Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
Crossposted from Public Health Insider Summer may have the longest days of the year, but they always seem to go by the fastest. With the new school year just a few weeks away, now is a great time to make sure your child has the vaccinations they’ll need. Not only are vaccines required for school and childcare, they’re also among the best tools to help your child stay healthy and thrive, this year and beyond. Start with your healthcare provider If your child has a doctor, we recommend getting ahead of the… Read More
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) is joining with hundreds of other animal shelters nationwide in the “Clear The Shelters” initiative. During this special event, which runs from August 10 through September 10, RASKC will reduce adoption fees on all pets. The fee to adopt a cat or dog is just $30, the cost of a pet license. “Adopting a pet from RASKC is always a great value, and during the ‘Clear The Shelters’ campaign it’s even better,” said RASKC Manager Dr. Gene Mueller. “No matter… Read More
Many King County employees use Microsoft Teams chat to communicate with colleagues on a daily basis. As a reminder, employees’ chat messages may disappear from view within three days, but are retained in servers up to 17 days. During that time, they are discoverable and subject to public disclosure. Best practice is to only use Teams chat for transitory communications that do not need to be retained as documentation of your work. If your agency’s retention schedule requires a message to be kept for longer, consider using email that can be filed… Read More
On a sunny Wednesday morning, the inviting aroma of freshly brewed coffee and delicious Hawaiian cuisine wafted through the air at Patrick’s Café. This popular local spot, known for its warm ambiance and tasty offerings, played host to a special gathering – Coffee with a Cop, organized in partnership with the King County Sheriff’s Office. The event drew a good number of community members, attracting both regular patrons and passersby. Community Service Officers (CSOs) and Deputies, accompanied by several members of the command staff and leadership, engaged in meaningful conversations with community members,… Read More
Metro is partnering with the Photographic Center Northwest (PCNW) on an international call for photos to be featured at bus shelters across King County. Successful photos could remain in bus shelters for up to 10 years. This call is open to all County employees and their family members of all ages. This year’s theme is “Show Us Your World” and intended to explore personal, cultural identity and connection. This can include, but is not limited to, photos that display: Culture, values, and traditions that have been passed down from previous generations. Shared… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters Recruiting and training new bus operators allows our region’s transit network to continue to grow. On June 21, King County Metro celebrated the graduation of 54 part-time operators to full-time status. June also marked Metro’s highest number of full-time operators since 2021, although we still need to add many more to meet the high demand for transit service in the coming years. In addition, we recently began training our first class of external candidates seeking to become full-time bus operators. Metro has historically hired part-time operators who can… Read More
The Administrative Professionals Program is excited to announce the Administrative Professional Recognitions for the first and second quarter of 2024, from January through June. These 27 individuals have been recognized for their excellence as administrative professionals at King County. View the recognitions here. The list includes: Allison Pierce, Amanda Knell, Amiee McCrea, Angela Simmons, Audrey Johnson, Betty Jimerson, Channy Koing, Chris Stein, David Matsumoto, Dorcas Olegario, Elaine Edwards, Jennifer Blackstone, Judi Hendrickson, Julie Chung, Katerina (Katie) Kovalchuk, Kelly Uyehara, Krystal Heflin, Lauren Bagby, Linda Eaves, Marla Erickson, Marni Donnely, Maureen Dahlstrom, Renee Jacklin-Pool, Roger… Read More
The King County Sheriff’s Office was delighted to witness Deputy Marty Hodge being publicly recognized at a recent Mariners game with his name illuminated on the big screen. Deputy Hodge dedicated 21 years to service in the United States Army as a Master Sergeant in special forces, notably contributing to the first Iraq war and operation Enduring Freedom. Following his military tenure, Deputy Hodge transitioned to a role at the King County Sheriff’s Office, where he has diligently served as a deputy for the past 22 years. Deputy Hodge initially commenced off-duty… Read More
Tuesday, Aug. 6 is Election Day for the August Primary. This is your opportunity to help your favorite candidate make it to the General Election. The best way to return your ballot this close to Election Day is by using an official ballot drop box. Drop boxes close at 8 p.m. on Aug. 6 so don’t delay, return your ballot today. King County Elections will also have Vote Centers open this weekend for those who still need to register to vote, get a replacement ballot, or use an accessible voting device. After you’ve voted,… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters They read, travel, garden and work around their homes. They are bike riders—both motor and stationary. They enjoy making jams and jellies. They are even former clog dancers! They are operators with two centuries of driving experience. The operators on your bus are as unique as you, and all of them love driving and giving back to their community. Read more.
