[VIDEO] Burien and King County Present Opposing Narratives over Lawsuits

Burien is at extreme odds with King County, making residents and businesses conflicted and concerned about which narrative to believe.

On Monday, May 6, both King County and the Burien City Council held separate meetings in separate locations. King County chose to hold a meeting at the Highline PAC from 5:30pm - 6:50pm, with a "hard stop" just before the Burien City Council meeting was scheduled at 7:00pm.This forced some of the 100-plus people in attendance, including Chief Ted Boe, to rush from one meeting to another.Last week, we asked King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall to clarify why the timing was so close, and why the council was not alerted nor invited, but we received no answer.The King County meeting featured Sheriff Cole-Tindall and Chief Boe who each gave their rendition of what brought us to this current state in Burien. They were joined by a panel of three partner service providers: Susie Kroll (King County Mental Health Provider), Lisa Daugaard (Purpose, Dignity, and Action), and Aaron Burkhalter (LEAD - Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion). It was followed by a moderated "question and answer" session.The sheriff began by explaining they held the meeting to "talk about what the Sheriff's Office does" in the City of Burien. She explained that KCSO had been enforcing Burien City Council's Ordinance 827, which allowed campers to sleep on streets from 7pm-6am. However, on March 4, 2024, the council "repealed Ordinance 827" and "replaced it" with emergency Ordinance 832. The sheriff found it "unconstitutional," so she decided not to enforce it because "in [her] opinion and in the opinion of our county's legal counsel" there was a "substantive difference" between the two ordinances.  On March 7th, she directed her Burien deputies not to enforce Ordinance 832. She needed clarification around Ordinance 832, so she followed up by filing a complaint in federal court; they are waiting for that decision.The sheriff also mentioned that the local decision may be delayed due to a related Supreme Court decision in the case of Grant's Pass.Her reasons for concern included that the city wanted them to arrest homeless people, regardless of housing available, and lack of supportive outreach services. She cited that 37% of KCSO's calls for service are Burien-related. She wanted to assure Burien that they are "fighting crime" in their city.[videopress U2VIrhZ2]Chief Boe also spoke about the current Burien policing situation in Burien, explaining his perspectives: The previous 2023 Burien Council passed several policies and ordinances to address the growing homeless population. However, in November 2023, City of Burien residents elected several new councilmembers with different ideas on how to help people on the streets find the help they needed. Since they took office, the new council has been trying to address public health and safety needs of the entire community, included those currently unhoused. In that light, at the City Council Meeting, City Manager Adolfo Bailon gave, as part of his report, a recap of where the city stands regarding the dispute with King County.Many of Bailon’s comments directly opposed what the sheriff had just said in the King County meeting:

Meeting Location and Information from the Flyer:

• TITLE: Community Information Meeting
• DATE: May 6, 2024
• TIME: 5:30pm - 6:50pm
• LOCATION: Highline Performing Arts Center - Highline High School
• TOPIC: “Please join to learn about how the King County Sheriff’s Office and the Burien Police Dept are partnering to support public safety in the City of Burien.”
• PANELISTS: Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall, Chief Ted Boe, Susan Kroll (Mental Health Co-Responder), Lisa Daugaard (Purpose, Dignity, Action), Aaron Burkhalter (LEAD)

Burien-News will continue to report on this story as more information becomes available.