Recent controversies over condemnation proceedings and the city's form of government were set aside as residents and staff celebrated on March 1 the City of SeaTac's 20th anniversary of incorporation.

The 12-square mile city with a population of about 25,000 was incorporated Feb. 28, 1990. At a ceremony in city council chambers, King County Executive Dow Constantine noted the city includes Sea-Tac International Airport, which handled 31 million passengers last year and is the nation's 18th busiest airport.

The Hanky Panky Band from the SeaTac Senior Center at the North SeaTac Community Center provided entertainment before the ceremony.

Frank Hansen, the city's first mayor, noted, "I can wax on for hours about our accomplishments."

But he said he preferred mentioning day-to-day achievements such as the domestic violence victim who received immediate help after contacting city staffers.

Hansen lamented the anger he said that has entered politics.

"My personal experience is that good people are elected and we have a hardworking staff," Hansen declared.

King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson, who served on SeaTac's first council, recalled how she got involved in politics.

She said she had been raised by a single mother in a farmhouse on South 188th Street and graduated from Bow Lake Elementary and Tyee High.

She said she and her husband Pat, currently SeaTac's facilities director, were raising three small children when she became concerned about crime along the Sea-Tac Strip.

King County was ignoring the area so Patterson said she became joined the incorporation effort and ran for a city council seat.

Talking to residents on their doorsteps about what they wanted from the city was "the best job interview I ever had," according to Patterson.

"Now I am serving on the same level of government that so angered me then," she added.

Interim City Manager Todd Cutts said the anniversary celebration had given him "a real appreciation for how far we've come since incorporation."

He talked about current projects including a city center, light-rail access and sidewalk construction.

Cutts also noted the city has recently purchased 4 1/2 acres across from the Tukwila light-rail station on South 154th Street. The former Funsters Casino is located on the purchased site.

Cutts also noted he is "impressed by how much the residents care about the city."

Cutts and Deputy Mayor Gene Fisher presented Mayor Terry Anderson a certificate for her 20 years of service on the city council. She is the only original member still on the council.

Anderson brought Betty Brennan up to the podium with her to accept the certificate. Betty Brennan was one of the organizers of the incorporation effort along with her husband Joe, who served on the council until his death in October 2008.

Anderson also reminded the audience that city workers "might not all be SeaTac residents but they care about the city."