Community Conversations with Tony Ventrella

Cross-posted from the Sheriff’s Office Weekly Newsletter

Local TV personality and host of Community Conversations, Tony Ventrella, recently met with Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall for an episode of Community Conversations, produced by King County TV. Their discussion covered a variety of topics including recruiting efforts by the department, community engagement, and collaboration with local organizations. Watch the entire episode below.

Executive Constantine unveils 2023 – 2024 budget

Focusing on four priority pillars of work first introduced in his 2022 State of the County address, King County Executive Dow Constantine joined the King County Council today to deliver his 2023 – 2024 biennial Proposed Budget. The $15.8 billion budget will make major investments in the Executive’s priority areas focused on battling the climate crisis and restoring our environment, ensuring every person has a home, ensuring a community where every person is safe, and uprooting racism and racial disparities. Read more.

Seattle Symphony discount tickets

The new season of the Seattle Symphony is underway and King County employees are offered special discounts. Go to the Seattle Symphony website and use promo code BACH23 for 15% off tckets.Tchaikovsky Pathétique Symphony – Performance features pianist Jan Lisiecki conducted by Ludovic Morlot and includes Grieg’s Piano Concerto. Gabriella Smith’s Tidalwave Kitchen rounds out the program.

  • Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, Sept. 23 at noon
  • Saturday, Sept 24 at 8 p.m.

Dvořák Semphony No. 7 – Jonathon Heyward returns to conduct and cellist Nocolas Altstaedt performs the Seattle Symphony premiere of Esa-Pekka Saloonen’s otherworldly Cello Concerto.

  • Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m.

See all available King County employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.

Wellness Hero Skyler Bridges on healing after suicide loss

For Suicide Prevention Awareness month, we are highlighting a King County employee who has made a huge impact in advancing the conversation around suicide.

Wellness Hero Skyler Bridges from Department of Assessments talks about his experience losing loved ones to suicide, how he began healing, and why it’s important to talk openly about the struggles he’s encountered. Read more.

Video: Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment and Inappropriate Conduct Policy

At King County, we are building a workplace culture based on mutual trust, respect, and inclusivity, one where we value one another for who we are and what we bring to our work.

There is no room for any type of harassment or discrimination in this culture. King County’s Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment and Inappropriate Conduct Policy clearly sets out the conduct and behaviors that are prohibited at King County. As a member of our organization, you have a defined role in the policy to prevent, report, and act on behavior that is not in line with our expectations of employees.

Watch this short video for a quick overview of the policy and refamiliarize yourself with the policy here. If you have not taken training on the policy, or aren’t sure if you have completed it, you can find it in your KCeLearning NEOGOV Learn Dashboard or talk to your department HR Manager. To see your completed trainings, click on Training and then View Course Transcript. If you still need to complete the training, you will find a direct link to the course on the front page of your Dashboard, under your Tasks. For those that don’t have regular computer access in your job, an alternative form of the training will be available to you by the end of the year.

The policy applies to all employees in Executive Branch departments, offices, divisions, and agencies, including the Assessor’s Office, Elections, and the Sheriff’s Office.

New emergency location feature in Microsoft Teams

Starting Sept. 21, the Microsoft Teams desktop app will include a new emergency location field that automatically detects the physical location of employees who are logged on to the King County network onsite at any King County facility. The emergency location field will automatically update when an employee brings their laptop to a different floor, or to a different King County facility. This new feature allows 911 emergency services to locate callers faster and more efficiently.

For employees working offsite or remotely ​(not in County facilities), the emergency location field will not automatically detect or update your physical location. Instead, employees may choose to manually enter a physical location in the emergency location field; however, any changes must be updated manually.

If you are working offsite or remotely, using the Teams app on your laptop to call 911 is NOT recommended; for your safety, please use a cell phone or landline.

Emergency location information cannot be used to track employees and will not be visible to anyone but 911 responders. Additionally, emergency location information is not discoverable, searchable, or retained for public records disclosure. Microsoft has added this feature to support compliance with the United States FCC requirements for Ray Baum’s Act.

