New Racially Just training for all Executive branch employees
Dear fellow King County employee,
One of our core values is “We are racially just.” This means that we work purposefully and intentionally against racism and discrimination, and toward equity for all by building anti-racist and pro-equity approaches into our work, our policies, our budgeting, and our trainings. It means that we make racial justice a central part of how we work and act as King County employees.
That is why we have launched a new training: We Are Racially Just: Our King County Values at Work. This training will help to ensure each of us understands what it means to be racially just and what we can do in our own work to advance racial justice at King County.
Racial justice necessitates breaking with the status quo, disrupting business as usual, and approaching our work differently. It can be hard work and it can be uncomfortable, but in order to make progress we must lean into one of our pro-equity actions: Get comfortable with discomfort. This training will build our understanding of racial justice and give us tools to help King County become a more anti-racist, pro-equity organization.
Executive branch employees who are computer users will be required to complete this training by Dec. 31, 2023. Employees who are non-computer users will be required to complete this training by September 2024. Employees who do not have regular access to a computer will receive alternative instructions for completing this training. New employees must complete the training within 90 days of their date of hire as part of the onboarding process. To find the training, go to your KC eLearning NEOGOV Learn dashboard.
To see your completed trainings, click on Training and then View Course Transcript. For assistance accessing the trainings, please contact KCIT and open a HelpDesk Ticket. You can do so here online, or by calling the HelpDesk at 206-263-4357.
You will be paid for your time to take this training. Your supervisor will work with you to fit this training within your schedule. If you have any questions, please talk to your supervisor.
Thank you for helping to advance our Racially Just value and moving us closer to our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine (he/him/his)
King County Executive
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Take care in hot temperatures
The hotter than normal weather we’re experiencing this week can take a toll on our mental and physical health so it’s important to take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and our furry friends.
With the National Weather Service’s Heat Advisory for our area now extended until Thursday, Aug. 17 at 11 p.m., here are some tips from Public Health – Seattle & King County to help you manage the heat. Learn more.
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Website migration starts Monday, Aug. 21 – what to expect
Starting Monday, Aug. 21, King County will begin transitioning our public website (kingcounty.gov) to a new platform. While website migration is underway, site visitors may experience brief, occasional errors. This process is expected to be completed by Wednesday, Aug. 23. KCIT is working with departments’ Web Content Manager(s) to ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruptions, but you can help:
- Be prepared for customer questions. After the transition, online visitors will see the new King County homepage and your department’s new webpages. Your webpages will look different, and customers may need help navigating to popular web content.
- If issues persist, please contact your department’s Web Content Manager(s) for assistance.
Thank you for your patience while we settle into this new and exciting online space. Visit the “KingCounty.gov Refresh” project page to offer feedback or learn more information.
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KCIA hosts Blue Angels for Seafair weekend
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels roared in and out of King County International Airport for this year’s Boeing Seafair Airshow, held Aug. 4 – Aug. 6. The Blue Angels were parked on the airport’s main terminal ramp again this year, making for a close-up show for airport employees and others at the terminal. Read more.
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Employee Engagement for the Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan Continues Aug. 28 – Sept. 13
Employees who opted-in to Identity-Based Affinity Spaces should have received a calendar invite for their Affinity Space’s second meeting, which are scheduled to take place between Aug. 28 – Sept. 13. Please check your email to ensure you’ve received this calendar invite and seek time approval from your supervisor.
Effectively engaging King County employees is a key part of refreshing the Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan. Earlier this year, employees opted-in to Identity-Based Affinity Spaces, one of the ways the Refresh project will engage with employees. In these meetings, employees will provide information and ideas on how King County can improve its workplace culture, increase equity in workforce practices, and ensure a sense of belonging for all employees. These meetings have been created specifically for this refresh project so employees can gather face-to-face in shared identity spaces and speak openly.
Learn more on the ESJ Strategic Plan Refresh Sharepoint Site.
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Participate in survey to improve the Customer Experience
The Customer Experience (CX) Advisory Committee, comprised of representatives from departments across the county, has developed a survey to learn more about how we are delivering customer service across the enterprise. If customer service, whether external or internal, is a component of your work, please participate in the survey. It takes 10-15 minutes to complete and will be open until Aug. 25. To access the survey, click here.
With your participation, we will be able to gain a robust understanding of services we provide to customers, ways we interact with customers, and how we request feedback from customers. This information will be used to build a countywide strategy for providing an exemplary Customer Experience across the enterprise in support of one of the Executive Branch values, “We focus on the customer.” For more information or questions, contact Brittany Carter, Enterprise CX Lead in the Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget.
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Caroline Whalen retires after 29 years at King County
Caroline Whalen, director of the Department of Executive Services since 2010, retires next month after 29 years at King County. Her last day in the office will be Sept. 8.
“Working for King County was the best career decision I’ve made,” Whalen said.
During her county career, she has written land use code, organized massive rezone mailings along with an associated call center, analyzed legislation, and served as a lead staff for the County Council. She worked her way up to deputy director in the former Department of Development and Environmental Services, then joined DES as deputy director in 2002 before becoming director in 2010. Read more.
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King County Metro’s largest union approves 3-year labor contract with higher salaries and expanded training opportunities
King County Metro and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587 have finalized a three-year labor contract that increases wages by approximately 17 percent over the life of the contract. The agreement also includes a lump sum retroactive payment, a retention bonus of $2,500, and a one-time $2,500 ratification signing bonus. The contract shortens the pay step progression and vacation accrual time for part-time transit operators, aligning it with the current policies for full-time employees.
Negotiations on the contract started in May 2022, with the parties reaching a tentative agreement this June. The ATU members ratified the contract on Aug. 15. Read more in the official press release.
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$1.2 million in narcotics blocked by Shoreline Police and King County Sheriff’s Office – keeping nearly 300,000 fentanyl pills off the street
Nearly 300,000 fentanyl pills and other narcotics are out of the hands of a narcotics trafficker thanks to the diligent work of the King County Sheriff’s Office, which recently conducted an operation to stop the dangerous drug from hitting the street. The amount of fentanyl seized is enough to cause more than two million lethal doses and is one of the Sheriff’s Office largest seizures ever.
Operation “Jade” took place on Thursday, Aug. 3, and was led by the Shoreline Police Special Emphasis Team (SET) and assisted by Precinct 4 SET and Narcotics Detection K9 Quinn. The operation targeted a narcotics trafficker suspected of distributing large amounts of fentanyl and other substances in the cities of Shoreline, Burien, White Center, and Seattle. Read more.
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Aerial rescue success on the Pacific Crest Trail
Crossposted from the KCSO newsletter
On Wednesday, Aug. 2, the King County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a call from the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. They had received an alert from a Garmin inReach device – a personal satellite transmitter/receiver – about an injured hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail near Mt. Adams.
Pilot Deputy Josh Sweeney, Co-Pilot Tony Mullinax, Safety Officer Sergeant Eric Gagnon, Rescue Specialists Deputy Travis Brunner and Sergeant Tim Lewis, and King County Medic Rosenblum responded immediately. Guardian 2 was on its way to the hikers’ location within two hours, and they captured some fantastic views along the way.
The Air Support Unit (ASU) team swiftly located the hiker, who had been making their way from Southern California toward Canada before getting injured. They were transported to the Yakima Airport where AMR was waiting to transport the patient, whose injuries were more severe than originally thought.
This mission saved hours of work for volunteers and helped get a community member to care more quickly than if it’d been a ground rescue. The team did a fantastic job thinking on their feet and solving problems as always. Fantastic work by everyone involved!
Employee News 