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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
Ableism and allyship in the workplace
By Karla Lynch, Employment and Community Access Program Manager, Department of Community and Human Services, and Dorian Esper-Taylor, Disability Justice Specialist, Office of Equity, Racial, and Social Justice, Department of Executive Services Disability Pride Month is celebrated each year in July. Disability Pride initially started as a day of celebration in 1990—the year that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. Yet for people with disabilities, navigating a society constructed by and for people without disabilities continues to highlight the presence of ableism and the power of allyship in… Read More
Executive Constantine appoints Leon Richardson as Local Services director, choosing a leader with community connections, programmatic vision, and operational excellence
King County Executive Dow Constantine today appointed Leon Richardson as the new director of the Department of Local Services, selecting a proven leader with operational excellence and strategic vision to lead the department that serves as the local government for the unincorporated areas. Richardson will begin his new position on July 22, and his appointment is subject to confirmation by the King County Council. Interim Director Danielle de Clercq will continue to serve as the department’s deputy director. “Leon Richardson brings a wealth of experience convening and leading people to strive toward… Read More
Free admission to Emerald Downs Sunday, July 7
King County employees and their families are invited to attend the Emerald Downs racetrack for King County Day on Sunday July 7. They will receive free admission and should check in at Will-Call to receive their tickets. Employees will need to show proof of current employment, such as an employee badge or recent paystub. In addition to King County Day, other events at Emerald Downs this summer include Corgi Races, Premio Esmeralda Weekend which highlights the Latinx community, T-Rex Day, Wiener Dog and Wannabe races, and the final race of the season, Three… Read More
Salt and vinegar on weeds? Save it for the chips!
Crossposted from King County Noxious Weeds So, you’ve found yourself pondering ways to tackle those pesky weeds—perhaps through a friend’s recommendation or some late-night online research. Salt and vinegar might have popped up as the seemingly perfect DIY solution – “eco-friendly”, and you already have some on hand! But before you start sprinkling and spraying, let’s uncover the real story behind these household remedies and their often-overlooked environmental impacts, as well as some possible alternatives. Read more.
More than 20 employees complete training to use evacuation chairs
Crossposted from DES Express Dan Cromwell brings an equity and social justice lens to his work that he’s put into action in a new way recently. As a member of the King County Disability Equity Network, and as Special Duty Assignment Security Manager in the Facilities Management Division, Cromwell noticed evacuation chairs in the nearly vacant Administration Building. “In my new role, I discovered there was no training program (for the use of the chairs) and having come from the KC Disability Equity Network, I saw this as an equity and social… Read More
ORCA Card now available in Google Wallet; Android users can pay for transit with phone and Wear OS devices
Crossposted from Metro Matters ORCA is excited to announce the ability to save and access ORCA transit cards in Google Wallet from Android and Wear OS devices. Starting today, customers across the Puget Sound region can add an ORCA card to Google Wallet for convenient transit payments. Now ORCA customers with Android and Wear OS devices can easily add their ORCA cards to their Google Wallet, enabling them to pay for transit, fund their accounts, purchase a pass, view transactions, and see trip history all within the Google Wallet app. Read more.
State retirement plan contributions change July 1, 2024
Employer contribution rates for some of the following retirement plans will change on July 1, 2024, as approved by the State Legislature. The state Pension Funding Council adjusts contribution rates, as needed, to fund the retirement benefits earned by members. You will see the new employer contribution amounts under employer-paid benefits on your paystub beginning July 17, 2024. More information is available on the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) website. If you have any questions about the rate change, please contact DRS at 800-547-6657 or recep@drs.wa.gov.
BRC team reinvigorates “Underground” team
Crossposted from DES Express Do you know what it takes to ensure your paycheck accurately reflects any changes, like new taxes or union dues, that can occur several times each year? It takes significant behind-the-scenes effort. “No one wants to manually test payroll four times a year,” said Jennifer Gilbert, QA Automation Engineer for PeopleSoft in the Business Resource Center. Read more. Pictured: Pam Ingram and Jessica Maistrovich, both from Hennepin County, Minnesota, and Jennifer Gilbert, QA Automation Engineer for PeopleSoft in the BRC.
‘A victory for regional trails, climate, mobility, and opportunity’: Executive Constantine thanks Sen. Murray, Sen. Cantwell for securing funds to help close a key gap for Eastrail
King County Executive Dow Constantine today thanked U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell for securing a $25 million federal grant administrated by the U.S. Department of Transportation that will help King County Parks close the final gap of the southern segment of Eastrail by crossing Interstate 90. King County Parks will use the funds to retrofit a steel bridge that spans 16 lanes of Interstate 90. It is the latest progress for Eastrail, an emerging 42-mile trail that will ultimately connect South and East King County communities to Snohomish County… Read More
RASKC participates in Kent “Kitty Hall” Cat Adoption Event
Crossposted from DES Express Regional Animal Services staff and several foster volunteers participated in a “Kitty Hall” cat adoption event at Kent’s City Hall on May 30. They brought a whopping 27 kittens and two adult cats to the event for adoption. Twenty-two of those were adopted at the event. “We were excited to see an amazing turnout and all the smiling faces of the new adopters as they got to take their new furry friends home,” said Denise McCollum, Animal Licensing and Marketing Manager at RASKC. “Some of the adopters there… Read More
Attention Active&Fit members
Thank you to every Regence or Kaiser Permanente subscriber who joined the Active&Fit Direct gym program over last year. Please know that on July 1, 2024, Active&Fit is making a policy change to your membership. Learn more.
