New Rural Services Center open to Vashon Residents
King County has opened a Rural Services Center on Vashon Island to provide residents with a one-stop shop for King County services. The Vashon Rural Services Center is home to the King County Sheriff’s Office, King County District Court, the Vashon Community Service Center, and services provided by the Department of Permitting and Environmental Review and the Community Service Area Program. The new center was made possible through a partnership between King County and Vashon Island Fire and Rescue (VIFR). “King County is the local government for Vashon-Maury Island but they’re separated… Read More
Five Questions with Pam Jones, Juvenile Division Director, Adult & Juvenile Detention
1. What is the Juvenile Division responsible for? The Juvenile Division is responsible for the safe and secure housing of juvenile offenders. While detained, juvenile offenders are provided comprehensive services such as medical and mental health services, education provided through Seattle Public Schools, access to a library on site staffed by the King County Library System and the option of participating in other regularly-scheduled programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, Powerful Voices, PONGO poetry and other special programs. 2. What do you like most about your job? Everything. I like working… Read More
Take Action to Save Puget Sound
Stormwater, or polluted runoff, is the leading contributor to reduced water quality in Puget Sound. Learn more about its impacts on the environment, how King County is addressing the issue, and how you can help. Visit the public involvement website for more information, including videos, and an opportunity to provide feedback on our stormwater management program.
Employees Help Local Stores Ditch Noxious Weeds
Employees from the King County Noxious Weed Program are helping to keep invasive weeds off local store shelves, with City People’s Garden Store in Seattle being the first to pledge to stop selling any of the invasive plants or noxious weeds that appear on King County’s Noxious Weed and Plants of Concern lists. “These noxious weeds and invasive plants threaten our natural ecosystems by choking out native species,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “I commend City People’s for stepping up as the first store in King County to pledge not to sell these… Read More
ESJ Lunch and Learn – Debriefing the Governing for Racial Equity Conference
Employees are invited to a lunch and learn to hear what a panel of their colleagues learned at the recent Governing for Racial Equity Conference in Portland, OR. Several King County employees attended the third Governing for Racial Equity (GRE) Conference on March 25 and 26 to learn more about what other governments are doing to achieve racial equity and eliminate institutional and structural racism. Join King County members of the GRE Planning Committee, conference presenters and other attendees as they share their learnings from the conference and help plan the next steps… Read More
Coming Soon: New KCWeb
Last November, we asked what employees would name the new King County Intranet. Almost 1,400 employees submitted suggestions, and the overwhelming choice was KCWeb. A team of King County employees is now building a new Intranet site that will make it easy for you to find the resources you need for your job, the tools you use every day, and the news to help you stay informed – all in one central location. We wanted to share an early design of the site which includes the new logo for the intranet, the main… Read More
Washington Counties Scholarship Fund
The Washington Counties Scholarship Fund is now accepting applications for the 2014/2015 school year. Applications are available online at http://www.countyscholarship.org. Completed applications are due by April 30, 2014. The Washington Counties Scholarship Fund awards five $3,000 scholarships to eligible children of county employees and county elected officials. Awards are given in the form of Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) credits. The Washington Counties Scholarship Fund is a joint project of the Washington Association of County Officials (WACO) and the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC). Funds for the scholarship are provided by members… Read More
Kudos! “Rave” for Burke-Gilman Trail improvements in Seattle Times
King County’s upgrades to the Burke-Gilman Trail got a shout-out in The Seattle Times last month: “Rave to King County for Burke-Gilman Trail surface improvements between Log Boom Park and Woodinville that make the trail safer, especially in wet, low-light and debris conditions” – The Seattle Times, March 9, 2014
Fairs Offer School-to-Work Transition Resources
The Department of Community and Human Services’ Developmental Disabilities Division recently hosted its annual Transition Resource Fairs. Held every March for the past seven years, the fairs support the School-to-Work program by informing and better equipping students and their families to prepare for a successful transition from school to employment and other community resources. The fairs were at Highline Community College on Saturday, March 1, and at Microsoft on Tuesday, March 4. The fairs are intentionally held away from high schools—the message is about adult life in the community. Over 900 community… Read More
Kudos! Housing Repair Program, Community and Human Services
The Community Services Division’s Housing Repair Program (HRP) provides interest-free loan and emergency grant services directly to low- and moderate-income home owners in King County, outside the city of Seattle, to repair their homes and help preserve our region’s stock of affordable housing. This program also provides grants to individual low-income renters with a disability to help make their housing more accessible. The City of Snoqualmie has expressed appreciation for HRP for helping a Snoqualmie home owner obtain the required matching funds for his FEMA grant to elevate his family’s home out… Read More
Employee News 