Mayor Tony Anderson drew Suber Adam as his opponent for reelection to Council Position 4 in the SeaTac City Council as filing closed on Friday afternoon.

Anderson was first elected to the SeaTac Council in 2006 and was elected by council members as mayor in 2012. He is a commander in the Port of Seattle Police Department in the Professional Standards and Training Division.

Adam did not respond to an email seeking biographical information.

Incumbent Position 2 Council member Rick Forschler drew two opponents, Othman Heibe and Kathryn Campbell.

Forschler is completing his first term on the council and is retired from Boeing in the Manufacturing Engineering and Information Technology division. He is president of Washington Utility Inc.

Heibe and his wife have two children. He says he “was forced to flee a corrupt government and an environment of poverty and war. The United States lent me a hand, responding with warmth, opportunity and citizenship.”

Heibe says he is running because “I believe that SeaTac needs new leadership.”

Campbell said she was still working on her public biography.

Position 6 incumbent Pam Fernald drew one opponent, Joe Van.

Fernald was elected to the council in 2009. She is retired from Boeing after 38 years as a systems analyst and certified software test engineer

Chung “Joe” Van and his wife, Leslee, have lived in SeaTac for over 23 years. The Vans have three children in Highline Schools. Van is a graduate of Tyee High School, Highline Community College and the Des Moines Police Reserve Academy and works as a supervisor at Owens and Minor, a medical and surgical supply company.

A pickleball tournament will be served up at the SeaTac Community Center this weekend, with the best players from all over the country competing.

“Pickleball was invented in Seattle, and SeaTac will host the current men’s and women’s world champions this weekend,” said Jonathan Blake, who will be playing in the 4.0 division.

Blake adds that several local players from Burien will be competing in this National event, sponsored by the USA Pickleball Association.

The event kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning (May 18), and will go to at least 8 p.m. Saturday night. Play resumes at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning (May 19) and completes when the double elimination matches are over.

According to Wikipedia, Pickleball “…started during the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington at the home of Congressman Joel Pritchard, U.S. House of Representatives for the State of Washington. He and two of his friends, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, returned from golf and found their families bored one Saturday afternoon. They attempted to set up badminton but no one could find the shuttlecock. They improvised with a whiffle ball, lowered the badminton net, and fabricated paddles of plywood from a nearby shed.”

Here are some videos of the game in case you’re not familiar with it:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Seatac Community Center is located at 13735 24th Ave S., SeaTac; 206-973-4680.

STB Real Estate Sponsor Prudential Northwest’s Open House for this week is a cute Craftsman that’s all NEW inside!

Beautiful living room with brick & slate fireplace, large Kitchen, petite Dining Room or Den and much more!

The main floor Master has a big closet and gorgeous tiled bath, there’s a 1+ extra finished room or 2 bedrooms up with storage, along with a main floor utility/mud room, patio, fully fenced yard, stone BBQ, fire pit, carport and workshop.

Oh and did we mention it’s priced to sell at just $214,700…AND there’s a $5,000 Buyer Bonus w/full price offer!

Here are some pics (click images to see larger versions):

Here are the details:

WHAT: Prudential NW Open House

WHEN: Sunday, May 19, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

WHERE: 10027 17th Ave SW, Seattle 98146-3702

INFO:

• List Price: $214,700
• MLS Number: 446881
• Bedrooms: 3
• Bathrooms: 1
• Year Built: 1954
• Approximate House SqFt: 1,482
• Lot SqFt: 5,624 sf

Site Features:

• Cable TV
• Dog Run
• Fenced-Fully
• Outbuildings
• Patio
• RV Parking
• Shop

Marketing remarks:

$5000 Buyer Bonus w/Full Price Offer! Cute Craftsman,

All NEW Inside!

Beautiful Living Rm w/Brick & Slate FP. Large Kitchen, Petite Dining Rm or Den. Main Floor Master w/Big Closet, Gorgeous Tiled Bath. 1+ Extra Finished Rm or 2 Bedrms Up w/Storage.

Main Flr Utility/Mud Rm, Patio & Fully Fenced Yard, Stone BBQ & Fire Pit, Carport & Workshop. Alley Access, Addl Pkg.

Bsmnt “Person Cave”, High Ceiling & Sep Entry.

Zoned R24 Multi-Fam on Double Lot.

NOT a Short Sale, Bank or Flip! Can Close Quick!

Click here to see the full, detailed listing.

Click here to view all of Prudential Northwest’s Open Houses.

by Earl Gipson

As promised I and fellow readers Vicki Lockwood, and Erin Sitterley read the 9 page Initiative imposing on our employers a minimum $15.00 per hour plus benefits for Hospitality/Transportation workers along with City management thereof into the record at the Council Meeting Tuesday.

