Money

Press release:

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air inflight recycling programs diverted more than 800 tons of inflight waste from landfills last year, including some 230 tons of aluminum and 185 tons of paper.

That’s enough aluminum to build three new airplanes and enough paper to replace 3,100 trees. In addition torecycling more inflight waste, the two airlines have also reduced their carbon emissions by 30 percent per passenger mile since 2004.

These are among several accomplishments highlighted in Alaska Air Group’s newly released 2012 Sustainability Report, which summarizes the company’s progress on environmental, economic and social goals.

Reports of Normandy Park’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, according to city officials.

Normandy Park officials, responding to reports in other media outlets, that the city may disband or seek annexation to Burien or Des Moines, issued a statement on the city’s website Thursday.

The statement emphasized, “Disincorporation is not an option under consideration by the City Council or City management as reported recently by media sources.”

The statement said Normandy Park’s financial problems had first been identified in 1998 by a consulting firm. The consultant recommended about 40 ideas and solutions to address the city’s structural financial problems.

But the City Council, at that time, only implemented a few of the recommendations, “kicking the can down the road for a few years,” according to the statement. A good economy between 2000 and 2007 helped mask some of the structural problems.

But with an economic downturn the solutions have become more difficult.
Officials said city staffers have been working closely with the current City Council members to identify both short and long-term solutions.

Press Release:

The City of Normandy Park is currently seeking volunteers for pro and con committees to prepare statements on the proposed Levy Lid Lift that will be included in the King County Local Voters Pamphlet for a November 2012 vote.

At the June 12, 2012 City Council meeting the Normandy Park Council members voted 6-1 to send the Levy Lid Lift to the voters this November, 2012, under Resolution 853.

Each Committee’s statement must be no more than 200 words in length and must be submitted to King County Elections no later than 4:30 PM on August 15. Any rebuttal statements are due by August 17. There is a limit of three members per committee, but committees may seek advice of any person or persons.

Committee member appointments will be made during a special meeting of the Normandy Park Council on August 2, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. Persons interested in applying for one of the committee positions should submit their name, contact information and a brief statement as to why they would like to serve on one of the committees.

By Gwen Davis

Burien city council members were “dismayed” when Jim Atkins, manager of the developing company Urban Partners, read a letter at the June 4th Burien City Council meeting accusing the council of “refusing to cooperate” with his company.

The issue at hand was Resolution 344 – which unanimously passed that evening – that considered whether the city should repurchase three undeveloped Burien Town Square parcels.

As the City of Burien’s website explains:
“In 2002, the City purchased the Town Square property at fair market value of $4,050,000 and invested significant public resources in constructing and maintaining transportation and park facilities in the Town Square. Following a Request of Qualifications process, the City sold the Town Square property consisting of Parcels I, IV, V, and VI to Urban Ventures Burien, LLC ("Owner/Developer"), at fair market value of $4,666,016 pursuant to a Disposition and Development Agreement dated June 29, 2005.”

Press release:

King County Assessor Lloyd Hara will host a South King Community Meeting on Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM to discuss property taxes, valuations and the services that the Department of Assessments provides to assist property owners in light of the economic downturn.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will take place at the Burien Public Library, 400 Southwest 152nd Street, Burien, WA 98166.

This town hall will be an opportunity for property owners to learn more about their property taxes, valuations, exemptions, and the appeal process.

King County Assessor Lloyd Hara will be joined by representatives from the King County Board of Equalization, Treasury, and Tax Advisor Office, to field questions from residents of South King County.

“Bank foreclosures and other distressed sales continue to be a drag on property values overall in King County,” said King County Assessor Lloyd Hara. “This is driving property values down through most of King County, and is resulting in property tax reductions for some.”

WHO: King County Assessor, Lloyd Hara

Press release:

South King Firefighters agreed to wage concession giving back a 4.1% salary increase in an effort to help South King Fire & Rescue maintain fire and emergency medical services for the citizens of Federal Way and Des Moines.

The concessions by South King Firefighters Union, IAFF Local 2024 will save the fire department approximately $500,000. This money can be used to maintain current fire department response times, staffing and equipment.

The department budget has dropped 22% from 2009 due to the economic downturn in local property values requiring the department to reduce 23 operations and staff positions over the past 2 years including a full time aid car operating out of a central Federal Way Fire Station.

"We know the community is struggling to support public safety financially, this was our chance to give back in order to maintain service levels" said Ryan Herrera, President of South King Firefighters Union, Local 2024.

The Issaquah Press is reporting that Issaquah’s economic development director is headed to Burien to replace former Burien economic development director Dick Loman.

Loman retired last month.

Dan Trimble departed Issaquah on Oct. 21.

Trimble started in Issaquah in July 2007. He had similar posts in California and Maryland before coming to Washington state.

Trimble told The Issaquah Press, "I think a great majority of the job of an economic development person is building relationships with people in the community and people in the business community, and being there as a good resource for them after you build the relationship."

“Projects come and go, but to me that’s the most important.”

Mike Gain, CEO of Prudential Northwest Realty Associates, is reporting that the pending sales of homes are picking up in Highline and West Seattle.
Prudential Northwest has offices in Olde Burien and West Seattle.

The Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) has noted that August's pending sales volume was at the highest number of mutually accepted offers since April 2010 when the homebuyer tax incentive expired. MWMLS reported a sales gain of 26 percent for August 2011 as compared to August 2011.

However, at the two Prudential Northwest offices, the pending sales gain was 40 percent, according to Gain.

The NWMLS also reported a year to date increase for pending sales of 6 percent compared to last year's number. At Prudential Northwest, year to date pending sales increased by 20 percent.

Closed sales for the year are up 1.6 percent while Prudential Northwest's year to date closings are up 16 percent, Gain noted.

"The biggest problem we have in the marketplace today is not enough inventory," Gain declared. "Our number of homes on the market in the NWMLS has dropped 16 percent compared to a year ago. We really need some well-priced inventory in all areas.

Burien lawmakers honored April 25 New Start students who were named Earth Heroes and OK’d a contract to store big rocks from Seahurst Park on Port of Seattle property.

But the most exciting council meeting event was the evacuation of council chambers and the Burien Library after a prankster pulled the fire alarm.
City Manager Mike Martin said a boy entered the shared City Hall/ library building, pulled the alarm and escaped down the street.

There was no indication of a fire but the shrill alarm distracted the meeting to the point where council members and audience members fled the building. About two dozen library patrons also milled around the outside of the building for about 15 minutes. A Burien firefighter checked the building and turned off the alarm before the evacuees reentered the building.

The big rocks from Seahurst Park will be taken from the seawall as part of the city’s restoration of the north beach to a more natural condition. The south shore was restored previously.

By Michael Miller

On a recent visit to the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle I was saddened to see that yet another landmark has disappeared. The Totem House, Seafood and Chowder, Family recipes since 1948, has given up the fight leaving a note on their door stating, 



“Goodbye friends, 
 the economy has overtaken us, we will miss you greatly!”

Four people signed the note.

It seems to me that more and more funky sites are morphing into condominiums, apartment houses and most unbelievably into - out of state banks bearing names foreign to the local tongue. Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Chase Manhattan Bank have replaced Peoples Bank, Rainer Bank and Seattle First National Bank, all absorbed by these and other larger institutions.