Al Viray, Al Williamson, and Bryon Fauchald recently received a 35-year service award, as well as lunch with acting Wastewater Treatment Division Director Gunars Sreibers and Department of Natural Resources and Parks Director Christie True, to celebrate each employee and his incredible commitment to wastewater services for our region. Thank you to all three for their dedication to King County! On December 1, 1981 three men, Al Viray, Al Williamson, and Bryon Fauchald, reported for their first day of work at the West Point Treatment plant in Discovery Park. At that time,… Read More

Crossposted from Lean in King County In September, King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) celebrated the hard work of hundreds of employees who have been streamlining how WTD operates the regional system and how it builds new facilities needed for our growing population. Employees explained to coworkers how they used Lean techniques to improve efficiency, standardize processes, and save time – thereby saving ratepayers money – during a four-hour open house. WTD has a long history of continuously improving our business using employee ideas. Over 1.5 million people in the region depend… Read More

Crossposted from Metro Matters The people of King County are fortunate to have Penny Lara. A longtime advocate for equity, Lara is a transportation planner at King County Metro focused on improving access to transportation for communities with special needs. Lara came from the Department of Public Health, Seattle-King County, where she played a key role in implementing ORCA LIFT –the reduced fare card for low-income riders —  and building upon her experience leading efforts to enroll King County’s Latinx community in health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Read more at… Read More

Crossposted from Public Health Insider When we think about people at risk of lead poisoning, we may think about children exposed to lead-based paint, or those exposed to lead through certain hobbies. But did you know that thousands of workers in this country are exposed to lead at their workplaces – day in and day out? Alarmingly, the federal and Washington state worker health & safety standards to protect those workers are inadequate and are based on outdated science from the 1970s. In addition, workers of color in King County are at… Read More

Ensuring your safety and security at work is our top priority. Recently, King County hosted an employee Lunch and Learn with representatives from the Sheriff’s Office and the Facilities Management Division (FMD) Security Unit sharing information and resources. In response to employee requests, we now have a list of safety tips online. This information from the Seattle Police Department is designed to help you enhance your personal safety and avoid potential trouble. We have also launched a new online security incident report form. You can use this form to report non-emergency incidents… Read More

Soon more school kids will be able to get medical care without missing school. King County’s Best Starts for Kids initiative will help fund more school-based clinics. View the video below to learn more about how we are changing the lives of children in King County.

Crossposted from Metro Matters There are only 12 more days for the public to weigh in on Metro’s proposal for expanding and improving late-night bus service in Seattle. The proposal would offer new transit options for those getting to or from jobs, the airport and nightlife between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Metro has about 40 routes with some level of late-night service throughout King County.  Of these, 20 provide trips after 2 a.m., including three Night Owl routes that loop through some Seattle neighborhoods only between 2:15 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.  The Seattle Department of Transportation… Read More