Everyone there was well behaved (or more likely sat in stunned silence) as it was proposed the City take over wage/employment management of SeaTac’s largest employers. Since no one could comment for or against the insanity (as the City Staff/Council warned us) I could not mention our bought and paid for Council members who were behind this. That will be at a future Council meeting.

So what will our SeaTac businesses get for this imposed largesse? Bupkis, nada, zero. Not even a free ticket out of town. Where do the citizens think the tax revenue for roads, parks, fire, and police will come from when businesses start leaving? Denny’s, etc need not worry. The unions are only harassing our largest employers. How did that work for Detroit? Didn’t the cars makers just say toodles? The unions may think the employers are backed into a corner (bought Council members included) but history says people fight back when put in that position. The City giving some 3,000 service workers a 66 percent raise with other people’s money for the same job – sounds incredible but that is what is proposed.

So what do the service employees get for all this? Well for one less jobs if this passes. A career path that leads nowhere. The motivation to better oneself, in the toilet. And finally a dependency on a City government (by fiat) to take care of them in perpetuity.

What do the Citizens of SeaTac get for all this? Emptier streets, emptier buildings, and economic development stopped in its tracks. We will also get more of the highly touted diversity except they will just be unemployed waiting for the 100 or so service jobs left.

Hey, lets look at the bright side. I could be wrong (doubt it). What they will say about what’s left of SeaTac is that they built a utopia and no one showed up or left as soon as possible.

The Highline School District announced Tuesday (May 14) that “more extensive staff training and strong coordination with local law enforcement are the hallmarks of a proposal to improve safety and security” at local schools.

The proposal (download PDF here) will be presented to the community at a public meeting from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at the ERAC Center on Monday, May 20.

“If adopted by the school board, the district Safety and Security plan would not bring major changes to staff structure,” reads an announcement. “It does call for significant improvements in the extent and types of training required of Safety and Security officers. It also outlines joint training and collaboration with local law enforcement agencies.”

The proposal includes a vision statement and guiding principles that emphasize building relationships with students as a way to prevent school violence. It envisions Safety and Security personnel as mentors who students trust to help them solve issues that could lead to conflicts at school. The plan includes a rigorous hiring process to ensure that the best candidates are selected as Safety and Security staff.

The proposal was developed after several months of study that included input from staff and community members. The police chiefs of Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien, and SeaTac and the South Precinct Commander from the King County Sheriff’s Office gave input on the plan. Safety consultant Roger Baker, a retired Des Moines police chief, did an analysis of the current safety program and made recommendations for improvement.

The public is invited to learn about the proposal at a community meeting:

Monday, May 20, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

District Central Office (ERAC)

15675 Ambaum Blvd SW, Burien

As many of our Readers may recall, the school district recently denied reports that it was going to disarm its security guards – read our coverage about that here.

For the past several days, a proposal by an outside group to raise some minimum salaries almost $6 an hour above the state minimum and impose mandatory paid sick leave for transportation and hospitality workers in have caused some concerns in the city.

As e-mails and talks ratcheted up and, with some certain this was a scheme of the SeaTac City Council majority, the city took the unusual course on Monday and issued a press release that said the “independent group known as the SeaTac Committee for Good Jobs” was proposing the ordinance and was in the midst of getting 1,541 signatures to ensure the measure goes before voters if council did not pass it first.

The 1,541 signatures is equal to 15 percent of the number of people who voted in the 2011 city election, and the required number to ensure the measure goes on the next ballot if the council does not pass it.

“While the city will follow through on the initiative process as required by state law and city code, the initiative was filed by the independent group,” the city news release said (download a PDF of the proposed initiative here).

Some observers had suggested that the 4-to-3 split on the current City Council meant that the majority was pushing the measure as a way to pay for the support of various unions at the 2011 election.

In effect, the news release on Monday discounted that thought (download PDF here).

Pay raise to $15
The proposed ordinance would raise minimum wages from the state’s current $9.19 per hour to $15 an hour for all workers defined to be in the hospitality and transportation businesses inside SeaTac.

The wage rate would remain in effect until Jan. 15, 2015 when “this living wage shall be adjusted to maintain employee purchasing power by increasing the current year’s wage rate by the rate of inflation.” That revaluation will take place every year thereafter, the proposal says.

In addition, the proposed ordinance says, “tips, gratuities, service charges and commissions shall not be credited” as part the wage rate. Tips and service fees “shall be retained by or paid to the non-managerial, nonsupervisory … workers who perform (the) services.”

