Wastewater Treatment Division reaches out for input on accessibility options at a popular trailhead
by Monica Van der Vieren, Communications Specialist, Department of Parks and Natural Resources
What is the first King County agency that comes to mind when you think about accessible recreation? You probably didn’t say the Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD). But WTD’s Coal Creek Sewer Upgrade Project team is focused on that important topic right now and looking for input from the community.
WTD’s pipes thread their way throughout the region, moving wastewater from city systems to treatment plants. Pipes run through parks, under trails, roads, and streets, across tidelands and wetlands. Pipes and other facilities need to be regularly upgraded to add capacity for growth, and over time, they just wear out and need to be replaced.
The north section of the Coal Creek Trunk Sewer needs an upgrade and a refresh. The pipe has served Newcastle and part of Bellevue for about 50 years. That section is almost full. The County also has an opportunity to move much of an active sewer pipe away from a fish bearing stream.
To build the new pipe, King County’s contractor will close the Red Cedar Trailhead for up to three years. Trailhead restoration will be based on the City’s 2015 design.
WTD’s Community Services (CS) team looks for both impacts and opportunities on capital projects. At Coal Creek, the CS team recognized that the affected trailhead area would need to be brought up to current accessibility standards. The team came up with ideas for improving accessibility of signage, seating, surface, and content to help people of all abilities plan and enjoy a trip to this area.
This summer, the Coal Creek team is running those ideas by the community they are trying to serve. The team created different opportunities for people to give feedback and share their ideas. Interested people can join a remote meeting on July 14. An online open house and survey will launch on July 7 and run for a month.
How does the City of Bellevue feel about an effort focused on a park they own and manage?
The team is working closely with great partners at the City of Bellevue who really care about improving accessibility. Parks interpretive rangers, operations supervisors, and the City’s ADA Coordinator are supportive of the team’s ideas for onsite and online accessibility options. The City appreciates that King County will run these ideas by the community.
While the Coal Creek project area is small, people living with disabilities think big about accessible recreation. The team may get ideas and input bigger than the project. All input will be shared with the City of Bellevue and King County Parks for future planning efforts.
Visit the project Web page if you are interested in joining this meeting. All are welcome!
And take five minutes to meet a few people living with disabilities and thriving on access to nature and the outdoors by watching this video. You will see how improving recreational access helps meet King County’s values as a welcoming community where every person can thrive.
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Updated guidance on masks and Future of Work planning
Yesterday Gov. Inslee announced that most coronavirus restrictions in Washington would end today. This is great news and signals that, for those who have been fully vaccinated, we can begin to get back to the things we love doing without restrictions.
As we move into the recovery and rebuilding phase of the pandemic, we need to remember that the pandemic is not over, and COVID-19 is still present in our communities. Those who have yet to get vaccinated remain at risk, and we need to be mindful of virus variants.
Following the Governor’s announcement, we have updated the mask guidance for King County employees:
- If you have provided verified proof of vaccination to your HR Manager or their designee, you are not required to wear a mask when working indoors or outdoors, unless you are required to wear masks while working under the state and CDC guidance due to the nature of your work. Employees who are still required to wear masks in their work settings include those in correctional facilities, homeless shelters, schools, public transportation, long-term care, and healthcare settings.
- If you have not provided verified proof of vaccination to your HR Manager or their designee, you are required to wear a mask when working indoors, outdoors, and in an enclosed space with others (for example, multiple people in a vehicle). The only time you do not need to wear a mask is if you are working at least six feet from others outdoors.
- Employees can provide acceptable proof of vaccination by showing photos, copies, or actual vaccination cards, or a copy of their state vaccine data record or other verified medical record, to their HR Manager or designated department representatives. Departments will not keep copies of vaccination cards; however, they will record that the employee has been vaccinated, which vaccination was received, and the date of last vaccination. Employees may choose to self-initiate the COVID-19 Vaccination Declaration process through their NEOGOV Dashboard (click on Dashboard > Forms > COVID-19 Vaccination Declaration).
