Item No: 11 a_attach 1
Meeting Date: March 22, 2022
OPERATING PROCEDURES 
Enacted on May 20, 2021

Background 
In Fall 2017, the Port of Seattle (Port) developed the SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table
(StART) to enhance cooperation between the Port and the Highline Forum-member cities of
SeaTac, Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, Tukwila and Federal Way (Highline Forummember
cities). This voluntary, non-governing regional roundtable is being convened by the
Aviation Managing Director, influenced by discussions with leadership from the Highline Forummember
cities and other representational bodies. 
Purpose 
StART provides Highline Forum-member cities, airline representatives, the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and the Port with the opportunity to: 
Support meaningful and collaborative public dialogue and engagement on airport-
related operations, planning and development;
Provide an opportunity for the Highline Forum-member cities to inform the airport-
related decision making of the Port of Seattle and other jurisdictions/organizations;
Raise public knowledge about the airport and its impacts, and
Focus on practical solutions to reduce the impact of the airport on Highline Forum-
member cities.
The intent is to provide a forum that fosters a spirit of good will, respect and openness while
encouraging candid discussion between the Port and residential and business community
members from the Highline Forum-member cities of SeaTac, Burien, Des Moines, Normandy
Park, Tukwila and Federal Way. 
Membership on StART does not preclude StART members from participating fully in any airportrelated
environmental review processes at the state or federal level.
StART is the preeminent forum for information-sharing, discussing the Highline Forum-member
cities' concerns, and providing feedback to the Port for issues related to the airport. StART's
effectiveness will be driven by a willingness by all parties to fully discuss matters of mutual
concern. All parties pledge their good faith best effort to achieve those ends (see 
Commitments from Members and Alternates Code of Conduct). 
Sponsorship 
StART is convened by the Port's Aviation Managing Director, who in addition to serving as the
Chair, will serve as the sponsor. The sponsor will provide staff support and technical

analysis/expertise, and work with the Steering Committee to identify briefing topics and work
toward consensus to shape potential solutions. 
Reporting Structure with the Highline Forum 
StART shall have a formal relationship structure with the Highline Forum. The Highline Forum
provides cities (elected representation and senior staff), educational governing bodies, and the
Port (elected representation and senior staff) with the opportunity to share information,
interact with outside speakers and other governmental organizations, and work in partnership
on initiatives that benefit their shared constituency. Regular updates on StART will be provided
at Highline Forum meetings. The StART Steering Committee will consider agenda topics for
future StART meetings, as well as other input proposed by the Highline Forum. Agreed upon
recommendations from StART will be presented at Highline Forum meetings for consideration.
Each Highline Forum member-city will be given a formal role to designate StART members (see
Membership). 
An Annual Report shall be presented to the Port of Seattle Commission and the Highline Forum.
Upon request to the Chair, each Highline Forum member-city can receive a presentation of the
Annual Report. 
Membership 
StART shall consist of the following members: 
Three (3) members serving as stakeholders, designated by each Highline Forum-member
city electing to participate. Two (2) members shall be community members who reside, 
own a business or property, or are employed within the city and who do not serve as an
elected official. One (1) member shall be the primary non-elected city employee. 
Two (2) airline representatives from each of the two highest passenger volume carriers 
serving SEA (one representative and one alternate per carrier). 
One (1) air cargo representative. 
Two (2) representatives from the Port. One (1) representative shall be the Port's
Aviation Managing Director. The Port's Aviation Managing Director shall designate an
alternate to serve in their absence. 
Each Highline Forum-member city may assign one (1) non-elected city employee to serve as an
alternate for the primary non-elected city employee member. All assigned alternates are
encouraged to attend all meetings in order to remain current on StART activities. Because it is
important for StART's membership to remain consistent in order to effectively address issues,
each city has two appointed community members. Community members on StART are not
assigned alternates. If one of the community members is unable to attend a meeting, the
second StART community member from that city is available to participate and provide
information either representative would like brought forth at the meeting.
Members shall be appointed for a two (2) year term. All members and alternates who serve on
StART shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing bodies. Community members whose
situation relative to eligibility changes after their appointment, are allowed to complete their
terms if their appointing bodies so desire, but they are not eligible for reappointment if they no

