TagStART(508)

In August 2022, community advocate David Goebel filed a written public comment objecting to the Port of Seattle's switch from standard Zoom meetings to a restricted 'Webinar Panelist' format for its SeaTac Airport Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART) meetings. Under the new format, members of the public are invisible 'observers' with no chat access, and can only speak for two minutes when their microphone is briefly enabled by the facilitator. Goebel argues this change fundamentally reduces transparency and genuine public engagement compared to the previous format, where all participants—including the public—were visible to meeting members.

The Burien Airport Committee held a meeting on August 16, 2022, via Zoom to discuss issues related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and its impact on the Burien community. Agenda items included feedback from a public education booth at a local block party, updates on the SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART), the Inflation Reduction Act's grants to reduce air pollution at ports, and federal legislative updates. The committee also reviewed draft minutes from its July 19, 2022 meeting, where members had discussed public education initiatives and airport-related environmental concerns.

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 Burien Airport Committee held a meeting on July 19, 2022, via Zoom to discuss issues related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including a review of a draft FAA reauthorization letter, updates on the SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART), and a Climate Action Plan update. The agenda also included approval of minutes from previous May and June 2022 meetings and federal legislative updates presented by Mayor Sofia Aragon. Members of the public could submit comments by email, text, or Zoom prior to and during the meeting.

The Burien Airport Committee held a meeting on June 21, 2022, via Zoom to discuss topics related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including updates on the Port of Seattle's climate initiatives and their connection to Burien's Climate Action Plan, activities from the SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART), and federal legislative updates. The committee also reviewed draft minutes from its May 19, 2022, meeting. Public participation was accepted via email, text, or online Zoom attendance, with comments limited to two minutes per speaker.

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.

The Highline Forum held its May 25, 2022 meeting, hosted by the City of Federal Way, with a focus on Economic Development and Tourism. The hybrid meeting, held at Federal Way City Hall and via Microsoft Teams, featured updates from the Port of Seattle on economic development and a StART (Sea-Tac Airport Roundtable) briefing by Aviation Managing Director Lance Lyttle. The document also lists all six Highline Forum meeting dates for 2022, with hosts ranging from local cities to Highline College and the Highline School District.

This document contains the agenda and draft minutes for the Burien Airport Committee's special meeting held on May 19, 2022, covering topics related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac). Key agenda items included a presentation on Burien's Climate Action Plan, an update on the SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART), and consideration of a draft letter requesting that the Port of Seattle ask the FAA for a longer review period for the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The attached April 19, 2022 draft minutes document the prior meeting's proceedings, including unanimous approval of the March 15, 2022 meeting minutes.

The Burien Airport Committee held a meeting on May 17, 2022, to discuss several aviation-related topics, including a request to the Port of Seattle to seek a longer FAA review period for the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), updates on federal legislation, and a presentation on Burien's Climate Plan. The committee also reviewed draft minutes from its April 19, 2022 meeting, during which all members were present and routine business was conducted. Public participation was available remotely via Zoom, email, or text due to ongoing pandemic-related restrictions on in-person meetings.

The Burien Airport Committee held meetings in March and April 2022 to address issues related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including noise remediation for Burien residents and aviation-related city ordinances. Agenda items included updates on the SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART), a review of the committee's draft workplan, and federal legislative updates. A Port of Seattle representative presented information on how other cities handle aviation noise through local codes and ordinances.