Burien council details ARPA-funded programs, directs staff to study animal-control options

Burien City Council reviewed progress on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)–funded projects on April 7, 2025, receiving updates from finance, information-technology, economic development, human services and public-works staff and directing staff to study animal-control policies and operations.

The report covered multiple ARPA initiatives adopted in 2022 and carried through 2024–26 funding windows. City staff said ARPA funds have supported a three-pronged enhanced public-safety initiative (a storefront deputy program, outreach and a co-response mental-health partnership), cybersecurity and meeting-technology upgrades, business-recovery and childcare programs, workforce development, human-services contracts, a septic-to-sewer conversion partnership and planning for a new public-works maintenance facility.

The council was told the city’s ARPA implementation plan allocated roughly $10.75 million across several “buckets,” with specific allocations including about $2.9 million for human services and staff-managed small-business and storefront-repair grants. Economic development staff said they have issued two rounds of small-business recovery grants (72 grants at $5,000 each), distributed roughly $100,000 in storefront-repair awards and contracted childcare-business development services to the Imagine Institute; staff said a minimum of nine new home-based child-care providers is expected from that program, with classes offered in English, Spanish and Somali.

Information-systems staff described recent cybersecurity work funded by ARPA: a new network-monitoring solution, replacement of older cameras in City Hall and the parking garage on a single platform, upgrades to hybrid meeting rooms and a third-party, around-the-clock security monitoring service plus a new firewall to reduce ransomware risk. Public-works staff described a Valley View Sewer District project to replace failing septic systems (a $4.15 million district project) and said the city is committing $400,000 to reduce storm/flood risk tied to that work; construction was expected to start in the coming months. Staff also reported progress on procuring equipment for a future public-works maintenance center and said feasibility-cost estimates for three siting options were due in April.

Human-services staff said ARPA allowed larger, multiyear contracts than the city’s usual general-fund grants, enabling deeper housing-stability, food-access and workforce investments; roughly half of the human-services allocation was spent within a year, staff said, and several contracts are expected to fully spend out before summer 2025. Economic-development staff said workforce grants are supporting Highline Public Schools’ construction pre-apprenticeship program and a new health-science pathway, plus other training and apprenticeship-preparation work.

On animal control, Deputy Mayor Sarah Moore described a recent, “shocking” personal incident and asked the council to direct staff to explore ways to enhance public safety around animal-control services, including public education, targeted outreach to code violators, enforcement, hours of operation and possible new code language. The city manager said staff are already coordinating department directors and the animal-control contractor and recommended assigning one or two council liaisons to shape staff work before a full council briefing; the council agreed that Deputy Mayor Moore and Council member Alex Andrade would coordinate with staff on that follow-up without making an immediate formal policy change.

Votes at a glance: the council took routine procedural actions early in the meeting. A motion to excuse Council members Stephanie Mora and Hugo Garcia was moved and seconded and carried unanimously (all five present voted yes). The agenda and the consent agenda were each moved, seconded and approved unanimously.

The council flagged sustainability and gateway-sign projects tied to earlier ARPA or related local initiatives, and several councilors expressed concern that many ARPA-funded programs are one-time investments that will need other funding sources after ARPA funds expire in 2026. Staff said federal Treasury reporting for ARPA is ongoing; initial reporting took the most staff time, and current compliance submissions are quicker though compiling underlying documentation still requires multi-hour staff work.

The meeting closed after a short public-comment period and routine business; councilors praised outgoing City Clerk Heather Dunlau for her service.