Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
National Recovery Month is celebrated in the U.S. annually each September to promote access to recovery, celebrate those participating in services, and educate communities about how to overcome the barriers of stigma and discrimination. The theme for this year’s Recovery Month is “Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Are Stronger.” In solidarity with this national movement, and to recognize recovery wins in our community, each year King County spotlights individuals and hosts activities that spread the message that behavioral health is essential to wellness, that treatment is effective, and that people… Read More
National Recovery Month is an opportunity to learn more about what King County is doing to support people with services that allow them to rebuild their lives after difficult situations. The internationally renowned King County Drug Court Program, started in 1994 and celebrating its 25th anniversary this October, provides multiple resources for people by combining those from the criminal justice system, substance abuse treatment, and other community services providers. We sat down with Mary Taylor, Drug Court Manager, to learn more about the steady growth and continued success of this amazing program. “This is… Read More
Crafted by Executive Constantine and Mayor Durkan, legislation now before the King County Council and Seattle City Council establishes the King County Regional Homelessness Authority to oversee policy, funding, and services for people experiencing homelessness countywide. The legislation includes a proposed Interlocal Agreement (ILA) and a Charter that authorizes the creation of the new Public Development Authority (PDA) to administer and oversee regional homelessness efforts. “The new regional authority represents a concerted effort to increase coordination and collaboration of our planning, resources and service delivery countywide to achieve a more efficient and… Read More
Do you know how to register to vote? In King County, you can register to vote online or by mail until eight to days before an election or in-person through Election Day. Registrations done by mail need to be received, not postmarked, by the eight-day deadline. Learn more.
On August 28 the Council approved legislation sponsored by Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles that would waive enforcement of Metro transit fares when Metro activates its Emergency Snow Network to encourage people to use transit and avoid driving during severe snowstorms. Metro customers will be able to ride without paying the transit fare while the Emergency Snow Network is in effect. The legislation increases accessibility of Metro transit service for those experiencing homelessness in need of shelter and encourages all residents to avoid driving during severe snowstorms. “Like our policy of free fares on New Year’s… Read More
The King County Information Technology (KCIT) Customer Support Services Provisioning team has deployed its 2,000th life cycle device replacement in August. LAN Administrator Daniel Co performed the deployment, bringing replacement equipment to Metro Administer Sara Stefano (pictured). The team is working towards replacing all Windows 7 devices by the end of the year, when Microsoft stops supporting it. The team has almost doubled its monthly deployment numbers in the past two years, from an average of 235 a month in 2017 to an average of 461 a month in 2019. “The team has… Read More
Defensive Driving, multiple dates: Dedicated to enhancing driving skills, reducing collisions and controlling insurance costs, this course focuses on accepting personal responsibility while operating a motor vehicle. Knowing why your vehicle performs the way it does, and understanding key concepts of safety, can reduce your chances of serious injury. A key objective of Defensive Driving training is to influence a person’s driving behavior. This we attempt to achieve through classroom interaction with not just the instructor, but with the other students as well. This certification is valid for 3 years. Register and learn more. … Read More
Salary: $86,344.54 – $109,446.48 Annually Location: Seattle, WA Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week Department: DNRP – Natural Resources & Parks Job Number: 2019PM10524 Closing: 9/15/2019 11:59 PM Pacific The Solid Waste Division (SWD), Recycling and Environmental Services (RES) section is recruiting for an enthusiastic team player to serve as the primary resource to RES for management and analysis of numerical data, including project expenditures, budget balances, and county-wide solid waste and recycling tonnage data. The position will require data analysis skills, knowledge of contract management, development of budget documents, and… Read More
King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) held their annual employee picnic on the patio of King Street Center Thursday, Aug. 29, and were joined by some special guests. King County Executive Dow Constantine and DNRP Director Christie True thanked employees for a job well done and announced raffle winners. The department also hosted its own version of “Family Feud”, “Survey Sez” with Solid Waste Division Director Pat McLaughlin as host, and Deputy County Executive Rachel Smith was the head of one of the “families.” The picnic was a great opportunity… Read More
Bernard is a 5 ½ year-old, male, shorthair gray tabby cat (A579142). His personality color is RED, meaning he is a spirited cat with a fun-loving personality. Bernard is outgoing, playful and energetic. He may be sensitive to handling and can get overstimulated, so he would do best with a family who knows when to give him a break. This fun guy loves to play and can sometimes be rough and rowdy. He gets along with some other cats, but may be too much for others. He has also lived with a small… Read More
West Seattle, Burien, and neighboring area bus riders will see more consistent travel times starting Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. After monitoring travel and transit times for buses on First Avenue and identifying significant impacts for commuters, officials from King County Metro and Seattle Department of Transportation announced a service revision that takes southbound buses off First Avenue and on to a pathway that utilizes Second Avenue and Fourth Avenue South. Metro will establish a long-term stop on Second Avenue Extension South between South Washington Street and South Main Street to replace the… Read More
Meet new King County International Airport Director, John Parrott, as he talks about moving from Alaska to take the reins at Boeing Field.
