TagStART(542)

The Des Moines Airport Advisory Committee met on February 9, 2026, at City Council Chambers in Des Moines, Washington, to address agenda items including approval of January meeting minutes, community complaints and communications, and updates on the Sea-Tac Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART) and the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The attached January 12, 2026 meeting minutes show the committee approved its workplan and prior meeting minutes by a 4-0 vote, with one member absent. These meetings reflect ongoing local government engagement with Sea-Tac Airport noise and development policy issues affecting the Des Moines community.

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.

The Des Moines, WA City Council is reviewing a 2026 workplan for its Airport Advisory Committee, an advisory body created in June 2025 to address issues related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The workplan focuses primarily on the airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) and its environmental review process, with the committee advocating for expanded air quality monitoring, a more comprehensive traffic impact analysis, and stronger noise mitigation measures for affected residents. The committee also plans to conduct a community survey in mid-2026 to gauge public awareness of the airport's projected operational growth and its impacts on the Des Moines community.

The StART Policy Working Group met on January 5, 2026 to plan advocacy efforts at the state and federal level on behalf of communities neighboring Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Key topics included organizing a State Day on the Hill in Olympia on February 3, reviewing a proposed study on the airport's socioeconomic and health impacts on surrounding communities, and discussing a recent federal legislative win allowing the FAA to fund secondary noise insulation repair and replacement at airports like SEA. The group also addressed how to handle items lacking full consensus on their State Legislative Agenda, including a contentious airport-related bill expected to be revised in the upcoming session.

The 2025–2026 Priority Framework outlines a three-part strategic plan focused on reducing noise impacts, improving air quality, and managing airport growth around Sea-Tac Airport. Key actions include expanding sound insulation programs, monitoring ultrafine particle emissions and promoting sustainable aviation fuel, and assessing the Airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) alongside studies for a potential second airport. The framework connects foundational values and intended community impacts to specific legislative priorities and shared actions at both the strategic and tactical levels.

The SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART) held a virtual meeting on December 17, 2025, covering the FAA's Instrument Flight Procedures process, a review of StART's 2025/26 priorities, and updates on aviation noise, policy working group activities, and the Sustainable Airport Master Plan. StART serves as a forum for cooperation between the Port of Seattle and communities neighboring Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The meeting also featured a presentation from representatives of other airport community roundtables and included time for public comment.