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longer meet eligibility requirements. It is the responsibility of each city or representational 
body to notify the facilitator and the Chair anytime a member is appointed, reappointed or
terminates service on StART. 
Suspension, Termination, Reinstatement of Membership 
It is the responsibility of each Highline Forum-member city or representational body to provide
written notification to the Chair and facilitator if they suspend or terminate their membership
in StART. If a city or representational body wishes to reinstate their membership, they shall
provide written notification to the Chair and facilitator with their plan for reinstatement that
includes identification of appointed members. 
Adherence to the Operating Procedures 
It is the responsibility of each member to adhere to the Operating Procedures including the
Commitment from Members and Alternates Code of Conduct. Each Highline Forum-member
city or representational body will be responsible for ensuring adherence from their appointed
members and alternates and will work with the facilitator to resolve any conflicts or issues
related to non-adherence by their members and alternates. 
Federal Aviation Administration 
Representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) participate as non-members
and provide agency expertise on StART. Periodically, time will be set aside at meetings for
representatives to provide updates and briefings at StART meetings.
Steering Committee 
A Steering Committee will be established to provide support, guidance, and strategic direction
for StART. Membership of the Steering Committee will include the Chair, primary non-elected
city representatives, and airline representatives. The Steering Committee will be resourced by 
a representative from the FAA, Port support staff, and the facilitator. Each Highline Forum
member-city and represented airline may serve on the Steering Committee, though it is not a
requirement that they serve. There must be a minimum of three Highline Forum-member cities 
participating at a Steering Committee meeting. If three member cities are unable to attend, the
meeting will be rescheduled. The responsibilities of the Steering Committee include: 
Meet at least one month prior to StART meetings to discuss and decide upcoming
agenda topics 
Provide recommendations for potential presenters 
Provide guidance for and approve StART specific external communications and/or
promotions (not including StART facilitator meeting summaries and meeting notices). 
Review and approve StART's annual report 
Provide feedback annually on the facilitator 
A non-elected city representative or airline representative on the Steering Committee may
assign their designated alternate to attend Steering Committee meetings in their absence. 
Facilitator 
An independent, neutral facilitator will be selected and provided by the Port to assist in the
preparation, management and summation of each StART meeting. The facilitator will preside
over the StART meetings, managing the agenda and member participation, and be responsible

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for ensuring a fair, open, honest, and balanced discussion of issues and ensure the timely
administering of the agenda. As a collaborative process provider, the facilitator will not act as
an advocate for anyone on any substantive issue. The facilitator's neutrality and fairness is
essential for building trust and integrity in the StART process. 
The facilitator may have non-confidential, informal communications and perform facilitation
activities with Port staff, StART members, and others between and during meetings. To ensure
a spirit of goodwill, respect, openness and candidness occurs at all StART meetings, the
facilitator will manage member engagement and address situations with support from the
appropriate Highline Forum-member city or representational body when it appears that one of
their members is not acting in accordance with the Commitments from Members and
Alternates Code of Conduct. During meetings, the facilitator may use their independent
judgement as to how to address non-adherence to the Commitments from Members and
Alternates Code of Conduct. 
The facilitator will serve as the lead disseminator of all information related to StART and its
meetings, including meeting agendas and summaries. The facilitator will keep a running list of
aviation topics of interest and share it with the Steering Committee. The facilitator will be
responsible for drafting meeting summaries, which will be provided electronically in draft form
to StART members for proposed correction and comment prior to the next meeting. Final
meeting summaries will be posted on the Port's StART webpage. 
Meetings 
Frequency 
StART shall meet six (6) times a year unless otherwise agreed to. Meetings will be scheduled on
the 4th Wednesday of the month (typically February, April, June, August, October, December)
alternating with the Highline Forum. If Christmas falls on the fourth week in December, StART
will be held on a prior Wednesday in December. 
Special meetings may be called upon with twenty-four (24) hours notice by the Chair. Any
regularly scheduled or special meeting may be cancelled by the Chair. 
Recording 
Meetings will not be officially audio or video-recorded. If any participants in StART including
members of the public wish to audio or video-record a meeting, they are required to notify the
facilitator prior to beginning recording. If the facilitator consents to such recording, the
facilitator must notify all StART attendees that the meeting will be recorded. Attendees may
leave the meeting if they do not consent to the recording. Any recordings of StART meetings
made by participants in StART, including members of the public, are not considered official or
necessarily accurate recordings of the meeting. 
Meeting Attendance 
Members will notify the facilitator via email if they are unable to attend, preferably one week in
advance. 
Location 

