King County District Court Expands Youth Traffic Court on Eastside

By Troy Brown, Communication Manager, King County District Court   East King County Youth Traffic Court provides teen drivers with an alternative to fines, while helping educate them and their peers on the justice system King County District Court has expanded its Youth Traffic Court Program from Redmond to the broader Eastside. The East King County Youth Traffic Court is a student-led organization that works with district court to hear real cases of traffic citations issued to 16- and 17-year olds, offering them an alternative to the traditional justice system. Cases are handled… Read More

Strategic Interviewing Tips and Techniques, November 18  

This two-hour virtual workshop will provide you with strategies and tips to help you to do your best during the interview. Learning objectives include:  How to prepare for a virtual job interview  The interview structure and types of questions you will be asked  The STAR-LA method and how to use it to provide organized and complete responses  General tips and strategies  This workshop will take place Wednesday, Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. – Noon. Register here.  For additional online workshops offered by King County Career Support Services (CSS), visit their Eventbrite page. For more information… Read More

One week left to complete Open Enrollment

One week left – Complete Open Enrollment by Nov. 15 Don’t miss your opportunity to evaluate your benefit choices and make changes. If you haven’t already done so, make sure the right benefit options are in place for you and your family next year. If you don’t participate in Open Enrollment, your current elections automatically continue for next year—except your Flexible Spending Accounts and your Benefit Access Fee exemption if you cover a spouse on your medical plan—these must be selected each year. Learn See what’s changing next year. Register for a live… Read More

A historic moment for our democracy

Dear fellow King County employee, Last week, the American people elected a new president to lead us for the next four years and begin the work of healing our divided nation. It was a historic victory for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris, and indeed for democracy itself. I am eager to work with the new administration on fighting the pandemic, rebuilding our economy, upending racial bias, healing the planet, and restoring America’s standing in the world. It is time to turn the page. I am grateful to once again have partners… Read More

Road Services welcomes new director Tricia Davis 

Crossposted from King County Local  Local Services proudly welcomes Tricia Davis as the new director of its Road Services Division.  Tricia comes to us as a 13-year employee at King County, most recently as deputy director for Metro’s Rail Division and, prior to that, as a budget supervisor in King County’s Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget (PSB).  Before joining the county, Tricia worked as a research analyst for the Center on Reinventing Public Education. She also worked for Capital One Financial Services as a senior operations analyst.  Read more. 

Upcoming live and on-demand webinars through Making Life Easier 

King County’s Making Life Easier (MLE) program is offering several upcoming live and on-demand webinars. Register early for the live session as space is limited, otherwise, a recording of the session will be available on-demand 48 hours after it has ended.  Supporting Yourself This Season: The Winter Blues & Seasonal Affective Disorder – Live, Wednesday, Nov. 18, from noon to 1 p.m. Register here.  Deepening Your Resilience: Tools For Persisting In These Times – Now available on-demand. Register here.  Moving Forward From Here: Navigating Uncertain Times – Available on-demand the first week of Dec. Registration information coming soon. Please check the website for updates.  To learn more about these webinars and to access… Read More

Tech Tip: An important note about Microsoft Skype and Teams instant messages/chat 

Employees may recall that the guidance for using Skype instant messages (IMs) has been “do not conduct work via IM.” IMs should only be used for transitory communication because once the IM window is closed, the message is gone.  Yes, that has meant the instant messages were totally gone, leaving no record.  The same guidance is mostly in place with IMs in Teams, only they’re called “Chats” now. Chats, though, work a little differently in Teams. Microsoft technical requirements prevent Chats from instantly disappearing when the Chat window is closed, so they… Read More

Election 2020: Seattle voters support funding for transit 

Crossposted from Metro Matters  While some ballots are still arriving and being counted, so far an overwhelming majority of voters in the City of Seattle have approved Proposition 1: “Funding for Transit and Related Transportation Needs.” This proposition would replace a funding source that expires at the end of this year.  Revenues from the new measure would fund transit services benefiting Seattle residents through the Seattle Transportation Benefit District. Proposition 1 was placed on the ballot when Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan signed Council Bill 119833 on July 31. The proposition increases the current 0.1% sales tax… Read More

Annual Giving Drive offers virtual “office hours” 

This year, the Annual Giving Drive is offering virtual information sessions to make it easier for you to participate in the 2020 campaign.  The Annual Giving Drive’s Campaign Assistants are hosting Zoom “office hours” where you can ask questions, get help setting up pledges, discuss giving options, and more.  The virtual office hours are available:  Mondays and Fridays, from 11 a.m. to noon  Wednesdays, from 1–2 p.m.  Access the office hours through this Zoom link  For more information, contact your Employee Giving Program Ambassador, visit www.kingcounty.gov/giving, email EmployeeGiving@KingCounty.gov or call 206-263-9405. 

Featured Job: Communications Specialist III 

Salary: $78,992.16 – $100,127.46 Annually  Location: Seattle, WA  Job Type: Special Duty Assignment or Term Limited Temp (TLT)  Department: DPH – Public Health  Job Number: 2020EY12395  Closing: 11/17/2020 11:59 PM Pacific  Learn more about this position or view all available positions.