Yesler Bridge Rehabilitation Project: Update, Terrace Street closure
Terrace Street next to the Yesler Building, and south of the Chinook Building, will be closed beginning today, Wednesday, July 26, and is scheduled to re-open the week of Monday, August 7. The south end of the alley between 5th Ave and 4th Ave, including the garage entrance and exit, will only be accessible from Jefferson Street. This closure is needed to accommodate demolition activities and concrete pours. The Yesler Way Bridge Rehabilitation Project, which will improve safety and reliability while preserving the bridge’s historical elements, will continue through fall of 2017. If you have any questions or would like to discuss… Read More
Federal Way Youth Action Team making a difference
See how the community in Federal Way is working together to help at risk kids. This video features local organizations, such as the HYPE Program, CHI Franciscan Health, and the Federal Way Boys & Girls Club as well as commentary from Jason Clark, Equity and Justice Advocate with King County Superior Court. Youth mentors are needed for this growing Federal Way community support network. Click here to learn more.
Our thoughts on the West Point Independent Review Report
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories As promised last spring, the King County Council has publicly shared the results of an independent review of our West Point Treatment Plant operations. The report took an unbiased look at our operations and maintenance practices as part of an effort to learn from what happened at West Point on Feb. 9, 2017, when severe storms and high flows led to flooding and serious equipment damage. We agree with the report’s findings, which include a number of recommendations to improve plant operations, increase system redundancy, and strengthen employee safety and training. Read… Read More
Employee is proud to provide excellent customer service to King County residents
By Jimmy’a (jih-MY-uh) Carter, a summer intern for the Executive’s Office Customer Service team. Jimmy’a, a 16 year old who will be a junior this fall at West Auburn High School, plans to attend a four-year college and get a degree in youth counseling. She joins us from the Bridge to Prosperity mentoring program. What do a fancy clothing store and King County have in common? For Teesha Bailey, serving store customers helped her transition to serving county customers. She currently works as a Confidential Secretary with the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) for Director Adrienne… Read More
Metro employee gets to “Be the boss”
By Hannah Debenedetto, intern with King County Department of Transportation What would you do if you were boss for the day? Metro’s Gerald Freeman found out after winning an employee sweepstakes to “be the boss” of KCDOT Director Harold Taniguchi. As a marketing specialist, Gerald is regularly at community events to help customers sign up for ORCA cards or to answer their questions. This month, Harold joined him for an afternoon helping customers in Metro’s booth at Kent Cornucopia Days. “Harold jumped right into engaging people, answering questions, and referring people to me… Read More
Reducing customer wait times with Check the Line
With an on-the-go lifestyle, customers are looking for ways to reduce waiting in lines. Web cameras at King County’s Algona, Bow Lake, Factoria, Houghton, Renton and Shoreline recycling and transfer stations help customers plan their trips using www.kingcounty.gov/checktheline, which shows the line of vehicles waiting to enter the facilities and facility wait times. Solid Waste Division (SWD) Special Projects Manager Alejandra Calderon was the lead on the project, and oversaw implementation and outreach of the web cams at the six transfer stations. Alejandra emphasized the practicality of the mobile-friendly website and its functionality: “What… Read More
Searching for identity, author earns recognition with story collection
King County employee by day and published author by evening, Donna Miscolta writes novels and short stories inspired by anecdotes that she has witnessed or heard about in her family or within her community. “I take that tiny, true piece and turn it into fiction,” Miscolta said. “From there, it takes on a life of its own, and it’s not really about any specific person, and yet many people recognize a part of themselves in these stories.” Her latest work, “Hola and Goodbye,” is a collection of stories inspired by her grandmother’s journey as an immigrant in the… Read More
Tech Tip: Identifying and reporting scams and malicious emails
By Ralph Johnson, Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer On July 6, 2017 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an alert on scammers posing as FTC officials who contact individuals and claim they have won prizes from a charity contest. The scammers ask for money to cover taxes or insurance costs associated with the prize. While this is a new malicious campaign, scammers use these basic tactics time and time again with slightly different wording to take advantage of unsuspecting individuals. It may seem like a day doesn’t go by without scammers contacting… Read More
Invasive knotweed control workshops a great success
The early bird gets the worm. This summer, the Riparian Noxious Weed Team offered free workshops on knotweed control for local homeowners. Knotweed, a noxious bamboo-like plant is growing in backyards, community gardens and most successfully along river systems of King County and throughout North America. Two project leads that are doing work on King County Rivers are Erin Haley (Green-Duwamish) and Sayward Glise (Cedar River Team). “We currently have knotweed control projects on the South Fork Skykomish and Tye River, the Upper Snoqualmie River, the Cedar River, and the Green-Duwamish River. In 2016 our team and its contractors treated 17 acres of knotweed… Read More
Senior leaders meet with Veterans Program employees
Two members of King County Executive Dow Constantine’s leadership team visited the King County Veterans Program facility in Belltown, Seattle, last week to learn more about how employees are helping local veterans live healthy and productive lives after their military service has ended. Senior Deputy County Executive Fred Jarrett and Gary Kurihara, Lean Transformation Director, met with Program Manager Bryan Fry and Pat Lemus, Assistant Division Director for Community Services Division, to tour the facility, talk with some employees and find out more about their work. The King County Veterans Programs serves veterans and current service… Read More
Employee News 