Featured Job: Housing Repair Inspector – Engineer II  

Closing date/time: 03/11/18 11:59 PM (GMT -8:00)

Salary: $73,132.80 – $92,684.80 Annually

Location: Chinook Building – 401 5th Ave, Seattle

Job type: Term Limited Temporary, Full Time, 40 hrs/wk

Division: Department of Community & Human Services

Summary: The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, self-reliant and connected to community. Join our dynamic and energetic team, the King County Housing Repair Program.  We inspect dwellings for health and safety, building preservation issues and address housing code violations.  We provide program information to community stakeholders and eligible homeowners within King County. We also provide financial and technical assistance to low-moderate income homeowners through the loans and grants we offer. This job requires climbing on ladders, walking on uneven surfaces, crawling under homes, and other potentially strenuous activities. This position requires working proactively with the citizens of King County, to explore, and solve a wide range of housing rehabilitation issues.

Contact: For more information contact Susan Churchill at Susan.Churchill@kingcounty.gov

Learn more about this position, or view all available jobs.

Kudos! Public Health campaign receives regional and national recognition! 

The We Are 1 HIV PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) social marketing campaign, which was spearheaded by Public Health – Seattle & King County, received both a regional and a national award from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The multi-media HIV prevention campaign, which took place in King , Pierce, and Snohomish County, received a regional Totem Award from PRSA Puget Sound for its creativity and accomplishment within the public relations industry in the Puget Sound area. This award also recognizes projects and programs that demonstrate excellence in public relations, and that rise above the competition. The campaign then went on to receive a national Silver Anvil Award of Excellence in the “Integrated Communications Government” category, which recognizes the very best in the United States public relations industry, and honors agencies and organizations that have successfully addressed a contemporary public relations issue with exemplary profession, skill, creativity, and resourcefulness.

Kudos to the We Are 1 campaign for winning these communications awards and for promoting an innovative new preventive HIV measure! That’s Best-Run Government in action!

Pictured: On the left, the regional award. On the right, the national award.

Social Media Spotlight: King County Solid Waste Facebook 

We bring the best people together to deliver value to our customers and stakeholders and continuously improve waste prevention, resource recovery, and waste disposal. King County operates eight transfer stations, two drop-boxes, the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, and many programs to help customers recycle. Learn more about the Solid Waste Division at kingcounty.gov/solidwaste. 

Follow King County Solid Waste on Facebook today. 

Click here to view all King County social media pages.  

Nominate an Administrative Professional and save the date for Administrative Professionals Recognition event, April 25

Recognize an exceptional administrative professional in your area or someone you work with that has gone above and beyond to provide you with exceptional service. Any King County employee is eligible to nominate an administrative professional for recognition.

All nominations are due by close of business day oFriday, March 30. Nominations can be submitted electronically here, or via or a scanned paper nomination form, and sent directly to AdministrativeProfessionals@kingcounty.gov. To review the eligibility and nomination process, visit the Administrative Professionals website.

Also save the date for the third annual Administrative Professionals Recognition Day Event. The event will be held on Wednesday, April 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. More information to follow.

For more information visit www.kingcounty.gov/administrativeprofessionals.

Rev Up For Retirement seminar, April 25 

Are you too young to think about retirement? Think again!  This retirement overview is for anyone who thinks they may retire in the next few years. With increasing concern over the future of Social Security and the stability of retirement plans, it’s a good idea to stay informed and prepare in advance. 

Join us for a three-hour seminar featuring guest speaker Jean Cormier, who will discuss your Medicare choices and options, and representatives from the Social Security Administration and the Retired Public Employees Council of Washington.  

We’ll also talk about the current retirement climate and projections for the future, and the resources available to you through King County. 

Wednesday, April 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eighth Floor Conference Center, King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle 

Registration is required. Due to space limitations, only county employees may attend. Click here to register. Please note attendance is strictly voluntary, on your own time, and non-work related. For more information, contact King County Benefits, Payroll and Retirement Operations by e-mail at KC.Orientations@kingcounty.gov. 

Meet the Archives

Crossposted from Bytes and Boxes

Those of us in the archives profession are often surprised (shocked!) to discover that there are people in the world who don’t know what an archives is or what archivists do.

So, to help demystify archives in general, and to let everyone see what a friendly and approachable bunch we really are, in this post we share a series of brief interviews with us, the staff of the King County Archives.

And now, we invite you to meet the Archives team…in alphabetical order!