This month, as we observe National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and National Recovery Month in King County, we’re highlighting the importance of mental health and wellbeing to our ability to live well and thrive. When we lose someone to suicide, it has a deep and profound effect on us. We can all help prevent suicide, and during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, I encourage you to learn how to recognize the warning signs and what resources are available to help people in crisis. For National Recovery Month, we join others around the… Read More
The Balanced You Worksite Fund is a competitive process brought to you by King County’s Department of Human Resources. The purpose of the Worksite Fund is to empower employees to make creative improvements to improve the health and well-being at their worksites. Today, Balanced You released the list of 2019 Worksite Fund recipients. This year, King County received over 150 applications and is investing over $100,000 in 44 projects reaching employees across the county. Projects are funded in a range of categories, including mental health. Mental health is an important part of… Read More
Dear employee, As we continue our efforts to make King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive, we are also working to make our worksites more supportive of the health and wellbeing of all employees. One way that we are doing that is through the Balanced You Worksite Fund, a competitive process brought to you by the Balanced You team and part of our Investing in YOU strategy. In 2019, the Worksite Fund’s second year, we received more than 150 applications totaling almost $580,000 in requests, and we are investing… Read More
Starting October 1, the King County Employee Transportation Program (ETP) will cover the Metro Vanpool or Vanshare program for all King County employees who choose to form a new group or participant in an existing Metro vanpool or vanshare group. Currently, the King County ETP provides $65 per month towards the cost of your vanpool. ETP has always provided a vanpool subsidy to King County employees, but now we are offering our employees a 100% Metro Vanpool and Vanshare subsidy. This is a one year pilot program that is available to all King County employees receiving transportation benefits! … Read More
As part of the Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Initiative, King County government has prioritized race to address the historical and persistent inequities in our communities. Such inequities are experienced by the county’s own employees, both on and off the job. US–The Untold Story Project, sponsored by the ESJ Literary Project team, is excited to launch its 2019-2020 program. Come learn about the Untold Story Project, read stories, engage in conversations, and learn how to get involved in the Untold Story Project at this one hour Lunch and Learn! Sept. 10, 2019, noon… Read More
Ready, set, protect. Every fall, King County’s Balanced You offers worksite flu shots for employees. Building a countywide culture of health and well-being – it’s one way we’re Investing in YOU. We’ve expanded this year’s scheduled based on feedback received from employees and will offer flu shots at 33 worksites around the region. These are open to all King County employees, except when noted otherwise. In many instances, benefits-covered spouses or family members, age 11 and above, may also participate. Flu shots are provided at no cost for benefits-covered individuals – those… Read More
Emotional Intelligence for Leaders and Emerging Leaders, Oct. 19: Emotional intelligence describes the ability to understand one’s own feelings, and that of groups, and how these emotions can influence motivation and behavior. Leaders who are emotionally intelligent foster safe environments, where employees feel comfortable to take calculated risks and to voice their opinions. Engage in interactive, hands-on self-evaluation and exercise to develop your emotional intelligence and become a respected and inspiring leader. This course is every Saturday from 10/19/2019 – 11/02/2019 and you must attend all sessions in order to receive a complete…. Read More
Salary: $77,320.88 – $98,008.77 Annually Location: Bellevue, WA Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week Department: DPH – Public Health Job Number: 2019NH10487 Closing: 9/11/2019 11:59 PM Pacific The Environmental Health Services Division is seeking to fill a full-time career services position for an Environmental Health Investigator III (HEI-III). The HEI III will operate within the On-site Sewage System Permitting Program and provides education, inspection and compliance, technical assistance, program process documentation, and regulatory compliance advice to the on-site sewage industry, the real estate industry, the public and the media, and translate… Read More