Weddings at Brightwater Stories Go Global
Wastewater Treatment Division recently had great success getting information out about its Brightwater Treatment Plant when a story posted on its Facebook page about weddings at Brightwater went viral.
A KIRO-7 story about wedding availability at Brightwater’s Environmental Education and Community Center led to coverage from FOX News, Huffington Post, TIME.com, and newspaper websites galore including the Washington Post, New York Daily News, the UK Daily Mail, the Times of Malta and the Irish Examiner. WTD was even interviewed for A3 Radio’s morning show in Melbourne, Australia!
The context was playful but informative, and gave the Brightwater facility tremendous visibility for many of the things it does: great use of space, the ability for a county facility to generate revenue to support free educational programming, and the coolness factor of a sewage plant operating as a “zero odor” facility.
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Annual Report Highlights Employees’ Work to Help Solve Crimes Using Fingerprints
The King County Regional AFIS Program, or Automated Fingerprint Identification System, just published its 2013 annual report.
AFIS is a regional levy-funded program that has been operational since 1986 under the administration of the King County Sheriff’s Office that provides criminal identification services to all cities and incorporated areas of King County.
Program employees collect and search the fingerprints of arrested individuals to locate unknown aliases and warrants prior to their release. Staff also recover, process, search, and compare fingerprints from crime scenes.
The AFIS Program aids in solving crimes throughout King County, and contributes to the safety of both officers and residents.
Above: Latent Print Examiner Kerie Cress compares recorded fingerprints and latent prints collected at a crime scene to resolve identification
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Solid Waste and KCIT making strides in small business contracting
When King County’s Solid Waste Division (SWD) put out a contract to build the new Shoreline Recycling and Transfer Station eight years ago, there wasn’t a specific goal or target for including small businesses in the project.
“We paid a contractor $24 million, but we don’t know what went to a small firm,” said Ann McFarlane, a contract specialist for SWD.
Today, King County agencies are working to make sure that there are more opportunities for small, disadvantaged, and minority- and women-owned businesses to compete for and obtain County contracts – a result of the Procurement Reform Initiative launched by King County Executive Dow Constantine to make it easier for vendors and contractors to do business with King County.
For SWD’s recently-redeveloped Bow Lake Recycling and Transfer Station 25 percent of the $41 million contract went to certified small contractors and suppliers.
McFarlane said the awareness of dealing with small business has greatly increased since putting in small business contract requirements.
“I think the King County Small Business Program has come a long way,” McFarlane said.
The percentage that goes to small businesses is determined by the Business Development and Contract Compliance group (BDCC) in the Department of Executive Services. The BDCC’s goal is to “retain, expand, create and recruit businesses within industry clusters that are core to the region’s economic base and offer the greatest potential for growth.”
When creating a contract for a project, departments and agencies fill out a form that describes the scope of work. The BDCC then determines the subcontracting tasks within the scope of work, and the availability of small businesses to do the work before establishing a specific required percentage of participation by these small contractors and suppliers. If there are a lot of areas where a small business could do the work, the BDCC considers this information in conducting their analysis to set the percentage of participation.
“All we have to do is fill in a form and they (BDCC) set the requirements,” McFarlane said. “It has become so easy and the requirements have grown larger.”
In order for a small business to be eligible for a contract, they have to undergo a certification process to become a Small Contractor and Supplier (SCS) with the County. The SCS certification also applies for the Port of Seattle, the Seattle College District and Sound Transit.
“That makes it more attractive for a business to get certified,” McFarlane said.
McFarlane also mentioned that SWD’s smaller work order contracts under $100,000 mostly go to certified SCS firms, a job made easier by the County’s Small Business Accelerator program that allows certified SCS firms to compete among themselves for designated contracts.
King County Information Technology (KCIT) has also made great progress with its outreach and use of small businesses. Despite not having an exact goal for small business contracts, KCIT is working to educate small business owners on how they can compete for and win contracts with the county.
“One of the things we’re doing is hosting a KCIT forum geared toward small businesses,” Bryan Johnson, Senior IT Contract Specialist III said.
Johnson said it can be daunting for small businesses to try and navigate getting a government contract, and the forums allow KCIT to reach out to small firms and educate them on the types of services that the County may need in the future.
“The goal is to be clearer around the County’s vision and what technologies we’re into,” Johnson said. “We’d like to increase the numbers with small businesses.”
