Volunteer to be a Ballot Drop Box Closer for August 4 

Looking for some Election Day excitement? Meet your neighbors and continue your commitment to public service by volunteering as a drop box closer. Drop box closers are the friendly face the public sees on Election Day, ensuring that every vote is counted, and every voice is heard.  Who: You and your co-workers  What: Closing ballot drop boxes across King County  When: Election Night – August 4 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.  Where: A drop box location near you  Most voters wait until Election Day to return their ballots and drop boxes are often busiest in the last… Read More

Emergency Operation Center experiences dual activation 

Already activated in February for COVID-19, King County had a dual activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) from May 30 through June 7 in response to protests over the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.  “Dual activations are very rare anywhere, and they’re tough,” said Brendan McCluskey, Emergency Management Director. “Staff rose to the challenge. We had to keep track of both situations, including resources and costs. We had more people in the EOC and had the need for physical distancing with COVID-19.”  On a few occasions, the King County EOC… Read More

King County GreenTools Program “sheroes” honored by the US Green Building Council for equity and social justice work 

The US Green Building Council honors King County “Women in Green Sheroes” for advancing equity and social justice through sustainable development, green building, and community empowerment.  For their efforts to advance equity and social justice through the sustainable development work carried out under King County’s GreenTools Program, Solid Waste Division employees Patti Southard and Nori Catabay were honored as “Women in Green Sheroes for Economic Empowerment in the Pacific Region” by the US Green Building Council. “Everyone in King County deserves access to a healthy community where people, businesses and the environment can thrive,” said… Read More

Featured Job: Administrative Project Coordinator 

Salary: $32.92 Hourly  Location: Seattle, WA  Job Type: Short Term Temporary, Part Time, Std Wkly Hrs Vary  Department: KCC – King County Council  Job Number: 2020-11772  Division: Office of Indep Oversight  Closing: 6/30/2020 11:59 PM Pacific  Learn more about this position or view all available positions. 

Pet of the Week: Coco 

Summer is nearly here – and our Pet of the Week Coco is ready for some outdoor fun with you!  This young German Shepherd/Akita mix is energetic, playful, and loving – so he’s one of our “Rambunctious Red” pets. Coco is a very smart dog who is learning how to “sit.” Though Coco may come off as seeming uninterested, he simply needs some time to warm up before being your best friend. Given his boundless energy, Coco would do best with lots of exercise as well as brain games such as puzzle… Read More

What does Phase 2 mean for families? 

Crossposted from Public Health Insider  Are you a parent or caregiver wondering what Phase 2 means for your family? We’ve compiled a list of questions and answers that may help you navigate through some of the confusion as we safely re-open.    Can we see friends and family again?    Yes! You can gather with up to five favorites once a week. For example, you can invite five or fewer friends over to your home once a week. (That number six on your list should be on your B team and will have to come over the following week). In reality,… Read More

Celebrating Pride and the fight for equality

Dear fellow King County employee, Each June, we celebrate Pride and the fight for equality and equal rights for LGBTQ+ people, their accomplishments, and many contributions to our communities here in King County and around the world. While COVID-19 precautions prevent us from celebrating together in person, the fight for equality remains critical. This year’s Pride celebrations come at a time when millions of people are standing up to ongoing racism, violence, and killings of black people and other people of color, and the systemic racism that continues to impact the life… Read More

King County employee guidance for wildfire smoke during COVID-19

With the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more important to prepare ahead for wildfire smoke and extreme heat this summer. Washington State is already above average for the number of fires for this time of year, and experts are forecasting a high chance of wildfire smoke in our region this summer. Wildfire smoke may make it more difficult to fight respiratory infections such as COVID-19. It may also increase some people’s sensitivity to infection by COVID-19 and in some cases may make the symptoms of COVID-19 more severe. A previous COVID-19 infection may… Read More

Seven questions people ask about our daily COVID-19 data dashboard 

Crossposted from Public Health Insider  The recently expanded “Daily COVID-19 outbreak summary” shows the latest data for test results, hospitalizations and deaths in King County and in each city, town and zip code. Dashboard users can use “tabs” to filter by race, age and gender for each location. They can also compare how each city or zip code area compares to the overall rates for King County. (Most unincorporated areas are also included, and more will be added.)    The dashboard includes demographics for race, age, and gender.  (Don’t miss the other COVID-19 data dashboards,… Read More

Live healthier with these free wellness programs 

When you feel healthy, you can get the most out of life and do your best work. That’s why we created Balanced You, a program to help all King County employees meet their financial, emotional, and physical needs.   Two scientifically-proven wellness programs, Omada and Living Well, are free for employees and dependents. These programs – available in live, interactive formats online – are designed to help you reduce the risk of long-term health conditions such as diabetes, or manage long-term health conditions if you are already diagnosed. Visit the Balanced You blog for more… Read More