Tagcommunity engagement(226)

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.

ABCx2, LLC submitted Invoice #1244 to Arlington County on February 5, 2022, for $4,687.50 in Phase II consulting services related to airport noise mitigation and flight procedure analysis. The work, covering January 2022, included community meeting preparation, review of GPS approach procedures and Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs), and meetings with county officials and aviation stakeholders. The invoice represents part of a larger $150,000 Phase II project, of which approximately $133,249.50 had been billed through January 2022.

Snohomish County is developing a 20-year Master Plan for Paine Field Airport near Everett, WA, driven by growing aviation demand and Sea-Tac International Airport approaching its capacity limits. The plan examines existing facilities, passenger and cargo forecasts, and development alternatives, with passenger volume projected to exceed 4 million annually by 2040. Public input is being gathered through online open houses and community engagement sessions throughout the planning process.

This document is an invoice dated January 4, 2022, from ABCx2, LLC to the County of Arlington for aviation consulting services totaling $15,787, covering Phase II work ($9,750) and the final Phase I public meeting activities ($6,037). An accompanying project budget summary shows the full consulting engagement spanned from April 2020 through December 2021, with a total project budget of $250,000 spread across multiple billing periods and consultant categories. The work appears related to NextGen air traffic modernization initiatives, focusing on safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible flight procedures.

A November 2021 City of SeaTac/Highline Forum presentation reviewed the city's COVID-19 financial recovery, noting that while sales tax revenues rose 50% compared to 2020, they remained 27.4% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Parking tax revenues also continued to lag significantly, down 72% in 2020 and still down 42% in 2021, reflecting the ongoing impact of reduced airport activity on city finances.

The Port of Seattle's South King County Fund (SKCF), launched in 2019, provides grants to build equity-based partnerships in communities near Sea-Tac Airport. In 2020, the fund distributed $1.5 million across Environmental, Economic Recovery, and WMBE (Women and Minority Business Enterprise) programs, supporting 27 projects; funding increased to $2 million in 2021. The program aims to address environmental and economic impacts on South King County residents through targeted community investment.