According to Johnson, bids for KCIT contracts under $25,000 typically go to small businesses. For example, a recent contract for 1,000 new Lync phones was fulfilled by a certified SCS business.
The next KCIT forum is on May 27 at the Chinook Building, and approximately 300 invitations have been sent. Find out more here.
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Employees Are Key Players in Improving Cardiac Arrest Survival Rates
Way back in 1974 the TV show “60 Minutes” declared Seattle “The Best Place to Have a Heart Attack.” That remains true even to this day. The Seattle & King County Emergency Services System, MEDIC ONE, consistently achieves survival rates for witnessed out of hospital sudden cardiac arrest higher than anywhere else in the world. In 2013 the rate was 57% compared to an overall national survival rate of approximately 10% across the U.S.
“One of the many reasons behind this success is that we’ve taken a collaborative and comprehensive approach to responding to cardiac emergencies,” says Jim Fogarty, Public Health’s Emergency Medical Services Division Director. The “Chain of Survival” displays a simplified picture of many of the links in our system, each of which must be coordinated with every other link. Note that the first three links involve YOU.
The first links support the entire response, and depend on you: the bystander, the family member, the co-worker. You must quickly recognize an emergency and call 911 to set MEDIC ONE in motion. Dispatchers send emergency responders on their way while they guide you, the rescuer, in providing care (including Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR) to the patient. Starting chest compressions immediately (seconds count!) and using an automated external defibrillator (AED) quickly if one is available can mean the difference between a positive outcome and a negative outcome (brain damage or death) for many patients. Chest compressions keep oxygenated blood flowing to the brain. There is enough oxygen in the bloodstream for the 4 -6 minutes that it will take EMS to arrive at most locations in the Seattle & King County area, if you start chest compressions immediately to circulate that oxygen. If available, using an AED within the first 3 minutes greatly increases the chance for survival.
As public employees we should be prepared to take action in an emergency situation, but think about this: It is statistically more likely that you will use your CPR skills on a family member, friend, or other loved one – than on a stranger. We encourage you to be trained in CPR and AED use as a public employee, but by taking free CPR/AED classes offered by King County (a $50+ value in the community) you are also learning skills that can save your family and loved ones.
For more information take a class! Classes are listed in the monthly Training and Organizational Development newsletter e-mailed to King County employees or contact Anne Curtis at anne.curtis@kingcounty.gov.
Sign up for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)/Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Training:
Basic and Refresher CPR/AED Training
Public Health’s Emergency Medical Services Division offers free CPR/AED training to King County employees. All classes are American Heart Association Heartsaver classes. Take a three-hour Basic class or, if you’ve taken CPR training within the past two years, a two-hour Refresher class. Classes are held in the first floor conference rooms in the Chinook Building, 401 Fifth Avenue. Pre-registration is required. To register for a class send an email to Andrew Burns. Please note that these classes do not meet the requirements for Health Care Provider BLS CPR/AED training.
Basic CPR/AED Training
- Tuesday, August 5, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Chinook Conference Room 126
- Monday, September 29, 9 a.m. – noon, Chinook Conference Room 126
- Thursday, October 30, 9 a.m. – noon, Chinook Conference Room 126
Refresher CPR/AED Training (For those who have taken a CPR/AED training within the past 2 years.)
- Wednesday, May 21, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., Chinook Conference Room 115
- Thursday, June 26, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., Chinook Conference Room 115
- Tuesday, August 5, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Chinook Conference Room 126
- Monday, September 29, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., Chinook Conference Room 126
- Thursday, October 30, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., Chinook Conference Room 126
If your worksite has at least 12 – 15 people who need training, we can come to you. Contact Anne Curtis to schedule CPR/AED training at your site. Public Health Center managers can schedule Health Care Provider BLS CPR/AED training for Public Health staff through Anne Curtis.
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Five Questions with Mark Isaacson, Director, Water and Land Resources Division
1. What was your first role with King County? I came to the county in the early 1990’s in the heady days after the Growth Management Act became state law. I worked in the director’s office of the Department of Public Works as a program analyst on plans to meet the state mandated concurrency requirements for public facilities. I came to that job as a city planner – and the attraction was taking the color maps of the county and working to build infrastructure considerations into the planning process.
