Support for people affected by Hurricane Harvey
Dear fellow King County employee, This weekend, Hurricane Harvey tore across Texas and Louisiana, leaving a trail of destruction and loss of life in its wake. The impact on people, the environment, and cities and towns – big and small – has been devastating, and with more storms forecast for the area, the damage is expected to get worse. These are challenging times for the people and communities affected by this hurricane. Rebuilding towns and lives will take months and years, and many employees have asked how they can help. Our Employee… Read More
Launch of our Mentorship Program
Dear fellow King County employee, Over the past few years, we’ve done a lot of work to strengthen our capacity as a culturally responsive learning organization, one that develops employees and offers equitable opportunities for growth and advancement, wherever you are in your career at King County. Today I am pleased to announce the launch of our new King County Mentorship Program, designed to provide new opportunities for employees to grow and develop at King County as part of our commitment to Investing in You. Mentoring is a proven approach to employee development that… Read More
Applications for ESJ Opportunity Fund due Sept. 1
A reminder that applications for the Equity and Social Justice Opportunity Fund are due on September 1. The ESJ Opportunity Fund is a competitive process run by the Office of Equity and Social Justice that provides resources to King County employees to develop and implement projects that work to advance equity and social justice and that complements the ESJ Strategic Plan. For the 2017-2018 biennium, there is a total of $100,000 in one-time funds available and grants ranging from $500 to $7,500 will be awarded to projects that the Funding Committee determines best… Read More
Baby falcons rescued by county employees
Recently several baby falcons fell out of their nest on the third floor window ledge of the King County Courthouse. Lucky for these little birds, County employees were on hand to rescue them. After saving the birds from oncoming traffic, Seattle Animal Control was called. Animal care staff then took the chicks to the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Lynwood. This facility specializes in wildlife rescue. The baby falcons were given a full exam by a vet. Out of the three, one bird had a fracture, but otherwise, all were declared… Read More
Coming soon: 2017 Employee Survey
The 2017 King County Employee Survey is starting in September for employees in participating departments, so please take this opportunity to let the County know what’s on your mind: • Online survey: September 18 – October 6 • Paper survey (except Transit): September 11 – October 6 • Transit paper survey: September 11 – 25 Almost 340 action plans were created to act on the issues you said were important in the 2016 survey. Two critical issues you raised were Career Opportunities and Leadership Visibility. Here are some of the ways that… Read More
Tech Tip: How to submit the perfect KCIT HelpTicket
KCIT’s HelpDesk team spends a lot of time trying to figure out help tickets and get in touch with the employees who need support. This 2:30 video shows you exactly what we need to process your helpticket and fix your problem as quickly as possible.
Now open: King County surplus ‘pop-up’ shop
Always wanted to call dibs on King County surplus items but couldn’t find an hour or two out of the office to do so? Don’t fret. This week, the King County Surplus Program opened a new “Pop-Up” shop intended to help County employees who work in and around the Seattle Core claim surplus items. The shop is located at on the second floor of the 420 4th Ave. building, across from the Administration Building. The entrance is located off Jefferson Street. This week, the shop will be open from 10 a.m. to… Read More
Pilot aims to reduce vehicle congestion at hiking trailheads
King County has just launched Trailhead Direct, a pilot project sponsored by King County Parks and Metro’s Community Connections program, to help people get to hiking destinations in the Issaquah Alps and along I-90 without needing a car. Hikers can park their cars or catch the bus to two locations – Issaquah Transit Center Bay 5 and Issaquah Highlands Park and Ride Bay 1 – and get dropped off at one of three trailheads: Margaret’s Way Trailhead, Poo Poo Point Trailhead, East Sunset Way Trailhead, connecting hikers to more than 150 miles of hiking trails. Trailhead Direct… Read More
Confronting climate change aboard a floating classroom
Crossposted from Inside Transportation The King County Water Taxi functioned as a floating classroom recently for a firsthand lesson on how King County is confronting climate change. On an unusually hot day on the waterfront, in the midday hours when our vessels are docked, the Marine Division hosted 13 high-schoolers from the Woodland Park Zoo’s Seattle Youth Climate Action Network (Seattle Youth CAN). They boarded the Sally Fox for our new “Floating Classroom” program, designed to engage students of all ages in environmental and climate change education, and introduce them to internship and job opportunities in both King County… Read More
Puget SoundCorps helps stomp out knotweed
Crossposted from the Noxious Weeds Blog Each year, the King County Noxious Weed Control Program gets a great boost of support from the Puget SoundCorps, a branch of the Washington Conservation Corps’ AmeriCorps Program. Just when we need it most, a crew of six hardworking young adults heads out to help us tackle some of the county’s toughest noxious weeds. This summer, the crew is spending fourteen days battling knotweed on three sites along the Snoqualmie River* under the guidance of Justin Brooks, riparian team lead for the Snoqualmie River. I met up… Read More
Employee News 