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Holiday travel? Metro will help you get there
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King County Wins 2025 Geospatial Professional Network Award for Innovative AI-GIS System
Recognizing the service of Metro veterans
News
Executive Constantine on adoption of $10.2 billion 2025 King County budget – Investing in our values
King County Executive Dow Constantine issued the following statement after the County Council unanimously approved the $10.2 billion budget for 2025, which includes significant investments in housing, health, safety, transportation, climate, and the environment. “This budget reflects King County’s values by directing investments toward our environment, shared prosperity, and support for those furthest from opportunity, access, and justice — building a welcoming community where every person can thrive. I want to extend my gratitude to the King County Council for their dedication in passing this budget for 2025, with special thanks to… Read More
Fleet Services upgrades Motor Pool Dispatch technology
Crossposted from the DES Express The Fleet Services team successfully completed the Motor Pool Dispatch Technology project in October. The project transitioned all Motor Pool Dispatch program vehicles from the previous Invers/CocoSoft reservation system to the new, modern, app-based WeGo technology. Users can expect a simplified reservation interface, keyless entry, and an overall smoother customer experience. “This project was over a year’s long effort,” said Andrew Cronholm, Deputy Director of Fleet Services. “Strong collaboration across all sections in the Fleet Services Team as well as KCIT made it possible. Kudos to those… Read More
Changes to FMD ID Access Office operations
As part of the ongoing Space Consolidation Project the FMD ID Access Office will be relocating from the Administration Building to the Chinook Building in late November. The ID Access Office will have limited availability during the move period as the team transitions to its new location. Important dates: Nov. 25 to 29 – ID Access Office closed for in-person services. Dec. 2 to 6 – ID Access open for limited appointments in Chinook. Please contact FMDIDAccess@kingcounty.gov for any badge or access related needs. In addition to preparing to relocate, for the… Read More
New class of JDOs graduates from the State Academy
Crossposted from the DAJD newsletter Five King County Juvenile Detention Officers graduated from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission in Burien on Oct. 31. Read more.
Be prepared for windy weather
Strong wind gusts are forecasted in our region this afternoon through Wednesday morning, so please be prepared for potential outages. Here are helpful emergency preparedness resources: How to prepare for a power outage Carbon Monoxide Prevention Emergency Preparedness Make It Through Take Winter By Storm Winter Safety Power outages: If you are teleworking and experience a power outage that affects your ability to effectively work remotely, please contact your supervisor to discuss other options for completing work tasks. These may include taking leave or working from your regular King County worksite. If you… Read More
PeopleSoft HCM outage notice, Nov. 16 – 17
To allow for system maintenance, the PeopleSoft system will not be available the weekend of Nov. 16 through Nov. 17. During this planned outage, the Business Resource Center (BRC) will apply vendor updates and maintenance. This work will begin on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 6 a.m. and is scheduled to be completed by 6:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 18. The system will not be available for access by any County staff during this outage window. There will be a communication sent out to all County staff when the system becomes available. We… Read More
You can donate your vacation time to a cause that you care about through the Annual Giving Drive
Did you know that you can donate your accrued vacation leave to nonprofits? Most King County employees have the unique opportunity to donate accrued vacation and/or eligible comp time to three nonprofits of your choice in the EGP. If you do not plan on taking some of your accrued vacation leave, or you have excess leave that cannot be carried into the next year, this is a great option. Employees may give a minimum of 4 hours, maximum of 40 hours, unless you are in a use it or lose it position,… Read More
DAJD recruiters push hiring to record levels in October
Crossposted from the DAJD newsletter The DAJD Recruitment team has continued to power forward, fill vacancies, and break records. After finishing 2023 with a new record of adding 77 Corrections Officers and 31 new Juvenile Detention Officers in just one year, the team elected to push into 2024 with a goal of breaking the records again. By late October, the team has already hired 93 Corrections Officers and 28 Juvenile Detention Officers with two months remaining in 2024. The team has so far brought 143 new staff into DAJD. This includes backfilling… Read More
Wellness Hero Carmen Johnson
Balanced You Wellness Heroes highlights employees doing things to better their lives, the lives of their colleagues, and our community. Meet Wellness Hero Carmen Johnson, King County Retirement Navigator. In this video Carmen talks about how her role helps employees on the road to retirement, the importance of educating and planning for retirement, the million-dollar questions of when you should start planning for retirement (hint: it’s never too early), a variety of resources and classes offered for King County employees, and more. Check out the video of Carmen below!
Complete Open Enrollment by midnight tonight
If you haven’t already completed Open Enrollment, be sure to go to PeopleSoft and finish up before midnight tonight, Friday, Nov. 15. Don’t miss your opportunity to put the right benefit options in place for you and your family next year. For information about your benefit choices, go to the Open Enrollment website and see the 2025 Key Benefit Changes. If you don’t participate in Open Enrollment, your current benefit plan elections will remain the same for next year except your Flexible Spending Accounts and your Benefit Access Fee exemption if you cover a spouse on your medical plan—these… Read More
Records Management reminder: Everything in Outlook needs to be managed, including Sent and Deleted Items!
