Our thoughts on the West Point Independent Review Report
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories As promised last spring, the King County Council has publicly shared the results of an independent review of our West Point Treatment Plant operations. The report took an unbiased look at our operations and maintenance practices as part of an effort to learn from what happened at West Point on Feb. 9, 2017, when severe storms and high flows led to flooding and serious equipment damage. We agree with the report’s findings, which include a number of recommendations to improve plant operations, increase system redundancy, and strengthen employee safety and training. Read… Read More
Employee is proud to provide excellent customer service to King County residents
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. What do a fancy clothing store and King County have in common? For Teesha Bailey, serving store customers helped her transition to serving county customers. She currently works as a Confidential Secretary with the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) for Director Adrienne… Read More
Reducing customer wait times with Check the Line
With an on-the-go lifestyle, customers are looking for ways to reduce waiting in lines. Web cameras at King County’s Algona, Bow Lake, Factoria, Houghton, Renton and Shoreline recycling and transfer stations help customers plan their trips using www.kingcounty.gov/checktheline, which shows the line of vehicles waiting to enter the facilities and facility wait times. Solid Waste Division (SWD) Special Projects Manager Alejandra Calderon was the lead on the project, and oversaw implementation and outreach of the web cams at the six transfer stations. Alejandra emphasized the practicality of the mobile-friendly website and its functionality: “What… Read More
Searching for identity, author earns recognition with story collection
King County employee by day and published author by evening, Donna Miscolta writes novels and short stories inspired by anecdotes that she has witnessed or heard about in her family or within her community. “I take that tiny, true piece and turn it into fiction,” Miscolta said. “From there, it takes on a life of its own, and it’s not really about any specific person, and yet many people recognize a part of themselves in these stories.” Her latest work, “Hola and Goodbye,” is a collection of stories inspired by her grandmother’s journey as an immigrant in the… Read More
Invasive knotweed control workshops a great success
The early bird gets the worm. This summer, the Riparian Noxious Weed Team offered free workshops on knotweed control for local homeowners. Knotweed, a noxious bamboo-like plant is growing in backyards, community gardens and most successfully along river systems of King County and throughout North America. Two project leads that are doing work on King County Rivers are Erin Haley (Green-Duwamish) and Sayward Glise (Cedar River Team). “We currently have knotweed control projects on the South Fork Skykomish and Tye River, the Upper Snoqualmie River, the Cedar River, and the Green-Duwamish River. In 2016 our team and its contractors treated 17 acres of knotweed… Read More
Senior leaders meet with Veterans Program employees
Two members of King County Executive Dow Constantine’s leadership team visited the King County Veterans Program facility in Belltown, Seattle, last week to learn more about how employees are helping local veterans live healthy and productive lives after their military service has ended. Senior Deputy County Executive Fred Jarrett and Gary Kurihara, Lean Transformation Director, met with Program Manager Bryan Fry and Pat Lemus, Assistant Division Director for Community Services Division, to tour the facility, talk with some employees and find out more about their work. The King County Veterans Programs serves veterans and current service… Read More
Explore farm fresh food in King County
A new virtual tour of farm fresh food in King County will spark inspiration in foodies and newbies alike. Explore the farmers markets, farm stands, and CSA programs in our community with a dash of history and helpful shopping tips. Click here to take the tour.
You belong here: Welcome Inclusion Symposium supports 2018 Special Olympics
Shared from the DCHS Touching Base Newsletter The Special Olympics USA Games are coming to Seattle/King County in 2018! Thousands of athletes and their families will travel to the Pacific Northwest to compete in the games. Businesses and governments across King County are actively preparing for those visitors. More than 300 people attended the Welcome Inclusion (WIN) Symposium hosted by Microsoft at their Redmond Campus on June 27, 2017. Sponsored by the Arc of King County, WIN is a public awareness campaign to promote a community of inclusion for children and adults with intellectual, behavioral and… Read More
The 2017 King County Trans Resource and Referral Guide is now available
The Department of Community and Human Services is excited to announce that the 2017 version of the King County Trans Resource and Referral Guide is now available! Thanks to Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD) funding provided last year, the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence, in partnership with several community organizations and with support from King County, was able to produce this updated guide. The online version is available here and is live – available in both Spanish and English versions now. The web hosting has been donated by a community member and will be updated ongoing. In 2014, the Coalition was… Read More
KCIT named top large county IT organization in the U.S.
King County Information Technology (KCIT) took first place in the 15th annual National Association of Counties (NACo) Digital Counties Survey. King County was recognized for its vision, strategy, innovation, and collaboration. “This is an important award,” said Bill Kehoe, Chief Information Officer and IT Director. “It validates the real, day-to-day work that our employees do. They are the reason King County is known as one of the Best Run Governments in the country.” The Digital Counties Survey comes from the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties. The national… Read More
Employee News 