Executive Constantine proclaims June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month
King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed June 2022 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month. King County is a leader advancing equitable policies and practices based on sexualorientation and gender identity in the areas of marriage, employment, housing, public accommodations, and contracting. Executive Constantine urges everyone to honor the fight against discrimination and the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people to our County and our society. View the full proclamation below.
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King County transitions COVID-19 testing sites to community partners
Cross-posted from Public Health Insider
As announced earlier this month, Public Health – Seattle & King County is ending its operational oversight of itsTukwila, Federal Way and Auburn COVID-19 testing sites in the transition from COVID-19 emergency response to long-term prevention management.
Community partners will take over operation of these three sites in June, following a brief closure during the transition process. These sites will continue to provide free tests regardless of immigration or insurance status. Click here for more details.
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Innovation Award for Sustainability honorees
The Innovation Award for Sustainability goes to the Department of Natural Resources and Parks/Water and Land Resources Division – Lones Levee Setback and Floodplain Restoration Project.
The 1,600-foot-long Lones Levee on the Green River had fallen into disrepair and no longer provides adequate protection from flooding and erosion. The Water and Land Resources Division worked with landowners and tribes to build a new, stronger levee that restored functional floodplains, improved salmon and native fish habitats, and supports forests and greenspace. Click here to learn more and watch the video of the presentation.
Each year, Executive Constantine holds the Performance Excellence Awards, which honor employees and workgroups at King County for their exceptional contributions to performance, leadership, and innovation. These leaders embody the Executive Branch values and strive to reach our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.
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Celebrating Pride and the fight for equality
Dear fellow King County employee,
Happy Pride Month! Every June we celebrate Pride and honor the fight for equality and equal rights for LGBTQ+ people that began in June of 1969 with the Stonewall Riots led by trans women of color.
Pride is a time to recognize the accomplishments and many contributions of LGBTQ+ people to our communities here in King County and around the world, to our shared history and our shared future. It is a time to reflect on the adversities that LGBTQ+ people have faced throughout history and their courage in the ongoing struggle against injustice. It is a time to show our support and stand alongside LGBTQ+ people everywhere.
The struggle continues today. LGBTQ+ people experience ongoing discrimination and fear in their personal and work lives. For LGBTQ+ Black, Indigenous, and people of color, who are also deeply impacted by racism and white supremacy, the experience is often magnified. This reminder should embolden us to continue to work towards a more equitable and inclusive King County. We should continue supporting the LGBTQ+ community like the leaders serving on King County’s Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Inclusion Taskforce – a group working to develop recommendations on how King County government can be more accessible and inclusive of all genders and sexual orientations.
This month is also a time to celebrate. That’s why I am so happy that the annual Seattle Pride Parade is back in person this year, and I invite you to join me and hundreds of our King County colleagues, family, and friends in support of LGBTQ+ rights. This year’s parade is on Sunday, June 26, starting at 11 a.m. To learn how you can take part, I encourage you to email leah.holland@kingcounty.gov with the subject line PRIDE Info.
With people’s rights and freedoms under attack across our nation today, Pride Month reminds us that we must remain steadfast in our work to create a truly welcoming, inclusive, and just workplace, community, and country. This month, together, we will show that King County stands in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community by living up to our values and doing all we can to create a welcoming and inclusive place where all people are supported and respected.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine (he/him/his)
King County Executive
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For Drug Court Month, one family shares a story of resilience
Dakota – Cody to his parents – spent more than five years on the streets and in places like Echo Glen, where juveniles are incarcerated.
In March 2021, with advocacy from his defense attorney, Dakota transferred into King County Adult Drug Diversion Court on residential and other burglary charges.
Thirteen months later, with his parents, defense attorney, and drug court team cheering him on, Dakota graduated from the program with his life remarkably transformed. Click here to read the full story.
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Juneteenth an observed County holiday, June 20
King County government will observe Juneteenth as a new paid holiday for the first time this year, on Monday, June 20.
