Cybersecurity best practices for King County employees
King County employees are reminded to never reuse passwords across accounts and always enable multifactor authentication (MFA), also called two-step authentication. Recent news of 16 billion exposed credentials has made headlines around the globe. While this is not a new data breach (the list is a compilation of previously leaked credentials from various past incidents), it still serves as an important reminder: following cybersecurity best practices can help protect vital King County systems. Thank you for doing your part to safeguard King County! For questions or assistance, contact the KCIT Helpdesk.
King County and City of Seattle to increase Metro’s safety and security presence
Crossposted from Metro Matters King County Executive Shannon Braddock’s proposed 2025 supplemental budget includes $26.1 million in safety and security investments for King County Metro. In partnership, the City of Seattle has committed more than $5 million in voter-approved funding to support Metro’s 2025 safety and security efforts. To support safe, vibrant, and healthy communities where everyone can thrive, King County Executive Shannon Braddock’s proposed 2025 supplemental budget, with funding support from the City of Seattle, will strengthen both transit safety and security. Read more.
King County employee Seahawks discount tickets
The Seattle Seahawks are excited to present an exclusive ticket offer to all King County Employees for the following games: Seahawks vs. Chiefs, Friday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. $40 Seahawks vs. Texans, Monday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. $85 Seahawks vs. Cardinals, Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1:05 p.m. $85 Seahawks vs. Rams, Thursday, Dec. 18 at 5:15 p.m. $85 Purchase tickets here. For assistance, call or email Ruby Fera at RubyF@Seahawks.com or 425-203-8134. See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
The Fourth of July: A pet’s least-favorite holiday
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC Did you know? About half of all pets that go missing every year are lost around the Fourth of July. It’s a scary statistic, but fortunately there are steps you can take to help keep your dog, cat, or other animals safe from the bang, boom, and pop of fireworks. Before the fireworks Exercise your pet in the daytime before fireworks begin. That can help tire them out so they sleep through the peak of the noise. Check your pet’s license, ID tag, and/or microchip, and make sure… Read More
Second 2025 Professional Development Scholarship application period ends July 3
The second application period for the 2025 Professional Development Scholarship Program ends at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, July 3. The Scholarship Program is a benefit offered as part of the 2025 Coalition Labor Agreement and is only open to employees represented by one of the unions in the Coalition. The Scholarship Program is part of the County’s commitment to Investing in YOU, and is designed to assist eligible employees with their professional development by providing up to $3,000 annually towards obtaining training, certificates, degrees, licenses, and certifications. Awardees for this period will be notified… Read More
‘We still brace ourselves, but now we can breathe easier’: Operators at West Point Treatment Plant credit new battery system for delivering reliable power during its first year
Operators at King County’s West Point Treatment Plant credit the new onsite battery system for providing reliable power during its first year of service, ensuring critical pumps operated during 78 power disruptions. Engineers estimate that 15 of those power disruptions were severe enough to potentially cause an emergency bypass of untreated wastewater into Puget Sound had the onsite batteries not been activated in June 2024. Pumps at the state’s largest treatment plant were powered exclusively by the 16.8-megawatt battery system during each of those disruptions. King County Executive Shannon Braddock praised the… Read More
John Parrott named Airport Director of the Year by WAMA
Crossposted from DES Plane Talk The Washington Airport Management Association (WAMA) named John Parrott the Airport Director of the Year at its annual conference last month. Parrott has served as director of King County International Airport since 2019. He has nearly 40 years of commercial airport, general aviation and military aviation experience from aviator to airport CEO. What’s his secret? “Hire great people and then get out of their way,” Parrott said upon receiving the award. Pictured: John Parrott, Director of King County International Airport, left, with Dave Decoteau, Deputy Director.
New data shows King County DCHS’ Health Through Housing initiative helps residents maintain stable housing and improve health
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections King County Department of Human and Community Services (DCHS) today released new data on the Health Through Housing (HTH) initiative, showing improved housing and health outcomes for people living in Health Through Housing buildings throughout last year. Health Through Housing transforms former hotels and other underutilized properties into permanent supportive housing with onsite services, including physical and behavioral health care, for people experiencing chronic homelessness. In 2024, Health Through Housing served 1,281 people across all 11 open locations in Auburn, Burien, Renton, Redmond, and Seattle. Encouragingly, 95% of permanent supportive housing residents were able to maintain a stable home. The vast… Read More
Building the local economy through clean water projects
When Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station went up in one of Seattle’s oldest neighborhoods, you could say it took a village to raise it. Among the tradespeople deployed to construct our newest clean water facility were electricians, concrete finishers, welders, and ironworkers. For four whole years, the site buzzed with power tools and expertise – in no small part from the surrounding community itself. The project generated hundreds of construction jobs and brought on more than 40 women-and-minority-owned businesses as subcontractors who did everything from installing underground utilities and pouring concrete walls to… Read More
Suggest an audit topic for the King County’s Auditor’s Office by July 1
Do you have ideas for how King County government could work better? The King County Auditor’s Office wants to hear from you! The King County Auditor’s Office is looking for input as it plans its work for the next biennium. To gather that input, they have launched a new website where employees and community members can share their experiences and suggest potential topics for future audits. The King County Auditor’s Office conducts oversight of county government through independent audits, capital projects oversight, and other studies. Every other year, the Auditor assembles a work program for approval by… Read More
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