Social Media Spotlight: King County Road Services Division Facebook 

King County Road Services (Roads) maintains 1,500 miles of road and 181 bridges in unincorporated King County. Our Facebook page is monitored during business hours. 24/7 Roads Helpline: 206-477-8100 or 1-800-527-6237 (1-800-KC-ROADS)

Follow the King County Roads on Facebook today.

Click here to view all King County social media pages.

Featured Job: Senior Oracle EBS Trainer  

Closing Date/Time: 02/15/18 11:59 PM (GMT -8:00)

Salary: $81,076.94 – $102,769.89 Annually

Location: Chinook Building, 401 5th Avenue, Seattle

Job Type: Special Duty Assignment or Term Limited Temp (TLT)

Department: Department of Executive Services – Business Resource Center

Description: The BRC is seeking a one-year special duty or TLT position that will focus on training for the Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) financial system to support existing training curriculum and to plan, develop and deliver training to prepare county users for the EBS 12.2.7 upgrade project to be implemented in 2018.

The ideal candidate selected will work collaboratively to deliver quality training solutions to county EBS users. Additionally the successful candidate will have working knowledge of financial business processes, the Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) financial and procurement system and training best practices.

Contact: For more information contact Sharon Gadzik at 206-263-8694 or Sharon.Gadzik@kingcounty.gov.

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

Kudos! Metro receive rave from Seattle Times readers 

This piece was featured at the top of the Seattle Times’ Rant and Raves list for January 25, 2018. Kudos to our Metro operators and employees!

“RAVE To King County Metro Transit for providing buses to transport those of us in the Womxn’s March from Seattle Center back to the downtown area. Lots of buses were ready and waiting for us as we finished the march — and, to top it all off, the ride was FREE!”

Council approves creation of Immigrant and Refugee Commission 

In 2016, the Metropolitan King County Council accepted the recommendations of King County’s Immigrant and Refugee Task Force that evaluated the challenges facing King County’s growing immigrant and refugee community. Monday the Council voted toward acting on those recommendations with its unanimous approval to establish a King County Immigrant and Refugee Commission.

“The new residents of King County are working hard to become part of the greater community and this commission will be their voice,” said Councilmember Larry Gossett, the prime sponsor of the ordinance. “For people newly arrived not only in the county, but possibly in the country, there are numerous challenges. The commission provides them a ‘seat at the table’ which can be invaluable in being comfortable in their new homes.”  

Read more in the official press release.

Nominate a Peer for a 2018 STAR Award! 

Crossposted from KC Employee Giving 

It’s that time of the year to recognize a colleague who went far and beyond the call of duty to make a difference in the community! 

With the Employee Giving Program’s Annual Celebration just around the corner — Thursday, February 15, 2018 (details below) — which celebrates outstanding effort and contributions made by departments and individuals, we want to remind you to nominate your STAR peers! 

Read more at KC Employee Giving

Count Us In volunteers hit the streets for annual homeless count 

King County Executive Dow Constantine joined close to 1,000 volunteers in the early hours of Friday, Jan. 26, for the 2018 Count Us In to better understand how many people in our community are experiencing homelessness and how we can better serve their needs.

Watch him speak about the importance of the 2018 Count Us In event and how we can combat homelessness within King County in the video below.

King County Information Technology pilots volunteer program 

Crossposted from KC Employee Giving 

In 2018, the King County Employee Giving Program (KCEGP) is launching its new volunteer program. In partnership, King County Information Technology (KCIT), a department of King County government, and KCEGP are initiating a pilot engagement to accomplish three objectives: 

  1. Understand technology needs of Nonprofits
  2. Align volunteer services 
  3. Establish an ongoing program 

KCIT has more than 400 IT professionals serving King County in the areas of Infrastructure, Network Operation and Business Solution delivery services. These services are delivered by professionals working in different disciplines including Engineering, Application Development, Network Architecture, Project Management, Business Analysis and End User Training. 

Read more at KC Employee Giving

LinkUp: Supporting reuse and recycling markets 

Caption: Left to right: Daniel Harding of Salvation Army, Kris Beatty of King County and Liz Fikejs of Seattle Public Utilities

Whether you wait until spring to get your spring cleaning done or chip away at it throughout the year, be mindful of items that have a second or third life before labeling them as waste. 

The Solid Waste Division (SWD) LinkUp program works to expand markets for selected recyclable and reusable materials. Through this program, collaboration with businesses, public agencies and non-profits is helping extend the life of the King County landfill. 

