Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
Meet Marvin! For Parks employee Marvin Johnson, a day spent outside connecting with parks visitors is a good day. Quick with a smile and always happy to chat, he is one of the many people working hard to keep our county parks, trails and natural areas open and available to everyone. Click the image below to hear from Marvin, other employees, and partners about how the King County Parks Levy enhances our region’s quality of life in our new video!
Crossposted from Metro Matters Pardeep Kaile is a true triple threat: someone who has made her mark in transit as a bus operator, then in the Streetcar section and currently in Link light rail. Kaile, a Rail Operation Supervisor, was named King County Metro’s Rail Employee of the Year in Link light rail on Wednesday. Metro supervisors, operators and maintenance staff operate light rail for Sound Transit. She was honored at a ceremony in which colleagues and leaders called her “a tremendous value to the agency,” “nimble and a great problem solver”… Read More
Crossposted from KC Emergency News Food replacement (for DSHS Basic Food program recipients) The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has granted a waiver extending the 10-day reporting period for food loss due to the November 19 bomb cyclone. Residents in the following counties have until Dec. 19, 2024, to report food loss: King, Snohomish, Whatcom, Skagit, Kitsap, Island, Clallam, Pierce, Thurston, Lewis, Kittitas, Yakima, Douglas, Okanogan, Chelan, and Ferry. Call 877-501-2233, visit a Community Services Office, fill out the Basic Food Affidavit Replacement for Household Disaster form, or provide a written attestation. Find… Read More
Adapted from Tails from RASKC Like many animal shelters across the nation, Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) is overwhelmed with dogs and cats. To help ease the shelter space crunch, RASKC is waiving adoption fees for dogs through the end of the year during the “Home for the Holidays” promotion. “Our dog kennels have been consistently at or over capacity all year,” said interim RASKC manager Tim Anderson. “I can’t recall that happening in the last twelve years. So, by waiving adoption fees, we hope we can find a place for… Read More
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC Dr. Gene Mueller, manager of Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC), is retiring after 12 years at the helm. His retirement was Dec. 6, 2024. “Regional Animal Services wouldn’t be the model of caring, compassionate animal care it is today without Gene’s leadership,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “As he heads into a well-deserved retirement, Gene leaves RASKC in great shape for the future.” “I’d like to thank Executive Constantine, our staff and volunteers, and our whole community for trusting me to lead RASKC for… Read More
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections King County marked a new milestone recently in our progress to make sure community members receive timely and effective behavioral health care in a mental health or substance use crisis. On Dec. 2, the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD) launched its new mobile rapid-response crisis teams for adults, adding 10 new teams in the field, plus new services and providers to the program. “We’re building a robust crisis system where everyone has access to the care they need, when and where they need it — reducing hospital… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters King County Metro has the second-largest rider increase in the country. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced the results in its “Transit Wrapped 2024” report. Among the nation’s large transit agencies—those with 50 million or more annual trips, Metro ranked second in the percentage ridership increase over the past year. “We’ve been proud to lead the way nationally and to make transit the best way to travel our beautiful region,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “In 2024, Metro added roughly 3,700 weekly bus trips, launched the… Read More
The 2025 MLK Jr. calendar, designed by artist Barbara Earl Thomas, is now available for King County employees to order. All orders will need to be submitted via the order form by Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. Listed below are the guidelines for submitting orders: Only one order per section is allowed. Please identify one person in your section/department to coordinate and submit your order. Minimum order is 50 calendars and increased in increments of 50 (50, 100, 150, 200, etc.). We will not be accepting individual orders and you will need to coordinate with your… Read More
Crossposted from King County Local King County recognizes the toll the recent storm took on many in the unincorporated areas, including those who suffered property damage. The Department of Local Services wants to help unincorporated King County residents whose properties were affected by quickly processing their damage repair permits. Our Permitting Division asks property owner’s to apply for a damage assessment inspection online once an owner’s property has been secured to prevent unauthorized entry. Inspection staff will then conduct a damage assessment inspection, report on findings, and direct the property owner on additional permitting… Read More
This article and video originally appeared on “Seattle Refined.” When one King County Metro driver’s heart attack sent a bus down an embankment, an off-duty colleague intervened to save the driver and the passengers. King County Metro Bus Operator Chyee Howell was driving the family car with two of her children and her niece on July 12 when they first noticed a Metro bus that had gone off the road. The bus was partly on its side and had come to a stop midway down a ravine with the vehicle’s engine still… Read More