The committee considered a staff proposal to notify property owners that historic race- or faith-restrictive covenants exist in the chain of title for some properties in the city and to offer guidance on how those covenants may be removed.

Keith Nevin, the citys community development director, said city research identified about 288 properties within Federal Way with recorded covenants that include race-based restrictions dating to when the area was under King Countys jurisdiction. Nevin emphasized the covenants are already legally void and unenforceable under current law, but many property owners may not know the restrictive language remains on title documents.

Staff offered three options: do nothing; send a notice to property owners advising them of the existence of the covenant and where to get information on removal; or offer active assistance from the city to help remove covenants (which would require staff time and legal support). After discussion council members expressed a preference for notifying owners and providing clear, actionable guidance. Several council members urged including King Countys step-by-step instructions and a web link; others asked about recording fees and whether the county would waive costs. Staff confirmed that King Countys process for recording covenant-modification documents does not charge a fee and that the county has an existing online resource.

The committee voted to forward a notice to affected property owners (option 1 with added explicit instructions and links) to the council consent agenda. Council members discussed outreach and whether the city should host informational sessions; the majority supported sending the notice with clear next-step instructions and linking to King County resources rather than creating a staff-run assistance program at this time.