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Holiday travel? Metro will help you get there
Emergency exercise tests communications ahead of World Cup
King County Wins 2025 Geospatial Professional Network Award for Innovative AI-GIS System
Recognizing the service of Metro veterans
News
King County controls a new noxious weed!
Crossposted from Noxious Weeds Blog It’s not every day you find a new noxious weed in your county, but this August King County had one of those days. On Aug. 15, our program was alerted to an infestation of the Class A noxious weed ricefield bulrush (Schoenoplectus mucronatus) growing in a wetland just east of Redmond. Sean Davis with Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Clark County helped confirm the ID of the species. Prior to this discovery, the main known location of this plant in Washington state had been in the Ridgefield refuge, along… Read More
Survey communications: Asking questions, acting on what we hear
When you ask someone for their feedback on something, you’d better have a plan for how you are going to act on that feedback. That’s exactly what King County has done with its annual employee survey. Almost 340 action plans were created to act on the issues you said were important in the 2016 survey. Two critical issues you raised were Career Opportunities and Leadership Visibility. Here are some of the ways that we acted on your responses: Career Opportunities Expanded the Bridge Fellowship program to provide leadership and development opportunities to more employees. Created an… Read More
DPD employee graduates from Washington Leadership Institute
DPD’s own Matthew Sanders, an attorney in the Association of Counsel for the Accused Division, graduated from the 2017 Washington Leadership Institute (WLI) last week. The WLI is a program sponsored by the University of Washington and Washington State Bar Association to recruit, train, and develop attorneys from traditionally underrepresented groups for future leadership positions within the bar association and the legal community at large. The program selects attorneys with three to ten years’ experience for an eight month program that includes weekly meetings and offers participants the chance to receive mentoring… Read More
Public Health: Providing a range of services downtown Seattle
By Jimmy’a (jih-MY-uh) Carter, a summer intern for the Executive’s Office Customer Service team. Jimmy’a, a 16 year old who will be a junior this fall at West Auburn High School, plans to attend a four-year college and get a degree in youth counseling. She joins us from the Bridge to Prosperity mentoring program. Earlier this month, I took a trip to the King County’s Downtown Public Health Center. I was so excited to learn how everything works in a busy clinic that serves different types of clients. Social workers Mary Cate and Michelle Bollinger… Read More
Increasing diversity in applicants, King County Sheriff’s Office
Blending in at recruitment events is one of the few changes that King County Sheriff’s Office has made to represent the County’s welcoming atmosphere and boost recruitment for females into commissioned officer positions. Court Protection Unit Sergeant Loi Dawkins trades in her full officer uniform for a polo shirt and cargo pants to attend recruitment events, a softer approach, she says, to entice career seekers to engage with recruitment staff. “For some people, it makes them feel more comfortable with approaching us when they otherwise would be intimidated by a gun, badge and uniform,”… Read More
Metro Transit’s Nathan Vass is committed to the challenging Route 7
This article originally appeared in The Seattle Times. It features Metro operator Nathan Vass. He is known among passengers, co-workers and friends as a charismatic storyteller who can defuse tough situations that come with a nighttime bus route traversing Seattle’s urban core. LeRoy Haigler first rode Metro Transit’s No. 7 bus after a one-way train ride from his home in Philadelphia to start over in Seattle. Homeless and fleeing family trauma, the 19-year-old had little money, few belongings and no place to go. He boarded the downtown-bound bus on Rainier Avenue round midnight, finding… Read More
Tech Tip: Skype Bite – How to Use Instant Messaging
Want to get in touch with someone fast? Skype for Business is perfect for that. Whether it’s an instant message, call, or a cute (work-related) emoji, Skype should be your first, fast option.
Kudos! Metro Transit creates lasting friendships
The following kudos was received August 9 and is from a longtime King County Metro rider: I’ve been riding Metro bus lines for 11 years. I commute to and from work on the 121 or 122 every day. About a year ago, I met a nice woman on my evening commute on route 122. We sat next together sharing only our route time in common and quickly became best buddies. Our friendship grew outside our commute time together, and this past weekend I participated in her wedding. When other guests asked how… Read More
King County’s Barton roadside rain gardens
See how King County used green infrastructure to build a CSO control facility in West Seattle King County’s Barton CSO Control project constructed 91 roadside rain gardens on 15 blocks in West Seattle. The project, completed in 2015, is a type of green stormwater infrastructure. King County is responsible for regular maintenance of the roadside rain gardens year round. You can expect to see crews onsite at least monthly performing regular maintenance.