Sept. 29 is the third payday of the month

All King County employees get paid on a biweekly basis, every other Thursday, resulting in 26 pay periods per year. You usually receive two paychecks per month; however, Sept. 29 will be your third payday of the month.

The net dollar amount of these “third” paychecks may be larger because not all deductions are taken out. For example, Deferred Compensation, supplemental insurance premiums, Benefit Access Fees, and Employee Giving donations are not deducted from these checks.

For more information about your paycheck, go to Payroll or speak with your department Payroll representative or timekeeper.

Making a more welcoming downtown civic campus

Updated Sept. 22, 2022

As more employees return to downtown workspaces, additional patrols by King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) deputies around the downtown civic campus are making the area a more welcoming space for employees and community members.

Sheriff’s deputies are providing regular patrols on foot and bicycle between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.

The three priorities for these patrols are:

  • Keep all people safe
  • Ensure clear access to buildings and sidewalks for all
  • Assist any person in crisis.

In addition to public safety, these deputies and sergeants have also helped people who are returning downtown for work and visiting with things like directions to local businesses and landmarks, and where to find parking. Members of the community and County employees have expressed their appreciation for the hard work and presence of these deputies.

The KCSO patrols are part of a number of safety and custodial enhancements across King County worksites, including:

  • Facilities Management Division (FMD) Security Officers conducting exterior perimeter patrols of the downtown campus
  • Trash and general clean-up each morning, with pressure washing three times per week. Custodial staff are also on-call during normal hours to respond to cleaning incidents as needed
  • Three security officers now assigned to the King Street Center, with exterior clean-up conducted daily, and pressure washing three times per week.
  • Additional security enhancements to be implemented at the Downtown Public Health Clinic in the coming weeks.

In addition, the City Hall Park Neighborhood Outreach Team, a one-of-a-kind program funded through the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD) within the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), is assisting unsheltered neighbors around City Hall Park. The eight-person team was created to support unsheltered people around City Hall Park with access to shelter and housing, as well as helping people in crisis.

For more information on employee safety programs and resources, check out the Future of Work Personal Safety at Work intranet page (employee access only).

Executive Constantine proclaims Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month

In recognition of the historical, cultural, and economic contributions of the Latinx and Hispanic residents of King County, and the firm commitment by the administration to addressing critical issues for the the Latinx and Hispanic community in the county, Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed September 15 through October 15 as Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month.

Read the full proclamation below.

Professional Development Scholarship Program: Individual Development Plan

By Travis Gershaneck, Veteran Fellow, Department of Human Resources

The first application period for the Coalition Labor Agreement Professional Development Scholarship Program is quickly approaching. The first period opens on Jan. 9, 2023, but it is recommended to have information for your application materials prepared well ahead of time.

The completion of an Individual Development Plan (IDP) is not required to apply for this scholarship, but it is strongly recommended. The IDP is a roadmap that you create to identify your career goals, how to achieve them and how you will apply your training towards your career goals in a way that aligns with King County’s commitment to equity and social justice, any of King County’s True North values and to better serve your customer. It is this information that will be used to evaluate your scholarship application.

Not only will the IDP prepare you to apply for a scholarship, but it is a powerful tool to help keep you on track to reach your career goals. The IDP includes an option to tie in your supervisor, manager, and others to offer ideas, provide support to you in your development activities, and open networking and training opportunities to assist you.

Your IDP should be treated as a “living document” that adapts and evolves with you on your professional journey. Consider involving others as you develop your IDP. Career Support Services offers individual career coaching sessions to assist you, and has provided the following IDP samples to guide your plan creation:

As part of the King County Investing in YOU and True North and Values initiatives, the Professional Development Scholarship is designed to provide eligible employees represented by a union in the Coalition of Unions up to $3,000 in financial resources to continue pursuing professional goals.

Important 2023 dates:

  • Jan. 9 to Feb. 5, 2023: First application period
  • March 20 to 24, 2023: First period award notifications
  • May 8 to June 4, 2023: Second application period
  • July 31 to Aug. 4, 2023: Second period award notifications

For more information:

Visit the program website: www.kingcounty.gov/scholarships or register for a scholarship information session.

Questions? Please email us at scholarshipfund@kingcounty.gov.