King County goes digital for Earth Day, April 22
As we respond to the call to stay home and stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, many King County employees and residents have a renewed appreciation for – and look forward to once again fully experiencing – the healing qualities of King County’s natural spaces. The global response to the pandemic also offers a blueprint for environmental resiliency which relies on the power of collective action, and basing decisions on the latest science.
In commemorating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, this lesson of resiliency and ingenuity resonates, and is why the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) is celebrating by going digital, at www.kingcounty.gov/earthday. This webpage highlights actions that residents can take to protect the natural environment while promoting social distancing, including advice for planting native gardens, removing noxious weeds, and offering activities like green-themed coloring pages and crossword puzzles. You can also find King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
While the pandemic prevents us from safely organizing volunteer habitat restoration events, education fairs, or other in-person events this year, our employees continue to provide essential work protecting the environment, public health and our quality of life. We want to take a moment to thank all the dedicated essential workers that are keeping King County safe and functioning. Your work is important and we value your commitment to public service.
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Hope and inspiration for 50th Earth Day
For this year’s Earth Day, the 50th year of the annual celebration of our planet, King County Executive Dow Constantine shared a video message of hope and inspiration.
“I find more hope, more inspiration, this year than any Earth Day before,” Executive Constantine said in the video. “The global response to the COVID-19 crisis really does offer us a kind of blueprint for saving our planet.”
Thank you to the dedicated employees working hard every day – oftentimes behind the scenes – to sustain our environment and promote the health and safety of our community. We appreciate your efforts this Earth Day and every day.
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Celebrating Administrative Professionals Recognition Day, April 22
Wednesday, April 22, is Administrative Professionals Recognition Day, an opportunity to say “thank you” to the Administrative Professionals that keep our teams, divisions, and departments running smoothly.
While we have had to cancel this year’s annual Administrative Professionals Recognition Day Celebration Event in line with Governor Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order and our ongoing efforts to practice social distancing and stop the spread of COVID-19, we can still use this opportunity to express our gratitude to our Administrative Professionals.
This extraordinary group of people is greatly appreciated by all employees across King County, and we look forward to celebrating our Administrative Professionals in-person in 2021. Learn about our Administrative Professionals Development and Recognition Program at www.kingcounty.gov/administrativeprofessionals.
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How Public Health officials decide when to order closures
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health — Seattle & King County recently interviewed with ProPublica and The Seattle Times to discuss his and the department’s thinking related to the timing of Public Health recommendations to avoid and subsequently prohibit large public gatherings, and in particular in not prohibiting the Sounders match on March 7th. The following is an overview of information Dr. Duchin shared in his conversation and through e-mail.
Early response and initial outbreak
Starting in late January, when the first United States COVID-19 case was recognized in Snohomish County, and with relatively few recognized COVID-19 cases, our public health response was based on a resource intensive “containment” strategy. It involved extensive investigations of suspected and confirmed cases, isolating ill people and identifying and following up with their close contacts to arrange isolation or quarantine as needed in an effort to interrupt transmission from person to person.
Read more from Public Health Insider
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Learning about your benefits: Out-of-pocket expenses
A short series of benefits videos has been created to help employees make informed choices about their options, and better understand their employee benefits package.
The second video, below, is about the out-of-pocket expenses associated with your medical, dental, and vision plans. View all the videos here, and get more information and resources on the Benefits, Payroll and Retirement website.
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Employee deployment program and how you can help
The Emergency Deployment Program was developed to support the critical staffing needs that are part of this emergency response. These roles do not have contact with patients but do provide the vital backbone of support needed to run our facilities, which house individuals, families, and small children during this difficult time. We also have staff who have worked tirelessly organizing emergency operations and are in need of relief. You can play a huge role in supporting the County’s ongoing response to this emergency. Please consider applying for the Emergency Deployment Program.
Work assignments include:
- Emergency Site Worker III – Administrative staffing for quarantine facilities, assessment and recovery facilities and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Some weekends and OT may be needed.
- Emergency Site Worker IV – Site managers for quarantine facilities or assessment and recovery facilities. All shifts including night and weekend workers needed. This position also serves as Emergency Operations Branch managers to lead ongoing work units in the EOC and Project Management for various locations and units.
We are seeking employees who have supervisor approval to commit to a minimum of one month. Training and scheduling will be confirmed by the requesting department. Here is a video that provides a quick look at our location in Kent and the great work that has already started.
Learn more by visiting the Emergency Deployment Program webpage.
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Tech Tip: Virtual meeting tips
When you work remotely, you have options for video conferencing. Here is what you need to know to get started:
Skype for Business
Skype for Business is King County’s standard solution for video conferencing and should meet your needs in most cases, especially for meetings of less than 250 attendees. We have a site which can answer many of your Skype questions: Skype for Business (SharePoint)
- Skype works well when communicating both internally and externally—just send an invitation.
