TagBAC(98)

The Burien Airport Committee held a virtual meeting on October 20, 2020, to discuss issues related to Sea-Tac Airport's impact on surrounding communities. Key agenda items included comparing airport roundtables in other cities, reviewing next steps for the SeaTac Airport Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART), and examining a proposed University of Washington study on school air quality near the airport. The committee also discussed 2021 federal legislative priorities and received reports on meetings with congressional representatives Adam Smith and Rick Larsen.

This document compares the governance practices of three major U.S. airport advisory committees — Charlotte-Douglas (NC), LAX (CA), and Chicago O'Hare — across key issues including membership by elected officials, public recording of meetings, agenda-setting, advance notice of materials, and inclusion of expert witnesses. The comparison is used to evaluate StART (Sea-Tac Airport Roundtable), which currently lacks most of these features, with the BAC (Boeing Airport Committee) flagging items such as public recordings and expert witness inclusion as highest priorities. The findings highlight significant gaps between StART's current practices and the more transparent, publicly accessible models used at other major airports.

The Burien Airport Committee held a virtual meeting on September 15, 2020, to discuss workplan priorities related to Sea-Tac Airport issues, including community outreach, noise complaints, environmental justice, and preparation for the release of the Supplemental Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Environmental Assessment. The agenda also included a report from Chair Nancy Tosta on a recent FAA meeting, and approval of minutes from the August 18, 2020 meeting. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the meeting was conducted via Zoom, with public comments accepted by email, text, or online participation.

The Burien Airport Committee held a virtual meeting on July 21, 2020, discussing whether the city should rejoin the SeaTac Airport Stakeholder Advisory Roundtable (StART), with four options considered ranging from full re-engagement to creating an alternative forum. Key concerns included distrust of the Port, the FAA Regional Ombudsperson's exclusive availability through StART, and the decisions of neighboring cities Des Moines and Federal Way. The August 18, 2020 follow-up agenda continued this discussion alongside topics such as committee leadership, a BAC workplan, and flight path presentations.

In a July 17, 2020 email to Burien Airport Committee members, Sharyn Parker urges the City of Burien to accept Sea-Tac Airport's offer to place a temporary portable noise monitor in the city, noting there is currently no monitor near the 'New Route' where Q400 turboprop and jet aircraft continue to fly westbound during north-flow conditions. Parker cautions that site selection is a complex process requiring careful attention to obstacles, noise buffers, and power availability, drawing on her experience with King County International Airport where similar projects took two to four years. She recommends the city respond with a simple 'yes' by the July 24, 2020 deadline and request an extension if needed to properly identify one or two suitable monitoring locations.

The Burien Airport Committee held a virtual meeting on May 19, 2020, to discuss airport-related policy matters, including a proposed letter to Port Commissioners about a 'new normal' for airport operations, comments on a Department of Commerce report, and a possible invitation to an FAA Community Ombudsperson. Draft minutes from the April 21, 2020 meeting were also reviewed, covering Chair Tosta's Washington, D.C. visit to advocate for a comprehensive cumulative impact assessment of the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The meetings, held via Zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions, reflect ongoing community and city council efforts to address noise and environmental concerns related to Sea-Tac Airport.

Two local citizen coalitions — the Burien Quiet Skies Coalition and Quiet Skies Puget Sound — wrote to Port of Seattle leadership in May 2020, urging them to pause and reassess the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) in light of the COVID-19 pandemic's dramatic reduction in air travel demand. The letter argues that the Port's planned $3.4 billion capital investment program relies on outdated pre-pandemic assumptions, and cites concerns raised as early as 2019 by Alaska Airlines about the SAMP's oversized gate count, disconnected north terminal design, and excessive costs. The signatories call on Port Commissioners to revise all passenger and revenue projections before committing public and airline funds to infrastructure that may no longer be justified.

In May 2020, Sharyn Parker of the Quiet Skies Coalition emailed Burien city staff requesting email addresses for local elected officials in DesMoines, Sea-Tac, Normandy Park, and Federal Way, in order to distribute a letter to Port of Seattle Commissioners regarding airport noise. Burien Management Analyst Lori Fleming responded with contact information for city managers, administrators, and mayors of several South King County cities, including SeaTac, Tukwila, Normandy Park, Des Moines, and Federal Way. The exchange was flagged as a public record subject to disclosure under Washington State's public records law, RCW 42.56.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, JetBlue, Spirit, and Delta Airlines submitted requests to the U.S. Department of Transportation seeking permission to suspend flights to dozens of airports, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The airlines cited historically low passenger demand, with some flights carrying as few as two passengers on 162-seat aircraft, making continued service financially unsustainable. The requests were part of a broader industry effort to reduce operations despite minimum service requirements tied to CARES Act funding.

In February 2020, Washington State Representative Tina Orwall shared proposed new language for House Bill 2315 with a group of stakeholders, including attorneys and community advocates, seeking their feedback before a Senate hearing. The proposed legislative language outlines conditions under which individual properties near a port district could qualify for repeated soundproofing benefits, specifically when they experience increased aircraft noise or when previously installed sound mitigation equipment is found to be failing or defective. The bill would also require port districts to work with certified building inspectors or qualified contractors to assess whether failed soundproofing packages caused additional hazards or structural damage to affected properties.