Celebrating Black History Month in King County
King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed February to be Black History Month in King County. “The contributions to science, technology, business, arts, and cultural innovation by African Americans have been essential to the progress of our nation,” Executive Constantine said in his Proclamation. “We will continue to honor these accomplishments every month and every day in Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., County.” You can read the Executive’s proclamation here (on SharePoint).
Social Media Spotlight: Dow Constantine Twitter
Follow the official Twitter account of King County Executive Dow Constantine for Executive news and updates. This account is monitored by the Exec and his staff. Follow the KC Exec on Twitter today! Click here to view all King County social media pages.
Walk in the Shoes with Doug Dobkins, Department of Permitting and Environmental Review
A few months back, I spent some time in Snoqualmie with staff at the King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review (DPER). DPER ensures that folks are building in ways that are safe for people and for the environment. They are the keepers of a land use code that was developed with input from thousands of stakeholders in our region. With millions calling King County home, and scores more arriving each day, it is important to ensure that we are smart about our growth. So I was excited to visit DPER,… Read More
Sustaining the beacon of hope
Dear fellow King County employee, On Friday, the new President signed an Executive Order that blocks citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, suspends all refugee admissions for 120 days, and indefinitely bans all Syrian refugees. The President’s Order sparked shock, fear and confusion in King County and across the world. It directly impacts people we work alongside, our friends and neighbors in the community, and families and loved ones here and around the world. It shuts the door on people fleeing violence and oppression at a time that… Read More
From the Hip: John Starbard, Director, Department of Permitting and Environmental Review
On-line, not in line The Department of Permitting and Environmental Review (“Permitting”), like all County agencies, has been on a years-long journey of continuous improvement. This year, we will be expanding some service enhancements that we launched last year so that nearly every applicant can gain the benefits of easier application. Those enhancements are: 1) adding more permit types that will be available for on-line permitting, and 2) offering credit card payments in the office and on-line. Last March, we launched on-line permitting for a select family of our easiest permits: residential… Read More
Passing of Kenny McCormick, Metro employee and President of ATU Local 587
King County Executive Dow Constantine wrote to employees in the Department of Transportation on the sudden passing of Kenny McCormick, Metro employee and President of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587. You can read the Executive’s message below: Dear fellow King County employee, This past weekend we lost Kenny McCormick, a long-time Metro employee and President of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587. Kenny was a relentless advocate for the people he worked alongside and the thousands of ATU 587 members who safely get the people of King County where they need to go every day. His mantra… Read More
Honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dear fellow King County employee, On Monday, January 16, our nation will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is unique in that it is the only national holiday also designated as a National Day of Service. I hope you will be able to contribute your time and effort on Monday to help your community. You can find more information on volunteer events at www.nationalservice.gov/mlkday (national website) or, locally, at the United Way of King County site, www.uwkc.org/events/mlk-day-of-service. At this time of political upheaval, it is… Read More
Looking forward to 2017 with Executive Dow Constantine
by KingCountyTV Launching Best Starts for Kids and working with the Trump White House, in this video Enrique Cerna talks with Executive Constantine about challenges and opportunities in the New Year.
County launches Youth and Family Homelessness Prevention Initiative with grants to 27 local agencies; Executive also announces $41M for affordable housing and homeless services
Shared from the DCHS Touching Base Newsletter The first strategy funded by Best Starts for Kids, the Youth and Family Homelessness Prevention Initiative (YFHPI), was formally launched at a news event on Dec. 15 at Mother Africa in Kent, one of the 27 agencies selected through a competitive process to administer $4 million in funds in the community. The new initiative is designed to help families on the verge of being homeless. The individualized approach is based on a highly successful pilot project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Agencies… Read More
Sixteen remarkable achievements of 2016
King County Executive Dow Constantine just released a slideshow of 16 accomplishments in 2016 which highlight some of the remarkable achievements of King County employees and community partners over the last 12 months. “Your professionalism and passion improves the quality of life in our region,” Executive Constantine said in an email message to employees. “Your good work creates public trust that gives us the opportunity to lead bold initiatives that make even greater progress on the most important issues of our generation, including social justice, climate change and mobility.” You can check out the slideshow of… Read More
Employee News 