Celebrating Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week, April 12-18
Crossposted from the DES Express
You might remember the zebras that escaped while en route to Montana. Who helped corral them? Animal Control Officers from RASKC, along with others. They also help wrangle livestock and investigate reports of neglect, cruelty, and animal bites. In recognition of Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week (April 12-18), learn what Animal Control Officers (ACOs) and other employees at Regional Animal Services do and how they help the community.
A cadre of employees supports ACOs’ work and the animals they care for:
- Animal Care Technicians provide the daily care and assessments animals need while working with members of the public who are looking to adopt.
- Call takers serve as the first point of contact for the community, routing emergency and non-emergency calls to ensure people and animals get the help they need.
- Veterinary clinic staff provide medical treatment and preventative care such as spaying and neutering to help reduce pet overpopulation.
- Coordinators and administrative staff respond to community inquiries, manage campaigns to support pet licensing and outreach, and research ways to place animals with rescue partners and foster homes.
RASKC staff rely on the collaborative efforts of volunteers, foster families, and partner organizations to make this important work possible. RASKC is grateful for their support. You, too, can support RASKC by donating, volunteering or adopting a pet. Thank you!
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Recognizing Metro’s Operators of the Month, January – February 2026
Crossposted from Metro Matters
They play the sax and swim. Collect coins and travel. Garden and produce music. For the people who ride with them they are: “professional and respectful to all the passengers,” treated a passenger who collapsed on the bus with “with so much kindness and dignity” and after helping a rider recover their wallet, had the rider say: “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate his help!”
They’re operators with nearly two centuries of transit driving experience who enjoy meeting with their riders and giving back to their communities.
Meet your Operators of the Month for January and February 2026.
We love to hear from our riders about their operators! Please share your comments about our drivers. Interested in becoming a transit operator? Visit “Start your Metro career” to explore well-paying positions with full benefits and a pension in transit operations, trades, rail operations, customer information and countless other fields. Read more.
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DCHS hits key milestones in response to audit, strengthening oversight and fiscal stewardship
The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) has made significant progress in their response to last summer’s audit.
DCHS recently completed one of the 10 audit recommendations and is actively making progress on all nine others. This includes launching an annual Anti-Fraud Training for all departmental staff, implementing new policies and procedures around contract management, and offering new contract and fiscal management trainings to contracted providers. Additionally, DCHS completed a risk assessment of the hybrid payment model and is boosting collaboration with Public Health – Seattle & King County.
This progress is a testament to DCHS’ commitment to being stronger financial stewards of public funds. Learn more about all the work DCHS has accomplished by visiting the department’s Fiscal Stewardship webpage.
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Executive Zahilay joins partners for a tour of Wilburton Trestle, a project transforming the 1,000-foot-long wooden structure into a scenic trail bridge for Eastrail
Crossposted from DNRP Field Notes
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay joined partners for a tour of a unique capital project that is transforming the 1,000-foot-long Wilburton Trestle in Bellevue – the longest wooden trestle in the Pacific Northwest – into a trail bridge for the emerging 42-mile Eastrail.
Crews are now installing the 20-foot-wide trail surface, railing, and three expansive viewing platforms atop the 122-year-old trestle. They are also replacing deteriorated wood and hardware while reinforcing the pillars with modern safety upgrades that will make it more resilient during earthquakes.
Once complete next year, the 100-foot-tall Wilburton Trestle is expected to be among the most popular segments of Eastrail, offering scenic views of the Bellevue skyline with connections to other regional trails and Sound Transit’s Wilburton Station. Read more.
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Discounted tickets available for Seattle Storm women’s basketball games
Seattle Storm is excited to offer King County employees, family, and friends the opportunity to purchase tickets at a discounted rate for a few games. Purchase tickets here.
- June 12 at 7 p.m. Seattle Storm vs Golden State Valkyries
- Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. Seattle Storm vs Dallas Wings
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
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Where is my ballot?
This year, not a single King County jurisdiction filed a ballot measure for the April Special Election, which means there will not be an election this month.
King County Elections will see voters again for the August Primary. Ballots for that election will be mailed on July 15!
For more information visit kingcounty.gov/elections.
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Clean energy projects bring $5.2 million in savings for WTD
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories
If you hike to the top of the Power Quality Facility at West Point Treatment Plant on a clear, sunny day, you’re rewarded with a panoramic view of shimmery Puget Sound.
Turn around, and you’ll see something just as striking: a sea of 140 solar panels. This 80-kilowatt AC solar array helps power the facility’s lighting and HVAC system. And now, clean energy investments like this one are delivering another impressive benefit — real savings for residents in our service area. Read more.
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King County Immigrant and Refugee Commission seeks new members
The King County Immigrant and Refugee Commission (KCIRC) is seeking dedicated individuals who bring a strong commitment to supporting immigrant and refugee communities to fill five open positions on the commission. The application is open until April 30, 2026.
“Now more than ever, it’s critical that local leaders are hearing directly from immigrant and refugee communities about their needs and challenges so we can work together on solutions,” said Executive Girmay Zahilay. “The King County Immigrant and Refugee Commission plays an important role in shaping policy and outreach at the county. A representative from KCIRC also sits on my Welcoming County subcabinet to strengthen our local protections for immigrant and refugee neighbors, ensuring we are uplifting the voices of those most impacted.” Read more.
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Sea26: Metro is here to support your Seattle soccer summer
Crossposted from Metro Matters
Seattle is going to be part of one of the largest sporting events in the world, with hundreds of thousands of soccer fans coming from every corner of the earth to cheer for their favorite teams and players.
King County Metro has a vital role in getting people to the Seattle Soccer Stadium for this international tournament. We’ve been actively preparing over the last 18 months to meet the moment. Strong coordination is critical for an event of this scale.
Metro will be boosting bus and water taxi service and adding special downtown shuttles so we can continue to be your top choice for riding to work, shopping, medical appointments and other big events such as Mariners baseball and Ed Sheeran! We’ll post new Metro Matters blogs to help you navigate Seattle’s Soccer Summer—along with other useful tips. Read more.
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Balanced You attends the Healthy Worksite Summit
The Healthy Worksite Summit, hosted by the Association of WA Cities, is the Northwest’s premier training event dedicated to making workplaces healthy places. Attendees represent both large and small organizations from the public and private sectors.
The Balanced You team has attended the Healthy Worksite Summit for several years as participants and speakers. This year, Karla Clark, Employee Health and Well-Being Project/Program Manager III, who has served on the Summit’s planning committee for three years, partnered with Junelle Kroontje, Employee Social Impact and Well-being Manager, and Leslie Monteiro, Wellness Program Manager at King County Metro to lead a session on how to design wellness programs that work. Karla and Leslie also co-hosted a session entitled “Collaboration between large and small departments.”
The Balanced You team’s presence at the Summit reflects their commitment to workplace well‑being and their dedication to ongoing learning. By contributing as presenters, planners, and participants, they help shape — and continue to learn from — a regional conversation about effective, equitable well‑being programs. As the Summit continues to bring together leaders and learners from across sectors, Balanced You remains dedicated to advancing strategies that make healthier workplaces not just an aspiration, but a shared reality.
Pictured: From left to right, Junelle Kroontje, Employee Social Impact and Well-being Manager; Karla Clarke, Certified Wellness Practitioner and Employee Health and Well-Being Project/Program Manager III; Elaine Weigelt, Employee Wellness Program Manager; Megan Jourdan, Certified Wellness Practitioner and King County Balanced You Project Manager.
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