This information applies to all Executive Branch employees. Employees in other branches of County government will receive guidance from their leaders.
We now begin the process of implementing our Future of Work plans and the way we will deliver services going forward. July 5 is the last day of mandatory telework for Executive Branch employees, but this does not mean a mandatory return to your worksite. Each department’s plan is tailored to its operations, customers, and employees. Some require moving to a new location; some will deliver services primarily in person, primarily remotely, or a combination of the two. Your departments will continue to share their plans and expectations with you over the coming weeks and months. We will gradually reopen in person customer service operations and facilities when it makes sense operationally. At this time, most customer services will remain online or by phone and we have no immediate plans to reopen the Administration Building, Chinook Building, or King Street Center to the public.
This is a big transition and I know that you may have questions. We have built an Intranet site to provide resources, tools, and answers to your questions. You can visit it here (employee access only). We will regularly update this site with new information as conditions evolve.
Throughout the pandemic I have said that once we begin to recover, we have a tremendous opportunity to rebuild and create a fairer, more just society, and we need to do it with urgency. As I said in my State of the County address, if there’s anything we’ve learned this year, it’s that we must act now. We acted with urgency against the pandemic, and we must act with urgency against the other epidemics we face: racism, carbon, and homelessness. Together that’s what we will do.
It has been a long journey to reach this point. I am grateful for everything that you have done to keep you, your colleagues, and our community as safe as possible. I look forward to the work we will do together in this next phase to build a fair, just, welcoming King County where all people can thrive.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine, King County Executive
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Community Corrections Division recognizes Sabrina Gorman for her many years of service
Cross-posted from Roll Call, the DAJD newsletter
Sabrina Gorman started her career with King County 25 years ago as a Corrections Officer in Seattle back in 1996. She was then hired in 2000 as a Personal Recognizance Investigator at the Maleng Regional Justice Center. At the time, the position was under “Court Services,” which is now known as Intake Services and is part of the Community Corrections Division.
What Sabrina likes best about her current position at the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) is the variety of work duties, which makes each day different. She also appreciates the connections with people.
In her role at DAJD, Sabrina has been able to wear many hats: Acting Supervisor, Admin III and Personal Recognizance Investigator. It all helps to assure and assist smooth daily functions for Intake Services while meeting the needs of the courts and her team.
Sabrina is an effective team member who is dedicated to her job and those she serves. Her work ethic brings exceptional value to the Intake Services Team and as a King County employee.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending quality time with family, hanging out at her property by the beach, exploring new places, and driving her Race Red Mustang (Boss 302)!
Thank you for your commitment, Sabrina!
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Take care working outdoors during extreme heat
Our region will once again experience extremely hot weather tomorrow, and high temperatures are expected to continue before moderating later in the week. Some of our work needs to be performed outdoors. Executive Branch departments should evaluate planned field work to determine if this work can be postponed to later in the week when temperatures are expected to moderate, where possible. If work must be performed, departments should attempt to adapt schedules wherever possible so work can be performed in the morning.
Please see the following guidance and tips (this guidance applies to Executive Branch employees. Employees in other branches of County government may receive additional guidance from their leaders):
For managers and supervisors
- If an employee normally performs field work outdoors for extended periods, please consider curtailing all non-critical outdoor work on Monday (and potentially additional days depending on conditions)
- Consider adjusting employee work schedules, locations, or regularly assigned duties during extreme heat days if these are options
- If employees must work outdoors, please attempt to have work completed in the morning and avoid work in direct sunlight
- Ensure employees take frequent breaks in the shade or air-conditioned locations (e.g., office space, library, community center, grocery store), and reduce drive times, if possible
- Wherever possible, employees should avoid outdoor work in direct sunlight from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday.
