Survey communications: Asking questions, acting on what we hear
When you ask someone for their feedback on something, you’d better have a plan for how you are going to act on that feedback. That’s exactly what King County has done with its annual employee survey. Almost 340 action plans were created to act on the issues you said were important in the 2016 survey. Two critical issues you raised were Career Opportunities and Leadership Visibility. Here are some of the ways that we acted on your responses: Career Opportunities Expanded the Bridge Fellowship program to provide leadership and development opportunities to more employees. Created an… Read More
Public Health: Providing a range of services downtown Seattle
By Jimmy’a (jih-MY-uh) Carter, a summer intern for the Executive’s Office Customer Service team. Jimmy’a, a 16 year old who will be a junior this fall at West Auburn High School, plans to attend a four-year college and get a degree in youth counseling. She joins us from the Bridge to Prosperity mentoring program. Earlier this month, I took a trip to the King County’s Downtown Public Health Center. I was so excited to learn how everything works in a busy clinic that serves different types of clients. Social workers Mary Cate and Michelle Bollinger… Read More
Increasing diversity in applicants, King County Sheriff’s Office
Blending in at recruitment events is one of the few changes that King County Sheriff’s Office has made to represent the County’s welcoming atmosphere and boost recruitment for females into commissioned officer positions. Court Protection Unit Sergeant Loi Dawkins trades in her full officer uniform for a polo shirt and cargo pants to attend recruitment events, a softer approach, she says, to entice career seekers to engage with recruitment staff. “For some people, it makes them feel more comfortable with approaching us when they otherwise would be intimidated by a gun, badge and uniform,”… Read More
Metro Transit’s Nathan Vass is committed to the challenging Route 7
This article originally appeared in The Seattle Times. It features Metro operator Nathan Vass. He is known among passengers, co-workers and friends as a charismatic storyteller who can defuse tough situations that come with a nighttime bus route traversing Seattle’s urban core. LeRoy Haigler first rode Metro Transit’s No. 7 bus after a one-way train ride from his home in Philadelphia to start over in Seattle. Homeless and fleeing family trauma, the 19-year-old had little money, few belongings and no place to go. He boarded the downtown-bound bus on Rainier Avenue round midnight, finding… Read More
King County’s Barton roadside rain gardens
See how King County used green infrastructure to build a CSO control facility in West Seattle King County’s Barton CSO Control project constructed 91 roadside rain gardens on 15 blocks in West Seattle. The project, completed in 2015, is a type of green stormwater infrastructure. King County is responsible for regular maintenance of the roadside rain gardens year round. You can expect to see crews onsite at least monthly performing regular maintenance.
Upcoming construction: 6th Ave paving project
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is planning to repave 6th Ave between Stewart St and Yesler Way. E ach year, Seattle rehabilitates arterial streets to make them safer and more comfortable to travel on and to extend their useful life. We anticipate major construction will begin as soon as spring 2018 and take 4 months to complete. In the meantime, repairs and replacements of any deficient curb ramps will start as soon as October of this year. This project was selected and prioritized based on pavement condition, traffic volume, opportunities to improve… Read More
Ready to respond: Boeing Field ARFF, neighbors train to deliver water to airfield emergencies
Crossposted from The Centerline With any fire emergency, firefighters are first to rush to the scene. The No. 1 tool they need is water to extinguish the flames – and at the airport they need plenty of it. That’s why last month at King County International Airport/Boeing Field, King County Sheriff’s Office Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) unit conducted water-supply training exercises, and we invited our neighbors. We hosted Seattle, Tukwila and The Boeing Company Fire Departments over multiple practice sessions – organized by our own Deputy Seth Grant with ARFF – in… Read More
Employee Discount: Get your Trek on with Star Trek Beyond live in concert
King County employees can get discounted tickets to see Star Trek Beyond at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at the Seattle Symphony. All Orchestra Level Main Floor Seats are $35. Employees need to visit www.seattlesymphony.org, click Concerts and Tickets and enter the promo code BEYOND before selecting their seats. The Seattle Symphony will perform all the music from the movie live, while the film and dialog are playing on the giant screen hanging above the symphony. See all available discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
September is National Preparedness Month
On September 1, National Preparedness Month began. The devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston and other Gulf Coast communities is a reminder to all of us that a natural or human-caused disaster can strike at any time. Preparedness is key – at home, at work, and at school. King County Emergency Management has preparedness tips and information at www.kingcounty.gov/prepare.
Wildfires moving into King County; widespread smoke affecting air quality
Crossposted from Emergency News The Norse Peak and American wildfires continue to burn in the area where the King, Pierce, and Kittitas County lines meet. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in the Crystal Mountain, Gold Hill, Pick Handle Basin, and Bumping Lake areas. Increased fire activity is also noted along State Route 410 near Hell’s Crossing. These fires have scorched nearly 20,000 acres and are less than 10 percent contained. In addition, smoke from wildfires in central Washington continues to pour over the Cascade Range, degrading air quality. As of 3 p.m. on… Read More
Employee News 