Transit changes are coming to south King County: Metro wants your feedback on proposed route improvements
Crossposted from Metro Matters As Link light rail extends south, King County Metro’s South Link Connections mobility project is working to improve public transportation for communities in south King County. We invite you to learn more about these proposed changes and take our survey by February 28. In response to what we heard from community members in Algona, Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Normandy Park, Pacific, SeaTac, Tukwila, and parts of unincorporated King County, Metro is proposing several improvements to service and is seeking your input. Read more.
“Read to Me” program allows incarcerated parents to read books to children through jail-library partnership
Crossposted from the DAJD newsletter Every quarter, DAJD staff teams up with Seattle Public Library (SPL) to host a “Read to Me” workshop with people housed at King County Correctional Facility. Through this reoccurring program, residents attend three sessions with SPL’s librarians, ultimately resulting in a recorded story that is sent home to children, grandchildren, or other young relatives as a special keepsake. “Our role as Children’s Services Librarians is to help parents and caregivers connect with their children through sharing stories and books, and to support parents as the most important… Read More
New, stronger batteries to boost King County Metro’s trolley bus fleet
Crossposted from Metro Matters Electric trolleys are Metro’s original zero-emission fleet. Our 174 “trackless trolleys” are preparing to get a power boost that will increase their ability to travel farther off wire and prepare them for continued service to the region. Kiepe Electric and Metro have reached a $26 million agreement for Kiepe to supply new, improved battery packs for our trolley fleet. Metro’s current fleet of 174 trolley buses went into service in 2015 through 2017. The fleet had off wire capabilities that were state of the art for the time,… Read More
King County GIS Center wins national award
The King County GIS Center was honored to be awarded the 2024 URISA Exemplary Systems in Government: Single Process Distinguished System award for our new Aerial Imagery Program interactive web application. The GIS Center has been acquiring high-resolution aerial imagery since 1998 and administers a cost-sharing program to make imagery available to local jurisdictions, reducing the costs for everyone in the process. Before the launch of this new application, managing each imagery order required manual coordination including multiple email chains, pdf documents, shapefiles, and spreadsheets. It was easy for things to get lost or steps to… Read More
Reminder of Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment and Inappropriate Conduct Policy
King County is committed to a respectful, productive, inclusive, and equitable workplace, and the Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment and Inappropriate Conduct Policy for Executive Branch employees sets out our expectations in the workplace as well as the conduct and behaviors that will not be tolerated. It also outlines how to report incidents, all employees’ responsibilities, and the consequences of non-compliance. If you haven’t read the policy or want to refamiliarize yourself with it, you can find it here. There is also our Harassment Prevention for Employees training, which explains the policy, roles and responsibilities, prohibited behaviors, and more. You can find your… Read More
Records Management reminder: Make good records in the first place
A significant part of records management is what records we decide to create in the first place. Making good records to begin with is essential; we will have less bulk to manage, and those records will be easier to locate over time. Some general tips include: Avoid sending unnecessary emails (use Teams chat or phone calls for messages that do not need to be documented) Avoiding saving unnecessary copies (use links or shortcuts to existing records, rather than saving your own copies) Use descriptive titles and naming conventions (avoid vague and general words) Where possible, ensure the… Read More
Weigh in on Metro’s final draft of our ADA Transition Plan
Crossposted from Metro Matters We invite you to comment on the final draft of our Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan by Jan. 10. Mobility is a route to opportunity, connecting people to their jobs, schools, services, and other important places. People with disabilities face many barriers as they try to get around King County. For example, we know that a higher percentage of people with disabilities rely on public transit for commuting compared to others. Our mission is to provide safe, reliable and equitable public transportation to everyone. That is why,… Read More
Eligible PERS 2 members can switch to PERS 3 in January
Each January, certain members of Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) Plan 2 have the opportunity to make a permanent transfer to PERS Plan 3. If you are an active PERS Plan 2 member who began service before Sept. 1, 2002, and you will earn service credit in January, you are eligible to transfer to Plan 3. Use the resources on the Department of Retirement Systems website to help you decide if transferring to Plan 3 is right for you. To transfer from Plan 2 to Plan 3, complete a Member Transfer form and return it by… Read More
Join the King County Deferred Compensation Plan Board
Are you a King County employee interested in financial planning or investing and are eager to learn more? Looking for a chance to grow your leadership skills while supporting your fellow King County employees? Consider joining the King County Deferred Compensation Plan Board! The Deferred Compensation Plan helps employees save for retirement through automatic pre-tax and post-tax contributions. It is governed by a nine-member board that is seeking three new members: Two current King County employees and one King County retiree. As a board member, you will: Spend approximately three hours per month in… Read More
Behind the scenes at the CCFJC’s Alternatives to Secure Detention
Crossposted from the DAJD newsletter If you’ve ever visited the Juvenile Division at the Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center (CCFJC), you’ve probably overheard the many phone calls made by Alternatives to Secure Detention (ASD) staff, reminding youth on Electronic Home Monitoring about upcoming court dates and the need to charge their ankle bracelets. However, ASD’s role stems far beyond just these friendly reminders. It is a complex system that requires an enormous amount of attention to detail, a deep understanding of the juvenile court system, a ton of patience… Read More
Employee News 