Metro’s adult fare change effective Sunday
Effective Sunday, July 1, Metro will convert to a single adult fare of $2.75, anytime, anywhere.
One-zone, two-zone, peak and off-peak fares will no longer apply.
There will be no change in the fares for youth, ORCA LIFT and RRFP.
A partir del 1º de julio del 2018, Metro cobrará una tarifa única de $2.75 para adultos. Ya no se aplicarán tarifas de zona 1 zona 2 y hora pico. No habrá cambios en el costo para jóvenes, niños ORCA LIFT y RRFP.
Visit What to Pay to learn more.
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Training Spotlight: The Fundamentals of Coaching
The Fundamentals of Coaching is a half-day training being held Aug. 30 and Nov. 13 in Room 560 of the King County Administration Building.
This half-day training introduces the fundamental skills of coaching. Have you ever wondered if coaching could be applied on your job? Do you know that you can have an effective, seven-minute coaching session with an individual or co-worker? Are you aware of the mindfulness practices included in coaching? Come join us for The Fundamentals of Coaching course, where you will become familiar with the basic elements of coaching such as the mindsets and skills a coach uses to help others move forward. Participants will engage the materials through instructor-led classroom discussions and interactive social learning.
Objectives:
- Become familiar with the discipline of coaching
- Learn how mindfulness practices improve the coaching experience
- Describe the mindsets and skills a coach uses to help others move forward
- Acquire skills to facilitate results within 15 minutes of the conversation
- Practice coaching others and being coached
We covered Building Change Management and Effectiveness last week, and there is still space available! It is a one-day training being offered July 27 and Sept. 7 in room 560 of the King County Administration Building. Craig Fleck will join King County’s own Debra Baker in delivering the session.
Learn more and register for The Fundamentals of Coaching, Building Change Management and Effectiveness, or both 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!
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Latino Outdoors hikes Alki Beach Trail
Crossposted from King County Parks Plog
By Gabriel Avila-Mooney, Communication Specialist for the King County Regional Trail System
On Monday, June 4, I joined the Washington chapter of Latino Outdoors, in a partnership with King County Parks, and walked the Alki Beach Trail. A scenic late afternoon hike ended in a beautiful sunset, highlighting one of the unique regional trails in King County.
It was a fun opportunity to meet other Latinos in my area and talk about living and working in the beautiful Puget Sound Region.
If you’re looking to join other Spanish speakers in hikes around the region, join the Latino Outdoors Washington Facebook group for events and happenings in Your Big Backyard and beyond!
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Supreme Court decision will not affect strong partnership with labor
Dear fellow King County employee,
King County Executive Dow Constantine
Today, the Supreme Court handed down its decision on Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, ruling that state and local public employees cannot be required to pay union dues or fees.
Labor unions have always been valued partners in our efforts to make King County a great place to work, and a highly effective service provider for our residents. Just last month, the King County Council approved our groundbreaking Master Labor Agreement jointly developed with our Coalition of Unions, which gives us a new framework for building on our efforts to be a workplace where every employee has the tools, support, and opportunity to do their best work for the people of King County.
The decision will present challenges for unions and their ability to provide the highest level of representation for their members, and we will work together to meet those challenges.
We are assessing the potential impacts of this decision on King County, and will share more information with you as soon as it is available. If you have questions about your represented status please contact your union representative.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine
King County Executive
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2018 Seattle Pride Parade in pictures
Executive Constantine with the King County contingent in the 2018 Pride Parade.
Hundreds of King County employees and their friends and family joined King County Executive Dow Constantine to celebrate diversity, fairness, and justice at the Seattle Pride Parade Sunday.
“Another fantastic #SeattlePride on the books! Times are difficult, but in King County, we’re striving to make sure that #allarewelcome,” Executive Constantine shared on Twitter Sunday.
King County Metro Bus 6885 was wrapped for the occasion, and traveled the parade route with a King County Medic One rig, courtesy of Public Health.
Public Health has a long history of participating in the Seattle Pride Parade. They joined the King County contingent to celebrate this year’s theme; Pride Beyond Borders. Click on the following image to view their photo album on their Public Health Insider blog. (Can you spot our Public Health staff?)
@KingCountyWA compiled a Twitter Moment, and included images from @kcexec, @kcmetrobus, @OurSeattlePride, @PurpleHayesRN, @KCPubHealth, @kcassessor, @KIRO7Seattle, @KCCouncil, @FireDogPhotos and @SoundTransit. Click the following image and enjoy.
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Metro managers who #RideTransit: Terry White
Shared from the Employee Transportation Program
In honor of #RideTransit month, we’re talking with four Metro managers about their transit commutes and any advice they’d like to pass along to new riders.
Deputy General Manager Terry White has several options for his transit commute. He lives in the Soos Creek area south of Renton, and likes to walk north to Fairwood to catch Route 102 into Seattle – or walk south about the same distance to catch Route 157. Either walk is about one and a half to two miles, so he gets a little exercise. He may also drive north to the Renton Highlands and take the Route 111 or Route 114 bus.
“And some days, I’m just interested in catching something different because I work here,” White says with a smile. That can include driving to Tukwila to take heavy or light rail (Sounder or Link), even though these — especially Link at the Tukwila International Boulevard station — involve more driving.
