Executive meets with employees working in science at latest Listening Session
King County has hundreds of employees working in the sciences on some of our region’s biggest challenges, from protecting fish habitat to helping people manage and overcome diseases, to keeping waterways clean, and King County Executive Dow Constantine recently met with six of them to learn more about their work and experiences.
At his August 6 Employee Listening Session, Executive Constantine had a wide-ranging conversation with Lara Whitely Binder, Climate Preparedness Specialist from the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP); Ecotoxicologist Carly Greyell and Water Quality Planner Josh Kubo from Water and Land Resources Division; Environmental Scientist Nina Wester and Process Control Supervisor Rick Butler from Wastewater Treatment Division; and Meaghan Munn, an Epidemiologist with Public Health – Seattle & King County.
Photo left to right: Josh Kubo, Lara Whitely Binder, Rick Butler, Executive Constantine, Carly Greyell, Meaghan Munn, Nina Wester.
“I’ve been hosting these listening sessions for a while now with different groups of employees from different areas and fields with different perspectives, and they’re always really interesting and informative,” Executive Constantine said. “This one is especially timely for me right now when we look at some of the challenges facing our environment locally, whether it’s the health of orcas or salmon, the impacts of pollution on our waterways, or the greater intensity and frequency of weather events.”
Munn, who works on King County’s Hepatitis C Test and Cure Program funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), talked about her work to help people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
“The new HCV drugs are 95 percent effective and can actually cure Hepatitis C, which is a pretty major breakthrough,” Munn said. “Our project is to get people connected to care and get them treated.”
Greyell, who works in the Toxicology and Contamination Assessment Group, spoke about some of the challenges in tackling polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, that enter local waterways.
“I focus a lot on PCBs because that’s the contaminant that is big in the Duwamish and it’s really important for the orcas as well, as they’re endocrine disrupters,” she said. “We do a lot of monitoring to see which tributaries we might be getting the most PCBs from, and it’s definitely coming from the stormwater, it’s runoff from the land in certain areas. We do have a lot of information about that but it’s not in our jurisdiction; obviously they’re the places that are most developed and we do our work in unincorporated King County.”
Kubo, a Fish Biologist, talked about some of the difficulties facing Puget Sound’s salmon population.
“We’re producing a lot of fish out of the Puget Sound, a lot of hatchery fish and some decent wild fish,” he said. “However their survival from when they leave the Sound to when they come back is very, very low.”
He said that food web issues, contaminants, and a well-supported theory that the Upper Pacific is reaching carrying capacity for salmon are just some of the reasons for this struggle.
“Across all systems, from south Sound to north Sound, we’re having issues with making sure that the juveniles come back as adults, and hatchery fish are surviving quite a bit less than wild fish. So even if we were to produce a ton of hatchery fish, we might not get a lot of adults back.”
The group also talked about the current national environment around science, data and facts.
“Do you have any thoughts, stepping away from your day-to-day work, about the role of science in government and policy making, and the odd situation we find ourselves in having to defend the scientific method against political orthodoxy?” Executive Constantine asked the group.
“I feel lucky to be in a government context that supports science and the integration of science into natural resource management or any kind of resource management,” Kubo said. “At this level I feel that science is not only valued but there’s a continued push to produce good science because it will get utilized and it will get integrated. There’s almost a sigh of relief that you still get to do science.”
Share this:
Executive Constantine’s Proclamation recognizes 55th commemoration of The March on Washington
King County Executive Dow Constantine today issued a Proclamation marking the 55th Commemoration of the August 28, 1963 March on Washington DC for Jobs and Freedom.
“Whereas, more commonly known as “The March on Washington,” this event was held to draw attention to the continuing challenges and inequalities faced by African Americans a century after emancipation,” Executive Constantine wrote in the Proclamation. “I encourage all residents to join me in memorializing this historic milestone in America’s Civil Rights Movement.”
Read the full Proclamation below.
Share this:
Executive branch EEO/AA Committee recruiting new committee members
The Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Committee is recruiting new committee members for the 2019 – 2021 term. The committee is employee-based and serves in an advisory capacity to the county executive; developing and reviewing strategies, systems, policies and guidelines to implement and enhance executive branch EEO/AA plans.
The committee is actively recruiting representatives from:
- Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention
- Department of Community and Human Services
- Department of Public Defense
- Department of Transportation
- Human Resources Division
- Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
- Public Health – Seattle & King County.
The application period closes Sept. 14. Please visit www.kingcounty.gov/jobs for additional information regarding qualifications and to apply. A short video with additional information regarding the committee can be found at https://youtu.be/ZVMEwdFtZFw.
