TagCity of Burien(240)

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a procedural order on February 5, 2026, in two consolidated cases where Vashon Island Fair Skies and the City of Burien are challenging Federal Aviation Administration decisions, with the Port of Seattle as an intervenor. The court denied a request by petitioners to file separate opening briefs, and also denied—without prejudice—their request to file an oversized consolidated brief, requiring them to resubmit that request with a copy of the proposed brief attached. Key upcoming deadlines set by the court include the consolidated opening brief due March 30, 2026, the answering brief due April 29, 2026, and the Port of Seattle's intervenor brief due May 13, 2026.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an order on February 5, 2026, in two consolidated cases challenging Federal Aviation Administration decisions related to Sea-Tac Airport, brought by Vashon Island Fair Skies and the City of Burien. The court denied petitioners' request to file separate opening briefs and also denied, without prejudice, their request to file an oversized consolidated brief. Key upcoming deadlines set by the court include a consolidated opening brief due March 30, 2026, a consolidated answering brief due April 29, 2026, and an intervenor brief from the Port of Seattle due May 13, 2026.

The City of Burien’s 2026 state legislative agenda outlining priorities across three main areas: Healthy and Thriving Communities, Quality of Life and Economic Development, and Behavioral Health. The agenda includes requests for housing funding, migrant assistance, property tax cap revisions, infrastructure investments, and behavioral health workforce development.

The Burien City Council agenda for January 26, 2026 includes a presentation by Burien Airport Committee Representatives to StART (Sea-Tac Airport Roundtable) regarding their decision not to attend the 'Day on the Hill' legislative advocacy event in Olympia. The meeting also covers routine city business including budget amendments, transportation planning, and human services funding allocations. Airport noise policy stakeholders may find the StART representatives' discussion relevant to ongoing community engagement efforts around Sea-Tac Airport impacts.

This is the City of Burien, Washington's adopted biennial budget for January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026, covering all city funds, revenues, and expenditures across departments including Police, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, and Community Development. The document outlines the city's financial plan, capital improvement projects for parks and transportation infrastructure, and fund allocations for services such as surface water management and street maintenance. Note: this document does not address Sea-Tac Airport noise policy and contains no noise mitigation content.

The Port of Seattle responds to Burien's City Council regarding its Sound Insulation Repair and Replacement Pilot Program, explaining that the $5 million program targets homes insulated before 1993 that still measure at or above 45 dB DNL interior noise levels. Of 262 eligible homes in the highest noise zones tested so far, only 5 qualified for repairs, suggesting older insulation packages are still performing acoustically. The Port plans to expand testing to 209 additional homes in early 2026 and may access FAA grants covering up to 80% of design and construction costs.

Three cities near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — SeaTac, Des Moines, and Burien — are challenging a September 2025 FAA decision that declared a major airport expansion plan would have no significant environmental impact. The cities argue the FAA's environmental review was legally flawed because it used an artificially narrow baseline, ignored cumulative effects, and underestimated impacts on noise, air quality, and traffic in surrounding communities. The case is being heard in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals alongside a related challenge brought by Vashon Island Fair Skies, with the FAA seeking to consolidate both cases.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has opened a case (No. 25-7439) in which the cities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac are jointly challenging the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation over airport-related policy. The petitioning cities must submit mediation questionnaires by December 1, 2025, and file their opening briefs by February 13, 2026, with federal respondents' answering briefs due March 16, 2026. Failure by the cities to meet the opening-brief deadline could result in dismissal of the case.