Tagcommunity engagement(222)

The Port of Seattle's Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion presented its Workforce Development Programs at the Highline Forum in July 2022, highlighting a $3.7 million investment in port-related industries including aviation, maritime, and construction. In 2021, the programs resulted in 1,312 job placements, 259 training completions, and support for 291 youth earning $16–$20 per hour through the Opportunity Youth Initiative. The effort aims to provide equitable access to quality careers for women and diverse communities in the greater Seattle region.

This document is a presentation from a Highline College Forum held on July 27, 2022, marking the college's 60th anniversary celebration spanning 2021-2022. It highlights the college's degree pathway offerings across areas such as STEM, Business, Health, and the Arts, accessible through pathways.highline.edu. The presentation does not contain content directly related to Sea-Tac Airport noise policy.

The Highline Forum held a hybrid meeting on July 27, 2022, hosted by Highline College, focused on the theme of Workforce Development in the Highline area. Representatives from the Port of Seattle, Highline College, Highline School District, and the City of Burien presented on local workforce development efforts and needs. The meeting was part of a series of six bimonthly Highline Forum sessions scheduled throughout 2022, with the next meeting planned for September 28, 2022, hosted by Highline School District.

The Sea-Tac Communities Plan was a federally funded, eighteen-month study sponsored by King County and the Port of Seattle to assess noise, air, and water quality impacts from Sea-Tac Airport and develop an airport master plan and land-use/zoning plan for surrounding neighborhoods. The Environmental Development Commission invited residents, community clubs, and local interest groups to participate in initial public meetings held at Highline and Thomas Jefferson High Schools in March. A central goal of the plan was to maximize citizen involvement in both the development and implementation of policies shaping the future of Sea-Tac Airport and its neighboring communities.

In this letter, resident Mrs. Virginia E. Dana strongly opposes plans to place soccer and football fields under the flight path near Sea-Tac Airport, arguing that the FAA's own density guidelines and safety recommendations are being ignored. She references a 1974 FAA letter stating that certain land uses would not be permitted in extended clear zones with FAA participation, and criticizes Highline planners for repeatedly siting recreational facilities in inappropriate locations near the airport. Dana urges officials to hold public meetings and transparently inform neighboring residents about the planning process, including FAA guidelines and maps.

Letter from KCIACC and community organizations supporting Ordinance 2022-0011, which calls for environmental and health impact assessments at King County International Airport and establishment of a community-led advisory committee. The letter emphasizes the need for community benefits agreements and environmental justice for communities disproportionately impacted by airport operations.

At a May 2022 Highline Forum meeting, Federal Way resident Bernedine Lund criticized the Port of Seattle's StART program for reducing transparency in its annual reporting, noting that the 2021 report replaced detailed meeting summaries with a glossy, brochure-style format lacking substantive information. She further raised concerns that StART Steering Committee meetings, which began in 2021 and include outside parties like the FAA, have no published minutes or summaries, leaving the public no way to know what decisions were made. Lund argued this lack of openness is especially problematic given that the Port of Seattle is a publicly funded taxing district supported by local property taxes.

Mayor Jim Ferrell presented a City of Federal Way update to The Highline Forum on May 25, 2022, framing the post-COVID reopening period as an opportunity rather than a challenge. The 2022 State of the City address highlighted five key focus areas: the city's COVID-19 response, the municipal budget, economic development, public safety, and the city's approach to addressing homelessness.

The Highline Forum held a virtual meeting on March 23, 2022, hosted by the City of Des Moines, focusing on the 2021 StART (Sea-Tac Airport Roundtable) Annual Report and the selection of a new Community Co-Chair. The meeting, conducted via Microsoft Teams, included presentations by Port of Seattle representatives and BDS Planning Urban Design on airport noise mitigation efforts affecting Highline-area communities. The document also lists all six 2022 Highline Forum meeting dates, with hosts ranging from local cities such as Tukwila, Federal Way, and SeaTac to institutions like Highline College and the Highline School District.

ABCx2, LLC submitted Invoice #1252 to Arlington County for $14,250.50, representing the final bill for Phase II consulting services related to airport noise analysis, including tasks such as a Fly Quiet Report, Volume 3 Report, NADP 1 vs. 2 Analysis, and community engagement activities. The project spanned April 2021 through February 2022, totaling 532.6 hours and $150,000 in consulting fees billed at $250 per hour across a team of consultants. The invoice was approved for payment on May 19, 2022, by Arlington County's Richard I. Roisman.