Social Media Spotlight: #CityHallSelfie Day
King County employees had a great showing for #CityHallSelfie Day last week!
To view the selfies, visit King County, WA on Twitter and search – you guessed it – #CityHallSelfie!
In addition to viewing the selfies from our King County team – including Executive Constantine and, one of our favorites, RALS’ #CityHallSelfie #Twelfie – you can view how public servants around the country and around the world celebrated!
Share this:
Featured Job: Education Specialist – Immunizations Program
Closing: 09/03/18 11:59 PM Pacific
Salary: $25.44 – $32.24 Hourly
Location: Chinook Building, Seattle, WA
Job Type: Special Duty Assignment or Term-Limited Temporary
Department: Public Health – Seattle & King County
Job Number: 2018ZK-08517
This position is open to all qualified candidates and is a 6-month term limited temporary or special duty position that reports to the Immunization Educator Consultant in the Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Immunization Section. The Education Specialist performs Vaccines for Children Program site visits with enrolled clinics in King County utilizing pre-designed assessment methodologies. The incumbent evaluates clinic data to determine whether current VFC program policies and procedures regarding vaccine ordering, reporting, inventory management, and vaccine dose documentation are effectively carried out by the practice. The Education Specialist also provides information to health care providers, and conducts outreach to schools, child care providers, and adult vaccine providers to ensure optimal community vaccination coverage levels.
Contact: For more information, contact HR Analyst Zackary King at Zackary.King@KingCounty.gov.
Learn more about this position or all available jobs.
Share this:
Trail Spotlight: Eastside Rail Corridor
Crossposted from King County Parks Plog
One of the most exciting projects happening at Parks is the development of the Eastside Rail Corridor (ERC). This trail is being developed in partnership with Renton, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and Woodinville, along with Sound Transit, Puget Sound Energy and many others.
Once completed this 42-mile recreational trail will connect the Cedar River Trail and Lake to Sound Trail (in progress) with the SR 520 Trail, the I-90 Trail, Redmond Central Connector, the Cross Kirkland Corridor, the Sammamish River Trail, and the East lake Sammamish Trail! That’s a lot of connections.
The new section of the Eastside Rail Corridor where it connects with the Lake Washington Trail.
As if this wasn’t enough, the ERC will be the first example in the region of trail-oriented development where adjacent businesses in Bellevue’s Spring District will be trail-facing. This will bring vibrancy, and vitality to a hallmark of regional recreation and mobility.
Now, it will be a while before this trail is completed, but at least for now we have the existing Lake Washington Trail (also known as the Lake Washington Loop Trail) which circles Lake Washington via a collection of on-road bike paths, regional trails and some protected bike lanes.
Intersections sporting new safety standards on the Eastside Rail Corridor interim trail.
The Lake Washington Trail going north from Renton will now take you onto a couple of the existing interim gravel sections of the Eastside Rail Corridor. While not yet paved, they’ll give you a feel for the coming trail.
So what are you waiting for?! Get outside and explore this new section of Your Big Backyard, get a flavor of the days to come, it’s going to be one awesome trail. Also, join Parks for a celebration of the new interim ERC sections on September 8 at North 43rd Street in Renton.
Share this:
King County’s South Treatment Plant celebrates perfection with prestigious environmental awards
The Washington State Department of Ecology honored King County’s South Treatment Plant with a coveted “Outstanding Performance Award” for operational excellence that resulted in perfect compliance with all permit conditions in 2017.
King County’s South Treatment Plant in Renton.
South Plant is one of 111 wastewater treatment plants out of about 300 statewide that received the recognition. To earn the award, the plant had to operate around the clock for the entire year with no violations of any kind. In addition to meeting or exceeding effluent pollution removal requirements, the plant operations also flawlessly complied with monitoring and reporting obligations, pretreatment requirements, and spill prevention planning.