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The location of StART meetings will be at the airport unless otherwise noticed. It is possible
that some meetings will be held at locations away from the airport or online. 
Notification of Meetings 
Attendance at StART meetings is open to the public and the media. All meeting materials are
considered public documents and available to the public consistent with the requirements of
the Washington State Public Records Act Chapter 42.56 RCW. Meeting agendas will be
distributed at least one week prior to a meeting for public notification. All meeting materials
including agendas and final meeting summaries will be posted on the Port of Seattle's StART
webpage: www.portseattle.org/page/sea-tac-stakeholder-advisory-round-table. 
Meeting Agendas 
The Steering Committee will develop the agenda for each StART meeting (not including
Working Group meetings). A running list of aviation topics of interest will be kept by the
facilitator and shared with the Steering Committee. The agenda for each meeting will be
developed from five major sources: 
1.  The work program or plans established by Working Groups 
2.  Specific topics identified as priority issues by StART 
3.  Topics identified by Port staff 
4.  Topics of interest identified by the facilitator 
5.  Requests from the Chair 
Meeting Summaries 
Meeting notes for StART meetings will be taken at each meeting. The facilitator will write a
facilitator's meeting summary which will be posted on the Port of Seattle's StART webpage and
distributed to all StART members after members have had the opportunity to provide
correction and comment. 
Public Comment 
All StART meetings are open to the public and the meeting agenda is dedicated to StART-
related business. Limited time is set aside at each meeting for the public to provide comments 
pertinent to the topics listed on that day's StART meeting agenda. Members of the public who
wish to speak are asked to sign-up before the meeting begins and are provided one to three 
minutes of time. Due to time limitations, not all who sign-up to speak will necessarily be
provided an opportunity to speak. Members of the public are encouraged to submit written
comments to the facilitator for circulation to the full StART membership. 
StART does not engage in dialogue with those who provide public comment during meetings.
Questions or requests for information or documents may be made separately from StART
meetings. 
Feedback 
StART is not a formal decision-making body or an inter-local agency and is not governed by the
requirements of the Washington State Open Public Meetings Act Chapter 42.30 RCW; StART 
will not follow procedural rules of order and will not entertain motions or record votes. 