2. What does Water and Land Resources Division do? The WLR Division staff protect and restore our natural resources and provide a safer place for King County residents. Our programs are varied –perhaps the most diverse business lines of any in county government. The division has excellent programs for flood protection, habitat restoration, stormwater control, water quality, monitoring and lab analysis, hazardous waste reduction, stewardship, noxious weed control, agriculture, forestry, and land acquisition.
3. What do you like most about your job as Division Director? The staff are dedicated, passionate, embrace challenges and solve problems. It is never dull because most people in this division are not afraid to innovate. Our engineers are pioneering bioengineering along our river systems to protect people and restore habitat. They are leaders in restoring wetlands and reconnecting floodplains. The local hazardous waste staff redesigned their program to reach more residents who had not heard about hazardous chemicals and are working to get in place a pharmaceutical take back program. Our environmental lab remains the top rated lab in the region. We transfer development rights from rural and agricultural lands to cities to preserve our land base. WLR pioneered a program that allows developers to spend mitigation dollars in areas where we need it most – improving our rivers, streams and sensitive habitat areas. Our stormwater team received a glowing audit from the EPA, which was not easy. Then they used Lean concepts to be more efficient when managing our 1,000+ stormwater facilities. The Division is a very impressive group of people.
4. What is the biggest challenge in your job? At an operational level, my job is to set a constructive pace and tone, provide a unifying direction, and position people to succeed. But at a policy or political level, the challenges are different. The WLR division handles many goals and aspirations that are important to the public. Sometimes those goals may collide and must be sorted out without too much disruption. It’s fun and sometimes I succeed, and frankly, sometimes I don’t. Either way, I love the job and am blessed to come to work every day with such impressive people doing such important work.
What is your main goal for 2014? Develop a budget that works. My main goal is to have a clear budget that recognizes some practical limitations, is responsive to community desires, and prioritizes the most important work. It is one important tool to hold me accountable for our performance.
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Community Activism and the International District – Thursday, May 15, noon – 1 p.m.
To celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month Program, King County is hosting a lunch and learn discussion for employees with Bob Santos called “Community Activism and the International District.”
Robert “Bob” Santos is the most publicly-recognized spokesperson and leader of the movement that began in the 1970s to preserve Seattle’s Chinatown/International District. He served as president of the Catholic Interracial Conference, HUD Regional Director, and was Executive Director of Inter*Im from 1972 to 1989, and 2002 to 2006.
Santos will describe the local civil rights movement related to the Asian American Community in Seattle and will talk about the International District – the history, current demographics, and culture. He will also address the previous threats of large public projects to the ID such as stadiums and freeways.
Thursday, May 15, noon – 1 p.m. Chinook Building, Room 123, 401 Fifth Ave, Seattle
Register here and then save it to your Outlook calendar. Bring your lunch and learn more.
The Equity and Social Justice Series seeks to raise awareness and understanding by creating a safe place where employees can come together to learn and ask questions about different people, cultures, perspectives and social issues.
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Sheriff’s Office Honors Young Victim of Gang Violence
King County Deputy Brian Barnes wanted to make sure that a young victim of gang violence was not forgotten – so he worked to post a permanent reminder outside the King County Sheriff’s Office West Hill storefront. 
KING 5 News recently featured the story of 12-year-old Alajawan Brown who was shot and killed four years ago in Skyway in a case of mistaken identity, and the work of Deputy Barnes in getting a sign dedicated in Alajawan’s honor. Watch the story. (Image courtesy KING5.com).
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Meet King County’s Small Business Advocates
Four years ago King County Executive Dow Constantine issued an Executive Order that aimed to reform the County’s procurement and contract business processes, and included a goal of providing greater opportunities for small, disadvantaged, and minority- and women-owned businesses to compete for and obtain County contracts.
As we get ready to celebrate National Small Business Week from May 12 – 16, we spoke to some of King County’s small business advocates in the Business Development and Contract Compliance group in the Department of Executive Services to see what the County is doing to make it easier for small firms to do business with King County while helping departments and agencies get the most out of the skills and expertise of local small businesses.
“If you’re a small business, the idea of doing business with government can seem daunting and complicated, and many are unsure of how to navigate through County processes,” said Sandy Hanks, Business Development and Contract Compliance, Manager, Department of Executive Services. “We’re the one-stop shop that is willing to take the hand of that small business owner, guide him or her through the process, with an eye on increasing our small business participation.”
