Equity and Social Justice Change Team summit celebrates success
Cross-posted from Executive Services Express
About 60 Equity and Social Justice Change Team members from all eight Department of Executive Services divisions and the director’s office recently met virtually to celebrate successes under very trying times.
Special guest Derrick Wheeler-Smith, former Director of Zero Youth Detention for King County Public Health and current Director of the Seattle Office for Civil Rights, gave an inspirational message at the second annual Change Team Summit. Read more.
Share this:
King County is removing nearly 2,000 toxic-coated pilings from the Harbor Island shoreline
The King County Solid Waste Division is removing a derelict timber dock from the mouth of the Duwamish River, supporting a regional effort to clean up historic pollution and restore shoreline and aquatic habitat.
The $8.1 million project, led by King County’s Solid Waste Division, is removing a 72,700 square-foot dock and its 1,800 timber pilings coated in creosote, a chemical once used to preserve wood that is harmful to water quality and marine life. The project contributes to a regional partnership committed to cleaning up historic pollution in the industrial corridor of the Duwamish River. Read more.
Share this:
Executive Constantine announces a combined $8.2 million for community-led projects
King County Executive Dow Constantine recenlty announced two grant funds worth a combined $8.2 million for 37 community-led projects that will increase access to open space and parks, expand recreational facilities, and help protect and restore floodplain habitat.
The King County Council approved the plan to allocate both grants, which are funded by the voter-approved King County Parks Levy. Read more.
Share this:
State retirement plan contributions change Sept. 1
Employee and employer contribution rates for some of the following retirement plans will change on Sept. 1, 2022, as approved by the State Legislature. The state Pension Funding Council adjusts contribution rates, as needed, to fund the retirement benefits earned by members.
The PERS employer rate will change to 10.39% for all PERS plans. There were no changes to the LEOFF plans. The PSERS employee rate will change to 6.66% and the employer rate will be 10.63%.
New contribution amount deductions will begin with your Sept. 15 paycheck.
More information is available on the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) website. If you have any questions about the rate change, please contact DRS at 800-547-6657 or recep@drs.wa.gov.
Share this:
Professional Development Scholarship Program accepting applications in 2023
What could up to $3,000 do for your career? The newly designed Professional Development Scholarship Program is returning in 2023. The scholarship is designed to assist King County employees who are represented by a union in the Coalition of Unions with their professional development by providing financial assistance to help obtain training, certificates, degrees, licenses, and certifications related to work performed at King County.
Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- A comprehensive leave benefited employee (excluding Term-Limited Temporary (TLT)) represented by one of the unions in the Coalition who has completed their initial probationary period; AND
- Has completed at least one year of full- or part-time King County employment in a position eligible for comprehensive leave benefits. This includes time spent in a TLT position IF there is no break in service between positions; AND
- Has no documented performance or discipline issues for at least one year from the date the employee submitted the scholarship application form.
Important 2023 dates:
- January 9-February 5, 2023: First application period
- March 20-24, 2023: First period award notifications
- May 8-June 4, 2023: Second application period
- July 31-August 4, 2023: Second period award notifications
For more information:
Visit the program website: www.kingcounty.gov/scholarships or register for a scholarship information session.
For queries, please email scholarshipfund@kingcounty.gov.
Share this:
Enjoy late summer and Labor Day weekend hiking with Trailhead Direct
Trailhead Direct – the popular transit-to trails service offered by King County Parks and King County Metro – offers convenient, eco-friendly adventures for late summer hikes as well as service during Labor Day weekend.
Check out the route schedule and trail information, and watch the video below.
Share this:
Stuck in an elevator? ARFF to the rescue!
Cross-posted from Plane Talk
Ever thought about what happens if you get stuck in an elevator?
If you’re at the King County International Airport, the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) unit, recently trained in elevator rescues, would be the first to respond. Read more.
Share this:
Executive Constantine announces King County’s first-ever Wildfire Risk Reduction Strategy
King County has developed its first-ever Wildfire Risk Reduction Strategy, a set of 12 recommended actions to improve preparedness, response, and recovery as the region experiences hotter, drier summers due to climate change.
The strategy’s recommended actions are organized around three guiding priorities: Make King County forests more resilient to wildfire, reduce risks to communities and infrastructure in the wildland-urban interface, and enhance emergency response. Read more.
Share this:
Gone but not forgotten – Indigent remains ceremony Aug. 24
Cross-posted from Public Health Insider
Every few years, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office (KCMEO) hosts a unique memorial to ensure that every King County resident is remembered. The KCMEO’s Indigent Remains Program provides burial for King County residents who have died without resources or family to claim their remains for a proper burial.
The next ceremony to remember these individuals will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 11 a.m. at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Renton (100 Blaine Ave NE). It’s open to any member of the public who wishes to pay their respects. Read more.
Share this:
Meet Wellness Hero Damont Cain
Cross-posted from Balanced You
Meet Damont Cain, Power Technical Assistant at King County Metro Power and Distribution, whose team was instrumental in bringing an activity center to his worksite location.
Damont talks about why staying physically strong is important to his job and mental health, and what he is doing these days to find calm and be his authentic self. Read more and watch the video below.
Employee News 