Featured Headlines
DCHS-led Health Through Housing initiative hits major milestone
In the field with Executive Zahilay: Listening to staff and empowering solutions
Tap to pay: Puget Sound region transit systems to accept credit and debit cards, and digital wallets as fare payment
Major ‘Revive I-5’ repairs continue for Ship Canal Bridge
News
Celebrating 2022 Women’s History Month
King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed the month of March Women’s History Month in King County, and encouraged all residents to participate in events to commemorate and honor women and their contributions to our community and nation. “The 2022 Women’s History Month theme is ‘Providing Healing, Promoting Hope” – a tribute both to the work of women as caregivers and frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to the role that women have played in providing healing and hope throughout history,” Executive Constantine said in the Proclamation. “Despite the innumerable contributions… Read More
Updates to mask requirements and other COVID-19 restrictions
Starting today, March 1, restrictions on in-person work and In-person meetings will be removed for King County employees, and updated mask requirements and other guidance come into effect: Employees must wear a mask in indoor settings and enclosed spaces that are accessible to the public. This applies to all King County buildings, facilities, and structures that the public can enter, including public lobby and meeting spaces, public indoor recreation spaces, public service counters, and similar spaces open to the public. Masks are not required in areas that are not accessible to the… Read More
2022 Engagement Survey starts March 7
King County’s Employee Engagement Survey is back in 2022. Every year, the County’s Employee Engagement team recommends improvements to the data and survey process. Many of these improvement ideas come directly from employees. Their feedback helps us improve the employee experience and data quality, and to provide better analysis. Here’s what you can expect in 2022: All employees will take the survey electronically, saving 80 reams of paper – or roughly five trees each year. The survey will be available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Amharic and Somali. The most important elements… Read More
Three required trainings must be completed this quarter
King County Executive branch employees are required to complete three mandatory trainings by the start of April 2022: Harassment Prevention for Employees: complete by March 30, 2022 King County Immigrant and Refugee Ordinance: complete by April 1, 2022 Cybersecurity: complete by March 31, 2022. For employees assigned the courses as part of New Employee Orientation, due dates are 90 days after your hire date rather than the dates listed above. To find both the Harassment Prevention for Employees and Immigrant and Refugee Ordinance trainings, go to your KC eLearning NEOGOV Learn dashboard…. Read More
Meet new county employee and Health Hero, Amber Heyward
For Black History Month, Balanced You is excited to recognize our many talented Black employees in different bodies of work around the county. Welcome new county employee, Amber Heyward. With a background in HR, Learning and Development and Organizational Development, she started at King County four months ago as an Organizational Development practitioner. In this video she talks about her team’s goal to build equitable and enjoyable workplaces and why she was drawn to government work and King County specifically. Watch this video to learn more.
Metro celebrates Black History Month with special event featuring Dr. Terrence James Roberts
Metro’s Office of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging is honored to continue the celebration of Transit Equity Day and Black History Month with a special Lunch and Learn event featuring Congressional Gold Medal recipient, scholar, and Civil Rights figure, Dr. Terrence James Roberts. Dr. Roberts is one of the Little Rock Nine, the group of nine black students who enrolled at formerly all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in September 1957. The nine students’ attendance put to test the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education United States Supreme Court ruling that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional…. Read More
Black History Month Stories of Hope: Abdirahman Hashi
The King County MLK Day Committee is sharing Stories of Hope first presented during the 2022 Martin Luther King Day celebration in honor of Black History Month. Watch this video to meet Abdirahman Hashi, Project/Program Manager for Public Health – Seattle & King County, and hear in his own words a story of hope.
New programs offered to get you on the path to feeling better
King County is offering several new Health Support Programs through Regence BlueShield to employees and family members covered by KingCare and KingCare Select medical plans. These programs provide extra support when you need it. For example, you may need help understanding a new diagnosis, managing a chronic condition, or handling an illness. Click here for more information.
RASKC sergeant “caught” helping people and pets
Cross-posted from Executive Services Express A Kent resident recently observed Animal Control Sergeant – Lead Tim Anderson doing what he does best: helping people and pets. The resident, who saw the interaction during a break from her job at a local warehouse, took time to write to the county to recognize Anderson. “If you could have only heard the genuine and kind conversation that took place between these two men, you wouldn’t know one was in a uniform – an authority figure – and the other down on his luck,” wrote Angela Dashiel. Read the… Read More
Black History Month Stories of Hope: Gloria Fontenot
The King County MLK Day Committee is sharing Stories of Hope first presented during the 2022 Martin Luther King Day celebration in honor of Black History Month. Watch this video to meet Gloria Fontenot, a Facilities Security Supervisor on the Facilities Management Division team, as she shares her inspirational story of hope.
