Kudos! IT Service Center, KCIT
Here are some kudos from employees about the customer service they received from the IT Service Center:
Speedy response. Stayed on the line with me to make sure it worked, and snap, I was in. Thanks, Service Center. — J. W.
I had a pleasant experience this time. I did not have to wait long to get someone on the phone and the person who helped me is very helpful and knowledgeable. Good job KCIT! — L. S.
Service was perfect! Thank you — T. O.
That was the best experience I have had trying to get help. — K. L.
I would like to comment that the response time was very impressive. It wasn’t even a couple of minutes between the time I submitted my request to when I was contacted. Great customer service! thank you! — N. C.
You could not have improved this service; it was great. Fast response, fully fixed. Thank you. — M. B.
Help Desk Staff was very patient, friendly, and knew how to ask questions to help guide me through the process of what the trouble was, so that they could wisely and patiently guide me on what to do. Thank you so much! Very nice, knowledgeable worker. Please keep up the good work! — B. H.
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Earth Day 2014: Executive Constantine Employee Message
Dear fellow employee,
King County Executive Dow Constantine
Earth Day offers us a chance to stop and think about the decisions we can make to protect and sustain our environment, economy and quality of life.
At King County many of us get to work on actions to confront climate change not just on Earth Day, but every day: creating walkable and healthy communities, protecting and restoring our forests and farms, providing affordable and convenient commuting options like transit and trails, or supporting waste reduction and recycling. Many work behind the scenes to create energy efficiencies by monitoring and adjusting the operations of our buildings, facilities, and vehicles.
All of these actions are vital to the future of our environment and our communities.
Overall, we’ve reduced energy use in our buildings by nearly 10 percent since 2007, and with continuous improvement, we’re on a path to reach our goal of 15 percent improvement by next year. Across the County, we’re seeing per-capita greenhouse gas emissions stabilize and some sources start to decline – but there’s more work to do.
To learn about the cumulative impact of our individual choices and actions, check out the It’s Easy Being Green website and the Solid Waste Division’s EcoConsumer Program. You can see the local impacts of climate change and what we’re doing about it in our Confronting Climate Change website, and learn more about our overall County effort at www.kingcounty.gov/climate.
Happy Earth Day. Thank you for all you do to make a difference on this and every day.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine
King County Executive
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New Rural Services Center open to Vashon Residents
King County has opened a Rural Services Center on Vashon Island to provide residents with a one-stop shop for King County services.
The Vashon Rural Services Center is home to the King County Sheriff’s Office, King County District Court, the Vashon Community Service Center, and services provided by the Department of Permitting and Environmental Review and the Community Service Area Program. The new center was made possible through a partnership between King County and Vashon Island Fire and Rescue (VIFR).
“King County is the local government for Vashon-Maury Island but they’re separated by a ferry ride to receive any County services,” said King County Councilmember Joe McDermott. “This is actually bringing local government to their doorstep.”
The Vashon Rural Services Center, located at 10011 SW Bank Rd. in downtown Vashon, opened on February 20. Watch a short KCTV video below.
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Five Questions with Pam Jones, Juvenile Division Director, Adult & Juvenile Detention
1. What is the Juvenile Division responsible for? The Juvenile Division is responsible for the safe and secure housing of juvenile offenders. While detained, juvenile offenders are provided comprehensive services such as medical and mental health services, education provided through Seattle Public Schools, access to a library on site staffed by the King County Library System and the option of participating in other regularly-scheduled programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, Powerful Voices, PONGO poetry and other special programs.
2. What do you like most about your job? Everything. I like working with children and their families, and being a partner with other Juvenile Justice agencies that work to provide nationally-recognized best practices programs for at-risk youth. I am also fortunate to work within a quality work environment with professional and caring staff.
3. What is the biggest challenge in your job? The biggest challenge is balancing needs of safety and security with best practices for adolescents and their unique developmental needs and making sure our policies and protocols, and staff training reflects this balance.
4. What is the Juvenile division doing to reduce disproportionate minority contact (DMC) in juvenile detention? Just as there is no one cause for DMC, there is no single change or agency that alone can eliminate it. Juvenile detention is partnering with Superior Court, Probation, Prosecutors, Defense Agencies, Police and the community to review practices and policies at key decision points in the justice system. Every juvenile justice agency has a role in creating racial equity and a responsibility to work together to eliminate DMC. We are working collaboratively to identify system improvements and make the changes that will reduce minority overrepresentation in detention. For example, we have helped create more objective criteria and risk assessment tools to determine when detention is the right option and we have worked hard to ensure appropriate youth are placed in alternatives to secure detention programs.
5. What is your main goal for 2014? My main goal for 2014 is to work with the new Children Family Justice Center project team which includes DAJD, Superior Court and Facility Management Staff. This is a unique opportunity to create a design that is inspired by community input and supports implementing best practices in operating a juvenile detention facility. Equally important is collaboration with other juvenile justice partners to engage with community groups to share information on the new Children Family Justice Center.