The plant was also the recipient of the National Association of Clean Water Agency’s “Platinum Peak Performance Award” for 20 consecutive years of perfect compliance with effluent discharge requirements under the federal Clean Water Act and the state’s Water Pollution Control Law.
In service since 1965, King County’s South Treatment Plant in Renton protects public health and water quality for about 700,000 people in communities south and east of Lake Washington. The plant treats an average of 90 million gallons of wastewater each day, with a capacity to treat up to 300 million gallons during severe storms.
The plant site also hosts the award-winning Waterworks Gardens Park, where art, technology and nature join in a unique way. The park’s extensive network of wetlands acts as a natural treatment system to clean stormwater runoff from the plant site. Waterworks Gardens is open to the public year-round from dawn to dusk.
Additional information about the South Treatment Plant is available online.
Read the original news release here, and read about DNRP’s other awards in the Newsroom!
Share this:
Metro Transit to become independent department Jan. 1
Shared from King County Council News
King County Metro, recognized this month as the best large transit system in North America, will become an independent County department with Monday’s unanimous approval of legislation by the Metropolitan King County Council.
In September 2017, Executive Constantine announced his proposal to make Metro Transit a stand-alone department rather than a division of the Department of Transportation.
King County has been responsible for public transit since the voter-approved merger of the county with the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (Metro). Metro Transit has been a division of the King County Department of Transportation (KCDOT) since 1994. The adopted legislation will make Metro Transit responsible for all of the functions currently in the Transit Division of KCDOT as well as the Marine Division of KCDOT.
Metro Transit General Manager Rob Gannon
Rob Gannon, who has been the General Manager of Metro, will become the department’s first Director and General Manager when the legislation takes effect on Jan. 1, 2019.
“This change strengthens Metro Transit by giving it the organizational flexibility to meet the rapidly growing needs of transit riders,” said Council Vice Chair Claudia Balducci, who serves as the chair of the Council’s Mobility Committee. “Mr. Gannon has been an effective leaders and I am confident in his ability to continue to build an efficient and adaptable transit service that works as part of an integrated transportation system to improve mobility for all residents in King County.”
“General Manager Rob Gannon is an excellent choice to lead Metro Transit. I trust that he, along with the incredible staff at Metro, will continue providing first-rate transit service while pushing to improve regional mobility,” said Council Chair Joe McDermott. “I look forward to working with Mr. Gannon as we tackle our transportation challenges and opportunities.”
“This department will coordinate and provide more mobility options as it collaborates with other groups, businesses, and cities. Mobility throughout the county is important,” said Council Vice Chair Kathy Lambert. “I know Director Gannon will do an excellent job and that Metro will continue to be a national leader in transit service.”
The legislation also calls for the new Metro Transit Department to emphasize:
• Innovation in the development, planning and delivery of mobility and transit services around the county,
• Performance standards to meet the increasing demand for transit among King County’s residents, and,
• Foundational commitments to equity and addressing disparity through transit services.
The Council unanimously approved Gannon’s appointment as Metro Director at today’s meeting. Gannon who, served as Metro’s Deputy General Manager from 2011 to 2013, has been Metro’s General Manager since 2016.
The riders who board Metro’s 200 bus routes, use a Metro vanpool, walk onboard the King County Water Taxi, or reserve a ride on an Access paratransit van, will not see any changes in service when Metro becomes a county department.
Share this:
Pet of the Week: Eggsy
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC
Fall head over heels for Eggsy, our Pet of the Week!
This sweet and loving senior boy would love to cuddle up with you at home in his golden years. Eggsy also loves petting and will knead you in contentment.
Eggsy is a gentle and affectionate boy who likes to take things slow. As one of our “Bashful Blue” personality pets, he may get a little nervous in new situations and would do best in a family who understands he may need some time to warm up. Once he gets to know you, Eggsy will be making “muffins” in your lap in no time!