    • Jill Anderson, Assistant Archivist
    • Agnes Castronuevo, Archives Reference Specialist/Administrative Specialist
    • Danielle Coyle, Archives Administrative Specialist
    • Amanda Demeter, Assistant Archivist
    • Greg Lange, Archives Reference Specialist/Administrative Specialist
    • Karisa O’Hara, Archives Technical Specialist/Administrative Specialist
    • Rebecca Pixler, Assistant Archivist (Retired)
    • Carol Shenk, County Archivist

Read more at Bytes and Boxes

Pictured: Top row left to right, Jill Anderson, Assistant Archivist, Agnes Castronuevo, Archives Reference Specialist/Administrative Specialist, Danielle Coyle, Archives Administrative Specialist, Amanda Demeter, Assistant Archivist. Bottom row left to right, Greg Lange, Archives Reference Specialist/Administrative Specialist, Karisa O’Hara, Archives Technical Specialist/Administrative Specialist, Rebecca Pixler, Assistant Archivist (Retired), Carol Shenk, County Archivist.

Puget Sound Engineering Council names King County employee 2018 Government Engineer of the Year

Pictured: Wastewater Mechanical Engineer Lead Jeff Lundt

On Feb. 3, the Puget Sound Engineering Council honored Wastewater Mechanical Engineer Lead, Jeff Lundt as the 2018 Government Engineer of the Year. Jeff is in the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Wastewater Treatment Division. 

Jeff was recognized for his many contributions to improving the region’s wastewater infrastructure. His dedication and tireless efforts in providing training for professionals in all areas of water and wastewater treatment have benefited thousands, ensuring operators and engineers understand and are informed of best practices, current trend in the industry, fundamental concepts and new technologies so utilities can – now and in the future – have the staff and knowledge to keep our waterways clean and our drinking water safe. Jeff’s contributions toward advancing Wastewater Treatment Division’s mission are much appreciated. Congratulations Jeff on this wonderful achievement! 

United Way’s 2018 free tax prep campaign for King County employees 

Tax season is upon us and King County would like to highlight United Way of King County’s free tax preparation services as a convenient option available to you, your family members, and your community! Tax time can be stressful and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be;  consider taking advantage of this free service so you can avoid costly tax preparation fees and maximize your refund.

United Way offers free tax preparation services at over 30 locations throughout King County and online from now through April.Households making under $66,000 can have their taxes prepared  by a certified tax preparer, plus they can get connected to other community resources and public benefits.

There are two easy ways to file:

  • Online – File your taxes online for free with United Way’s My Free Taxes tool if your household makes under $66,000 at www.MyFreeTaxes.com.
  • In-person – Thirty locations can be found throughout King County with convenient hours to meet your schedule. No appointments are needed. To find a location near you, languages available, a list of what to bring, and other details, visit www.FreeTaxExperts.org or call 2-1-1.

More information is also available within this informational flyer.

Our youth are speaking, and we need to listen

Crossposted from the Best Starts for Kids Blog 

Building a community where young people are valued, respected, and engaged as leaders of today is fundamental to our collective vision for Best Starts for Kids. Next month on this blog, we’ll begin a series of posts about how we can support the young people in our lives and communities. We’ll discuss concrete actions you can take, resources and tips for adults, and reflections on what it means to build this community together. If you have a question, want to suggest a topic for this series, or just want to give a shout-out to a young person doing great things in your community, let us know. 

In the aftermath of such tragic loss in Parkland last week, we are witnessing our youth teach us how to be leaders—we need to watch and learn.  We are witnessing our youth organize—we need to join them. We are witnessing our youth raise their voices to be heard over the politics of adults—we need to amplify it. We need to be with them in any manner they want us to be. This week, one young man said, “We need to scream until they listen.” They shouldn’t have to scream. We should be listening. 

Read more at the Best Starts for Kids Blog

It’s Washington Invasive Species Awareness Week!

Crossposted from the Noxious Weeds Blog 

As spring approaches, it’s a good time to reflect on what we can do this year to help the natural world here at home. Learning about and taking action to help stop the spread of invasive species is one great way to give Washington’s natural world a hand. 

In honor of Washington Invasive Species Awareness Week (Feb 25-Mar 3), the Washington Invasive Species Council has given us an excellent list of ways we can help fight invasive species. Below is a short excerpt of their ideas (with some King County links added by me). Read the whole list here. 

Clean your hiking boots, bikes, waders, boats and trailers, off-road vehicles, and other gear before you venture outdoors to stop invasive species from hitching a ride to a new location. Visit the council’s Washington Invasive Species Education (WISE) Web site to learn more about preventing spread. 

Read more at Noxious Weeds Blog