FSA mid-year check
We’re halfway through 2024, and it’s a good time to check your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) balances and take steps to make sure you spend your remaining funds before the end of the year. Here’s some additional reminders: Health Care FSAs Use Health Care FSA funds to purchase summer-related items such as sunscreen, first aid kits, and prescription sunglasses. Schedule any necessary back-to-school check-ups and sports physicals if you have children. Many over-the-counter items are FSA-eligible, such as pain relievers, cold and allergy medicine, antacids, and feminine care. See the complete list… Read More
Digital ORCA card changes not applicable to county employees
King County Metro recently announced that the ORCA card is available in Google Wallet, but it is important to clarify this change does not apply to King County employees. The King County employee dual-chip badge has this functionality disabled due to security, administrative, and logistical concerns. Many other regional employers who provide transit passes have also chosen to disable this function. In short, this means that King County employee cards cannot be added to the Google Wallet because the physical card is still needed for building access. The option is also not available in… Read More
Join Metro for a FABULOUS Pride Parade!
Crossposted from Metro Matters The Seattle Pride Parade is back on Sunday, June 30, and large crowds are expected to attend to honor our LGBTQIA+ community for their 50th year of gathering publicly here as an act of both celebration and collective resistance. We’re encouraging everyone to plan ahead if they are traveling to or around downtown Seattle. Expect congestion and bus reroutes downtown The parade starts at 11 a.m. on Fourth Avenue at Pike Street and travels north to Second Avenue and Denny Way. From about 7 a.m. until about 5 p.m., Fourth Avenue… Read More
Julie Wing marks 40 years at King County with both pungent and pleasant memories
Crossposted from the DES Express Congratulations to Julie Wing, Inventory Specialist in Fleet Services, on her 40th anniversary with King County! In September 1983, the month after she turned 20, she started a temporary position in the Facilities Management Division as an office assistant. Initially she handled general administration and payroll. Her official anniversary date is April 16, 1984, the date she started a career service position in the Facilites Management Division. Wing has held a number of jobs at the county, from office technician to electrician’s helper in the King County… Read More
Recipient of Best-Run Government Innovation Award helps Fall City community
The Fall City Waste Management System has been honored as the winner of the 2023 Best-Run Government Innovation Award for Climate and Environmental Stewardship. Congratulations to the Department of Local Services (DLS), Public Health – Seattle & King County (DPH), and all their partners for their commitment to Best-Run Government! “I was thrilled to learn that the Fall City Septic System project had won an Executive Best-Run Government Climate Award,” says John Taylor, Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) Director and former DLS Director. “It’s been a passion project of mine… Read More
How to get copies of Washington marriage and birth certificates
King County and its labor unions have engaged trusted vendor Mercer Consulting to conduct a routine eligibility audit to manage regulatory compliance and health insurance costs. Employees are required to review plan eligibility requirements and provide documentation supporting the eligibility of each dependent or indicate removal for any family member who is not eligible. For King County employees who need a certified copy of their Washington marriage certificate for dependent verification, the King County Recorder’s Office can provide these for a fee of $3 per copy. This fee is set by state… Read More
Use Audit ID from Mercer to verify your covered family members’ eligibility by July 29
If you cover a family member on your King County medical, dental, or vision plan, look for your Audit ID and instructions for completing the required dependent eligibility verification process sent from Mercer Consulting by mail and email. King County and its labor unions have engaged trusted vendor Mercer Consulting to conduct a routine eligibility audit to manage regulatory compliance and health insurance costs. If you deleted the email from Mercer: If you cover a family member on your employee medical, dental, or vision plan, and you did not receive an email from… Read More
PeopleSoft outage begins Friday, June 28 at 3 p.m.
To allow for system maintenance, the PeopleSoft system will not be available the weekend of June 28 through June 30. During this planned outage, the Business Resource Center (BRC) will apply vendor updates and maintenance. This work will begin on Friday, June 28 at 3 p.m. and is scheduled to be completed on Monday, July 1 by 6:30 a.m. 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
With COVID-19 on the rise, remember to stay home if sick
King County is currently experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 infections. Please remember to stay home when you’re sick with COVID-19 or any common respiratory illness, including influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). We value your work here, but it won’t help anyone if you spread your illness to your co-workers. If you are sick, please follow your agency’s sick leave request and approval protocols and stay home. When you are sick, stay home and away from other people (including minimizing close contact with those in your home who are not sick)… Read More
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