New ‘loop’ system at Metro customer service office helps deaf or hard of hearing bus riders
Crossposted from Metro Matters
Bus riders who are deaf or hard of hearing and use cochlear implants or hearing aids now can use a newly installed hearing ‘loop’ system at King County Metro’s Customer Service Office at 201 South Jackson Street in Seattle. The induction hearing loop system allows customers who use the system to better communicate with Metro employees when they are buying or reloading ORCA cards or getting other help to better ride Metro.
Installing the induction hearing loop system demonstrates Metro’s continued commitment to accessibility for all of our customers. Loop systems help people better hear sounds at a distance and in environments where there is a lot of background noise.
Read more at Metro Matters
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Get ready to ShakeOut on October 20
King County will participate in the Great Washington ShakeOut earthquake drill on Thursday, October 20. At 10:20am, a PA announcement will go out in most County buildings, asking you to Drop, Cover, and Hold On just like you would do in a real earthquake. Expect more information about the drill in next week’s Employee News. For details about the Great Washington ShakeOut, visit www.shakeout.org/washington.
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Social Media Spotlight: EcoConsumer Twitter
The King County WA EcoConsumer public outreach program, in the Solid Waste Division, deals with the environmental impacts of our purchasing decisions and daily activities. It offers programs and resources to help King County residents balance consuming and conserving, to change their behavior and encourage others to help prevent waste.
Follow EcoConsumer on Twitter today!
Click here to view all King County social media pages.
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Sharing our know-how across the globe
Crossposted from King County Wastewater Treatment Division
URENCO staff here in Seattle are taken on a tour by King County WTD.
Many developing Asian countries face unique challenges delivering quality wastewater services. In an effort to mentor these communities, a team of Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) employees participated in information sharing with a growing utility called URENCO in Dong Hoi, Vietnam.
After visiting Vietnam, Dave Jurgens, reliability engineer, realized it’s not only an infrastructure challenge, but also one of culture. “The treatment plant is within a river delta with a lot of farmland. Waste is conveyed primarily from Dong Hoi, a fishing town of about 120,000 people,” he said.
King County WTD staff tour the URENCO facility in Vietnam.
“With just 10 percent of sewage being treated throughout the country, public awareness and regulatory oversight is still being developed. Programs like these are even more important in a region whose economy relies heavily on environmental resources… where sewer overflows can literally be within 100 feet of commercial shrimping nets.”
Read more at King County Wastewater Treatment Division
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Best Starts for Kids gets started
Joined by members of the King County Council, Executive Dow Constantine signed Best Starts for Kids. The voter-approved levy will invest nearly $400 million in child and youth development across King County over the next six years.
View the video below to watch the ceremonial bill signing.
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Kudos! Management team volunteers time to United Way Day of Caring
Shared from the DCHS Touching Base Newsletter
Members of the Department of Community and Human Services’ management team participated in the annual United Way Day of Caring on Friday, Sept. 23. The staff met at 8:30 a.m. at the Children’s Therapy Center (CTC) in Kent, WA and spent the day improving the CTC campus. Some of the team spent the day cleaning and sanitizing the children’s toys and playrooms and other interior spaces. Others worked outside to spruce up the CTC grounds, lawn mowing, weed whacking, pruning hedges, raking, seeding, and sweeping. A few sore arms and backs may have followed – but well worth the effort to see how great everything looked at the end of the day!
United Way of King County estimates they had over 13,000 volunteers working on more than 400 projects and generating over $1.8 million in volunteer labor in the United Way Day of Caring!
Pictured: Denise Rothleutner, Division Director, and Josephine Wong, Deputy Director, tame the unruly shrubs in front of the CTC building.
To learn more about what DCHS is doing in our community, read the most recent issue of the Touching Base Newsletter (on SharePoint).
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Mark Isaacson selected as Wastewater Treatment Division director
Mark Isaacson will become the Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) director beginning October 10. Mark has been the director of the Water and Lands Resources Division (WLRD) for the past 11 years, leading a large number of environmental programs and seeing the division through tough economic times and on to a period of growth.
Mark has established a very stable division with multiple revenue streams. Prior to leading WLRD, Mark was the assistant division director and prior to that worked in the WTD for three years leading the implementation of the division’s productivity initiative.
Mark is well known throughout King County and our region for his work in the natural resources field. He has strong leadership skills that will be great match for WTD and its leadership team.
WLRD Assistant Division Director John Taylor has stepped in as the WLRD interim director beginning Sept. 26.
Mark has a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Congratulations to Mark!
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Your home, your stream, your future
Join us in developing the Bear Creek Watershed Plan!
Learn about living in or near the Bear Creek Watershed and how stormwater is managed affects you, your property, and the health of Bear Creek.
The workshop will be held Thursday, October 13, 2016 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Woodinville City Hall, address is 17301 133rd Ave NE Woodinville, WA 98072.