Paid sick and ‘safe time’
If the paid sick time is approved, SeaTac will be the second city in King County to have such a provision since Seattle passed a paid sick leave ordinance in September, 2011.

The SeaTac proposal says, “A covered worker shall accrue at least one hour of paid sick and safe time for every 40 hours worked” and workers “entitled to use any accrued hours of compensated time as soon as those hours have accrued.”

The worker does not need a note from a doctor or any other “certification of illness” to get the full wage sick pay. Any accrued time must be paid to the worker at the end of the year.

Pay for “safe time” is to cover certain needs concerning health problems at a school or because of “domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or to attend to health care treatment.”

Looking for the proposer
A Google search for the “SeaTac Committee for Good Jobs” resulted in no results other than items involving the city’s news release and media reports on this proposal.

The matter may or may not surface at the Tuesday afternoon and evening SeaTac City Council study session or regular Council meeting.

The SeaTac news release Monday said only that the Council would vote on the proposal if the required number of signatures were presented.

The city release said, “It has come to the attention of the City of SeaTac that members of the public may attend upcoming council meetings to comment on the proposed initiative. While the city understands that members of the public may have strong opinions on either side of this issue, it is imperative that city facilities not be used to either promote or oppose any current or proposed ballot measure.”

The release added that under state laws and guidelines “the city wants to advise that members of the public and council shall not give comments regarding a political candidate or a ballot proposition pursuant to RCW 42.17A.555. In the event anyone begins making comments in violation of this statute, any member of the council, city clerk or the city attorney may interrupt with a point of order in order to ensure compliance with state law.”

A critic of the SeaTac Council, and SeaTac Blog columnist Earl Gipson (“The Cactus Speaks”) said he would address the matter at the session.

“I plan on reading the entire Minimum Work Standard Initiative into the Public record on Tuesday with no comment either way and according to my attorneys (who may be with me also), this will not violate any RCW or comment policy. I may be able to do it within 10 minutes (and will have a group) and if not will have another group to finish and another if necessary.”

There was no comment from the city and a call seeking comment from City Manager Todd Cutts was not returned.

STB Real Estate Sponsor Prudential Northwest’s Open House for this week is a ready-to-move-in, lovingly cared for partial sound/mountain view home in Des Moines – the perfect Mother’s Day gift!

With 5 bedrooms and 3 baths in a spacious 2600 square foot living space, this home includes a remodeled kitchen with granite countertops, soft-close cabinets, remodeled bath off master, family/rec room, patio, BBQ friendly view deck, hottub/spa in low maintenance yard…AND…a garage with pit and shop area, room for RV parking and more.

In fact, there’s too much to mention so just show up Sunday!

Here are some pics (click images to see larger versions):

Here are the details:

WHAT: Prudential NW Open House

WHEN: Sunday, May 12, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

WHERE: 1034 S 234 St Pl, Des Moines, WA 98188

INFO:

• List Price: $375,000
• MLS Number: 482989
• Bedrooms: 5
• Bathrooms: 2.25
• Year Built: 1963
• Approximate House SqFt: 2600
• Lot SqFt: 8,500 sf

Site Features:

• Cable TV
• Deck
• Fenced-Partially
• High Speed Internet
• Hot Tub/Spa
• RV Parking
• Shop

Marketing remarks:

Just move in, lovingly cared for PARTIAL SOUND/ mountain view home, in pride of ownership area, 5 br. 3 bath, spacious 2600 sq. ft. living space, rmd. kitchen, granite countertops, soft close cabinets, rmd. bath off master, oversized fm/rec room, patio, bbq friendly view deck, hottub/ spa in low maintaince yard, garage with pit and shop area, rv pk, port package…too much to mention!

Click here to see the full, detailed listing.

Click here to view all of Prudential Northwest’s Open Houses.

The open house and public hearing is set to review the proposed recommendations for minimizing aircraft noise impacts on airport communities. At this fifth and final public meeting, the public can offer formal comment on the Draft Part 150 Noise Study and required State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) study in writing or with a court reporter.

This Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 150 Noise and Land-Use Compatibility Study update is designed to evaluate existing noise levels, predict noise for the next five years, evaluate potential noise mitigation ideas and recommend programs to minimize impacts.

The following are a few of the draft recommendations – based on study input from the community, Port of Seattle Commission and technical experts – which will be described in detail at the meeting:

• Continue offering sound insulation for eligible single-family residences located within the updated noise remedy boundary
• Offer new sound insulation programs for eligible condominiums located within the update boundary
• Establish a pilot program to insulate apartment buildings located within the updated boundary
• Offer a voluntary buyout program for existing residential mobile homes located on privately-owned land within the updated boundary
• Offer an option for voluntary sale to the Port of eligible residential properties located within the south approach transition zone of the third runway
• Evaluate the feasibility, possible locations, costs and operational impacts of building a Ground Run-up Enclosure to reduce noise during aircraft engine testing on the airfield

For details and a list of libraries where you can review the complete study document, visit the website. You can request a CD copy by calling 206-787-4944.