- It’s a comprehensive voice, meeting, presentation and collaboration platform all in one.
- It’s our county standard for communication.
- Did you know Skype has many little-known but useful features, such as the ability to conduct polls or create unique meeting URLs? This helps prevent other County employees from just appearing if you’re having back-to-back meetings.
- If you have any issues using Skype, please open a ticket through the KCIT Customer Support Services portal at https://helpdesk.kingcounty.gov/ or call 206-263-4357 (3-HELP).
We know that sometimes, Skype for Business may not meet your needs, so we have alternative solutions.
Teams Live Events
Teams Live Events are perfect for meetings with more than 250 people all the way up to 10,000 attendees.
- Here’s Microsoft guidance for how to set up a Teams Live Event
- Submit a Helpdesk ticket and provide the following:
- If your event needs to take place in less than five days, please let us know your request is urgent at the beginning of your ticket.
- Let us know the date, time and duration of your meeting.
- Tell us the name or names of people who can act as Producers can control your Q&A onscreen chat, choose which messages to post to your group and adjust what the audience sees, such as videos or materials to present.
- Also let us know the name(s) of Presenters are the people who speak and present content.
- Finally, indicate if you want your session recorded.
- Please note you need to submit a Helpdesk ticket for each Teams Live Event.
- KCIT will create the Teams Live Event for you and send you instructions for its use.
Zoom
Zoom is temporarily available due to unique business needs resulting from the COVID-19 crisis. When the crisis eases up, we will evaluate whether Zoom will continue to be offered at the county.
- Zoom may be a viable alternative to using Skype or Teams Live under these circumstances:
- Telemedicine
- Live virtual trainings; and
- Communicating with community partners who can’t use Skype
- If you think you have one of these situations, please submit a Helpdesk ticket and explain your need. If appropriate, KCIT will assign a Zoom license to you and send instructions for use.
- Please note, once you have Zoom, you can create meetings on your own and don’t need to submit a Cherwell ticket for each subsequent meeting.
- To use Zoom safely, carefully follow the instructions KCIT sends you.
KCIT will cover the costs of Zoom licenses during social distancing restrictions. If we continue using Zoom after the first year, agencies will need to pay for the licenses starting in 2021 at a cost of $142 per person annually.
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Featured Job: Acute Care Facility Specialist (Project / Program Manager III)
Salary: $87,640.80 – $111,089.89 Annually
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Special Duty Assignment or Term Limited Temp (TLT)
Department: DPH – Public Health
Job Number: 2020NH11590
Closing: Continuous
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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2020 General Wage Increase and looking ahead to 2021-22
A message from Dwight Dively, Director, Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget, and Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer
Rumors have been circulating that the July 1 1.5% general wage increase may not occur. This is not true: the increase has already been decided by leadership and bargained, and is part of the compensation awarded for 2020.
It is important to recognize that the County’s ability to provide wage increases in 2021 and 2022 is much less than it was only three months ago. The COVID-19 shutdown and the ensuing recession have already dramatically affected County revenues, especially sales taxes and other economically sensitive revenues. Agencies that will be particularly affected include Metro Transit, the Permitting Division of the Department of Local Services, agencies supported by the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD) Fund, and agencies supported by the General Fund, including all agencies involved in the justice system.
To indicate the depth of the problem, the International Monetary Fund released a new forecast last week that predicts this recession will be the largest since the Great Depression. It suggests the U.S. economy will contract by 5.9% in 2020 versus 4.2% in the Great Recession.
Unlike other employers, King County is not looking to undo the general wage increase already agreed upon for 2020. However, we want to make sure all employees and bargaining representatives understand the dire financial reality facing County government for 2020, 2021, and 2022. Please stay tuned for further discussions about what this means for County operations. For represented employees, the Office of Labor Relations will be reaching out to your bargaining agents.
We understand these are challenging times for all County employees. We appreciate your dedication and hard work under extremely difficult and unexpected circumstances.
Thank you.
Dwight Dively, Directory, Office of Performance, Strategy, and Budget
Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer
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Executive Constantine on Harborview bond measure: a generational opportunity to support region’s trauma hospital
King County Executive Dow Constantine transmitted legislation to the King County Council today that would place a capital improvement bond measure before King County voters on the November 2020 General Election ballot.
The measure seeks voter approval of $1.74 billion in general obligation bond funding over 20 years for health and safety improvements at King County’s Harborview Medical Center, including: increasing critical health care capacity; updating and expanding infection control capability; and expanding capacity for behavioral health services.
“This is our generational obligation – to ensure our region continues to be the best place in the country to receive emergency medical care. There are a lot of competing needs – this is one where we are compelled to step up. It is a priority we must not postpone and cannot ignore,” said Executive Constantine.
Read more in the official press release.
Employee News 