The Burien Council approved on May 15 an additional $764,000 for the new City Hall/King County Regional Library project.

On April 24, city Finance Director Linda Gorton reminded the lawmakers prior to their vote, they agreed to add 2,600 square feet to the planned city hall.

In addition to the physical space, the costs of a council dais and furniture are included in the supplemental appropriation.

Other factors that caused the need for additional funds, Gorton continued, are an earlier shortfall of $81,000, a King County Library System spreadsheet error of $331,000; and wiring, permits and interim move costs.

To cover these expenses, the council will charge $450,000 in furniture and equipment to the city's equipment Reserve Fund. The remaining $314,000 will be paid with funds that have been set aside for unanticipated Town Square expenses in the Parks Acquisition and Development Fund.

Gorton stressed that money has been set aside in the Parks Acquisition Fund in case it was needed for Town Square, not because the city knew it would be needed.

"It's important to note that the idea of new furniture is not just to have new furniture," said Councilwoman Rose Clark.

"It is because the company that we bought the current partitions and all from is no longer there. The partitions have changed and it would be very unwise to jury-rig this together."

By adding the extra 2,600 square feet now, instead of waiting until later, the city is saving a substantial amount of money, Gorton noted.

Lawmakers also approved an amendment to the Interlocal Agreement with the library system for joint development of the city hall/library building, which states that the city is responsible for one-third of the project costs. The library system will fund the other two thirds of the cost.

In other developments, Victor Obeso, manager of development for the King County Department of Transportation, Division of Transit, told the council if the Transit NOW initiative is approved, it would add 21 million rides annually to Metro bus service.

If passed, the county wise initiative would provide 200 more buses, 700,000 new hours of bus service, and 60,000 more weekday rides to the county.

To do this, Metro would collect an additional one-tenth of 1 percent of sales tax in King County.

"One-tenth, or one penny on each $10 purchase in King County, would generate approximately $50 million in new transit revenues annually, and it would cost an average household $25 per year in sales tax, Obeso said.

"I congratulate you on trying to fill the big gaps we have in our transit system," said Councilwoman Sally Nelson.

Mayor Joan McGilton noted she is "still hearing that there isn't enough express service to downtown. The community is still not comfortable with [bus No.] 120 diverting to the Delridge route and that we have lost service on First and Fourth avenues.

"I still hear mutterings out there as well for the lack of mid-day express service downtown. So I'm hoping you'll continue to talk to the city of Burien and see if we can't maximize some of these service concerns,"_ she declared.