Hurricane Harvey – How you can help
Crossposted from KC Employee Giving Program On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 Hurricane in Texas. Over the weekend, it brought with it devastating flooding and destruction. See full article from New York Times here. “This event is unprecedented & all impacts are unknown & beyond anything experienced,” ~National Weather Service The greatest anticipated needs after a natural disaster are typically for medical assistance, shelter, clean water, and relief supplies. The long-term needs of many communities are even more critical as communities rebuild and economies recovery. Read more at KC… Read More
KCIT ramps up training opportunities
You asked for it, we’re delivering it! KCIT is ramping up employee training opportunities in technology. KCIT now has a team dedicated to teaching you basic SharePoint, intermediate SharePoint, CRM, Skype for Business, and, our new favorite for data fiends, Power BI (Business Intelligence – this is new!). These technology tools help you get work more collaboratively, get work done and stay organized. We promise, they will quickly become a standard for your workgroup. Check out our training schedule here (SharePoint). The extra training on our calendar is Crucial Conversations, a two-day class… Read More
Collaborative effort announces $2.25 million in emergency funding
King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, and Seattle Foundation announced a combined $2.25 million in emergency funding for critical services for immigrants, refugees, and other residents whose health, safety, and human rights are at risk. The 38 nonprofits that successfully competed for the funding will provide a wide range of services, such as training for educators and mental-health providers who teach or provide treatment to immigrants and refugees. Other examples include providing critical legal services, preventing wage theft, launching a Know Your Rights campaign, and engaging the most vulnerable… Read More
Executive Constantine: Go simple with $2.75 Metro fare
Metro currently has one of the most complex fare structures in the nation, with one zone for the City of Seattle and another for all areas outside the city, as well as extra charges during the morning and evening commute. One-third of riders in a recent survey said the current system is too complex and difficult to understand. In a proposal to the King County Council announced, Executive Constantine streamlined Metro fares to $2.75, and increased funding for discounted tickets. “You said you wanted simpler fares, and we made it happen. No… Read More
Internships at KCDOT can lead to careers
Crossposted from Inside Transportation You never know where an internship can lead. Some of King County DOT’s top managers got their start as interns at the County. We’ve seen the demonstrable benefits of cultivating young minds that can bring fresh ideas and talent to public service, and in particular to the transit industry. KCDOT’s intern program began as an offshoot of the Federal Work-Study program, and ever since then, hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students have generated innovative ideas, written meaningful policy, and refined and streamlined processes which have improved the lives… Read More
All Home Director Mark Putnam featured in blog about changing homelessness narrative
All Home Director Mark Putnam recently contributed a guest blog to the Seattle Foundation called “It’s time to change the narrative on homelessness.” “Changing the way we think about homelessness, which is deeply embedded in our internal and cultural biases, is critical to our ability to meaningfully address the crisis we are faced with today,” Putnam writes in the blog. “While we are housing more people through homeless services than ever, our efforts have failed to match the increasing need. Homelessness has reached emergency levels in Seattle/King County and it is no accident that we… Read More
Improving workflow and safety for DAJD staff
The Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) is in the process of retiring the 40-year-old system its more than 500 correctional employees use to manage detainees and is replacing it with one that will provide a smoother, more efficient workflow process from booking to release. The department has more than 41 applications that help to manage the various processes throughout the organization. A key deliverable of the new system will be to eliminate as many of these applications as possible. The new Jail Management System (JMS) will simplify many of the… Read More
Rev Up For Retirement seminar, Sept. 29
With increased concern over the future of Social Security and the stability of retirement plans, it’s never too early to prepare! Bring a sack lunch and hear what the Retired Public Employees Council of Washington, the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors and the Social Security Administration have to say about retirement planning, PERS, Medicare, and Social Security. Friday, September 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eighth Floor Conference Hall, King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle Registration is required. Due to space limitations, only county employees may attend. To register, please e-mail: KC.Orientations@kingcounty.gov.
Tech Tip: KCIT releases a better way to manage your “Junk” email
King County Security Systems detect SPAM and send it to a special quarantined inbox where users never see it. But occasionally SPAM isn’t really SPAM, it’s just an email sent from an unfamiliar email address. Under the current system, users had to contact the helpdesk in search of an expected email that never arrived. Now you can double check “Junk” email to make sure you don’t miss important information. Every day, you will get a special notification in your inbox. It is titled “SPAM Notification”. Inside will be a list of “Junk”… Read More
Ride Limebikes for free through Sept. 18
The LimeBikes free ride period has been extended through Sept. 18 for you! Please remember that even though LimeBikes and bicycles in general provide an amazing and cool way to get around, unfortunately, they are not risk-free. To stay safe, follow the State and King County’s bicycling laws and always wear a helmet! To learn more about your employee transportation benefits, visit: www.kingcounty.gov/ETP, call me at 206-477-5853, or email me at Hossein.Barahimi@Kingcounty.gov. Ride On!
Employee News 