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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
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Balanced You Conversations: Understanding your benefits with Matt Munson
Balanced You Conversations is a series of talks about important topics related to overall health and well-being. Karla Clark, Employee Health & Wellness Educator with the Balanced You team sits down with Matt Munson, King County Benefits Navigator. They discuss the work Matt does to help educate all King County employees about their benefits and the options they have, the importance of having a primary care provider, and some of the things he likes to do outside of work. “I’m always available to talk to employees about the available benefit options and… Read More
ORCA transit ridership grows to 151 million trips
Crossposted from Metro Matters Regional ridership jumps 12% in 2024 Transit in the Puget Sound region delivered 17 million more trips in 2024 than the prior year, according to six ORCA transit agencies. Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit and Sound Transit delivered 134 million trips in 2023 and 151 million trips in 2024. The growing popularity of transit aligns with recent expansions and improvements across the region. Transit agencies celebrated adding more bus trips, opening new bus rapid transit lines, launching Sound Transit Link light rail… Read More
Airport unveils new hybrid electric fire truck, cutting air and noise pollution
Crossposted from the DES Express King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KCIA) is the first airport in the country to receive a hybrid electric airport fire truck to respond to emergencies like aircraft crashes or hangar fires. The Oshkosh® Striker® Volterra™ from Oshkosh Airport Products dramatically cuts greenhouse gas and particulate emissions compared to diesel-only fire trucks. KCIA’s new hybrid electric fire engine is designed to maximize performance while reducing fuel use, emissions and maintenance costs. The new fire truck is part of the airport’s work to combat climate change and allows the airport to… Read More
Digital Accessibility Training now available in NEOGOV
All King County employees are invited to learn more about digital accessibility in the free course: “Beyond Compliance: Building an Accessible and Inclusive King County,” now available in the NEOGOV Learn catalog. Developed in collaboration with the Office of Equity, Racial, and Social Justice (OERSJ) KCIT, this 45-minute online training is designed to foster a deeper understanding of disability rights, digital accessibility standards, universal design, disability etiquette, and proactive accommodations. This is an introductory course and applicable to all county employees, regardless of their current learning level. Digital accessibility is crucial to ensure… Read More
Together We Thrive: Employee Engagement Survey is coming soon
The Employee Engagement Survey is returning and will take place March 31 – April 21. We know that to provide great service to the public, King County needs to be a great place to work. The survey is an important tool to help us continue to be one. It also provides an opportunity to check in with employees to learn what is going well and where we need to improve. That is why your participation is critical – we need each employee to provide feedback about their experience so that we can… Read More
From the Director’s Desk: Women’s History and Employee Appreciation
From the DAJD newsletter Women have served in law enforcement nearly as long as official police and corrections departments have been in existence in the U.S. In jails, female staff provided needed care and protection for incarcerated women. Read more.
King County Security Tips – HTTPS the ‘S’ stands for secure
If you have ever signed in to a website such as Facebook or Amazon, you will notice that on the login page, the URL will change from ‘http’ to ‘https’. What that little ‘s’ stands for is secure. It means that your web browser and the website have both agreed to communicate securely so that no other individuals will be able to ‘listen in’ on your conversation. If you needed to communicate some sensitive information such as a password to someone else, you would not shout out in the open ‘HERE IS… Read More
“Favorites” link changing to new Employee Intranet homepage
King County has launched a new Employee Intranet homepage, along with an intranet site and updated public-facing pages for the Department of Human Resources (DHR). These changes centralize all employee information into a single portal, accessible only to King County employees, while also making it easier for residents to find what they need on kingcounty.gov. New pages: King County Employee Intranet homepage (SharePoint) Department of Human Resources Intranet (SharePoint) Department of Human Resources public webpages On March 11, KCIT will change the quick link in all Executive branch employees’ “Favorites” menu to the new King… Read More
Try telehealth to receive health care at home
King County employees and family members enrolled in Kaiser and Regence medical plans have access to telehealth services that allow you to virtually access board-certified, trained medical providers from your home, using a tablet, smart phone, or personal computer. Read this blog for more information on how to access telehealth care for both Kaiser Permanente and Regence members. Supervisors: Here is a printer-friendly PDF with primary care provider resources to post at your worksites for employees who do not have access to email.