White grew up locally in a car-free home. “We rode the bus everywhere,” he says, rattling off examples, “the zoo, museums, the fair, church.” Today, he finds riding less stressful than driving and says, in most cases, it takes about the same amount of time once you factor in finding a place to park and getting from there to your destination.
His transit commutes allow him to check and respond to emails, getting his work day started on the way in and finishing it on the way out. If he’s all caught up, he may browse the news or catch a nap.
His suggestion for people who haven’t tried transit? “Find an alternative way to get to work and give it a shot, I would say for at least a month, and see if it helps your disposition,” said White. “If you do it for just one day, you may have a bad experience and decide it’s not for you. But if you can go a month, I think you’ll see the true value of transit.”
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King County: #RiseWithUs
Welcome 2018 Special Olympics USA Games!
Let me win. But, if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.
– Special Olympics Athlete Oath
The #2018USAGames medals. Photo courtesy @2018USAGames
During the July 1-6 Seattle- and King County-hosted games, more than 4,000 athletes and coaches representing each state and the District of Columbia will compete in 14 team and individual sports “in the best sports facilities in the greater Seattle region including the University of Washington, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, King County Parks’ Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, Willows Run Golf Club, Celebration Park, Angle Lake and Kenmore Lanes,” according to the games’ official website. All sporting events are free and open to the public.
King County joins the State of Washington and the City of Federal Way as a Public Partner of the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games, and King County Metro has joined Sound Transit, Alaska Airlines, REI Co-op and others as a Bronze Medal Partner. In a joint effort with Sound Transit, King County Metro is an Official Transportation Sponsor of the 2018 USA Games. “We’re honored to do our part for the Games, and invite the athletes, families and volunteers to ride and enjoy our frequent and reliable transit services,” said King County Metro General Manager Rob Gannon. “We’re inspired by both the competitive spirit and sense of community the Games are bringing here, and hope everyone enjoys our region’s unique sights and wonderful culture during their stay.”
“Athletes, coaches and fans from across the nation will gather in Seattle for the 2018 USA Games, and for many, this will be their first visit to our region. We couldn’t ask for a better welcoming committee than our partners at the Port of Seattle, King County Metro and Sound Transit,” said Beth Knox, president and CEO of the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games.
According to the official press release, King County Metro and Sound Transit will provide a total of 4,000 pre-paid ORCA Passport cards, which will enable athletes and their families to travel by bus, water taxi, and light rail throughout King County, including to and from Sea-Tac Airport and between USA Games venues.
Jonathan Leckband with his job coach, Employment Consultant Meghan Spellman.
In addition to being a public partner of the games, King County is proud to have employees participating! Jonathan Leckband, office assistant with the Department of Transportation, and Rama ‘RJT’ Tall, parks specialist with the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, are two employee athletes who will be competing in the 2018 USA Games. I’m looking forward to the chance to show how good our team is,” said Leckband, a soccer player and teammate of RJT. “This will also be a chance to demonstrate sportsmanship, and maybe make new friends.”
The mission of the USA Games is much like our own King County goal of seeing both our employees and those we serve have the opportunity to fulfill their potential. “Over the last 3 years, King County’s Supported Employment Program has recruited for 12 positions, which is the largest increase of new positions within the program since the 1990’s early 2000’s,” said Christina Davidson, King County Supported Employment Program Manager. “It is great to see employees like Jonathan and RJT recognized for their contributions at King County and as an athletes competing in the upcoming games.”
For more information about the King County Supported Employment program, visit the website and contact Christina at 206-477-3372 or Christina.Davidson@KingCounty.gov.
For more information, tickets, schedules and special events details, visit the Special Olympic USA Games website. In addition to event information, there are details on the site about a variety of ways to get involved and opportunities to volunteer. You may also nominate a game changer. If you know a person or a company that exemplifies what it means to be inclusive, the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games wants to hear from you!
Get social with the games!
- @2018USAGames on Twitter
- @SpecialOlympicsUSAGames on Facebook
- SpecialOlympicsUSAGames on Instagram
- 2018 Special Olympics USA Games on YouTube
- #2018USAGames #RiseWithUs #Inclusion #KingCounty
The Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way
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Tech Tip: Don’t shut down, restart!
ICYMI: We ran a great tip last fall on the importance of restarting your computer rather than just shutting it down. KCIT maintains our computer systems around the clock, even while most of us are sleeping. But, your computer must be on. This is especially important when security patches are being deployed.
So, if you leave your computer in your work area when you depart for the day, hit “Restart” instead of “Turn Off” when you go home. Doing so cleans up your computer and allows KCIT to roll out the necessary upgrades and patches so your device is up-to-date when you return the next day.
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KCIT deploying new tool to protect data and systems
During the month of July, KCIT will deploy a new security tool that will help protect the entire King County network from cybersecurity attacks. The new tool will operate behind the scenes, helping to protect all of our data and systems from both external and internal cyber threats.
This deployment should affect neither your computer nor your day-to-day business operations. If you are blocked from a work-approved website or application, either submit a Help Desk Ticket to HelpTicket@KingCounty.gov or escalate the issue through your technical support group.
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Kudos! to EcoConsumer for offering Repair Events – inclusively
EcoConsumer joined forces with Univision Seattle to get the word out to everyone about our great King County Repair Events! EcoConsumer’s creativity and media outreach continue to impress and serve the residents of King County well.
Thank You, Paula Lamas and Univision Seattle!
Kudos, EcoConsumer!
Employee News 