Morning Fizz: Meanwhile, In Burien...
Thought things had quieted down in Burien? Not a chance. The sheriff is out, the city manager has 911 on speed dial, and the council is still looking for ways to ban a tiny house village.
Thought things had quieted down in Burien? Not a chance. The sheriff is out, the city manager has 911 on speed dial, and the council is still looking for ways to ban a tiny house village.
1. Burien Police Chief Ted Boe resigned from his position on Monday after nearly three decades at the King County Sheriff's Office, which provides Burien's police force through a contact. On Wednesday, the city of Des Moines announced that Boe will be its new police chief.
The news came two months after Burien City Manager Adolfo Bailon informed Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall that he planned to look for a new police chief because "I can no longer state that I trust Chief Boe" to enforce the city's laws—specifically, a law that passed earlier this year banning unsheltered people from sleeping or "living" in public anywhere in the city. The sheriff's office sued the city over the ban earlier this year, calling it unconstitutional.
Boe was widely liked and respected among Burien residents and his own officers, dozens of whom signed a letter expressing "no confidence" in Bailon and Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling, who claimed the sheriff's office (and, by extension, Boe) was directly to blame for overdose deaths at encampments.
In a statement to PubliCola, Sheriff Cole-Tindall called Boe "an exemplary leader [and] a valued member of the command staff, evidenced by the staunch support of the community he serves and the officers who have served under him during his six years as the Burien Police Chief."
Bailon did not respond to PubliCola's questions, but a spokesperson for the city of Burien sent a statement in which he thanked Boe for his six years as police chief and said the city would work with the sheriff's office on the selection process for a new chief.
2. As his police chief looked for other jobs, Bailon was busy calling 911 to report apparently homeless people in the park next to City Hall for alleged offenses such "setting up a tarp," "not moving along," walking up to a van, "refusing to leave," possessing "bongs, foil, etc." and having their head under a towel, "so probably hi[gh]."
The 911 logs come courtesy of a PubliCola reader who requested Bailon's calls for emergency services. Over the course of five weeks earlier this year, Bailon called 911 42 times, or more than once, on average, every work day.
According to the records provided by the sheriff's office, Bailon frequently called 911 when he felt people were violating the camping ban or using drugs; many of the dispatchers' notes say Bailon confirmed that the people he was watching were high, or said they were setting up "tarp encampments."
Most of the records include officers' comments describing what they found when they responded to Bailon's calls. "There were three uninvolved males who were under a tarp but it was not a camp," one typical note says. "I advised them they were fine so long as they did not set up a camp and wished them a good day."
"People were there waiting for the person who stores their stuff to arrive," another note reads. "I smel[led] burnt pill but no one had paraphernalia. Very friendly and. understand group was educated of the camping laws and general trespass info. They were cleaning up to move." None of the calls appear to have led to an arrest, and several were downgraded in priority after officers responded.
3. The Burien City Council still has not approved a tiny house village that has, most recently, been proposed for a property owned by Seattle City Light near SeaTac Airport.
On Monday, June 3, the council punted on legislation that would effectively ban the tiny house village by setting the maximum lot size for transitional housing at two acres—less than half the size of the City Light lot. Councilmember Linda Akey asked for additional study to make sure two existing transitional housing sites that serve women would still be legal, and Councilmember Stephanie Mora proposed a new amendment requiring all transitional housing units to have "permanent foundations," which would permanently prohibit all tiny house-style modular shelters from the city.
I hope someone sets up a tent on the sidewalk outside Burien Mayor's house. What an ass.
It's getting embarrassing to live in Burien because of the heartless City Manager, Mayor and some of the other council members! There have been solutions offered and they can't seem to open their hearts and minds to options.