Discount for upcoming Kraken game, Oct. 4
King County employees can take advantage of a discount to the upcoming Seattle Kraken hockey game on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets. See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
Make sure your voice is heard
Now that Election Day has come and gone, it’s time to be sure your ballot can be counted. Sometimes folks forget to sign their ballot and sometimes a ballot signature doesn’t match the ones King County Elections has on file. If you received notice about an issue with your signature, take a moment to resolve the issue. You can return a signature resolution form by mail or email, in person, or online at kce.wiki/SigCure by 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 17. Trained staff review all signature resolution forms and verify voters’ identities so their ballots can be… Read More
Supervisor Spotlight: Highlighting those behind the scenes who keep us moving
Crossposted from Metro Matters It takes a lot of people to keep a transit system running smoothly across 150 routes and over 300,000 boardings a day. Bus drivers are the most visible part of any transit system, but there are people behind the scenes who are just as vital in the day-to-day operation of King County Metro. Their responsibilities include training operators, planning the routes that run throughout the region, and literally being the “traffic controllers” who keep track of the buses on their daily runs. They’re also the former bus drivers… Read More
New anti-fraud trainings help employees protect taxpayer dollars
As part of Executive Girmay Zahilay’s Better Government actions, King County has launched two new employee trainings focused on preventing fraud, waste and misuse of public resources. These trainings build on King County’s existing policies, trainings, guidance, and other resources that support employees in responsibly managing public resources and protecting tax dollars. The new King County Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Prevention training will launch on Aug. 7 to nearly 4,000 Executive Branch employees who perform a key role in administering contracts or delivering programs, services, resources, and/or information on behalf of King County. Employees… Read More
Executive Zahilay announces $15 million grant for crisis intervention training, gun violence prevention, and other community safety initiatives
Recently, Executive Girmay Zahilay announced that King County received a $15 million grant from the state Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) Public Safety Funding Program ESHB 2015 to support local public safety initiatives, including crisis intervention training for law enforcement and corrections officers, enhanced behavioral health responder options, and community gun violence prevention programs. “With the heartbreaking tragedy at Seattle Center, we must double down on our efforts to interrupt cycles of violence, strengthen community safety, and ensure people get the right support when they need it,” said Executive Zahilay. Read more.
IT Helpdesk (Cherwell) ticketing blackout Aug. 14 through 16, as Neurons prepares for launch
King County’s current IT service management system, Cherwell, will soon be replaced by a new system called Neurons. As part of the cutover, Cherwell will go offline at noon on Friday, Aug. 14, creating a temporary ticketing blackout from Aug. 14 through 16. During this time, employees will not be able to submit new tickets or view existing tickets online. The KCIT Helpdesk will remain available by phone during regular business hours, with after‑hours support continuing for urgent IT issues. Please call 206-263-HELP for assistance. All tickets submitted before noon on Aug. 14 will be… Read More
King County Metro announces major service expansion across King County
Crossposted from Metro Matters Starting Aug. 29, riders across King County will see one of King County Metro’s largest service expansions in recent years, including nine new bus routes and more than 3,000 additional bus trips each week. In response to feedback from riders, Metro is boosting frequency and expanding service earlier in the morning, later in the evening and on weekends, making transit more convenient, reliable and better connected to the region’s expanding Link light rail network. The most significant improvements are in South King County, where Metro is making major investments to improve all-day and weekend service while strengthening connections to new Sound Transit Link light rail stations. Additional service improvements also are planned on dozens of routes serving North King… Read More
PeopleSoft new homepage available Aug. 9
An update to PeopleSoft is coming on Monday, Aug. 9. Starting Aug. 9, when employees login to PeopleSoft, they will notice the new homepage design (below) with an updated color scheme and navigation options. Check out this video on the updated ways to navigate PeopleSoft, or look over this helpful training document to learn more about the new changes. For other PeopleSoft resources, visit the PeopleSoft Knowledge Center. For those who experience any technical issues after the update, first try clearing the internet browser cache using these instructions. If issues persist, please submit a help ticket at helpdesk.kingcounty.gov.
Wildfire smoke in our region
Smoky air from wildfires is expected in our region this week. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, the agency that oversees outdoor air quality, is reporting air quality levels will likely be MODERATE to UNHEALTHY for sensitive groups for the first half of the week. Wildfire smoke can cause a range of health problems, including chest pain, coughing, fast heartbeat, headaches, and asthma attacks. Some groups are more sensitive to smoke, including: Children and teens People with asthma, lung or heart disease, diabetes, or who have had a heart attack or stroke Anyone who is pregnant Anyone older than 65 People who… Read More
Executive Zahilay joins summer gathering for kokanee salmon recovery partners amid hopeful signs of progress
Crossposted from Field Notes King County Executive Girmay Zahilay kicked off a summer gathering of the Lake Sammamish Kokanee Work Group amid hopeful signs of a sustainable recovery for a native salmon species that is important to the region’s history and habitat. Hosted at the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe’s new Harvest Kitchen in Snoqualmie, the partners provided an update on actions they have taken in recent years to ensure the survival of the freshwater kokanee and previewed actions they will take next. The gathering occurred 18 months after King County biologists reported a surge in the number… Read More
Employee News 