Contact Diversity and Inclusion Manager Mara Cardenas at 206-477-2358 or Mara.Cardenas@KingCounty.gov for additional information.
Share this:
King County pilots innovative solutions for shelter, permanent housing
The King County Department of Community and Human Services placed an order for 29 modular units to house approximately 100 people, the County’s first acquisition of modular housing to provide affordable, mobile units that can be placed into service much faster than units built by traditional construction. The County is also partnering with the City of Shoreline on a supportive housing project for 80-100 people that proposes to model modular construction for permanent affordable housing development.
Architectural rendering of Modular Micro Dwelling Units.
Modular is a type of housing in which the components are manufactured elsewhere and then assembled at the building site. It allows for custom construction at economical prices. Since modulars are built indoors at a facility, there is never a weather delay.
The $4.5 million contract with Whitley Evergreen of Marysville calls for two types of modular housing to be delivered by the middle of next year: congregate shelter and micro dwelling units. The modular manufacturer for the Shoreline project will be identified later this year. All three projects will have 24/7 onsite services provided by community-based agencies.
The State of Washington contributed $1.5 million for the congregate shelter and dwelling units.
“To tackle the housing crisis, we need to explore different options to get people housed quickly. Modular housing has shown great promise, and may play a key part in our regional response,” said Executive Constantine. “To be successful, we will need everyone – local jurisdictions, neighbors, and community partners – to help us take this approach to scale and give people secure and stable places to live.”
Modular Congregate Shelter
King County is developing a prototype modular congregate shelter project tentatively planned for County-owned land on Elliott Avenue in Seattle.
Project: Campus-like layout, with nine dormitory units – 8 beds per unit – to house 72 people. Individual storage lockers in every dorm. Connected to common buildings via walkways.
Target population: People with behavioral health needs and people exiting homelessness. Singles, couples, pets welcome.
Provider: Catholic Community Services providing 24/7 case management.
Funding: $4.5 million King County funding, including $2.7 million to purchase modules and site improvements. Per person cost: approximately $62,500 in capital costs includes sleeping quarters, full kitchen facility, full bathroom facilities, laundry and case management offices.
Special features: Campus will include building with common area dining/kitchen/gathering room and program space; building with toilets, sinks and showers; and building with laundry facilities, storage space and offices. Heat and air conditioning in all buildings.
Modular components: Buildings are built to last at least 20 years, and can be moved to different locations.
Timeline: Manufacturing completed June, project complete approximately in August 2019.
Testing: Pilot testing functionality of movable buildings for purpose-built shelter as a model that can be replicated on public land, faith-based properties or sites held for future development.
Modular Micro Dwelling Units
King County has ordered 20 prototype Micro Dwelling Units to create housing for about 25 people, singles and couples.
Project: Fully permitted homes with a living/sleeping area, kitchen, bathroom and closet.
Target population: People needing affordable housing. First application for people with behavioral health needs and people exiting homelessness.
Provider: Downtown Emergency Service Center providing 24/7 case management.
Funding: $3 million King County funding, including $1.8 million to purchase modules. Per unit cost: approximately $150,000 (does not include land). Location still to be determined.
Special features: Fully contained housing with heat and air conditioning and all life safety features such as fire suppression sprinklers.
Modular components: Buildings are built to last at least 20 years and can be moved to different locations.
Timeline: Manufacturing completed June, project complete approximately in August 2019.
Testing: Pilot testing functionality of high quality movable modular buildings for affordable housing as a model that can be replicated on publicly-owned land, faith-based properties or sites held for future development.
Modular Permanent Supportive Housing
King County and the City of Shoreline are collaborating on a new permanent supportive housing project located at North 198th and Aurora Avenue North in Shoreline. The City and County have selected Community Psychiatric Clinic as the service provider and Catholic Housing Services as the development consultant. The community outreach phase of the project has just begun.
Project: 80-100 housing units – studios and one-bedroom – with 24/7 onsite case management.
Target population: People with behavioral health needs and people exiting homelessness.
Providers: Community Psychiatric Clinic – owner and service provider. Catholic Housing Services – development consultant. Selected through a competitive process.
Funding: Land provided by City of Shoreline and $4.5 million from King County Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy. Additional funding still under development.
Special features: Onsite physical and behavioral health clinic open to the public.
Modular components: The project is exploring components to be fabricated offsite and assembled onsite on a fixed concrete foundation. Building will meet all Shoreline building code requirements for multi-family residential buildings.
Timeline: Public notification process September; in design phase now.