For outdoor workers
- Talk to your supervisor about adjusting scheduling to avoid all non-critical outdoor work on Monday, or perform critical outdoors tasks in the morning only
- Take breaks in the shade or in an air-conditioned space
- Stay hydrated. Have a beverage with you at all times, and sip or drink frequently. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
- Avoid sunburn. Use a sunscreen lotion with a high SPF (sun protection factor) rating and wear protective clothing.
Remember that mask mandates remain in place. If you are working outdoors, you may remove your masks when:
- You are fully vaccinated and have provided acceptable proof of vaccination by showing photos, copies, or actual vaccination cards to designated department representatives, or
- You are working at least six feet from others.
For everyone
- Check on at-risk friends, family, and neighbors
- If you’re outdoors, take breaks in the shade or in air-conditioned buildings. Avoid direct contact with the sun
- Avoid exercising or strenuous activity in direct sunlight from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday when the heat is most intense.
- Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink more
- NEVER leave infants, children, or pets in a parked car, even if the windows are cracked open! It only takes a few minutes for severe medical problems and even death to occur
- Watch for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Seek medical care immediately if you know someone who experiences symptoms.
- Certain health conditions and medications make people more sensitive to heat. Check with your doctor about whether you are at greater risk.
Signs of heat exhaustion
- Heavy sweating
- Weakness
- Cold, pale, and clammy skin
- Weak pulse
- Fainting
- Vomiting.
Signs of heat stroke
- High body temperature (103° F or higher)
- Hot, dry skin
- Rapid and strong pulse
- Possible unconsciousness.
More information: www.kingcounty.gov/BeatTheHeat.
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Nature-lover leads West Point Treatment Plant updates
When first contacted about this story Kolby Hoagland started off telling about this great place he knows in the Mt. Rainier National Park for trout fishing. He mentioned the joy of the hike and the beauty of the location. Kolby is the type of person who is made for life in this region. “If it has something to do with the outdoors, I do it,” he said. “Fishing, gardening, soccer and anything in the snow…that doesn’t involve a motor.”
It might sound surprising that someone who has a passion for the great outdoors and the natural beauty of the Northwest works in a field that deals with all kinds of waste and… well, excrement. But the project that Kolby Hoagland leads for the West Point Treatment Plant is designed to keep Puget Sound safe and clean for all its inhabitants. So maybe the contrast isn’t that far of a stretch.
One might think, however, the path that lead Kolby to this role a little sideways. After getting a BA from The Evergreen State College, Kolby got his MS in Agriculture – Soil Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree focus on nutrient cycles and bio-energy crops. He went to work for a bioenergy firm until depressed oil prices decimated the R&D side of the alternative fuels industry. Kolby then took to the air, so to speak, landing a job in Seattle working for a wind energy company. Earth, wind, and sky work combined, it was all the project management experience that made him such a good fit for the King County Capital Project Manager role he now has.
West Point Treatment Plant upgrades
Under the emergency declaration and request for $65 million from Executive Constantine, Kolby leads a project team of King County staff, consultants, and contractors to improve power quality and reliability at West Point. The project team will plan, design, and help construct projects to stop power disruptions from causing plant bypasses of wastewater. The project includes significant coordination and cooperation with Seattle City Light, the source of West Point’s power.
On top of the emergency fund, the County will invest more than $660 million at the plant making improvements over the next 10 years, which will replace pumps and pipes, retrofit facilities for earthquake resiliency, and upgrade the power supply.
“The system goes into a protective mode if power quality dips too low,” Kolby explains, similar to how a fuse in your house may trip if the lights flicker. But, unlike a fuse, “This is very expensive equipment that we want to protect while we keep it operating in order to protect the public and environment of the Puget Sound and the region.”
Most of us, thankfully, don’t have to think twice about where our wastewater goes once we’ve flushed it, or it’s gone down the drain. Fortunately, there is a team of dedicated professionals committed to ensure everything flows smoothly while keeping our public waterways remain safe and clean. Having someone at the helm of this work who enjoys the region’s offerings so enthusiastically the way Kolby Hoagland does, helps to make sure nature’s gifts will remain available to us all.
