Happy Holidays, we appreciate you!

Happy Holidays all our King County employees! Enjoy this time with loved ones and please stay warm and safe. Know that we appreciate you and everything you do in your work at King County. Thank you for your commitment, time and passion.

Training Spotlight: Lean Problem-Solving Basics, Communication and Problem Solving Skills, King County GIS training

Lean Problem-Solving Basics, Feb. 5: Do you feel like you tackle the same problems over and over again? In order to effectively solve problems once and for all, they must be solved at the root! Read more and register.  Communication and Problem Solving Skills, Feb. 7: This one day training will address communication and problem solving skills with the public and with co-workers. This class covers skills for effective listening, speaking, dealing with conflicts and with defensive behavior. Read more and register.  King County GIS training, multiple dates: KC GIS is now offering its schedule of face-to-face GIS… Read More

Did you know you had this benefit? Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) 

A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) can help you save an average of 30% on certain medical care and dependent care expenses by using pre-tax dollars. Learn more here.

Employee discounts to Monster Jam and Monster Energy AMA Supercross 

Employees can now access discounted tickets to Monster Jam and Monster Energy AMA Supercross at CenturyLink Field in Seattle during March 2019. Monster Jam is Saturday, March 15, 2019 at 7 p.m. Click here for instructions for the discount. Monster Energy AMA Supercross is Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. Click here for instructions for the discount.   See all available discounts on the Employee Discount page.

Your Big Backyard is getting bigger 

Crossposted from King County Parks Plog  King County Parks had a busy year making good on the levy promise to bring 2,700 acres into the King County system by 2020. By the time 2019 rolls around, Parks will be on the lookout for a mere 500 more acres to reach the goal. As an added bonus, scooping up lands happens to be in line with King County’s Land Conservation Initiativeto protect the livability, health, and ecological integrity of our region by preserving 65,000 acres of land within the next 30 years.  Read more at King County Parks Plog 

Volunteer registration now open for Count Us In 2019 

All Home is now seeking volunteers for Count Us In 2019, the annual Point in Time (PIT) Count of people experiencing homelessness. The count will take place in the early hours of the morning of January 25, 2019 from 2 a.m.-6 a.m. The core purpose of the annual Point in Time (PIT) Count is to collect data on the needs of people experiencing homelessness in our community. The count also provides an excellent opportunity to increase awareness of homelessness and to spark action. A successful and accurate PIT Count is an essential… Read More

Employee experience: Housing affordability in King County 

At King County we are a 15,000 strong workforce of people committed to serving our 2.2 million residents, but like many in our community, some employees are facing an unprecedented challenge in finding and keeping a home they can afford in the county in which they work.  As we continue to identify strategies to tackle the shortage of affordable housing in our communities, we want to hear from employees: What is your experience as a King County employee trying to buy or keep a home close to your work? What challenges do… Read More

“Keeping things simple” with the new Deputy Director of Local Services 

Crossposted from Inside Transportation  The newly appointed Deputy Director of the Department of Local Services adheres to a fundamental rule when working to solve problems.  Don’t complicate things.  “I like to keep things simple,” Danielle de Clercq says. “Break it down to the basics. The simpler we can define the problem, the easier it is to solve.”  De Clercq’s approach has helped the Dutch-speaking, outdoor enthusiast empower people throughout her 30-year career. Whether she was shepherding the exponential growth of a solid waste startup, administering health education grant applications worth millions of dollars, or… Read More

John Taylor Confirmed as Department of Local Services Director 

Crossposted from Inside Transportation  The Metropolitan King County Council on Monday gave its unanimous approval to the appointment of John Taylor to lead the newly formed Department of Local Services that is set to begin operations at the beginning of the year. Taylor, appointed by County Executive Dow Constantine in October, now formally serves as the director of the department that will better coordinate and deliver direct services to the nearly 250,000 people who live in unincorporated King County.  “John has worked in the unincorporated area and has already established wonderful working… Read More

More tips for getting around SR 99 closure

Matching commuters with carpool apps As the region prepares to face regional congestion starting after the evening commute January 11, 2019, with the closure of SR 99 through downtown and the permanent closure of the SR 99 Viaduct, King County Metro is partnering with carpooling apps Scoop and Waze Carpool to help match commuters and provide more mobility options to area employees! For a limited time, riders earn discounts and drivers earn bonuses by following these four easy steps: Download a free carpool app (Scoop or Waze Carpool). Enter your trip locations… Read More