Tuesday, July 11, was the kind of night that probably made retired SeaTac Mayor Frank Hansen glad he was on a cruise instead of still sitting on the city council.

After a tiring 12-hour day in which lawmakers attended a council retreat followed by committee sessions and the regular meeting, they were on their last agenda item.

It was a motion to appoint committee members to prepare the statements for and against a proposed property tax levy lid lift to finance two new fire stations and the hiring of additional firefighters.

The original bill called for appointing the four people who had applied to write the statements.

Deputy Mayor Ralph Shape proposed an amendment naming Linda Snider, planning commission chairwoman, and Barry Ladenburg, Angle Lake Shore Club president, to write the pro position while appointing only planning commission member Joe Dixon to advocate opposition.

Hansen, the fourth applicant, would have been excluded from the voter's pamphlet if Shape's amendment passed.

Councilwoman Terry Anderson asked City Attorney Mary Mirante Bartolo why Mayor Gene Fisher did not just appoint the committee members.

Bartolo replied the council would have to ratify Fisher's decision, so they might as well vote on the appointments.

After confusion over the exact wording of Shape's amendment, lawmakers debated.

Shape said Hansen would be out of town for a month and a half before the Sept. 19 election.

Councilman Don DeHan replied that "in this technological age" Hansen's absence would not be an impediment to writing the statement.

Declared Councilwoman Anderson, "I have a sneaking suspicion he has already written it."

The amendment was defeated with only Shape supporting it. The original motion to appoint Hansen and the other three then passed unanimously.

Hansen was an original council member when SeaTac incorporated in 1989. He served two terms as mayor.

After 16 years on the council, Hansen did not run for re-election and was replaced by Tony Anderson in January.

Earlier in the meeting, lawmakers approved interim design standards for the area around the South 154th Street light-rail station that is under construction. The station is at International Boulevard (Highway 99) and South 154th Street.

According to Planning Director Steve Butler, the interim standards would allow a drive-through window at a proposed Starbucks.

Butler said his department is also working with a developer on a proposed park-n-fly facility.

Council members indicated they wanted retail development as part of the parking facility.

The council is expected to adopt final standards in November or December.

Lawmakers also approved an agreement with the Highline YMCA to provide recreational programs and low-income memberships for SeaTac residents.

The YMCA is relocating to a site in the city at South 188th Street and 37th Avenue South.

Councilman Joe Brennan said he thought the memberships should be for all city residents regardless of income.

"I want the YMCA, but I just want a fair deal for all SeaTac citizens," Brennan declared. "We didn't open it to be a social agency."

Jim Miller from the Highline YMCA said the agency offers memberships on a sliding-fee scale.

City manger Craig Ward added the YMCA would offer programs to SeaTac residents who are not members.

The lawmakers voted 6-1 with Brennan voting no to approve the agreement.

In other business, council members approved the extension of an agreement on the Mt. Rainier Pool in Des Moines that would reduce SeaTac's subsidy from $25,000 per year to $17,000 per year for 2007 to 2009.

SeaTac, Des Moines and Normandy Park subsidize capital expenses at the pool.

Parks Director Kit Ledbetter said the extension would also allow SeaTac to withdraw from the agreement when the YMCA with its planned pool opens.