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Take Action to Save Puget Sound
Stormwater, or polluted runoff, is the leading contributor to reduced water quality in Puget Sound. Learn more about its impacts on the environment, how King County is addressing the issue, and how you can help. Visit the public involvement website for more information, including videos, and an opportunity to provide feedback on our stormwater management program.
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Employees Help Local Stores Ditch Noxious Weeds
Employees from the King County Noxious Weed Program are helping to keep invasive weeds off local store shelves, with City People’s Garden Store in Seattle being the first to pledge to stop selling any of the invasive plants or noxious weeds that appear on King County’s Noxious Weed and Plants of Concern lists.
“These noxious weeds and invasive plants threaten our natural ecosystems by choking out native species,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “I commend City People’s for stepping up as the first store in King County to pledge not to sell these destructive plants to their customers.”
Employees with the King County Noxious Weed Program worked with City People’s Garden Store to develop details of the pledge, and now they are helping get the word out to customers about the hazards of noxious and invasive plants, including suggestions for native plant choices that are in harmony with the Pacific Northwest’s environment.
Pictured: Education Specialist Sasha Shaw helps businesses and residents understand the impact of noxious weeds on our environment
“Invasive plants such as English ivy, yellow archangel and butterfly bush are already overwhelming natural ecosystems in King County, so City People’s pledge not to sell these and other invasive plants is an important step toward reducing their impact to our area,” said Sasha Shaw, education specialist with the county’s noxious weed program.
New research into the relationship between climate change and invasive plants indicates their spread will only worsen in the Pacific Northwest because invasive plants are better able to capitalize on and respond to changing conditions.
“More rain and warmer temperatures are likely for King County and this will only increase the advantage of invasive plants,” Shaw said. “Stopping the further introduction of plants known to be invasive is an important first step to fighting the problems they cause.”
City People’s goal is to set a standard for other nurseries to follow and to raise awareness about invasive plants and how gardeners can make a difference by avoiding them in their gardens.
“We have always tried to be careful not to order plants that are invasive, but in working with King County, we found there were plants we hadn’t realized were a problem,” said City People’s co-owner Steve Magley. “Now the Garden Store can be more thorough in protecting our environment. We will lose a little money, but it’s the right thing to do.”
“We in the business community have to do our part, and we urge other garden stores, nurseries, and especially the big national chain stores to join us by ending the sale of these invasive plants,” Magley said.
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ESJ Lunch and Learn – Debriefing the Governing for Racial Equity Conference
Employees are invited to a lunch and learn to hear what a panel of their colleagues learned at the recent Governing for Racial Equity Conference in Portland, OR.
Several King County employees attended the third Governing for Racial Equity (GRE) Conference on March 25 and 26 to learn more about what other governments are doing to achieve racial equity and eliminate institutional and structural racism.
Join King County members of the GRE Planning Committee, conference presenters and other attendees as they share their learnings from the conference and help plan the next steps for our involvement.
- Tuesday, April 22, noon – 1:30 p.m. Chinook Building, Room 121-12
- Our panel: Paula Harris-White, Matias Valenzuela, Jo Anne Fox, Ericka Turley and Rebecca Spithill
Bring your lunch and get informed. No registration required.
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Coming Soon: New KCWeb
Last November, we asked what employees would name the new King County Intranet. Almost 1,400 employees submitted suggestions, and the overwhelming choice was KCWeb.
A team of King County employees is now building a new Intranet site that will make it easy for you to find the resources you need for your job, the tools you use every day, and the news to help you stay informed – all in one central location.
We wanted to share an early design of the site which includes the new logo for the intranet, the main colors of the design, and some examples of the home page layout.
The intranet is being built with the ideas and suggestions from employees in departments and agencies across King County and is expected to launch in the third quarter of 2014.
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Washington Counties Scholarship Fund
The Washington Counties Scholarship Fund is now accepting applications for the 2014/2015 school year. Applications are available online at www.countyscholarship.org. Completed applications are due by April 30, 2014.
The Washington Counties Scholarship Fund awards five $3,000 scholarships to eligible children of county employees and county elected officials. Awards are given in the form of Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) credits.
The Washington Counties Scholarship Fund is a joint project of the Washington Association of County Officials (WACO) and the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC). Funds for the scholarship are provided by members of the Washington Association of County Officials (WACO) and the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC). Since 1993, the fund has awarded over $175,000 to eligible students.
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Kudos! “Rave” for Burke-Gilman Trail improvements in Seattle Times
King County’s upgrades to the Burke-Gilman Trail got a shout-out in The Seattle Times last month:
“Rave to King County for Burke-Gilman Trail surface improvements between Log Boom Park and Woodinville that make the trail safer, especially in wet, low-light and debris conditions” – The Seattle Times, March 9, 2014
Employee News 