Testing: Speed and cost of modular affordable housing construction vs. traditional construction.
Share this:
Increasing home-visiting services so more parents and caregivers have the support they need
A wide range of support services for expectant mothers, parents, and caregivers – funded by Executive Dow Constantine’s Best Starts for Kids initiative – are increasing parents’ knowledge and confidence, strengthening parent-child bonding, and improving school readiness throughout King County.
The services – delivered during home visits by community-based partners – provide parents and caregivers with support for a healthy pregnancy, free screenings for developmental milestones, information on breastfeeding, referrals to treatment for maternal depression, models for healthy parent-child interactions, and more.
“We created and strengthened partnerships that provide parents and caregivers the support they need to get their children off to a strong, healthy start in life,” said Executive Constantine. “By increasing the number of community-based service providers who work with families in their own homes, we are increasing the number of children who arrive at kindergarten caught up with their peers and ready to succeed.”
With funds generated by the voter-approved Best Starts for Kids levy, King County will invest $10 million each year to provide home-based services, such as the following evidence-based and evidence-informed programs:
- Partnering with the City of Seattle and the United Way of King County to expand the successful Parent-Child Home Program, which offers twice-weekly home visits and provides toys and books. Providers model ways for parents and caregivers to engage with their children to build their cognitive and social-emotional skills.
- Increasing the capacity of Public Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership program, which matches young, low-income, first-time mothers with nurses during pregnancy and builds their knowledge to support breastfeeding, healthy infant care, and early childhood development.
- Expanding access to Parents as Teachers, a home-visiting program that equips parents with resources so they can prepare their children for academic success.
King County also is investing in services that are designed by local communities to meet their specific needs. The community-designed programs will reflect cultural values and strengths, responding to needs that are not met by evidence-based and evidence-informed programs that have not been sufficiently researched in diverse communities.
This is the first time the county has made significant investments in home-based services that are designed by the communities where they are provided. King County also is connecting service providers with technical experts who will help them design effective programs that deliver the desired outcomes.
Promoting healthier, more resilient children, youth, families, and communities
The framework for Best Starts for Kids is based on research produced by the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences.
Half of the funds generated by the Best Starts for Kids levy are invested in prental-to-5 strategies that promote healthier, more resilient children, youth, families, and communities. That includes home-based services as well as other strategies that increase the health and well-being outcomes of newborns and early development through age 5, when 92 percent of brain growth occurs.
Best Starts for Kids also invests in strategies that sustain the gain as brain growth continues through age 24 and in safe, healthy communities that reinforce progress. It is considered the most comprehensive approach to childhood development in the United States.
Read more in the official press release.
Share this:
Kudos! to the DCHS management team for volunteering and Banding Together to Fight Homelessness
In connection with Pearl Jam: The Home Shows and Banding Together to Fight Homelessness, United Way of King County sponsored a special Day of Caring Aug. 9, where volunteers worked on hundreds of projects throughout the County at nonprofits that serve individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The DCHS management team volunteered their time to help the Accelerator YMCA program that serves homeless youth and young adults. Staff worked from 10 a.m. to about 2 p.m. at a group home in Shoreline that needed help with gardening, weeding, raking, pruning, laying bark, cleaning out a garage and other cleaning chores.
Kudos, DCHS!
Share this:
City Hall Park activation
Facilities Management Division and the Department of Executive Services Director’s Office have been working with stakeholders for more than a year to help improve City Hall Park and King County Courthouse surroundings. Earlier this month, KIRO-TV ran a story about the collaborative efforts of King County and the City of Seattle to “activate” the park with games, food trucks, and buskers.
The soft launch took place on Aug. 6, attracting dozens of King County employees and other downtown people, who enjoyed the new amenities on a sunny day. King County Superior Court has also been promoting the park activation through its social media channels, and KCTV produced a short promo video.
Share this:
2018 Equity & Social Justice Speaker Series
You are invited!
The 2018 Equity & Social Justice Speaker Series invites you to a Lunch & Learn Tuesday, Aug. 28, noon to 1 p.m. in room 123 of the Chinook Building. This session features The Anti-Defamation League, with a presentation by Hillary Bernstein and Miri Cypers (Director), and is brought to you by KC Equity Fund and KCIT ESJ: Learning, Advocating, Cultivating.
Share this:
Recount refresh
Crossposted from Election Connection
We had a few close races this month and thought it would be helpful to share how a recount works.
It’s important to know that there are two different types of recounts, machine and manual, and that there are different thresholds for each, as well as for the type of race. There are also no mandatory recounts for state advisory votes or local measures.
