Featured Headlines
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
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
Innovation Section receives award for wildlife excellence
Crossposted from the Plane Talk Newsletter King County International Airport recently received an award from United States Department of Agriculture’s Washington State office for a project promoting wildlife excellence. Dave Decoteau, deputy director of the airport, accepted the award on KCIA’s behalf at the 2024 Washington Airport Management Association Annual Conference in May. The airport’s Innovation Section received the award for partnering with USDA to develop the Wildlife Hazard Assessment Tool (WHAT) application. “It is an application for capturing wildlife observations on our airfield,” said Vanessa Chin, Innovation Section Manager for the… Read More
Celebrating Pride and the fight for equality
Dear fellow King County employee, This month we celebrate Pride and the fight for equality and equal rights for LGBTQIA+ people, along with the many accomplishments and contributions they have made in our communities here in King County and around the world. It is also a time to reflect on the adversities that LGBTQIA+ people have faced throughout history and their courage in the ongoing struggle against injustice. As you may know, Pride began as a protest against discrimination and police violence, in the form of the Stonewall Uprising in New York… Read More
300,000 Metro riders fuel region’s recovery
Crossposted from Metro Matters Our region reached a major milestone when more than 300,000 people rode King County Metro. Achieving the highest one-day total in four years is proof that transit is the engine of our economic recovery. We’re going to more places and we’re traveling together. The 303,000 people who took Metro on May 15, 2024, represents an increase of 22% from just a year ago and 156% from 2020. And this fall, your transit options will grow, too. Metro is adding more bus service, including in the evenings and on… Read More
Metro explores hydrogen fuel cell buses to reduce emissions
Crossposted from Metro Matters King County Metro will explore adding up to four hydrogen fuel cell buses as early as 2026 as part of a pilot project. These zero-emission buses provide extended range, run on hydrogen and emit only water vapor. Seeing how hydrogen fuel cell buses perform will inform if Metro uses them to complement its battery-electric and trolley buses. Metro is a global transit leader on sustainability and is moving toward a 100% zero-emission fleet. The hydrogen fuel cell bus pilot project has the potential to benefit riders, reduce local… Read More
Humans of Road Services: Meet Lydia Reynolds-Jones
Crossposted from King County Local Fairness and fearlessness. For decades, Lydia Reynolds-Jones has leaned on these two pillars to guide her, both professionally and personally. Lydia began working for the Road Services Division more than 30 years ago as a roadway design engineer. The traits that keep her engaged, energized, fulfilled, and never bored are continuous learning and problem solving. Over the years, she has led and managed various units and programs. She has served as the Road Services Division Strategic Business Operations Section Manager since 2021. Read more.
Look for dependent eligibility verification information from Mercer
King County and its labor partners have engaged our trusted vendor Mercer Consulting to conduct a routine eligibility verification of the dependents enrolled in our health plans. If you cover a family member on your King County medical, dental, or vision plan, look for information from Mercer regarding the dependent eligibility verification process you are required to complete. On June 18, Mercer sent instructions and your Audit ID by mail and email. These communications are legitimate—please do not delete. Use your Audit ID to access the Mercer Secure Website, where you can… Read More
Downtown Customer Service Center receives BRG Innovation Award for Service
The Downtown Customer Service Center (CSC) has received the 2023 Best-Run Government (BRG) Innovation Award for Service. Congratulations to the Department of Executive Services (DES), Department of Public Health (DPH), Assessor’s Office, King County Information Technology (KCIT), the Executive Department, and all their partners for their commitment to Best-Run Government. This award recognizes workgroups and teams that have made progress on our customer service goals to prioritize customer-centered services, improve the customer experience, increase staff understanding of customer needs, and/or incorporate service practices and processes into their project. With the closing… Read More
Honoring Juneteenth with stories of community impact that move toward Black liberation
King County Executive Dow Constantine emailed all county employees on Wednesday, June 19, in recognition of Juneteenth and its profound historical and cultural significance for our nation. Juneteenth recognizes the end of legal slavery in America, commemorating June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed people who were still enslaved that slavery had ended more than two years prior. In his email Executive Constantine shared a new video highlighting the incredible work of four organizations that actively confronts the root causes of structural racism. “I recently had the… Read More
Seattle Pride Parade on June 30 and 2024 King County Pride shirts are now available for purchase
March with your King County co-workers, friends, and families in the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30. Plan to meet at King County’s staging area at Fourth Avenue between Seneca and Spring from 11:15-11:45 a.m. Once the King County contingent gets moving at 12:10 p.m., it takes about two hours to get to the end of the parade route. There will be fun swag for folks attending the parade as well as water for the contingent and a spot on the Metro Pride Bus in case anyone needs to rest. Additionally,… Read More
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