Seattle city officials were expected to propose a compromise for annexation of the North Highline unincorporated area at the Burien City Council's Feb. 25 meeting.
Both Burien and Seattle have designated all of North Highline as a potential annexation area.
Tukwila and SeaTac are eyeing parts of the unincorporated area for annexation.
Monday's presentation was added to the city council's agenda following a Feb. 22 meeting that Mayor Joan McGilton and City Manager Mike Martin had with Highline-area legislators and others in Olympia.
McGilton and Martin discussed the current annexation impasse with state Reps. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle, Sharon Nelson, D-Maury Island, and Eileen Cody, D-West Seattle.
Joining them were Deputy Seattle Mayor Tim Ceis, SeaTac Mayor Ralph Shape and City Manager Craig Ward, Kurt Triplett, chief of staff to King County Executive Ron Sims, and King County Councilman Dow Constantine, D-West Seattle, whose district includes Burien and North Highline.
Seattle officials asked if Burien will support House Bill 1139, which has been approved by the House of Representatives and now is under consideration in the Senate.
As currently written, HB 1139 would give Seattle a greater share of local sales tax revenues as reimbursement for providing services, should that city annex North Highline, than what Burien would receive for annexing the same area.
"We didn't say we would" support the legislation, Martin said of Burien's position after the meeting.
"What we told them we would do is enter into a formal mediation around where the potential annexation might be ... where each city might take part of North Higline, if anywhere.
"We didn't say we were willing to split the baby. We said we were willing to talk."
While Seattle wanted an agreement over potential annexation area boundaries in exchange for Burien's support of HB 1139, McGilton and Martin said they couldn't make that commitment without consent of the full city council.
Seattle officials also suggested a "pot of money" for all of North Highline that would be divided between the two cities according to the percentage of the unincorporated area that they annex.
If HB 1139 fails to win approval, Seattle may withdraw its interest in annexing North Highline.
