, amending the Planning Commission bylaws, changing the composition of the Burien Airport Committee, and setting the 2024 City Council regular meeting calendar.

Proclamations

The City Council issued 39 proclamations on the following topics: Suicide Prevention Month, Welcoming Week, Hispanic Heritage Month, National Literacy Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Indigenous Peoples Day, Filipino Heritage Month, Italian American Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Honoring Former Councilmember Cydney Moore and Former Mayor Sofia Aragon, Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Korean American Day, Lunar New Year, Black History Month, and Women’s History Month.

Get involved

We encourage Burien community members to understand and follow the business of the City as well as discussions on specific topics that are brought before the City Council.

  • Attend City Council meetings in person at Burien City Hall, via Zoom, on Channel 21, or stream online. See schedule of meetings: burienwa.gov/calendar
  • Watch for scheduled public meetings or public hearings on specific projects and topics: burienwa.gov/calendar
  • Read a summary of the City Council meeting in the latest Council Roundup: burienwa.gov/council

We want to hear from you! Public comment is an important way for the City Council to hear from residents and businesses. Ways to provide meaningful input include:

  • Share your thoughts with the City Council at [email protected] or to each individual Councilmembers’ email address, which can be found at burienwa.gov/council.
  • Sign up one hour before each City Council meeting to speak to the Council virtually or in-person during public comment at burienwa.gov/PublicComment.
  • Visit the Burien Community Hub, an online community engagement platform where you can learn about and participate in current planning efforts: connect.burienwa.gov

Latest News

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Burien City Council Passes New Minimum Wage Ordinance (March 18, 2024)

On March 18, 2024, the Burien City Council passed Ordinance No. 837, establishing a citywide minimum wage in Burien. The ordinance defines three levels of employers and creates new minimum wage rates and effective dates by size of employer. Employers with 20 or fewer full-time equivalents (FTEs) are exempt from the ordinance. Read more online.

2023 Neighborhood Grants Program Results (February 22, 2024)

For the second consecutive year, the City of Burien accepted applications for the Neighborhood Grants Program to support community-led improvement projects. The City offered to pay up to $5,000 per project and community members were required to match the City’s contribution with local resources of volunteer labor, donated materials, donated professional services, or funds. Three projects were funded. Read more online.

Community Can Track Progress on City of Burien’s Strategic Plan (January 3, 2024)

In October 2023, the Burien City Council adopted a five-year strategic plan to help both the City Council and staff identify areas to focus our efforts on. Community members can track our progress on achieving the goals established in the strategic plan through an online dashboard. Read more online.

Federal Pandemic Relief Funding to Boost Vital Human Services Programs (December 20, 2023)

In 2023, organizations submitted proposals to the City of Burien for human services programs. The Human Services Commission reviewed and made funding allocations that met goals approved by the Burien City Council. Read more online.

2024 Mid-Biennial Budget Update Adopted (December 7, 2023)

On December 4, 2023, the Burien City Council adopted the 2023-2024 Mid-biennial budget and updated financial policies. The General Fund budget remains balanced, using the City Manager Reserve to fund both one-time and ongoing services. Read more online.

Turning Vision into Strategies to Plan for Burien’s Future (September 7, 2023)

In 2022, the City of Burien launched the Shape Your City initiative to gather community input to inform major updates to our Comprehensive Plan, Transportation Master Plan (TMP), and Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan. In 2023, we followed up with the community to gain deeper insight and identify key themes. Read more online.

Summer Camps are Back!

Camp CRAZ (grades 1-5) and Burien Teen Summer Crew (grades 6-9) are back this summer! Spaces are filling fast! Register for one week or spend all summer with us! Scholarships and sliding-scale fee available, based on HUD income guidelines.

Call (206) 988-3700 for information. Register online at burienwa.gov/registration.

Burien Events

Find events in Burien online, including a downloadable event calendar.

Rec Guide Highlights

In the Spring 2024 issue of our Recreation Guide, you can find:

  • Senior Health & Wellness Resource Fair
  • Specialized Recreation
  • Adult Art
  • Drop-in Programs: Pickleball, Ping Pong, Knitting, Cards

See the full guide: burienwa.gov/RecreationGuide

Want to learn more?

Even more ways to access your government online:

Downloadable Print Issues

Our print newsletter is also available to download in PDF format:

Updated April 25, 2024