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King County corrections officers line up for vaccines at clinic
By Noah Haglund, DAJD communications specialist
One by one, King County corrections officers rolled up a sleeve to get a dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
Officer Marcus Barrow was among those attending a June 15 clinic at the downtown Seattle jail. Dropping in during his shift helped Barrow fit in the appointment between work and family obligations.
“I saw an opportunity and I took it,” Barrow said. “It was an easy, quick, painless process.”
Employee Health staff hosted the clinic, giving doses to 13 employees at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle. The next day, they put on a similar event at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Another 15 employees got a jab there.
These were just two of several events coordinated by the Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention (DAJD), with government partners, to make it easy for King County’s essential workers to get vaccinated.
Other opportunities include inviting DAJD employees to Metro’s Family Vaccination Day in Tukwila on June 26. And since March, DAJD’s HR Department has been scheduling COVID-19 appointments directly for employees at ShoWare Center in Kent, a King County mass-vaccination site across the street from the Maleng Regional Justice Center.
“Providing employees with access to COVID vaccinations is an important priority for our Department,” said Peter Hu, DAJD’s HR manager. “The vaccination protects not only the staff themselves, but also their coworkers, family members and people in custody.”
DAJD’s Juvenile Division has taken a different approach to on-site vaccinations. The Patricia H. Clark Children & Family Justice Center has been working with mobile vaccination teams from the Seattle Fire Department to inoculate detained youth against COVID-19. Youth must have parental consent to get vaccinated.
Juvenile detention officers and other staff also are invited to get vaccinated at those events. During Seattle Fire’s most recent visit, on June 18, two youths and three employees got a COVID-19 shot. Seattle Fire first visited on April 20, when their teams administered doses to nine youths and three employees. The partnership is ongoing.
For more information on getting vaccinated in King County, click here.
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Resources to support your mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being
Chief People Officer
from Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer
I hope you saw the results from our annual Employee Engagement Survey that showed a clear connection between your engagement and the mission of the work you do. As a King County employee, you come to this work because you care about your community, and you want to make a difference.
For many this connection has become even stronger in the pandemic as the importance of the work became more and more evident and meaningful.
At the same time, the stress and anxiety of the pandemic highlighted the importance of our sense of well-being. Social distancing and physical separation elevated the significance of belonging.
Our engagement data, backed up by similar national data, tells us that we need to focus on these two elements – well-being and belonging – to help you thrive and feel welcome, engaged, and valued.
Throughout the pandemic, your health and well-being have been of paramount importance. We have radically changed the way we operate, provided childcare subsidies and COVID-19 leave to those who needed it, and made mental health a priority by investing in new mental health tools through your benefits plans. As we continue to look for ways to support you, we also want to provide the resources for you to tend to your well-being.
Across our organization, we will act on what you told us in the survey and work with our teams to create an action plan that focuses on your engagement and guided by these two crucial elements of belonging and well-being. Managers and supervisors are expected to lead their teams in creating an action plan that responds to your feedback using the survey data for insight.
In addition to what your teams are doing, I want to ensure you have the tools you need to tend to your well-being on an individual level. Supporting your personal well-being can encompass mental and emotional health, physical wellness, preventive care, social connection, and much more. We have several supportive programs available to you through Balanced You, including a webinar series on Pandemic Fatigue and Anxiety, Omada for healthy routines, Mental Health First Aid, a Mindfulness Hour for first responders, various trainings for all employees as well as targeted trainings for managers, the myStrength app for personalized self-care and emotional wellness, and many other resources. I encourage you to review all the resources and options available to you here.
I know it’s been a difficult and challenging 18 months, and I encourage you to do what you need to do to take care of your mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being.
Wishing you a happy and healthy summer!
