Burien lawmakers indicated Sept. 25 they may appoint a blue ribbon committee to study North Highline annexation. Who would be on the committee was not decided.

Motivated by frustration over Seattle's lack of cooperation to find mutually acceptable annexation options, the Burien City Council voted Sept. 18 to designate all of North Highline their preferred alternative.

Council members voted 4-2 to study all of the unincorporated area for annexation.

Mayor Joan McGilton and members Rose Clark, Sally Nelson and Gordon Shaw voted yes, while Councilwomen Lucy Krakowiak and Sue Blazak voting against the proposal.

Deputy Mayor Jack Block Jr. abstained after noting he had a number of provisions to link to any annexation designation.

Last month the Burien council identified two locations in North Highline as preferred annexation areas. One was north of South 128th Street and south of South 116th Street, west of Glendale Way South and east of Ambaum Boulevard Southwest, known as "Area H."

The other, known as "Area G," was north of Southwest 116th Street and south of South 107th Street.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels countered with a proposal for his city to annex all but two areas of North Highline-areas H and I.

Elissa Bunton, annexation initiative manager for King County, said Nickels was willing to let Burien have those two areas. Area I is directly east of Glendale Way South.

But, said Burien Mayor Joan McGilton, those areas are "not an option."

"Why are we moving forward with the MOU (memorandum of understanding) when Seattle is not acting in good faith?" asked Councilmember Rose Clark. "He (Mayor Nickels) is not looking fairly at what it's going to cost a small city to run this (North Highline)."

Bunton also informed lawmakers that all but $2.9 million of a $10 million incentive package from King County for annexation has been "tagged" by other cities for other annexation areas in the county.

Designating an area annexing, and not taking all of it is a new concept to the MOU, Bunton added.

"We (King County) had intended for Seattle or Burien to take all of it. Having a contested PAA (potential annexation area) puts a wrench on our comprehensive plan."

Krakowiak voted against the preferred alternative after citing the lack of a human services budget in Burien's numbers.

"Going off of Seattle's $2.7 million budget for human services ...would not support any annexation," said Krakowiak.

But, countered Nelson, "I'm not inclined to accept Seattle's numbers."

Council members also discussed a letter that was sent by the Burien Residents Against Annexation Political Action Committee that stated they would start a recall petition on any councilmember who voted for a potential annexation area in any part of North Highline.

"My duty is to represent all citizens, not a few vocal minority groups," Block responded. "[I] will not be threatened or coerced."