When employees begin managing their emails, they often start with their Inbox. That’s a great place to start, but it is important to remember that all messages in your Outlook account (including Inbox, all subfolders, Sent Items and even Deleted Items) must be managed. These emails are all potentially discoverable, even if they’re in your Deleted Items. A few simple tips for managing email include: Keep your folder structure as simple as possible Periodically delete transitory emails instead of retaining them Periodically empty your Deleted Items folder For more information, visit the county’s Records Management Program website or contact them at records.management@kingcounty.gov. The Records Management Program, in… Read More
There’s two weeks left to be part of the Annual Giving Drive, join us today!
The Annual Giving Drive is a fun time of the year, so the Employee Giving Program team made a video to a trending tune that just may go viral. Check out the video below and pledge today. Read more. Pledge or renew here by Nov. 22.
New analysts bring expertise to DAJD
Crossposted from the DAJD Newsletter The Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) has welcomed three analysts in recent months to help support operations across different divisions. Sara Tollefson, PPM III, is helping DAJD develop methods to track metrics that show the department’s progress in key areas. Miae Aramori, PPM IV, will lead the Juvenile Division’s efforts to gather statistics and research that reveal trends and outcomes in the juvenile justice system. Robin Gold, a Senior Business Analyst, will focus on creating data reports and dashboards in Power BI. Read more.
Executive Constantine announces he won’t seek re-election in 2025
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced today that he will not seek re-election in 2025, issuing the following statement: “It was 15 years ago this month that I was sworn in as executive, and it remains an honor, every day, to serve the people of King County. I ran for executive because I care deeply about this region where I was raised and the people who live and work here. My priority was then – and still is today – that every person should be able to thrive, be economically secure, and… Read More
Thank you to veterans
Veterans Day is coming up and the Employee Giving Program would like to thank the people that have served. Veterans Day recognizes all veterans, living and deceased, for their bravery, commitment, and selflessness. It is a time for reflection, gratitude, and appreciation for those that have served in times of war and peace. In celebration of Veterans Day here are some EGP nonprofits that specialize in veterans services – to see the full list and discover more search online or PDF by service category. Read more. Pledge or renew here by Nov. 22.
King County to observe Veterans Day holiday Nov. 11
Most King County offices will be closed in observance of Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 11. Due to the nature of our work, some services will continue as normal while others will operate on a reduced schedule. On Nov. 11, Metro Transit buses will operate on weekday schedules. If you have any questions about your schedule for Nov. 11, please talk to your supervisor. Veterans Day is our opportunity to thank our veterans for their service to our nation, and the contributions that they continue to bring to our communities. Services will return to… Read More
Tech Tip: Practice good IT “hygiene” – restart your computer regularly
Did you know your computer’s operating system is updated several times a year? This update happens behind the scenes, but requires you to restart your computer. This restart can take several minutes. Your computer may offer to reschedule this required restart until later, but will only allow you to postpone once or twice – you can’t delay the update forever! Most updates include important features such as new virus protections that are critical for the safety of King County’s systems. Please practice good IT “hygiene” and restart your computer regularly! Be sure… Read More
King County Metro Community Liaisons connect to all our riders
Crossposted by Metro Matters Metro is proud to introduce our new Community Liaison pilot program. The program features the voices and perspectives of staff who work to strengthen our relationships with our varied communities through their unique voices and perspectives. Spanish speaking riders? We’ve got you. Swahili? Yes indeed—there’s a liaison for you! The team helps ensure that the people most in need of transit can weigh in our plans, policies and decisions. That’s important, because ensuring Metro’s services are welcoming and accessible to all is how we succeed. Read more.
Wastewater Treatment: Employee perspectives
Acknowledging employees who tirelessly work in the field is crucial to the success of King County. Within Wastewater Treatment, the contributions of our employees are the backbone of our division, and the stories, insights, and perspectives they share create a sense of pride across our organization. This video, Voices from the Field, highlights operators and other employees working at our facilities, celebrating the dedication and expertise of these unsung heroes. The employees share how their job is exciting and the value of their connection to environmental stewardship. View the video below, and… Read More
Add pronouns and preferred first name/nickname to PeopleSoft and Microsoft Teams
Employees can now add pronouns and preferred first name/nickname in PeopleSoft and Microsoft Teams, making them visible to other King County employees, but the option for adding to Microsoft Outlook is currently unavailable. Here’s how to make changes: Pronouns In PeopleSoft Self-Service, go to Personal Details and select Gender Identity from the menu. You will see your Federal Reporting Sex listed here. Select the arrow to the right, select the magnifying glass in the Pronoun field, and select one of the options. Check the I agree to self identify box and hit save. Watch this video for step-by-step instructions. In Microsoft Teams, select your profile picture in the… Read More
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