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Get your family vaccinated at Metro’s family day vaccine clinic on June 26
King County Metro is partnering with Public Health – Seattle & King County and their partner Discovery Health to host a family day vaccine clinic:
- Saturday, June 26 from 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Metro’s Safety and Training building at 11911 E Marginal Way S, Tukwila
- Parking is available on site.
King County employees and their loved ones are invited to make an appointment to receive one of two COVID-19 vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine will be available for those 12 and older and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be available for those 18 and older. There will also be a limited number of vaccines available for walk-ins but your preferred vaccine type cannot be guaranteed without an appointment.
Please register for the vaccine of your choice by visiting Discovery Health’s registration portal:
- Pfizer (12+): https://prepmod.doh.wa.gov//appointment/en/reg/1322958605
- Johnson & Johnson (18+): https://prepmod.doh.wa.gov//appointment/en/reg/5261305492
If you are interested in getting vaccinated but cannot make it to the family day clinic, please explore your options by visiting:
Learn about vaccine incentives:
COVID-19 Vaccine: ImmUNITY Sweepstakes | Kaiser Permanente
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Security Tips: WiFi? Why Not? VPN is your friend
Using free public WiFi at a coffee shop or airport hot spot is great for convenience, but bad for security.
Most free access points do not make use of encryption. This is done for convenience and ease of access. If every person had to ask the barista or gate attendant for the WiFi key, it would get unruly, and no actual work would get done.
Keep in mind that you are sharing those wireless airwaves with anyone that is within range of your wireless communications.
There is technology out there that allows you to view the wireless computer communications that are within range of your device. To the bad guys, this technology lets them see what you are doing, the data you are passing to websites, and your usernames and passwords.
UNLESS:
- You are on websites with ‘https’ … the little S is for ‘secure’. Its like speaking a language that only two people can understand (your computer and the website).
- You are using VPN software to encrypt all your wireless communications
- You are using a wireless device from your cellular phone provider, 3G or 4G network access. This is not WiFi, and is not subject to WiFi Security Policies
Using a VPN client to encrypt and route your wireless communications allows you to create a secure channel for your computer to communicate. Even if you are accessing a website without HTTPS, your communication to that website is secured through your VPN connection. If there are any bad guys around you listening in on your WiFi traffic, it will be safe.
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It is good practice to use a VPN when in a public networking spot such as wifi hot spots. This will create a virtual tunnel for your computer to communicate securely through the public network.
Before traveling for work, consult with your IT department about their data security policies when on the road, how to setup your VPN connection, or how to obtain a 3G/4G cellular network card.
If you have questions, please reach out to kcitcsat@kingcounty.gov.
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Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day to be observed holidays beginning in 2022
Starting in 2022, King County government will observe two new paid holidays, Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, subject to available funding resources, bargaining, and potential impacts to existing county services.
King County Council passed two Ordinances last year to establish Juneteenth (June 19) and Indigenous Peoples’ Day as paid holidays for King County employees eligible for leave benefits starting in 2022. The holidays are subject to available funding resources, bargaining, and potential impacts to existing county services. The Office of Equity and Social Justice is consulting with county employees who identify as Indigenous people and with tribes located within King County on whether October 12 is the preferred date for Indigenous Peoples’ Day or if there is a different, more appropriate date to designate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, such as the second Monday of October.
These new holidays reflect our work to build a more racially just King County by honoring and strengthening our understanding of our history. They will be dedicated as days of service and learning, and provide an opportunity for us to deepen our knowledge about our nation’s history, Black and Indigenous heritage and culture, and the many ongoing contributions of Black and Indigenous people in our region. They will also help us sharpen our focus and commitment to undo the institutionalized racist practices and policies that harm Black, Indigenous, and People of Color today.
Click here for information about the upcoming Juneteenth event on June 17 at 10 a.m. celebrating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States and providing insights, education, and personal experiences from a historical and current day perspective. There will also be ongoing opportunities in 2021 and beyond to learn more about both Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day and their significance to the history and experience of Black and Indigenous people, our nation, and our shared journey going forward.
Employee News 