The Executive Order has done a great job at spurring our use of not only small businesses, but also minority- and women-owned businesses. The 2012 program data shows that the County is making it easier for vendors and contractors to do business with King County and providing greater opportunities for small businesses to compete for and obtain contracts. For example:
- There was a 52% increase in the number of certified SCS firms from 1,115 in 2010 to 1,694 in 2012
- Certified SCS participation in construction contract awards increased from 13% in 2010 to 22% in 2012
- Certified SCS participation in consulting services contract awards rose from 9% in 2010 to 16% in 2012.
One reason for that success is the role that Sandy’s team plays in working with departments and agencies before contracts are advertised to ensure that small businesses have the opportunity to compete for County contracts.
“Any contract that County agencies let that are formally advertised on the County’s Procurement website for competition is reviewed by our office and we look at the scope for what are the subcontracting opportunities,” said John Trausch, a Contract Specialist III with DES. “We work with agencies to consult with them to break that project out into elements that afford greater subcontracting opportunities.”
To access contracting opportunities and to take advantage of incentives and requirements for their participation as a small business with the County, businesses must first apply for certification as a small contractor or supplier (SCS). Applications include information about the firm’s size and financial information about the business and its owners’, which is reviewed by the Business Development and Contract Compliance team to determine whether that business meets the eligibility criteria set by the County in each business category.
Once a business is approved for SCS certification it receives a letter of approval and is included in an online directory of certified firms, which is used by other participating government agencies, as well as prime contractors when they’re looking for SCS businesses to help them meet a specific required percentage of participation for their use on County contracts, or when they’re looking for small firms to help them with other non-government jobs. The certification is regional and applies to opportunities not only on King County contracts but also on Port of Seattle, Sound Transit and Seattle Colleges (formerly Seattle Community Colleges) contracts. Our goal is to expand the one-stop small business certification to other public agencies.
One of the best outcomes that certification offers small businesses is the access to contracting opportunities it provides, says Contract Specialist II Mary Rainey. “When we first launched the program, one of our engineering firms that applied for and was approved for certification early on said ‘Wow, Mary, it’s taken me years to make these connections! I do the same work that I did before but I couldn’t get the doors of any of the big primes open.’ So you still have to show that you can do the work, but it can open the door. And that firm quickly grew out of the business size threshold because of access to those opportunities that were there but weren’t accessible previously.”
The program also means a better result for departments and agencies.
“You get a better quality outcome when you have that consultation upfront with us,” Sandy said. “We’re trying to help departments incorporate the County’s Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) principles into their purchasing decisions and to anticipate that next step so that when they’re looking for that widget or service again, they will remember that the County has a certified pool of small contractors and suppliers that are available to them for use.”
The other outcome is more economic opportunities for people in our region.
“As much as it’s an equity and social justice effort, it’s also an economic development effort,” John said. “It’s about creating jobs for local residents and helping those businesses thrive in a tough economy.”
Nominations for the Executive’s Small Business Awards opened May 1 and run through June 30. If you know of a small business that you think should be recognized by the Executive, we’d like to hear from you. Nominations are open now – find out more.
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Featured Job: Wastewater Engineer – Journey (modeler)
Application deadline: Fri. 05/16/14 4:30 PM
Salary: $75,400.00 – $95,576.00 Annually
Department: Department of Natural Resources & Parks – Wastewater Treatment Division
Description: Perform computer modeling of King County’s wastewater service area and conveyance system in support of the Wastewater Treatment Division’s capital projects. Modeling will simulate both the hydrologic responses of the basins as well as the hydraulic behavior of conveyance facilities. Modeling work will be performed for a variety of WTD projects, such as developing Design Flow Technical Memoranda for Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) projects and for WTD’s Conveyance System Improvement projects.
Learn more about this position or view all available jobs.
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Kudos! Tino Brown, Metro Transit Operator
I would like to compliment driver Tino Brown. Tino operates his bus (Route 197) as if it is an extension of himself. As I see it he is comfortable driving and is alert to other drivers informing them that the bus is near them. He gets us to our destination as quick as safely possible. He also has a “good morning” for everyone as they enter and leave the bus; very refreshing. Please let Tino know that he is doing a great job – Kathleen
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