Employee News

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Lilia Cabello Drain

Kudos! King County Metro Transit Manager recognized in Public Fleet Hall of Fame

John Alley, King County Vehicle Maintenance Section Manager, was one of a select group of public sector fleet professionals inducted into the Public Fleet Hall of Fame this year. John received the honor for being an industry leader and pioneer who has significantly contributed to the public fleet profession. The award is sponsored by the National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA).

John has 49 years of experience in the fleet industry. He is a retired colonel who served 30 years in the U.S. Army, and worked for the Washington State Patrol and the City of San Diego prior to coming to King County.

Those honored are chosen by a combination of industry professionals via an online ballot and Government Fleet magazine staff. To be eligible, individuals must have at least 20 years of experience in the industry, 10 of which must have been spent working for a public fleet. John and other inductees were recognized at The Honors Celebration at the Government Fleet Expo and Conference (GFX) on June 21. Read more at Government Fleet magazine.

In the above photo, John Alley appears to the far right, with the other inductees from this year’s Public Fleet Hall of Fame 2016 class.

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Lilia Cabello Drain

Kudos! King County Sheriff’s Office appreciated for keeping community safe

Marchers in Sunday’s Pride Parade took to Twitter to show their gratitude for the presence of King County Sheriff’s Officers who helped ensure that all participants enjoyed themselves and had a peaceful day.

This user tweeted “Thx for being out w/the community 2day @kingcosoPIO esp to keep hateful protestors at bay #PrideSeattle #LovesWins”

Kudos to KCSO for being one with the community and keeping the people of King County safe and secure!

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Jason Argo

Watch new video series on Professional Development and Career Growth

Welcome to “Hot Topics,” our new video series where we look at topics that matter to you, the employees of King County. For the first edition, we are focusing on one of the biggest issues that employees raised in the 2015 Employee Survey and Equity and Social Justice workshops: Professional Development and Career Growth.

This edition of “Hot Topics” is comprised of four short videos that includes an overview by King County Executive Dow Constantine and segments featuring employees discussing their careers, the County’s professional development services and programs, and their experiences with these services. Closed captioning will be available soon.

You can watch each segment individually or as one 20-minute show below:

What we heard from employees about development (3′ 27″)
Career Advancement at King County (5′ 51″)
Learning and Development (5′ 47″)
Administrative Professionals program (5′ 02″).

Get more career development information and resources on the Hot Topics webpage.

Thank you to all the employees who participated in the videos and shared their stories and experiences.

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Lilia Cabello Drain

King County celebrates Pride as one

Crossposted from DES Express

Thanks to everyone who came out on Sunday, June 26 to participate in the Seattle Pride Parade! Dozens of us marched as One King County in the bright sun with beautiful new rainbow banners, demonstrating our commitment to equity and social justice. We’re already looking forward to 2017!

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Lilia Cabello Drain

Environmental Sampling and Reporting goes Lean

Crossposted from Lean In King County

Completing environmental reporting for the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill is a complex process. With complicated record keeping, a long distance from sampling location to laboratory, and equipment and software challenges, the group responsible for environmental sampling and reporting knew there had to be a better way.

The first improvement they made involved transportation. On a normal day, the group would collect their samples at Cedar Hills and then send two trucks to the lab so the samples could be tested. The team realized if they consolidated the samples only one truck would have to make the 90-minute drive to the lab. Measurement of this initiative shows this effort works 97 percent of the time, saving 90 minutes of staff time each day the group samples at Cedar Hills. Though this improvement project only addressed Cedar Hills, the staff will consider applying their methods at other locations.

Help shape the future of Access Transportation – Tell us what you think by July 5

Crossposted from Metro Matters

Metro needs your feedback to help shape the future of Access Transportation, Metro’s ADA paratransit service.

We’ll reach out to the public several times this year to learn about what’s working well and how Access could be improved. Your feedback will inform Metro staff as they plan for new Access contracts that will take effect in 2018.

In this first phase of outreach, we want to hear about how we’re doing with Access service, what’s most important riders, and ideas for improvements.

King County Mobile ID – Implemented, Making a Difference!

A new handheld device is helping law enforcement personnel get identification results quickly in the field, improving the safety of our communities.

Handheld Mobile ID devices allow law enforcement to scan fingerprints in the field and search county, state and federal databases for matches in a matter of minutes. It’s an important tool when knowing a person’s true identity can impact critical decisions.

Officer Kevin Bateman of the Kent Police Department shared one example with KCTV recently. “We had a hit-and-run, but the guy came back, and all he had was a very poor representation of an Ecuadorian passport to identify himself. So, we run the name, get nothing, run the prints, comes back a totally different name.”

Keep it fresh! Reducing waste and keeping food fresher longer

With the farmer’s markets season in full swing, King County’s Solid Waste Division offers several tips on how to smartly store food, reducing waste and keeping items fresher longer.

The food items wasted most are fresh vegetables and fruit. This is typically because we have bought too much or didn’t use it in time. By storing fruits and vegetables for maximum freshness, they will taste better and last longer, helping you eat more of them before they spoil.

When buying, choose fresh foods that freeze well if there’s a chance you won’t get around to eating them in time. The length of time that food will last depends on how fresh it was when you bought it. Local, in-season produce will last much longer than produce that has been shipped a long way.

Learn where to store all the fruits and vegetables to keep them fresher longer. Download this handy Fruit and Vegetable Storage Guide (PDF) for more information. Many fruits give off natural gases as they ripen that make other produce spoil faster. Separate fruit that is very ripe from others that are not as ripe.

For more information, tips and even use-by guidelines visit the King County Smart Storage page.

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Lilia Cabello Drain

Featured Job: CD Involuntary Commitment Specialist

Closing Date/Time: Fri. 07/08/16 4:30 PM Pacific Time

Salary: $62,025.60 – $78,624.00 Annually

Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week

Location: Chinook Building – 401 5th Ave, Seattle, Washington

Department: Department of Community & Human Services

Description: The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, self-reliant and connected to community.

Provide prompt response to persons believed to have substance use disorders and to be of danger to themselves or others and/or who are gravely disabled with the goal of stabilizing the crisis and/or performing investigation for involuntary treatment under RCW 70.96A.140 and to coordinate the cases through the legal system.

Learn more about this position or view all available jobs.

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Lilia Cabello Drain

Social Media Spotlight: King County Auditor Twitter

The King County Auditor’s Office promotes improved performance, accountability, and transparency in King County government through objective and independent audits and studies.