Options for submitting formal comments include: Email to SEApart150comments@landrum-brown.com, fax to 513-530-2201 or mail to Rob Adams, Landrum & Brown, 11279 Cornell Park Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45242.

The Part 150 Study comment period, which is also the comment period for the SEPA review for the study, ends on May 30. Feedback gathered at the public meeting and during the comment period will be taken into consideration before a final set of recommended programs is sent to the Port of Seattle Commission for approval this summer.

STB Real Estate Sponsor Prudential Northwest’s Open House for this week – both Saturday and Sunday – is a charming, cute and cozy two-bedroom home in Gregory Heights!

This home is simple, very comfortable and affordable at just $229,950.

Turn key, immaculate, with hardwood floors in the kitchen, hall, bath and utility room.

Sip your coffee on the entertainment size back deck or under the covered little patio area. It feels like you are at a cabin somewhere with all the lush greenery & trees!

Here are some pics (click images to see larger versions):

Here are the details:

WHAT: Prudential NW Open House

WHEN: TWO DAYS – Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

WHERE: 15632 10th Ave SW Burien, WA 98166

INFO:

• List Price: $229,950
• MLS Number: 481929
• Bedrooms: 2
• Bathrooms: 1.00
• Year Built: 1959
• Approximate House SqFt: 800
• Lot SqFt: 7,632 sf

Site Features:

• Deck
• Disabled Access
• Fenced-Partially
• Fruit Trees
• Garden Space

Marketing remarks:

Charming, cute & cozy are the 3 “C” words that describe this home!

This home is simple & very comfortable. Turn key & immaculate.

Hardwd flrs in the kitchen, hall, bath & utility rm.

Sip your coffee on the entertainment size back deck or under the covered little patio area.

It feels like you are at a cabin somewhere with all the lush greenery & trees! Truly is an Oasis!

Gas heat and H2O.There is a great mud rm off the front door.

Possible 3rd bedrm behind garage.

Tons of storage under the house!

Click here to see the full, detailed listing.

Click here to view all of Prudential Northwest’s Open Houses.

by Earl Gipson

I needed a few laughs Tuesday so I wandered over to the joint SeaTac City Council/Planning Commission meeting. I was not disappointed and it started almost immediately.

First off our Community and Economics Director introduced our new Planning Manager, Steve Pilcher (previous Community Development Director of Black Diamond). Un-elected Mayor Anderson then turns and says ‘is that the same Steve Pilcher I went to high school with?’ Turns out why yes, yes it is. Okay before anyone gets any ideas – this could be totally coincidental and/or passes for disclosure in the City of SeaTac. I had to leave the room so my snickering did not disturb the meeting but that’s just me.

The Commissioners and Council Members then dived right into the issues as in what the heck happened on the parking codes when the Council ignored EVERY ADVISORY committee’s recommendations after 3 years of work (including the staff)? Did we miss a meeting that happened between certain Council members? Un-elected Mayor Anderson stated no, “that would be illegal.” Well duh. But when 3 of our Council Members were as blindsided as the Commissioners and there was no discussion prior to the other 4 deciding the recommendations were to be ignored you have to wonder (and unfortunately the Angle Lake Council members spring to mind). I didn’t leave this time, just snickered very quietly. And to some of the other people there I saw you crack a smile too.

Mr. Anderson, did you and Mr. Pilcher play basketball together?

As they hemmed and hawed about how to fix the “communication” issues between the Council and Commission I began to realize the only thing changing was the clock on the wall. Yes the Commission annual action plan will be submitted and yes the Commission will be invited to discuss issues jointly at the next Council retreat. As with most government entities the solution will be more meetings. Maybe something useful will result like filling a hot air balloon.

Did you guys have a secret handshake?

One of the issues on the Commission’s agenda was the perception that the Angle Lake Council members may not be as transparent as they should be. Unexpectedly, un-elected Mayor Anderson skipped over that particular item. I went and had a politically incorrect smoke break.

Did you date any of the same girls?

Last but not least of the laughs, Council Member Gregerson suggested everyone become educated on the issues and possibly attend some classes offered. I wonder if her home contains any mirrors.

That’s all for now. I’m off to see what Mr. Pilcher did for/to the City of Black Diamond. Forever the optimist I hope its good stuff.