Eggsy does seem to get colds off and on. He has also been treated for URI, and has symptoms that may continue long-term and may be contagious to other cats. An informational handout is available to potential adopters, and the staff at RASKC will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Regular veterinary visits are always recommended. Eggsy also had some teeth pulled earlier this year, so he may have some special dietary needs.
If you’re looking for a lap cat, Eggsy is looking for you! He is litter box trained, neutered, current on vaccinations, and microchipped. His adoption fee includes a free visit to the veterinarian of your choice and 30 days of opt-in pet insurance through Trupanion.
You can find out more about Eggsy on our website at kingcounty.gov/AdoptAPet, or visit him in person at the King County Pet Adoption Center in Kent.
Share this:
Non-Skype voicemail users: reset your password, update your forwarding number
Today, KCIT is upgrading the AVST voicemail system used for automated attendants and voice mailboxes that are not on Skype. The main number in the system to make changes to auto attendant or voicemail recordings and to check voicemail messages will change from 206-296-0400 to 206-477-7799.
Non-Skype voicemail users:
- You will no longer receive messages about any waiting notifications on your phone. You will be able to call in to get messages. If you need message notification, let UC/Telecom know and they can program an alternative method to notify you of messages.
- You must update the destination for voicemail by changing your current forwarding from 206-296-0400 to 206-477-7799.
This is for those of us who are not on Skype. Contact Zita Prior if you need more information.
Share this:
Training Spotlight: Stories that Engage – Shaping Workplace Culture One Story at a Time
Our work culture is perfectly organized to give us the results we are currently experiencing. What if people seem to be disengaged, apathetic, or actively undermining a productive workplace? Without awareness, our natural storytelling talents can create a toxic culture of drama and dysfunction. But, with intent, we can shape stories that build psychological and emotional engagement. In this interactive, one-day class, attendees will:
- Learn why people disengage from work.
- Learn how to tap into the power of voice to connect with what we care about.
- Learn five tools to shape our stories with purpose.
- Explore the story-making process.
- Learn to describe the attributes of effective storytelling.
- Learn to shape stories to help you, your co-workers, and your organization engage for better results.
The training session is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 12, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. in room 560 of the Administration Building.
Learn more and register on Eventbrite before the session fills up, and visit Learning and Development on KingCounty.gov to learn more about trainings and other opportunities to invest in YOU!
Share this:
Training Spotlight: ArcGIS Fundamentals and Intermediate GIS Concepts
It’s time to register for training in Seattle to build your GIS skills. Face-to-face, instructor-led training builds a solid foundation in GIS to advance your career. The King County GIS Center is offering two-day ArcGIS Fundamentals in September and three-day Intermediate GIS Concepts in October.
ArcGIS is a powerful and complex tool for viewing and analyzing data. With so much functionality available in the software, it can be difficult to get started. This 2-day class teaches essential skills for being efficient with ArcGIS. Explore GIS data through ArcMap and create maps to illustrate relationships in the data. Learn methods of displaying data with symbols and text. See how to ask questions of the data and get answers. Audience: This class is primarily for those who want to learn the basics of ArcGIS.
Intermediate GIS Concepts Overview
ArcGIS has much more functionality than simple map display and navigation. It has many tools for collecting, creating, and analyzing data. This three-day class teaches advanced skills for using ArcGIS. See how to connect information between tables and mark locations on the map. Practice managing data files, creating new data, and putting the data to work to generate answers to questions. Audience: This class is for those who already know the basics of ArcGIS and want to expand their skills with the software and with GIS in general.
Register for both classes and save! Five days of training at exceptional value.
What You Will Receive
- 7.5 hours of instruction each day from a CompTIA Certified Technical Trainer (CTT).
- Use of a student PC while in class, with appropriate GIS software and access to training data.
- A TeachMeGIS student workbook (to keep) which includes the lecture slides, exercises, and a DVD of the training data.
- Upon completion, a signed completion certificate which will indicate the CEUs and GISCI points earned.