Mandatory Machine Recount – A machine recount is when in all ballots for that race are re-scanned and re-tabulated electronically. For all races and statewide measures a recount is triggered if the gap is fewer than 2,000 votes and also less than .5% (.005) of the total overall votes cast for both candidates.
Mandatory Manual Recount – A manual recount is when all ballots for that race are counted by hand. For statewide races and measures a recount is triggered if the gap is fewer than 1,000 votes and also less than .25% (.0025) of the total overall votes cast for both candidates. For other races a recount is triggered if the gap is fewer than 150 votes and also less than .25% (.0025) of the total overall votes cast for both candidates.
Occasionally, someone may request a recount. This situation requires an application for a requested recount which must be filed within two business days after the County Canvassing Board or Secretary of State has declared the official results of the primary or election for which the recount is requested. The application must specify the race or state measure to be recounted.
Visit our Elections website or the Secretary of State’s website for more information about the recount process. View our previous blog post about recounts here.
Share this:
When you come to work, you want to be in a happy environment. This is what we help create!
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories
Seasonal workers help us accomplish a lot of work in a short period of time during the good weather of spring and summer. This is super helpful when you have treatment plants like South Plant with about 100 acres of landscaping and buildings!
Happy place = happy at work
If you’re like most working people, you spend enough time at your job that it’s like a second home. And most people would agree it’s nicer when your workplace is tidy – even beautiful.
A pleasant work environment isn’t just a bonus or a “nice to have.” Studies show that a clean, nicely-maintained workplace is good for business. It’s safer and makes employees happy, healthy and more productive. It leaves a good first impression on customers – and is part of being a good neighbor.
Help when we need it most
Every spring we hire a group of short-term employees that help us keep our treatment plants and other facilities looking good – and feeling good. Given the title of “seasonal workers” – they are vital staff who help us accomplish a lot of work in a short period of time – work that is best done in the good weather of the spring and summer seasons.
“Our job description varies with the day,” explains South Treatment Plant seasonal worker, Calvin Dunbar. “One minute we can be cutting grass and the next moment using a chain saw to limb trees. I love the job because we gain a lot of experience with different equipment, tools and projects.”
Team member Giovanni Rivera agrees. “It changes every day – whether it’s irrigation systems, digging, pruning, mowing, edging – or sometimes helping the utility workers – we do a lot around here.”
Seasonal worker do all kinds of activities that help keep our treatment plants well-maintained. On any given day, they may use backhoes, tractors, Gator carts, dump trucks, mowers or forklifts. They can also gain resume-boosting trainings like flagger certification, dust-fit mask training, a forklift certification, and First Aid / CPR training.
Seasonal worker do all kinds of activities that help keep our treatment plants well-maintained. On any given day, they may use backhoes, tractors, Gator carts, dump trucks, mowers or forklifts.
South Plant has about 100 acres of landscaping and buildings.
Building experience and future careers
As seasonal worker John Franklin points out “working for the summer season – it gives you a taste of what it’s like working for King County.”
In fact, the team’s supervisor, Chris Tinnin notes that “there’s been a number of long-time employees who started out as seasonal helpers. Many people – instrument techs, operators, supervisors – started their careers in this job.”
Seasonal workers do a lot – such as maintaining irrigation systems, digging, pruning, mowing, and edging.
The South Plant seasonal crew is just one of many crews who help maintain our 3 major treatment plants and facilities all over the Puget Sound.
Helping morale – and public perception of what a sewage treatment plant is like
The team talked about how their co-workers see and appreciate their work – giving them compliments like “hey – that looks great.” Chris says “It’s really important because at the end of the summer – all of a sudden the [treatment] plant’s looking beautiful. They give us a big boost.”
And the seasonal workers themselves appreciate being in the beautiful environment they help create. Team member Duane Walker, who worked in a corporate setting for many years, points out it’s just “nice to be outside.”
And if that weren’t enough, the “beautification” of our treatment plants helps in yet another way – educating the public about what we do. “Before community members come to one of our treatment plants for an education tour, they usually think about how gross it is going to be,” explains Susan Tallarico, Education and Engagement Supervisor. “And although there are some smelly realities when it comes to cleaning wastewater, most of the public is pleasantly surprised with how clean and attractive the buildings, grounds and trails are. Our seasonal workers help make our treatment plants a place where people want to come back and learn more about how we protect the environment.”
Interested in a job as a seasonal worker? We post positions in about April or May each year. Watch for announcements or sign up for alerts at the King County Job site: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/kingcounty
Employee News 