Crossposted from Metro Matters King County Metro is increasing transit service this fall, including adding over 3,700 new bus trips each week, launching the RapidRide G Line in Seattle, connecting buses to new Sound Transit light rail stations, and expanding Metro Flex to Northshore. Starting Sept. 14, King County Metro is expanding evening and weekend transit service, and launching its eighth RapidRide – the G Line – which will provide fast and frequent service through downtown Seattle, First Hill, Capitol Hill, the Central District, and Madison Valley. Read more.
Employees can save on tickets to the 2024 Washington State Fair, Aug. 30 – Sept. 22. To purchase your discount tickets: Visit thefair.com/corporate Click the “Buy Tickets” button Enter access password: king24 Under “Corporate Perks – 2024” click “Buy Tickets” for Admission & Ride deals. Get full details here. See all available employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
Crossposted from King County Local Eric Urban isn’t new when it comes to fire safety in the Puget Sound area, but he is relishing (and keeping busy) in his new role as King County Fire Marshal. Eric was appointed to the position earlier this year, following Chris Ricketts’ retirement. Eric’s appointment came after he served more than a year as Deputy Fire Marshal for King County. Read more.
To ensure that all employees have the opportunity to complete the dependent eligibility verification process so that their family members can continue their coverage on their King County medical, dental, or vision plan, the deadline has been extended to Aug. 12, 2024. If you haven’t completed the process, please use this two-week grace period to verify the eligibility of each person enrolled to make sure they do not lose coverage on Sept. 30, 2024. If you have coverage questions, please contact King County Benefits. Using the Audit ID sent to you by Mercer,… Read More
King County and local partners recently announced a new countywide strategy to prepare for and respond to the impacts of extreme heat. Development of the Extreme Heat Mitigation Strategy began two years ago following the unprecedented heat wave in 2021 that killed over 30 people in King County, marking the deadliest climate-related disaster in the region’s history. The strategy includes 20 immediate and long-term actions that range from increasing urban tree canopy and expanding access to parks and green space, to creating community cooling locations, making schools more resilient to heat, updating building codes… Read More
As government employees, managing records is a job requirement for each of us. It is not just a role assigned to admin folks; it’s a part of all jobs, including those at every level of county government. If you are curious about what those basic responsibilities are, we encourage you to take the Basic Records Management online training. The online class takes just 15 minutes to complete, can be taken anywhere with internet access, and can be retaken at any time. Learn more here in this document, Key Takeaways – Basic Records Management. For more information,… Read More
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 range from training operators, planning the routes that run throughout the region, and literally being “traffic controllers” keeping track of the buses on their daily runs. Read more.
Crossposted from the DES Express Last month, two staff members from King County Emergency Management had the unique opportunity to join the University of Oregon incident management team which was supporting the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track and field. Nathan Emory and Edan Edmonson, both Emergency Management Program Coordinators, spent three days observing and lending a hand to the emergency management team. The experience gave KCOEM staff the opportunity to see how the University of Oregon’s emergency management team connected with local first responders, facilitating a coordinated and effective response to… Read More
Today King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a $50 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to lower greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and construction throughout the region. King County will partner with local governments to help multifamily and community buildings across four counties — King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish — transition to clean energy. The funding will also be used to reduce emissions in new building construction and create systems to reuse wood when a building is deconstructed to avoid emissions. “We’re leading on climate action by cutting emissions, creating resilient frontline communities,… Read More
Washington State Fair: Employees can save on tickets to the 2024 Washington State Fair, Aug. 30 – Sept 22. To purchase your discount tickets: Visit thefair.com/corporate Click the “Buy Tickets” button Enter access password: king24 Under “Corporate Perks – 2024” click “Buy Tickets” for Admission & Ride deals. Get full details here. Benaroya Hall presents: esperanza spalding, Sunday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. Emphasizing simplicity and intimacy of her voice, bass, and songs, in this special configuration of two musicians and two dancers, esperanza performs songs from all eight of her previous albums,… Read More