- KCGIS Center’s 30 for 30 Support—30 minutes of one-on-one instructor phone within 30 days after class completion. This is our commitment to you to help ensure that you can apply your new GIS skills successfully.
Location: 201 South Jackson Street – with convenient public transportation.
What our students say about these classes:
“Great introduction—I liked the combination of lecture, textbook, and exercises. The exercises were especially efficient in touching on many different aspects without going into too much detail. Thanks!”
“Well done. I put my GIS skills to use the first week back on the job. Thank you!”
“Good simple explanations. Tough but doable exercises”
“This class is for anyone needing to make accurate maps containing data appropriate for their needs and to share with others who may not be able to get the information accurately and in one place.”
“I liked that there were a lot of examples along the way. I also liked how the examples started fresh with each lesson. In the past, I’ve been in an environment where the examples built on each other, so if you made a small mistake early in the class, it was difficult to fix later on.”
“Very good class. We covered a lot of material, but the instructor managed to cover it in adequate depth and keep it engaging.”
“This class far exceeded my expectations, boosted my confidence in using ArcMap, and is one I recommend as a model for our other training.”
“Well put together, informative, comfortable, helpful, great!”
Share this:
Turning passion for people into opportunities
By Katelin Gladney, Customer Service Intern
Take a walk around King County and you’ll see how residents’ experiences can vary wildly. Some are doing well and benefitting from the strong, tech-fueled economy. But far too many are struggling to even keep a roof over their heads. Finding ways to help those struggling is the mission of King County employee Andréa Akita, Director of Communities of Opportunity (COO).
King County partnered with the Seattle Foundation a local philanthropic organization, to create the initiative aimed at providing equity and social justice to all communities through funding, resources, and strategic partnerships with related organizations.
Communities of Opportunity Director Andréa Akita
Akita studied urban and regional planning, and public administration in college, so she feels her work in King County has been a good fit, and sees the COO initiative as a movement: “Not all the people of King County are receiving equal benefits,” she explained. “People’s health, wealth, and access to opportunities are also being determined by where they live or the color of their skin. Policies or institutional racism prevent certain communities from being on the same level as other more stable communities and we want to be a county that’s working for everyone.”
As COO Director, she works with staff to help create conditions for community partners to identify solutions, and put them into action. “My responsibility is to create a team that is going to be able to listen carefully to community, to make sure they are committed to the COO work, and to make sure we aren’t imposing our values and ideas,” she said.
According to Akita, COO helps communities that are experiencing low unemployment, poor health services, poor housing conditions, and other barriers to stability submit a proposal for assistance. If it’s accepted, staff then helps those communities create a partnership with government and philanthropy partners, and decide how best to work together to change conditions.
King County aims to put money in parts of the county that have been under-resourced, and those that have been unable to access proper care and benefits because of inequitable policies in the past.
Akita started working with King County in December of 2016. Her personal and professional interests have always been about how to create the right kind of community for people to thrive in. “I grew up in Los Angeles at a time when homelessness was growing and most peoples’ response was to avert their eyes and pretend the problem didn’t exist,” she said. Even then, she knew there had to be a way to take action to improve living conditions for those experiencing homelessness.
That desire for everyone to be treated equally led her to get involved in homeless services and community development on L.A’s infamous Skid Row with an organization that was building housing, providing services, creating open space, and working directly with communities and people in need.
The COO initiative now gives Akita a way to transform her passion for helping others into tangible actions that create community-led opportunities and change. “My greatest accomplishment working with COO is being able to work with a great team that is accountable to their neighbors and community,” she said. “We are committed to changing what’s happening now to create a future where more people benefit from the many opportunities in this great county.”
Customer Service Intern Katelin Gladney and Andréa Akita
Editor’s note: Communities of Opportunity has just launched a new website and “the SCOOP” newsletter! Check out https://www.coopartnerships.org/ and sign up for the newsletter while you are there!
Employee News 