“Our projects are designed to reduce barriers preventing materials being reused or retained in the economy as a resource through recycling,” said Program Manager Kris Beatty, who oversees multiple LinkUp project partnerships. “The current materials identified as priorities for King County are asphalt shingles, mattresses and textiles, but we’ll soon be adding projects to address wood from construction projects and plastics.” 

One recent LinkUp project has focused on textiles. Annually, about 40,000 tons of used textiles generated in Seattle and King County end up in landfills, but it’s estimated that 95% of that could have been reused or recycled. 

In 2013, LinkUp set about researching used textiles markets to look for opportunities to reduce waste of that material. “In that process, several of the larger textile collectors, such as Goodwill and Salvation Army, reported accepting textiles that are damaged, such has having holes, stains and broken zippers,” Kris said. “Consumer research showed that residents were unaware of that fact.” 

As a result, LinkUp worked with Seattle Public Utilities to develop Threadcycle – a public education campaign that encourages residents to donate all their used clothes, shoes and linens to participating organizations for reuse or recycling. Here is a full list of acceptable items. 

In 2016, 922,000 tons of solid waste was disposed at King County’s Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, and an estimated 70% of those materials could have been recycled. 

“Landfill space is valuable,” Kris said. “Extending the life of our landfill is a top priority for us, and a value to King County residents and businesses.” 

LinkUp is one of the Solid Waste Division’s complementary programs that are finding ways to increase reuse and recycling and reduce waste. 

Tech Tip:  Scammers impersonate the Social Security Administration 

Ralph Johnson, Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer

By Ralph Johnson, Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer 

Your Social Security number is an important key for an identity thief. Scammers want it, and they think of all sorts of ways to trick you into giving it away. 

The Federal Trade Commission receives reports about calls from scammers claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. They say there’s been a computer problem, and they need to confirm your Social Security number. Other people have told the FTC that they have come across spoof websites that look like the place where you would apply for a new Social Security card – but these websites are actually a setup to steal your personal information. 

If you get a phone call or are directed to a website other than ssa.gov that is claiming to be associated with the Social Security Administration, don’t respond. It’s most likely a scam. 

Here’s some tips to deal with these government imposters. 

  • Don’t give the caller your information. Never give out or confirm sensitive information – like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number – unless you know who you’re dealing with. If someone has contacted you, you can’t be sure who they are. 
  • Don’t trust a name or numberCon artists use official-sounding names to make you trust them. To make their call seem legitimate, scammers use internet technology to spoof their area code – so although it may seem they are calling from Washington, DC, they could be calling from anywhere in the world. 
  • Check with the Social Security Administration. The SSA provides additional information about these scams here and suggests you contact them directly at 1-800-772-121 to verify the reason for the contact and the person’s identity prior to providing any information to the caller. 

If you come across one of these scams, please report it to the Social Security Administration’s Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271/1-866-501-2101(TTY) and then report it to the FTC at www.ftc.gov/complaint. 

Help us name the new King County Employee Health & Well-Being Initiative 

Have a say in the new name 

King County is changing Healthy Incentives based on what we heard from employees. A new, voluntary Employee Health & Well-Being initiative will start later in 2018. What will the upcoming changes mean for your out-of-pocket medical expenses for 2018 health benefits? Thanks to the collaborative effort between labor partners and King County, King County employees* will have Gold level benefits in 2019. In 2018, you and your covered spouse or state-registered domestic partner will not need to take a Wellness Assessment or complete an Individual Action Plan.  

What’s in a name? Help us decide! 

The new King County Employee Health & Well-Being Initiative will take a comprehensive approach, focusing on the many aspects of health and well-being. We’ll bring you programs, activities and tools to help you live a healthier, happier life; meeting you where you are, in ways that work with your schedule. 

We’d like to hear from you.  

The new initiative will be a reflection of the input you provided in 2017, so have a say in the new name, too! We’ve narrowed down the name to a few good choices, but would like your input to help us with the final decision.  

Balanced – Description: A complete approach to a more balanced life. Strive for harmony in your health and well-being.  

Life Engaged – Description: Live in the moment and take action. Invest in yourself to reach your goals.   

Whole You – Description: Connect the many things that contribute to your whole-person. Do all you can to improve your health and well-being. 

Click here to vote between Jan. 30 – Feb. 9 

You may vote through the online survey, or by paper copy at select worksites. We’ll announce the new name later this spring, along with the introduction of the new initiative! 

*Applies to non-represented employees and members of KCPOG, ATU, and unions that have formally signed the 2017-2018 JLMIC benefits agreement.