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StART will strive to use consensus to shape guidance, which will be captured in the meeting
summary developed by the facilitator. Consensus-based guidance is the product of discussions
among the members to distinguish underlying values, interests, and concerns with a goal of
developing widely accepted feedback. The facilitator will assist StART in articulating points of
agreement, as well as articulating concerns that require further exploration or areas where
consensus could not be achieved. Feedback from individual StART members is also important,
even when there is not consensus on specific guidance. 
Working Groups 
Working groups may be established to allow for work to continue between StART meetings and
to give specific issues and topics a more in-depth focus. A working group will be comprised of a
subset of StART members and any staff support and technical analysis/expertise as identified by
the Chair. Any StART member can volunteer to serve on a working group. Primary non-elected
city employees may assign non-elected city employees or consultants to participate in working
groups. StART airline representatives and the FAA may designate employees or consultants to
participate in working groups. Working groups adhere to the Commitment from Members and
Alternates Code of Conduct. Working groups set their agendas and work plan. Working groups
will report out on the progress of their work and are open to suggested topics and guidance on
their work plan during StART meetings. StART members who are not a member of the working
group may attend as "observers". Working group meetings are not open to the public and will
not be audio or video-recorded. Written summaries of working group meetings will be posted
on StART's website.
Amending the Operating Procedures 
Operating Procedures may be amended by consensus of the Chair and the primary non-elected
city employees from the Highline Forum-member cities. Proposed modifications to the
Operating Procedures will be distributed in writing to the Chair and the primary non-elected
city employees. If there is consensus, modifications to the Operating Procedures will be
communicated to all StART members. 
Annual Report 
StART will have an annual report. With assistance from Port staff, the facilitator will produce
the annual report based on StART's meeting summaries. After completion and upon achieving
consensus from the Steering Committee, the annual report shall be presented to the Port of
Seattle Commission and the Highline Forum. Upon request to the Chair, each Highline Forummember
city can receive a presentation of the Annual Report. 





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COMMITMENT FROM MEMBERS AND ALTERNATES 
CODE OF CONDUCT 
StART members have the following responsibilities: 
a)  Prioritize Preparing for, Attending, and Actively Participating in Meetings: Members will
arrive on time and avoid leaving early. Members will inform the facilitator as far in
advance as is possible if they (or their alternates) cannot attend a scheduled meeting. 
b)  Focus on the Subject at Hand during Meetings: Members agree to focus on the topic of
discussion, share discussion time, avoid interrupting, respect time constraints, and avoid
side conversations, including texting. 
c)  Represent Constituency: Members will bring the concerns and perspectives of their
various constituencies to StART, where appropriate, for discussion. Members will
consult regularly with their appointing bodies. It is understood that some members
participate in other initiatives, organizations, and forums at the local, regional, state,
and national levels and may advocate in those forums on issues related to StART's work.
Members will make it clear they are representing only themselves, not StART. 
d)  Respectful of the Diversity of Views: To enhance the possibility of constructive
discussions, members agree to be respectful of the diversity of views represented on 
StART. Members agree to listen openly to all points of view. Members agree to avoid
personal attacks on other StART members both during StART meetings and away from
meetings. 
e)  Communicate Fairly: When communicating with others, including when posting
information on social media, members agree to accurately summarize the StART
process, discussion and meetings, presenting a full, fair and balanced view of the issues
and arguments out of respect for the process and other members.
f)   Abide by Discussion Ground Rules: 
o  Participate fully, honestly and fairly, commenting constructively and specifically. 
o  Speak respectfully, briefly and non-repetitively; not speaking again on a subject
until all other members desiring to speak have had the opportunity to speak. 
o  Engage and discuss with an open mind, listening to different points of view with
a goal of understanding the underlying interests of other StART members. 
o  Acknowledge that all participants bring with them legitimate purposes, goals,
concerns and interests, whether or not you are in agreement with them. 
o  Allow people to say what is true for them without fear of criticism from StART
members. 

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o  Agree to work toward fair and practical feedback that reflects the diverse
interests of all StART members and the public. 
o  Strive for consensus in shaping feedback and closure on issues. 
o  Avoid dominating the discussion. 
o  Listen when others are speaking, silence cell phones, avoid interrupting, side 
conversations, and texting. 
o  Act in "good faith," state concerns and interests clearly, listen carefully to and
assume the best in others. Leave negative assumptions and attitudes at the
door. 
o  Disagree respectfully. Avoid making personal attacks or slanderous statements. 
o  Ask for clarification when uncertain of what another person is saying. Ask
questions rather than make assumptions. 
o  Adhere to the agenda as much as possible, focusing on the subject at hand. 
o  Indicate to the facilitator when they wish to make a comment and be
acknowledged before speaking. 
o  Self-regulate and help other members abide by these commitments. 













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