Pet adopters and foster homes still urgently needed at RASKC
Also: What to do if you lose a pet, or find an animal at large in the community Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) continues to be overwhelmed with the number of animals at the Pet Adoption Center in Kent. Pet adopters and foster homes are urgently needed to address overcrowding at the shelter. “All of our dog kennels are full, and in fact we’re ‘double bunking’ some of the smaller dogs to make room,” said Tim Anderson, interim manager at RASKC. “Our cat condos are also overflowing, with peak kitten… Read More
DAJD’s Angela Toussaint honored as ‘Unsung Hero of Black Seattle’
By Noah Haglund, DAJD Communications Specialist The Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention’s (DAJD) Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Manager, Angela Toussaint, was honored as an “Unsung Hero of Black Seattle” for 35 years of community service at a Black History Month celebration hosted by Byrd Barr Place. The award was presented on Feb. 22. Originally founded in 1964 as the Central Area Motivation Program, Byrd Barr Place was led by the Honorable Larry Gossett from 1979 until his election to the King County Council in 1993. Byrd Barr Place’s mission is to help… Read More
ORCA Regional Day Pass improves transit affordability
Crossposted from Metro Matters ORCA is making the Regional Day Pass fare permanent, creating more affordable and accessible transit for riders across the region. This price change, approved by the ORCA Joint Board, saves money and enhances convenience for customers who use multiple transit services in a single day. Effective March 1, 2025, the new ORCA Regional Day Pass will be available for just $6 for adult riders, and $2 for ORCA LIFT and RRFP senior and disabled cardholders, providing unlimited rides on participating transit services for one day for the cost… Read More
Get caught up on your preventive care
Preventive Care is a term that means routine health care services, such as check-ups, screenings, and tests, to prevent illnesses and health problems. Examples of preventive care include cholesterol tests, checkups with your Primary Care Provider (PCP), and colon cancer and breast cancer screenings. Preventive care is important even if you don’t feel sick. While preventive screenings among employees and their family members have started to increase since the COVID-19 pandemic began, many preventive screening services are below already-low 2019 levels. King County health plans report many preventive screenings for women and… Read More
Airport maintenance team takes driving seriously, with a smile
Crossposted from the DES Express The airport held a refresher defensive driving course to help both new and tenured employees reduce the chance of accidents and enhance safety while operating vehicles and equipment at the airport. Just in time, course materials included winter driving safety tips as well as defensive driving. A second training is in the works for a future date at the airport to be scheduled. Pictured: The King County International Airport Maintenance team, above, spent part of a sunny January day polishing their defensive driving skills on the airfield.
March 2025 is Women’s History Month
King County Executive Dow Constantine has declared March as Women’s History Month in King County. He urges all county residents to honor the contributions by women to their families, workplaces, and communities. He also acknowledges the importance of this year’s theme. “The National Women’s History Alliance chose the 2025 theme “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations” to celebrate the collective strength and influence of women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership,” he said. View the official proclamation here.
Employee recognized for taking NEOGOV to the next level
Every year, NEOGOV, an online human resources management platform, acknowledges employees or organizations who have used it to further creative change within their company. In 2024, Sarah Buelow, NEOGOV Supervisor within the Department of Human Resources (DHR), received the Trailblazer Award at the 2024 Ignite! Conference, for going above and beyond in embodying a drive for innovation, passion, and dedication. Sarah has ensured that King County has been a sought-out beta tester and early adopter for a variety of enhancements to all of the modules in the platform. This has allowed King… Read More
Departments bring their insights and expertise to transition team
One of our core King County values is We are responsible stewards – of our finances, our resources, our environment, our heritage, and our future. This value means that we are also responsible for the stewardship of King County government across the executive branch. Last November, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced that, after four terms, he will not seek re-election in 2025. The crucial work of King County employees continues and remains as important as ever. As Executive Constantine wrote in his Nov. 12 employee announcement, “While we have seen much success,… Read More
Discounted tickets to Washington Spring Fair
King County employees can now take advantage of discounted tickets to the Washington Spring Fair. The Spring Fair is April 10-13 and 17-20. To purchase tickets, visit thefair.com/corporate, click the “Buy Tickets” button, and enter access code king25. Tickets are only available Feb. 26 through April 20, 2025. See all available employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
New veterinarian starts at Regional Animal Services
Crossposted from the DES Express Weina Dai, DVM, joins Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) on March 2 as their newest veterinarian. She comes to King County from Evergreen Avian and Exotics Animal Hospital (Kirkland) and Cat Care Clinic (Bellevue). She also brings experience in a small animal emergency specialty clinic in Illinois, a wildlife internship at Washington State University/PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) and small animal medicine. “After an extensive year-long search, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Dai to Regional Animal Services of King County,” said Tim Anderson, interim… Read More
Supervisor Spotlight: Highlighting those behind the scenes who keep us moving
Crossposted from Metro Matters It takes a lot of people to keep a transit system running smoothly across 150 routes and over 300,000 boardings a day. Bus drivers are the most visible part of any transit system, but there are people behind the scenes who are just as vital in the day-to-day operation of King County Metro. Their responsibilities include training operators, planning the routes that run throughout the region, and literally being the “traffic controllers” who keep track of the buses on their daily runs. Read more.
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