King County and its partners are collaborating to reduce stormwater pollution and restore and protect stream habitat in the Bear Creek basin. Hear about our work over the last two years, and how this could influence watershed-wide stormwater management in the future. Come to listen, share, or ask questions. We want to hear from you!
Questions? Visit the Bear Creek Watershed Plan on the King County website or contact Jeff Burkey at 206-477-4658 or jeff.burkey@kingcounty.gov.
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Wet and windy weather is here!
Wet and windy weather has arrived and is expected to worsen over the coming hours.
Please prepare for possible disruptions and delays in this evening’s commute and again this weekend as we face two consecutive storm systems forecast by the National Weather Service.
High winds and rain might create potential travel delays, power outages, and temporarily closed roads. The King County Department of Transportation recommends Metro bus and water taxi riders and people who travel unincorporated county roads monitor weather reports and connect to information available from King County, including travel alerts.
Resources for travelers
- Sign up for Metro Transit Alerts (text, email, tweets via @kcmetrobus, see RSS feed via desktop or mobile RSS reader)
- Sign up for King County Road Alerts (text, email, tweets via @kcroads)
- Sign up for King County Water Taxi Alerts (text, email)
- Visit the King County My Commute page
- Visit the Eye on Your Metro Commute (blog during peak weekday commutes).
Prepare for Wind Storm
- Learn what your child’s school and daycare policies and procedures are for possible early release and facility closures.
- Fuel up your vehicle and allow extra commute time home from work or school.
- Locate flashlights, radio, and extra batteries should you experience a power outage at home
- Plan pre-cooked meals for your family that don’t require a stove-top, microwave, or oven to prepare.
- Make sure pets have appropriate shelter to stay warm and safe from falling debris.
- Ask your supervisor how you will be notified if power outages impact your worksite.
- Get more tips, utility contacts, and preparedness checklists at http://takewinterbystorm.org/wind/.
Stay Informed: During an emergency make sure you’re getting the latest King County information on how you are affected, at work and at home:
- Call the Employee Hotline—206-205-8600 (save it in your phone now!).
- Check your King County email.
- Go to www.kcemployees.com.
- Contact your supervisor.
- Follow King County on Twitter—@kcnews, @kcemployees, and @kcmetrobus.
- Check your agency website or Intranet (if applicable), and monitor local media channels.
- Visit the Emergency News page at www.kcemergency.com for regional impacts.
HR Policies: When an agency remains open, but conditions prevent you from reporting to work or from reporting on time, notify your supervisor as soon as possible. You may request leave, subject to approval by your supervisor. If you have no leave accrued, your supervisor may approve leave without pay to cover absences. Sick leave may not be used. Refer to HR Bulletin 2011-0009 County Operations During Emergency Situations and Inclement Weather (Sheriff’s Office employees refer to KCSO Inclement Weather Policy; Superior Court and District Court employees please see check court policies).
Recent posts from KC Emergency News about this upcoming weather are:
- King County Metro, Road Services, and Water Taxi monitoring weather and preparing for possible disruptions
- Storm watch: be prepared for damaging winds, power outages, and heavy rain
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Inclusion Works!
In observation of King County’s Disability Awareness Month, we would like to highlight a success story in progress …and an employer who is taking steps to ensure a more inclusive and diverse workforce that recognizes the professional contributions of individuals with behavioral health disabilities.
Meet Nick…
Nick is an Inventory Specialist at Amazon who ensures that multiple Amazon locations are fully stocked with supplies for his hard-working colleagues. He recently celebrated nine months as a full time Amazonian, and has received praise from his supervisors.
Nick moved to Seattle in 2006, looking for a better life. “I didn’t know resources or how to get around. I finally ended up in a shelter and living on food bank donations.” At one point, Nick ended up in the hospital, and his search for employment became even more difficult.
He then connected with the King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD), and enrolled in BHRD’s Supported Employment Program (SEP). This program helps individuals with behavioral health disorders, including mental illness and substance use disorders, either enter or re-enter the workforce.
This is accomplished with the assistance and support of employment specialists and an integrated team of professionals, including prescribers, therapists, case managers, housing providers and substance use disorder providers.
Through BHRD’s SEP – and their partnership with Northwest Center and Amazon – Nick gained employment. Today, he reports that having ongoing support during his initial stage of re-entering the workforce has changed his life for the better. “I think my confidence has grown. I’ve gotten into the routine of working. Before, I couldn’t afford things that I saw. Now I see things and I can afford to buy them because of my job. I bought a smart phone with money I earned from working. Amazon and the (supported employment) program helps people get back on their feet to where they can survive.” Nick tells others with behavioral health disabilities, “Keep trying. Don’t get discouraged. Keep trying until you can describe what you’re looking for to an employer. It’s worth it!”
Congratulations Nick!
Employee News 