Last year, King County Council passed two Ordinances and King County bargained Agreements for represented employees to establish Juneteenth (June 19) and Indigenous Peoples’ Day (second Monday in October) as paid holidays starting in 2022 for King County employees who are eligible for comprehensive leave benefits. Click here to read more.
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King County experts have identified the best opportunities to restore salmon habitat, and access new federal investments
A three-year study conducted by King County scientists and engineers has identified the best stream locations to remove barriers that prevent salmon from swimming to high-quality habitat, putting the county in a strong position for new federal infrastructure investments.
The field team of experts inspected more than 3,000 locations where habitat is possibly blocked by county-owned roads and trails. They ranked more than 700 of the identified barriers and determined that completing 50 restoration projects would restore access to at least half of the habitat that is currently blocked. Click here to watch a short video about this work.
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Innovation Award for Equity and Social Justice
The Innovation Award for Equity and Social Justice goes to the Department of Public Health/Environmental Health Services Division – Box Fan Filter Distribution Project.
Wildfire smoke and COVID-19 pose a significant health risk for some people who may not be able to afford an air filtration unit in their home or business. The Environmental Health Services Division of Public Health joined with community partners to distribute low-cost kits of box fans and furnace filters to vulnerable and low-income residents. These kits proved highly effective in reducing indoor air pollution. Click here to read more and watch the video.
Each year, Executive Constantine holds the Performance Excellence Awards, which honor employees and workgroups at King County for their exceptional contributions to performance, leadership, and innovation. These leaders embody the Executive Branch values and strive to reach our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.
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Honoring the fallen
On Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday of each May, we honor the more than 1.2 million military personnel who have given their lives in service to our country. We pay tribute to those who bravely answered the call to protect and preserve freedom here at home and around the world. We take this time to also honor the families of those who did not come home.
We owe a debt of gratitude to all who have served, and particularly to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. As a community, we must support their families – and we must stand with our returning veterans, offering the assistance they need to thrive here at home when their military service is over.
The rights and freedoms for which our military personnel have fought are once again under threat in our world. As we reflect on those we have lost, and those who serve today, we can offer only our deep – but inadequate – gratitude for the liberty and security their sacrifice has given us.
On Monday, May 30, I ask you to join me in a moment of remembrance and respect for all who have died in service to our country, and to thank the more than two million active duty and reserve personnel who serve today.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine (he/him/his)
King County Executive
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2022 Employee Engagement Survey results
Dear fellow King County employee,
In March 2022, two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, 8,300 employees shared their experiences of working at King County in the 2022 Employee Engagement Survey.
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. As we work to create a truly welcoming, supportive, and respectful workplace, your responses in the survey are central to realizing this goal.
The last two years have been a period of unprecedented stress, uncertainty, and change. The pandemic has had a huge impact on so many aspects of our personal and professional lives. Organizations across the country are seeing measurable increases in employee burnout and stress and drops in engagement levels – something mirrored in our survey. Our results show that the employee engagement index has dropped five points to 65% in the last 12 months, and the engagement gap between on-site and remote workers has widened.
The results also show that employees are keen for more career development and advancement opportunities. Feelings of burnout are rising, but well-being and belonging – which took a dip in the last 12 months – are trending upwards, a sign that our focus on these two areas has been effective and must be continued.
While we’re not alone in experiencing the impacts of the pandemic, we are committed to addressing them through our action planning process. This year we will bring a focus to engagement and burnout, as well as career growth and development, while continuing our focus on well-being and belonging. I also see a more active role for leadership at all levels in sharing our vision and ensuring our work is aligned to it.
These are just the key takeaways from the survey. You can review all the countywide, department, and division results here on SharePoint. Again, thank you for sharing your honest feedback and please be assured that we will act on what you’ve said.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine (he/him/his)
King County Executive
Employee News 