Burien council adopts revised rules of order after votes on land acknowledgement, proclamations and public-comment procedures

Burien, Wash. — The Burien City Council unanimously adopted an amended set of council rules of order at its Feb. 24 meeting after extended discussion and several separate votes on specific provisions.

The new rules include several specific directions the council approved during the session: the body directed staff to consult with the tribal entities originally involved in creating Burien’s Native land acknowledgment before deciding whether to change it; the council approved an amendment to allow up to 10 minutes for proclamation presentations; and the council moved the public-comment item earlier in the meeting agenda. Council members also debated but did not approve removing the council’s existing “two‑touch” consent process or limiting public comment to items on the agenda.

Why it matters: the rules of order set how the city conducts its meetings and how the public interacts with council business. The changes approved Tuesday are procedural but affect how and when residents can speak, how proclamations are handled, and how the council schedules and considers items.

Key actions and votes

- Council directed staff to consult tribal entities about the Native land acknowledgment before Council adopts any change. Motion by Deputy Mayor Sarah Moore; outcome: approved 6–1 (one councilmember opposed).

- Council approved an amendment increasing the maximum time for proclamation presentations from five minutes to 10 minutes. Motion by Councilmember Stephanie Mora; outcome: approved 6–1 (Mora opposed).

- Council voted to move the public-comment period earlier in the agenda (now under section 2.2.f). Motion and second recorded; outcome: unanimous approval.

- A motion to limit public comment to items on the consent or business agenda was moved by Councilmember Linda Achey and seconded by Councilmember Alex Andrade; the motion failed (2 in favor, 5 opposed).

- A motion to remove the council’s “two‑touch” process for items (a process that typically requires two meetings before some items advance) failed on a tie vote and remained in the adopted rules.

- Council adopted a change making the deputy-mayor term an annual election (one-year term). Motion to elect the deputy mayor annually passed 5–1–1 (five yeas, one nay, one abstention).

- The final motion to adopt the amended rules of order passed unanimously at the end of the meeting.

During the discussion council members and staff repeatedly emphasized that many of the edits were clarifications and reorganization of existing language rather than wholesale policy reversals. Deputy Mayor Sarah Moore and other council members urged consulting the tribal parties who helped craft the current land acknowledgment before any alteration.

Council requested staff to coordinate the consultation and report back; the adopted rules direct staff to contact the tribal entities that previously worked on the acknowledgment and return recommendations to the council for a future vote.

Next steps: staff will undertake the tribal coordination that Council directed, and the council’s clerk and city attorney will implement the administrative changes to agendas and meeting materials described in the adopted rules. The council announced the changes will take effect following the administrative updates and publication of the revised rules.

Ending: At roughly 7:50 p.m. the council recessed for an executive session on pending litigation per state law and later adjourned the regular meeting at about 8:00 p.m.