State v. Blake state Supreme Court decision signifacantly impacts King County Superior Court workload
Cross-posted from King County Superior Court In February 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court made a decision that will be felt by people and institutions across Washington for years to come. The court decided, in State v. Blake, that the state law on drug possession was flawed, and as a result, convictions for drug possession charges across Washington must be vacated, and fines or fees paid by defendants must be refunded. For King County Superior Court and the Department of Judicial Administration, it meant that a huge and highly consequential body of work… Read More
Jackie Moynahan named Interim Division Director of the Housing, Homelessness and Community Development Division
Cross-posted from Cultivating Connections Jackie Moynahan has been appointed as the Interim Division Director of the Housing, Homelessness and Community Development Division (HHCDD) of the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS). In this role, she oversees efforts around community development, creating and preserving affordable and special needs housing, housing repair programs, and programs providing housing stability support for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Jackie has more than a decade of experience working in affordable housing and began her career in New York City repositioning and preserving struggling affordable housing properties. She has been with the DCHS since 2016. Read the full announcement here.
Equity in Contracting program helps Metro launch innovative, cost-saving bus shelter solution
Cross-posted from Executive Services Express Thanks to the recent Equity in Contracting Executive Order managed by the Department of Executive Services (DES), King County Metro is using innovative contracting techniques to address vandalism at bus shelters and save $1.5 million in replacement costs over ten years. Last year, the King County Council approved legislation that increases contracting opportunities for small businesses owned by minorities, women, and socially and economically disadvantaged people. The county is removing barriers, implementing innovative contracting methods, and taking other actions to make it easier for minority- and women-owned businesses (MWBEs) to… Read More
Health Hero, Debra Baker, reminds us about the ‘Wonder of Now’
For Black History Month, Balanced You is excited to recognize our many talented Black employees in different bodies of work around the county. Health Hero, Debra Baker, is an Organizational Development Lead in the Department of Human Resources. Her work supports departments, teams, and employees across the county by developing organizational health solutions and plans. Debra shares about the concept of ‘beloved,’ understanding yourself as one who is accepted and greatly loved, and she describes the ‘Wonder of Now,’ her tips for being in the moment and practicing self-care. Watch this video to… Read More
Sheriff’s Office Communication Center announces Employees of the Year
Regardless of the type of emergency, virtually every one of them begins with someone dialing 911. In 2021, the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) Communications Center answered 527,050 phone calls from people seeking assistance in unincorporated King County and its contract cities. The Center never closes — its employees have been on the job throughout COVID-19, snow storms, forest fires, excessive heat, social protests, and more. To recognize the great work that takes place in this important department, each year employees nominate and vote on their co-workers who best represent the professionalism and dedication required… Read More
Temporary subsidized daily parking starting March 1
King County is temporarily subsidizing half the employee cost of parking at the Goat Hill Parking Garage and King Street Center Garage. The subsidized daily rate will be $10, effective March 1, 2022. This subsidized parking replaces the County’s temporary paid employee parking program, which will end on Feb. 28, 2022. As we begin the gradual transition to our post-pandemic Future of Work model for delivering services, this temporary subsidized rate will be available to employees who elect to drive to downtown Seattle from March 1 through Sept. 2, 2022. Employees who… Read More
Search and Rescue completes avalanche recovery training
Earlier this month, members of the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team completed a comprehensive avalanche recovery and rescue training exercise above the Crystal Mountain Ski Area. The team is comprised of King County deputies and King County Medic One paramedics. Team members hiked to an area southeast of the ski area, made camp, then deployed on various nighttime rescue scenarios. Included in the exercise was searching an avalanche chute for two missing persons for recovery. In this scenario, a victim needed to be dug out of the snow, medically evaluated, and… Read More
Restrictions on in-person work to end for remote workers
By Dow Constantine, King County Executive For almost two years, approximately one-third of our workforce has been working remotely as we fought to slow the spread of COVID-19. Remote work, where possible, has allowed us to continue to deliver our important services to the community while helping to minimize risk for the two-thirds of employees who have been working onsite and in-person throughout the pandemic. Thanks to our vaccine mandate and the success of the booster program, and other precautions King County employees and residents have taken, COVID-19 cases are trending downwards,… Read More
Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention protective measures reduce Omicron outbreak and ensure safety
In response to recent COVID-19 impacts stemming from the Omicron surge, the Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention has prioritized key actions related to the health and safety of employees and people in custody by continuing to maintain modified visitation polices, booking restrictions, and PPE requirements that have been in place since early in the pandemic. See the full news release here.
King County receives Crown Communities Award
American City & County has presented King County with the 2021 Crown Communities Award in recognition for efforts in the fight against COVID-19. This award is testament to the hard work and dedicated service of the employees, community partners and the people of King County. Click here to read the full story.
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