City Manager Oath of Office, Proclamation for Charlotte Berg, Strategic Plan, Salary Survey, City Manager Evaluation, Community Development Block Grants, HVAC Upgrades
City Manager Adolfo Bailon participated in a ceremonial oath of office and welcome reception prior to the regular meeting. The Burien City Council issued a proclamation in honor of the late Charlotte Berg, heard an update on the monkeypox outbreak, discussed Association of Washington Cities board and commission recruitment, discussed the strategic plan vision statement and strategic priorities, began discussions of the 2022 compensation survey, discussed allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant funds, and amended a scope of work for the HVAC replacement project for the Burien Community Center and Moshier Art Center.
City Manager Takes Ceremonial Oath of Office
Following a welcome reception in his honor, Adolfo Bailon took a ceremonial oath of office at the start of his first official City Council meeting as city manager. He signed his official oath of office on August 8, 2022.
Late Charlotte Berg Honored with Proclamation
Charlotte Berg, who passed away in July, was honored with a proclamation. Members of her family were present to accept the proclamation. Berg was a longtime volunteer with Transform Burien, a nonprofit organization that serves people experiencing homelessness. She was selected by the City Council as a Citizen of the Year in 2021.
Strategic Plan Vision Statement and Strategic Priorities Discussed
The City Council discussed both a vision statement and strategic priorities, both of which will serve as the foundation for a new strategic plan. They voted to not adopt the statement and priorities and will discuss it again during their September 19, 2022 meeting.
Over the course of the summer, the City Council listened to community feedback and worked with City staff leadership and consultants to develop the vision statement and strategic priorities. The strategic plan will guide budget and work plan development over the next three to five years.
The executive summary that the City Council adopted is informing the proposed 2023–2024 budget that staff are currently developing. An implementation plan with actions that the City Council and staff will take to fulfill the priorities will be shared with the City Council this fall.
Consultant Selected to Develop City Manager Performance Evaluation Process
The City Council selected Nash Consulting to help the City Council develop a performance evaluation process between the City Council and City Manager. The process will include development of performance goals and evaluations to occur at six months, 12 months, and annually thereafter.
Discussions on 2022 Salary and Compensation Survey Begin
In advance of the 2023–2024 budget process, the City Council began discussions of an upcoming survey process that will evaluate City staff salaries and compensation. The results of the survey will be presented to the City Council in October.
Staff presented an overview of the process they will follow to gather information for the survey, comparing City of Burien staff compensation with comparable cities in the Puget Sound region, and looking at other marketplace factors.
The City’s financial policies direct the City Council to evaluate staff compensation structure every three years.
Community Development Block Grant Supports Human Services and Capital Projects
Staff presented information about proposed allocations of federal Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) funding. The recommendations were supported by the Human Services Commission and Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
The City of Burien is a Joint Agreement City (JAC) with the King County CDBG Consortium and is expected to receive approximately $245,000 in 2023. The funding can only be used for planning and administration related to administering the funding, human services, and capital projects that serve low-moderate income Burien residents. The proposed allocations, based on preliminary estimates of total funding, for 2023 are:
- Planning/Administration: $44,000 for staff salaries and benefits to administer the City’s CDBG program.
- Human Services: $45,000 for continued support of the Southwest Youth and Family Services New Futures Program at the Alcove at Seahurst Apartments.
- Capital: $156,000 towards the acquisition of Lakeview Park.
The City Council will hold a public hearing on proposed use of the funding during their September 19, 2022 meeting. On October 3, 2022, they are scheduled to take action on approval of the allocation plan.
Scope of Work Amended for Burien Community Center HVAC Project to Include Energy Efficiency Upgrades
The City Council approved adding more tasks to a project that will replace the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system at the Burien Community Center building and Moshier Art Center. In January, staff worked with the Washington Department of Enterprise Services to conduct an Investment Grade Audit (IGA) for energy savings at both buildings. The IGA identified several energy savings projects including:
- Replacing the outdated HVAC system at both the Burien Community Center and Moshier Art Center
- Converting lighting to a more energy efficient system at both buildings
- Replacing windows and floors at the Moshier Art Center
- Enhancing Moshier Art Center’s building envelope
- Tuckpointing the brick façade at the Burien Community Center
They also provided cost estimates for installing a backup generator at the Burien Community Center, which could support emergency shelter operations in the future.
The projects identified in the IGA help the City meet the goals of the Climate Action Plan by significantly reducing their energy use, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 42,586 pounds per year.
City funding for the project is being supplemented by a $500,000 grant from King County’s Parks and Open Space Grant Program. The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately $1.84 million.