Upcoming construction: 6th Ave paving project
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is planning to repave 6th Ave between Stewart St and Yesler Way. E ach year, Seattle rehabilitates arterial streets to make them safer and more comfortable to travel on and to extend their useful life. We anticipate major construction will begin as soon as spring 2018 and take 4 months to complete. In the meantime, repairs and replacements of any deficient curb ramps will start as soon as October of this year. This project was selected and prioritized based on pavement condition, traffic volume, opportunities to improve… Read More
Social Media Spotlight: King County Noxious Weeds on Instagram
Noxious Weeds provides information and updates on noxious weeds and invasive plants found in King County, Washington, tips on identifying and controlling weeds throughout the year, updates on events and classes, and noxious weed news from around the state and beyond. Our goal is to provide information that is useful for everyone impacted by noxious weeds, from homeowners and gardeners to vegetation managers, restoration workers and landscape professionals. We also include job listings, program news, grants, and other information that we think would be useful to people working on noxious weeds. Follow Kingcountyweeds on… Read More
Featured Job: Government Relations Administrator – Open Space Program
Closing Date/Time: Wed. 09/13/17 11:59 PM Pacific Time Salary: $101,920.00 – $129,188.80 Annually Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week Location: King Street Center – 201 S Jackson St, Seattle, Washington Department: Department of Natural Resources & Parks – Parks & Recreation Division Description: The Department of Natural Resources & Parks is seeking a Government Relations Administrator with strong leadership and collaboration skills to direct and manage King County Parks’ growing Open Space Program, which is dedicated to advancing regional recreation, conserving wildlife habitat, and promoting forest stewardship. The Government Relations Administrator will be responsible for leading… Read More
Coming soon: Newer version of PeopleSoft
The Business Resource Center (BRC) continues to deliver new features, improvements and bug fixes every quarter to PeopleSoft! King County’s PeopleSoft team is at the forefront for adopting new Oracle PeopleSoft features and enhancements. The upcoming September release improves Employee Self Service! It provides easy access to view your paycheck, leave balances and personal details on the go, from anywhere there is an internet connection. Self Service improvements include: Mobile Pay – quickly view Net Pay, get a comprehensive look through the paycheck summary, and see paycheck analytics! Leave Balances – See vacation, sick… Read More
Ready to respond: Boeing Field ARFF, neighbors train to deliver water to airfield emergencies
Crossposted from The Centerline With any fire emergency, firefighters are first to rush to the scene. The No. 1 tool they need is water to extinguish the flames – and at the airport they need plenty of it. That’s why last month at King County International Airport/Boeing Field, King County Sheriff’s Office Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) unit conducted water-supply training exercises, and we invited our neighbors. We hosted Seattle, Tukwila and The Boeing Company Fire Departments over multiple practice sessions – organized by our own Deputy Seth Grant with ARFF – in… Read More
Employee Discount: Get your Trek on with Star Trek Beyond live in concert
King County employees can get discounted tickets to see Star Trek Beyond at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at the Seattle Symphony. All Orchestra Level Main Floor Seats are $35. Employees need to visit www.seattlesymphony.org, click Concerts and Tickets and enter the promo code BEYOND before selecting their seats. The Seattle Symphony will perform all the music from the movie live, while the film and dialog are playing on the giant screen hanging above the symphony. See all available discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
What happens to your Employee Survey
What happens to your employee survey once you take it? Turns out, a lot. Many steps are taken to assure your confidentiality is protected, the data is analyzed in a way that points to what’s important to you – not just good or bad – and then we take steps together to act on what we learned. The 2017 King County Employee Survey will open Monday, Sept. 18, running until Friday, Oct. 6, and paper surveys will be open from Monday, Sept. 11, to Friday, Oct. 6, for employees without email. Superior Court, District… Read More
Metro employee receives lifesaving award
Crossposted from Metro Matters By Hannah Debenedetto / King County DOT intern When an elderly man suffered a heart attack last April outside a Burien Starbucks cafe, Metro’s Marc Anderson knew what to do. Anderson monitored the man’s vital signs as a Starbucks employee provided chest compressions. They continued performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until paramedics from nearby King County Fire District 28 arrived. In August, Metro Transit Risk Program Manager Marc Anderson was honored with the City of Burien’s 2017 Heroism Award for helping save the man’s life. The patient, Christopher Smith… Read More
September is National Preparedness Month
On September 1, National Preparedness Month began. The devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston and other Gulf Coast communities is a reminder to all of us that a natural or human-caused disaster can strike at any time. Preparedness is key – at home, at work, and at school. King County Emergency Management has preparedness tips and information at www.kingcounty.gov/prepare.
Mark your calendars! King County work site flu clinics coming soon
Crossposted from Healthy Incentives Free flu vaccines at county worksites start this month. King County worksite flu clinics for employees start this month! Clinics are open to all King County employees and are provided at no cost to benefits-covered employees. Employees with no health benefits may self-pay for the vaccine at the clinic (flu shots are $30 each). Flu shots are on a first-come, first-served basis. Check out the calendar below and mark your calendars for the location most convenient for you. Read more at Healthy Incentives
Wildfires moving into King County; widespread smoke affecting air quality
Crossposted from Emergency News The Norse Peak and American wildfires continue to burn in the area where the King, Pierce, and Kittitas County lines meet. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in the Crystal Mountain, Gold Hill, Pick Handle Basin, and Bumping Lake areas. Increased fire activity is also noted along State Route 410 near Hell’s Crossing. These fires have scorched nearly 20,000 acres and are less than 10 percent contained. In addition, smoke from wildfires in central Washington continues to pour over the Cascade Range, degrading air quality. As of 3 p.m. on… Read More
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